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Robin Attack

Sorry if I left your contribution out, I lost some E-Mails.  If I left out some of your wit send me a copy of your E-Mail.  - Buford

 


Hey everyone, I need some ideas.  I've got a live uninjured Robin behind my  grill and it can't get out.

Paul Nimz
'97 TR


ehh..how did it get there, and what is it doing there?
 Ian


Well I was kind of driving at a normal rate of speed and the Robin flew into my path.  I thought it was history until I went out into the garage.

Paul Nimz

'97 TR


NOW THAT HAS TO GO ON THE FAQ!!!!!

Mike

Classic ROTFLMAO!!!!!


Kind of weird.  I had one on my grill a couple of months ago!  Only difference is this one was D.O.A.!  I had no idea how it got there, I just knew I wanted it gone!  I used a long flat head screwdriver and a long pair of thongs(?) of some sort from the kitchen.  I hated using it but it was the best thing for the job.  It took a little longer than I anticipated but I finally got it out; sometimes one feather at a time!  I can understand the question "how did it get in there" because it is a very small opening compared to the size of an average bird.  But with a 60-80 mph force, it can be understandable in my case, but in your case with a live bird........?  Good luck sparing his life without having to take a whole lot of stuff apart.

Brian Moore
'96 TR/S Combo
'95 MTX EG/M Combo


I would drop the horz valance under the nose to get the bird.

OR use a CO2 fire extinguisher. Just to slow 'em down and make it rigid.

or pump exhaust gas in and give it some CO.

Fact is if you don't get it out, live or dead it will stink like hell.

Tim


Why do you have thongs in your kitchen? I thought that was reserved for bedroom activities only....

:)
Ian


Doesn't this sound like the movie with David Spade and Chris Farley where a deer they put in the back seat all of sudden comes to like while their driving?  !!!!!!!!!!!!
               ..............Scumbag


This is probably the last solution, but you could keep him there as a pet and feed him. Def would be famous come convention time...

I really don't know what to say...he's in the grille behind the Ford logo or the lower valance under the bumper contour?

I am trying to think about how to get him out...

Ian


Can we get some pictures?

Brent B
96 Ebony Satin
Police Interceptor Club
Thrush Turbo Exhaust
K&N Cone


Now that I think about it, I knew it should have been tongs but I just didn't put too much thought into it, as you can see.  But there's no Sisqo thongs in my kitchen!!!


Why not use a shop-vac, of course put a pillow in it for a soft landing. Maybe reverse the pitch on your fan blades and blow him back out. I won't even mention the cat idea. As for the crow story, hard to beat that for bringing tears to the eyes.


John Hamilton
97 ES
K&N Panel Filter
Multi-port Airbox


ok now that I am done laughing...take the lower valance off, you know the dull black plastic on the bottom of the car.  Remove all 400 little 8mm bolts holding it on.  This should provide enough clearance to get out if the bird so desires.

Mike


ROTFLMAO!!!!!
Stop it Mike your killing meeee!!!

Scott
97 SHO Black 30k
Porterized Intake w/K&N Panel
UDP
Thrush Turbo mufflers
Firestone SZ50 EP 225/50/ZR16's


It's behind the emblem.  I'm going to either let it starve to death or remove the lower apron and chin spoiler. (which I will do)

Paul Nimz
'97 TR


This is the truth!!

A couple of my hillbilly co-workers hit a red fox on the way to work one day.  They picked it up thinking it was dead and threw it in the back seat.

Halfway to work the driver looks in the rear view mirror to see a mouth full of snarling teeth.

Needless to say a panic stop was in order with a emergency bailout from the car!

Paul Nimz
'97 TR


I just got a laugh outta that one!  I can totally picture that.. wonder if the Fox decided to make a home of its own back there? =)

Ryan S.
97 TR
Porterized w/ K&N panel
Dynomax Thrush Turbo Mufflers


Warm car up to 175 degrees.

Try a little tinfoil wrap, some spray-on Pam (summer herb works nice), a touch of basil and then salt-n-pepper to taste.

Drive car with ambient temperature above 60 degrees for 20 minutes. The tinfoil will sear in the juice after about twenty minutes of 80 highway travel.

Lightly unwrap and serve with small red potatoes, side salad and summer ice tea.

Serves one.

If you can't beat 'em...eat 'em.

Scott Waters
Member of Bird of the Month Club
(Aug 2000, @ 72mph)


Scott, have you too cooked on the motor of your car?  I have and it is fun.

Mike


Tastes like chicken? Mike?

Tim


Please let's not make a media spectacle of this!!!!
Paul Nimz
'97 TR


Scott, have you too cooked on the motor of your car?  I have and it is fun.

Mike


You did all this with a bird stuck in the grille? I wouldn't have been able to concentrate. Either that, or I would have started talking to him.

lol
Ian

Subject: TB insulator.

>I got 4 TB gaskets in from UPS today and took my TB off today to check into making a insulator spacer.
>
>The water jacket is only on the front side and it is half in the surge tank and half in the TB, going under the front of the TB.  As I'm not going to push water through there I should be able to make a spacer.

>BTW if you ever need to work on the heater hoses or water pump, take the TB off.  It's a 10 minute job and Ford used a metal gasket.  Everything is in the open with it off.

>I also cleaned the TB while I had it off.  You could see a build up where the plate closed.  This was causing some sticking and may have been my problem when trying to drive very slow > idle and < 10 mph.

>Paul Nimz
>'97 TR


Polly want a gasket?!  ROTFLMAO

I can't stop laughing at this.  One time I bought a 69 LeMans and had to tow it home.  You know the routine, dad was in his truck with a tow strap hooked to the frame of my new toy.  He was pulling me a long when I noticed a scratching sound.   Did I mention that this car had no battery in it?  We were going along and the scratching sound got louder and louder.  So I turn around to look.  In the back seat is one PO'd ground hog.  He was scurrying back and fourth and trying to find his way out.  I tried to honk, but I couldn't.  I tried to signal my dad, but I couldn't get his attention.  I tried to slow us down but the four wheel power drums weren't up to the task. I tried but...Anyway the ground hog gat a little madder and started to hiss at me and I knew I was in trouble.  Then as soon as it started it was over. He managed to get back under the rear seat cushion and exit the car through the hole in the floor that he entered.  This of course was followed by a rather gruesome THUD whummpa whummpa whummpa...He didn't make it.  It wasn't
until we got in the driveway that I was able to tell my dad what happened. To this day he ribs me about it.

Mike


#2,

Tastes like chicken? Mike?

Tim

ROTFLMAO


What?
Send a cat in after it.


Long thongs to. Do you wear them when it's cold out?


Hahahaha!  Sounds like that scene in "Tommy Boy" when the deer wakes up in the back of their car.  I still laugh hard every time I see that scene!

-Jason
98 TR


Would sound pretty neat if he started to sing!!!! Keep the car thieves at bay l bet!! May attract unwanted cats. It could be the fastest robin on record!!

Randy Machkovitz 97 SHO


This has to make it to the FAQ. How to get rid of a robin!!!
Adam Welling
96 TR SHO


Now I feel the need to share one of my stories.

About 3 years ago I was working a summer job for VDOT (Virginia DOT).  For a summer job, it was great...spent most of my time driving around the western part of Virginia in a bright orange Chevy 3/4 ton picking up and delivering asphalt samples.  I was headed back to the office one day, traveling south on I-81 at about 70 mph, and all of a sudden a huge black bird/crow flew in front of the truck.  It hit the windshield right in front of the steering wheel, and scared the $h1t out of me.  I thought for sure it was coming thru the glass.  Needless to say, I ducked and crotched down to avoid my head being taken off.  I popped my head back up, and looked in the mirror, and about 4 seconds later I saw a big black blob drop in the middle of the road. First thing I did when I got back to the office was go and wipe.

Troy
96 Medium Graphite


Don't let it starve.  That's a very long, painful way to die.  Personally, I would just start taking stuff apart until there was enough room for the little guy to get out...  If you must though, I suppose you could get in there with side cutters or something and get its neck...

Kenny


Yup.  Just take off every bolt, clip, and screw within six inches of the object in question, lump everything loosely with the object it came off of. If it doesn't go back together, it's not your fault.  It's the fault of the engineer who made the damn thing!  :)

Kenny
Undergrad in Mechanical Engineering at ISU, gonna design things with
do-it-yourselfers in mind!


Paul, I was curious to know what you did with your little friend. Did you buy him a cage or did you let him go? Did you happen to read the website. Everyone's e-mails made it on their. Too bad about keeping it on the list. Now anyone can read it.
Adam Welling
96 TR SHO
You didn't take Scott's cooking lessons did you?


Yah, I want to know the fate of the robin too.  If it already went past, I must have missed it.  Tell all, Paul...

pax
smn
'98, black
various mods, but no bird cages


I've been waiting on pictures and still am.  I took the lower panels and spoiler off in an attempt to free the bird.  Saw that it wouldn't work so I pull the PS cooler tube down so I could get to my ATX cooler that's hanging in front of the A/C condenser.  With this out of the way I figured the bird could get out and I shut the doors in the garage and went outside for awhile.

Came back in after about 30 minutes and the bird was still there.  Looking out the grill.  It was losing a lot of feathers fluttering around and was starting to crap all over everything.  Drastic action was needed, if the robin was not coming out I'll send in the cat.  I go in the house and get Whos'i't's?, my cat, and let her have about 30 minutes.  I put a stool in front of the grill so's Whos could get a good view and maybe get hungry.

Came back in and the bird was still there my cat was looking out the window. Well I never should have sent a cat in to do a man's job.  I found some leather gloves and crawling under the car I just grabbed the bird, pulled it out with the feathers flying.  I stupidly release the robin in the garage with the doors shut.  It would not leave I even tried chasing it out with a broom.  Put the car back to together and went in the house for the evening leaving the garage door open.

Next morning the bird is still there but I got to go to work.  Came home and the robin was looking out the window, not hardly moving.  I got a glove and picked it up without a struggle.  Put it outside and it walked away under some bushes.

Paul Nimz
'97 TR and birdless


Congrats, glad to hear you finally got the bird out without baking/starving him or screwing up your car. :)

--
Paul McGovern (@ work)


Congrats on getting the bird out Paul. Glad you didn't have to do anything drastic. How long did it take for you to put your car back together?
Adam Welling
96 TR SHO


About a half hour.  Two months ago I had torn down the same stuff to install my new lighted Ford emblem so I had practice.

Paul Nimz
'97 TR


ahhhhh...
That's sooo sweet
"sniff, sniff"

Juan


Are these pictures going on the website. That is some beast!!! Good pics of the car in pieces.
Adam Welling
96 TR SHO


Now that is truly amazing???  Now I know I lost track of the story...... but, how long were you chasing that bird before you actually caught it in the front bumper???

Chet


I would have kept there and bought bird seed for it, I think it looks cute in the Paul;) None of us would ever have that mod.

Shannon


The best way to have gotten the bird out, would have been to run the SHO up to 144, then jam the brakes.  This should have propelled the little guy flying out of the grill and on his way...and you could have had fun doing it.  :-)

Troy
96 Medium Graphite


Great photos and story Paul.  Sounds to me like something wrong with the bird though, since this is not a normal robin pattern.  Take a check under that bush to see if it is still there if you have a chance.  Very impressed with your efforts.

pax
smn

 


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