I used to have a 'Reader's Ride' thread for my car, but I had it deleted after I eliminated all of the picture attachments that were in it ( I was getting dangerously close to the quota). What good is a thread about 'The Red Box' without any pictures? This is the new, but not necessarily improved thread.
Background about 'The Red Box':
'The Red Box' is a pet name assigned to my bright red 1990 Ford Crown Victoria by some friends of mine. The name is rather fitting, given the color and the shape, as you will probably agree.
'The Red Box' is a 'G' code P72, meaning it has the less common (but not necessarily better) 351W, originally equipped with the 2 bbl Variable Venturi carburetor (VV7200). It is basically a standard Panther aside from the engine and some different suspension bits and such. Mine has a 2.73:1 open rear differential, which does not result in whiplash acceleration.
This car was originally bought by the city of Hartford, CT, and it is my belief that it served as a detective's car for the majority of it's career. The dents in the roof, and provisions for wiring lead me to believe that it did have a light bar for at least part of it's career though. But, the fact that it is carpeted, and the fact that the original color was dark blue hint that it was not a regular patrol car. Hartford has long had white city cruisers, and most patrol cars are equipped with a rubber mat. I consider this a special P72 because it is carpeted, unlike most police package vehicles.
The car was owned by the City of Hartford until the late 90's when a friend of my dad's bought it at auction for a small price. The car was stored inside until 2001, when we took ownership of it. The car was free and we only wanted it for the hood, which appeared to be mint; not a common thing for a then 11 year-old police car. At the time my brother and I were sharing an '88 P72 which suffered from a severely mangled hood, and we wanted a good hood for it before we had it painted. We never ended up using the hood, and the car sat outside for a year at my dad's shop. It was destined for the junkyard, but my Dad wanted to at least see if it ran; a used alternator and radiator gave us our answer. Upon the initial test drive, it was quite clear that this car was in far better shape than the '88 we had at the time. It shifted smooth, it was quiet inside, and everything was generally in better condition.
So, we decided to paint it and make use of the car. In the summer of 2002, the work began. Unfortunately, the car was in rough shape body-wise. There was no rust, but the DS rear lower quarter panel was mangled, the driver's door was hurt, and the PS rear quarter panel was buckled a little, and the car was littered with little dings, like most use patrol cars. The icing on the cake was the lovely peeling clear coat. So we made a project of it, and worked on it when we could. I was my first attempt at bodywork, and some of the work done came out good, but there are some areas that did not. I needed to spend more time going over the body, and block sanding it, but we really just wanted to get the car done.
It was painted with out-of-date PPG Durethane, which caused issues for the finish. Small pinholes are found all over the car, if you look closely. But it looks okay from a distance, and the paint was free so I guess it is ok in that respect. Just to clarify, the red was not my choice; I would have preferred white, dark blue, or silver. If I had known this was going to be my car at the time, I'd have spent alot more time on the body, and I'd have bought paint of a different color.
It took some time to get the car regsitered, but I started daily driving 'The Red Box' in the spring of 2006. I commute to and from school everyday, and this car has been very good to me from a financial standpoint, and from a reliability standpoint. It left me high and dry a few times (all from the same problem; like 5 times in two weeks), but that was my fault. I have spent some time tinkering with the car, and although sometimes I am not pleased with the results, this is mainly due to my own idiocy.
Some Tidbits About 'The Red Box':
-I average about 16-17 MPG on the highway, with the 4 bbl conversion. My best recorded mileage ever was 17.7 with the VV, but I have never done an exact calculation with the 4bbl.
-I currently have approximately 135,000 miles on the car. It had 99,000 when I got it. The odometer and trip odometer do not work; I use an hour meter to judge oil changes and such, and I think it is really a better indication.
-Despite all of the modifications done, the car still has every piece of emissions equipment, and is functional to my knowledge.
-The farthest I have driven the car was to the Carlisle All-Ford Nationals in 2006. Thats (only) a 300 mile ride.
-The Red Box is my second DD P72; my first was an '88. All told we have had (8) P72 patrol cars, and (1) P72 fleet car in various states of repair.
Some Modifications Done:
-Painted bright red with PPG Durethane.
-4 bbl conversion using an Edelbrock 3783 EGR intake, 8053 EGR plate, 1406 carburetor, and Lokar SS throttle cable.
-Cat back 2.5" custom exhaust with Flowmaster 40 series mufflers.
-Cat forward consisting of BBK 15110 coated 351W swap headers, Catco 2.5" 'high flow' converters, and custom front pipes. The air tubes are functional on my cats.
-I have taken the interior out and cleaned it probably 5 times, and have added seats from a 2004 P71. They were bolt in (for post '90 cars), and the DS is power. The seats are charcoal, and at the time I added them I added dark grey floor mats, and coated all of the wood grain in the car in a metallic dark grey finish.
-Added a 2004 P71 dome light (far brighter!).
-Removed the spotlight, and then added it again.
-H4 conversion for the headlights, with a relayed harness.
-Painted the stock 15 x 6.5" police wheels gloss black with cheap acrylic enamel, and mounted new Michelin X Radial LT's. I also bought NOS large polished centercaps for the wheels.
-Added AR Ansen Sprint aluminum slot mags (staggered), and then sold them, and went back to the police wheels.
-Changed the front shocks to AFCO 10XX, added wagon straight rate rear coils, and F150 shocks.
-Removed the wagon straight rate springs, and added stock sedan coils (soon to be changed again).
-Spent some time dabbling under the car, making sure it is clean and sterile. It gets powerwashed under there every spring.
-I added AutoMeter Sport Comp tach, oil pressure, water temp, vacuum, and voltmeter gauges, with green lighting.
I can't really think of any other standout things right now.
Repairs and Such:
-Routine oil changes, trans fluid changes, lubes, etc, which don't count.
-Did the rear brakes, new everything except drums.
-Replaced front brake pads (the rotors are warped and need to be done)
-One broken brake line on DS under the front door.
-Replaced front sway bar bushings and end links with TRW stuff.
-Replaced all of the rubber fuel line on the car (about 6 feet total) because it swelled a little from ethanol (my own doing).
-Dropped the fuel tank and removed the 'sock' filter on the end (again, my own doing).
-Water pump, radiator, hoses, belts.
Thats about all I can think of right now.
My future plans:
-3.55 TL, coming soon (mid to late November).
-Transgo HP shift kit (again, mid to late November).
-17" wheels in the spring. I have some ideas, but not totally sure yet.
-Front suspension rebuild (the next time I have to do the brakes, I will probably be doing the BBS).
-Replace the rear springs with something stiffer.
-Something different for tail pipes to clear the tires I want to run.
-Fix small 'flower' on DS front fender.
-I am seriously contemplating repainting the car the right way. I want it to be flat, and show worthy; dark blue, or maybe white.
-Possible replacement engine, should the need arise.
I want to drive this car as long as I can. It gives me much grief at times, but the end result is that it has been fun for me. Any suggestions or comments, let me know.
On to the pictures...
These are the earliest I have, unfortunately. This is Mayish 2003.
Wearing the slot mags, spring-summer 2008:
The interior 2008:
Pre Grey Mats:
Engine before headers/ new front exhaust:
After the headers, etc:
Transmission service 2008:
Underneath 2008:
The floors inside, with some kind of sound deadener. The ffront floors have been coated in POR15:
And most recent shots fall 2008:
There are more pics at my cardomain site, http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2565400
Thanks for looking, mangs.
Background about 'The Red Box':
'The Red Box' is a pet name assigned to my bright red 1990 Ford Crown Victoria by some friends of mine. The name is rather fitting, given the color and the shape, as you will probably agree.
'The Red Box' is a 'G' code P72, meaning it has the less common (but not necessarily better) 351W, originally equipped with the 2 bbl Variable Venturi carburetor (VV7200). It is basically a standard Panther aside from the engine and some different suspension bits and such. Mine has a 2.73:1 open rear differential, which does not result in whiplash acceleration.
This car was originally bought by the city of Hartford, CT, and it is my belief that it served as a detective's car for the majority of it's career. The dents in the roof, and provisions for wiring lead me to believe that it did have a light bar for at least part of it's career though. But, the fact that it is carpeted, and the fact that the original color was dark blue hint that it was not a regular patrol car. Hartford has long had white city cruisers, and most patrol cars are equipped with a rubber mat. I consider this a special P72 because it is carpeted, unlike most police package vehicles.
The car was owned by the City of Hartford until the late 90's when a friend of my dad's bought it at auction for a small price. The car was stored inside until 2001, when we took ownership of it. The car was free and we only wanted it for the hood, which appeared to be mint; not a common thing for a then 11 year-old police car. At the time my brother and I were sharing an '88 P72 which suffered from a severely mangled hood, and we wanted a good hood for it before we had it painted. We never ended up using the hood, and the car sat outside for a year at my dad's shop. It was destined for the junkyard, but my Dad wanted to at least see if it ran; a used alternator and radiator gave us our answer. Upon the initial test drive, it was quite clear that this car was in far better shape than the '88 we had at the time. It shifted smooth, it was quiet inside, and everything was generally in better condition.
So, we decided to paint it and make use of the car. In the summer of 2002, the work began. Unfortunately, the car was in rough shape body-wise. There was no rust, but the DS rear lower quarter panel was mangled, the driver's door was hurt, and the PS rear quarter panel was buckled a little, and the car was littered with little dings, like most use patrol cars. The icing on the cake was the lovely peeling clear coat. So we made a project of it, and worked on it when we could. I was my first attempt at bodywork, and some of the work done came out good, but there are some areas that did not. I needed to spend more time going over the body, and block sanding it, but we really just wanted to get the car done.
It was painted with out-of-date PPG Durethane, which caused issues for the finish. Small pinholes are found all over the car, if you look closely. But it looks okay from a distance, and the paint was free so I guess it is ok in that respect. Just to clarify, the red was not my choice; I would have preferred white, dark blue, or silver. If I had known this was going to be my car at the time, I'd have spent alot more time on the body, and I'd have bought paint of a different color.
It took some time to get the car regsitered, but I started daily driving 'The Red Box' in the spring of 2006. I commute to and from school everyday, and this car has been very good to me from a financial standpoint, and from a reliability standpoint. It left me high and dry a few times (all from the same problem; like 5 times in two weeks), but that was my fault. I have spent some time tinkering with the car, and although sometimes I am not pleased with the results, this is mainly due to my own idiocy.
Some Tidbits About 'The Red Box':
-I average about 16-17 MPG on the highway, with the 4 bbl conversion. My best recorded mileage ever was 17.7 with the VV, but I have never done an exact calculation with the 4bbl.
-I currently have approximately 135,000 miles on the car. It had 99,000 when I got it. The odometer and trip odometer do not work; I use an hour meter to judge oil changes and such, and I think it is really a better indication.
-Despite all of the modifications done, the car still has every piece of emissions equipment, and is functional to my knowledge.
-The farthest I have driven the car was to the Carlisle All-Ford Nationals in 2006. Thats (only) a 300 mile ride.
-The Red Box is my second DD P72; my first was an '88. All told we have had (8) P72 patrol cars, and (1) P72 fleet car in various states of repair.
Some Modifications Done:
-Painted bright red with PPG Durethane.
-4 bbl conversion using an Edelbrock 3783 EGR intake, 8053 EGR plate, 1406 carburetor, and Lokar SS throttle cable.
-Cat back 2.5" custom exhaust with Flowmaster 40 series mufflers.
-Cat forward consisting of BBK 15110 coated 351W swap headers, Catco 2.5" 'high flow' converters, and custom front pipes. The air tubes are functional on my cats.
-I have taken the interior out and cleaned it probably 5 times, and have added seats from a 2004 P71. They were bolt in (for post '90 cars), and the DS is power. The seats are charcoal, and at the time I added them I added dark grey floor mats, and coated all of the wood grain in the car in a metallic dark grey finish.
-Added a 2004 P71 dome light (far brighter!).
-Removed the spotlight, and then added it again.
-H4 conversion for the headlights, with a relayed harness.
-Painted the stock 15 x 6.5" police wheels gloss black with cheap acrylic enamel, and mounted new Michelin X Radial LT's. I also bought NOS large polished centercaps for the wheels.
-Added AR Ansen Sprint aluminum slot mags (staggered), and then sold them, and went back to the police wheels.
-Changed the front shocks to AFCO 10XX, added wagon straight rate rear coils, and F150 shocks.
-Removed the wagon straight rate springs, and added stock sedan coils (soon to be changed again).
-Spent some time dabbling under the car, making sure it is clean and sterile. It gets powerwashed under there every spring.
-I added AutoMeter Sport Comp tach, oil pressure, water temp, vacuum, and voltmeter gauges, with green lighting.
I can't really think of any other standout things right now.
Repairs and Such:
-Routine oil changes, trans fluid changes, lubes, etc, which don't count.
-Did the rear brakes, new everything except drums.
-Replaced front brake pads (the rotors are warped and need to be done)
-One broken brake line on DS under the front door.
-Replaced front sway bar bushings and end links with TRW stuff.
-Replaced all of the rubber fuel line on the car (about 6 feet total) because it swelled a little from ethanol (my own doing).
-Dropped the fuel tank and removed the 'sock' filter on the end (again, my own doing).
-Water pump, radiator, hoses, belts.
Thats about all I can think of right now.
My future plans:
-3.55 TL, coming soon (mid to late November).
-Transgo HP shift kit (again, mid to late November).
-17" wheels in the spring. I have some ideas, but not totally sure yet.
-Front suspension rebuild (the next time I have to do the brakes, I will probably be doing the BBS).
-Replace the rear springs with something stiffer.
-Something different for tail pipes to clear the tires I want to run.
-Fix small 'flower' on DS front fender.
-I am seriously contemplating repainting the car the right way. I want it to be flat, and show worthy; dark blue, or maybe white.
-Possible replacement engine, should the need arise.
I want to drive this car as long as I can. It gives me much grief at times, but the end result is that it has been fun for me. Any suggestions or comments, let me know.
On to the pictures...
These are the earliest I have, unfortunately. This is Mayish 2003.
Wearing the slot mags, spring-summer 2008:
The interior 2008:
Pre Grey Mats:
Engine before headers/ new front exhaust:
After the headers, etc:
Transmission service 2008:
Underneath 2008:
The floors inside, with some kind of sound deadener. The ffront floors have been coated in POR15:
And most recent shots fall 2008:
There are more pics at my cardomain site, http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2565400
Thanks for looking, mangs.
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