Am I a moron?
Postmaster
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 2,799
Likes: 1
Originally Posted by tcbofade
You already put that spare engine in there...Good planning. At least you KNOW that you're a moron...
Mine was only $200, and for the hour, she hummed!! And it was GOOOOoooooooddddddd!! 
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 1,656
Likes: 62
From: Raytown MO
Originally Posted by tcbofade
...or buy that super duty, new and improved inspection for $40 or so...
I hope for your sake, that #3 doesn't see that....
I'm all about a race...let's do it soon tho...mine is still running....
I hope for your sake, that #3 doesn't see that....I'm all about a race...let's do it soon tho...mine is still running....
Thread Starter
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Hotshot
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 11,794
Likes: 0
From: Kansas City, KS
Good morning fellas.I drove my little Escort to wallymart this weekend!!!! Actually, she feels a bit weird now that I'm getting used to the Focus. I gotta figure out what to do about the heater...it's flippin cold in that thing.
I've got a compression tester at my friends house that I'll pick up somewhere this week...and hopefully start chasing down the issues on the Escort next Saturday! Ohboyohboyohboy...
Posting Guru
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 1,343
Likes: 0
From: Higginsville, MO
Okay.....first off...This was a loaded question! Terry, giving 700 less than book for the focus may sound like a great deal but considering the depreciation rate of those cars, you probably still gave the dealer quite a bit more than he had invested in it. And it makes me wonder whose book it was $700 under in. I used to work as a salesman at Blue Springs and there are quite a few sources for trade prices but ultimately there is the Black book that the dealers use and also take into account of what the car is bringing in the area on average. Same car may be worth $1,000 more in another area or $1,000 less. I'm not saying you got a bad deal but without knowing all the details I can't say.
Mountain man......If you are going to bother to spend all the money to fix up your cougar, why don't you do a V8 swap? The 3.8 is no power house nor are they all that reliable. My mom had an 89 Cougar with the 3.8 and it cracked a head and broke both motor mounts(don't know how it did that.....couldn't get out of its own way) and it was never great on gas or very powerful. I'd drop at junk yard 4.6 or 5.0 in there and call it good.
Mountain man......If you are going to bother to spend all the money to fix up your cougar, why don't you do a V8 swap? The 3.8 is no power house nor are they all that reliable. My mom had an 89 Cougar with the 3.8 and it cracked a head and broke both motor mounts(don't know how it did that.....couldn't get out of its own way) and it was never great on gas or very powerful. I'd drop at junk yard 4.6 or 5.0 in there and call it good.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 1,656
Likes: 62
From: Raytown MO
I need to get the car going. The milage it getes is far better than my Mountaineer.
I am amassing parts for a V8 swap. It's a couple of years down thw road as I will be builing a 347 stroker for it. I have a good block lined up from a friend.
I am amassing parts for a V8 swap. It's a couple of years down thw road as I will be builing a 347 stroker for it. I have a good block lined up from a friend.
Posting Guru
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 1,343
Likes: 0
From: Higginsville, MO
The nice thing about the older models is like my mom's 89 (I'm not sure about your year but probably the same chassis) is that they were built on the fox body chassis like a mustang. All the parts interchange.
Thread Starter
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Hotshot
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 11,794
Likes: 0
From: Kansas City, KS
Originally Posted by Level2
Okay.....first off...This was a loaded question! Terry, giving 700 less than book for the focus may sound like a great deal but considering the depreciation rate of those cars, you probably still gave the dealer quite a bit more than he had invested in it. And it makes me wonder whose book it was $700 under in.....
Point there is, that I was happy, the dealer was happy...and eventually, I got my little Escort back as well.
When I grow up, I'm gonna start a junk yard.
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 1,656
Likes: 62
From: Raytown MO
Originally Posted by Level2
The nice thing about the older models is like my mom's 89 (I'm not sure about your year but probably the same chassis) is that they were built on the fox body chassis like a mustang. All the parts interchange.
Postmaster
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 2,799
Likes: 1
Originally Posted by tcbofade
You gonna blow up another one?
I tried tonight, but she held together. 
The Dodge that was on my right is gonna be cleaning soot off his nice white truck for a week. ROFLMAO
Posting Guru
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 1,343
Likes: 0
From: Higginsville, MO
Originally Posted by 97 Mountain Man
Nope. '88 was the last year for the Fox Birds & Cougars. 89-97 was the MN12 platform. Nothing interchanges.
Posting Guru
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 1,343
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From: Higginsville, MO
A friend of mine's mom had an 84 or 85 Tbird with the 3.8L with EFI and it ran a whole lot better than my moms 87 Cougar with TBI. That old Tbird with 140K miles on it would smoke the tires from a dead stop and my moms Cougar would barely do a brake stand with 50K miles on the clock. That car was nothing but trouble. Broke both motor mounts, cracked a head, and I clipped a chunk of ice in the roadway and busted a tranny cooler line and burned up the trans cuz I couldn't tell the tranny was slipping cuz it was so slick outside and those cars suck on ice and snow(I know that was no fault of the car or its quality....just a pain in the azz.