"MM54" (mm54mk2)
04/19/2019 at 16:00 • Filed to: CROWN VIC CONTENT!
0
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"MM54" (mm54mk2)
04/19/2019 at 16:00 • Filed to: CROWN VIC CONTENT! | 0
| 18 |
As it sits
In early February, I discovered that my dear friend, the rusty-but-trusty Crown Vic, had died in its sleep after coming back from the Detroit Auto Show. That is, the fuel pump was dead.
Now, the plan for over a year has been to replace this car, then get rid of it. With the addition of the 4Runner in September, step one was complete and I figured that, come springtime, I’d put it up for sale. This was before the fuel pump died. Since then, it has been sitting in the driveway leaving oil spots and rust stains on the concrete.
To be fair, I’ve not touched it since determining the pump was seized, and it’s possible (albeit indescribably unlikely ) that it fixed itself in the couple months since. I have my doubts, but at some point I’ll bang on it with a broom handle and try again.
Happier Times, ~2015. Notice my college-parking-lot fiberglass-and-rustoleum bodywork hadn’t let go yet.
Back to the issue at hand: what do I do with it? A 2002 police crown vic isn’t exactly a valuable car, especially when it doesn’t have rocker panels anymore, the pinch welds are falling off, every panel is rusted through, and it’s got 205,000 miles on it. Add to that “I can’t prove the drivetrain is rock solid” (it is) because of a lack of fuel pump, and it’s a weird spot.
There is, of course, 20 gallons of fuel in the tank, minus whatever has leaked out in the past three months. This isn’t a huge issue, but combined with the fact that the fasteners holding the fuel pump in the tank are almost entirely composed of rust, their clamping force replaced with Good Intentions, it means that replacing the pump would be a serious endeavor. Since the tank took to leaking about a month prior to the pump giving out, the correct solution is to replace the tank and pump, but that won’t happen .
W hy? Putting a weekend’s work and a few hundred dollars into a car worth a couple hundred dollars to be able to sell it for a few hundred dollars doesn’t make sense.
A winter day
There are a lot of good parts on this car. Most of the suspension has less than 4 0k miles on it, the intake manifold is only 10k miles old. I’ve got a ported plenum and a larger throttle body (70mm vs 65) installed, which did help the off-the-line pickup. Many sensors are new. The rear axle is 3.27:1 limited slip and works great. The brakes are in good shape, fluids up to date, the heat in the dead of winter will melt your skin and the A/C will freeze you out.
This car is a dear friend of mine. One whom I’ve known for a while was dying, but cared for nonetheless. Five years ago I’d never have expected it to make it this long, but as time went by I learned how trustworthy a Panther can be, even if you’re the first one to take care of it.
Autocross was not competitive, but a lot of fun
I hate to say it, but it looks like this journey is coming to and end, and that end very well may be a flatbed on the way to a nearby junkyard.
The day I bought it, 19 August 2013
Anyone want to buy a Crown Vic?
lone_liberal
> MM54
04/19/2019 at 16:03 |
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I’m sorry to say, but I think it’s time for the knackerman.
LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com
> MM54
04/19/2019 at 16:06 |
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Would it be worthwhile to try to get a few hundred selling it as a parts car? Seems like the only other reasonable option besides straight junking it at this point.
CobraJoe
> MM54
04/19/2019 at 16:08 |
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Interested in a major project?
That Crown Vic frame, suspension, and drivetrain can be put under another older vehicle of a similar size, and then you’d have a classic body on a modern chassis.
Or you could try and sell it for that purpose, I’ve seen a few listed as great parts cars for a frame swap.
Or, splice in an aftermarket fuel pump and take it on a Gambler 500 run.
MoCamino
> MM54
04/19/2019 at 16:11 |
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How likely are you to find a less leaky tank and a more functional fuel pump in a junkyard? If the parts were to be found, it shouldn’t be too pricey. Sure it would involve some work, but to resuscitate an old friend so it could bring some joy elsewhere, it might be worth it.
Have I mentioned I can be somewhat masochistic?
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MM54
> CobraJoe
04/19/2019 at 16:19 |
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Typically for those swaps
people use the ‘03 and later frames since they got redesigned and handle way
better (I had an ‘03 and it is like an entirely different car). I like the ‘hack in a fuel pump’ idea
but I can’t keep it around. Maybe a cheap one just to make it run and drive, tell the buyer it needs done
.
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MM54
> LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com
04/19/2019 at 16:20 |
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I’d give it a shot, but these cars are not uncommon and parts cars are dime a dozen, especially with shot bodies.
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MM54
> MoCamino
04/19/2019 at 16:20 |
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Unlikely. I needed some specific bolts for it a while ago and had a hard time even finding a local yard with a pre-03 panther in it.
Honeybunchesofgoats
> MM54
04/19/2019 at 16:44 |
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Keep it in the hopes that one day you become really rich and then restore it to new and people will write articles about how eccentric you are in your love for your own Crown Vic
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MoCamino
> MM54
04/19/2019 at 17:10 |
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The yard I frequent has a 97, a 99, and an 02 . Given I’m in Missouri, that doesn’t help you much, though. :( Sorry, I know what it’s like to have a project you can’t find used parts for.
BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind
> MM54
04/19/2019 at 17:53 |
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I always had good luck parting out cars on CVN or any of the Ford forums. Even if you just part out the good stuff (like the suspension bits, alternator, any clean body panels) and junk the rest, you’ll still come out ahead. Someone likely will buy the tranny and axles sell well , depending on your gears.
shop-teacher
> MM54
04/19/2019 at 19:07 |
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That’s too bad :(
Even if you sold it to me for $1, I couldn’t afford to get it here from there these days .
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MM54
> Honeybunchesofgoats
04/19/2019 at 20:53 |
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I don’t have anywhere to put it
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MM54
> MoCamino
04/19/2019 at 20:59 |
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Heck, I can’t even find new parts for my rx7, let alone used ones!
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MM54
> shop-teacher
04/19/2019 at 21:02 |
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Part of me wants to try and pull the pump on the premise of “worse case it still doesn’t work” - if I can get it out, replace it, otherwise it’s no worse off, just has some broken bolts holding in the dead pump. Not really sure how to drain 20 gallons of gas from a tank with no drain and a dead pump though (sender is on the side).
With your local rallycross shutting down, I figured you wouldn’t have any interest in it any more?
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MM54
> BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind
04/19/2019 at 21:05 |
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I’ve considered parting it out, the LSD 3.27:1 disk brake 8.8 axle is probably worth as much as the rest of the car. The trans is good but I don’t trust 200k+ mile automatics with unknown histories much. The engine is strong, alternator <10k miles old, I have a spare fender... somewhere. My issue is that I don’t have anywhere to part it out from. The garage is full (two cars which need to stay inside) and I can’t do it in the driveway. If I do junk it, I’d put the stock plenum and TB back on and take the upgraded ones on there now to the forum for sure.
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shop-teacher
> MM54
04/19/2019 at 22:34 |
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The SCCA took it over, so w e still have rallycrossing. The course isn’t quite as interesting as they were, because SCCA’s insurance has much stricter requirements. I still want to buy a Rallycross beater, it’s just going to have to wait until I pay off the kitchen.
I’ll make you a terrible offer. If you get it running and drive it here, we can codrive it in a Rallycross and then I’ll drop you off at the airport.
Who could resist a terrible deal like that!?!
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MM54
> shop-teacher
04/19/2019 at 23:12 |
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I am not opposed to that idea :)
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shop-teacher
> MM54
04/19/2019 at 23:30 |
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Well then :D