Modified 1988 Ford Thunderbird w/ IRS - One Take

[@unccred]

This dude is an example of the owners i like on this show. Knowledgeable cool down to earth good talker.

[@invinciblejets4690]

I like this car alot. Good suspension...v8 plus They have aged well too.

[@invinciblejets4690]

Awesome owner too. Nice to see an American car guy talk about suspension!

[@ephenstephenn]

+ChemicalNBC My 1985 MR2 aged well too IMO

[@vividvulpe9842]

The standard output 5.0 really is just fine. I love my cougar XR7 5.0- k&N, new muffler, and detached intake "silencer"...just need mustang headers and perhaps dumps.

[@Deftonesdsm]

+TripleXRated buy any early 90s mr2 turbo in 20 years will triple its value at least. those supras and 300zx's (turbos) will all be worth tons soon nark my words

[@kingcars]

The standard output 5.0 is a dog compared to the high output. There are tutorials online (coolcats.net) on how to do the conversion - you can easily source the parts off ebay for a couple hundred bucks and have a much better running car after a weekend's work. I even saw a significant increase in gas mileage after the conversion as well (from 19 to 24).

[@GGprods-o2x]

One of the better one takes in a while. Bring the oddballs out. Thats what made this channel good at the start. Also nice to have an owner who can explain the ins and outs of their. This video was pretty informative I didn't know all those details about the chassis.

[@ChaosphereIX]

Love the oddball car reviews. All the Mustangs and WRXs are inexpensive and fast and all, but there is just something about these rare beasts that is just so much more cool. I hope to one day take a drive down and have Matt drive my own oddball car: a modified 1997 Alfa Romeo 155 V6. A really, really rare car with quite the racing heritage. Keep em coming Matt, especially these oddball cars. Cheers.

[@thatsurf1639]

YESSS! There needs to be some itallian spirit added to this series. Love the 155's, I have a 164QV myself, they are such characterful cars, especially the Busso!

[@ChaosphereIX]

ScrappyCoco cheers man, and yes the glorious Busso is the reason I bought my 155. Best sounding V6, and best looking, of all time. Love that engine so much, when next year I shop for another toy, I have a 916 GTV 3.0 V6 on my watchlist for importing.

[@ChaosphereIX]

Nik Brudar ok, blocked

[@colbyperry3325]

155s are classic

[@777jones]

We rented a 155 Twinspark in Italy back in 1996. Nice machine

[@Stuka87]

Love it when the guy REALLY knows his stuff, and built the car himself. Great episode.

[@fish4free1]

Really enjoy geeked-out Ford conversations. Thanks Matt

[@uTubed007]

That old Thunderbird rocks, 245s on all corners, the IRS in the back, 3.55 gears. The sound of the exhaust and the gears are great!

[@flip240]

I love builds like this where guys mod what they love. Guy knows his stuff and isn't ashamed to show put his time and effort into what's appears to be a great car! Kudos!

[@unchaind88]

I'm an 88 Tbird lover. Definitely a sleeper. Love listening to the driver laugh at how surprised he is at how well it drives! I've gone a little overboard with mine running a Ford Motorsport R302 stroked to 347. Definitely not many 88 birds left out there except for grandma!

[@Celticman197]

Yeah, I have a 347 Stroker also, MSD EFI with Comp Cam. 430 hp. Had to change to short headers.

[@kingcars]

Love seeing some Fox Tbird love! I've got an 88 Thunderbird myself. Pumped the 5.0 up to about 260whp, swapped to a 5 speed, rear discs, front coil overs, Koni Yellows front and rear, Maximum Motorsports control arms front and rear etc. To the owner - spend the couple hundred bucks and do the HO conversion. It will wake that engine up for dirt cheap.

[@23027]

Totally a different beast! Well worth the time and money. Glad to see another proud TBird owner! Underrated cars :)

[@ayzc4164]

kingcars I got rid of mine because I became a mom but miss my tbird so much! 😓

[@tonyas1405]

I have a 87 Tbird Turbo Coupe, It is nice to see other 87 88 tbird owners since they are very rare.

[@SilentMovements305]

Don't know why but iv always loved these T-Birds

[@formdoggie5]

It's because its basically a fox body mustang that's more comfortable than it'd ever have a right to be.

[@CoyoteCrimeLord]

It was Car of the Year from Motortrend when it dropped. They were awesome cars.

[@CasperInkyMagoo]

talkative, knowledgeable, and entertaining with a unique setup and not a hit of pretentiousness. this is the best guest since the guy with the black C3 corvette. thumbs up, this is what it's about!

[@UtahOutlander]

It's fun to see people still rocking these FOX TBirds! I've built 7 of them...all back in the early-mid 90's, and I REALLY miss em! All mine were 87 or 88 TBird Sports. First thing to go was the stock 5.0 and AOD in every one of them. Two of mine eventually ran stroker motors...331 and 347. The 331 got a 7lb ProCharger and lots of other expensive goodies. I wish I had thought of the IRS rear, but swapping in the stock TC rear with discs was all I needed. They handle amazingly well with the big 1.125" front roll bar! I've considered building another one, but finding a decent '88 Sport without a cracked dash and a gazillion miles if getting tough! Thanks for sharing your build!!

[@Affordable_Dry_Ice_Blasting]

This was awesome. These are hands down my favorite kind of builds. I like this far more than some McClaren(sp?). Thanks for including it and I look forward to the next one +TheSmokingTire

[@twotrackjack2260]

100% agree!!

[@nicktime96]

Dick h

[@ceounicom]

That red-headed man is a true American. His toenail clippings have more authenticity and integrity than the entire staff of Salon magazine. I salute you sir.

[@tmh44]

My favorite One Take yet - I don't like Thunderbirds, but I really enjoy seeing a down-to-earth owner who knows his stuff, has a sense of humor and enjoys himself. Matt also seems to be having a great time, even moreso than with some of the exotic cars. Long live the Seagull!

[@jamiesworkshop3198]

I always thought the mid to late 80's T-Birds really captured the Thunderbird spirit especially the turbo coupes. Actually, this mod done on an 87 or 88 Black Turbo Coupe would be perfection!

[@thejoshbtv]

I enjoy seeing these sorts of builds more than just someone that went and did the typical bolt-ons and tunes that everyone else can do/is doing to the same vehicles. Very cool to see people's ingenuity.

[@jeffk464]

You know next we need a Ford Probe.

[@jeffk464]

crickets

[@hashbandicoot2985]

I'll second this

[@trtlepwr]

hell yes!

[@LUNCHMONEY4numbers]

This, and a properly tuned Escort

[@BrickSquad1017613]

***** lmfao!! yessir :P

[@ROTORHEADPR]

i really enjoy when owners know their shit and they can engage on a technical conversation 0f what have been done to the car i respect that. . . you know build not bought great vid!

[@infidel900rr]

wasn't so sure about this one before I watched it, but ended up being one of my fav's that i've seen in while! great video

[@bryanfernandez5706]

First off, I'd like to say I'm totally in love with these types of reviews! Great to see the odd ball type of cars getting the love they deserve. Not that often you get to see one of these T-Birds out and about. Epic review and hope to see more of these types of reviews in the future.

[@davetbrunner]

What a really cool guy. Enthusiasm is flowing through his projects and I could listen to his tidbits of information for a long time :) Nice upload!

[@TheHunterg54]

I like this guy. he knows what's up

[@livalittle100]

This guy needs to come back with all of his other cars.

[@eurotrash4629]

Hell Yeah!

[@meteormedia7021]

An american musclecar with a manual transmission and independent rear suspention? Fuck yeah!

[@notchback93]

The thunder bird super coupe with the v6 supercharged engine came with independent rear and 5 speed transmission, handle great but bad wheel hop when hard thru the gears

[@sprawlnod8117]

Just want to add a +1 for the oddball cars. I love hearing a guy talk about a car he built much more than hearing a guy talk about his "coil-overs" and "cold air intake" on a stock 2015 audi/mustang/bmw/whatever. I want to see more like this! Great video, Matt! More please.

[@fredwilliams7893]

Realy cool to see someone take time and have pride in a car that's so different from the ordinary. Way to go man for being original.

[@bbqBaconNinja]

I think this is my favourite episode. Unique car, great owner and very good conversation. Please have him back again, I would love to see more of him and his rides.

[@WindmillStalker]

Very cool owner! Passionate, eloquent and definitely knows his stuff! Seems to be enjoying the experience.

[@Darren.G]

-I LOVE stuff like this. -Kinda reminds me of some of the first OT's. It's always fun finding the rare dealer-only options in the junkyard. That's exactly how I procured a full mint leather interior for $70, amongst other things. Come on folks, Matt wants oddballs.....let's get him some.

[@MirisDesignStudio]

Talk about memories. Damn. I just looked and found I still had the spare keys for my old bird. I had an '87 in high school. Picked it up from a retired sales rep who bought it new with every option Ford offered. This thing was way ahead of it's time. This was back in '95. My first car purchase. He handed me every damn manual, repair book, how-to guide he had. I loved the automatic headlights, power everything that never failed and that motor never let me down. It wasn't too quick or good on gas. But I put about 250K on it before trading it in for my first Subie. Back then, it was all about audio and I worked at a shop in Lake Mary, FL so I ended up with a ton of JL and JBL gear, a bigger alternator, and way too much dynamat. The fact that it had dash, door, and rear deck openings made it incredible for soundstaging and imaging. Ran a couple of SEA 12's in the wheel well, sealed. Then a set of three 10w6's on an Xtant 1001d. Then a wall of 15s for a while. lol. It turned into the shop demo car for a while for the next shop I worked at. Anyways, this dude seems super chill and knowledgeable. His build is simple and looks fun to drive. Great episode!

[@jamesball3170]

Wow, right in the feels! My Dad had this car when I was 11, I don't want to admit it, but it was probably the car that sucked me into the car culture.

[@headcas620]

YOU TAKE THAT BACK. Digital dashes are GOAT

[@hovnojede010101]

+Kevin Allen greatest of all time

[@derreck950]

I miss my 88 5.0L thunderbird probably more than any other car I've had! Nice to see I'm not the only one that thought it had "some" coolness to it! Lol, love this one with the cobra parts swap!

[@terrybroadway]

Man I can smell that interior from here. Love it

[@quezokete]

This car is great! I really like seeing cars like this on the channel.

[@zachmockett7566]

This was fantastic. Its the kind of car that I would be so proud to drive daily. Unfortunately I have no skill in fabrication and wouldn't be able to build this, but man I love this Thunderbird. And that interior is great, I refuse to drive anything with cloth interior and those seats look comfy!

[@staggeredhorizons3657]

the owner fits the car pretty well

[@chrissorreda4982]

Owner's fucking cool. What a legend :)) Boss ass car too

[@garagers6667]

He is. I'd like to drink a Budweiser with a coozie in his backyard while listening to Poison and watching NASCAR 😎

[@cheese2287]

lol he's my dad.

[@CrossWindsPat]

'Murica!!!

[@nathanmauricio1040]

+ap2pat agree, like that cool dude down the street who BBQ every weekend.👍

[@oldshreddies2080]

Great One Take. These cars are from my high school days and I always thought they were cool sleeper cars. Great to see one in action.

[@rblbatb]

love this build. very cool owner. perfect car/ owner match.

[@akane742]

My new favorite video from Matt. I love this car. Owner sounded pretty sharp as well

[@82diesel]

I love when you do these "odd-ball" cars Matt. I eventually watch all your vids but I always click these ones first. The cars that I can actually afford, the cars where the owner thoughtfully did some enhancements to make an all around better car, these are the cars I love seeing.

[@realmaindrianpace]

Great car, I've always liked the '87-'88 Thunderbird body style. All it needs is a mild stroker engine, and that's it.

[@rickytelac6249]

Nice to see a owner that knows a lot and can be entertaining while chatting.

[@drift0monkey]

Thanks again for the oddball option! Like many people I love seeing all cars being driven, but some are so much more interesting - cheers Matt!

[@andres100pct]

This guy is awesome!! This guy could work for hot rod garage or roadkill!! Awesome way to make something cool out of nothing and put the guys that buy coolness to shame!! Awesome job dude!!

[@mioryderoncgnp1589]

I used to have a Thunderbird turbo coupe, with some modds, I loved that car!!

[@LMacNeill]

That is SO cool! I've always been a big fan of those Fox-platform T-Birds. What a GREAT mod! Turning that car into something that actually HANDLES -- quite impressive!

[@amradio1968]

This was my first car. I would bet this one, with cobra suspension, probably drives much closer to how my 16 year old brain was convinced my t-bird actually drove. A T-bird was cool enough for cred among my friends, slow and dumb enough to keep me alive through my teen years. Nice to see someone kept the dream of the thunderchicken alive! :)

[@Red_Bearded_Dad]

Videos like this are the best! Great job on choosing this AWESOME T-Bird to share with your viewers.

[@beatsByZlaja]

couple of cool guys. great owner and great interview by Matt as always

[@whyzee125]

"Boy does this car match it's owner." - Couldn't have said it better myself lol! Loved the car and the owner. Good stuff!

[@irsever]

No joke, this is the most exciting car I've ever seen on One Take. It's the perfect restomod! Brakes, suspension, manual trans, short gears and the stock gutless engine. A couple of quality of life features like seats and analog guages. The owner definitely knows his stuff and did a phenenomenal job upgrading the car without losing its original character.

[@Mandurath]

Love those mid 80's to mid 90's birds. Know alot of folks don't like them, but preferred how the rode and drove over the same gen mustangs. Had and 88 and a 93. Dirt cheap now as well. Thanks for this vid Matt. Great job to the owner.

[@usergonemad]

I like this sort of thing far more than money-is-no-object toys. Definitely one of the more interesting builds you've covered.

[@Carstuff111]

I am not a Ford person, however, a good build is a good build, and I am very impressed. Looks and sounds like a fun drive, very nice.

[@gordfoley4760]

It takes skill to build a good car from junkyard parts. Anybody can go through a catalog and by a bunch of parts. Great job, cool car.

[@jo05dk]

I love builds like this. It's easy to get exited over the big bucks builds, and i do, but i really like builds like this. Not costing a fortune, but requires a lot of knowledge and sense of balance. This man turned a very "meh/horrible" car into something great, in my eyes at least.

[@nbowling10trio]

excellent build, I had several 86-90tbirds, turbo, and v8,v6. always wanted to do one like this into a sleeper stroker build.

[@777jones]

I came back to this 3 years later! Awesome situation.

[@07wrxtr1]

Really cool! My father had one of these, had some guy increase the boost on the 2.3...we're talking back in 1988... first car I rode in as a kid that got me hooked on the feeling of turbo...even though it wasn't much in reality, it was enough to make me care about cars...

[@LightGrime]

Seems like a really genuine, nice guy with a well set up car. Great video

[@ewardjcarlson]

Probably one of the best one takes I have seen!

[@NoBrakes23]

Outstanding! I definitely want to see more like this.

[@go_rizzo_grow]

I loved these cars when I was a kid, great video as always Matt :)

[@go_rizzo_grow]

And I hope you go on the Joe Rogan podcast again. You're my favorite guest that he's had on in 800+ podcasts.

[@19chucki74]

One of the few Fords I would love to have. This generation Thunderbird is my favorite.

[@drgonzo767]

This guy must be my brother from another mother. I had a 88 Turbo Coupe, loved that car. If I ever have the cash I am going to get another one and do the same IRS swap but I want to build it with the modular 32 valve engine. And yeah, those seats are comfortable!

[@GarageSupra]

what a cool owner, he seems like the kind of car guy i could just chat to for hours about cars over some beers. dude knows whats up.

[@twotrackjack2260]

Awesome video, I've always wanted to do something like that with a T-bird. Maybe one of these days

[@bushtailrazorback9797]

love the oddball car reviews. good job on this well sorted project

[@homerthompson6028]

I hate Thursday's because that means I have to wait 3 days in between to see a new one take.

[@johnypiston]

Truth.

[@TheFettMan]

ikr lol

[@trtlepwr]

I'm a fan of the fox platform as well. I currently drive a '12 5.0 Mustang GT but Love this this build! great job!

[@PANTYEATR1]

it's not much to look at, but I like it! it's well done and you don't see these cars hardly anymore. nice video

[@FATCAPKING]

Loving the oddball stuff! this guy knows how to build a well-rounded car like a drunken, biker, kung-fu master. Gotta love someone that can step back and make sure everything's nice and even.

[@lordmagnet]

Finally have your whole channel whitelisted thanks to the suggestions in the comments. Was doing it manually before, but let's be honest, sometimes we get lazy. Keep up the great videos.

[@pyrrhus17]

This was great !!!! This guy needs his own show

[@lightning95sc]

This is one of the few reviews that I've watched beginning to end. Cool ass project car. Like the owner, I like oddball cars, too, and have had several Thunderbirds. As a matter of fact, I just bought a V8 swapped Turbo Coupe from my buddy last weekend. Might have to investigate an Ecoboost/IRS swap. Great review, Matt.

[@TheGabe92]

Wow, this sounds like a very cool build!

[@Fastback2151]

Rory rocks! Really knowledgeable. Great build and a cool odd ball car.

[@danielmartin108]

YES. The audience loves stuff like this. The bike powered honda is great, same with LS3 Jag, and the nitroused scion! Keep em coming!!!

[@TehSnipez]

This guy is probably the coolest person you've even talked to on a ONE TAKE :) lol

[@vrmmmm]

Cool guy, cool car, cool review. I liked this one.

[@cardinaloflannagancr8929]

The IRS on t-birds was great really cool to add it to one of these before the factory did on the next gen. I had a 91.5 5.0 sport when I was younger and had to argue it had IRS getting alignments. One place told me "the only rwd with that would be something like a Ferrari". Refused to even look to see if I was wrong or right. These were great cars with quite a few upgrades readily available made for mustangs, f150, crown Vic etc..

[@o2boutdoors]

The audience LOVES stuff like this!

[@olikat8]

At the 13.30 mark, when Matt starts summarizing the car, he basically is saying ' The overall package you put together for the target you were aiming for is spot on.' When you build something and get a compliment like that, hey, there is nothing better-

[@kevinnorwood7880]

Would love to see more cars like this one! Being fun to see it with around 400Hp though.For the record I'm wearing no socks shoes OR pants!

[@mlchristopher]

Love these cars. My first car was a 1984 Mercury Cougar with a 5.0. A classic now!

[@notpurple]

i love these old birds. love this guys build.

[@teemann8403]

i drive a 90 mark vii, i want to do a t5 swap, and a 351w swap, but leave it solid rear axle, and do a watts linkage.

[@jeffk464]

very cool car

[@ForcedFoxbody]

So sick, haven't watched it yet but I've got an 88 turbocoupe and I'm putting an irs in my 88 notchback

[@DinoAungpe]

This is the best car episode I've seen him do & really nice car

[@heaththurman6211]

great vid! seemed like a super cool guy that knew what he was talking about!

[@FancyAnimal]

I will stand by my assertion that the late 80s BowCoupe and Fox Mustang were the best cars for the everyday enthusiast Ford ever made. Matt you kinda molested a perfectly fun and in short supply stock notch. Less is always more on the Fox. Great video and nice job!!

[@Celticman197]

I had a 347 stroker installed in my 88. Long headers 450 hp.

[@surewin1773]

Rory is a really cool guy. He really knows a lot about cars of all types, not just domestic.

[@Robby94LS]

Great vid, I DEF like when you do stuff like this! I'll watch this over new shit with bolt on and tunes ALL day long!! Blood sweat and tears and forgotten cars, gotta love it!

[@Minalover100]

Runs so smooth. Hard to believe it's almost 30yrs old...

[@joeymichael2231]

these are my absolute favorite one takes. the homebrew grassroots backyard builds are the best. def more interesting than any lambo or top of line trim model new cars