G
Gobird
UPDATE EMAIL ADDRESS
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02 T-Bird 9293
69 Vette
73 MGB
97 F-150 4x4
2-Seadoo Jet Skies
a dog a cat and a couple hundred fish in my pond
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2002-05 Owners. As of August 2022 there is now an entire suspension kit for sale! Scroll down to the bottom of the first post click here.
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02 T-Bird 9293
69 Vette
73 MGB
97 F-150 4x4
2-Seadoo Jet Skies
a dog a cat and a couple hundred fish in my pond
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F
freebird
UPDATE EMAIL ADDRESS
Gobird,
I've had mine over 120 as well and I agree with you.
The car feels very stable at that speed and there is certainly more pedal. I want to get a few more miles on it before I try to see what might be near the top.
If you get the need for speed and push it higher, let me know, I'd like to know what you find.
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'02 Yellow T-Bird
'95 Roush GT Ragtop
'96 Mystic Cobra
'97 Lincoln Mark VIII
I've had mine over 120 as well and I agree with you.
The car feels very stable at that speed and there is certainly more pedal. I want to get a few more miles on it before I try to see what might be near the top.
If you get the need for speed and push it higher, let me know, I'd like to know what you find.
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'02 Yellow T-Bird
'95 Roush GT Ragtop
'96 Mystic Cobra
'97 Lincoln Mark VIII
T
txktom
UPDATE EMAIL ADDRESS
I had mine to 120+ today, and it felt absolutely solid--and amazingly quiet--but there was a very faint bit of shimmy from one of the wheels. I'm not used to cars with this kind of performance. When I floorboarded it at 100, it downshifted and pushed me back in the seat! I was at 120 so fast I couldn't really believe it. Sunday my wife and I took it up into southwestern Arkansas to see how it did on twisty rural roads. I couldn't make the car lean or otherwise misbehave at all, and the steering was perfect, especially if you goosed it a bit through the turn. "So fast it's scary" said my wife, as I took a "CAUTION 35MPH" turn at almost seventy. The car is so stable that we're both a little afraid we might push it just a bit too far one of these days. Ford built us a heck of a car here.
B
Birdman93
UPDATE EMAIL ADDRESS
Gotta love them Thunderbirds!
I finished the new motor for my baby-and it was in place by Sunday afternoon. We now have a local Chassis Dyno available-
305Hp at the rear wheel at 4400RPM
386ft-lbs Torque at 2100RPM
Will be putting on some Goodyear Eagles before Thunder-I have already shredded the one set of tires I have had on the car for the past year-I have to ease away from lights now-I can't just mash it like I used to. Will be interesting to see what the 03s do with 285HP.
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I finished the new motor for my baby-and it was in place by Sunday afternoon. We now have a local Chassis Dyno available-
305Hp at the rear wheel at 4400RPM
386ft-lbs Torque at 2100RPM
Will be putting on some Goodyear Eagles before Thunder-I have already shredded the one set of tires I have had on the car for the past year-I have to ease away from lights now-I can't just mash it like I used to. Will be interesting to see what the 03s do with 285HP.
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M
mikedmeyer
UPDATE EMAIL ADDRESS
I went to Vegas a couple weeks ago in my bird. Nice trip. I made very good time, but unfortunately got a ticket for 100 in a 70. I opened her up at one point trying to find the top speed, and it wouldn't let me go over about 127 mph or so (electronic governor, the engine obviously could have taken her faster). FYI.
J
jodrod
UPDATE EMAIL ADDRESS
Mike,
What RPM did it limit you at?
What RPM did it limit you at?
M
mikedmeyer
UPDATE EMAIL ADDRESS
I believe the tach was between 4000 and 4500 (far below redline). Like I said the engine could definitely have pushed her further. You can obviously feel when a governor kicks in because one second it's pulling hard and the next second you've got nothing.
J
jodrod
UPDATE EMAIL ADDRESS
That's interesting. I have never read about the top end being limited. When you read about the Bahn burners they usually state electronically limited to 155. I guess Ford is doing a cyoa.
L
LON O'CONNELL
UPDATE EMAIL ADDRESS
Thanksgiving day I took mine out on I-40 about 2:30 PM while most people were eating Thanksgiving dinner. Interstate 40 was deserted so I decided to open her up. RPM's were in the neighborhood of 5,700 - 6,000 and when the ECM shut down the ignition the speedometer was reading over 140 MPH & below 150 MPH, so my best guess was 147 - 148 MPH which is right where Ford had said top end was....148 MPH
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Yellow/Yellow Prem. 02 Bird w/full accent
1999 F150 Super Cab 4x4 Off Road
1998 Taurus SE Sport 24V
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Yellow/Yellow Prem. 02 Bird w/full accent
1999 F150 Super Cab 4x4 Off Road
1998 Taurus SE Sport 24V
E
Erict
UPDATE EMAIL ADDRESS
Woke up at 2am, could not sleep anymore...
Decided to go for a drive.
Found a long stretch of highway with no cops, and got it up to 125, ran out of road way before I ran out of power.
Came back home an hour later, slept like a baby till morning...
My parents once told me that when I was a baby they would take me out and drive around in my dad's Oldsmobile to get me to sleep.
Looks like the trick still works
There may be a TV add in this.
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Decided to go for a drive.
Found a long stretch of highway with no cops, and got it up to 125, ran out of road way before I ran out of power.
Came back home an hour later, slept like a baby till morning...
My parents once told me that when I was a baby they would take me out and drive around in my dad's Oldsmobile to get me to sleep.
Looks like the trick still works
There may be a TV add in this.
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T
txktom
UPDATE EMAIL ADDRESS
Road and Track (August 2001) has the Bird's top speed listed as 140, which they say is "electronically limited."
tbird
Forum Moderator
Staff member
- Last seen
- Joined
- Mar 15, 2001
- Thunderbird Year
- 2005
Common, I had a little Geo Storm GSI many years ago that would do 120 with a 4 Cyl DOHC.
hehe.Is this car electronically limited on speed?
J
jodrod
UPDATE EMAIL ADDRESS
txktom,
I have that issue and read the article, a mind is a terrible thing to loose, they say it is the first thing to go. I'll have to go back and re-read all the articles I have, who knows what else I have forgotten.
I have that issue and read the article, a mind is a terrible thing to loose, they say it is the first thing to go. I'll have to go back and re-read all the articles I have, who knows what else I have forgotten.
T
txktom
UPDATE EMAIL ADDRESS
jodrod,
The speed governor info in the R&T isn't easy to find--it's a footnote on the "stats" page (p.57). I don't know if they mention it in the article itself. I wish I knew more, like why is it limited to 140? Why not 160? Or 130 for that matter? Is it the tires, or general safety/liability concerns, or the engine, or what?
The speed governor info in the R&T isn't easy to find--it's a footnote on the "stats" page (p.57). I don't know if they mention it in the article itself. I wish I knew more, like why is it limited to 140? Why not 160? Or 130 for that matter? Is it the tires, or general safety/liability concerns, or the engine, or what?
W
Whitebird
UPDATE EMAIL ADDRESS
I can not say for sure on the T-BIRD, but I was looking up some information in the manual for my Mercedes last evening and it said the Michelin tires were rated to 130 and the car was electronically limited to 130 MPH.
J
jodrod
UPDATE EMAIL ADDRESS
txktom,
My guess is the tire is the limitation. The TBird has P235/50R17 95V tires. The 95V is the service description of the tire. The 95 is the load rating (1521 pounds) and the V is the speed rating (149mph). If the car is electronically limited to 140 mph that gives a 9 mph cushion on the speed rating. In today's litigation happy society it is probably a good thing to cover yourself.
For a good explination on all aspects of tires goto:
Tire Rack Tire Tech
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My guess is the tire is the limitation. The TBird has P235/50R17 95V tires. The 95V is the service description of the tire. The 95 is the load rating (1521 pounds) and the V is the speed rating (149mph). If the car is electronically limited to 140 mph that gives a 9 mph cushion on the speed rating. In today's litigation happy society it is probably a good thing to cover yourself.
For a good explination on all aspects of tires goto:
Tire Rack Tire Tech
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R
rt2esq
UPDATE EMAIL ADDRESS
Most of my friends and family are lawyers or judges. With the exception of Gary Whittaker, you'd have to be a freakin' brain dead loser to take someone's case who died or was severly injured while driving 120+ and claim the car or the tire were at fault.
Ford probably knows this awesome car will do 150+ and wants all of us to make it for the supercharged version in a few years.
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RT2ESQ
Triple Black #748
Ford probably knows this awesome car will do 150+ and wants all of us to make it for the supercharged version in a few years.
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RT2ESQ
Triple Black #748
J
jodrod
UPDATE EMAIL ADDRESS
I agree, but as you point out, there are people who would.
BTW, are you familiar with the Ayrton Senna story?
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BTW, are you familiar with the Ayrton Senna story?
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T
- Last seen
- Joined
- Nov 28, 2001
Jodrod:
Didn't people go to jail in Italy over the Senna crash? As I recall the accident investigation revealed that a weld on the steering column had broekn prior to the crash, and in Italy the welders were legally liable for a neglilence charge.
Tom M
Didn't people go to jail in Italy over the Senna crash? As I recall the accident investigation revealed that a weld on the steering column had broekn prior to the crash, and in Italy the welders were legally liable for a neglilence charge.
Tom M
J
jodrod
UPDATE EMAIL ADDRESS
I'm not sure about the welders but manslaughter charges were brought against Frank Williams(team owner), Patrick Head(technical manager), six other team officials and two officials of the Imola track. All were cleared of the charges.
The point being, here was a great F1 driver, fully cognizant of the pitfalls of driving a light weight, open wheel, open cockpit car at 190 mph plus, knowing full well that every time he jumped into the car he faced death and still charges were brought forward.
The point being, here was a great F1 driver, fully cognizant of the pitfalls of driving a light weight, open wheel, open cockpit car at 190 mph plus, knowing full well that every time he jumped into the car he faced death and still charges were brought forward.
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