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Ford Crown Victoria/Mercury Grand Marquis
Ford Crown Victoria and Mercury Grand Marquis

3244 messages, Last post on Aug 25, 2009 at 8:13 PM
You are in the Ford Crown Victoria/Mercury Grand Marquis Forum. Your Hosts are pat & karens
| dbc123: My car seems to be quiet enough over the the bumps,but I can understand your comments about the suspension jolting rather than absorbing the bumps.This is no doubt due to the overdamping and roll stiffness built into the system to prevent any roll(leaning) on curves.The anti-roll(sway) bars which restrict roll on cornering,can also restrict individual wheel movements when traversing uneven surfaces.So that unless both front or rear wheels hit the same bump at the same time,the anti-roll bar will act against the upward or downward movement of an individual wheel,and the body of the car will tend to rock, rather than the wheels absorbing the bump by themselves.Likewise the shocks which have alot of resistance to extending, and use this to prevent leaning on corners,unfortunately, also tend to prevent the wheels from dropping into dips in the road,and indeed tend to pull the whole car down with them, or, on severe dips may cause the wheels to leave the road for a second or two before impacting at the other side.Possibly the jolting you are referring to.So your comments,I feel, are a result of suspension design rather than the new frame.Again with use,these characteristics usually tend to become less severe.Hope all that made some sort of sense. | |
| I concur that roll stiffness is somewhat responsible for the ride issues, however, I do not think roll stiffness has changed that much in the new cars, the real issue is tighter dampening in the shocks and higher spring rates. The car feel more tied down and perhaps more "solid" but gives up smoothness and isolation. These two traits were world class before the redesign and now are merely OK. It's a shame to give up traits that mean so much to most GM/CV/TC buyers only to be able to go around a corner a little faster. As I've said before, If I wanted that suspension tuning I would have bought a BMW, Audi, Mercedes, etc. | |
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| I have the chance to buy a 92' Crown Victoria, with 107000 miles. Is it worth spending $1500.00.I have never owned one. thanks! overthehill | |
| "Last years model was too floaty and too loose". Most reviewers seem to like the new suspension but they also state "We favor sports cars and go cart handling is our benchmark." The vast majority of buyers of these cars do not favor sports cars and certainly don't care about go cart handling. What they do care about is ride and the "big car feel". Ford needs to listen to the buyers and not the reviewers who are out of touch with buyers expectations. | |
| I agree whole heartedly with your comments,dbc123.Thank you for pointing out "first drive".I've just read it now!!Well I am astounded.I especially like the comment re:the ride being plush and serene,and able to challenge many luxury cars!(or words to that effect)What sort of luxury cars are these people used to?Its certainly no match for my last 2000 Chrysler LHS,let alone the number of Jaguars I've had.Oh well,you and I must be alone in our quest to get Ford to change their mind on this issue,after all I've noticed on the Town Car board that even the traditional TC buyer seems to be pleased with the new set up.I just wish that Ford would leave us who enjoy quaint old fashioned amenities like column shift and split bench seats to enjoy our quaint old fashioned ride as well,and leave the youngsters the LSE with its bucket seats, centre console and hard ride.Incidentally,what does the LSE ride like!It must be harrendous.If anyone does hear of any mods from Ford or any specialist shock absorber manufacturer to bring back the good old American type ride,and make this GM perfect,please post a message ASAP. | |
| The redesigned front suspension uses a coil-over-shock arrangement similar to a strut. James, I'm afraid that the chances of aftermarket mods to this set up are slim - the spring and shock are like a single unit now. Maybe Ford will hear our plea and retune the suspension next year. I also suspect that the tuning is the same as used in the LSE although Ford says differently. I understand the Marauder uses Police Interceptor front springs that lower the front about half inch and are supposed to be firmer still. Another subject: Have you noticed the new interior door handles have no way to wrap your fingers around them? Previous handles were larger and easier to use. They remind me of the tiny, hard to use, handles found on some small Japanese cars. The new front seats, however, are a huge improvment in comfort over the previous car - wish the headrests didn't tilt so far forward, though. | |
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| features: the car has leather interior,am/fm cass.,pwr windows,pwr door locks,trunk release. need to know if any problems I need to look for. It does not appear to burning oil. thanks! overthehill | |
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I would really like to buy a CV or Marqui but I am concerned how they handle snow and the odd freezing rain. We live in Canada near Toronto. Even though we've had very mild winters lately I tend to keep cars anywhere from 7 to 10 years. I more concerned with the regular snow days than the big snow storms. We owned a Thunderbird SC for 7 years and it was a fantastic car but I dreaded every winter, even with snow tires. My wife will be doing a lot of driving this winter by herself and I'm thinking I should go back to FWD just to be safe. She is a good driver but wonder if FWD with snow tires increases the odds that she will be safe. I'd appreciate your feedback. |
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| Msclark, take the word of a fellow T-Bird owner. Thunderbirds are ill-handling cars in rain and snow, compared to other RWD cars. My other two cars have both been Grand Marquis's, a '78 and an '82. The 82's running gear is a cruder version of what's under the car today, and it's lightyears better than my '95 Thunderbird in rain (We don't get much snow in Abilene, so I haven't got a chance to flog the '82 in the fluff yet. Nor do I look forward to doing that.) As for FWD, my understanding of the physics of driving is that having the engine over the drive wheels is like throwing sandbags in the trunk in the old days-it puts more weight over the front end, and helps you get going. As far as turning and stopping (much more important than starting in the snow), it has more to do with tires & traction than drive wheels, so, in my huble opinion, the advantages offerd by front-wheel drive are marginal, and the snow is occasional enough here in West Texas that I don't even consider it when picking out a car. | |
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