My 1984 Tbird Restomod
 

I thought several months ago I posted a thread on the restoration my 1984 Tbird, but it may have gotten lost with the crash a while back.

This is where the progress is at now...

1985 Cougar nose, 1979-82 Tbird hood ornament and a 1994-98 Mustang dash...

:pics:

By the way, I do remember your pictures of restoration.

I've been looking for a 1983-1986 T-Bird for a restoration too. I recently found a nice 2.3L turbo model and it looked great, but it had over 190,000 miles on the odometer so I had to pass.

By the way, I would do something like this. I know this is 1987/1988 model, but they're very similar.

http://image.mustangandfords.com/f/1...bird_turbo.jpg

http://image.mustangandfords.com/f/1...bird_turbo.jpg

How about giving me a chance to upload them! LOL

Two more shots...

The dash is not completed yet... I still have some parts I am waiting for.

Interesting ideas. Just goes to show how versatile the Fox chassis is.

Good job.

With the redesign of the SN-95 Mustang in 04, it kept the basic dimensions of the Fox platform firewall intact. However because of the sloped windshield of the SN-95 body, the Mustang dash was too deep to fit in the Tbird causing it to come in too much towards the the rear of the passenger compartment, so I had to cut 3" off at the cowl. Basically it is cut even with the opening of the defroster vent. I had to notch in openings for the defroster to function. I found it easier to do away with the metal support of the Mustang dash and I laid the dash shell over my original 84 Tbird dash frame. The frame angles away towards the foot wells to match the same shape of the glovebox and driver's knee panel of the Mustang dash shell.

The Mustang dash shell was easy to make hidden attachments to the windshield cowl. Small "L" brackets were used and located under the forward edge of the dash using the three attachment points that are in the Tbird. With the gauge cluster vacant and the area for the passenger air bag open, there was plenty of room to make the hidden attachment to the cowl.

For the HVAC ventilation, I had to reuse the Tbird dash airbox and center vent ducts because the Mustang one will not mate up to the airbox on the firewall. I was able to use the Mustang defroster vent assembly and retain the function of the dash side window defrosters.

The entire reason I went to the Mustang dash is because the original Tbird dash shell (not the top pad) was so brittle it would snap like breaking up crackers into soup. I am not kidding. There were cracks everywhere in the original Tbird dash structure. Everytime I tightened a screw I would snap off a mounting tab for speed nuts. It's a shame I had to change from the original dash because I liked the vinyl knee pad and glove box door which were both still in very excellent shape.

I could not find a replacement 1983-84 Tbird dash shell. I did find a 1980 Tbird and 1986 LTD that I considered swapping the dash from, but it's the older style dash and they both showed signs of structural cracking though not as bad as what I originally had.

I considered using a newer 85-88 style Tbird dash, but the padding on top of every example I found was in a state of moderately to severely cracked. The Mustang dash is in perfect shape. No signs of cracking or brittle anywhere.

Now I am waiting for a few parts I ordered to complete the trim.

I am using the original Tbird gauge cluster inside of the Mustang dash cluster opening. It seems too complicated trying to convert to a Mustang cluster to work because my Tbird has a speedo cable while the Mustang uses speed sensors. Besides, I am retaining the column shifter and prefer to keep the vertical PRND21 indicator intact. My only issue with the column shifter is some interference against the dash around the steering column and gauge cluster opening. My solution will be to remove the shift lever and bend it so that it will clear. I also have to design a blind out of vinyl so the gauge cluster will have a finished look sitting behind the Mustang gauge trim panel.

I will also be using a 1989-93 Tbird steering column shroud to fill the squarish steering column opening in the Mustang dash. It fits perfectly and retains the functional design for the tilt wheel which tilts just behind the wheel in Fox body fashion. I just have to fashion holes for the turn signal and wiper switch plus an opening on the right side for the shift lever to pass through.

The only other compatability issue I have to address is the console. I cannot use a Mustang console because there is no provision for all the window, mirror and seat switches like the Tbird console has. I test fitted the Tbird console with the Mustang dash and it looks like it will work well and look nice together. I just have to fashion a small joining console structure to give it a finished look.

Daylight pictures...

Those SN95 dashes don't fit perfectly in Fox Mustang either. Lots of work. Give you credit for going through with it. Is there a different style Thunderbird steering wheel you can use to go with the new dash? Perhaps throw on some SN95 door panels while you're at it. (Sorry, easier said than done. :doh:) And I was wondering if you could somehow section parts of the SN95 console (the area that attach to the dash) for the "transition" part and blend it in with the Thunderbird's console.

I like the steering wheel that I have, mainly because of the NOS rectangular center trim with the Bird emblem. The worn out leather is stripped off the wheel right now so the wheel looks ultra thin. It will look better when I pad and re-wrap the rim. I will also install a squared-off 89-93 Tbird steering column shroud which fits the square column opening perfectly.

I am not doing SN95 door panels. I just snagged a set of newer 88 Tbird door panels with the better integrated armrests and power door lock button design.

I am working on the transition for the center stack to console. I have Mustang console parts on the way to see what I can do to work with it.

dude... this build rocks! :nice: I love what you're doingg with that bird :drool:

Thanks Arin! Just a lot of details to work out but it has not been to bad. It is at least an enjoyable project.

A few more pics of progress...

The first picture shows the granny cluster installed in the Mustang dash opening.

The second picture shows it trimmed out in vinyl to fill the gap. I am not completely satisfied how this looks so I will be working with it while I am also considering getting a Mustang cluster. I am looking at the possibility of a cluster from a Ranger, Explorer or Taurus since they all have the PRDN21 indicator intergrated into it. Those clusters follow the general shape of the Mustang gauge bezel opening.

Third picture is experimenting with using the lower portion of the original Tbird center stack trim plate to bridge the gap between the console and dash. I will need to construct side trim pieces to flow from the bottom of the dash to the console. I am also going to try and see how the front half of a Mustang console will work since it has a joint seam that can be taken apart at the front section just behind the shifter bezel opening.

Forth and fifth pictures show the cupholder insert I snagged from a Ford Taurus. Fits the tray insert / optional componant CD player opening of the Mustang dash perfectly. I just had to modify the stops of the cupholder slide tray so that it comes out further when extended and clears the bottom of the radio opening.

I am going to find a Ford radio to match what the Mustang originally offered.

I am waiting for a dashtop clock and a special passenger airbag delete plate that I bought from eBay.

I'm diggin the way that current cluster looks in the mustangs dash.. i can kinda see the gaps on either side though, and those dont look as good. maybe just fandangling a trim piece would be easier than trying to adapt a whole new cluster?

Yeah I am going to keep working with the trim when I have more time. It's going to be much more challenging trying to get a cluster to work that operates off a VSS, not to mention the additional gauges that have to be accommodated besides the speedo and fuel in the granny cluster.

Update on the dash swap... I decided to use a 1980 Tbird digital instrment cluster and wiring up was a success. The speedo works, however the fuel gauge is off. I need a sending unit for the digital dash models. It actually works opposite of the analog gauges, so right now it reads empty when it is actually full. I had to add two green LED's for the turn indicators and one red one for the ENGINE light. The 1980-82 Tbirds had an upper tier in the dash for the turn signal and idiot lights. I already had the cluster so I put it to good use.

I am thinking of doing a carbon fiber decal overlay on the entire digital cluster face. That will update the 1980's triple square graphic design. I will just cut out windows in the decal material for the gauge displays, odometer and warning/indicator lights.

I got a good used Mustang console today. I have to clean it and dye it the right color. I also have to get an armrest compartment liner and either an ashtray door or newer style cupholder. I will be moving the window, seat and mirror switches into the Mustang's oval shifter bezel opening. I will look for a Tbird or Cougar with the seat mounted consolette and use the switch panel trimmed down to fit under the Mustang's oval shifter opening and bond it into place.

Interesting choice. BTW, what is the max speed reading of the digital speedometer? Did those suffer from the 85 MPH "limit" as well?

Interesting build. You've done a great job retrofitting that dash into your T bird, no walk in the park there! :nice:

Ya know there is a "1" digit to the left of the "00" digits that lights up during the initial cluster-on. I also wonder if it will actally read that high! It will be a while before I ever get this car to go that fast! I am doing a lot of work that is easier to do in the winter. I will be tackling the mechanicals when the weather gets much warmer.

Thanks! This project ended up being more involved than I anticipated. However the easy part was mounting the dash shell to the original Tbird metal dash frame and mounting it in the car. It's all the other detail work that has been quite involved.

I just got a used Mustang console because I really wanted the center stack to flow into the console instead of contructing a makeshift relief to mask and finish off the bottom of the Mustang dash. It's unbelievable that the Mustang console fits in and lines up perfectly to the sides of the center stack despite the dash shell being mounted on the original Tbird frame.

However, I still like the original Tbird console much better than the Mustang one. I could possibly end up using the front half of the Mustang console joined to the Tbird in some Frankenstein way.

Oh yeah and my inspiration for going ahead and doing the Mustang dash.... The 1958-63 Tbirds originated the dual cowl look that the original Mustang ended up using help differentiate the Falcon dash that the Mustang borrowed while giving it a sort of mini T-bird flair.

I believe that the Mustang dash fits perfectly with the original AeroBird soft forms while giving it a related theme that links to past Tbirds....

It's very interesting how the 1958-60 center dash vent design is so similar to the one the 1994 Mustang started using...

I updated the digital cluster face today by using carbon fiber decal material laid across the entire cluster face. I cut out windows for the lights and readouts. The dated Hollywood Squares look is now gone.

Looking good! :nice: Nice touch!

Pretty neat touch with that trick. :nice:

Thanks! The gauge face panel was easy to cover with the carbon fiber decal because it is so flat. It would have been more of a challenge if it had countoured surfaces. The decal material is actually foil backed, not just vinyl. I picked up the roll of material at Advance Auto Parts.

It would have liked to went with a real Mustang gauge cluster, but I figured I would have ran into problems with some of the wiring and that it probably needs to be flashed or is possibly tied into the PCM. There is also no speedo cable on 94+ Mustangs. Maybe if I research it more it's possible I could adapt it later, but I wanted uncomplicated simplicity. The 80 Tbird digital speedo uses a traditional cable and a magneto speed sensor attached to the tail of the mechanical odometer. The cluster fit inside the Mustang dash opening.

I originally changed the cluster illumination to blue LED's but after lighting it up it just did not look right with the blue-green (not slime green) vacuum flourescent displays, so I changed it back to conventional bulbs. After installing the Mustang dash top clock, the display for that matches the color of the gauge cluster displays so it all has a uniform look.

Most of the dash work is now done. I just ordered a Ford factory radio that is the single din style used with this Mustang dash. I just realized after ordering it that I didn't check to make sure the display lights up in the blue-green instead of the slime green.

I also have to work on the Mustang console. It needs to be painted gray to match. It will be simple to install. I already test fitted it and amazingly it aligns and mates perfectly with the centerstack of the dash. I have solved the problem of what to do with the Tbird window, seat and mirror switches. Since I will not be going to a floor shift, I got a "consolette" switch trimplate from a 1986 Tbird and it will be trimmed down and bonded to the bottom of the oval opening of the Mustang shifter bezel. Since I will not be converting to a console handbrake, I am going to line the slot opening with black vinyl like an inverted closed boot so it will serve as a functional map pocket.

More pictures... I have made some progress. The digital cluster is installed and finished inside the trim bezel. The 89-93 Tbird steering column trim is now in place. The dash clock is installed and working.

I cleaned up and vacummed the interior today. I also staged the tan Mustang console for pictures. It is not attached and needs to be painted to match so pay not attention to the gaps and misalignments. It will install perfectly.

The window, seat and mirrow switches are going in the shifter trim bezel. I'll have a picture how that will look later...

Waiting for the Ford factory radio... It should be here tomorrow I think...

That is insanely cool! And very unique

I worked out bonding the front half of a Tbird consolette switch trimplate to the bottom of the Mustang shifter trim... It will work perfect for relocating the Tbird console switches...

dude this looks awesome :nice: You've made something supercool that no one would normally expect to see

:drool:

And ive always wondered if anyone would come up with a practical and non-gaudy use for that carbon fiber foil tape stuff haha, and by golly you've done it

Unique at it's finest here. Especially because it's all done back yard style :nice:

Hey I cannot help I do not have access to Ford's computerized milling machines! LOL!

Interesting. Good work! For those of us who missed the original thread what else you planning on doing to it?

I am at the stage now where I have done all I can do with the interior until it's time for exterior refinishing and getting the new carpet and headliner. I still have to paint and match the color of some parts.

Now is the time I must start working on the mechanicals. I know I will need an engine rebuild or a remanufactured engine. This engine has 145,000 original miles on it. It starts just fine, but there are some oil leaks and a fair amount of smoke from the exhaust while it warms up. I can tell it's running too rich. Something is burning from the catalytic converter and I have not figured out yet for sure if it is something dripping onto the converter and burning when it get hot or whether the converter is filling up with unburned fuel in the exhaust.

I am sure the transmission needs work. It is slow to shift into gear from park or neutral. At some point after the drivetrain is driven a while, it feels like the torque converter is not disengaging when it should and stalls the engine.

The brakes and exhaust needs to be replaced as well as every suspension bushing, ball joints, tie rods, shocks, struts, steering rack... you name it probably needs replacing at this point. With the cost involved this will not be a project done overnight.

I don't care so much to make this car a tire burner as much as I want to have it in an enjoyable and reliable cruising condition. This will never be a daily driver either.

Take your time. Maybe we'll see it in one of the Ford/Mustang magazines some day. :D If the engine has to come out and get rebuilt, may as well "kick it up a notch". Check out the Click-Click Racing forums - it deals with modifying Ford automatic transmissions such as the AOD/AODE/4R70W. Maybe a AODE/4R70W swap could be the way to go as they can handle more power and tend to be more reliable than the AOD since they are stronger. Lots of them available in salvage yards too.

Thanks for the tranny info! I'll have to keep that in mind.

I am loosing my mind^^^^

I forgot we lost the original thread I started in the hack crash... And I also got confused with my similar thread at Fox Tbird Cougar forum which has grown to 30 pages.

I hate we lost the original thread in the crash but I could very well reconstruct the pictures and some of the things I have done when I get time.

Anyway, something new to show off... The airbag delete cover...

And the view through my window of the Bird covered in snow. It's interesting how the snow formed on the surfaces of the car making it look like some undetailed clay prototype...

The airbag delete cover is now installed ;)

That looks sweet :nice:

Well done!

More Updates!
 

It's been a while since I posted here. I have gone through a few cosmetic and functional changes since you all last checked in.

Enjoy the show!

1987-88 front end swapped on

I did away with the ancient digital dash cluster and put a set of 95 Mustang gauges in it, painted the needles and caps in the gauge face. Everything works perfectly. The car had nothing but a speedo and fuel gauge originally. It was easy to make the connection to the speed sensor, ignition coil "-" and sending units which were swapped for 95 Mustang specific ones. The cluster is calibrated to actual mileage of the Tbird and the gauge readings are accurate when active.

I am trying a 85-86 era standard Mustang 3-spoke wheel.

I have also swapped the 1983-84 taillamps with the 85-86 styled ones.

More progress as it comes along...

Fiery Night Eyes....
 

Installed amber side marker lamp bulbs and socket in the main headlamp housings...

Nice to see the project moving along. Those night time shots make the car look evil - especially since it is currently in black primer/oxidized black. So for the headlight mod, take it you made another opening in the housing to mount the amber bulb socket spliced off of the running lights? Guess when the headlights are on, it looks normal.

That is correct! I drilled a hole under the headlamp bulb openings (which there was a generous amount of room to do so) and I installed 194 bulb sockets and wired them into the parking lamp circuit. I used 194A amber bulbs and the result is a continuous full amber glow.

The headlamps do come on with normal white light when used.

Oh yeah and I hit the jackpot finding a salvage car with perfectly good headlamps that have a crystal clear lens instead of being fogged up like most of them are of this age. Even the chrome reflective coating inside is flawless.

Yeah doncha just love the oxidized and faded black paint! Looks like a rat rod right now! The header panel is just semi-flat black Krylon and the bumper cover is just semi-flat black flexible bumper paint. I did that so the car would not have a gold header panel and white bumper cover while I wait all this time to get to the stage of exterior refinishing which will not be done until I do a lot of mechanical and drivetrain work to the car.

I have a lot of ideas bouncing around. One is changing the interior to all black with just white seat and door panel inserts. Another possibility is if the automatic transmission cannot be saved, I may switch it out for a 5-speed manual. That will let me mount a floor shift which I can use a white ball handle on.

Inspiration for me has been the 1960 Tbird. Lots of Tbird design theme already built into the look of the Mustang dash. With the 87-88 LX grille pattern, smooth nose and browed arch over the headlamps, it picks up the same themes of the 1960 Tbird which was the intention of Ford when they rediesigned the Tbird for the 1987 model year.

Oh yeah and some Mustang goodies that the Tbird will benefit from when I finally get to the stage of minute detailing...

Black leather seats with white inserts, and not shown here but Tbird emblems in the backrest in the black section above the white inserts.

Silver painted cluster, centerstack and passenger airbag cover to mimick the same application of aluminum finish in the 1960 Bird.

White shift ball if going to a 5-speed manual transmission.

The Mustang's aluminum pedal covers.

Chrome rings around the gauges.

And this will be a modification to the taillamps to reduce the focal attention away from the large clear back-up lamp sections which will also help the taillamps look full width. This is already the look that the 1989-97 Tbirds use for the back-up lamps.

Looking good and still moving along nicely I see. Time to start saving for some of the Cobra R rims and since you need the suspension/bushings already more than a motor that still runs fine might as well go there with a drop too :grin:.

My unltimate rim of choice are these:

Actual taillamp modification...
 

Here it is... Not like first planned but I reduced the back-up lamps to smaller squares and painted red around it to give the taillamp a more full width look.

IMO, go 5-lug. Better yet, upgrade to front and rear disc conversion to 94+ spec. The pre-Fox4 chassis cars have crappy factory brakes. :(

More progress... Just a couple of little things...

I replaced the dinged lower left taillamp trim and decided to paint them Toreador red to match the taillamp lenses. Kinda gives off a fuller look the same way the black paint was deleted from the bottom strip of the 1996-97 Tbird taillamps.

I also bought a slip on auto parts store steering wheel cover to beef up the steering wheel. Looks like I will actually be able to stitch this at the seams just like any factory steering wheel cover.

I also did my "old school" ambient lighting. I started off trying blue LED's in the instrument cluster with hopes that they would look nice complmented with blue LED footwell lights. Bad choice! The LED's do not give off consistant lighting and allow hot spots behind certain areas. I hated the uneven lighting, so I abandoned the LED's in favor regular clear bulbs. The cluster from the factory gives off a greenish blue color. So for my retro ambient lighting, I just took two side marker lamp sockets and two blue 194 bulbs and monted them under each side of the dash. So there you have it... "old school ambient lighting"!

It's been a while since I updated here but here is some progress...

The dash and console has been painted all black. I relocated the auto shifter to the floor using a flush mount Mark VII auto shifter that only requires a hole large enough for the cable to pass through the transmission tunnel. I also removed the old column shifter and shaft and replaced the shaft with the lockout cable that keeps you from locking the steering column when you try to turn the key to lock unless it is in park.

You can see I have the instrument cluster bezel, center stack trim, shifter trim and passenger "airbag cover" painted silver. This is to mimick the look of the 1958-63 Tbirds where there design dual cowl design of the original Mustang dash was inspired in the first place. I am having a hard time with the RH airbag cover. I am using a used airbag cover that was blown and split. I put it back together from the back using some foil tape. I sprayed some vinyl with the silver paint I used on the other dash trim. That worked great as this Duplicolor factory color paint must have a flex agent included in case it is used on bumper covers. My problem is getting the vinyl to adhere and not lift from teh airbag cover. Plus there is so much pressure on the right side when installed that the top half slips down onto the bottom half. I so want to use one of those factory matched airbag delete covers that are made but they cost quite a bit. It would be perfect since there is no Mustang name script on it.

Everywhere I have read people have said you cannot use the 1994-04 Mustang wiper switch. Well that is true but the big secret is that you have to use a wiper switch from a 1986-88 Taurus or Sable. Those cars use the same wiper motor, same wiper control module and have the same wiper switch connections though you have to use the pigtail from the Taurus and splice it into the Tbird harness. Finishing this off I used steering column trim from the 1989-93 Tbird and now it looks like it came from the factory this way. And thank God no more column shifter. I just installed a manual shift boot tonight to fill the shifter plate. I like that better than any PRND21 indicator.

I got a overhead roof console from an Explorer which has a digital compass and temperature display. I painted it to match the dash theme with black base and contrasting silver face.

I had an issue with the original starter drawing so much current that it would cause the solenoid to sieze in a closed curcuit which resulted in the starter running on cranking with the key released. The only way to stop it was to pull the negative battery cable. So I bought a newer style high torque mini-starter and it bolted right in. That is a great improvement plus I like the newer high-torque sound like newer Fords have.

I have to complete the remaining interior work converting the rest of the interior trim to black, then work on the headliner and carpet. Seat recovering will likely be the last thing I do after all the mechanical and exterior paintwork is done.

Wow. As far as the passenger airbag cover is concerned, is it possible to glue or epoxy pieces of plastic or metal along the break to hold the two pieces together? Better yet, use some kind of plastic welder. For the vinyl, perhaps trimming a bit off the edges along the airbag panel's perimeter and folding the vinyl over to the back side can help stop it from lifting away along with using a good glue or epoxy that's heat resistant. Otherwise, look for a intact piece from another car, fill the "Mustang" script, sand the panel smooth, and repaint to match.
Ever considered this shifter knob for the A/T should you keep it?
http://www.uprproducts.com/mustang-b...nob-black.html
http://www.uprproducts.com/mustang-b...nob-black.html

That is coming along very nice! :nice:

Dude, it's looking awesome! I dig the silver & black interior :nice:

Thanks for the compliments fellas!

A while back I bought an airbag delete plate that is flat and I like it better. I thought had thrown it out but I found it today. The flatter plate is more consistant with the flatter surface of the instrument bezel. All I have to do is strip the silver vinyl from the Mustang cover and put it on the platsic delete plate.

Thanks for showing me the billet Mustang auto knob! I would like the silver billet one that they offer which looks like the Bullit manual knob. Maybe soon. Priorities have to shift to mechanical before I go crazy on the fun of getting Mustang goodies that will work with this interior.

Now with the shift boot installed!

Closeups of the 86-88 Taurus wiper/turn/hazard/dimmer switch installed along with 1989-93 Tbird steering column trim.

I like that :nice:
https://themustangsource.com/attachm...002-scaled.jpg
Subtle, but noticeable custom touch. :drool:

Man that is looking awesome. Great job you are doing on this project. :nice:

Thanks... A little Mustang on the inside but the design theme is exactly the one that the Mustang borrowed from 1958-63 Tbirds so it all worked together well with this bodystyle.

More details...
 

New chrome gauge surround trim.

Also power switch locations adapted for use in the Mustang console. I used a Ford power mirror joystick that went into the cigarette lighter hole perfectly. For the power window switches I simply bonded the originl Tbird switches to the underside of the Mustang fog lamp switch opening. I took a coin holder/switch delete plug and trimmed out the top ring to make a perfect bezel to trim out the power window switches. And what is normally the Mustang's convertible top switch is now the power antenna switch.

Next work ahead:

I stripped the improved 1987-88 style Tbird door panels of vinyl and lower carpeting and I will soon be recovering in black vinyl with all the plastic exposed areas of the door panel painted black including the armrest pads, armrest supports, map pockets, speaker grilles and door pull straps. New black carpet will trim out the lower part of the door.

I also have to fill the gaping unused ebrake handle slot with some vinyl. I will likely make it a lined funtional slot to hold stuff like a magazine, a map or mail. Or maybe I will just get lazy and put a solid piece of flush fitting vinyl. I don't really care to change the original foot operated parking brake.

Your creativity is a great asset. :nice: And those trim rings look fantastic with the silver bezel.

On my old Sentra I adapted 84 Volvo 240 power mirrors to it, and the switches were placed on the center console too. I also put inside trunk & gas door openers out of old power lock motors from that same Volvo. :grin:

Pretty slick use of the center console openings there. A map holder/pocket for the unused e-brake handle location is a nice solution.

Those rings are a PIA to put in. They are irregular and do not snap into the gauge openings as they should. A 10 minute job for me to "snap in" the rings took a couple of hours. I had to trim the ridge on the back opening of the cluster face around each gauge opening so the snap tab on the rings would clear. Even with that they would not stay in place on their own. I made the mistake of using super glue to try to secure one of the rings and the one next to it got away and fell inside the cluster face next to the lens. You can see the big black mark on the left that left damage plus there is some damage to the clear lens. I had to order a brand new cluster lens assembly. I am going to try to secure the rings into the new lens with some clear art and crafts glue that is water solible. Hopefully this time it will be a perfect look. I needed a new lens anyway since the gauge cluster was used and had a few scratches that just never looked good even after polishing.

Yeah it is just not worth it to me to change the parking brake configuration since it would require so many parts to swap and make it work. So a map pocket the slot will be.

I thought about using dual convertible top switches for the left and right windows in that place and just locating the power antenna switch somewhere else. This will require four relays and some custom wiring. I already have two relays so the convertible top switch will activate the power antenna. This is because the convertible top switch is only a three wire hookup and a power antenna needs a switch that can reverse polarity to the motor while isolating grounds without shorting and blowing fuses. The same goes for power window switches, so I thought it was much simpler to use the existing old school original factory switches in the console location instead. I really did not want to relocate switches to the doors since there is so much wiring involved.

As for my power seat, the wiring originally goes to the console area, but it was easy to pull the wire over to the left side of the set where I will install a earlier Crown Vic style set switch on the side of the seat bottom which is the same location on new Mustangs and most Ford cars anyway.

Coming along very nicely! I liked your Mustang steering wheel better though...matched the curvy dash.

I have debated for myself the steering wheel issue to death! I even tried a 89-93 Tbird wheel which looked great but sit about 2" too close to my chest due to the fact the that MN-12 Birds have a steeply sloped windshield with the dash set back.

I like the 1980-83 Tbird four spoke wheel center emblem cap so much that for me it just looks right. Ever since I completed the black and silver dash theme, the Tbird emblem cap is perfect. I have to use a Fox wheel no matter what to have the reach right. Plus I have cruise control. I want a factory wheel to make it look like it came that way. Sure the Bird emblem is now incorrect with the exterior ones I need to use since the nose is from a 87-88 and taillamps from 85-86. However Ford was famous for using mismatched emblems, for instance the 1977-79 Tbird used the 1975-76 bird emblem with folded up wings on the steering wheel and the emblem was a different design that the ones used on the exterior.

Fox bodied Fords and Panther cars up to 1983 used a horn switch on the end of the turn signal stalk. When the four spoke wheel was discontinued for use on the Tbird but carried over to use on Crown Victorias, they developed a vinyl horm pad to take place of the switchless emblem. I had a need to modify my Tbird emblem cap because I switched to a 1986-88 Taurus all in one combo switch with a single stalk and I no longer had a turn switch with the horn switch on the end.

So, I simply took the vinyl covering off of a Crown Vic hornpad and bonded the horn switch base to the back of my Tbird emblem cap. Now the horn works when I press on the Tbird emblem cap.

More modded bits...
 

I found a two-toned black and gray steering wheel cover and painted all the gray to silver to match the dash trim. I wanted this two tone look for a more classic feel. The steering wheel cover will soon be permanently stiched into place. Yes, stiched into place!

I also updated the centerstack trim to the later model SN95 double-din radio opening which will give me potential later to add an LCD touch screen audio bluetooth navigation system. For now I will procure a used late model Ford double-din audio unit and use that until the time is right to change it out. I gotta prioritize mechanical restorations at this point.


The roof console is also installed.

I will be progressing to recovering the door panels soon. The result will be an interesting unexpected look.

:nice: "Waiting for pics of the finished door panels". :popcorn:

I am going to start on the upper part where it was covered in vinyl. I will have to wait for when I get my new carpeting to finish the lower half because I need to buy extra bulk yardage to cover the rear deck under the back window and the lower door panels.

Here is the surprise...

Silver painted pull straps and armrest pads... I sorta wanted the illusion of billet aluminum to tie in with the silver dash trim...

I am not all the way done yet but here it is sans the lower carpeting and the speaker grilles...

I almost left out the fact that I purposely covered over the flush mounted door lock buttons just below the front edge of the armrest pads. All I have to do is press the vinyl and ka-klick!

Also the newer 2003 double-din Ford radio is installed. Pics later...

:nice:

slick dude, slick :drool:

A couple more things updated...

Double din Ford audio and electrochromatic dimming rearview mirror...

Any new exterior work?

No I am at a standstill for a while until finances get better. I really don't have any additional exterior mods planned. I am pretty much set with the 87-88 nose now in place. It is awaiting the install of a brand new grille I purchased to use later. The body is in great shape and it will simply be refinished and eventually receive a nice set of wheels and tires. I have a lot of work to do on the drivetrain and mechanicals for it to be roadworthy. New paint will come after it is mechanically sound. Last will be finishing up the interior with recovered sets, new carpeting and headliner. I have to install new side window channels and dew wipes as well.

Looking good!

looks great, nice job!

the best hotrod i ever had was an aerobird .. still have the stuff to do another someday .. good work there ..
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d1...g?t=1290016773

Nice Bird indeed!

Well I have spent very little time in the past few months doing anything with the Bird. However, I have been trying to get the engine to run correctly. My biggest problem is that the engine runs good for 10 minutes until it warms up then it stalls. Usually when this happens it will not start again, or if it does start it will not stay running.

I have pulled codes with the engine not running. I got codes 14 = PIP Loss, 18 = Loss Of Tach Signal, and 63 =TPS Low Voltage.

I have replaced the TPS, ignition module, complete distributor and ignition coil. I also replaced the thermostat because it was old and it was sticking.

I still have the same problem after making those repairs.

I pulled codes again. Codes 14 and 18 were still there. Code 63 went away with the new TPS but now I get code 22 which is MAP sensor or BP sensor signal voltage out of spec. (engine off) or not at normal vacuum levels (engine running).

Seems like your MAP sensor is either taking a dumo or the vac. connection is leaking. An either the ignition module or the pick up coil/hall effect switch on the dizzy are going bad. Hope this helps!

New distributor with new pickup coil, new ignition module and new ignition coil. I cannot isolate the problem to save my life.

I found the MAP sensor. **** they are expensive. I had no idea it was behind the washer fluid bottle until I actually went to look for it. Under the washer bottle there are also these series of vacuum solenoids. I checked the vacuum connections and they seem okay. When it warms up a bit I will do more work on this.

Sadly I had to sell the Tbird a few months ago because I have no place to keep it at my new home. I had high hopes and now it makes me sick to look at what could have been with all the work I did with putting the Mustang dash in it. However I just did not have the resources to put into the project to get it running as I had hoped.

Sorry to hear the news dude. But you'll get another one someday and do your dream build. My best wishes to you!

Sorry to see it go :(

This was definitely one of the cooler builds around :nice: at least you've got the stang to romp around in

Oh the "build" was completely worthless without a good running engine, transmission. I had actually thought about having the car completely restored instead of buying a newer Mustang. However I liked the idea of having a newer Mustang much more.. I needed a reliable low mileage`daily driver as well. I have a brand new driveway and a two car garage. No where to keep a third car and I cannot bear to have oil leaking in the driveway or having a car I cannot drive taking up a space in the garage. I learned a lesson though... Never aquire a project car that does not already run well unless you have unlimited resources in every way to mechanically restore it... LOL!

Sorry you had to sell it. I enjoyed following your process!

Man I am sad about this right now! The dash project turned out so good!