ThunderBastard???: Grassroots Motorsports forum: Grassroots Motorsports Magazine

Subscribe get a full year for only $19.95 Sample get a free issue—no strings attached

July 29, 2008 10:27 p.m. VG30_S12 New Reader

thinking about selling some stuff and buying somthing more dragracy with an american V8(too much pinks lately i suppose) anyway, i wanted somthing older and GM, but honestly people around here are crazy with the prices... i wanted a 79 malibu, but no where to be found... for any reasonable amount of money... so i had a thought... what about a Thunderbird? like the newer style(89-97) and for a powerplant, a 400sbc with a 350thm to make a thunderbastard :D

any thoughts on this? any info on that gen thunderbird?
July 29, 2008 11:32 p.m. P71 Reader

They weigh 4200+ Lbs and have IRS. 99% of them (and all the V8's) are slush-box autos (AOD). Bizarre bolt pattern, anemic 4.6 in later years, and rust prone. VERY plastic interior.

83-88 Thunderbird/Cougar is fox-chassis (think 5.0 Mustang) and has a lot of the same issues. (All V8's have either a C4 or AOD auto, 7.5" open rears, 4-lug pattern, wimpy brakes, massive chassis flex, rust).

This coming from an owner of both generations of 'Bird. Good cruisers/DD's, BAD race cars.

If you want a GM, build a GM. Check out early (64-67) A-Body stuff, and mid-70's stuff (big-bumper Nova's). Both can be had cheap. A smog-era C3 Corvette project can be had for a song. Or even better an LT1 4th-Gen Camaro!
July 30, 2008 12:37 a.m. mad_machine SuperDork

of course instead of a t-bird/cougar.. you can go for the 4 door sister to the foxbody.. the mid-size marquis/LTD or Fairmont.
July 30, 2008 7:25 a.m. integraguy Reader

Any of the '79-'84 Malibus and Monte Carlos I see in my area are jacked-up and clapped-out...even the 4 door sedans and wagons. If you wanted to stay GM and didn't mind driving something a little off beat, I'd try looking for a Buick Regal from that same time frame. Regals were RWD nearly as long as Monte Carlos, but never had killer engine/tranny combos like you envision...what a sleeper.
July 30, 2008 8:29 a.m. P71 Reader

Regal never had a killer engine? 3.8 Turbo ring a bell? Regal T-Type, Grand National, GNX? Yeah...
July 30, 2008 8:44 a.m. mad_machine SuperDork

and I think the regal was prettier
July 30, 2008 9:22 a.m. ditchdigger Reader

Wait a second....Watching pinks made you want to do anything other than turn the TV off or vomit?

Somethings not right here.
July 30, 2008 9:36 a.m. MadScientistMatt HalfDork

Believe it or not, C4 Corvettes are often selling for less than what some people will pay for a Malibu thanks to the donk / box / bubble fads.
July 30, 2008 10:34 a.m. Strizzo Dork

even more sleeper would be one of the 4 door regals with a gnx drivetrain swap. i'll have to look around and see if it can find the pictures i've seen of one, still had the original maroon velour interior and wire spoke hubcaps on it