Fastest production Bird?

[TBirdNoob]

Re: Fastest production Bird?

7.0 0-60?!?! Jeez, what retro bird are YOU guys driving, because it sure isn't mine.

My 2004 might as well be towing a boat when accelerating from a stoplight...I have Priuses looking back and laughing at me.

40 and above, it's a whole different story; I can accelerate 40 to 60 or 60 to 80 with barely a tap on the gas.

[tbird6t4]

Re: Fastest production Bird?

7.0 0-60?!?! Jeez, what retro bird are YOU guys driving, because it sure isn't mine.

My 2004 might as well be towing a boat when accelerating from a stoplight...I have Priuses looking back and laughing at me.

40 and above, it's a whole different story; I can accelerate 40 to 60 or 60 to 80 with barely a tap on the gas.

Try taking the parking brake off, unhitch the boat only drag race downhill with a 50 mph wind at your back!!!

Of course the Black ones are the fastest!

[cewhite3]

Re: Fastest production Bird?

Just wondering, are the retros faster with the top off, convertible down or with top on??? Or, does it make a difference. This might be a question for myth busters!

Hartop off (saves 91 lbs), Convertible top up (improves areodynamics).

C&D was 0.1 quicker to 60 and in 1/4 mile with the haartop off and convertible top up - see http://media.caranddriver.com/files/...hunderbird.pdf .

Ed

[Guest]

Re: Fastest production Bird?

Hi Jerry,

Thanks for the link to Whipple Superchargers. I’m going to contact them and see if they have any interest in making a supercharger for the 2002-2005 T-Bird. BTW, Special Vehicle Concepts, SVC, did make and install a supercharger on a 2002 T-Bird and was featured in an old issue of Motor Trend. I think the cost was somewhere between
$ 5,000 $ 7,500 plus the cost of installation. The MT article said the unit ‘wasn’t quite ready for ‘prime time.’ and that some additional modifications or changes were needed.

SVC has long since gone out of business. The owner, Peter Cameron died some years ago and no one knows what happened to their tooling, etc.

Question: How many 2002-2005 T-Bird owners would consider installing a supercharger unit on their cars?

LA PHIL

[Greg S]

Re: Fastest production Bird?

Paul, sounds like there's something wrong with your car if you can't get similar performance.

[BLACK BEAUTY]

Re: Fastest production Bird?

Hi Jerry,

Thanks for the link to Whipple Superchargers. I’m going to contact them and see if they have any interest in making a supercharger for the 2002-2005 T-Bird. BTW, Special Vehicle Concepts, SVC, did make and install a supercharger on a 2002 T-Bird and was featured in an old issue of Motor Trend. I think the cost was somewhere between
$ 5,000 $ 7,500 plus the cost of installation. The MT article said the unit ‘wasn’t quite ready for ‘prime time.’ and that some additional modifications or changes were needed.

SVC has long since gone out of business. The owner, Peter Cameron died some years ago and no one knows what happened to their tooling, etc.

Question: How many 2002-2005 T-Bird owners would consider installing a supercharger unit on their cars?
3k and count me in...
LA PHIL

[cewhite3]

Re: Fastest production Bird?

I've looked through everything I can find on the net. The following conclusions are based on the best information I can find (as of today 2/4/2013):

Fastest Top Speed:

1) 1989-95 SC (fastest of these was probably th 1995 5 Speed Manual SC) >140 mph
2) 1987-88 Turbo Coupe 5 speed manual >140 mph
3) 2002-05 Thunderbird ~138 mph (computer limited)
4) 1957 Special High Performance V-8 312 Supercharged - ~125 mph

Most of the big V-8s from the late 50 and 60 probably could do close to 120

Fastest 0-60

1) 2003-05 Thunderbird - 6.5
2) 1995 SC - 6.8
3) 2002 Thunderbird - 6.9
4) 1957 312 Supercharged - ~7.0

Quickest 1/4 Mile:

1) 1989 SC - 14.9 sec
2) 2003-05 Thunderbird - 15 sec @ 95 mph
3) 1995 SC - 15 sec
4) 1957 312 Supercharged - ~15.1 @90 mph
5) 2002 Thunderbird - 15.2 sec @ 94

I am trying to create a compilation of Thunderbird performance data. If anyone has any numbers from old magazine road tests, etc I'd apprecaite it if you would send it to me. I have hit most of the performance informatin sites on the internet. I've seen the same data listed over and over again without a citation indicating the original source. In most cases (but not always) the numbers seem reasonable, but it sure would be nice to know the original source. I've started a spreadsheet and will share it with anyone who is interested.

Ed

[cewhite3]

Re: Fastest production Bird?

Hi Jerry,
Thanks for the link to Whipple Superchargers. I’m going to contact them and see if they have any interest in making a supercharger for the 2002-2005 T-Bird. BTW, Special Vehicle Concepts, SVC, did make and install a supercharger on a 2002 T-Bird and was featured in an old issue of Motor Trend. I think the cost was somewhere between
$ 5,000 $ 7,500 plus the cost of installation. The MT article said the unit ‘wasn’t quite ready for ‘prime time.’ and that some additional modifications or changes were needed.
SVC has long since gone out of business. The owner, Peter Cameron died some years ago and no one knows what happened to their tooling, etc.
Question: How many 2002-2005 T-Bird owners would consider installing a supercharger unit on their cars?
LA PHIL

Any chance the harware from the Supercharged Jaguar engines could be adapted to a Thunderbird? I am thinking of the Supercharged S-Type R Model (2003-2008).

Ed

[BLACK BEAUTY]

Re: Fastest production Bird?

Ed you're amazing..how you found all that..wow! I can live with a 15 second car...with no mods!

[Guest]

Re: Fastest production Bird?

Hi Ed,

Regarding your post about trying to take a supercharged engine (or hardware) from the Jaguar ’S’ type, that’s exactly what Ford started with when they built the ‘Supercharged Concept Thunderbird in 2003. The first problem is that once they got the engine in, the wiring didn’t work, had to be completely re-done. When they finally got the supercharged engine running, the extra power blew the transmission out. So, back to the drawing board. In the end, they gave up on the idea of trying to offer a supercharged Thunderbird for sale to the public. Part of the reason was that even if they had produced the supercharged Thunderbird, the MSRP would have to be around
$ 50,000. For just didn’t think the public would pay $ 50,000 for a T-bird. To make matters worse, at that time, T-Bird sales had slowed considerably and Ford had other financial problems to deal with aside from the T-Bird.

So, how many TBN members would have spent $ 50,000 IF a supercharged T-Bird would have been available?

LA PHIL

[jerrym3]

Re: Fastest production Bird?

Hi Ed,

Regarding your post about trying to take a supercharged engine (or hardware) from the Jaguar ’S’ type, that’s exactly what Ford started with when they built the ‘Supercharged Concept Thunderbird in 2003. The first problem is that once they got the engine in, the wiring didn’t work, had to be completely re-done. When they finally got the supercharged engine running, the extra power blew the transmission out. So, back to the drawing board. In the end, they gave up on the idea of trying to offer a supercharged Thunderbird for sale to the public. Part of the reason was that even if they had produced the supercharged Thunderbird, the MSRP would have to be around
$ 50,000. For just didn’t think the public would pay $ 50,000 for a T-bird. To make matters worse, at that time, T-Bird sales had slowed considerably and Ford had other financial problems to deal with aside from the T-Bird.

So, how many TBN members would have spent $ 50,000 IF a supercharged T-Bird would have been available?

LA PHIL

I wouldn't, unless the Ford Z plan brought the price dpwn to around 34K.

[Guest]

Re: Fastest production Bird?

That’s probably one of the main reasons Ford didn’t ever produce the supercharged version

[TBirdNoob]

Re: Fastest production Bird?

Paul, sounds like there's something wrong with your car if you can't get similar performance.

Well, seriously, is 7.0 0-60 "stomping it"?.......or routine acceleration?

[jerrym3]

Re: Fastest production Bird?

Well, seriously, is 7.0 0-60 "stomping it"?.......or routine acceleration?

0-60 runs are always rated from a standing start to 60 mph.

The only alternative starting method is whether or not the driver stands on the brake, brings the rpms up, and then gets off the brake and mashes the gas pedal at the same time.

This is a technique I refuse to use even if it slows me down by a tenth or two. (I like my transmissions to last.)

[SugarDaddy]

Re: Fastest production Bird?

When they finally got the supercharged engine running, the extra power blew the transmission out. So, back to the drawing board.
So, how many TBN members would have spent $ 50,000 IF a supercharged T-Bird would have been available?LA PHIL

The only supercharged T-Bird that I have seen was the 2002 prototype shown by Earl Tindol, of Tindol Motorsports, at the Maggie Valley TBN "Beach Boys Concert" event in August 2007. According to the sign adjacent to the T-Bird, the following information was noted:

• Pre-production 2002 Ford Thunderbird
• Powered by 2002 Jaguar S-Type R 4.2L supercharged engine
• Jaguar S-Type R 6-speed ZF Automatic Transmission
• Rated at 400 bhp@6100 rpm and 408 lb-ft@ 3500 rpm

I also heard that the transmission was the weak link when a supercharger was installed on these engines. With that in mind, that means more added expense to find and install a stronger transmission, and also probably a stronger rear differential system. The whole drive train probably was not designed for the high output from a supercharged engine.

I would NOT have spent the extra dollars required to get a supercharged engine. It wasn't even in our budget at the time (January 2002), not with dealers asking $10k over MSRP.