Buyer's Remorse (AKA "Hideous") - Giraffe's 1990 Grand Marquis LS

[Giraffe]

Some more small things. Replaced the front door lock actuators and the fuel filler cap (strap was broken). I bought a Harbor Freight rivet gun since I didn't feel like fooling around with a bolt inside the door. The only problem I encountered is that the rod on the driver's side for the arm rest lock indicator is bent (I think), preventing the lock from functioning when it was attached to the indicator. I left it disconnected for now. Other than that, it's nice to finally be able to lock all four doors.

[Giraffe]

Replaced the passenger side mirror glass with a NOS piece I picked up. The passenger glass must have been broken at some point and replaced by a previous owner with standard, non-convex glass. The passenger mirror was all but useless, but no more!



I also took a chance with some Dorman replacement door handles. I replaced the driver's side today since it had the most slop (it was missing the rod bushing). It's much tighter now, but I'm not entirely satisfied with the look. I'm watching some NOS Ford handles on eBay which I'll likely be picking up and squirreling away for down the road when this car gets a new paint job. I decided to attach it with rivets because a rivet gun was cheap and I don't feel like having to re-tighten them. I know someone will say a nylock nut won't loosen, but experience tells me otherwise. That being said, I got my hands on some nice rivets that are very comparable to the originals. They were a bear to install. I think it was worth it, though.



Next project will be flushing the radiator with a t-fitting. I'm still experiencing low heat and cooling issues when the ambient temp is anywhere above 80°. It really needs to be addressed before the real Texas summer weather hits. Also on the to-do list is restoring the junkyard tail lights I picked up last year.

[87gtVIC]

Nice door handles. Shiny chrome once again.

Im afraid of the rivets for the door handles. Once that damn gun pops the head always seems to find your paint and gouges it.

[Giraffe]

Nice door handles. Shiny chrome once again.

Im afraid of the rivets for the door handles. Once that damn gun pops the head always seems to find your paint and gouges it.

It actually did. Not too concerned about it considering the state of the paint anyway. Precautions will be taken in the future such as masking tape and foam to avoid damaging a future new paint job.

[Giraffe]

I took the week off to catch up on home projects and get some junkyard runs in. I managed to get my hands on some good parts.

I found a great yard just outside Sunset, TX off of US 287 called Browne's Auto Salvage. This place has a lot of older stuff going back to the '40s. Most of the later stuff they have is completely untouched. They had a '90 CV and a '90 Town Car I pulled from.

I pulled the fan shroud and bottle from the Town Car as my old one had been broken after a run in with the family car (had it removed sitting behind the family car when the wife backed over it). This shroud and bottle ended up being in much better shape anyway. The bottle even appears to be have been replaced with a genuine Ford part.

I also grabbed the breather tube (to replace my original which cracked when I stepped on it), the driver's a-pillar trim (to replace my original which also cracked when I stepped on it), and a complete cluster from the '90 CV. I've been wanting to replace the silver-faced Mercury cluster with a black CV unit, but couldn't find any for sale anywhere. Also scored a passenger sun visor to replace my original which was missing the lid.



Some pictures of the '90 Town Car and an '82 Town Car Cartier.

[Giraffe]

Some more pictures of the cars there.

1969 Thunderbird, the '90 CV from which I pulled most of my parts, a 1967 Country Sedan with the 390 still in it, aero CVPI with a 5 axle code (open 3.27); I'll likely go back for some parts off this. And a random GM.



Couple of MGB GTs, a Studebaker Lark, ice cream truck, early-'80s Thunderbird.

[Giraffe]

A few more.

AMC Cross Country Rambler wagon, old Ford Fiesta, and a '77 Grand Prix (grandma used to own one, traded it in on a brand new Mercury Cougar XR7 in 1994).



I had a great time checking this place out. I went to three other yards as well. Only one had any more panthers to speak of (all 1992+), however, I didn't get anything else as I was already out of cash.

The CV cluster I pulled will need new odometer gears (don't they all) which are on order. Good day!

[sly]

I need the rear bumper cover off that Aero CVPI (unless that's a crack in the middle of it above the license plate bracket). No painting required! If the front one is good, I could use that one too.

[Tiggie]

That place looks like a gold mine. Good finds!

[Giraffe]

They have a facebook page where they're always posting pictures of new cars being brought in and some of the things people are buying.

https://www.facebook.com/Browneautosalvage/

[Giraffe]

I should also mention all that I got at the first yard cost me $100. Not too shabby for all that.

One more yard I want to try to check out tomorrow. A place called K&K Motors about an hour south of me in Graham, TX. Based of a parts search for an engine, they have at least twelve panthers in the yard, maybe more. I really wish I could just do a straight vehicle search without being told to select a specific part.

[Kodachrome Wolf]

... and a complete cluster from the '90 CV. I've been wanting to replace the silver-faced Mercury cluster with a black CV unit, but couldn't find any for sale anywhere.

Maybe I need to start listing some of the junk I have, since I have a few of those . I would have gladly traded you for that silver faced Mercury one, since they look nice, IMO, and I can't find one anywhere.

My other clusters have come from '92-'94 Marquis models, however I have a cluster chassis from '90 LTD also laying about. There's some minor variations between '90-'91, '92, '93-'94 clusters, however. It generally boils down to different positioning of certain information lights, and cluster grounds.

[VicCrownVic]

The yards around here only list vehicle inventory, if you want to know if they have a part you have to go check it out.

KW, I've got at least 1.5 '91 MGM clusters. One is whole, the other has the rear cut out and the printed circuit plastic is gone but everything else is there. Although the whole one I won't have access to for a while since it's in the trunk of The Ice Car and the next time I head that way will probably be a while.

[Kodachrome Wolf]

The yards around here only list vehicle inventory, if you want to know if they have a part you have to go check it out.

KW, I've got at least 1.5 '91 MGM clusters. One is whole, the other has the rear cut out and the printed circuit plastic is gone but everything else is there. Although the whole one I won't have access to for a while since it's in the trunk of The Ice Car and the next time I head that way will probably be a while.

All I'm looking for is the speedometer head. Everything else is moot since my car has a '92 cluster chassis. Somehow I've wound up with two '92 speedometer heads in a '90 and '93 chassis, the latter being kinda stripped of some components.

[Giraffe]

Maybe I need to start listing some of the junk I have, since I have a few of those . I would have gladly traded you for that silver faced Mercury one, since they look nice, IMO, and I can't find one anywhere.

My other clusters have come from '92-'94 Marquis models, however I have a cluster chassis from '90 LTD also laying about. There's some minor variations between '90-'91, '92, '93-'94 clusters, however. It generally boils down to different positioning of certain information lights, and cluster grounds.

Haha! Well that's too bad. I would have gladly traded. I should go ahead and put the Mercury cluster up for sale since the odometer gears are good now.