1987 Ford Thunderbird LX 5.0L V8

Summary:

An Annoying Car

Faults:

This was the most expensive, annoying car I have had the opportunity to operate. It was my mother's car, I drove it until I could buy my own. In the 1.5 years I owned it, the following things went wrong-

The alternator went out 5 times (I blame poor quality replacement parts for this).

The starter went out.

The engine blew valve cover gaskets every three months. No matter what gasket was used or how well the work was done, they continually blew out.

The front end would not hold an alignment, so it destroyed front tires.

The engine would not idle properly due to a faulty Idle Air Control.

The air conditioning leaked Freon and would not hold a charge.

Interior parts continually came loose.

General Comments:

I enjoyed the performance of this car. It handled well and the 5.0 had good acceleration. However, I was very disappointed with the reliability and general quality of this car. It constantly needed repairs and left me stranded several times. This is the car that made me dislike Ford products.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 10th December, 2002

1987 Ford Thunderbird Turbo Coupe 2.3 turbo

Summary:

A high performance, high maintenance luxury car

Faults:

I received this car from my brother. It ran fine for a while, but a constant short would blow one alternator a year, no matter what I tried. The waste gate on the turbocharger constantly went out. I planted it into a lot of ravines, so the body is long gone.

General Comments:

This car was my first, and I put it away when I got my Chevelle and Trans Am. When I had my Thunderbird in prime condition, it could beat some Camaros and keep up with IROC because of some chip and intake modifications. I ran this car into the ground. Now since I'm bored I'm going to take it down to the frame and rebuild it for dragging only with either a 351 Windsor or a 460. The suspension is amazing and needs no upgrades. This suspension would make even a Caprice handle.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 21st November, 2002

1987 Ford Thunderbird Turbo Coupe 2.3L turbo

Summary:

High performance for low cost

Faults:

Dipstick tube along with dipstick came out.

Coolant reservoir jug had crack and leaked.

TFI Module for coil spark went out (inherent fault for 2.3L)

General Comments:

Comfortable on longer trips yet stiff enough for around town spin offs.

Good gas mileage at 70mph+

Handles curves well without slippage.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 11th July, 2002

1987 Ford Thunderbird LX V8-5.0L

Summary:

My Kicking Bird

Faults:

Nothing has gone wrong with my car, I bought it used in 1994, with 122k on her, she runs like a charm to this day... almost 200k miles. I am in process of a master rebuild as she is getting a little weak so I am going to give her a makeover.

This is by far the best are I have ever owned, very fast, extremely sporty, mine has a two-tone paint job that will be restored as well after she has turned 20 years old and I can put collector plates on her... who know it might 250k on it by then!

General Comments:

I love this car and I would not trade it for the world... it has so much to offer, sped, comfort and quite a few looks on the open road since Bird's are a dime a dozen like mustangs.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 15th April, 2002

19th Jun 2002, 12:37

I also have a 87 T-Bird LX. I would have told more of the car such as info on motor like size, carburation etc. Type of transmission and shift linkage, floor or column. Options as in digital dash display, sound system, premium or standard, graphic equalizer. The LX comes in so many versions that collectors are interested in every feature that is on the car. I know this is not my survey and that you have asked for a comment. I myself am looking for information on some electrical problems with the display and illumination on my dash. Typically it is to where I need help now beings how I have exhausted my knowledge in trying to fix the problem. Good luck with your Bird. Oh yeh, I have 209+ thousand miles on my car, but have rebuilt my motor and transmission, and I bought mine for $250.00 running.