1988 Ford Thunderbird Turbo Coupe 2.3 Gas. from North America

Summary:

A

Faults:

Clear Coat on top redone.

Tends to run hot during summer days.

General Comments:

This Turbo Coupe is fun to drive and was purchased from an older couple who were the original owners.

A good looking, fast machine... not bad for an 18 year old car!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 6th December, 2002

1988 Ford Thunderbird Turbo coupe 2.3L from North America

Summary:

This is the 3rd best car ever made after nova and chevelle of course

Faults:

Only things that went bad was the alternator and the shift cable broke, it has a rebuilt tranny on it.

General Comments:

This is my favorite car, the parts are expensive, but the only things you have to fix are minor stuff that cost money.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 5th December, 2002

1988 Ford Thunderbird LX 5.0 V8 from North America

Summary:

Best car I ever owned. Period

Faults:

The heater core went at 106,000 miles. which did cost a good amount to fix but well worth the money for how good this car was.

The fuel pump went out at 140,000 miles. I did have a problem once i put new fuel pump in, it sputtered when making hard left turns under power if gas was under 1/2 a tank. I was told that the pan for the gas dropped when i installed pump but was never fixed.

General Comments:

This car was a big sleeper, it took a couple Mustang 5liters, and the turbo coupe Thunder-bird couldn't keep up to this car if it's life depended on it!

This car was the best car I have ever owned, it was comfortable, fast, roomy, & actually good gas mileage for a V8.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 29th October, 2002

1988 Ford Thunderbird Turbo Coupe 2.3 Turbocharged from North America

Summary:

It meant well..

Faults:

I took the car to Wal-Mart to have the oil changed, and they put in 6 quarts. This blew out the valve cover gasket.

The thermostat went bad and left me on the side of the highway overheated.

The front ball joints wore completely down, and it cost nearly $300 to replace and align.

The turbo is very inconsistent in its power delivery.

My exhaust rattles consistently, despite numerous attempts to bolt it up correctly.

Interior wise, the driver's seat is starting to show wear, and the headliner is burned thin by the sun on the very back of the roof.

The clearcoat on the wheels has started peeling, letting dirt and things get underneath and turning the wheels yellow.

I currently have a fuel injector leaking externally, leaving dangerous gas on the side of the valve cover.

General Comments:

I have gutted the catalytic converter because of a smell like that of nine-day old vomit.

I added a K&N cone air filter, hoping the engine would breath a little better.

I'm about 6'1", and I find the car very very cramped inside. I have no room to move and my eyes are in line with the roof line.

My car has no options except the graphic equalizer, but if looking for a Turbo Coupe, try to find a sunroof and leather. A 5-speed would be nice!

I'm impressed that the car has ABS standard and 4-wheel disc brakes. These have come in handy a few times!! However, my brakes have been giving me the scare lately. The car pulls left or right under semi-hard braking. Pedal feel is also very touchy after having replaced rear pads.

I took the car to a local drag strip and first run was a 18.05. Horrible! After 3 runs I picked up half a second, but the car should be able to run 16 flat. What's the deal?

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 9th October, 2002

10th Nov 2002, 20:02

The automatic transmission is garbage, absolute garbage. In my automatic TC, I also ran an 18, and was sorely disappointed. After the tranny died, I swapped it over to a 5 speed and the difference is like night and day. These are really great cars, when you get them running right.

20th Jun 2004, 11:56

I read your commments about the ABS brakes. Good luck to you when you have to look for another master cylinder. How is the A/C? Good luck to you when you have to look for an A/C compressor. Oh yeah, and good luck to you when you look for a drier/accumulator. The automatic transmission version of the 1987 - 1988 Ford Thunderbird Turbo Coupe only had 155 horsepower from the factory, were the 5-speed manual has 195+ horsepower depending on the amount of boost.