Hot Rod Lincoln

"Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom" (will-alib) 02/23/2015 at 16:20 • Filed to: None

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I'm putting together a wish list for a project car I hope to start this summer. I'm looking to buy a late-model Town Car (love the land yachts) for a DD, and build it up over time. Ultimately I'd like to swap in a Coyote 5.0 with 6R80 trans and 3.55 gears, but that would be down the road a bit. I'm not sure how simple such a powertrain swap would be though; don't know if custom engine/trans mounts would be required. Also compatibility of existing wiring harness with that from a boneyard Mustang GT could lead to a migraine. I'm curious to know if there's any kind of commonsense guide for projects like this. Until the engine/trans issues get worked out, it'll be limited to rims & tint like this car.

Party-vi > Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom 02/23/2015 at 16:27

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That...looks good. Why not strap a blower to the current engine?

CalzoneGolem > Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom 02/23/2015 at 16:27

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Do you already have a town car sourced? If not you might want to think about starting with an LS v8

GeorgeyBoy > Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom 02/23/2015 at 16:28

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Lots of custom work.

I've seen some Lincoln Ls LS swaps, just really hard worthless (to me) work. If anything a Mark VIII is more easily built upon.

GeorgeyBoy > CalzoneGolem 02/23/2015 at 16:28

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While it might sound appealing, it's not. Really bad/expensive platform to build on.

Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom > CalzoneGolem 02/23/2015 at 16:29

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Not yet, but I prefer the TC to the LS.

Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom > Party-vi 02/23/2015 at 16:30

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I could end up going that route, (I'm sure it'd be easier/cheaper) but the part of the appeal was going from a 4spd to a 6spd autobox. This may get overruled though.

Snuze: Needs another Swede > Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom 02/23/2015 at 16:46

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If my memory serves me correctly, those come with a 4.6L DOHC V8. The 4.6L DOHC is actually a pretty potent platform, the 5.0L is really just an extension of it. Swapping a Coyote probably isn't going to gain you much you couldn't pickup from some cams and maybe an intake manifold. Also, Mod motors looooove boost. Throw a blower or turbo on it. You might be able to find the top end from a Terminator Cobra (the 03-04 4.6L Supercharged) and throw that on. They were supposedly a conservative 390HP stock, and some simple upgrades (boost pulley, tune, headers) would have you at 600HP.

Snuze: Needs another Swede > Party-vi 02/23/2015 at 16:47

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Mod motors looove boost!

GeorgeyBoy > Snuze: Needs another Swede 02/23/2015 at 16:51

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No Town Car came with a DOHC 4.6. The Marauder has the DOHC though.

V8Demon - Prefers Autos for drag racing. Fite me! > Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom 02/23/2015 at 16:52

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I'm gonna say it......Take no offense to this, please:

DO NOT DO AN ENGINE SWAP ON A NEWER COMPUTER CONTROLLED CAR IF IT'S A DD!

There I said it. Custom parts can turn into a headache and empty wallet if you are not prepared for a possible failure of those parts. Heck, even if you are prepared it can turn into a nightmare on a long road trip.

Let's say that your timetable dictates that you complete said swap in a year. 15,000 miles later your 600 miles away from home and a part that helped in this swap breaks; something not quite obtainable in your average parts store. What then?

I know I'm giving worst case scenario, but if you're not ready for that worst case mentally or financially, it can be a letdown to say the least. I find the more I do to my toys, the less I take them on errands/DD duty. Road trips in them are planned. I have parts numbers readily available for all things swapped.

Don't get me wrong upgrading is fun. Hell I'd stick a blower on a DD car, upgrade the rear, suspension, trans, etc. Something as complex as a Coyote swap into a Panther platform can make a mechanic 600 miles away who's unfamiliar charge lots of labor and have the car in limbo while waiting for parts....

Hammerdown > Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom 02/23/2015 at 17:05

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Current Crown Vic owner here. J-mod the transmission. Put a 3.55 limited slip out back and save your money for heads, intake, and low buck turbo setup or a blower. That 4.6 is dead reliable so why hack it up for something not that much better? Everything I just listed would be 5-6 grand and you could drive it as you worked on it. You'd put at least that into a coyote swap and it would for 6 weeks while you mocked it up and got it wired.

wantafuncar > V8Demon - Prefers Autos for drag racing. Fite me! 02/23/2015 at 17:11

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While I think this is true generally, if he is swapping another readily available engine into a car from the same brand then it should significantly limit the risk of which you speak. Just my .02

wantafuncar > Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom 02/23/2015 at 17:15

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Love this idea.

I've had the "What if Ford made a Mustang Town Car ala Hot Rod Lincoln" idea in my head for years.

What I would do: Look at those Rousch Panthers that were upgraded for racing — borrow/steal as much from them as possible. Everything I've read said they are well sorted and good cars. Also along these lines, I think Kenne Brown made a hopped up Marauder as a complete package. Car Craft Magazine also did a panther build, on a CVPI. I think this would be a good place to start and see what they're upgrading.

Driveshaft. If I remember right, these come with a 2.73 or something horrible from the factory. Upgrade that ratio, also upgrade that driveshaft.

Interceptor / Marauder components: You could probably swap some of these out for a performance imporvement on the cheap (things like brakes, trans cooler, etc).

If you want to keep the automatic, I think it would be much easier to rebuild and/or upgrade the existing 4.6 than it would be to swap a Coyote. Boost seems to be the 'go to' way to make power from a mod motor. If you're going manual, most people say you'll need a lot of upgrades to support that, so you might as well go Coyote if the funds are there.

V8Demon - Prefers Autos for drag racing. Fite me! > wantafuncar 02/23/2015 at 17:17

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I'd have a book with every wiring diagram for both cars in the trunk at all times. You never know. Like I said, I gave a worst case scenario. Just food for thought basically.

Cherry_man1 > Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom 02/23/2015 at 17:20

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Why not Marauder?

Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom > Cherry_man1 02/23/2015 at 21:21

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I like the TC better

Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom > V8Demon - Prefers Autos for drag racing. Fite me! 02/23/2015 at 21:58

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Good point. A Coyote swap w/6R80 would be cool as hell (and different) but would probably cost cubic dollars in fabricated parts and the boneyard powertrain. And I can easily see the wiring becoming a nightmare as the car never left the factory with that engine/trans combination. I've been looking into supercharger kits from the OEMs to see what might work on the Lincoln.

Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom > wantafuncar 02/23/2015 at 22:00

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The Coyote was just a thought exercise - I don't have an unlimited budget. What's making more sense now is a blower kit to boost the stock 239hp up to 350ish and gearing down to 3.55 or so

Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom > Hammerdown 02/23/2015 at 22:01

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What's the transmission J-mod? This is the AOD trans, right?

Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom > Party-vi 02/23/2015 at 22:02

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Yep, that would make a lot more sense than a Coyote. And be a lot simpler/cheaper.

Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom > Snuze: Needs another Swede 02/23/2015 at 22:15

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They have a 4.6 SOHC, with a fire-breathing 239hp. The goal would be a reliable 375-400hp, and it seems a blower is the way to go

Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom > Hammerdown 02/23/2015 at 22:33

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Disregard. I read it's a valve body mod.

Squid > Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom 02/24/2015 at 00:15

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Just read the comments and agree with the "just add boost" crowd. Mods are dead reliable when the maintenance has been done to them. The rear air springs are going to be your major issue if they pop. But you can just shove some Vic coils back there. Honestly the TC has to be one of the most reliable cars you can get.

Just add boost and laugh at people when you step on it. But with the boost you say goodbye to the decent hwy mpg.

Good luck with your project. I wanted to get a 97 and put some twins on it and just laugh in tire smoke.

Squid > CalzoneGolem 02/24/2015 at 00:16

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Parts are expensive and the engine bay won't accommodate a mod let alone a coyote.

CalzoneGolem > GeorgeyBoy 02/24/2015 at 07:51

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That's too bad. I've always heard good things about the LS.

CalzoneGolem > Squid 02/24/2015 at 07:54

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There is always boost.

Snuze: Needs another Swede > GeorgeyBoy 02/24/2015 at 07:57

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Ahh, you are correct, it appears the Continental and Mark VIII, and Marauder came with the DOHC, the Town Car got the SOHC.

Snuze: Needs another Swede > Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom 02/24/2015 at 08:10

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GeorgeBoy just pointed me in the right direction, the Town Car got the SOHC. However, the Mercury Marauder, which it shares a platform with, got the DOHC engine. This leads me to believe there is room to stuff a DOHC engine if you want to go that route.

That said, I just recalled some articles I've read about that engine and I think 400hp is very doable without converting to DOHC or adding a blower. When you have some time, check out Hot Rod Magazine's Junkyard Jewels series on the Ford Mod. Just Google "Hod Rod 4.6" and read the first 4 articles that come up.

The only thing I'm not crazy about was they converted it to a carburetor. But in the first article they made 370HP with ported PI heads, headers, cams, and carbs. Then they tweaked it a bit with a new carb and some other things and made 385. Then they did Trick Flow heads and cams and made like 450HP. Lastly they did a low-buck eBay turbo build and made almost 600HP. So you could probably go Trick Flow Heads, a slightly less aggressive cam, and headers, and make a solid 400HP all motor and would probably be comparable price wise to a well sorted blower or turbo kit.

Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom > Squid 02/24/2015 at 09:59

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Another poster pointed out the 2v 4.6 can make 400 reliable HP without boost by using Trick Flow heads, proper cam and high-flow injectors without the cost or complexity of a blower.

Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom > Snuze: Needs another Swede 02/24/2015 at 10:03

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I've seen a few Marauders on FleaBay, which might be a good starting point with the 300hp DOHC engine, but I've got a soft spot for the TC. I like the idea of a head swap with cams and high-flow injectors - wouldn't want to go the carb route. The goal would be 375-400 reliable HP, and it sounds like that approach would be cheaper than adding boost.

Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom > Squid 02/24/2015 at 11:44

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Edit: The TFS Twisted Wedge heads made 453hp on a boneyard 2V 4.6 - this seems like the way to go.

Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom > Hammerdown 02/24/2015 at 11:55

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I've read the 4R75W will handle up to 500lb-ft which is well over the 390 torques the 4.6 made with the TFS Twisted Wedge heads I'm currently considering. But, is there a hp limit for that trans also? I'd definitely swap in some lower gears; I had considered 3.73s to move that car's 4,000+lb bulk but the 3.55s sound like a better compromise considering the big bump in power.

Hammerdown > Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom 02/24/2015 at 12:42

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I think the torque converter would be what you would want to worry about. I would check out crownvic.net and see what you can scare up. There's lots of good resources there.

Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom > Hammerdown 02/24/2015 at 13:51

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Will do, thanks.

Rainbow > Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom 03/04/2015 at 10:35

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Someone near me has a twin-charged Grand Marquis. He has some low-profile sport tires, but he keeps the stock ones on it for normal driving, just for fun. It looks like your grandma's car, and then it's suddenly going 150 and looking badass.

That said, I don't know if he's using the stock engine or if he's swapped something else in. But if it is all standard aside from the turbo- and superchargers, you could do something like that instead. Probably much less of a headache for just as cool of a finished product.