Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!

Ford Crown Victoria and Mercury Grand Marquis

1161719212261

Comments

  • sergeissergeis Member Posts: 134
    I have Mercury GM '95 with ~70K on it (mostly city). This is what I had to do since I bought it:
    Replace tape player (bad contact), under warranty
    Front brakes (2 yrs. ago, too much wear)
    All tires (this year)
    Plus oil and other regular stuff.
  • slinger31slinger31 Member Posts: 9
    If you are thinking of buying a 2001 GM or CV you had better get a good mechanic to check for Engine Imbalance. I just received my Check today from Ford on a buy back for just this problem. Trust me, I tried every GM, CV and Town Car at 3 different dealer locations and every car had the same problem. This did not exist prior to 2001. All 4.6 engines before 2001 are great. Again, think twice when looking at these vehicles.
  • suredsured Member Posts: 4
    I just bought a used 1994 Grand Marquis with 40,000 miles on the odometer. Unfortunately, I am experiencing the dreaded "transmission shudder" ! My question is.......should I try changing all the fluid and replacing it with Mercon V or should I take advantage of the powertrain warranty that came with my purchase ? If the fluid change works, I see no sense in changing the entire unit and maybe cause myself more problems. Any advice ??????????
  • rea98drea98d Member Posts: 982
    Do both. If you've got a warranty, it should cover getting the fluid replaced, and I'm sure the Ford guy would much rather do that than replace the transmission. If the Ford guy is worth his salt, he'll know about the problem, and that replacing fluid cures it. If not, if you're feeling gutsy, give him the heads up and hope he knows what he's doing, otherwise, find somebody that knows that transmission that will honor the warranty.
  • yonsei93yonsei93 Member Posts: 22
    Hey y'all,

    I was driving on the Highway today at around 60mph. I accelerated trying to go a little faster but the car hesitates a little. Should I be concerned when a 4cyl 89 toyota whizzes by??
  • heydave_heydave_ Member Posts: 10
    I've been patiently waiting for someone with a new CV with the SAP to report what they think. Any of you out there? or, isn't the car actually out in the public's hands yet? or did I miss some posts?

    Thanks!!
  • heydave_heydave_ Member Posts: 10
    Have all CV/GM fans fallen off the planet?? No new posts since 5/17 ??????????
  • kinleykinley Member Posts: 854
  • rea98drea98d Member Posts: 982
    But I do know they were making Crown Vics for a couple of years back in the 1950's. I think it was actually a trim package on the Sunliner or Fairlane or something, but they gave it a new name for marketing purposes. Got the "Crown" part from the Chrome strip going over the top of the car.
  • 4bing4bing Member Posts: 1
    My mother-in-law just bought a 95 CV, 28,000 actual miles, mint condition. She lives in Antioch, IL (far northeast corner of IL, on Wisc. border). Can anyone recommend a good dealer or mechanic for routine servicing? Just as important, is there anyone she should avoid.
  • kinleykinley Member Posts: 854
  • 92touring92touring Member Posts: 1
    I'm craving a set of Bilstein shocks for my '92 Vic Touring Sedan. Most Bilstein shock sources
    foot note the REAR shock specs with "not for self leveling suspension" or "not with air
    suspension". However, other sources don't make an issue of it. I called Bilstein USA but can't get
    a straight up answer. Also talked with two shops that sell Bilsteins and claim to have installed
    them on "air bagger Vics" but can't say how good/bad they worked out. Has anybody tried this
    combo...any down side?
  • carzfancarzfan Member Posts: 2
    Had a 95 Crown Vic with performance/handling package. Liked it a lot. Good ride, reasonable handling. Traded it in at only 46k miles for a new 2001 Marquis. During the test drive I noticed a clunk somewhere down in or below the driver's seat but did not think much of it. After having the car for a week I realized that the clunk happened when I made a right turn and accelerated at the same time: often but not always. Took it to dealer and they were clueless. Biggest problem, and biggest mistake I made was thinking this car would be just like my comparably equipped CV. It's not. The GM rides hard!! - and it has cushy Goodyear LS tires too. My wife has back problems and the hard ride was the deciding factor in trading it in at 3200 miles. Also- it did not help to hear about the plastic intake manifold and how Ford was Not taking care of the problem. Next time I will test drive more carefully and look under the hood more thoroughly, and not assume that the car is the same. So we bought an Avalon. Good-bye clunk... whatever you are.
  • swong2swong2 Member Posts: 2
    Published: 25 May 2001
    By: Robert Lane
    Updated:
    "In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends. " - Martin Luther King Jr.

    Ford Motor Company will extend the recall (01M02) on 4.6L V8 equipped vehicles with plastic intake manifolds. Some of the composite intake manifolds used on 4.6L SOHC engines may develop fatigue cracks at the coolant crossover duct. This condition could result in engine coolant leakage which, if not serviced, may cause engine overheating. Complete loss of coolant may result in engine damage or engine failure.

    The updated recall now includes:
    • Certain 1996 through 2001 Model Year Crown Victoria Police Interceptor
    • Certain 1998 through 2001 Model Year Crown Victoria with Taxi
    • Certain 1998 through 2001 Lincoln Town Car Limousine and Livery Prep Package
    • Certain 1996-2001 Crown Victoria Taxis, Police cars and Lincoln Town Car Limousine and Livery cars.

    • Certain 1996 through 1997 Crown Victoria Police Interceptor Vehicles with 4.6L SOHC engines built at the St. Thomas Assembly Plant from the beginning of production for the 1996 Model Year through January 28, 1997.
    • Certain 1998 through 2001 Crown Victoria Police Interceptor Vehicles with 4.6L SOHC engines built at the St. Thomas Assembly Plant from November 22, 1997 through December 15, 2000.
    • Certain 1998 through 2001 Crown Victoria Taxi Vehicles with 4.6L SOHC engines built at the St. Thomas Assembly Plant from November 22, 1997 through December 15, 2000.
    • Certain 1998 through 2001 Lincoln Town Car Limousine Prep Package and Livery Vehicles with 4.6L SOHC engines built at the Wixom Assembly Plant from November 22, 1997 through December 15, 2000.

    If an intake manifold coolant leak is detected, the dealer will replace the intake manifold. Owners of the affected cars are being notified that additional coverage for this specific condition is being provided. The coverage will be for 7 years from the warranty start date of the vehicle (no mileage limitation). This additional coverage is automatically transferred to subsequent owners.

    Read it and weep! To make the firestone tire debacle worse Ford comes out with another TSB fessing up to what we already know about their plastic resin intakes. This is not very comforting knowing the intake can "go south" rendering your vehicle undriveable in the middle of BFE. Enough of this can any third party come out with a metal intake?...I'd be willing to pay with my own money to get this fixed for once and for all.
  • dayton2dayton2 Member Posts: 5
    I'm still asking if anyone has a 2001 grand marquis with steering wheel vibration?? Every little bump in the road is felt in the steering wheel. Ford/Mercury says its the larger tires? Doesn't anyone else notice this? It feels like your riding on a basketball, bounce, bounce, bounce. Never had this problem with the previous 15 inch tires.
  • dwight53dwight53 Member Posts: 19
    Dealer is offering invoice with $2000 rebate and $500 loyalty discount.
  • carzfancarzfan Member Posts: 2
    That is part of what I was saying about the hard, jittery ride in the 2001 GM with the perf and handling package. Not only was the ride bumpy but yes, you could feel every little bump through the steering wheel too. Tried lower tire pressure and that did not help much, certainly not enough.
  • samuelgsamuelg Member Posts: 36
    Folks,

    For all my belly aching about my 2001 GM with the offset seats & erongomic shortcomings, I have not experienced the steering wheel vibration problem. Mechanically, the car seems to handle (P&H package is a must) rather well for such a large boat. I have to admit that the gas mileage is horrible with the P&H. I get around 15 city, 21 highway. I could be driving an SUV with this kind of MPG.

    I did successfully reengineer the drive seat to be in-line with the steering wheel. The misalignment at drove me crazy. But the fix is not for the faint-hearted. I also rebuilt the cushioning in the seat to make it softer. If you look at the older seat design (1993) vs the 2001, you can easily see why the newer seat is firmer/harder/hurts my toosh! In the newer models, 1/2 of the seat is spring, the rest is sheetmetal. The older seats are all spring suspension. Most people don't notice this, but my boney-butt hurt too much. I admit this is a unique problem I have. I loved the Avalon when I checked it out last year, but the seats were way too hard. Now with all my seat reengineering experience, I may give it another try.

    I have been fairly miserable for the 7 months I've owned this car. I too was very unhappy with it from day 3 of ownership. I'm giving it 1-2 more months to see if my latest seat redesign is comfy. You can't tell I did anything b looking at it- all the changes have been under the inner foam. The upholstry is identical to factory. I'f I'm not happy by the end of June, I will sell this car and face the financial hit. Unfortunately, my family, as passengers, loves this car. Figures....

    SamG
  • 427435427435 Member Posts: 86
    The Wall Street Journal reported tonight that SUV sales are down and resale values have also dropped sharply!! Maybe Ford has the next "hot" vehicle---a comfortable, safe car with a full frame and rear drive that easily gets 20+ MPG. The biggest impediment to that happening is the lack of attention to detail that the Crown Vic and Grand Marquis engineers have and product planners that can only think "geriatric" when they think of these cars.

    Compared to my '93 Grand Marquis that has given me 168,000 miles of good service, lots of space and comfort, 22-24 MPG on the highway and a tow rating of 5000 lbs., the new Grand Marquis and Crown Vic's ride like a "basketball"; have plastic intake manifolds that not only fail but took Ford a long time to "confess to"; have strange vibrations Ford can't fix, and the cars aren't built strong enough to tow more than 2000 lbs!! Let's see now---what do you think is going to happen to sales?

    Somebody at Ford that has a little passion and vision needs to take over this line of cars.
  • mrfmrf Member Posts: 20
    Just some comments on the passing scene:

    General comments regarding the CV/GM : You guys forgot to add BORING to your list of gripes. My 2000 GM is both generally boring to drive (although you gotta love anything with a V8) and extraordinarily boring in its reliablity so far (25k). As an FYI: previous car was an Accord. Its reliablity was.... 'sporatically annoying'. However, the Honda dealer I dealt with was first-class, the Lincoln/Mercury/Jaguar dealer I dealt with is populated by morons..

    Gas Mileage: Yes, I typically average 22-23 mpg with a 100 mile daily round-trip commute (mostly highway). Most folks I know with mid to full-sized SUV's are lucky to get mid-teens on long highway trips.

    The ride: My opinion is that the handling/performance package needs better shock calibration, as rebound control is pretty lousy over bumps.... and yes, these cars are not the mush-mobiles of the '70's, but personally, I think the ride is not at all 'harsh' compared to the 'big sellers': Accord, Camry, et al.... or better yet...an SUV...

    The manifold: My take is this: if it blows around 100k or whatever, and not much else breaks, then no problem, fix it, and I got another 100k to go...even though I'll probably only keep the car to 125 or 150k. But, if it blows at say 50k....well, it gets fixed, I trade-in on something else...simple as that. (I know this is not an option for everybody).
  • sergeissergeis Member Posts: 134
    I am getting normally 26-27 highway mpg on GM 95, hard to complain.
    And Ford people look OK here - I had only one problem with the car - tape quality, which was fixed by local Ford guys with no hassle - just dropped in, they took it out, and next time they put it back all working fine, no papers involved (had warranty). And funny - Honda people are not as eager to fix hondas, friend of mine never got speedometer fixed in his brand new accord (shows 5 mph more than it is) - they think it is not a big deal, somewhere in specs it said +-10% is OK. And another friend would never go to Honda with his older Accord again.
  • bruneaubruneau Member Posts: 8
    I have a gm with the handling package. While this set up corners better, there is a price to pay in ride and mileage. You have to take your choice. I notice rather thumpy downshifts to second when accelerating from 25-30 miles per hour in traffic. I don't like that. Anyone else notice it? Also, the cd changer in the trunk skips too easily. My car is chestnut metallic and beautiful- I guess I can forgive a few false notes.
  • 427435427435 Member Posts: 86
    I'm sorry mrf, but I don't think manifolds are something you should have to worry about when traveling (and I don't care at what mileage or age). There's enough other stuff that is electrical or actually moving that can go wrong (and will after warranty and before 150,000 miles) without Ford adding their manifold to the list. I wonder if the few $ that were saved by a plastic manifold vs the aluminum manifold that were on earlier 4.6's was enough to pay for the recalls and bad will?

    The best cars in the world (Mercedes, BMW, Lexus) have rear wheel drive and most have a V-8. With a little effort and not too much cost, Ford could turn the Crown Vic and Marquis into great cars---not what they are now!
  • mrfmrf Member Posts: 20
    I agree, you shouldn't have to worry about a manifold failing, but there are 2 points I'd like to make.. 1) Whether anybody likes it or not, plastic/resin/ceramic engine parts are the wave of the future and here to stay and 2) The point I was trying to make is: There are lots of potential high-mileage failures to contend with : suspension parts, wheel bearings, u-joints, alternators, p/s pumps, radiators, heater cores, water pumps, various emissions parts, plus the usual brakes, tires, shocks... the list goes on. So, when I bought this car I was not aware of the manifold controversy... now I am... Point is, if it fails, and nothing or not much else of the usual stuff busts, no biggy to me... its all a balancing act in terms of overall expense involved. In other words, for me, my main concern is OVERALL maintenance costs... yours may be different... that's ok.

    When I purchased this car, I did it solely because I wanted something large, safe, quiet (anyone who has had a Honda knows they aren't), comfortable, mechanically simple with a good reliability record, preferably rear-drive and inexpensive.. So what were my choices..?
    Yes, I could buy a Merc, BMW, Lexus if I wanted too, but they are neither inexpensive to buy or maintain in a high-mileage per-year scenerio or mechanically simple ... not a practical use of my money, in my opinion.

    Seems, that because of the manifold, I may have taken a big risk, eh? Well, so be it... my experience so far does not bear that out. If the risk bothers you, and rightly so, perhaps, I encourage you to shop elsewhere...

    .... I can still remember that I was somewhat disturbed when they started putting plastic exterior rear-view mirrors on cars... 'what cheap junk, said I'... :)
  • kingfishguskingfishgus Member Posts: 112
    I have a 93 GM GS and a 2001 GM GS, standard seats in both, and the seats are vastly different. The 93 still feels better after 120K miles. I don't mind the driver seat in the 2001 that much, but the passenger seat is awful. When I sit in it for extended periods it smashes flat and I can feel the sensor between my legs (please no jokes here, althought I know it is tempting). It sits alot lower as well, compared to the power drivers seat. I wish there was some way to modify that seat. I didn't try an LS passenger seat for a long ride, so I don't know if swapping my GS for LS seats would make a difference. Also, at some point during 2001, the GS seat specs changed to include a standard lumbar support for the passenger side. I wonder if any other changes were made at that time to the passenger side.
    Have had my 2001 since Dec and it only has 900 miles on it. Like my 93 with 120K better. 93 rides better, sits better, has better arm rests on the seats, and I can punch the radio buttons without leaning forward. The 2001 has a little more power, is quieter, and had a better radio although it is still a lousy sound system.
  • tpkentpken Member Posts: 1,108
    kingfishgus - ask your dealer what local upholstery shop he recommends for adjusting your seat. These shops are used to fixing seat complaints for customers and most likely can make yours quite comfortable by adding additional padding that will raise the seat height etc. I looked into this for the 00 Bonneville I bought to replace my 1990 GM when I couldn't get comfortable. It's feeling better these days so I haven't had the $150 or so job done yet but it's still a possibility.


    Good luck.

    Ken
  • warzonectxwarzonectx Member Posts: 26
    how fast can the ford Crown Victoria go.can is go 120. and is the Crown Victoria chain drivin or belt drivin if so email me or post it.and my name is matt.my email is warzonectx@yahoo.com
  • samuelgsamuelg Member Posts: 36
    Kinsfishgus,

    Read my notes above. I have investigated & researched the seats ad nauseum. I have the expolded dwgs from the parts guy at dealership, and just seeing the construciton of the '93 vs 2001 seat, you won't be surprised.

    I had more cushioning & foam modifications done one week into owning my car, based upon the recommendation of my dealer. Cost me almost $500, and was not a good experience. I'm very picky, and soon learned I'd have to make my own changes. But I did learn how to take apart the seat easily without removing it from the car. This is key.

    Around Oct, Ford made a change to the upholstry from the flat to the squared design, similar to the LS. They offered to swap my old seat for a new one if I liked. I did not do this. You may want to try this approach with your dealer.

    I DID buy a '93 seat from a junk yard, hoping to either use it's internal parts in the 2001 seat, or simply install the '93 into my new car. It kinda was dirty & cigarette smelly, so choose to use the lower seat spring coils from the 93 & added them to my 2001. I did a bunch of other stuff to relieve the "hump between your legs" feeling. What you feel is a solid slab of sheetmetal, no sensor. This has made the seat more comfortable, but I may have gone too far and now it may be too soft. I know this because I now have newly discovered back pain. Arg! I'm now dickering with it to try & get it just right.

    I'm very close to giving up & buying another car. This is not a pleasant experience. I wish I had my old '93 Sable. Ergonomically, it was perfect. Unfortunately, the head gaskets & brakes weren't. I'm learning you can fix those much more easily than a seat. It's crazy, I know.

    If you want more info, you can e-mail me off-line at CLGSM@attglobal.net

    SamG
  • samuelgsamuelg Member Posts: 36
    Oops, typo. My ID is CLGSMG@attglobal.net

    SamG
  • gift0025gift0025 Member Posts: 4
    '95 Mercury Grand Marquis with failure of 5 electric windows in 5 years. One failure covered under warranty. Paid for the other 4 for a total cost of about $1600. Every electric window in the car has failed once and the driver's side window has failed twice.The windows are not operated excessively. Is this experience similar to most owner's experience?
  • jsylvesterjsylvester Member Posts: 572
    Our fleet manager got the 2002 catalogue in the mail, and the 02 CV indicates it has 6 inches more room in the back seat. I believe they stretched the platform ala Town Car this year.

    Question, is all CV's for 2002 being stretched, or are they building a short and long platform next year?

    What are the changes for the new 2003 redesign?
  • sergeissergeis Member Posts: 134
    I have same '95 GM. The only electrical problem was tape quality, replaced under warranty. I have also replaced front brakes and all 4 tires recently. Car still looks like new inside and out, drives great, though my '81 CV was smoother and quiter until age 15, then its engine started to produce some noise.
    I guess there is something wrong with the window driving circuit - did you blow the window motors? I would check the driving voltage, might be too high. I don't know the circuit, it might have some "constant current/voltage" or something, which would include some chip or transistors, perhaps a switching current/voltage stabilizer, those thing can produce more voltage when they start to oscillate due to bad feedback. One may need an oscilloscope to test it, simple tester will only pick an average voltage.
  • harmarharmar Member Posts: 94
    Just finished reading all the posts here. Whew!

    I just upgraded from a '99 Sable to '00 GM program car (16K). So far, I'm very impressed. Much quieter than the Sable, and more stable in (side) windy conditions. I've noticed a little front wheel/steering jiggling over RR tracks, for example. Has anyone installed Bilstein shocks on their GM? If so, what are your experiences? Worth the swap? (I put them on a small motorhome, and the difference was amazing.)

    Also, my first mileage check was 23 mpg with most of that being around town. That's as good as I was getting on the Sable! (I don't run races from stop lights or drive it hard.)

    Thanks for any help.
  • gift0025gift0025 Member Posts: 4
    All of the electric window failures have been due to a part called the "regulator assembly." No motors have failed. Very few independent repair shops will tackle this job and apparently cannot get the part except from Ford. Two hours of labor are routinely charged plus the cost of the part plus a surcharge for shop rags, screws, chemicals, etc.
  • 427435427435 Member Posts: 86
    I had to repair the driver's door window on my '93 Marquis last year. The regulator cost about $75 and the worst part of the repair is getting the trim panel off the door. I can't remember for sure, but you may need to drill out a rivet on the window lift mechanism and replace it with a short bolt.
  • sergeissergeis Member Posts: 134
    Obviously those garage guys are not familiar with electronics. I am sure anyone familiar with electronic circuit and basic knowledge in electronics could pinpoit your problem easily. Does the same circuit drive all windows? Does it fail at the moment when you actually move one of the windows? Is it always the same window? Is it constant voltage or constant current regulator?
    Obviously the regulator is OK, and it burns because of something else, it might be abusive load (motor takes too much current, something wrong with it, or there is an occasional shortcircuit in wires, though the circuit must have electronic protection for that), or the power which comes to the circuit is not normal. If it is under computer control (most probable), then the computer program itself may abuse it by continuing powering window while it has reached the limit. Anyway, the circuit is not the problem. It is like keeping replacing flat tire while your garage floor is full of loose nails.
  • sergeissergeis Member Posts: 134
    My previous message was for gift0025.
  • 427435427435 Member Posts: 86
    Sergeis, you may know electronics but not Ford's terminology for power window components. The device that failed in my power window, that Ford called a "Regulator", wasn't electrical. The part was a drum with a steel cable wrapped around it and the cable was kinked and not tracking on the drum. Yes, it was driven by an electric motor but the motor wasn't the problem. When I told the partsman what I needed, he said, "Oh yes, you need a regulator assembly." He left me with the impression that he had seen this problem before.
  • sergeissergeis Member Posts: 134
    I see. It is just that I still had no problems with GM '95, didn't need to learn Ford's terminology. Hope to keep it this way.
  • bjuddbjudd Member Posts: 1
    Does anyone know if there is any truth to the article in Motortrend.com about a souped-up
    Crown Vic named the Blackhawk? Will it be built
    or will we have to wait for the Marauder?
  • neanderbobneanderbob Member Posts: 6
    Hello all! I need some help. I've got a 92 Vic with the 4.6L, 235,000 kilmetres on it. I love it to pieces but lately it's become almost undriveable. It bucks, bangs, lurches, and shudders under light throttle. To get past this point you have to floor it for a downshift. I can't even tell if it's the engine or transmission doing this. Full throttle is great. It seems to be worse when its hot. It acts the same in "3", and overdrive. Recently ALL fluids and filters have been changed but the problem didn't start for a few months afterwards. Also I would like to know what fuel is recommended and if it can tolerate an ethanol blend (having trouble getting an owners manual). Any advice would be much appreciated! Thanks for your time.
  • 427435427435 Member Posts: 86
    Neanderbob: Is check engine light on? If so, take it somewhere where they can do a computor scan.

    If it stumbles at idle but not full throttle, some of the possiblities include:
    --A vacuum leak.
    --A bad air flow sensor
    --A bad throttle position sensor

    If you haven't changed plugs and wires, it might be worth changing them, but, if they were bad, it shouldn't run well at full throttle either.

    Good Luck.
  • mortonmorton Member Posts: 1
    Hello,
    I am thinking of buying a 1997 GM GS model from a family friend. It has 30K miles. The interior and exterior are excellent. This will be a family car. I have two questions.

    #1 Is $11,500 a good price?

    #2 How long is the original warranty in effect. Is the drive train still covered?

    Thank You
    PM
  • neanderbobneanderbob Member Posts: 6
    Thanks for the ideas. I'll replace the plugs and wires first as the check engine light does not come on. Maybe run some fuel injector cleaner through it. If still no-go it's off to the dealer I guess.
  • kingfishguskingfishgus Member Posts: 112
    My 93GB eats regulartors also. I have replaced each one once, and the drivers twice. It is the drum and cable assembly failing, not electronics, in every case. The couple I looked at were broken where the cable attaches to the frame under the window. The cable is not broken, but the plastic fitting where that end fits breaks. Some of this has to be because of poor design. One mechanic said it will help if you keep the front and rear window tracs lubricated. He reccomended silicone spray. That still leaves the center pilar the above mentioned plastic part rides up and down on unlubricated. It's probably a good ideas to put some white grease on it as well. I did notice that before a couple of mine broke, the windows was moving somewhat slower than the others. That makes me think that it had significanly more drag on it that the others, thus the cable pulling harder on the plastic piece, causing the ultimate failure. Good news is that this assembly was supposedly changed in 1998 with the other body changes (and the better brakes, thank goodness). And yes, to replace the regulator you have to drill out what looks like a very big pop rivet, and put a new rivet back in.
  • thekozman1thekozman1 Member Posts: 10
    Bob,

    Try logging onto this website

    https://www.ownerconnection.com/FormsLoginSSL.asp?Make=Unbranded&Model=default&L=49&N=840

    This is Fords website and once in go into glovebox and you can download the owners manuall for your vehicle.

    Good luck
  • jerrym3jerrym3 Member Posts: 202
    I don't see a reason for Ford to sell both vehicles, even though the Blackhawk did not appear to offer all the Marauder performance goodies. The Blackhawk looked more like a handling/appearance package while the Marauder added performance (DOHC motor) to the mix.
    However, I think that the CV/Blackhawk has a better look from the front than the Marauder. Except for the front, the rest of the Marauder is basically all CV anyway, especially in the rear.
    I like the CV blacked out grille better than the Marauder's slightly modified grille. To me, once they took out the hump in the upper part of the grille on the Merc, the car started to remind me of the Cougar front end a few years back.
  • kingfishguskingfishgus Member Posts: 112
    Today I rented a 01 GM and it must have been made after Oct because the seats sit quite a bit diffeent than my GM that was made in sept/oct. Seats look better and feel better. Drivers seat sits a little higher and has more padding, although it is stiffer feeling, not softer. This one has 14K miles on it and mine has less than 1K (even though I bought it in Dec).
  • rea98drea98d Member Posts: 982
    But isn't the Sport Appearance Package on the Crown Vic the production equivalnet of the Blackhawk? Body-colored grille (ugly, IMO), bucket seats, floor shifter, nothing really to make it any faster than it already is.
  • jerrym3jerrym3 Member Posts: 202
    The Sports Appearance Package sure does sound like what would have been the Blackhawk, but without the name and without limiting the color to only black.

    I saw a CV with the Sports package at the NY autoshow. I don't believe the grille was body color, and I don't remember the car being anymore monochromatic than a regular CV. But, it was 1) locked and 2) parked in front of the Marauder, which really had all my attention. (However, I think I've seen pictures of a red CV with the Sports Package and mono grille either in a magazine or at another autoshow.)

    I know what I'm going to say it blasphemy and the slings and arrows will be forthcoming, but I actually like some of the half vinyl roof treatmants that I've seen on the GM.
    I am not a fan of vinyl tops (I've seen a few vinyl topped LS's at the local Lincoln dealer and disliked them), but, on the GM, some of the installations have made the rear window and roofline more attractive. (The rear window is set deeper due to the padding, similar to the late 80's TownCars, and the padding covers all the ugly c-panel exposed seams.) Unfortunately, some go overboard with the opera light treament and chrome band over the b-panel and roof.

    Has anyone actually sat in a CV or GM with the bucket seats? If so, how are they comfort-wise?
Sign In or Register to comment.