1994 Ford Thunderbird & Mercury Cougar XR-7 | Retro Review
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- Опубліковано 9 лип 2024
- Ok, which is the more timeless 90's luxury sport coupe: Thunderbird SC, Lexus SC, or BMW 8-Series?
Show 1302 | Original Airdate 09-15-1993
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I enjoy seeing these retro reviews! Great to look back at what we thought was “state of the art” or pinnacle of engineering back then. I’ve been watching MotorWeek for at least 30 years if not more and appreciate the reviews and testing that was done back then!
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Thats always going to be the case. Technology is always advancing. Styling is not
I've been watching for about 5 years
Im from the year 1993 and these cars are definitely state-of-the-art. I can see these V8 cars and supercharged V6 cars being able to make close 300hp by at least 1995.
I like how “summer madness” was playing on the radio 😂
I know right? It is in Motown.
It's called Summertime, not Summer Madness.
@@GeeEm1313 You got it mixed up: It is "Summer Madness" by Kool and the Gang; "Summertime" is Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince.
@@jeffreysmith6963
The Fresh Prince version slapped!
The 10th gen T-Bird is gorgeous. Always loved the look of this car.
Likewise and it's just right for me in that blue in the intro.
Suave 90's.
@@KenanTurkiye Very beautiful and nice this T-Bird, pretty and comfortable car
Still driving a 95 Cougar XR7
73k miles ...2nd owner.
Love it on trips.
This thunderbird always looked good to me, and honestly that still holds up to this day.
Why wouldn't it
I agree 100%.
I never liked it. Still don’t. Always thought the previous gen looked much better.
@@interstate366 My first car was the previous gen - an '88 Turbo Coupe. I like them both.
@@ragingbull94mtx when I was a kid we had both generations in the family. Grandpa originally had a brown 1984 with the Essex V6, dad got it as a hand-me-down sometime in the 90s when grandpa got a grey one of the next gen. Eventually my dad sold the brown one to his brother. I think it was scrapped when he died last year.
Remember looking at a 1995 SC in silver over grey with a 5 speed at a dealer. $25,000 seemed like a rich mans price. Would love to go back in time and buy 2.
1994 and 1995 are the ones you want for the SC more power and better transmission probably the most desirable of those last two years
Average new car price in 1995 = $18,000. Average new car price as of May 2022 = $47,000. So a $25,000 car in 1995, is about $65,000 today. Your initial impressions about it being "a rich person's price" were not far off.
We would you want two of these
With all the markups and inflation expect those numbers to go up,drastically!
Leased my first brand new car in 1995 when I was 17 on a $6/hour Burger King paycheck, something a teenage kid can't do anymore nowadays. I turned in that Ford Probe GT in '97 and leased a brand new Honda Prelude SH when I was just 19 and in college - My oldest son is 19 now, in college, makes $14 an hour part-time (25-30 hours/week), and can barely afford ketchup on his cheeseburger. Times are crazy now.
I distinctly remember seeing this very episode of Motorweek in my friend's family room. By the next Summer, a 1994 Emerald Green Thunderbird LX V8 with the Mocha Leather interior would be my next new car. As others have mentioned here, the build quality and fit & finish were exceptional. Smooth, powerful, nimble for its size, so comfortable. Great memories.
My relative had a '94 T-Bird. I still remember how roomy, quiet and comfortable that car was. Not a single rattle or squeak. It felt really solid.
And it had a sticker on the window "FORD: Quality is Job 1".
My 89 tbird SC is still my favorite car I’ve ever owned to this day.
Same! I daily my 89 SC.
Likewise.. 95 SC MTX....🎯
I had a 94 Thunderbird LX 4.6. I went through so may sets of tires with that thing!
Did a PI motor swap, exhaust and a small stall converter. Really woke it up.
I actually still have some random burnout clips on my channel from 10 years ago lol
Favorited a video of a guy who put ported PI heads and a cam on a non PI block and makes just over 400 HP.
The Pi heads make a huge difference
I remember test driving one, and I did a burnout in it, some cars just beg you to do burnouts, or even f-body camaros
I've got a 95 T-Bird LX with the modular v8 and I love that car! I still daily drive it every summer, so much fun
So so lucky!
I have one, it runs great but it is too rusty to pass inspection :(
I just turned 70,000 miles on my 95 4.6 T Bird. Great Sunday driver.
What's cool about your car is you can fit Mustang high performance parts on it
I bought a new 1994 black V8 Thunderbird. I still miss it today
Seeing that interior really brings me back... my first car was a '94 Cougar.
I used to see these cars lots in the 90s and early to mid 2000s.
I remember the luxury perfomance coupe era, with the Thunderbird, Cougar, Lincoln Mark, Buick Rivera, Chevy Monte Carlo
I had a '96 Cougar XR7 Bostonian Edition with the V8 and absolutely loved it! It's one of many vehicles I wish I had kept.
I had a 1994 T Bird and I loved it, it was one of the best cars I have ever owned.
It always amazes me to see how fast some of these cars were from the 90’s that you almost didn’t expect but it also amazing how slow some of them were with big engines and low hp.
Yeah it's more amazing to show how slow they are and how low the performance was actually
@@klasseact6663 These T-Bird SC's were always interesting to me because they made impressive torque and pretty good HP numbers but were always slower than the GM 3800 supercharged V6 cars - Never understood that.
@@Stressless2023
Weight?
@@GS-zc4sk Could be that. I think the GM W-body coupes probably had a little weight advantage although they were still FWD and not that easy to launch from what I remember - The SC's times were always just so far off that I felt like it had to be a combination of things somehow. I know that these could be modded to be pretty fast though.
yes...my 2014 ford fusion with a 2.0 has 245 hp and 280 tq
We had a 1992 Thunderbird when I was a kid. We all loved that car!! Would love to find another 92-97 Thunderbird to have again!
I love my 93 Thunderbird with the 5.0 V8! Fun car!
@@harpermotorsports16 I've got the 92' 5.0 bird
I had a 92 cougar…I loved it. Plenty of space and super comfy.
I have a 97 anniversary edition
We have a '96 lx V8 for sale. about 155k. all things done to it from new have been documented.
I will admit that I did like these back in the day, particularly the T-bird.
My parents had a ‘94 thunderbird LX with the 4.6l v8 when I was a kid. Got 28-30mpg on the highway and was a smooth interstate cruiser
28-30 mpg??!! That's amazing! 🤯
back in 2004/2005 there was a young dude down the streer who had a white thunderbird and it was CLEAN, he loved that car, he used to always be wiping it down
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there are people that loves jdms, doesnt mean its any good
@@retrocompaq5212 k
Whatever happened to him and the T-Bird I'm wondering? Didn't blame liked these cars myself.
@@ramoncarter6585 I'm not sure I was in a foster home for a year at the time, So I haven't seen that guy since but judging from what his car sounded like, I'm assuming he had the SC V-6
Several years ago I bought 94 Cougar in that same maroon color with the 4.6. It was a great car for the year I had it. The wrap around dash was ahead of its time for a car of that price point.
I loved this generation of these cars, especially the ones with a 4.6 V8
Did anyone hear Kool & The Gang's Summer Madness on the radio? Brings back great memories on the beach. 🙂 4:15
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@@aidaaliten8817 why are you replying to everyone in numbers?
@@VIccs826 needs attention
Yes for a brief second
One of the best chill out songs ever! Smooth Jazz before it was even a thing...
Nice design for its time. The SC was clean.
From the days when V8 Rear Wheel Drive personal luxury coupes were still being made. Kind of interesting to see some "modern" features like dual airbags and built-in cell phone controls in 1994. I kind of like the V6 SuperCoupe with a manual transmission.
My dad actually liked the style of the late Thunderbird SCs. He had a bright red 83 Turbo Coupe when I was little. I liked the Turbo light when it came on when he got on it a few times. The 5 speed was nice.
I am surprised how good your old videos still look. Watching reruns from 2005 often look worse and these are much older.
The older T-bird design (89-93) were better looking than the refresh. These really were great cars, shame the market is totally gone.
Agreed. I've driven both and I prefer the 89-93 variety. The only thing I like better on the 94 is you can select all four speeds on the EAOD transmission; with the AOD you can't "lock-out" 2nd.
I like the 94 - 97 myself. Maybe I'm odd. But that 4.6 Modular!
@@MisterMikeTexasjust bought a 94 today. I’m a sucker for them too
My mom had a cougar XR7. That was a very fun car to drive and the amount of pink slips I could've collected from quick street races was something to be said.
My first new car purchase was a 97 Cougar Anniversary Edition. That car was great, handling was exceptional, power from the v8 was great and fuel economy was respectable. If I could buy it new today I’d do it in a heartbeat.
I have a 97 anniversary edition now.
@@jamespepper2541 oh man, so jealous.
1:14-1:16 "the monstrous air scoops" lol
OMG IKR?
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I have a 94 tbird with the rare romeo 4.6 with 130,xxx miles on her. Recently registered her as a antique and been getting quite a few looks at car shows. I grew up In these birds and have always loved them
I had a 1989 SC and a 1994 Thunderbird with the 4.6. The SC was my first car.
Use to drive V8 T Bird in Florida. Rare reliable domestic car.
I owned a black 95 SC 5-speed for about a decade starting in the late 90s. Still one of my favourite cars.
Man did u have to do alot of repairs ?
Did you mod it ?
Got a 1994 LX TBird with the 4.6 when I was 16 years old, back in 1998. I loved that car, decently quick for back in the day too.
OK rich kid, thanks for sharing.
@Fransico Buttersworth let me guess, your uncle bought them for you in order to keep you silent.
Motorweek is the best for all their classic uploads!!!
Thank you for sharing. Thank you for all the efforts to provide these videos.
@OLDS98 - re: "Think you ...." You are ... Wilcome !!
Any T-Bird/Cougar with a 3.8 was a problem waiting to happen. Oil leaks galore, some head gasket issues. The SC was a nightmare. Difficult to work on, all of the oil leaks and gasket issues plus the labor costs and too many parts that didn't fit any other car/powertrain. I replaced a few superchargers under warranty.
The 4.6L 4R70W combo was great. Not great stoplight performance but really good as a highway cruiser.
Owned three of these Supercoupes. Torque was off the chart but due to it's portlyness it was really just a comfy highway cruiser. Faultly ABS motors were costly to fix but was fairly reliable.
Nice
Yeah I love the styling of these
Always wondered what they drove like
My first car was a hand-me-down white 94' Thunderbird lx. I love that car to this day, and cried when it got traded in.
I miss my '94 Bird! Such a fantastic highway cruiser.
5 speed super coupe was a good time, but the auto in this era of fords is where hopes and dreams go to die
LOL, I've owned three late 80s-mid-90s Ford automatics. 1 '88 T-Bird Turbo (A4LD) and 2 '97 Mark VIIIs (4R70W). All 3 had some time of problem (ranging from minor to major). 1 4R70W had a tailshaft leak, the other a broken 1-2 accumulator spring. The A4LD failed twice. You're not wrong.
Hey, there's nothing like a rainy day to see how high a new T-bird truly CAN fly!!!!
Haha
My buddy tried to show off one time after it rained in his. (94 LX 4.6)
He lost control and crashed into a curb
Had a 1990 TBird SC- sold it in late 93 when I got a Lexus SC400. Would love to have either one of those back. Midlife crisis you know...
This Videos bring me back to Happy Summers of the Past !!!
Awesome motor week!! I use to make part for theses two cars in Huron Ohio.
I want a Cougar from this era SO bad.
205 horsepower from 4.6 liters. I’ll never understand how the big three got so little power from these huge engines.
That Black T-Bird SC with the blue interior is fantastic.
It was the mindset of the time....different set of priorities back then.
The same kind of group think is why we still don't have Miata with any real power today. lol
A V8 making 205hp. Hilarious.
@@fuglyJEW Indeed. Lol The 4.6 and 5.4 2v motor however is one of Ford's most reliable motors and can make some power if built and tuned right.
@@SirtubalotTX i made 240rwhp on 87 octane, longtubes, high flow cats, electric cutouts open n Marty tune.. Check my dyno vid out if you'd like, 09 P71..
4.6L v8s are baby motors in the v8 world bro, you must be a 4cy guy..lol The motors were meant to be cheap, low compression fleet motors that run forever on 87 octane n got 25+mpg hwy.. That's why.. They have crap tons of torque tho from idle, something these turbo 4cy can't compare with still..
Beautiful cars, Loved owning either! I passed my driving test 20 years ago in a 94 green Tbird, that thing felt so comfortable and nimble, and they look so cool!
Rented the Cougar several times. Nice comfortable car, no issues. 👍
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I like the mid-life restyle of this T Bird. A friend of mine had a 97, blue, with a sporty package and that 4.6 modular. It sounded awesome with that dual exhaust! I wish I had bought it from him before he traded it off.
My Mom's friend had this car.
Most beautiful car I ever rode in.
My first car was a 96 Monte Carlo I always wanted this body thunderbird though!
My Mom bought a 94 T-Bird Brand New in 94, Was a Darker Green, 4.6 V-8, After was involved in a deer accident, i received car, welded in some Stainless Steel Flowmaster Mufflers onto the Stock Exhaust Pipes, Sounded pretty good, Buddy of mine had a Cougar 1 model year Older, so his had the 5.0 V-8, and Automatic Trans Also, we Drag Raced many a times on the Streets, my 4.6 T-Bird was Always a Tad Quicker than the 5.0 Cougar, Always pulled a little from him every single time, Dead Stop, Side by Side at 60 mph, Or at any Speed. I'm very old school when it comes to Stuff, But just goes to show Technology, No Pushrods = Faster.
love motorweek reviws
I had a 1992 and a 1994 Thunderbird SC , both in black. As a Ford employee it was a pretty good deal to lease the cars with our employee A plan discount. Loved them in the summer, not so much in the winter. Wish i had kept one of them.
Back in 1996 a coworker had a white Thunderbird Super Coup. Gorgeous car. She kept it immaculate
I had the last TBird, the 1997. V8,with leather. I loved that car. I drove it till the wheels fell off, 350k miles. That car had many more miles left on it.
I let her go for a smaller 4 cylinder Honda. The Honda was also a coupe. You can’t find a coupe that is not in the higher price bracket anymore. My Bird was less than 30k, now a Infinity G coupe cost more than 50k.
i bet you, you missed the torque the 2v v8 provided in the city huh??
I'd forgotten about that 90's Ford "wraparound" interior. Really takes you back to the days of the Macarena...
I had an '89, from the previous generation. It was extremely angular in all respects, so it's funny to me to see this reactionary redesign again. I'd almost forgotten what else they did to it before they cancelled it.
I liked the previous gen better. Esp the Tbird SC
3:47 John: AND THIS FULL SET OF ANALOG GAUGES!
I know he didn't like that they left the volt meter out of the Super Coupes, but at least they didn't have a blank in place of the boost gauge.
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Complete with a lofty 5,250 rpm redline. You'd swear it was a diesel looking at that, ha ha.
I had several TBirds during the 80s and 90s. 1978 Diamond jubilee edition, 1990, 1994 models. They are all I drove for 27 years. I use a wheelchair because I am paralyzed but I could get my wheelchair in-and-out of the car with not too much difficulty. I was driving the 1990 TBird when I was married at age 41. She has passed away but we took that car everywhere. Love TBirds. Now I drive a 2000 Chevy Monte Carlo. Great car too.
I had a 95 Cougar with the 4.6, I loved that car
I ve had mine for 17 years....just turned 73k.
I had a '93 Cougar XR7 (V6) and a '96 Thunderbird LX Sport (V8). They were really good cars.
Old cars brings back such great memories these cars were out when was little in head start at time. Seems back in the good old days which was around '94 cars were more modern than today's cars looking cookie cutter used to see these cars all the time at that time when SUVS didn't rule the roads, Thunderbird/Cougar both were ahead of their game like these Fords as GMs doing that time now ready for a '93 Infiniti J30 and '95 Aurora MW review next.
The SC with a manual was a low key dream car.
Bought a '94 Thunderbird LX with the 4.6L back in '94. Still driving it now with over 500k miles. Loved the looks then, and really can't think of anything new that looks as good to me.
the ol' reliable 2v, thing can run forever..
Get off welfare and buy something different already.
@@rodmunch69 hahaha 😆, if it ain't broke why replace it?? Don't be hating..
@@P71ScrewHead why replace it? Because it has 500k miles on it. Because the world has moved on from 1994, we have all sorts of new stuff, plus the seats don't have to be covered in meth burns.
@@rodmunch69 Sure, let him buy a new electric car, damn thing won't make it half a million miles, I promise you that.. All he needs is a TrickFlow top end kit, a Jmod or shift kit, n that car will be running as fast as today's muscle cars.. I don't see the billionaires of the world giving away money, much less him.. But I get your opinion.. You must be the leasing type, that's fine too..
Always found these so nice n still r good looking n driving cars my brother had one 1 once smooth n fast
Had a 96 Ford Thunderbird LX with the 4.6 V8. It was perhaps one of the best cars I have ever owned. It was very comfortable and good on gas. I hated to part with it.
You want it back? I have one for sale that's exactly what you described
I had an LX T-Bird when it was new and it was awesome, just like this video.
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Love these old reviews. And hilarious what used to be good acceleration times.
@@thirdstar9255 Hipster? I was graduating high-school when this review came out. And I could honestly say I'm about the furthest thing you could find on the planet from a hipster.
I had a '94 Thunderbird LX with the V8 in Deep Emerald Green and it was one of the nicest cars I've ever driven. It was my Grandfather's, a former Ford engineer, and he said it was the best card Ford had ever built (as of 1994). It was heavy, I would have liked to have ABS, but I couldn't deny how smooth it was. The only downside was the interior was dreadful in its fitment; I would go over railroad tracks and hear a lightning crack as all the interior bits loosened up and would rattle like crazy. Especially the dashboard. Gramps took it apart a lot so I don't doubt he left a few parts out!
I logged 110K miles on it in my ownership and only replaced sparkplugs, an alternator, and suspension/wheel bearings and other front end components. Rust got it in the end though, they seemed to have a rocker panel rust issue they didn't resolve until the 96-97s.
I remember my 1994 t-bird. I really enjoyed it.
These cars were hugely popular during my most formative years. Everywhere you went, you saw at least one. A neighbor of mine has a Cougar. Other than that, it's incredibly rare for me to see these on the road anymore. Just four years after this review, these cars were put out to pasture.
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4 years? .... yeah... no
4 years. Ha. No clue
Saying the SC 3.8L lacks the bottom end punch of the 4.6L is comical. It makes more power EVERYWHERE and the torque is monstrous from the roots blower. I remember racing a kid in high school who took his dad's 95 Thunderbird LX 4.6L and was talking all kinds of shit about how he'd destroy my 90 Thunderbird SC automatic. We did many dig and roll races and I pulled away from him hard every time. From a dig I left him in the dust and put a huge gap between us by the time we got to the overpass a 1/4 mile from where we launched. Those V8 Thunderbirds and Cougars are absolutely gutless with stock gears. The LX only had like 40k miles so it was nice and new still. My other SC, a 1992 5-speed would put an even bigger gap on the V8 LX.
Was an older latino man in my town drove around a V6 s/c 5 speed Thunderbird. Very under rated cara
Man I owned a 94 with candy paint and 24 inch asanti wheels with 3 15 inch pioneer subs I loved that car had it for 7 years got in in high school in 2003
Absolutely love these cars!!
i always preferred the thunderbird
@@JDMHaze same man, the 3.8sc manual was one of those cars that I need to check off on the must own list lol
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@@TURBOMOOSE these in the 3.8 were faster than the mustangs of the time if i believe of right on par
@@JDMHaze yeah facts
I wanted one of those cars back in the day. Never got one, and glad I didn't. My brother had one, they were absolutely horrid in winter driving. I remember those things wouldn't even move, just spun the tires on snow. Doors were super heavy as well, wearing out the hinge bushings. Dash board needed to come out to pull the hinges due to the bolts bolting outward🙄
That has nothing to do with the car, it has everything to do with the tires! RWD cars need 4 snow tires...period.
@@jacktorse2145 Nothing to do with the car🤣. Open diff rwd car in winter, that wasn't 1955 in the 90's. I am not doing the truffle shuffle with snow tires twice a year. Thats why just about everybody went with 4wd, fwd or awd in northern climates.
Absolutely brutal in winter. I had two sc's for two years each. Lived in Chicago, four years was enough couldn't take it anymore lol. Never got rear wheel again. But in the summer they were a blast!
@@shauncasey8295 Assuming you left the high performance stock tires on the car?
Thank you motorweek for uploading your retro videos! I watch almost each one. Will you upload your 2002 episodoe or road test showing the 2002 chevrolet express quigley 4x4? The year when the company introduced the ifs on these 4x4 vans?
They road tested a delivery van? Doesn't sound like motorweek.
Still looking good
4:14
Real OGs only needed that second and a half of stero to recognize Thee Summer Anthem " _Summertime_ "
by Will -Slaps- Smith
💪🏽😎💪🏽 👏🏽💥🥴🤕
Wow I remember this era of the T Bird and the Cougar XR7
I adore this generation bird. The underappreciated V8 will always have a place in my heart, and my wallet!
I miss my 1990 T- Bird rear wheel drive rode smooth
Damn those look great
I loved these as a kid! So euro looking compared to everything else in the day.
Had an 89 and 97 Cougar, great cars.
Had 3 of these but never an SC,I always wanted one. My first car in late 90s was 90 cougar 3.8 non sc… cost me $400,it had no power steering no AC. White with black bumpers that I taped to hold on. I Put away a few dollars and wanted to upgrade,almost got a 93 ford probe GT because my older brother had a non GT when I was growing up but I ended up getting screwed by the dealer… went from $2500 to almost $4k within 2 days so F that. On my way home I spotted a red tbird with dual exhaust at a gas station with for sale sign. $900 for a 91 5.0 V8. Took it home that day,next day got some 17 inch chrome rims for it and boy was I the shit freshman year of HS. 2 years later I got a 94 thunderbird with the 4.6 and it was near mint,everything worked BUT 2nd gear became rough and it started burning oil like crazy. $3000 down the drain,i junked it. I also had Lincoln 94 LSC but ran only on 7 cylinders. I played with junk cars for 2 years untill I turned 18 and got my first bmw e36 325i.
Had a 95 t-bird with the 4.6. super comfortable front seats and extra cold A/C but blew a headgasket at 60k. it cost more to fix than the value of the vehicle.
4.6? Sounds like a 3.8 issuew to me..4.6 went for 300k easy
Lol 😂 I still have a 1/24 scale model of the t-bird sc I built back then! Nice car!
I had a 90 Thunderbird SC automatic and it was real fast especially on highway .
Yes they were. I had a 92 SC go up to 130 mph on a Missouri highway no problem. It was said they could top out at 150 mph. Never had the guts to see though lol.
I have a 96 Cougar. It's one hell of a car!
I have 94 mercury cougar for 29 years still running good 4.6 liter
my dad had a 1995 Cougar XR7... with the lace wheels with pentagon center cap in that red color
gotta be honest, i owned a 92 cougar xr7, 5.0 auto. and ill give you this, the styling was truly some of the best, the interiors were comfortable, and for being such a big coupe for its day, it handled, braked, and moved alright. not to mention the big trunk and good amount of under hood space to work on everything, but comparing stock to stock, unless you absolutely needed v8 and rwd, i would've gone for a buick/pontiac with the 3800, naturally aspirated or supercharged. something akin to the riviera, regal, bonneville etc
@Devin Higgison - re: "gotta be honest..." Are you not honest all the time, or only when using those 3 meaningless words?
One guy in my area (Lower Silesia - Poland) has 1994 Thunderbird. People seems to be more interested and pay more attention to my '91 Geo Storm GSi and '95 Chevy Beretta.. We often meet each other on the parking of market in our neighbourhood :D
I've had my 97 cougar 30th aniv for a few years and honestly it's one of the best cars I've driven for the quality ride for its time. Ofc there's better and faster, but after I do some work to the heads, it's gonna be awesome.
Bought a black on gray 94' T-Bird at Santa Maria Ford one night...Was a over all nice car and last of the "Stock" cars like what you wound see on the track racing NASCAR. Got a ticket in it going up I-5 the CHP officer, a nice guy, said they worked three counties before stopping me in it so I guess it was fast enough. Was a nice highway car. Enjoyed the dashboard styling and the leather was nice.