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VicCrownVic's 1998 Mercury Grand Marquis LS

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    Right, we just need one dry evening. I'd be afraid of storing it into December, mice and all that if they're not already living in it..

    I love the smoke show. Back when I used to go to Windsor to have my cars done I'd always get nervous when at the border, they get pretty suspicious of the smoke.

    I might be picking up a ratty '89 F150 come saturday for $250. Don't ask me why lol, I flock to beaters. Doesn't run but it's in Troy so either I have to tow it by strap (That can't be safe) or rent some sort of dolly or trailer for an evening. 302 five speed so I couldn't resist. Doesn't have dual gas tanks so that's a bummer.
    1985 LTD Crown Victoria - SOLD
    1988 Town Car Signature - Current Party Barge

    Comment


      I looked at this thread a few weeks ago and never replied. Those wheels and center caps look great on that car! The contrast looks better than what it looks on mine. I am definitely going to endeavor to find those caps now.

      Comment


        Couple of weeks ago my driveshaft spacer showed up. The aluminum driveshaft is at Grand1's place, I'll get to it sometime this year (spring/summer/fall).


        Made it out to the JY this morning and found what I was looking for. Wife wants to take a trip the week after next. 1000 mile+ round trip was a good enough excuse to get the upgraded cupholder ashtray from a 2003+ MGM/CV.
        JY had a silver 2005 MGM w/gray interior. Really nice car before the front end got smashed in an accident. So nice that all the seats were long gone which made getting the cupholder ashtray easier.

        This retrofit requires very little modification. The ashtray slides right into the '02- mount, but the '02- mount is missing a piece to hinge the cupholders back up into their closed position. So grabbing the '03+ mount is preferable but not completely necessary if you feel like dinking with it each time you close it.
        Also the electrical connector is different. '95-'02 have one cigar lighter/power port and a light to light up a ring around the cigar lighter/power port. '03+ have two cigar lighters (I think one is intended to be dedicated power port) and no light.
        I cut the '05 pig tail up in the dash so that I had both ends of the '05 connector. Then while test fitting in a '98 CV I grabbed the harness for the cig lighter so I could make an adapter to plug right into my car without cutting anything in my car.
        The swap turned out great.
        Stock '98:


        '05 assembly:



        The piece of carpeted trim below the ashtray is different between the two setups (at least '98 and '05 are different). To mount the '98 piece with the new assembly you have to cut a mount tab off of the '98 ashtray mount (I cut this off the JY car not my stock mount). I only grabbed one of the trim mount tabs, and that's all I needed since the d-side mount was not part of my ashtray mount, but I think the '98 CV had both trim mount tabs on the ashtray mount.

        Attached Files
        Vic

        ~ 1989 MGM LS Colony Park - Large Marge
        ~ 1998 MGM LS - new DD
        ~ 1991 MGM LS "The Scab"
        ~ 1991 MGM GS "The Ice Car"

        Comment


          The tab that I'm babbling about can be seen on my stock ashtray mount. I cut this off along the red line with my mini hacksaw (a very useful JY tool, cuts wires, hoses, and of course metal.) I ran the screw that secures the mount plate through the '05 mount plate and the bracket that I cut off of the '98 CV on top of the '05 plate. I was a little worried about the whole thing looking like it was shimmed on one side, but it looks good enough to me installed this way. If it did look wrong I could have moved the '98 bracket under the '05 plate (run the screw though the '98 bracket first then the '05 plate.) I think the '98 CV had this tab on both sides of the mounting bracket. If that's the case (I might be imagining this detail) you would need both tabs for a CV if you wish to mount the stock carpeted trim piece.
          The harness in the pic is what I took from the '98 CV to make my adapter to plug right into my stock dash harness.


          Also, if I wasn't so lazy I would have run a keyed power to one of the cig lighter/power ports instead of tying them both into the single stock always on power feed. Perhaps a project for another day.
          Attached Files
          Last edited by VicCrownVic; 01-23-2021, 11:33 PM.
          Vic

          ~ 1989 MGM LS Colony Park - Large Marge
          ~ 1998 MGM LS - new DD
          ~ 1991 MGM LS "The Scab"
          ~ 1991 MGM GS "The Ice Car"

          Comment


            OK, it's black topped. Like said elsewhere, Nice looking '98!
            No ... I'm not arguing with you ... I'm just explaining why I'm right ...

            Now go ... and whatever you do ... have a safe trip!

            Comment


              Thanks, I would not have opted for the top but at least the color scheme works on this one.
              This was too good of a deal to pass up considering the shape of my other cars. Funny that my nicest and most expensive car is the one with the salvage/rebuilt title. As much time as I got out of the others, and they didn't start as nice when I got them, I should easily get 10+ years out of this one. At least as long as things out of my control don't prevent it.
              Vic

              ~ 1989 MGM LS Colony Park - Large Marge
              ~ 1998 MGM LS - new DD
              ~ 1991 MGM LS "The Scab"
              ~ 1991 MGM GS "The Ice Car"

              Comment


                The wire harness isn't PnP with the 03+ cupholder with -02. Had to remove one of the blue/white wires and tap it to get it to work on mine. Connector is the same though.

                1997 Grand Marquis LS HPP
                2000 Lincoln Town Car Signature Series

                - Richard

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                  Originally posted by packman View Post
                  I found cutting a plastic seltzer bottle (quart) in half (lengthwise) and cramming it under the oil filter makes for a much cleaner oil change. Directing the oil forward into the drain pan/vessel seems to capture most of the oil from the filter.
                  Good idear there!
                  No ... I'm not arguing with you ... I'm just explaining why I'm right ...

                  Now go ... and whatever you do ... have a safe trip!

                  Comment


                    Correct, not plug and play. It sounds and looks like you did the same thing I did but without making an adapter harness. The Blue/White wire from the in dash harness feeds the Blue/White on the '03+ cupholder harness as well as feeds whatever the other positive color to the other power point is.
                    Since I did this with an adapter harness that I made, the adapter harness is plug and play once you make it.
                    I didn't want to run either power outlet/cig lighter from the Orange/Black wire since that comes from the LCM and I'm not sure the LCM would be happy charging devices.
                    Vic

                    ~ 1989 MGM LS Colony Park - Large Marge
                    ~ 1998 MGM LS - new DD
                    ~ 1991 MGM LS "The Scab"
                    ~ 1991 MGM GS "The Ice Car"

                    Comment


                      I like the look and function of the upgraded cup holder. I also love how the finish is identical to stock and one would never know. Hopefully the wife finds it suitable.
                      ~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


                        I haven't used the cupholders yet, but I did test fit a cup. The spring loaded arm is higher than the stock cupholder and should do a much better job than the flaccid flap in the stock cupholder. The '03+ are more similar to the pre'95 Aero cupholders I have in both The Ice Car and The Scab. Those pre'95 aero cupholders work well so I think the '03+ should also be a good upgrade. I'll find out next week on our trip.
                        A couple of pics for comparison. The transition line on that McD cup makes for a great reference point to compare just how shallow the stock cupholders are.
                        New:



                        Stock:

                        The flaccid flaps on the stock unit do absolutely nothing and the cup really just sits in the far too shallow and too wide hole without actually being held.
                        Attached Files
                        Vic

                        ~ 1989 MGM LS Colony Park - Large Marge
                        ~ 1998 MGM LS - new DD
                        ~ 1991 MGM LS "The Scab"
                        ~ 1991 MGM GS "The Ice Car"

                        Comment


                          I just dont understand some of the cup holder choices Ford has made. My 1994 escort had two cup holders but were utterly useless as they were too shallow and too wide to contain anything. Thought that counts maybe?
                          ~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


                            Originally posted by 87gtVIC View Post
                            I just dont understand some of the cup holder choices Ford has made. My 1994 escort had two cup holders but were utterly useless as they were too shallow and too wide to contain anything. Thought that counts maybe?
                            Hmm, pop cans maybe?

                            The only beverage that is ok to drink in my vehicles is water! That McDon's cup looks like a bomb waiting to wreck a good day...
                            1985 LTD Crown Victoria - SOLD
                            1988 Town Car Signature - Current Party Barge

                            Comment


                              Cans aren't much if any wider than the bottom of that McD cup so cans really don't work with the wide cupholders. Either way, cans (or regular open cups) are not allowed even in my rot boxes. Fast food type cups I've never had an issue with, but the potential is there for mess, cans are pretty much guaranteed to make a mess no matter what.
                              Vic

                              ~ 1989 MGM LS Colony Park - Large Marge
                              ~ 1998 MGM LS - new DD
                              ~ 1991 MGM LS "The Scab"
                              ~ 1991 MGM GS "The Ice Car"

                              Comment


                                I hate fast food paper cups. They love to self destruct. After a little while they start leaking and become soft enough to melt in your hand. I always have a pastic or metal cup in the car with a lid. I also use a straw instead of lifting to drink. A lot less messy.

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