Otherwise the car will shake, shimmy, and wonder all over the place. It is very important that you have a tight front end and back end if you want to go fast. Get new front end parts and stick with the techiest bushings and joints (polyurethane).

Then rebuild your front end (this is important). Make sure you have the rear sway bar still. New U-joints, bushings, springs, shocks, 4.11 gears (this is the best match) and a good differential that can take a lot of abuse. Get a FMX transmission from a '77 to '79 302 Thunderbird all of those have a split gear set in them. Then get your heads done at a shop, shaved and ported. Get a 390 stroker kit and overbore the cylinders. I would start by rebuilding a 302 for it, and make SURE the engine was cast in Mexico. Drive one for a while and you will see what I mean.Īfter 360k, this car is very sturdy and has NO rattles - a very well built compliment to the Ford Motor Company. I think that these cars are close to the perfection of styling, and well thought-out body design. I had to fight the state to get the title for it. I got this car for $500 at the bone yard I used to work for. I love the thrill of driving such a big car, with such a long hood. The engine has been modified, obviously.Īlthough it doesn't look it, these cars are curiously aerodynamic.

I am rebuilding it now with a manual drag tranny and all Detroit rear end. The fastest I ever had it was, believe it, 168.7 MPH. Gas tank and engine were both OK still are. When I got the car it had bad brakes, tie rods and U-joints. The fuel pump and all the fuel lines froze one winter, and I had to replace all of that. I blew the alternator with a hefty stereo. I destroyed the rear differential (tore 1 1/2 inches into the rotary differential housing. I blew the tranny it came with which was a FMX 3 speed with split gear set. Currently I am rebuilding the many times rebuilt tank of a car I have dubbed 'Albatross'.

79 ford t bird