My latest project

I would love an 03 Cobra .. but I dont have that much extra $$ laying around. I would be very happy with a 99+ Cobra with the C heads which is where I may go eventually. When I am finished with this project, I might also upgrade the wiring and change to EEC-V. But for now I'm stuck with this modified 1994 Mark 8 4.6 4V. Its got some Cobra parts, 1998 Plug wires, 98 IMRC composite plates and controller, Intake manifold, and Alternator ..

- Dan

nice work, looks a lot like mine(in the first few pics).....makes me wish I wasn't going so overboard with my car....

Nice work!

Getting things put back together at the core support.
Installed the all of the PS lines, Cooler, VCRM module / Bracket, Horn, 03 Cobra Radiator + Fan, Trans Cooler, and started to re-wire the Headlights. Still need to re-wire for the corner markers, splice new connector for fan and plumb some lines in for the trans cooler.



Took the interior apart completely and did some welding for the seat belt upper mounts - this had auto belts before. Installed Mark roof wiring harness, Tbird headliner, 95 Bird cloth rear seats, seat belts, Mark interior wiring harness and Tbird Dash is now installed and I put the 94/95 SC Hand brake in.

On the dash I had re-wired the Mark harness for the Thunderbird gauges / Dummy lights and added 145 SC speedo. The connector for the Info center and buttons are still behind the dash. I just need to figure out where to mount and I have some spare console trim pieces + ideas .. I also have a SC steering wheel instead of this LX / Bird logo one .. and I wasnt sure on the seats, but I think I prefer my Cloth ones over the Gray leather seats that came out of the Mark even though they are in very nice condition .. the cloth ones are more comfortable and look nice also.

Still have a lot of interchange wiring to do here and there, but it's coming along for the most part ..

- Dan

Getting the front end wrapped up. Headlights done re-wiring, installed panel and custom 97 bumper. Had to modify the 03 Cobra fan shroud and install the Mark fan motor + fan blade.

- Dan

Here is the 03 Cobra fan shroud modified to use the Mark fan motor + fan blade, I had to set the depth just right to clear the shroud. The Mark VCRM I am using controls the van with one variable power supply instead of high speed / low speed like the Cobra fan motor ..



Intake hooked up .. the Intake tube is from an 03 Cobra, I cut a piece of rubber from the original Mark rubber elbow to reduce the size for the Mark MAF, which is bolted to an 03 cobra air filter housing with K&N filter and modified the housing so the inlet is rotated through the Tbird original air intake hole.



Mark 8 mirrors installed. I had to match the mounting location with the original Tbird housing and used the Tbird spacers with new holes drilled all the way through into the door. Needs paint.



Brand new set of 97 lights and clear corners installed .. the faded yellow ones had to go.

- Dan

Been working on the hood the last couple days. This is an old Legendary hood from 1999 .. the previous owner of the hood forgot to install hood pins and it ended up Found On the Road Dead . The hinge areas were broken away, the corner was smashed and there is a crack on the cowl.

I took a stock 93 hood and cut the hinge corners off the steel hood, drilled the spot welds and removed the inner metal brace from the outer skin and underside metals, cut it down to size and fit that into a relief cut on the underside of my fiberglass hood. I glassed over the metal strip with a couple layers, but I still have a lot of finishing work to do. I got the hood latch to work good also, so I am filling the holes for the hood pins.

As soon as my buddy brings his 1997 Bird over, I will make a glass mold of the frontside of the hood so I can match the 1997 front end on this hood.

- Dan

Good repair work.It'll be nice when it's done and painted.

Drivers side .. corner broke off completely. I have started to fiberglass reinforcement metal for the hinge mounts in this picture ..



Passenger side, the top and bottom half of the hood have split apart here.



Here is how it looks as of today .. hinge areas are fully fiberglassed and I have been smoothing them out - mount and fitament are very nice. Hood pin holes are filled and no longer necessary.

Getting ready to fill the gap for the 97 headlights soon.




- Dan

looking good

Really nice work. With a mark 8 power train it should have power and be reliable. ps are you a body man?

Starting to create a new line for the 96/97 headlights on the 94/95 hood .. fiberglass sucks. I made my own division line - I took a copy of an actual 97 hood and it didnt fill the gap like I wanted it to, the 97 hoods still have a lot of gap.

Tim - Im not so much into body work, but painting is fun I do a little of everything ..


- Dan

Ddubb said:

Starting to create a new line for the 96/97 headlights on the 94/95 hood .. fiberglass sucks. I made my own division line - I took a copy of an actual 97 hood and it didnt fill the gap like I wanted it to, the 97 hoods still have a lot of gap.

Tim - Im not so much into body work, but painting is fun I do a little of everything ..


- Dan

Click to expand...

She's getting her eye brows done.

Just about done with the finish work on the topside .. couple small pinholes to fill and then I need to do a little finishing work on the underside.

No more headlight gap even though the picture doesnt show it, I still need to take the hood off so I havent bolted it down yet.


- Dan

Went back through this Transmission again .. hope I dont have any issues or the stock Mark 95 trans is going back in.

This one is a rebuilt 2003 from a 5.4 F150, so it has all of the good internals, 99 valve body modified by Jerry, Forced lube mod, Dirtydog 3800 stall converter, etc etc ..



Going to be tearing out all of this junk and replace it with all of the Mark parts on the shelf, rear Disc brakes, aluminum LCA's, Rear diff, Gas Tank, etc etc .. I need to make my own Fast ed brake caliper adapters to upgrade to the Cobra rear brakes here also. Springs are stock SC / Sport springs, and the Shocks are Bilstein 03 Cobra Convertibles.

- Dan

lookin good

When you get it on the road, you will hear a clunk from the rear with those rear shocks. I am going to pull mine and find some sleeves to put on the bolts so the t-bird busing will fit with no slack.

The rest of it looks really good. To drop it, just cut a coil off of the rear and a coil and a hlaf off of the front. You will like it.

SWS

seawalkersee said:

When you get it on the road, you will hear a clunk from the rear with those rear shocks. I am going to pull mine and find some sleeves to put on the bolts so the t-bird busing will fit with no slack.

The rest of it looks really good. To drop it, just cut a coil off of the rear and a coil and a hlaf off of the front. You will like it.

SWS

Click to expand...

I had noticed the bushing difference when I first installed them over a year ago but you just reminded me when I pulled them off again.

I made a sleeve using a piece of .050" aluminum, wrapped it around a 9mm socket and cut to length. It fits over the sleeve on the Cobra shock and the Tbird bushing going on was a tight squeeze but it definately takes out all of the slack. Thanks for the heads up.

- Dan

Where did you get it? I have not had the time to take mine back apart and get into it since (last week) I was driving it daily.

SWS

seawalkersee said:

Where did you get it? I have not had the time to take mine back apart and get into it since (last week) I was driving it daily.

SWS

Click to expand...

I made the sleeve myself out of a piece of scrap aluminum sheet metal .050" thick that I was able to shape and roll around a 9mm socket.

- Dan