Canadian Box 5.8 info?? Canadian Towing Package info?

[Mercracer]

Was the Canadian 5.8 the same as our P72 motor? Any info on their towing package?

[Brown_Muscle]

From what I have read the 5.8's were the same in canada and the US. I do not have any info on towing packages though...I would imagine them being similar to the US as well.

[johnunit]

I have never been around a towing package model. However, my 351W seems to be identical to a police model mechanically other than the cooling stuff. Heavy duty water pump, but no external coolers or anything. 11 inch drums. Seems to be the same cam, carb, emissions stuff, etc. All that I've seen were dual exhaust.

[gadget73]

wouldn't surprise me much that it was basically the same as a police model. Probably if you had a civi model with a tow package, it would be so close to the same as a P72 that only us nerds would ever know. No solid upper arm bushings would probably be the only real tell.

[mcninetyone]

I've never seen a tow package car with the CVPI swaybars, front or rear.
Or the oil cooler for that matter.

[nfldfordltd]

The 89 MGM I had with the 5.8 Cdn pkg must have been really strange. It was an LS model but by no means loaded with options, and everything was the same as a regular 5.0 equipped car except the engine itself, gas tank, and the rear axle was a 2:73 : 1 Traction-Lok. It had the 351 VV carb but the suspension was stupidly soft, the rear brakes were 10", no rear sway bars, regular water pump, no auxiliary coolers, 65 amp alternator. The AOD was controlled by a rod instead of a cable. But it was an original built-like-that-car as the build sheet under the seat matched all the codes/VIN everywhere else on the car. It even said "5.8 CDN" in the comments section of the build sheet.

[johnunit]

The 89 MGM I had with the 5.8 Cdn pkg must have been really strange. It was an LS model but by no means loaded with options, and everything was the same as a regular 5.0 equipped car except the engine itself, gas tank, and the rear axle was a 2:73 : 1 Traction-Lok. It had the 351 VV carb but the suspension was stupidly soft, the rear brakes were 10", no rear sway bars, regular water pump, no auxiliary coolers, 65 amp alternator. The AOD was controlled by a rod instead of a cable. But it was an original built-like-that-car as the build sheet under the seat matched all the codes/VIN everywhere else on the car. It even said "5.8 CDN" in the comments section of the build sheet.

FWIW, mine was the same other than the brakes and water pump. Base-model swaybars.

[nfldfordltd]

I don' think there were many, especially of the Mercury persuasion, made from 88-91. Even a lot of Canadian police models in those years were 5.0 equipped with 3:55 rear gears. I wish I still had it as I'm thinking it was pretty rare and might be worth something some day. I think the 5.8 cars were a lot more common from 79-87. Mine was the only one I ever saw other than the occasional Ford ex-cop car, which was available in the US anyway.

[Brown_Muscle]

police model with the 5.0 and 3.55 gears, interesting!

[nfldfordltd]

police model with the 5.0 and 3.55 gears, interesting!

I found a few of them in rural Ontario junkyards in the early 2000s. Probably all gone through the crusher by now though.