My '90 LTD Crown Vic

[79lincolnlover]

bad vibrations

It's gonna drive weird.

Indeed...He should run HPP's on the back and steelies on the front until a 4th HPP rim is acquired.

[1990LTD]

If the rust doesn't get fixed this year, it will keep on eating your car.

I'm well aware of that but I barely make any money and need a car to drive. If I could afford it I would have parked it and fixed the rust as soon as it appeared.


In all likelyhood, I'll drive the car until the end of the summer (it's my only vehicle) and will then find out it's too rotten to bother fixing. I'd be willing to do all of the work myself but I simply don't have a clue how to do any bodywork and don't have anyone to learn from.

I love the car and want to drive it until the end of time but I honestly don't know if I can afford it. Right now I'm trying to scrape together the money to put brakes on the back so it doesn't kill me or somebody else.

If I had someone willing to help me move the Aero (I've been asking people for about 3 days...everyone always has something to do or else they'd LOVE to help) I could maybe drop the rear end and pull it apart to inspect it. With any luck I'll be able to get away without putting bearings and seals, because again, $$. If I have to buy calipers it's basically going to fuck my entire plan.

It would be great to park it and use it as a toy but as it stands I'm 24, work about 10 hours a week, and this is the only reliable transportation for at least 3 people.

[86VickyLX]

Indeed...He should run HPP's on the back and steelies on the front until a 4th HPP rim is acquired.

This would be ok.

[1990LTD]

well when you deliver the steelie or matching wheel to my place I'll put it on the car. I had enough money for the set of 16" tires I found, couldn't find any 15s in the right size that weren't winter rubber. It's just as well that I haven't been able to get someone to help me move the aero because I don't have the cash to get the tires mounted and balanced anyway.

[79lincolnlover]

What kind of work do you do?

[1990LTD]

What kind of work do you do?

I'm a janitor. I worked in a convenience store until last year when I got laid off and one of the customers that used to come in owns a cleaning business, he needed some help so he took me on.

[1990LTD]

oh yeah, the CVs inspection is up at the end of next month. It won't pass without patches or body tape over the holes left by rust, or without replacing the rear brakes. I'm probably going to have to drive around uninspected and uninsured until I can afford to fix it.

[79lincolnlover]

spare HPP wheel

http://www.grandmarq.net/vb/showthread.php?43925-score

[1990LTD]

thanks! 86vicky seems to have first dibs on it though, but couldnt hurt to ask all the same.


also, thanks for your help. i honestly was not aware that a mismatched wheel would be of concern. i have to apologize for getting as defensive as i did - i have not had the best day, but that's no excuse. sorry guys, i know you were trying to help me and i appreciate it. my car wouldn't be on the road if it wasn't for the help of this forum.

stupid question time, if you don't mind:

i have lacey spoke 15s laying around here that i havent done anything with -

would 2 of the laceys on the front and 2 HPPs on the back be a terrible idea?

how about the reverse?


would the one steelie be better off on the rear since it's not doing the steering?


like i said, i didn't even know having one mismatched wheel would be a problem so i obviously know nothing of these things.

[1990LTD]

other things I'm curious about, since I'm trying to do as much as I can with what little I've got - Hence the question about using the laceys on the front and the hpps on the back.

-------- What else can I use from my parts 95 LX to improve my 1990?

Are these front brakes the same as my 90 or are they "big brakes?"'

I understand that 1990 was the year they started using aero floor pans - could the 95s floor pans fit my 90? it's about the only sheet metal i can think of that I might be able to keep for myself.

Any other things you think could be taken from my 95, modified in some way, and used to improve my 90, let me hear about em. I don't want to waste any of this car.

[marquisman]

just throw the spare tire on. that way you can tell your self, that you blew one off the HPPs

[1990LTD]

please, I'm serious

[MattsLincoln]

other things I'm curious about, since I'm trying to do as much as I can with what little I've got - Hence the question about using the laceys on the front and the hpps on the back.

-------- What else can I use from my parts 95 LX to improve my 1990?

Are these front brakes the same as my 90 or are they "big brakes?"'

I understand that 1990 was the year they started using aero floor pans - could the 95s floor pans fit my 90? it's about the only sheet metal i can think of that I might be able to keep for myself.

Any other things you think could be taken from my 95, modified in some way, and used to improve my 90, let me hear about em. I don't want to waste any of this car.

since your cv is a 1995 it has the big brakes but what you should do to is use the spindle and hub assembly from a 1998-2002 CV/GM because they are much stronger than the 1995 version. take from your 95 cv the upper control arm both passenger and driver side. not that hard to get out the pasenger side will be more of a pain becuase the ac drier is in the way but if you pry the drier up you can get at the bolts. Also get calper bracket bolts from a 1998-2002 cv/gm. if you need help on removing spindles i can tell you how to. i removed 5 of them yesterday.

[1990LTD]

Thanks for the info Matt. Would I be able to get by without parts from a whale Panther? I don't have access to any.


Also, this is most fortunate. I was talking with my boss at work tonight and he said there are more hours if I want 'em this summer. We're not just a cleaning company, though that is the bulk of what we do. We look after properties for banks, lawyers (estates) and things of that nature and there is more work to be done to them in the summertime. The number of properties we have is growing lately, apparently. Good news for me.

My boss also used to do bodywork for a living, and I didn't have a fucking clue about it. I was picking his brain about it for a while and it really doesn't sound like rocket science. I have an angle grinder and a shitload of cutting wheels, and my boss was giving me some advice on blending new metal panels into the existing body.

I won't be able to afford a paint job but it's certainly looking like I will be able to get rid of some of the salt cancer that my car has now. The resulting rear 1/4 panels won't be beautiful so I'm going to try to locate some trim to go along the bottom of the doors/panels. If the trim won't cover it, well, it'll be black until I can afford paint


if anybody has any advice or bits of wisdom regarding body work that they'd like to share I would be most appreciative.

[79lincolnlover]

I was talking with my boss at work tonight and he said there are more hours if I want 'em this summer. We're not just a cleaning company, though that is the bulk of what we do. We look after properties for banks, lawyers (estates) and things of that nature and there is more work to be done to them in the summertime. The number of properties we have is growing lately, apparently. Good news for me.