Prudence, my 87 Town Car

[kishy]

there were a few random features that never made it to production.

I still want that silly voice alert that the EVTM teases us about.

On the autodim sensor eyes: I think the older style (seems to be up to partial year 84, my car has it, but another 84 I've seen had the mirror style) mounted behind the grille might be the more resilient choice, and might also be more accurate. But that's a vastly different wiring job.

[Kodachrome Wolf]

Many years back I yanked a early 90s (maybe late 80s) Continental electrochromic mirror. I recall it had the auto-dimming function for the high beams, but I left the sensor behind since nothing I had needed such a device, nor would the recipient car need it. Just a thought if you're after a whole assembly for a replacement mirror. The one I yanked still works and serves in my '87, but it does have a yellowed hue to the glass, much like the older exterior dimming mirrors. It certainly predates any Gentex style mirror I've seen in a Ford product.

Regarding the wheels, like a few echoed, your car probably should have had the turbines! I got a Marti report done on my wagon, and it was ordered with them, but that car arrived and lived on steel wheels with the wire hubcaps until the mid-2010s. 1987 cars definitely experienced several changes straight through the model year that's really only evident once you start peeling away things and seeing major differences from early build cars to late build cars.

[Lutrova]

I appreciate keeping stock where I can, but I think with the mirror I wouldn't be opposed to using a newer Gentex. Having Homelink is the biggest draw, and a compass is always nice. So long as I can swap the mounting bracket over to retain the auto dim sensor, I'll probably go that route. Of course I'll keep the original mirror on a shelf in the garage, waiting for my children to throw away after I've died.

Although it is an interesting thought going to the earlier style auto dim sensor behind the grille. I've noticed what I assume to be the mounting bracket still present in the later box TC's. Another idea: Auto high beams seem to be growing more common among newer cars. I wonder if any vehicle has a standalone sensor that could be swapped over, as the newer stuff is a little more sophisticated, less prone to bugging out on road signs.

Memory seats would've been cool. One of those instances where interior features were added into the later models. Although I'd rather have heated seats than memory, and if you drilled through the face plate on the panel I think you could mount the control for it where the memory buttons would've gone. Or better yet, someone might 3D print one of the door button panels. The screw holes get awfully brittle over the years.

As for turbines, I'm kicking myself over not grabbing a set while I had the chance in California. If I had made the effort I probably could've had the choice between lacy, turbine, or wire wheels from all the boxes that wound up in the junkyards. Not that I dislike the wheel covers I'm currently running, but aluminum wheels are a little less likely to come off than hubcaps.

***



On the subject of recent Lincolns, my family and I took a trip up to San Marcos today for something to do. I wound up parking across from a new Aviator, which I consider to be the effective successor to the Town Car. Similar wheelbase and dimensions, seats six, gets 17/24 mpg, and sells at a similar price point. Of course the Aviator has almost triple the horsepower, but what doesn't these days?

Finally, my wife has signed off on a transmission rebuild. We drove over to the shop today and I spoke with the general manager about it. He's game to put in the newer reverse drum/2" OD band, but we'll see exactly what needs to be done once they have it apart. We'll hopefully drop it off at the shop tomorrow.

[DerekTheGreat]

Your car would also look great with lacey spokes, very elegant look and were a Town Car exclusive option. I do like those wheel covers though, certainly better than those ugly, chincy looking wire covers. Funny because I think the wire covers were a more expensive option. Town Car > Aviator. All new cars are just "meh" to me.

[gadget73]

I don't think its possible to use a wider OD band in an AOD. Something about the stock drum will not accommodate it, and it won't take the wider, late drum either. You're basically stuck with the stock 1 1/2" or whatever band width. Only thing you can really do for it is the larger OD servo for more clamping force, but those do tend to have a somewhat severe engagement. The A servo at least you definitely feel engaging, the aftermarket A+ is even bigger so I'd expect even more feel.

The AOD is a bitchy thing, and I'm honestly convinced a big part of its reputation for being a POS is from bad rebuilds. Some of the absolute worst shifting units I've ridden with or driven were rebuilt by people who supposedly knew what they were doing. Most of them also didn't last a particularly long time. Make sure whoever you have do it has experience with them.

[DerekTheGreat]

You're in Tey-haas, so send it down to Richard at Precision Transmission. Those guys know what they're doing.

[sly]

There's one in Amarillo. That's a full Michigan away from San Antonio though. Not sure that would be feasible.

As for the OD band... you get the wider band, and the wider servo and it should work. It did in my old car (88 MGM) but I also had them put the wide ratio gears in there while they were at it.

[Lutrova]

Yeah, the thought certainly crossed my mind, but Amarillo's about 8 hours from here. That's a bit farther than the 12 minutes it takes to get to the shop I've been talking to. Turns out Texas is a big state.

From all my poking around on the internet about this job, it sounds like the reverse drum and sun gear shell are needed to make the 2" band fit. But rather than try to understand it all myself, I'll leave it up to the shop to figure out. If they can source the parts and make it work, great. And if not, the 1.5" band got the job done for nearly 200,000 miles, so a new one of those will probably be fine. Although it will dash my dreams of using the Lincoln for hot shot trucking.

I'll also ask them to price out wide ratio gears.

[Mainemantom]

The sun gear for sure and probably the shell should be replaced while the job is being done.

[DerekTheGreat]

"..That's a full Michigan away.." LoL, I'm going to use that at some point.

Angie and I drove over 9 hours one way for a pair of speakers last week. If it meant never having to touch it again, I'd drive the same distance for my Town Car's transmission or any other trans on a car I planned to keep long term.

[gadget73]

Texas is too big. Any state that you can fit multiple other large states inside of shouldn't be a thing.

I propose a solution. Mash all those little New England states together, and split Texas into like 5. Still 50 as the total so it saves the bother of a flag re-design.

[gadget73]

Texas is too big. Any state that you can fit multiple other large states inside of shouldn't be a thing.

I propose a solution. Mash all those little New England states together, and split Texas into like 5. Still 50 as the total so it saves the bother of a flag re-design.

[Lutrova]

It's crazy how empty the whole western half of the country is. If you take a line from San Antonio up to Fargo, pretty much no one lives west from there until the coast outside of a handful of cities. It's just too dry to support much life. But it sure is beautiful.

I dropped off the car at the shop yesterday. Should hear in a few days what they find and how they'll proceed. The shop manager said they'd recently changed freeze plugs on a 5.0 by unbolting one of the engine mounts and doing one side at a time. Maybe with the trans off that's possible. But if they offer and the price is right I might take them up on it, as it would save me the trouble of pulling the engine.

Otherwise we'll see how they did in two weeks. If nothing else, they should at least take care of the rear main seal, which is the last significant oil leak on the car.

[friskyfrankie]

Never did a real main seal on a 5.0. Wonder if you have to drop the trany or can get to it from the oil pan? I would think dropping the trany so you can get to remove the flywheel and it's rear cover but not sure.

[Lutrova]

I believe it's a one piece seal. But even if you could do it from the oil pan, doesn't the engine have to come out to get the pan off? I've also heard our motors will leak oil from the flex plate, which can look like a rear main leak.