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kishy's 1985 Country Squire

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    Photos!

    8/08 with friend's Bonneville



    8/12 engine bay general/overview
    Heater core still bypassed, AC brackets absent. Junkyard parts will be needed to make AC happen in this car. The way I got the car, there was no provision for a tensioner pulley.
    Yes, I loosely ziptie my plug wires to the control arm to keep them off the exhaust...one day I will get better at properly assigning the wires to their correct homes. It would be nice if the replacement sets would come in the same lengths as the factory ones, but they never do.







    8/13 put hands on the tailgate door card. It is broken, all the tabs for the retainers are broken, and it also smells oddly like BO. It must be replaced.





    8/19 headlight relays! This has hopefully made it so I'll never need to replace the headlight switch. Light output is significantly improved, didn't think to check voltage before/after. Amazon relay sockets definitely lied about having 14 gauge wire but I made the affected length as short as possible and it seems to be doing fine. Notably, the high beams no longer have two intensity levels (normal high beam vs holding flash to pass while high beams are already on), which speaks to the drop that was happening in the headlight switch area of the circuit.







    8/20 impromptu photoshoot


























    Current driver: Ranger
    Panthers: 83 GM 2dr | 84 TC | 85 CS
    | 88 TC | 91 GM
    Not Panthers: 85 Ranger | Ranger trailer | 91 Acclaim | 05 Focus
    Gone: 97 CV | 83 TC | 04 Focus | 86 GM
    | Junkyards

    Comment


      looks nice sitting next to it's ancestor.

      14awg insulation with 18awg wire inside? I've found that on cheap wire before. Not sure why but I guess people think if the wire looks fat, it must be able to carry a fair bit of current.
      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


        1966 Ford Fairlane woody wagon. Don't see those very often. Looks like that might have a 6 cyl motor in it ? That was the standard motor, The motor badging is missing on the fender,which normally meant it at least the car started out as a 6 cyl. Maybe someone removed the badging ?
        I had a 67 Dark green 2 dr. Fairlane GTA . If I remember right, it had a 390 motor. Bought it for $400 in 1975. Nice car. Now they are worth some bucks when you can find them.

        Comment


          The wagon (the 60s one) is for sale, I believe he wants somewhere in the area of 15k. It's been for sale for years.
          Exhaust is newerish, hanging poorly, and is dual. Not sure how common dual would be on a 6 cyl but it's certainly possible.
          I seem to recall concluding it must have been a Torino since it's a rather small car, but I don't know the lineage of stuff back then well enough to say, and Wikipedia is too many clicks away right now.

          14-ish-looking insulation on somewhere between 16 and 18 gauge wire, yes.

          Today, achieved a couple things.
          Replaced U-joints. The old ones were not making noise but one was too seized to move by hand, and both had grooves cut in the cross piece by the bearings which were no longer bearing-ing very well.
          I'm hoping this will cut down a vibration I've been hunting for a while but I'm suspecting that's one of the tires (not out of balance, just old poor condition tire).











          Reinstalled the cruise servo and cruise module (not the one from this car as I couldn't find it, but the one from the 83 Town Car). Cruise does not operate. Need to investigate this more in-depth. I have the EVTM.

          Fixed illuminated entry. The key-on voltage wire had somehow been pulled out of the junction block beside the fuse panel. This wire is what tells the module to kill the lights once the key is on. Previously, the lights stayed on for the full timer sequence even if the key was turned on.

          Changed the air filter. I am not 100% sure but I think it's a part I had never changed in the initial work I did on it since it looked clean enough.



          Replaced the super heavy TV return spring with one harvested in a junkyard some time ago. Pedal is a lot lighter. TV linkage does not get stuck anymore (thanks to lots of lubrication and now regular use) so I think this is the right way to go.

          Reinstalled the factory "cold air intake". More accurately I think it's a different junkyard harvested one, as I have several, and I think the one from this car was toast.



          Finally cleaned the rear quarter windows. I believe the grossness on them was mostly wasp spray from the initial recovery of the car, but not sure.

          After many months finally got my police steelies back from the guy who was coating them. Finish is good, not perfect, I don't care now. Alignment appointment is Monday during the day, tire appointment is Monday after work. Looking forward to seeing this one on some new shoes.

          76,693km on the odo.

          Overall underbelly:


          Current driver: Ranger
          Panthers: 83 GM 2dr | 84 TC | 85 CS
          | 88 TC | 91 GM
          Not Panthers: 85 Ranger | Ranger trailer | 91 Acclaim | 05 Focus
          Gone: 97 CV | 83 TC | 04 Focus | 86 GM
          | Junkyards

          Comment


            Who needs Flowmaster when you got the optional equipment high flow muffler?
            1990 Country Squire - weekend cruiser, next project
            1988 Crown Vic LTD Wagon - waiting in the wings

            GMN Box Panther History
            Box Panther Horsepower and Torque Ratings
            Box Panther Production Numbers

            Comment


              I love that Fairlane, I have wanted a 68 ish wagon for years.



              87 Ford LTD Crown Victoria Country Squire Station Wagon. 4.10's, Repacked Trac Loc, Boxed LCA's, Explorer Intake, 65mm T-body, 'Stang Cam, 'Stang Air tube, K&N, GT-40X Heads, 1" Spacer, 1 5/8 BBK's, 2.5" Pypes X-pipe w/high flow cats, Single Chamber Thunderbolts, B&M 'vertor, Po-lice Swaybars.

              91 Mercury Grand Marquis Colony Park Station Wagon. K-Code, 4.10's, Repacked Trac Loc, MK VII LSC Engine, 'Stang Upper Intake, Stang Air Tube, K&N, 65 mm T-Body, 'Stang Headers, 'Stang Cat Pipe,'Stang Torque Convertor, 2 Chamber Thunderbolts.

              Comment


                The patina on your "wood" panels is cool. I have wanted to spray some dull clear mixed with a little grey to make The MegaMerc's "weathered" panels look like driftwood. Don't know how the tape would react too paint tho...



                87 Ford LTD Crown Victoria Country Squire Station Wagon. 4.10's, Repacked Trac Loc, Boxed LCA's, Explorer Intake, 65mm T-body, 'Stang Cam, 'Stang Air tube, K&N, GT-40X Heads, 1" Spacer, 1 5/8 BBK's, 2.5" Pypes X-pipe w/high flow cats, Single Chamber Thunderbolts, B&M 'vertor, Po-lice Swaybars.

                91 Mercury Grand Marquis Colony Park Station Wagon. K-Code, 4.10's, Repacked Trac Loc, MK VII LSC Engine, 'Stang Upper Intake, Stang Air Tube, K&N, 65 mm T-Body, 'Stang Headers, 'Stang Cat Pipe,'Stang Torque Convertor, 2 Chamber Thunderbolts.

                Comment


                  I can hardly contain myself right now, I'm absolutely giddy about this:

                  2020-08-24 @ 76,983km
                  Front end aligned at a an old-school shop that knows their stuff.
                  Tires purchased from Canadian Tire and mounted on my police steelies which have been epoxy-coated, and have aluminum dog dish caps.

                  225/70R15 Goodyear Wrangler SR-A at a very economical $108 Canadian each.

                  The view as I walked out of the tire place...



                  Absolutely stunning. This is the exact image I had in mind for this car. It's the exact amount of rake I wanted, the exact ride height, the exact wheels and the exact tires.










                  Current driver: Ranger
                  Panthers: 83 GM 2dr | 84 TC | 85 CS
                  | 88 TC | 91 GM
                  Not Panthers: 85 Ranger | Ranger trailer | 91 Acclaim | 05 Focus
                  Gone: 97 CV | 83 TC | 04 Focus | 86 GM
                  | Junkyards

                  Comment


                    Bonus points for the shop for putting the weights on the back side!

                    Looks good.
                    1990 Country Squire - weekend cruiser, next project
                    1988 Crown Vic LTD Wagon - waiting in the wings

                    GMN Box Panther History
                    Box Panther Horsepower and Torque Ratings
                    Box Panther Production Numbers

                    Comment


                      Aren't Wranglers truck tires? Fronts look a bit "meaty."

                      +2 for weights on the back side, kills me when shops don't do that. I dig the steelies with dog dish hub caps as well. It's really coming together. So is the van, it runs, drives AND stops! Fine tuning is what's going to kill it..
                      1985 LTD Crown Victoria - SOLD
                      1988 Town Car Signature - Current Party Barge

                      Comment


                        Comment


                          Fronts and rears are identical, wagons just have bigger rear wheel wells and that combined with the narrower rear track on pre-90, plus the modestly wider track in the front due to the front end swap means any tire looks a little smaller back there. With the old tires I was considering spacers for the rear but I no longer think that's needed, considering the depth of the tire relative to the bottom of the wheel arches.

                          These are P tires, as in passenger as in usually car/small SUV. The Wrangler tire line often is on trucks or SUVs though. I specifically wanted the cheapest, major brand, white letter tire that I could buy, and this absolutely satisfied those requirements. I'm also glad I went up to the 225/70 instead of stock-correct 215/70 as I think they would have looked a little skinny. Between getting the wheels blasted (I don't feel he did a good job at this) and coated (I feel he did a good job at this, but I had to bring them back for some fixes after the first time) and the tires, and the wheel purchase from the junkyard, I believe I'm around $1200 Canadian into the wheel and tire package.

                          I hadn't even thought to ask about the weights going on the back, but I'm glad the tech did it that way. Didn't even look to see if they're rim weights or sticky weights. Newly coated perfectly clean wheels would take sticky weights well, so maybe that's what he used.

                          The car rides and drives fantastic now that it's aligned properly and is on good rubber. The speed-related vibration I was chasing seems to have been cured which confirms a tire was at fault. Steering is pretty much perfectly on-centre, box does have a small amount of the usual slop, but the rag joint is like new.
                          Last edited by kishy; 08-25-2020, 11:02 AM.

                          Current driver: Ranger
                          Panthers: 83 GM 2dr | 84 TC | 85 CS
                          | 88 TC | 91 GM
                          Not Panthers: 85 Ranger | Ranger trailer | 91 Acclaim | 05 Focus
                          Gone: 97 CV | 83 TC | 04 Focus | 86 GM
                          | Junkyards

                          Comment


                            The white letters look good man. Glad the vibration thing is no longer an issue.
                            1985 LTD Crown Victoria - SOLD
                            1988 Town Car Signature - Current Party Barge

                            Comment


                              Looks great, love the RWLs.



                              87 Ford LTD Crown Victoria Country Squire Station Wagon. 4.10's, Repacked Trac Loc, Boxed LCA's, Explorer Intake, 65mm T-body, 'Stang Cam, 'Stang Air tube, K&N, GT-40X Heads, 1" Spacer, 1 5/8 BBK's, 2.5" Pypes X-pipe w/high flow cats, Single Chamber Thunderbolts, B&M 'vertor, Po-lice Swaybars.

                              91 Mercury Grand Marquis Colony Park Station Wagon. K-Code, 4.10's, Repacked Trac Loc, MK VII LSC Engine, 'Stang Upper Intake, Stang Air Tube, K&N, 65 mm T-Body, 'Stang Headers, 'Stang Cat Pipe,'Stang Torque Convertor, 2 Chamber Thunderbolts.

                              Comment


                                Looking good to me.
                                ~David~

                                My 1987 Crown Victoria Coupe: The Brown Blob
                                My 2004 Mercedes Benz E320:The Benz

                                Originally posted by ootdega
                                My life is a long series of "nevermind" and "I guess not."

                                Originally posted by DerekTheGreat
                                But, that's just coming from me, this site's biggest pessimist. Best of luck

                                Originally posted by gadget73
                                my car starts and it has AC. Yours doesn't start and it has no AC. Seems obvious to me.




                                Comment

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