| Author | Message | ||
     Mr_grumpy |
Well folks here's the latest addition to my addiction.  It's a '02 Mercury Grand Marquis LS, Full service history, about 62000 miles on the clock, very clean inside & out. Who's got any info or tips? I'm thinking about intake & exhaust upgrades, also maybe going to "17 wheels, & keeping the scabby alloys for winter. I've joined Crownvic.net but I value your opinions as family above those who I don't yet know. | ||
| Pwnzor |
Oh... my... God... We have one just like it. It's a 2000 with about 80k on the clock. The stock hubcaps had this weird metal locking bracket, and when my daughter scrubbed it against the curb it broke, leaving her with one missing... and a dangling piece of rattling metal bobbling around. The hubcaps you see are from a late model Toyota Camry. I got them on Amazon for $26.50 with free shipping. This car runs great, cost me just under $1000 to get the "check engine" light turned off. Had the rear end, transmission and engine oils changed out, pressure tested the cooling system, brakes... another $500. So we're $1826.50 into this car. Yes, she paid $300 for it. A fine addition to our growing fleet of Fords.  (Message edited by pwnzor on May 26, 2015) | ||
| Uncle |
I'm a panther fan too. I've had a '90 Marquis, a '91 Crown Vic police package, and I picked up a 2007 Park Lane edition Grand marquis last year. The 2007 is loaded and handles a lot better than I expected. (it has the air bag suspension) I've got my eye on a 2003 with 18,000 miles that belonged to my elderly neighbors. They recently past away and their son is currently dealing with their estate. I think they are good cars in general. Not significantly better or worse than most others. I like them because they're roomy, v8 powered, and rear wheel drive. As for modifications....mine were pretty much stock, but I know that with the right body mods and wheels they can look really sharp. As for making them faster.....I think you have to throw a lot of money at them to see any major improvements. Just my 2 cents.... | ||
| Dwardo |
I bought a 2007 LS last year to replace the 2012 Focus that I hated. I just decided gas mileage isn't all that important and I'd rather have a big, comfortable RWD car. In the long run it will be just as cheap to run if not cheaper. I like the car just fine, although it has two design faults that are hard to remedy. 1) the gas is way too close to the brake - they had room to move it closer to the hump but mine has the adjustable pedals so that's probably why, and 2) no storage other than the door panels, which don't hold much. A console would be a vast improvement over the bench seat. It handles well, the gas mileage is very good (21-24 in my driving and I don't baby it), and it stops well. I put Blizzak snow tires on the back last winter and was amazed at how well it got around considering it is very light in the back. Just a good solid all-around car. I would like to add dual exhausts but like Uncle said, I think making any significant improvement to performance would be costly. That 4.6 modular motor just doesn't have the torque to move a car that heavy with real authority. My '94 LT1 Roadmaster wagon probably weighs 500 pounds more and will flat run away from it. I LOVE that car. If the B-body GM cars weren't all 20 years old with a sketchy parts situation I would have bought another one of those for my daily driver in a heartbeat but it's impractical for as far as I have to commute so the only choice left in a similar platform was the Panther. I don't regret it at all. | ||
| Mr_grumpy |
I absolutely love it so far, it's so comfortable & rides so nicely, & the trunk is cavernous, swallows all my work gear with ease. Mileage is pretty good for such a big tank too. I'm not looking to make it a hot-rod but I'd like to let it breathe better & get a little more power/efficiency, so maybe a better air intake and a less restrictive exhaust system. Also not looking for ultimate handling but I was thinking of going to "17 wheels to reduce sidewall flex. The original alloys are looking rather tired so I'll probably put the studded snow tyres I got with the car on for the winter & then a set of rims & boots for the spring. Some better shocks too, but it'll all get done as & when things need replacing. I'm told a lot of Mustang parts just bolt on so no shortage of stuff to look at. First job though will be brakes, it's got a warped disc, which is a not uncommon problem I'm told. Lots of options too, just have to work out what's best & most cost effective. | ||
| Dwardo |
Personally, I wouldn't change the wheels. It will make it ride harder and the stock 16-inch tires are cheap to buy, which is a plus. If you want it to handle better, put on a rear sway bar. Chances are yours doesn't have one. You can also put on a police car front bar. I put a Caprice police car sway bar on the wagon and it made a big difference. | ||
| S2t_bama |
If you go into the motor at all, replace the stock plastic intake manifold. I didn't on my '97, and it hydrolocked when it sprung a coolant leak, unbeknownst to me. I now know what a broken rod in a V8 sounds like. Sort of like a monkey with a hammer trying to get out of a barrel! Enjoy, they are great cars! | ||
| Mr_grumpy |
Hmmm, good thoughts on the sway bars & I admit I hadn't considered the tyre costs but you're right. | ||
| No_rice |
Jenn had an 96 grand marquis for a handful of years. very reliable, and cushy. had a 91 caprice at the same time. couple of land yachts! bought the marquis for $800 drove the wheels off it for years. it got backed into and bumped into 3 times while she had it. everytime it was very minor damage, paint scuffs, cracked grill etc... got over $1000 out of it just from people having to pay for damage they caused. never bothered fixing the scuffs or cracks. finally put it up for sale to replace it with a saturn so she could get some better mileage after she started commuting 60 miles a day to work and back(the saturn at 40mpg vs the marquis at 21...) had over 190,000 miles on it when i sold it for her and still got 1800 out of it! that almost paid for the 80,000 mile saturn we replaced it with that she is still driving! | ||
| Mr_grumpy |
Yesterday ordered a stereo for the land-yacht from Amazon, a cheapo Pyle unit, supposed to slot right in & look basic factory when it's not on. No cd player (who uses them anymore?) AM/FM tuner, USB, micro SD slot & 3.5 jack input on fascia plus full bluetooth link. It's a double din unit but only 4.5" deep so shouldn't have any clearance issues. I'll let you know how it goes. Funny, I can remember when just having a radio in the car was fancy. Since then we've been through 8-Track, cassette, CD, CD mp3, satellite radio. Now I can stream from the internet through my phone or play every piece of cd, vinyl & tape I possess off a card the size of my thumbnail. Some days I feel old. | ||
| Gentleman_jon |
REAL PANTHER  Jes' sayin' | ||
| Mr_grumpy |
Friend of mine had one of those Jon, even had a wee pedal for neutral select. Was a bugger to start though, Little Mick was maybe 120lbs wet through, and we lost count of the number of times it sent him sailing back over the bars as we sat there laughing on our Jap strokers. | ||
| Gentleman_jon |
This will make you feel young again Grumpy, that's for sure!  A very nice Panther hooked up to a Busmar Astral side car. Deluxe family travel c.1960 No damn eight track in this outfit: it made it's own music. Kindly note rear view mirror on the side hack .  | ||
| Mr_grumpy |
That's pretty much what those old slopers were built for. Real sluggers, we used to say they fired every lamp-post. An un-missable sound, those old long-stroke motors just like an old tractor. Once they were wound up they just kept going, mostly on momentum, they were bloody heavy. I do remember seeing those enormous sidecars when I was young, but they were dying out even then. | ||
| Mr_grumpy |
Well I ordered from Amazon a Pyle PLRDD19UB, It was cheap & arrived promptly. Had to enlarge the aperture slightly by trimming internal lips top & bottom. Wiring it was "interesting" no standard loom adapter available. So I resourcefully found one of those multi purpose loom adapters so I could work out the colours, then I just tapped into the car radio loom with scotchlock connectors. The upshot is that I now have a up to date stereo that links automatically to my phone for hands free calls, the sound is pretty good (well to my cloth-ears) & it looks pretty much like the original clunky late 90s style so nobody's likely to break in for it. Result! |
