Fastest production Bird?

[BLACK BEAUTY]

Always have questions........

[5bird7]

Re: Fastest production Bird?

If it's a production 02 to 05 bird, that's a toss-up. Ron likes to claim his.

If it's a test car, then the supercharged one would fit that bill ,

If it's any year from 55 to 2005, then I don't know.

[BLACK BEAUTY]

Re: Fastest production Bird?

All birds...

[2K2BIRD]

Re: Fastest production Bird?

Fastest or quickest? There is a difference.

[BLACK BEAUTY]

Re: Fastest production Bird?

how about both..please

[jayred1]

Re: Fastest production Bird?

I think this one is the fastest ... probably the quickest, too.

u_s_-air-force-thunderbirds-1600x1088.jpg

[DavidA]

Re: Fastest production Bird?

I believe that the low-end torque of the '02 makes it faster to a point. Once the extra HP kicks in, the later cars will be faster over-all.

When we were at Halett for Heartland Thunder, we actually were able to race, not just drive fast. I was able to shoot out of the corners muych faster than the later cars, but in the long back stretch, the later ones were a bit faster.

[PITTBIRDS]

Re: Fastest production Bird?

Zero to 60 & 1/4 Miles Times

for Thunderbirds
Data From: Thunderbird Super Coupe Club of Iowa

Year ------------------(0-60) --(1/4 Mile)

1955 292ci ------------11.5 --18.0
1973 460ci --------------9.0 --17.4
1980 302ci ------------11.1 --18.0
1983 Turbo Coupe ---9.7 --17.1
1987 Turbo Coupe ---8.5 --16.3
1989 SC (5 Speed) --6.9 --14.9
1990 SC (Auto) -------7.4 --15.8
1991 LX ------------------9.0 --16.7
1993 SC -----------------7.2 --15.7
1994 LX V6 -------------8.8 --16.4
1994 LX V8 -------------8.1 --16.3
1995 SC -----------------7.0 --15.2
1996 LX V8 -------------7.9 --15.8
2002 -----------------------7.0 --15.2

[Guest]

Re: Fastest production Bird?

Well, for the record, the 2003 Thunderbird ‘Supercharged Concept’ car would seem to be the fastest and quickest of the the T-Birds produced, but then, they never produced that car for the general public, so maybe it doesn’t count.

Add various performance mods, like the Borla Exhaust (approx 15+ HP), Cold Air Intake)approx 15+ HP, and XCAL2 ‘Horsepower in a box’ (approx 28 HP) and you can get up to 58 extra HP combined. For a 2002 that would bring you up from the stock 252 to 310 HP. Same mods added to the 2003-2005, base 280 HP, would boost you to 338 HP.

Claims by users who have added these mods vary, some report less, some a bit more. The there’s the difference between Base HP and ‘rear wheel’ HP. I’m no expert on this, but the bold on mods used together definitely make a difference,

Tire and wheel size also affect performance.

I’ve been looking for a supercharger and/or turbocharger for the 2002-2005 T-Bird since 2002. None of the major manufacturers wanted anything to do with the project. I spoke to Magnuson, Paxton, Alpine, etc. No takers.

LA PHIL

[BLACK BEAUTY]

Re: Fastest production Bird?

Zero to 60 & 1/4 Miles Times

for Thunderbirds
Data From: Thunderbird Super Coupe Club of Iowa

Year ------------------(0-60) --(1/4 Mile)

1955 292ci ------------11.5 --18.0
1973 460ci --------------9.0 --17.4
1980 302ci ------------11.1 --18.0
1983 Turbo Coupe ---9.7 --17.1
1987 Turbo Coupe ---8.5 --16.3
1989 SC (5 Speed) --6.9 --14.9
1990 SC (Auto) -------7.4 --15.8
1991 LX ------------------9.0 --16.7
1993 SC -----------------7.2 --15.7
1994 LX V6 -------------8.8 --16.4
1994 LX V8 -------------8.1 --16.3
1995 SC -----------------7.0 --15.2
1996 LX V8 -------------7.9 --15.8
2002 -----------------------7.0 --15.2

Looks like the 89 SC 5 speed but not by much..What color interior on your 03 Jerry?

[Southern]

Re: Fastest production Bird?

Bottom line....Thunderbirds are not very quick, and never have been. Several selected Honda Accords could kick our butts for instance. (Don't mess with an 88 EX Accord.......)
That's one reason I have always been amused by the different challenges that go on around here...........People arguing which slow car is fastest...........LOL!
Sorta Like people arguing which Checker cab is "fastest"........
Of course most understand it is done with good cheer.......

Now as to top end............Might be a different story........

[jerrym3]

Re: Fastest production Bird?

I thought that the magazine road tests put the 03 (and later) TBirds (and LS's) .5 sec quicker to 60 than the 02's?

My mechanic had an LS built before 2003. He drove my 04 LS, and said my car was quicker than his.

But, since I have never nailed my car from a dead stop, 7.0 or 6.5 doesn't really matter that much to me.

Seat of the pants, my LS does feel quicker than my retro, but that could just be the variation in different cars and the larger tires on my retro, which slightly alter the rear end ratio.

[cewhite3]

Re: Fastest production Bird?

There were some realtively fast Thunderbirds - especially in the first three generations:

First Generation (1955-1957): Classic Two-Seat Thunderbirds - 1957 Supercharged 312 (300 Hp) or one with two four barrels and the "racing kit" (~285 HP). 0-60 6.7 SEC

Second Generation (1958-1960): Four-Seat "Square Birds" - 1959 with the Lincoln 430 (350 HP) - Thunderbirds of this generation actually ran in NASCAR races 0-60 6.8 SEC

Third Generation (1961-1963): "Bullet Birds" - 1962 with a 390 with three two barrels (340) was an option. 0-60 7.5 SEC

Fourth Generation (1964-1966): "Jet Birds" - 1966 with a 428 (345 HP)
Fifth Generation (1967-1971): "Big Birds" - too heavy to ever considered to be fast even with a 428. 0-60 8.8 SEC

Fifth Generation (1967-1971): "Big Birds" - heavier and slower even with the 429 - 8.4 SEC

Sixth Generation (1972-1976): "Bigger Birds" - even heavier and slower, with the 429 or 460. 0-60 9.8 SEC

Seventh Generation (1977-1979): "Torino Birds" - smaller and lighter that the sixth generation Birds, but the emission controls strangled the engines (351 and 400) to th epoint that they had less than 200 HP. 0-60 12.0 SEC

Eighth Generation (1980-1982): "Fairmont Birds" - even ligher, but even whimpier engines. 0-60 11.9 SEC

Ninth Generation (1983-1986): "Aero Birds" - 1985 Turbo Coupe was not too bad (155 HP and relatively light) 8.5 SEC

10th Generation (1987-1988): "Even More Aerodynamic Birds" - 1985 Turbo Coupe was not too bad (190 HP) 7.6 SEC
11th Generation (1989-1997): "High Tech Birds" - 1989 Turbo Coupe (3.8 L 210 Hp - but heavier than the previous generation) 0-60 7.7 SEC

12th Generation (2002-2005): Retro Birds - well we all know the limitations, but tstill I think the performance is decent especially for 2003-2005. 0-60 6.3 SEC (faster than I thought !)

Ed

[Gobird]

Re: Fastest production Bird?

The 11th gens weren't Turbo Coupes, they were Super Coupes and had a blown V6.

http://www.albeedigital.com/supercoupe/spex.html

[BLACK BEAUTY]

Re: Fastest production Bird?

This is a good example of why I'm here...great info..thanks!