1987cp's new '81 LTD 2-door

[Mr. Land Yacht]

Mike, I like this...


I like it A LOT.

[1987cp]

This is going to be one bad LTD when you're done with it!!! Ids this going to be a cruiser or a bruiser?


Packman

Well, considering that it's going to be keeping the 3.08 gears for some time .... and getting barely 240-250hp, if that .........


Huh, I just noticed something about that rollpan photochop .... that might look better on a car equipped with a coachroof. You know, slightly more verticalish lines on the back of the car .... hm.

[86VickyLX]

well here are 2 pics to compair, i can measure them tomorow as i have a slotted bumper on both my merc and LTD

different style of slots though, any updates mang?

[torquelover]

Any progress with this car? Last I saw, you were doing some bodywork?

[1987cp]

Negative, dudes. It's been sitting in the driveway all winter. However, I ran across my spare starter several days ago, and it and the recent lifter trouble with the P72 reminded me of the need to get this underway again as soon as I can manage! Current intended order of operations: 1) get heat in the wagon, 2) P72 cam swap, 3) clean up garage somewhat and do some serious organizing, 4) get this thing back in there and get back to work! Coincidentally, my new lowrider creeper, while not yet entirely finished, still makes working under vehicles 1000% more pleasant.

[1987cp]

I have begun to make a little more progress. Bolted in the transmission mount and crossmember securely (still need to identify the nuts to secure the mount to the crossmember, but the mount is bolted to the tailhousing), installed one header, located bolts for the other header, and investigated necessary changes to the shift linkage bellcrank. Tried to suggest to that n00b with the '79 he wanted to put an AOD into that I'd be able to use his bellcrank, but no dice so far, so I'm guessing at this point I'll be welding an extra tab onto this one. Will probably try to do a tab that incorporates an adjustment slot so that, between that slot and the one already in the old factory rod coming off the factory '79 C4 shift lever, I can easily adjust it to the correct geometry with a nut and bolt or maybe a loose-fitting nutsert like the ones I have left over from some bumper mounts.

I've also mostly finished getting the old 2.25" exhaust pipes patched up, mostly smoothed, and painted with some high-temp black RustOleum intended for barbecue grills. Almost definitely going to leave the 2.25" Flowmasters just because they're already securely welded and appropriately positioned. Debating on tailpipe choice for this car; the obvious thing would be to use the 2.25" tailpipes I took off the P72, but I have a notion of trying to adapt them to the wagon so it can have 2.25" tailpipes intead of 2". But if I were to get different tailpipes for the two-door, the logical choice would be a set of stock 2" sedan pipes (quiet would be good for this car!) rather than the wagon pipes that dangle underneath the rear framerails and exit 90 degrees off the sides, which would leave me with a pair of stock wagon pipes that probably no one would have a lot of interest in. Not to mention the extra expense of an extra pair of pipes, presumably having to be purchased new because I doubt anyone upgrading from stock tailpipes actually hangs onto their old ones. Thoughts and suggestions?

[1987cp]

Hey, considerable neatoness ... Scottymang told me yesterday that he was able to obtain a real '79 C4 shift linkage for me! Next week after he tests the 3G alternator I want for the four-door, I'll pay him for both items plus a spare pair of upper control arms for the four-door and then I'll be able to have a nice factory C4 shift linkage on this car! Yay!!!

[Nathan in MI]

Neat! Gimme a call when you want to slap that together and we'll make it happen.

That is, if you don't feel I did too much damage last time I "helped" you...:p

[1987cp]

lol - nope, only "damage" I discovered was that the upper hose clamp at the radiator didn't get put back on, but that was definitely my fault since you had all that all buttoned up before I insisted we had to take the fan and shroud and junk back off again. Which reminds me, the water pump pulley is making a funny noise ... I must have gotten it slightly cockeyed somehow.

Hopefully when the time comes I can have everything ready to go so we can even fire off that engine for the first time in nearly 2 years and drive it out of the garage under its own power!

[1987cp]

Long time no updates!!!

Hmmmmm......

Haven't touched this thread in a year or two. Well, half a year anyway. And the car is still sitting.

This past weekend I got it off of the jackstands for the first time in months so I can at least roll it in and out of the garage. It's amazingly hard to push right now ... be interesting to see what the brakes look like from all the surface rust they've doubtless accumulated. I'm getting antsy again to have this thing running, though as usual I've been detained by family activities, housekeeping activities, and other more urgent car crap that eats into the essentially nonexistant time I have to spend on this thing.


..... all that aside, I figured I'd try using this thread as a way to keep track of everything the poor car needs before I can drive it. So here some if it comes, in no particular order:


- Transfer license plate
- Install and adjust shift linkage (which is finally in my possession)
- Inspect trans pan bolt holes and repair if necessary
- Bleed brakes
- Clean, paint, and install valvecovers
- Install carb
- Install alternator and other accessory junk
- Consider installing TransGo shift kit
- Double check governor weight situation
- Inspect transmission vacuum modulator, consider obtaining "correct" one for non-EGR cars
- Swap over nearly-new Autolite 24 spark plugs from the 351
- Spray plenty of oil into cylinders and turn engine over a few times by hand
- Extract lower half of HEI distributor shaft (it comes in two pieces)
- Prime oiling system
- Obtain new HEI cap (current one got cracked while fiddling with junk)
- Power to the HEI (duh!)
- Install spark plug wires correctly
- Attach all fuel connections
- Worry whether I need to clean out the gas tank somehow (hopefully not)


Things that are definitely not necessary just to get it going but would be rather nice:

- Hook up tailpipes
- Install 11" rear brakes stolen from '79 wagon (need drums - probably steal those from '87 wagon)
(would be convenient to do this before bleeding the brakes so I don't have to redo it in the foreseeable future)
- Obtain a rear swaybar, even a small 1/2" one
- Patch up the abandoned surface-leveling on and near the decklid
- Reinstall p/s sail panel trim


That's all I'm thinking of for now. I'll probably think of more the next time I look at this thread, but whatever.

[88Vic]

So did you just take apart the 255 and clean it out or does this one have a different motor? I don't think i've ever seen a 255 car before, one that was running anyways.

[1987cp]

And pass up the easiest way in the world to more than double the car's power, especially with a perfectly good roller 302 sitting around? Please .... :p

I still have the 255 taking up space in the corner next to my 351. Pay me shipping and it's yours for your favorite go-kart or heave lawnmower project.

[Nathan in MI]

That's quite the laundry list, sir. You'd best get crackin'!

[1987cp]

Yeah, I know. Further info on actually having this car at a meet this fall can likely be found at www.notgonnahappen.com.

Been wasting my last couple of hours of quality car time painting my cheap Draw-Tite Class II hitch in preparation for installing it on the Crown Vic. Should be simple to get around to a few LTD-related tasks, though ... as soon as I feel like getting under the thing again, that is.

[1987cp]

Let me see ... what's been happening with this lately?

I screwed on a pair of valvecovers to keep crud out of the rocker areas.

I attached the shift linkage Scott harvested for me. That was some time ago, though, and the shift lever seems to have detents that don't agree with the travel of everything else. Maybe someday I can learn how to take the shifter apart and make it work better.

I also removed the rear bumper to use on the Crown Vic, because its rear bumper had stuck bolts and had to be cut off, and I was in something of a crunch to get it down to my mom's old house (back in December) to help her move. The Vic's bumper is still sitting in the two-door's trunk waiting for me to find time to mess with its innards.

I transferred the registration from the wagon to the two-door. Unfortunately, the plate bucket has been removed (so I could learn how to do it) and is serving as nuts-and-bolts storage. Hopefully I can lay hands on the screws I took out of it without excessive trouble.


I think that's all I can report. I've been thoroughly sidelined from Ford garbage for a couple of weeks since the Cavalier's fuel system was being flaky, but I think we have that ironed out. I guess it doesn't help progress with car projects that the kiddo is old enough that he's needing more and more running-around and interactive time, which means I'd best be keeping him from getting run over by cars in the street instead of buried underneath some piece of junk in the garage or driveway. At the same time, my mom has been slightly stranded at her new house here in town whenever I need the Vic over here, and has been somewhat on my back wanting me to get another car going so she can keep one at her house more of the time!