Ford Crown Victoria and Mercury Grand Marquis

johnbono

The car already has the tires for it. The tires on the CV are *HUGE*!!! Ford has definitely blown it with the Crown Vic for a long time though. Since '96 there has been a distinct minority of Crown Vic owners who are younger and want a big, fast, cheap car, and the CV is the closest thing out there to that. But ford's marketing drives away this potential market. One would think they gave away AARP memberships with the car by their advertising!

golfnut5

The Mercury division could start by advertising/marketing the CV/GM at younger buyers. I hardly ever see an ad for the CV or GM unless it is a year end sale. There seems to be no effort to get younger buyers into the show rooms of Ford/Mercury Dealers. I was in the market for a new car in 1995 and had test driven several full size cars (Buick/Olds). After a long day of test drives I decided to test drive a new GM, got two miles down the road and knew this was the car for me. At that time I was 37 years old, and in March of this year I bought my second new GM. I will have to admit that I do alot of traveling in my work and need a comfortable safe car, but I can't imagine going back to a midsize rattle box anytime soon. The CV/GM are exceptional values.

jsylvester

I'm 34, and been looking at the CV/GM. Most of my friends never even considered looking at one, mainly due to it's complete lack of marketing. Instead, they buy SUV's, Maxima's, Japanese cars, etc. Many say it is an old person's car, but none of them have ever driven or ridden in one. I find old people tend to have much more common sense than the youth, so that doesn't bother me. Seems Ford doesn't advertise them, and still sells out the production every year, so why bother?

Been looking for a base CV with the P&H package and CD player. Problem is most salesmen don't know anything about them built that way, and tough to find a CV not fully loaded. Guess best thing to do is try the Internet, get a quote, and take it to your local dealer and ask them to look for you as well.

For me, I would prefer the 3.27 rear axle, cannot believe swapping out the 3.55 would cost very much. Any ideas on the cost of that?

99crownvic

jsylvester,
I believe that a young guy buying a CV appreciates Ford's melding of advanced technology with a traditional design motif (body-on-frame, RWD)that's been around since cars were invented.
I'm 35 year old and bought my 99 CV-PH 18 months ago-- and couldn't be more delighted with the car. It's sleek, nimble, comfortable-- and I think a powerful statement of individuality. I am a physician and managment consultant, and all of my colleagues drive BMW's, Lexuses, Acuras, Grand Cherokees and the like-- what's so individual about that?
I ordered my base CV with the P&H package and the CD player. (The dealer told me that the CD was not available on the base model, but I proved him wrong.) My CV has a few "enhancments": Bilstein shocks, Superchip, K&N air filter, and 3.73 rear axle (more aggressive than the 3.55 you were considering). The gear swap cost me about $500 including the labor. Fuel economy suffers by about 15%, but it does 0-60 in 8 seconds. Grey window tint and a black grille complete the cosmetics.
For a young guy with a bold, somewhat contrarian outlook-- this IS the car.

iusecad

a base CV w/ the P&H package, CD & keyless is what I've been looking for, too... I'm 22 and my friends think I'm crazy for wanting a cop car... oh well;

99crownvic: what kind of city mileage do you get & where did you get the black grille? is it from an interceptor?

oh and I've yet to see a base model; I read it has a different fabric on the seats than the LX, is it quite a bit different?

swong1

Been reading posts and yes you can get just the base CV with P&H package. I originally went to menay dealers who had fully loaded CV's but nothing what I had in mind hence I ordered one which came in not quite 8 weeks later. I've had my '99 Toreador Red CV with P&H pagage along with just the keyless door entry. Paid not quite 21 before taxes and when I accepted delivery I approached the dealers stereo/alarm mechanic. We struck up a deal where he would install both the 6-cd changer along with the oem alarm for $500. Been driving this ride for over 2-1/2 years now going up and down the east coast .....I go from NYC to Leesburg, Va on business quite often! This car's never been touched by any mechanic other than myself. I just recently changed the plugs (real easy especially with the coil-on-plug design) and the original set of plugs looked brand new. Since I've had the car I've also added Russell Speed Bleeders and a B&M tranny cooler. You guys should definitely install speed bleeders simply because you can flush/bleed the brake lines in under five minutes with the car parked. Just make sure you keep the coolant topped off...the plastic composite intake manifolds tend to crack (Ford has a 7-year no questions asked TSB out on this!). The design was supposed to have changed during the '96 change-over but there are still reported work for the same part. Other than that the car is a peach to service, ride, and own. BTW, I keep the tire pressure at 35psi all four tires...CV's are notorious for eating up the outer edges of the tires. If you don't believe me check using a penny comparing center treads to the front outer edges! I've got over 20k on my '99 and the Goodyear LS Eagles look brand new.

dhmacarthur

Most salespersons don't know much about CVs or how they can be equipped. I suggest looking online at dealer inventories to find a base model with the options you want. Autonation is good at displaying inventories, but sometimes it's hard to discover how the cars are equipped. Usually, a base CV with an MSRP over $24,000 has the P&H package. And, you have go in person to local dealers and look around the lot. I shopped for over 2 months before I bought my 00 CV. One local dealer had FIVE base models with the P&H package. Right there on the lot in a variety of colors. The first time I asked the salesman if they had any cars equipped like that, he said that combination would be hard to find. Then, he didn't know if the ones he had were equipped with keyless entry or not (they weren't). I finally picked out a base CV with P&H, CD player, power seat and floor mats. The price was $21,400. Not bad, but it took over a month before the dealer would give me a reasonable price for my 94 GM trade-in. I knew more about the CV and options than anyone at the dealership. Still, the car is great. The P&H package is well worth searching for. Out of curiosity, I located several others in other parts of the country. The last of the five base P&H models at this dealer was sold a couple of weeks ago. I now have 4000+ miles on my car with no problems. The 3.55 rear axle ratio doesn't do much for gas mileage, but makes the car really jump off the line. One of the best cars I have owned since I had my last Corvette! A much better car than my 94 GM.

jsylvester

Not to jump the gun since the 2001 are not even out in big numbers, (locally they are advertising 00 Crown Vic's for $2,200 UNDER dealer invoice), and but my 92 Taurus 3.8 is still running very strongly, just don't like the shift action on the transmission and the engine runs out of breath on the freeway, though it loves to cruise. So I have plenty of time to replace it.

I would prefer the 01 over the 00 for the new engine upgrades, but wondering if the 02 redesign would take care of some of the ergonomic issues:

folding rear seat - there's your SUV storage ability

new center single arm rest design with storage for CD's/tapes

remote stereo controls on the dash near the steering wheel (ala my 92 Taurus)

Better front cupholder's

Rear center arm rest

I think mechanically and styling, the car is fine.

Actually been thinking about waiting to see what the 02 will have, and if no big improvements, get the 01 with the P&H package & CD near the end of next model year.

Ford has a competitive product, only real weakness compared to Avalon/LeSabre is fuel economy, but price, maintenance costs, durability, and insurance make up for that.

robert98

I've only discovered this site about a week ago and have spent hours reading thru all the information and opinions. All have been helpful and interesting. I have a question. I just pruchased a 1998 Crown Victoria w/the P & H option. Spent quite a while looking for it. Now that I have been driving (mostly city) for about a week, I notice that I'm getting about 14.2 MPG. I'm wondering if this is the norm. Thanks in advance for your help.

cebuano

14.2 mpg sounds about right. The EPA estimate of 17 mpg in the city doesn't consider the P & H option. The 1998 P & H rear axle ratio of 3.27 means that your engine RPM is running around 1.2X higher than a non-P & H going at the same speed. A little math shows that your gas mileage is about right. My 2000 CV with P & H came with an even higher 3.55 rear axle ratio, a factor of 1.3, so I'm probably getting around 13 mpg in the city. Oh well, for the extra pick up, you're gonna pay a little more at the pump.

andre1969

I just found this message board today, so sorry if this topic is old. Someone had mentioned going to look at a Crown Vic police cruiser for sale. I can tell you my police car experiences.

About 2 years ago, I went to a dealership that specializes in refurbished police cars, looking for a 1989-90 Caprice. I ended up coming home with a 1989 Plymouth Gran Fury. The people at the dealership said, that in their experience, the main weakness in the Ford products was the engine, the GM products was the transmission, and the Mopars had suspension problems.

The newer 4.6 OHC Ford engines have been more reliable than the 5.0/5.8 engines they used to have, but still not as well as the Chevy 350. As for the Mopar 318, forget it...if there is a nuclear war, two things will survive...the cockroach and the 318 ;-)

The main problem with Ford, I've heard, is that the engines are not beefed up very much for police duty. GM and Chrysler upgrade their cars more for severe duty. I also heard that when Ford started switching to larger, more low-profile tires, the suspensions could not take the extra firmness and were causing problems.

As for acceleration, I'm sure the newer ones are much quicker, but I have a friend with a civilian 1995 Grand Marquis, single exhaust, which is either 190 or 195 hp. My Grand Fury can take him in a drag race (don't ask me how I know this ;-) but honestly, not by much.

As for the reliablity of my former police car, well, I bought it with only 73,000 miles on it. It was a Sheriff's car and spent a lot of time idling, serving arrest warrants, and going to the Donut shop. Now it has about 111,000 miles on it, and has been pretty reliable. I used it to deliver pizzas, and I let my roommate borrow it to deliver papers and go to work when his Tracker broke. So it hasn't exactly had an easy life in my hands. I've had to replace the fuel pump, starter, valve cover gaskets, tires, front brakes, belts/hoses, front oil seal, and 2 power window motors.

Now don't think I'm slamming the Ford products, because I'm not. In fact, next time around when I get a new car, I'm considering a Grand Marquis if I can get one with dual exhaust. Just check it out carefully as you would with any used car, because, as someone else mentioned, police cars do go throuh a lot more abuse than civvie cars. Often they're better maintained, but that's not always the case.

Good luck,
-Andre

robert98

Thanks for the info. I'm sure to have further questions as this seems to be a very informative site. Thanks again, robert98

sales1

I have a 98 CV , without P/H, as a road car for work & drive 50,000 miles per yr. I get keep very close records for reimbursment purposes & in the last yr I have averaged 26 MPG. All highway miles,not much interstate, mostly 2 lane.
I plan on trading( It has 68k on it) this weekend
& am concerned about what I can expect from a 99 CV/GM I just can't live with 20 MGH!

sales1

I have a 98 CV , without P/H, as a road car for work & drive 50,000 miles per yr. I keep very close records for reimbursment purposes & in the last yr I have averaged 26 MPG. All highway miles,not much interstate, mostly 2 lane.
I plan on trading( It has 68k on it) this weekend
& am concerned about what I can expect from a 99 CV/GM I just can't live with 20 MGH!

robert98

Open forum question. After reading through most all entries on this forum, I have been thinking about installing a full set of these. Can anyone summerize for me what to expect as far as handling changes on freeway driving? Would I expect to see a noticeable difference compared to the factory shocks? My driving is a mixed bag. So, as far a mileage goes, it's kinda' like be careful what you wish for, as you just might get it. Had I have known, it might just have tempered my NEED for the P/H package......

golfnut5

Last week in my 2000 GM without p/h I got 29.7 mpg on a 400 mile trip. The trip was all interstate without use of a/c. I have about 17,000 miles on my 2000 GM. I used to own a 95 GM and got as high as 30 mpg with a/c on and all interstate. Considering the weight of these cars and the v8, I think these cars get good gas mileage.

bthomp

The Bistein HD will firm up the highway ride. By this I mean the car will not have a floaty feeling. Minor pavement gaps will not be noticable as with the P+H shocks. At lower speeds you will have a firmer (not jarring) ride. In rough turns the car will handle like a sports car, not a boat. Overall the car will be much better controlled, competent, yet smooth and more refined. As for gas mileage, what you gain in mpg in the standard CV/GM you loose in acceleration. A standard CV will take about 10.5 seconds to get up to 60mph. The P+H is mid 8's with 3.27rear gear and low 8's with 3.55.

robert98

Thank you...very much. That's (your description) is what I was looking for. I guess I will go for the Bilsteins. I've driven an '87 T-bird for almost 12 years and this car does seem "floaty" to me. Another open question. I've read and read through these sites to point of forgetting more than I remember. I was trying to research opinions of extended warranties. Have quotes from many (1Source, Warranty Gold, Warranty Direct) to name a few. Much of what I've read, seems you really don't expect major problems with this car. The T-bird took a transmission @101K. I'm really in a quandary as to whether or not to spend another $1000.00 for a false sense of security. All the coverages seem about the same. Had one co. wanting to call the dealer to assure they would honor their policy. Naturally Ford wants to only talk of their policy which would in actuality only add an additional 3 yrs and about 70K coverage for the same thing. Any opinions???

timbotimbo

I'm seriously considering a new CV or GM but am concerned about rear wheel drive in the snow since I live in NE Pa. Anybody have experience?? Does traction control help or just make things worse??

dhmacarthur

I did buy the Ford extended (60K) warranty for around $1000 when I bought my 00 CV with "the package" (P&H). That decision was based on my 61/2 year experience with my 94 GM, which I bought new. At around 40K miles the pass front window broke. It was the regulator; cost was $250 for repair. Before 60K miles two more windows did the same thing. Another $500. That seems to be typical, and if the extended warranty fixes only two windows, that's half the cost of the warranty. I had good service with my 94 GM, but when anything went wrong, it almost always meant a bill of several hundred dollars. Also, at 40K miles, the torque converter was replaced. I had a partial ext. warranty which paid for part of that, but that was still another $300. The warranty on the 00 CV covers the ABS (expensive to repair) and the rear air suspension. After spending over $21K on a car, it was worth another $1000 not to have to worry about repairs. The ABS on the 94 GM broke and I decided not to pay $900 to have it fixed. I have had extended warranties on other vehicles and almost always recovered what they had cost.

robert98

Thank you for your thoughts and insight. I have read many reports of window problems. I really think the potential is there, with all the intertwined electrical, to have problems. I think I will go with some extended plan. I wish I had some input for (timbotimbo) but being Los Angeles born and raised, haven't had much snow experience.I did drive in Fairbanks AK for 2 years though. Long before these electronic brains were available....Thanks again for your time.

andor1

I haven't been able to pull the trigger on the '00 GM and now am looking at the '98's. As foolish as it may sound, I just like the looks of the '98 better. Any comments or particular things I should be looking for or should I just go ahead with the '00 model

bbyaw

My 2000 CV has developed a problem with the cruise control. After braking while in cruise mode, I hit the resume button to bring the car back up to the set speed. Rather than accelerate gradually, often the car accelerates rapidly up to and past the set speed. If I brake again and go through the same routine, it accelerates normally. I brought this to the attention of my Ford dealer at the 1st scheduled service but was told there was no "service code" for that problem therefore it was unserviceable. Anyone have any thoughts or similar cruise control malfunctions? Thanks in advance for any help.

kinley

button is pressed after I've gradually reached the desired speed with the gas pedal. (How do you spell accelerator?) IMO the way it works is not a malfunction, but enables the quickest return to "at speed". Regarding Extended Warranties, $1,000 is quite a premium for this insurance when the dealers cost is $150.

mdelrosso

#435 cruise control on CV-sounds like your car is returning to it's roots of wanting to be a trooper car. Every time I see a CV behind me I slow down figuring it must be a cop. Why would anyone want to drive around in a car that is a 20 year old outdated design, simply a tub on wheels! Order mine in white with the optional blue roof lights!!

evilmgr

I am buying a 93 Grand Marquis LS and I have had it checked out by a mechanic and everything seems to be in really good shape. What should I do after I buy it? Should I have all the fluid changed? Is there any preventative stuff I should do? I need this car to last me through college so I want to make sure I get off on the right foot. Thanks for any advice you can give me!

Oh, and I have been reading some of the posts about gas mileage and everyone seems to be talking about the new ones with P&H. Who has a 93 and what should it get?

johnbono

Just remember one thing...5w30 oil!

evilmgr

I don't know ANYTHING about cars. Is 5w-30 different than normal oil? This may sound stupid but what do they put in at Valvoline usually? I am going to learn how to do this stuff on my own so i need all the help i can get. thanks.

kinley

I recommend reading the owners manual and also get a Haynes Repair manual at an automotive store. Read through the owners manual and then look up in the Haynes what interests you. If your Merc was serviced at one place, ask for a copy of their records. It may be you will not have to replace any fluids. It depends when the fluid was replaced. 93 was an excellent year & IMO you made a good decision. Good Luck.

casper98

Thanks everyone for the great input.

I am currently looking at the CNG option; does anyone have any exxperience with this on the CV or GM? Would it be possible to retrofit a 98 Cobra with this option? Or would it be possible to supercharge the CV with this option?

I appreciate your comments. Good to see people who appreciate a RWD live axle with V8 power.

casper98

hey bro,

here's some ideas to kick around:

enroll at a local community college in their intro automotive class. It will be VERY basic and a good starting foundation. Also, you will probably be expected to supply a basic set of hand tools, which is where a newbie shadetree mechanic will either overspend or become intimidated.


join some of the hotrod messageboards. Plenty of resources there to walk you through things, and you may forge some lasting freindships with nearby hotrodders. Always a plus when you start turning a wrench.

various hot rod magazines usually have how-to articles with each issue. They are usually meant to showcase new parts from vendors, but things like shock and strut installation, gearset changes, etc are all pretty universal. For a ford CV or GM look to the late model ford mags.

The book idea is a great start, and you are doing it right by choosing one thing to start with at a time. IMO, there is nothing more family oriented than the motorsport hobbies; While other dads make a big deal out of doing something special with their kids, mine can be found any weekend helping me in the garage, learning about cars and tools, and most of all doing something with me.

bthomp

Blue Oval News that is. Lots of useful information there. For windows, make sure to get the tracks siliconed once a year. I squirt them as part of my pre-winter checkup. It will help prevent them from sticking and trashing your window hardware.
bbyaw: The cruise control will agressively engage if you hit resume at a lower speed. It will wait for a few seconds under normal throttle increase then "kick down" if the vehicle speed does not compare to expected speed increase. Nothing wrong there.

Hacksaw

I have 70k miles on my 98 CV and still haven't used the 5y/150k extended warranty I bought from Warranty Gold. It cost around $1250 with no deductible. If I decide to sell the car before the term expires, then the warranty adds resale value.

This is peace of mind for me, and I think a good investment too. I'd rather put in extra money up front and guarantee myself no surprise expenses down the road. I view this as a way of capping any potential loss-- remember, one or two repairs can easily eat up $1500.

Half of me hopes something eventually goes wrong just so I can say I used it. But if not, then the car still doesn't owe me a dime.

I would have bought a warranty for whatever make I chose to buy-- from Kia to Mercedes. For the amount of miles I drive, it's worth it in my book.

Hacksaw

You bought a good car.

I'd skip buying the service manuals. You probably won't need it, and it doesn't sound like you have the tools/interest to do any complicated repairs anyway.

A $15 Haynes/Chilton manual would be the most I would put out in this area, if I were you. They talk about some of the basic service areas. Anything beyond Chapter 1 is likely beyond what you will want to attempt yourself.

If you just want to get by a few years, a few simple checks should do the trick:

- Make sure the car is current on it's service when you get it. If not, bring it up-to-date. Especially look at the coolant and exhaust systems, tranny fluid, engine oil, plugs&wires, air filter, and when it got the last lube job. Don't just check the level of the fluid, find out when it was last replaced.

- Oil changes between 3000 and 4000 miles. Make sure the places use 5W/30 oil! You don't have to go to the dealer (although many Ford dealers have reasonable prices for oil changes now) but I would avoid places like Jiffy Lube.

- Check the battery and clean the terminals. If it's old or weak, get a new one. Don't wait until it's 15 degrees outside and your car won't start.

- Don't drive like a nut.

- Give your car what it needs (and that's more than just gas!) and it will usually pay you back in return.

golfnut5

If you like playing the odds, buying extended warranties is generally a waste of money. If the odds were not in the insurance companies favor, they would not sell you the insurance. Companies offering extended warranty insurance generally make between 75 and 80 cents on the dollar.

craiginct1

This may still be true today, as it was in the 1980's, that dealers selling the extended warranties also take a substantial portion of that warranty face-value sale price as commission. I was unaware of that until I traded in one vehicle and sold another. One honest salesman at the dealership clued me in to the fact that I had a substantial retrievable balance coming to me FROM the dealer, as well as from the insurance company, as a result of ending those contracts. Back in the 1980's that particular dealer was taking about 60-75 percent of the total cost of the warranty sale, as a commission on selling the contract for the insurance company...THE INSURANCE ITSELF IS relatively CHEAP... the dealer commission is what drives up the cost of the contract.

kinley

is a separate insurance contract which can be canceled at any time by the insured and a return premium is due the insured within 30 days. Some state insurance laws require a pro rata return premium and some states allow a short rate which is 90% of the pro rate. Dealer cost? About $150.

mcdill

HI guys, ive got a freind whos an insurance sales man , who has been drivin crown vics as bussiness cars for about 10 years now , he just tradeed in his base 98 modle spruce green , for a new 2000 harvest gold with the perf and handling option , it now has 5100 miles on it and is using a quart between 3000 mile oil changes , and you can see where the exaust exits on each side , its slightly black on the bumper , he came by where i work (a full service gas station ) and i checked it and it was a quart low , does anybody know why it would be using this much oil so soon , ive seen 99 cv police cars burning oil , around my town , is this a certain prob. with the 4.6 .thanks-------------mattmcdill

kinley

every 3,000 miles is to be a concern. The black bumper? - check out the BMAP.

bthomp

Someone probably put 10W30 in by mistake. Almost all of the oil burning 4.62V problems come back to the fact that at one time someone put the wrong grade oil in.

mcdill

it uses a quart every 1500 miles not every 3000, like a said between oilchanges.thanks--------mattmcdill

bthomp

I just towed a 2000lb trailer through mountains and up to 80mph. I burned maybe 1/4 quart in that 3700mile change. Sounds like your friend has a serious problem. Is he burning or leaking? Blue smoke? Oil puddle?

iusecad

with my Vic. Everytime I drive it, I don't want to stop! Anyone else with this problem?

mcdill

Its not leaking , when he left he didnt get on , so i couldnt really tell if it was smoking , but , he pulled up and popped the hood , and it kindof shocked me , he said " its probably a quart or more low " I GO "WHAT " he goes " idont know either its been using a quart every 1500 miles , and indeed it was a quart low , he noticed the black on the back body panels , he said " must need a ring job " , so maybe thats what he's gonna do .thanks------------mattmcdill

chrisp4

i have a 2000 gm with performance package which i have had since june, have just turned 4000 miles and the idle seems to have sped up--with engine warm will start forward movement as soon as brake is released. it did'nt idle this fast when i first took delivery or even at 3000 miles, any one have a similar issue with a 2000 gm??

bthomp

I notice my idle more now that I removed my air intake silencer. On cold morning starts it does seem to rev a little faster in park but has never pulled while in gear at stoplight. hmmmm.
iusecad: :-) sometimes the only thing I look forward to going to work is the feeling of that V-8 pushing me up to 75mph in a highway merge. That and the twisty path I take back home. Never had this much fun before.

vicm1

I have a 98 G Marquis, at 28,000 miles I started to get a shimmy when I am in the 60mph range. Its not a bounce but a side to side shimmy in the steering wheel. Had the tires balanced and re -balanced. Put my full size spare tire on the alloy wheels and bought a new tire. Still shimmys. Any one else had that problem. Other than that the car drives great.......

gmarquis

Did the problem start after you had the tires changed or balanced, or had the wheels off for any reason? I haven't taken the wheels off of my GM yet (only 10K miles), but I know a lot of Ford cars have their wheels indexed for run-out. My mustang does and I know the Thunderbirds do, too. One lug one each front wheel has a dab of paint on it and it matches up with a similar spot on the wheel. On my stang it felt like a shimmy, although I think the indexing is for vertical run-out and not side to side. Might be worth a look.

vicm1

Thanks for the info, the wheels had been off several times for rotation. I can't find any paint on the lugs. In any case thanks again.

lunchlady

We have been interested in buying a 2000 Grand Marquis, so we rented one first. We love the car but when it reaches highway speeds, it develops a buzz in the dash. It gets very loud and annoying. We decided to test drive a brand new one and, sure enough, the buzz started at about 65 mph. Does anyone else have this problem? Could it be a design flaw? The dealer said he would have it fixed but we shied away and are now considering a new Taurus!