Panther Frame question

[dsdrewyor]

I have a 1979 LTD 4Door that I put a 460 and C6 trans in a couple of years ago. The frame is shot as I am in Michigan and the salt finally took its toll on the old gal. I am looking at a 2Dr (late 80's model Crown Vic) to put the drivetrain in and was wondering what the differences in the frames would be? My current set up uses the original frame mounts and drops right in with a bit of shoehorning and the trans is similar to the AOD mounts. I am not worried about the peripherial stuff, but I really don't want to make another set of motor and trans mounts. Any help on this would be appreciated. Thanks in advance

Dave

By the way, I've been hanging around for a long time and was able to do the swap from info I found here. Just finally got around to registering. Great site

[johnunit]

I'll tell you, but first I need pics, and VIDEO!


Seriously though, that's an interesting ride. I'm sure people would love to see more




Believe it or not, there is no difference. You could swap the two frames back and forth all day long. I see no reason any of your custom mounts won't work on ANY 79-91 Crown Vic or Grand Marquis. They would probably also work on lincolns and maybe "aero" era cars as well. These cars are a testament to parts sharing and badge engineering.


That said, I think it's worth pointing out that unless you have rot in some unusual places it's probably less welding to repair the frame. The incredibly common stuff on the inside behind the front wheels is repaired in car with a few plates all the time. I'd bet Lincolnmania/scottmang alone has done dozens.

[zoomie]

we have a few BBf s in panthers here including a stroked 557 in one look around.if you already have custom mounts , you should just fine

[dsdrewyor]

Guys, thanks for the quick replies. I have repaired the frames of a couple vehicles, but this is just a mess - the torque boxes are really bad and there are some stress cracks from the frame being torqued pretty good by the 460. I know from the car sitting outside on the grass for many years caused the rust to accelerate and the inside of the frame is really bad. Plus the front suspension needs a complete rebuild and the fenders are shot. I guess I want a clean slate to put the drive line in and drive it vs. years of work. She was a great car and I will see if I have any pictures of her in her heyday. Right now all it is is a shell and no front clip. Once I get the new ride, I will document the build and post. I think the guy who originally sent me pictures of his 460 swap was "1fastcat". I will check my old emails. Thanks again

dave