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I call it the Monolith. I have plans for it.

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    #31
    Might as well get the GT-40 stuff. If I'm gonna do it I might as well do it right.

    After a lesson in gear ratios, I'm probably going to leave the rear gears alone. I like the way it is right now. More to lose than to gain.

    I've also found out about aluminum drive shafts today, and I'll eventually get one of those. More rugged, slight increase in power to the wheels, and according to a couple of testimonies, quieter.

    And also a skid plate. Because tank.

    None of this is very relevant since it won't be happening for a long-ass time, but I like to write out my thoughts.
    89 Grand Marquis GS.

    Putting it here because I keep forgetting to mention it. It's not very exciting at the moment.

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      #32
      skid plate because aerodynamics too. MPG yo!

      Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former. -- Albert Einstein
      rides: 93 Crown Vic LX (The Red Velvet Cake), 2000 Crown Vic base model (Sandy), 2003 Expedition (the vacation beast)
      Originally posted by gadget73
      ... and it should all work like magic and unicorns and stuff.
      Originally posted by dmccaig
      Overhead, some poor bastards are flying in airplanes.

      Comment


        #33
        Originally posted by sly View Post
        skid plate because aerodynamics too. MPG yo!
        Most indeededly.
        89 Grand Marquis GS.

        Putting it here because I keep forgetting to mention it. It's not very exciting at the moment.

        Comment


          #34
          Alright, so....so far, this is the list. It is a very intimidating list.

          These are in no particular order, rather lazily organized in a .txt on my desktop. Some of them, like the supercharger, are so far down the line that I didn't bother with details. The integral roll cage is just a crazy idea and it'll be the last thing I do just to complete the tankability.

          Air conditioning
          3G alternator
          Clean wiper jets
          Push bar
          Fog lights (lights, mounts, switch)
          Rear brush guard
          skid plate
          Fix steering drift
          New headlights
          Projector headlights
          Relay harness
          Tires
          Front shocks (Gabriel Ultra;Autozone)
          Wheel spacers
          Mud flaps
          Traction Lok differential
          Disc brakes
          Dual exhaust
          -Tailpipes
          -H-pipe
          -Resonators
          -GT-40 headers
          -Mufflers
          Half-top (Ballistic nylon)
          Door lock
          Window motor
          Driver window
          Stereo
          LED interior lights
          LED exterior lights
          Undercarriage cleaning
          Reinforce trunk
          Suspension bushings
          Aluminum driveshaft (Police)
          Rear wiper
          Heated windshield
          Tow package
          Polish bumper
          Re-paint trim
          HO engine
          -GT-40 heads
          -GT-40 intake (Explorer, Mark VII)
          -HO computer (Mark VII)
          -Mass air conversion
          -HO camshaft
          -Stall converter
          -63mm throttle body
          -EGR spacer
          -5.0 Explorer pistons
          Supercharger
          Mini starter
          Fuel filler neck shorten
          Two-core radiator
          Integral roll cage
          Rocker panels
          Clutch
          Clean idle air control valve
          Idler arm
          Steering fluid
          Fix oil light problem
          Fix brake drag

          *sigh* I wish I had the slightest idea what I was doing. Not that it would help much when I don't even have a driveway to work in.
          Last edited by ootdega; 08-05-2014, 05:47 AM.
          89 Grand Marquis GS.

          Putting it here because I keep forgetting to mention it. It's not very exciting at the moment.

          Comment


            #35
            Easier to get another car with some of the "goodies" you want/need most. With that list you had better get another job (or two).


            "Hope and dignity are two things NO ONE can take away from you - you have to relinquish them on your own" Miamibob

            "NEVER trade your passion for glory"!! Sal "the Bard" (Dear Old Dad!)

            "Cars are for driving - PERIOD! I DON'T TEXT, TWEET OR TWERK!!!!"

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              #36
              Also, if the Merc is a daily driver, get another vehicle for that and make the Merc a dedicated project. I know you don't have the space for it, but you may want to hit the classified section of your newspaper and see if there are any storage garages/spaces for rent. Store your Merc there and work on it as time permits you to. That's how I am going to do my engine swap. I have a driveway, but the neighbors won't let me do that kind of work at the house.

              Packman

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                #37
                If you're sticking with just one car, you'll have to be pretty patient with the mods and get used to driving the car as it is. Most of the people who did all those modifications to their panthers probably had another car as a daily driver. I have just one car, and even when I take it to the shop I often have to borrow a second car.

                1989 Lincoln Town Car Signature Series | 249k miles, current project car
                2018 BMW 430i xDrive M-Sport | 50k miles
                2018 Toyota Tacoma TRD Sport | 97k miles

                Comment


                  #38
                  Second the second car suggestion. You can have a daily driver, or a project car. Its impractical to try and do both with one vehicle. Some of that list is repair / preventative stuff and thats fine but engine swaps get into more than a weekend or overnight project.
                  86 Lincoln Town Car (Galactica).
                  5.0 HO, CompCams XE258,Scorpion 1.72 roller rockers, 3.55 K code rear, tow package, BHPerformance ported E7 heads, Tmoss Explorer intake, 65mm throttle body, Hedman 1 5/8" headers, 2.5" dual exhaust, ASP underdrive pulley

                  91 Lincoln Mark VII LSC grandpa spec white and cranberry

                  1984 Lincoln Continental TurboDiesel - rolls coal

                  Originally posted by phayzer5
                  I drive a Lincoln. I can't be bothered to shift like the peasants and rabble rousers

                  Comment


                    #39
                    Originally posted by miamibob View Post
                    Easier to get another car with some of the "goodies" you want/need most. With that list you had better get another job (or two).
                    This is going to be at least five years in the making. Probably ten.

                    Originally posted by gadget73 View Post
                    Second the second car suggestion. You can have a daily driver, or a project car. Its impractical to try and do both with one vehicle. Some of that list is repair / preventative stuff and thats fine but engine swaps get into more than a weekend or overnight project.
                    Even if I got a second one, I wouldn't have anywhere to put it. Every time I've taken it to the shop I've had to get a ride home from someone. I do what I have to. None of these are just "project car" things. The whole reason I want to do them is to make this one more efficient and practical.



                    ^This is not a priority.
                    89 Grand Marquis GS.

                    Putting it here because I keep forgetting to mention it. It's not very exciting at the moment.

                    Comment


                      #40
                      Originally posted by packman View Post
                      That's how I am going to do my engine swap. I have a driveway, but the neighbors won't let me do that kind of work at the house.

                      Packman
                      Since when do neighbors have the authority to tell you that you can't do an engine swap in the driveway? If mine tried to tell me to stop working on my car in the driveway i'd tell them to go fuck themselves.
                      88 Town Car (wrecked, for sale)
                      Walker OEM duals with muffler deletes

                      Comment


                        #41
                        Originally posted by gadget73 View Post
                        Second the second car suggestion. You can have a daily driver, or a project car. Its impractical to try and do both with one vehicle. Some of that list is repair / preventative stuff and thats fine but engine swaps get into more than a weekend or overnight project.
                        This time infinity.

                        Or be like me and just convert all your cars into project cars.
                        2020 F250 - 7.3 4x4 CCSB STX 3.55's - BAKFlip MX4
                        2005 Grand Marquis GS - Marauder sway bars, Marauder exhaust, KYB's
                        2003 Marauder - Trilogy # 8, JLT, kooks, 2.5" exhaust, 4.10's/31 spline, widened rear's, metco's, addco's, ridetech's 415hp/381tq
                        1987 Colony Park - 03+ frame swap, blown Gen II Coyote, 6R80, ridetechs, stainless works, absolute money pit. WIP

                        Comment


                          #42
                          Originally posted by pantera77 View Post
                          This time infinity.

                          Or be like me and just convert all your cars into project cars.
                          If I could afford a second car, most of this would already be done.
                          89 Grand Marquis GS.

                          Putting it here because I keep forgetting to mention it. It's not very exciting at the moment.

                          Comment


                            #43
                            I think using your car as a DD AND doing all the upgrades/changes you have listed will be virtually impossible. My suggestion is to do whatever work makes the car safe and reliable. Most of the stuff you listed are "nice to haves" and perhaps listed after seeing what folks here have done. If you can do a certain project yourself or have the funds to have it done, fine. If not, don't make yourself crazy and simply do maintenance Setting lofty goals is cool but over doing it just sets you up for frustration. For example, I would LOVE to replace the heater core in my '87 and '95 GM's but I am not physically up to doing it and it doesn't pay for me to have it done. I realize living here makes that decision easy but it is merely an example.


                            "Hope and dignity are two things NO ONE can take away from you - you have to relinquish them on your own" Miamibob

                            "NEVER trade your passion for glory"!! Sal "the Bard" (Dear Old Dad!)

                            "Cars are for driving - PERIOD! I DON'T TEXT, TWEET OR TWERK!!!!"

                            Comment


                              #44
                              Originally posted by miamibob View Post
                              I think using your car as a DD AND doing all the upgrades/changes you have listed will be virtually impossible. My suggestion is to do whatever work makes the car safe and reliable. Most of the stuff you listed are "nice to haves" and perhaps listed after seeing what folks here have done. If you can do a certain project yourself or have the funds to have it done, fine. If not, don't make yourself crazy and simply do maintenance Setting lofty goals is cool but over doing it just sets you up for frustration. For example, I would LOVE to replace the heater core in my '87 and '95 GM's but I am not physically up to doing it and it doesn't pay for me to have it done. I realize living here makes that decision easy but it is merely an example.
                              May I refer you to:

                              Originally posted by ootdega View Post
                              This is going to be at least five years in the making. Probably ten.
                              I'm not a child, I'm not stupid, and I'm not crazy.
                              Last edited by ootdega; 08-06-2014, 12:12 AM.
                              89 Grand Marquis GS.

                              Putting it here because I keep forgetting to mention it. It's not very exciting at the moment.

                              Comment


                                #45
                                @ootdega: At least you've got a realistic timetable for those nice-to-have upgrades. In my seemingly infinite naivete, I thought I'd have long tubes, true duals, digidash, GT-40P heads, and a trak-lok all installed on my car by the beginning of August. As of August 6th, I haven't even acquired the headers, the trak-lok, or the GT-40Ps- let alone made arrangements to get them put on. It's astounding how slow progress can be in reality verus how you concieved it months ago. Ask me how I know. Haha.

                                I just read your list of planned mods on page 2. Definitely liking the sound of some of the stuff. Especially the integral roll cage. Might as well throw on some subframe connectors while you're there, seeing as how you'd need to weld some of the bars of the cage to something solid and strong (usually the frame of the vehicle). I also like the two core radiator- it pays to have an extra layer of security during those WOT runs/general hooning on your favorite roads.

                                And then we have the supercharger. Let the nerd-gasm begin.

                                There's plenty of ways to go about this. Want more low and mid range? Get a twin-screw. Want more top end? Get a centrifugal. And so on. But then there's the mechanics behind the forced induction to contend with:

                                -The SD EFI will definitely not like it. Unless you do some serious custom chip burning, of course. You'd need a custom tune, something that'd likely take hours upon hours of tweaking. With Speed Density, there are literally thousands of values that can be changed. (MAF has even more!). Of course, there's always a way to do things faster and cheaper at the expense of quality and/or refinement. There's a potential shortcut in the form of a custom tune that tells the Manifold Absolute Pressure (MAP) sensor to always read zero. You have to play with other sensors too IIRC. This is obviously not a good idea if you want to have good fuel economy AND good power, but that's what happens when you mix forced induction, generally unadaptive EFI, and wanting to do things on the cheap and/or fast. Seeing as how you plan on using Mass Air, this really isn't an issue. But it's still not a simple "Throw on MAF+Supercharger, then go fast long time!" deal. Not at all.

                                -Even if you use a MAF, I wouldn't be 100% confident in its ability to compensate for all that extra air, fuel, and spark on its own. A custom tune would, at the very least, maximize your possible gains from the power adder+MAF combo. You may also need to upgrade your engine management system to something newer- I'm not sure the EEC-IV could handle all that extra air, fuel, and spark. Doing so would not only let you run your power adder, but it'd also likely allow you to fine-tune the system more easily. IE: You won't need to keep re-burning chips. It'd be more of a plug in, edit code and values, then test type deal. (There's obviously a lot more to it than that, as I'm sure you know.)

                                You can say that you're neither childish nor stupid nor crazy, and sincerely mean it when you say it. And I know you mean it.

                                But if you're anything like me, you'll end up contradicting those statements before you even finish placing an order for more parts. BTDT. I've already spent more than twice I intended on spending on Ebyt's build. You will likely end up doing the same for Monolith. It's just a hot-rodding thing, I guess. More importantly, it's nothing to be ashamed, defensive, or anything but proud of. Just don't break the bank, haha.
                                Last edited by Hearsesrock427; 08-06-2014, 01:33 AM. Reason: Added some context
                                '89 Grand Marquis "Ebyt", '85 Grand Marquis "Eva", '94 Caprice "Kira"
                                '84 Town Car "Stacy", '79 New Yorker “Anita", '93 Town Car "Kelly"
                                '80 Mark VI "Allie", '94 Grand Marquis coming June, '79 LTD-S "Oksana"

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