changing a T-bird 1982 engine??

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obinnaya
Posts: 1
Joined: Sat Feb 25, 2017 9:43 pm

changing a T-bird 1982 engine??

Post by obinnaya »

hello everyone,

am about to take on repairs as a project on a T-bird 1982 coupe, which i got as a hand down, but am looking to change the engine (upgrade).... what other T-bird engines other than the 1982 model engine would work perfectly with it?

it has a digital odometer dashboard.

cheers
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Alan H. Tast
Posts: 4214
Joined: Wed Aug 20, 2003 10:52 pm
Location: Omaha, NE

Re: changing a T-bird 1982 engine??

Post by Alan H. Tast »

First things first: what engine is currently in the car? Is it original to the car? 1982 was an odd year for engines as there were three choices: an inline 6-cylinder, a V-6 and the 302/5.0L with carburetor. The car's VIN will tell you what was originally installed in the car - feel free to post or PM me to decode.

If you're lucky and have a 5.0L, I would suspect any '80s-early '90s 5.0L pushrod engine would work, but with all the variables in induction (EFI, carburetor, etc.) and computer controls having evolved since then, it may take a bit of research and quizzing others to figure out your best option. If it's a V-6, the '83-'88 V-6 may be (and I use "may be" with caution) a candidate. The only "perfect" fit would be what was originally installed in the car: everything else will require some level of amateur engineering.

Quite frankly, the '80-'82 T-birds are the "red-headed stepchild" of the T-bird world: they weren't very popular back when they were new, very little interest in them today, and their survival rate is dismal compared to others. You will probably find that there are other Fox-bodied platform sites that support the '79-'92 Mustangs, for instance, that have tackled this topic in depth.
Alan H. Tast, AIA
Technical Director/Past President,
Vintage Thunderbird Club Int'l.
Author, "Thunderbird 1955-1966" & "Thunderbird 50 Years"
1963 Hardtop & 1963 Sports Roadster
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