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
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