What years did they make the T-bird TC?

bobbylx

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Mar 3, 2004
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Like the title says, what years did Ford make this car? I ask because I drive by a house everyday on my way to and from work and see a T-bird sitting in the yard. It is 86 or older because it has the chrome grill. If this is a TC will it be a good swap car? I mean does it have the 8.8 rear end and good front brakes? Any ideas?
 
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83-88. Any year is a good candidate for the turboswap. Or heck, fix it up and have a real nice turbocoupe.

'86 earlier has the drum rears, 7.5 w/ traclok and widdle front brakes.
 
Hmm, I have to check out the headlights, I haven't really paid much attention to them. It is surrounded by about 3 feet of grass from the front fenders back so I really notice that chrome grill. Oh and that ugly faded banana yellow paint job. So are the headlights a way to distinguish turbo from non?
 
Yeah, I guess I need to just stop there and ask to take a look. I wanted to know if this year model even had turbo option, it looks like thats possible. Is there any way to tell from just looking at the outside? I know it doesn't have the holes in the hood for IC. Any options package or decals I could look for. The car is in someones yard, but the house looks empty so I may have trouble tracking down the owner. Thanks,

Bobby
 
The easiest way to tell without even opening the hood is as follows:

If it's one of the older "four eye" cars (that is, it has the sealed beam headlamps on it), if it's a Turbo Coupe it will have fog lights or at least spaces for them in the front bumper. V6 and V8 cars didn't have the fog lights. Also these cars were not intercooled so there was no scoops in the hood.

If it's an '87 or '88 with the "aero" headlamps, and it has a chrome grille, it will be a V6 or a V8. Turbo Coupes had a special "grille-less" front fascia and also had fog lights in the front bumper.

That should help because those are the most distinguishable features of the cars. Based on what you've said so far, it sounds to me like it's probably an '83-86 car.