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VicCrownVic's 1998 Mercury Grand Marquis LS

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    It definitely looks to be more durable than what they made the Box panels out of. And the potential to mount a second power port is attractive.
    1987 Lincoln Town Car - Signature, "Prudence"

    Comment


      Originally posted by 87gtVIC View Post
      I understand the dashes changed around the 90 model year for the cv and gmq's..I wonder how off this panel is on the older box dashes. Never seen this panel before (never looked into the interiors of the newer models much at all) and think they are kinda cool. Looking good!
      Although the dashes changed in '90 and remained basically the same through the end, I wouldn't be surprised if it takes very little effort to install this panel in a pre-'90 box. I never did like that fibrous panel in the pre-'90 boxes, too easy to break/rip the mounting holes of the fibrous panel.
      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


        Is there a matching molded plastic underdash panel for the drivers side on the 90 and up models?
        ~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
          Is there a matching molded plastic underdash panel for the drivers side on the 90 and up models?
          Yes. There's a clip that mounts on the ECM mounting plate that holds the end near the pedals and the knee end is held up with push clips (christmas trees) either side of the steering column and one over by the hood release. It also has a mount for a courtesy light (194 1/4 twist socket). So adding tabs with holes for those clips to push into would be required on the vehicles not designed for those panels.

          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


            Sweet.. May keep an eye out for those and experiment.
            ~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


              What Sly said. It would definitely be interesting to know if the driver side panel fits a pre-'90 box. The steering column changed considerably in '90 but maybe the panel would fit the pre-'90 boxes. I don't think that panel changed much after '90 all the way through the end. That panel I think would only be an aesthetic upgrade if it fits.

              The clip Sly mentioned, again from the heater core writeup.
              Panel off:

              Panel on:


              Upper support for that panel is a bolted in brace piece:

              That brace can be removed with the panel still attached:


              I don't have a good shot of that panel though.
              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


                Appreciate the information. Based off of that the passenger side has much more of a chance at fitting properly.
                ~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


                  Last Saturday I changed the oil, then went out to dinner at Cracker Barrel in Port Huron. Grabbed a couple of pics of my dirty ride after dinner.
                  Summer wheels have been on for a while now.




                  While at the JY the previous weekend I was looking for another one of those panels with the power port. I found the partial panel like my '98 has in a '97 and '03. I also found, in a '05, the panel designed for the power port without the power port:
                  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


                    Originally posted by TecNickal View Post
                    ...
                    The front end on the 92-02 are IMO, weaker than the boxes. They go through ball joints and tie rod ends more so than the older stuff did.
                    ...
                    Yeah, about that...
                    Sunday evening pulling out of my driveway (luckily) the right front lower ball joint decided it didn't need the ball-stud and socket to remain together. Didn't get any pictures since I was too embarrassed that it happened. No fender damage at all, not even bent or tweaked. Compared to the boxes I'm used to, it was not quite as obvious that the ball joints were on their last leg. In fact I changed the factory originals on The Scab a couple years ago pushing an estimated (per PO) milage of near 300k miles. This car is south of 100k, apparently they didn't make these ball joints as well as the older box ball joints were made.

                    Backed back into my driveway (control arm left quite the scrape on the concrete) then ended up taking The Scab to grab my uncle's ball joint press and the last lower ball joint in stock at my local AZ. Finally got it back together today. Couldn't get the ball-stud out of the knuckle, it was too late Sunday after retrieving the press to do anything more. Then at least one of the days after work rain shut me down. Went to HF yesterday to grab a small sledge and two pickle forks. Everyone online said to use two forks and they were right. The ball-stud actually came out fairly easy with the sledge and forks. Should have went with that in the first place instead of breaking a tie rod end/pitman arm puller yesterday.

                    For now The Scab is on driver duty until the rest of the ball joints get replaced, but at least I can now move the car. Glad I fixed the brake line on The Scab on Saturday instead of putting it off.
                    Last edited by VicCrownVic; 06-09-2022, 11:30 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


                      Only took me a month, but since I mostly work from home I didn't need to drive much. Waiting on the alignment to be done now.
                      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




                        Fucking deer! Only good for eating.

                        I grew up in the middle of nowhere, where herds of deer roam and I've never in my life hit a deer until last night. I've had plenty of close calls, but this one was booking across the road left to right and I caught it with my right front corner. Slammed the brakes as soon as I saw the damned thing bolting like lightning across my path. Slammed on those brakes and had no time to think. I've been over the scenario a million times in my head and there just wasn't any avoiding this one other than being somewhere else at that time. At least I was able to instinctually slam on the brakes, the car braked straight, so things weren't worse. I pulled onto the next cross road (dirt road) to survey the damage, tucked the cornering lamp harness between the fender an hood since it was dragging on the ground/flapping in the wind. The road I was previously on did not have a shoulder to safely pull over, and I wasn't about to get hit from behind. A few small hills increase the chances for that to happen and contributed, along with being a wooded area, to not seeing this deer sooner.

                        I took the afternoon off from work today, hit a few JYs and was surprised to find a 98% rust free (about as good as it gets around here), color matching fender. I thought this was going to be the hardest part to find without loads of cancer. It's not perfect, there's a huge scratch (set of scratches that look like one from a distance) above the wheel arch and some rock chips, but I should be able to take care of the non-rust-cosmetic issues. Sadly, the scratches may not have been there before the donor entered the JY. It will do to get the new-to-me header panel mounted so I can get the new-to-me headlight and cornering light mounted.
                        The header panel I found is not the right color, some gorilla destroyed the color matching one on the 2000 MGM that the fender came from. Is it seriously that hard to not destroy things that others might want? Anyway, the color could be a worse mismatch but the crystal blue metallic or frost blue metallic (whatever it is) is good enough until I find a matching '98-'02 header panel. I forgot the nuts that I set aside with the intention of putting back on the grill studs. This header panel will be swapped out if a matching color one shows up in good shape, but for now I need to be able to mount my lights.
                        The bumper cover isn't too bad, but you can see stress cracks in the paint and scuffs if you get close. I've actually been looking for a bumper cover for a couple years but they are either trash or the damned derby dicks cut them.
                        The hood is usable so it will stay until I find a color matching replacement. The one from the 2000 MGM fender donor was missing. From what I've seen, hoods tend to be less of an issue to find without cancer.

                        Last night:


                        Today at one of the yards I went to, locals will know which yard this is:


                        The parts after a power wash (minus the lights):



                        I'll likely be swapping the new-to-me parts on in my in-laws driveway on Saturday. Memphis, MI, where I'll be, is having their annual Memphis Festival Days. Yard sales all over town, hopefully more than last year if I have time after working on the car.
                        Attached Files
                        Last edited by VicCrownVic; 08-02-2022, 10:32 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


                          As long as you are not injured - cars can be fixed, people, sometimes not as easy! Is a pain in the ass, though and scary.
                          What I Own: 1993 Mercury Grand Marquis GS
                          What I Help Maintain: 1996 CV / 1988 CV / 1988 Tempo

                          Comment


                            Sometimes you can't avoid the little (or big) beasts. Still sucks. Driving from dusk to dawn seems like a game of roulette.

                            You'll get it back into shape.
                            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


                              That's a bummer. I hope you killed it. Mmm, backstraps & venison jerky.
                              1985 LTD Crown Victoria - SOLD
                              1988 Town Car Signature - Current Party Barge

                              Comment


                                Bah... at least the parts are decent. And that nose is pretty close even though it's not a direct match. Much closer than the harvest gold on the front of my white CV.

                                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

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