VicCrownVic's 1991 Mercury Grand Marquis LS "The Scab"

[VicCrownVic]

I run Bosch Platinum. I got 100K out of a set that my dad put in my '89 when he and his friend rebuilt that engine so I decided to stick with them. I might have a set of valve seals, if I do maybe I should consider changing them this weekend.

I haven't seen the "new" K1500, what year is it?

[DerekTheGreat]

You can use the same plug just step the heat range up to the highest possible or one higher. Thought platinum plugs were bad for these? Valve seals eh? Brave man.

New truck is a 1989. We call it "Blue". Two tone blue, short box, five speed 4x4 equipped with a 350 V8 that runs on 7.5 cylinders

[VicCrownVic]

I highly doubt I will change valve seals this weekend. I'll consider it, but doubt I will have enough motivation. I should probably spend some time working on replacing steering/front end components on The Ice Car so that it's actually ready to go in case I need it instead of ready to go if I have no other option.

Platinum plugs are not necessary for these engines, but I like to stick with what has worked for me regardless of what I'm told. I know these things are happy with the cheapest plugs you can find.

[DerekTheGreat]

I highly doubt I will change valve seals this weekend. I'll consider it, but doubt I will have enough motivation...

...Platinum plugs are not necessary for these engines, but I like to stick with what has worked for me regardless of what I'm told. I know these things are happy with the cheapest plugs you can find.

That sounds like me most weekends. Got off my ass and started putting that Mark VII together last weekend. I made things that were bent not bent and what not. Still need that fender but she'll be a driver come this weekend me thinks. I was told the A/C even works...

Hmm, maybe I'll throw some platinums in next time. I do not mind spending the money if it buys me peace of mind.

[VicCrownVic]

I didn't get any pictures, but I did get the stock '86 reinforced fuel door well bucket installed. The fuel door popper is now completely done.

[VicCrownVic]

Parked for the winter and hopefully will not need to use it before winter is done. This car isn't in great shape, but I know if it sees winter the rot that hasn't expanded much since I bought this car would explode at the first taste of salt.

2017 has been a rough year. I had a few plans for modifications, mostly stuff that I've already done on The Ice Car, but didn't get to the few that I really wanted to do. Hopefully 2018 is a better year and I can get done some of the mods I wanted to get done.

[DerekTheGreat]

You could find a clean body, slam Ice's engine & trans in while making the Scab the new winter DD. Become one with Krown T-40...

[VicCrownVic]

This car is weird. The body overall is in way better shape than The Ice Car, but the rot that it does have is so bad that I'm afraid of what just one winter would do to this car.

[DerekTheGreat]

Used motor oil + mineral spirits & spray or Krown T40 and experiment, that's my vote. Want to buy a Mark VII cheap? It's 92% rust free....

[VicCrownVic]

Putting together a TODO/reminder list so I don't forget (again).
Need to find and install the oil pressure switch that I bought last year, the original is leaking.
Power steering is still leaking somewhere, the fluid is low again.
Fix the leaky air shock lines, the leak is really slow but it was down around 20-25psi today. I haven't aired them up since October or November. I haven't aired The Ice Car's shocks up since July and they don't leak like these ones.
I likely do a fluid and filter change for the transmission, it's due.

Mom has been borrowing this car last week and this coming week while dad's truck is down and my brother's car is down. My brother is borrowing mom's car, but he only needs it twice a week so mom only needs my car twice a week. Dad is driving his old truck. Brother is waiting on a radiator to show up and dad is waiting for u-joints.
The nice thing is I get to remember the problems this car had when I parked it last fall without having to drive the car.

I talked to my mom the other day and as soon as she mentioned putting gas in the car my response was "Oh no..." before she even said anything else. Sure enough she had a hard time getting the fuel door open but eventually got it open... So I checked it out today and somehow there is no damage. I have no idea how there is no damage, but she knows where the fuel door button is now (in plain sight left of the steering column where the wagon tailgate switch would be). The door never actually sat flush when I installed the fuel door popper hardware and looks to sit the same as it did before she borrowed it. Other than that she said she hasn't had any problems with the car. It even fired right up for her after it sat since December.

It won't be long before I switch back to this car for DD duties. Hopefully I can get some of that TODO list done by then.

[Chuck Norris]

How much lift do you get out of your air shocks, and how does it ride?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-J320A using Tapatalk

[VicCrownVic]

With what I assume are original springs, I think it puts me maybe back up to stock height or maybe a couple inches higher than stock. It rides nice and steady, but this car/setup does have a slow leak (most likely at one of the air line connectors) so it gets more bouncy as the air in the shocks gets lower. The wagon cargo coils and Gabriel Hijackers on The Ice Car put that one way up without my ton-o-junk in the trunk, maybe like 3+ inches compared to stock height. That car rides a little stiffer with those springs, but with my ton-o-junk in the trunk it's actually not that bad in my opinion. Since I'm just throwing out guesses, I'll have to get some measurements some time but I wouldn't expect that I would actually do this any time soon (don't know when I'll see The Scab next).

Dad had air shocks installed in my '89 MGM before he gave me that car, so I knew I wanted to put air shocks in the current rides and finally did so on both last year. If I had to choose again between the Gabriel Hijackers (on The Ice Car) and the Monroe Airmax (on this car) I would go with the Gabriel Hijackers mostly because I like the design of the air line connectors better with the Gabriels.

[DerekTheGreat]

When Vic says "ton-o-junk in the trunk," he isn't kidding. It's damn near up to the spare.

[VicCrownVic]

That's when it's organized... There's not much room for anything right now, but still it's a significant amount of weight with tools, fluids, parts, etc.
I need to eventually get me a garage.

[VicCrownVic]

Went and worked on The Scab last weekend. Change the leaky oil pressure switch, did some under hood cleaning/dusting, and vacuumed the interior. Then I Went for a short drive and had no turn signals.
Swapped the flasher twice and nothing. Fuse was good. Checked the reverse lights which are on the same fuse and they weren't working either. Eventually I remembered that the questionable wire at one of the fuseable links on the D-side inner fender looked more questionable than ever. So I turned the turn signal to the left indicator position, then messed with that questionable wire and sure enough the turn signal came on.
After fixing the turn signals I put at least 100 miles on it, then found out Sunday morning that I needed a new water pump.

Today, I got the new water pump on, but still need to change the fouled #8 spark plug (it didn't want to behave after the last cleaning). Also need to find the leak in my air lines for the air shocks, change the trans fluid and filter, new starter is on the way since the current one is acting up, and since I didn't put the fan back on yet I can install one of my '90 TC fan shrouds.