My '95 Caprice Classic STW, "Sally"

[gadget73]

Ah, I was thinking the third light was up at the top near the hinge, not in the middle.

[sly]

Yeah... that's not an easy fix to try to run that up to the top and install a light from the ceiling. Might be worth putting some silver (conductive) epoxy on the contacts on the glass. Obviously let it cure before closing the glass again. If that's not a good option (can't park in a garage), you can try using some packing tape over the contacts on the tailgate to keep the epoxy from curing to them and close the glass. If the contacts can be removed from the door during the curing period, that would be better.

The conductive epoxy is typically used for repairing the wire contacts to rear defroster grids. There's several varieties out there. The one I prefer is MG Chemicals 8331-14g. It's the one I used on the tab on my Expedition's rear glass defroster. Works very well.

[Arquemann]

don't suppose you could eliminate the spring contact crap and just use flexible wire ?

It's a clamshell type tailgate, if you didn't know. I dunno how you'd do what you said. The spring contact crap is in the middle on top of the metal tailgate, and the glass contacts it there.
Like this:

[gadget73]

don't suppose you could eliminate the spring contact crap and just use flexible wire ?

[Arquemann]

Any way to get an old Ford 3rd light and wire/mount that?

Doesn't really matter what it is, might get some cheapo from a industrial shop or go to the junkyard. Haven't put any though into this yet.

[friskyfrankie]

Any way to get an old Ford 3rd light and wire/mount that?

[Arquemann]

My summer job contract ended on Friday, the few weeks I got to commute with this brough it very close to the 350k KM mark.

I've fixed a couple nicknacks, the 3rd brake light (a couple more times), gas struts, headlight aiming, armrest. Changed the plugs today, previous owner recommended I'd do it. The old ones were Champions aswell, looked pretty good and not too too old.
Some dumbasses those GM engineers, takes a special kind of idiot to engineer all accessories, AC & trans cooler lines, EGR pipes and wiring harness ALL on the right side of the engine. Took me 15 minutes to change the driver side plugs, over an hour for the right side.

The 3rd brake light has proved to be a total PITA, constant contact issues. The light is mounted on the rear glass, and the tailgate has spring loaded contacts which get pressed against the contacts on the brake light assembly thats fixed to the glass. A shit design, way too many loose contact points. I might jerry rig a different solution altogether, I'm thinking an LED housing attached to the rear headliner with zero moving connector points.

[Arquemann]

I got the ALDL cable and the Scan9495 working. Took her for a spin with the live data on but I don't know jack shit of what I'm supposed to look at.
Here's a screencap of the transmission tab:

Link so you can maybe see better: https://img.aijaa.com/b/00225/15078030.jpg

[sly]

If the F150 brakes are still there, you could convert them to surge brakes by changing the trailer coupler to one with a hydraulic actuator. If you shop carefully, new lines, new wheel cylinders, new shoes, and new spring hardware, plus the actuator, and you'll probably be into the project for less than the cost of a new axle with electric brakes.

https://www.pmstorese.com/titan-dico...brake-actuator

Yeah... I've priced all of that. Swapping to a 3500# trailer axle with electric brakes would still save about a grand. The surge masters are really spendy. The electric over hydraulic is even worse.

[Dragonwagon]

This trailer also has no brakes. It's the back half of a pickup truck (81 F150). I wouldn't wanna town anything more than 3500 pounds behind one of these land yachts though they will pull 5K... the stopping isn't fun if the trailer brakes aren't there. Of course, it's also illegal to not have trailer brakes over 4K in Texas (3K in some other states that I know of). And since I can't find an electric brake kit for a Ford 9-inch rear axle, if I'm ever required to get trailer brakes for it, it'll probably be axle swap time (if not scrap time since it's a rust bucket).

If the F150 brakes are still there, you could convert them to surge brakes by changing the trailer coupler to one with a hydraulic actuator. If you shop carefully, new lines, new wheel cylinders, new shoes, and new spring hardware, plus the actuator, and you'll probably be into the project for less than the cost of a new axle with electric brakes.

https://www.pmstorese.com/titan-dico...brake-actuator

[sly]

I've towed ~3400-3500 pounds with my 93 vic. It gets a little sketchy in sweeping curves. My 03 Expedition weighs another 1500 pounds and the tow rating is 6050 pounds. Same load with that is no issue except accelerating since it's pretty much the same engine as what's in the 93 (2-valve 4.6L). The 93 will pull "harder" since it weighs 1500 pounds less, but the brakes are a LOT better on the Expedition and it will stop way faster with a trailer. This trailer also has no brakes. It's the back half of a pickup truck (81 F150). I wouldn't wanna town anything more than 3500 pounds behind one of these land yachts though they will pull 5K... the stopping isn't fun if the trailer brakes aren't there. Of course, it's also illegal to not have trailer brakes over 4K in Texas (3K in some other states that I know of). And since I can't find an electric brake kit for a Ford 9-inch rear axle, if I'm ever required to get trailer brakes for it, it'll probably be axle swap time (if not scrap time since it's a rust bucket).

[Dragonwagon]

The same hitch fits B-bodies all the way back to 1977. It fits D-bodies, too, but I don't know how far back.

There's an owner's manual reference to 7,000 lb trailers with tow package and a load leveling hitch, but I understand load levelers aren't legal in Europe. Fleetwoods with the 3.73 rear were rated @ 7,000 lbs, but nothing officially goes that high for the wagons.

The tow pack added gearing, extra coolers, and the mechanical fan. Your car already has the coolers. I think your car will be fine towing 4K if trailer brakes are used (I believe surge brakes are mandatory in EU and thus built into the trailer) and you take things easy going uphill.

[Arquemann]

Even the B-bodies that came with the towing package (which yours does not seem to have) did not come from the factory with a hitch/drawbar; those all came from the aftermarket. Class II (medium duty rating of 3500 lbs) are still available for purchase, but the Class III heavier duty assemblies have been out of production for a long time, and even used ones bring decent money despite being a handful to ship.

I would imagine that one that meets Euro specs is extremely rare, and if you ever have to take the car off the road, you would probably find it worthwhile to salvage the hitch.

BTW, the tow package with an LT1 meant 2.93 posi, and an engine-driven (plus one electric) radiator fan, which would have cost you about 2 mpg.

With old "obscure" cars like this in Finland, if one doesn't have a hitch, it's easier to just find a car that has a hitch, instead if trying to find a hitch. Currently there's ONE 91-96 Caprice for sale that has a hitch.
If you really want a hitch, you can have a shop build you one, and get it certified. The current hitch must've been installed sometime soon after the import registration, since the "modification inspection" has been done the same year, 2004.
I'm not sure what's the manufacturer tow rating for a Caprice w/o the tow package, but the tow package rating seems to be 5k lbs. Dunno if the Finnish govt gives a crap, since my registration says 2270kg, which is ~5k lbs.
My hitch says 1800kg/4k lbs, and I will most likely never even come close to towing that much. Don't got the license nor do I even need a trailer almost ever. Now that I have a wagon with the interior space close to a small-medium cathedral, even bigger things move without a trailer.

[Dragonwagon]

Your stuff seems to be the smarter kind this time, maybe. Our ball is standardized 50mm, but the "drawbar" can vary alot, round receptacle like on mine, square or rectangular, many just slip between two plates and locked in with bolts or pins. On most the hitch part is removable, but some more utilitarian uses might have it be one piece. Some OE hitches can be unlocked and pivoted up and hidden behind the bumper, like in my parents F11 BMW. Mine's removable, or probably was, since it has most likely rusted solid.

Oh and the round "tube" that ends at the ball isn't tube, it's solid metal.

Even the B-bodies that came with the towing package (which yours does not seem to have) did not come from the factory with a hitch/drawbar; those all came from the aftermarket. Class II (medium duty rating of 3500 lbs) are still available for purchase, but the Class III heavier duty assemblies have been out of production for a long time, and even used ones bring decent money despite being a handful to ship.

I would imagine that one that meets Euro specs is extremely rare, and if you ever have to take the car off the road, you would probably find it worthwhile to salvage the hitch.

BTW, the tow package with an LT1 meant 2.93 posi, and an engine-driven (plus one electric) radiator fan, which would have cost you about 2 mpg.

[Dragonwagon]

A lot of scanners that say they handle OBD 1.5 still don't work with 1995 LT1 B-bodies. I borrowed an Inova from a friend and couldn't get it to read my Roadmaster. Then I looked in the manual, and it only showed compatibility with the 4.3 (which is a V8 smaller-displacement version of the LT1, and not the V6 that went in trucks).
Look into Tunercat. http://www.tunercat.com/cables/lt1kit.html