Upgrade/Restoration of my '04 Thunderbird

[Aznav]

I got my ’04 Tbird last October. It was a gift from a longtime (rich) friend. I was blown away. He knows that I have always wanted a sports car but it was way out of my income level as well as my chosen profession. Also, this gave me permission from my wife to finally have my midlife crisis. It only had 20K miles on it. However, it sat in a leaky garage for ten long years and there was quite a bit of cosmetic work on it before it really looked good - A LOT of cosmetic work. The previous owner got arthritis in his knees. It sat in my garage for a month as I kept working on the California title to transfer to Virginia (long story…). It’s the finest car I have ever owned.

I did have some money set aside for my bucket list/pipe dream sports car and, yes, somewhat verbose, but here is what I did.

1. As per Tbird’s thread, I added a cold air intake. I was surprised how easy it was, though I had to do a little creative work on the intake hose (ends did not match).
2. I chipped it. I have heard both sides of that debate but what the hey, why not? Again, it was VERY easy to do and I did not touch the custom tune. That would have been death.
3. The muffler - I have the good fortune to have a very honest and knowledgeable local muffler shop owner. He suggested I try straight pipes first ($200 dollars cheaper!). If too loud, go to Flowmasters. All I can say is this: They sound bad, bad, BAD. Yet, if you go easy on the pedal it’s pretty tame…sort of. Punch the gas and stand back! Straight pipes are legal in Virginia. Once you get to a cruising speed, the loudness goes away…for the most part. But, man, does it turn heads. I’ve only wanted that for, what, five decades?
4. Some will shake their head and I understand. I put a kill switch on it. My work occasionally is in a large city and there are professional car thieves that have tricks up their sleeves to override chipped ignition keys. Don’t know if it’s true but since time is their biggest threat, my hope is they don’t have the time to run down where the switch is. That should have been easy but not when the battery is in the trunk. (Think fishline)
5. New radio with backup camera. So far, I have not had to top off except for cosmetic work. Backing up with it on is not a picnic. It is now. Plus, I love having Apple Play, Bluetooth, etc, all on a screen touch. Incidentally, once you hit cruising speed, the music is great!
6. Along with that, I am going to switch out the speakers. I am a snotty audiophile and those old dry speakers are tinny. For all the money into the radio I believe they deserve quality speakers and if you look around, you don’t have to spend a fortune on them.
7. Tires - Even though the tires looked great. They had dry rot. I cannot believe I drove that cross country. When I got to Virginia, two tires blew out at the same week! Costco had a good sale on Michelin’s and as you already know, the Retro Birds require wide tires. Not cheap, but oh, so, nice for handling.
8. Hella Horns - I honestly never used the horns all the way from CA. Sometime in December a person tried to race across four lanes of traffic. I never saw him. He had already passed me when I slammed on my brakes. I laid on the horn. Now, spare me the grief, please. The horn sounded like this, "Toot-toot-toot! Whoopsie. That was close, sir. Please be mindful when you cross traffic." D@mn! Are you kidding me? So I got a set of Hella Horns. You don't have to run the wires to the battery in the trunk. The fuse box in the front has an open slot for power and for ground. However, it's a bear putting them in front of the radiator!
9. II ordered a hoist kit on eBay to raise my top in the spring/summer months. It was quite simple to install. YouTube has homemade ones but when I saw the threading of the block and tackle hoist, I went with the kid.
10. I almost forgot to mention that the car is a beast. VERY fast. It’s close to 300 HP. No, I’m not stupid, insane with it but, oh, what fun when merging on the interstate!

Here is a url for the work done on it. I’m somewhat techno-impaired and am hoping it is a smooth link. I tried to show before and after pics of work done.

Check out the photos in my media gallery-

Upgrade/Restoration of my '04 Thunderbird

forums.fordthunderbirdforum.com

This page contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated. As an eBay Partner, and Amazon Associate I may be compensated if you make a purchase at no cost to you.

 

[Georgia Cat]

I got my ’04 Tbird last October. It was a gift from a longtime (rich) friend. I was blown away. He knows that I have always wanted a sports car but it was way out of my income level as well as my chosen profession. Also, this gave me permission from my wife to finally have my midlife crisis. It only had 20K miles on it. However, it sat in a leaky garage for ten long years and there was quite a bit of cosmetic work on it before it really looked good - A LOT of cosmetic work. The previous owner got arthritis in his knees. It sat in my garage for a month as I kept working on the California title to transfer to Virginia (long story…). It’s the finest car I have ever owned.

I did have some money set aside for my bucket list/pipe dream sports car and, yes, somewhat verbose, but here is what I did.

1. As per Tbird’s thread, I added a cold air intake. I was surprised how easy it was, though I had to do a little creative work on the intake hose (ends did not match).
2. I chipped it. I have heard both sides of that debate but what the hey, why not? Again, it was VERY easy to do and I did not touch the custom tune. That would have been death.
3. The muffler - I have the good fortune to have a very honest and knowledgeable local muffler shop owner. He suggested I try straight pipes first ($200 dollars cheaper!). If too loud, go to Flowmasters. All I can say is this: They sound bad, bad, BAD. Yet, if you go easy on the pedal it’s pretty tame…sort of. Punch the gas and stand back! Straight pipes are legal in Virginia. Once you get to a cruising speed, the loudness goes away…for the most part. But, man, does it turn heads. I’ve only wanted that for, what, five decades?
4. Some will shake their head and I understand. I put a kill switch on it. My work occasionally is in a large city and there are professional car thieves that have tricks up their sleeves to override chipped ignition keys. Don’t know if it’s true but since time is their biggest threat, my hope is they don’t have the time to run down where the switch is. That should have been easy but not when the battery is in the trunk. (Think fishline)
5. New radio with backup camera. So far, I have not had to top off except for cosmetic work. Backing up with it on is not a picnic. It is now. Plus, I love having Apple Play, Bluetooth, etc, all on a screen touch. Incidentally, once you hit cruising speed, the music is great!
6. Along with that, I am going to switch out the speakers. I am a snotty audiophile and those old dry speakers are tinny. For all the money into the radio I believe they deserve quality speakers and if you look around, you don’t have to spend a fortune on them.
7. Tires - Even though the tires looked great. They had dry rot. I cannot believe I drove that cross country. When I got to Virginia, two tires blew out at the same week! Costco had a good sale on Michelin’s and as you already know, the Retro Birds require wide tires. Not cheap, but oh, so, nice for handling.
8. Hella Horns - I honestly never used the horns all the way from CA. Sometime in December a person tried to race across four lanes of traffic. I never saw him. He had already passed me when I slammed on my brakes. I laid on the horn. Now, spare me the grief, please. The horn sounded like this, "Toot-toot-toot! Whoopsie. That was close, sir. Please be mindful when you cross traffic." D@mn! Are you kidding me? So I got a set of Hella Horns. You don't have to run the wires to the battery in the trunk. The fuse box in the front has an open slot for power and for ground. However, it's a bear putting them in front of the radiator!
9. II ordered a hoist kit on eBay to raise my top in the spring/summer months. It was quite simple to install. YouTube has homemade ones but when I saw the threading of the block and tackle hoist, I went with the kid.
10. I almost forgot to mention that the car is a beast. VERY fast. It’s close to 300 HP. No, I’m not stupid, insane with it but, oh, what fun when merging on the interstate!

Here is a url for the work done on it. I’m somewhat techno-impaired and am hoping it is a smooth link. I tried to show before and after pics of work done.

https://www.Attach Photos to Post or Upload Photos to Media Gallery/gp/40464609@N03/DL6JaY

I admire your diligence and detail in reporting all that you have done with your bird. Happy motoring and good luck, thanks for sharing.

 

[NicholasK]

I got my ’04 Tbird last October. It was a gift from a longtime (rich) friend. I was blown away. He knows that I have always wanted a sports car but it was way out of my income level as well as my chosen profession. Also, this gave me permission from my wife to finally have my midlife crisis. It only had 20K miles on it. However, it sat in a leaky garage for ten long years and there was quite a bit of cosmetic work on it before it really looked good - A LOT of cosmetic work. The previous owner got arthritis in his knees. It sat in my garage for a month as I kept working on the California title to transfer to Virginia (long story…). It’s the finest car I have ever owned.

I did have some money set aside for my bucket list/pipe dream sports car and, yes, somewhat verbose, but here is what I did.

1. As per Tbird’s thread, I added a cold air intake. I was surprised how easy it was, though I had to do a little creative work on the intake hose (ends did not match).
2. I chipped it. I have heard both sides of that debate but what the hey, why not? Again, it was VERY easy to do and I did not touch the custom tune. That would have been death.
3. The muffler - I have the good fortune to have a very honest and knowledgeable local muffler shop owner. He suggested I try straight pipes first ($200 dollars cheaper!). If too loud, go to Flowmasters. All I can say is this: They sound bad, bad, BAD. Yet, if you go easy on the pedal it’s pretty tame…sort of. Punch the gas and stand back! Straight pipes are legal in Virginia. Once you get to a cruising speed, the loudness goes away…for the most part. But, man, does it turn heads. I’ve only wanted that for, what, five decades?
4. Some will shake their head and I understand. I put a kill switch on it. My work occasionally is in a large city and there are professional car thieves that have tricks up their sleeves to override chipped ignition keys. Don’t know if it’s true but since time is their biggest threat, my hope is they don’t have the time to run down where the switch is. That should have been easy but not when the battery is in the trunk. (Think fishline)
5. New radio with backup camera. So far, I have not had to top off except for cosmetic work. Backing up with it on is not a picnic. It is now. Plus, I love having Apple Play, Bluetooth, etc, all on a screen touch. Incidentally, once you hit cruising speed, the music is great!
6. Along with that, I am going to switch out the speakers. I am a snotty audiophile and those old dry speakers are tinny. For all the money into the radio I believe they deserve quality speakers and if you look around, you don’t have to spend a fortune on them.
7. Tires - Even though the tires looked great. They had dry rot. I cannot believe I drove that cross country. When I got to Virginia, two tires blew out at the same week! Costco had a good sale on Michelin’s and as you already know, the Retro Birds require wide tires. Not cheap, but oh, so, nice for handling.
8. Hella Horns - I honestly never used the horns all the way from CA. Sometime in December a person tried to race across four lanes of traffic. I never saw him. He had already passed me when I slammed on my brakes. I laid on the horn. Now, spare me the grief, please. The horn sounded like this, "Toot-toot-toot! Whoopsie. That was close, sir. Please be mindful when you cross traffic." D@mn! Are you kidding me? So I got a set of Hella Horns. You don't have to run the wires to the battery in the trunk. The fuse box in the front has an open slot for power and for ground. However, it's a bear putting them in front of the radiator!
9. II ordered a hoist kit on eBay to raise my top in the spring/summer months. It was quite simple to install. YouTube has homemade ones but when I saw the threading of the block and tackle hoist, I went with the kid.
10. I almost forgot to mention that the car is a beast. VERY fast. It’s close to 300 HP. No, I’m not stupid, insane with it but, oh, what fun when merging on the interstate!

Here is a url for the work done on it. I’m somewhat techno-impaired and am hoping it is a smooth link. I tried to show before and after pics of work done.

https://www.Attach Photos to Post or Upload Photos to Media Gallery/gp/40464609@N03/DL6JaY

My gosh, what a beauty. I love the color. Whatever cosmetics you did, it looks like you should get an attaboy!

 

[biddle]

@Aznav- Please attach photos related to your post to the thread. Please upload your project/car photos here- https://forums.fordthunderbirdforum.com/thunderbird-photos/albums/

 

[Binky]

I got my ’04 Tbird last October. It was a gift from a longtime (rich) friend. I was blown away. He knows that I have always wanted a sports car but it was way out of my income level as well as my chosen profession. Also, this gave me permission from my wife to finally have my midlife crisis. It only had 20K miles on it. However, it sat in a leaky garage for ten long years and there was quite a bit of cosmetic work on it before it really looked good - A LOT of cosmetic work. The previous owner got arthritis in his knees. It sat in my garage for a month as I kept working on the California title to transfer to Virginia (long story…). It’s the finest car I have ever owned.

I did have some money set aside for my bucket list/pipe dream sports car and, yes, somewhat verbose, but here is what I did.

1. As per Tbird’s thread, I added a cold air intake. I was surprised how easy it was, though I had to do a little creative work on the intake hose (ends did not match).
2. I chipped it. I have heard both sides of that debate but what the hey, why not? Again, it was VERY easy to do and I did not touch the custom tune. That would have been death.
3. The muffler - I have the good fortune to have a very honest and knowledgeable local muffler shop owner. He suggested I try straight pipes first ($200 dollars cheaper!). If too loud, go to Flowmasters. All I can say is this: They sound bad, bad, BAD. Yet, if you go easy on the pedal it’s pretty tame…sort of. Punch the gas and stand back! Straight pipes are legal in Virginia. Once you get to a cruising speed, the loudness goes away…for the most part. But, man, does it turn heads. I’ve only wanted that for, what, five decades?
4. Some will shake their head and I understand. I put a kill switch on it. My work occasionally is in a large city and there are professional car thieves that have tricks up their sleeves to override chipped ignition keys. Don’t know if it’s true but since time is their biggest threat, my hope is they don’t have the time to run down where the switch is. That should have been easy but not when the battery is in the trunk. (Think fishline)
5. New radio with backup camera. So far, I have not had to top off except for cosmetic work. Backing up with it on is not a picnic. It is now. Plus, I love having Apple Play, Bluetooth, etc, all on a screen touch. Incidentally, once you hit cruising speed, the music is great!
6. Along with that, I am going to switch out the speakers. I am a snotty audiophile and those old dry speakers are tinny. For all the money into the radio I believe they deserve quality speakers and if you look around, you don’t have to spend a fortune on them.
7. Tires - Even though the tires looked great. They had dry rot. I cannot believe I drove that cross country. When I got to Virginia, two tires blew out at the same week! Costco had a good sale on Michelin’s and as you already know, the Retro Birds require wide tires. Not cheap, but oh, so, nice for handling.
8. Hella Horns - I honestly never used the horns all the way from CA. Sometime in December a person tried to race across four lanes of traffic. I never saw him. He had already passed me when I slammed on my brakes. I laid on the horn. Now, spare me the grief, please. The horn sounded like this, "Toot-toot-toot! Whoopsie. That was close, sir. Please be mindful when you cross traffic." D@mn! Are you kidding me? So I got a set of Hella Horns. You don't have to run the wires to the battery in the trunk. The fuse box in the front has an open slot for power and for ground. However, it's a bear putting them in front of the radiator!
9. II ordered a hoist kit on eBay to raise my top in the spring/summer months. It was quite simple to install. YouTube has homemade ones but when I saw the threading of the block and tackle hoist, I went with the kid.
10. I almost forgot to mention that the car is a beast. VERY fast. It’s close to 300 HP. No, I’m not stupid, insane with it but, oh, what fun when merging on the interstate!

Here is a url for the work done on it. I’m somewhat techno-impaired and am hoping it is a smooth link. I tried to show before and after pics of work done.

Congratulations...that is so neat

 

[Aznav]

@Aznav- Please attach photos related to your post to the thread. Please upload your project/car photos here- https://forums.fordthunderbirdforum.com/thunderbird-photos/albums/

Am I allowed 22 images? I would be glad to do that.

 

[biddle]

Am I allowed 22 images? I would be glad to do that.

You don't need to upload 22 images to your forum posts. Post what is relevant to your forum post, i.e. your CAI upgrade and put everything else in the media gallery.

 

[Aznav]

I think I will pass on this. Thank you

 

[Aznav]

I think I finally figured this out. Moderator, would you please put this in the original post.

Media added by Aznav

forums.fordthunderbirdforum.com

 

[Tuckers Baby]

I got my ’04 Tbird last October. It was a gift from a longtime (rich) friend. I was blown away. He knows that I have always wanted a sports car but it was way out of my income level as well as my chosen profession. Also, this gave me permission from my wife to finally have my midlife crisis. It only had 20K miles on it. However, it sat in a leaky garage for ten long years and there was quite a bit of cosmetic work on it before it really looked good - A LOT of cosmetic work. The previous owner got arthritis in his knees. It sat in my garage for a month as I kept working on the California title to transfer to Virginia (long story…). It’s the finest car I have ever owned.

I did have some money set aside for my bucket list/pipe dream sports car and, yes, somewhat verbose, but here is what I did.

1. As per Tbird’s thread, I added a cold air intake. I was surprised how easy it was, though I had to do a little creative work on the intake hose (ends did not match).
2. I chipped it. I have heard both sides of that debate but what the hey, why not? Again, it was VERY easy to do and I did not touch the custom tune. That would have been death.
3. The muffler - I have the good fortune to have a very honest and knowledgeable local muffler shop owner. He suggested I try straight pipes first ($200 dollars cheaper!). If too loud, go to Flowmasters. All I can say is this: They sound bad, bad, BAD. Yet, if you go easy on the pedal it’s pretty tame…sort of. Punch the gas and stand back! Straight pipes are legal in Virginia. Once you get to a cruising speed, the loudness goes away…for the most part. But, man, does it turn heads. I’ve only wanted that for, what, five decades?
4. Some will shake their head and I understand. I put a kill switch on it. My work occasionally is in a large city and there are professional car thieves that have tricks up their sleeves to override chipped ignition keys. Don’t know if it’s true but since time is their biggest threat, my hope is they don’t have the time to run down where the switch is. That should have been easy but not when the battery is in the trunk. (Think fishline)
5. New radio with backup camera. So far, I have not had to top off except for cosmetic work. Backing up with it on is not a picnic. It is now. Plus, I love having Apple Play, Bluetooth, etc, all on a screen touch. Incidentally, once you hit cruising speed, the music is great!
6. Along with that, I am going to switch out the speakers. I am a snotty audiophile and those old dry speakers are tinny. For all the money into the radio I believe they deserve quality speakers and if you look around, you don’t have to spend a fortune on them.
7. Tires - Even though the tires looked great. They had dry rot. I cannot believe I drove that cross country. When I got to Virginia, two tires blew out at the same week! Costco had a good sale on Michelin’s and as you already know, the Retro Birds require wide tires. Not cheap, but oh, so, nice for handling.
8. Hella Horns - I honestly never used the horns all the way from CA. Sometime in December a person tried to race across four lanes of traffic. I never saw him. He had already passed me when I slammed on my brakes. I laid on the horn. Now, spare me the grief, please. The horn sounded like this, "Toot-toot-toot! Whoopsie. That was close, sir. Please be mindful when you cross traffic." D@mn! Are you kidding me? So I got a set of Hella Horns. You don't have to run the wires to the battery in the trunk. The fuse box in the front has an open slot for power and for ground. However, it's a bear putting them in front of the radiator!
9. II ordered a hoist kit on eBay to raise my top in the spring/summer months. It was quite simple to install. YouTube has homemade ones but when I saw the threading of the block and tackle hoist, I went with the kid.
10. I almost forgot to mention that the car is a beast. VERY fast. It’s close to 300 HP. No, I’m not stupid, insane with it but, oh, what fun when merging on the interstate!

Here is a url for the work done on it. I’m somewhat techno-impaired and am hoping it is a smooth link. I tried to show before and after pics of work done.

Sounds awesome dude. As the resident baby of this forum I wish I had that kind of cash sitting around but for the meantime I’m taking my upgrades in strides. If you can swing it though, do yourself a favor and pick up an SCT x4 tuner (model 7015 I believe?).

 

[Aznav]

Actually, did that! Yeah, you just gotta wait fifty long years and have a rich friend and then you can do it too...

 

[LuckyT]

Nice work!