Mod Box - 85' Grand Marquis

[86VickyLX]

You're not the first person to do that, as it happens (pics attached)...

This doesn't look bad. The rear trim would need to be custom though. It doesn't look right. But the front is pretty much dead on. Would need Crown vic bumper filler panel trim.

[Mr Bean]

Well what do you know. It actually doesn't look too horrible with those filler pieces in place.

[86VickyLX]

Well what do you know. It actually doesn't look too horrible with those filler pieces in place.

Less stuff to paint haha

[sly]

wow. I didn't realise the older tails were that much wider.

[His Royal Ghostliness]

Personally I'd have kept the old style panels and lights, and just sectioned the bumpers so they hug the body closer. Mostly cause I hate body work, and it's also something most folks don't think of actually doing so makes the car even more unique than it already is.

[gadget73]

Have to re-chrome the bumpers if you do that, and that isn't cheap.

[GM_Guy]

And ever increasingly more difficult. Local chrome shop shuttered its doors four years ago. Now you got to mail it out or drive a few hours to find someplace to rechrome.

Alex.

[BigMikeIT]

Have to re-chrome the bumpers if you do that, and that isn't cheap.

So how do the low-rider folk chrome their chassis?

[Mr Bean]

Even if I sectioned the bumpers they would still weight a ton. These steel bumpers almost need 2 people to lift them up. The aero ones are light as a feather.

Then there is a matter of rechroming them and that ain't cheap. By that point I might as well get some custom ones made from fiberglass or carbon fiber.

[His Royal Ghostliness]

Oh, if you're trying to shed some weight then yes, alu is the way to go. Rechroming is something I just took for granted would be available, guess there's lots to be said about location - like, in Cali you can get just about anything done, including some leading on body seams even tho that's technically not supposed to be going on anymore, curse you EPA/CARB/treehuggers.

In any case, why did you switch back to the old-style fiberglass pieces when you put the car together for your work commute, instead of leaving the white "aero-box" ones in place? That thing looked like it's a set of headlamps away from being ready to go...

[Mr Bean]

I am running OEM Mustang LED bulbs in all the auxiliary lights which require modifying the bulb mounts. I never got around to doing that yet to the aero lights. Couldn't drive the car with no lights.

[His Royal Ghostliness]

Ah, makes sense!

[gadget73]

So how do the low-rider folk chrome their chassis?

They spend a lot of money. Chrome plating ain't cheap. Last I looked into having some bumpers done, the numbers I was getting were around 800 bucks per bumper and that was a number of years ago. I don't even want to know what dipping a whole frame would cost. As lumpy and nasty as they are to begin with, just the prep work to make it not look like shiny shit would be not insignificant.

[BigMikeIT]

I remember in college I priced out an inexpensive pumper set to convert the car into a lowrider. I ended spending money on other shit, always in 5k chunks. But the car didn't need work then.


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[Mr Bean]

I gave up searching for replacement door panels and went ahead with my original plan. Custom panels to match modern dash.