OH oh oh yessss. I just saw this thread - disregard my question in the build threae]
Well,...giving credit where credit is due, it was your build thread that inspired me to get "back
in the boat" so to speak.
MM - that's right ...I guessed at it.... I saved all of his medals and photgraphs (even had some of the concentration camps ) - he was friends w/a G.I photographer - burned out buildings / miltary vehicles etc ....they were like little very tiny photos ....before he passed- I made him 'sit' down and I recorded all of his 'war stories' - on cassette tape - some of them would make the 'hair' on your head stand up (especially him dresing as a German officer) ......the funniest one's were when he interviewed the nazi's foot soldiers before letting them go back home - he'd sit a soldier down at a desk.....he'd tell them to lossen their boots / relax ......give them a cigarette ....they would take it ....sniff it under their nose and say "Ahhhh Americannna" - .....I was hoping you would make me guess. I guessed before you told me though
I am a huge WWII buff.
although I wouldn't have been able to spell it properly ,I
said "vermacht" in my head as soon as you started to explain.
I may be a little slow. Are you ditching the Fairmont idea now and just doing all your ideas to the turbo coupe?Funny how things work out.
Called one of my Chevy motor transplanting Mustang building friends to see what I could scrounge off of him, looking mainly for an 8.8.
After talking for a while and I explain my intention to build a big power 4 cylinder Fairmont w/ an auto trans and an 8.8, he says:
"You know Ken has that 88 Turbo Coupe sitting in his shop he's looking to sell, and it already has all of that weak-assed ford shi t you're looking for still on it." HMMMMMMMMM.
So I call him and find out that he does in fact have a running 140k mi 1988 Turbo Coupe sitting there,.....unmolested,.....w/ an auto trans, behind an I/C 4 cyl turbo motor w/ a disc Brake 8.8 that he is indeed looking to sell.
Did I mention that I also lust after this body style as well?
So I ask the obvious question...........How much?
"What I got in it" he says, 800 bucks.
Did I buy it?
OH HELL YEAH!!! I'll have that dude in my driveway by end of year.
Poses a problem w/ my intention to build a complete stand alone replacement ECU, as now, this turd has already got one in there that not only is controlling the engine, but that funky ride control system these cars have, and perhaps the transmission as well as the fuel and ignition.
Maybe a piggyback controller for the fuel ignition/ and boost control instead?
So, I'll get it home. Take some "before" pics, fix what is wrong w/ it and drive it while I amass the necessary parts to make it mine. At least it's a Fox.
I go from the lightest fox made to probably one of the heaviest.
Ask me if i care.
I may be a little slow. Are you ditching the Fairmont idea now and just doing all your ideas to the turbo coupe?
I figured you wouldn't strip out a complete drivetrain from the car you lust after
I'm liking where this is going now, MikeNo, the T/C becomes the project. Fairmonts have for some reason become......."collectible?" Price them. Some of these guys think they have a gold mine. From what I've seen on average, a running, bench seat, column shifted, 4-6 cyl fairmont is between 3000 and 6000. W/ the little old ladies car who only drove it back and forth to church commanding 10-12k.
There have been a few drag cars out there around 5-6k mark, but I'm not looking to return a hagged out ex drag car to street driver in this particular build.
Regardless, there is no aftermarket for either car. If there is a broken tail light, bad quarter window, cracked door belt molding, I'm gonna have to source it used, as there is no place to buy it new like you can w/ a fox, so I'll have to start w/ the best example I can find that has the most junk already on it.
while this DEFIANTLY isn't it, this is what I'm soon to be working on:
I did a TC engine swap about 7 years ago in my buddy's 4-cyl LX. Those are cool little engines. It was a fun car. I think you're going to have a lot of fun with this project of yours, Mike.
I might get a chance this week to go look at it on wednesday. I'll update then.
...and post highly degraded cell phone pics with your thumb cover half the frame after 3 double shots of espresso.
Why not just find another TC? That blue one you posted earlier tickled my happy place.
Found one in AZ for you MM - $3k - kind of pricey for me .....but no issues w/ rust etc ....the "skull" shifter handle is a real nice touch....I called on it left a V/M
http://phoenix.craigslist.org/nph/cto/3388621401.html