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Sedans 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
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The rumors I have read is that the D3 replacements for the Town Car, LS, and possibly CV/GM will be built in Atlanta. I get most of my information from Automotive News and from people at other message boards who have consistently proven to be accurate insiders. Sales of the Crown Vic were down 37 percent 12/04 from 12/03 and sales were down 9.8 percent for 2004 from 2003. Sales of the Grand Marquis were down 32.1 percent in 12/40 from 12/03, and sales were down 8.8 percent for the year. Ford has ridden the Panther gravy train about as far as it can. The cars need either a restyling or the 5.4L or probably both. |
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All Grand Marquis come with traction control; it is an option on the base Crown Vic. Ditto with the cd player, I believe. The problem with the Panther is it interior has been unchanged since the 1995 model year, and the exterior since 1998. Actually, on the Grand Marquis, other than a mildly restyled nose and tail, the exterior has been the exact same since the 1992 model year. I have a 94 Grand Marquis, which I love, but there is really not enough differences between it and a 2005 to make it worth it to me to spend the money. That being said, it is also nowhere near to being worn out, with only 114,000 miles. It runs perfectly, uses no oil, shifts great, and has been very cheap to own. the leather is starting to wear, and the frame has some surface rust, but at least it has a real frame. Ford has let the car lapse; I'd be happy with the same interior if they could restyle the exterior, put the Mustang 3 valve engine in it, and a 5 speed auto. Either way, I'm getting another one before the go away, regardless of when that may be. Ford sells no other automobile that is near the durability and longevity of the Panther. I'm saving my pennies for a 2007 (worst case scenario), though I'm sure my 94 will still be alive and kicking then as well. |
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ehaase- I thought Atlanta would be getting the CD3 crossovers...Lincoln Aviator replacement and something else for Ford. I could've sworn I read that somewhere. Taurus production is scheduled to end 3/31/06 (see http://www.donlen.com/buildstart_ford.asp). Will the D3 Lincolns be ready for production that soon? -Andrew L |
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| From what I read in Automotive News, the first D3 Lincoln would be out in the summer of 2007 and the second one would be out in early 2008. I believe I read that Ford would make a final decision sometime later this year. | |
| I have had my 2004 Crown Vic LX Sport (gotta have that floor shifter) since Aug 1, 2004 (car built Aug 2003 and sat on dealer lot for a full year)...it rides so smooth on the highway, could get better mpg (I am not hard on it), but would be nice with more HP...doesn't the Mustang have the same 4.6L but put out 300 HP???...is the 5.4L really necessary, or are we just splitting hairs between the 2 engines...300 HP and the CV would fly, never need more power than that...they could update some of the interior, since the car's engineering was paid for back in the 1980s...I would like to see some firmer sport seats (but keep the 8-way power and adj lumbar supports on driver and passenger), 5 speed auto OD trans, some simple amenities like Homelink (available in the GM but not CV), "door ajar" and "trunk open" dash lights (how can it not have those?), maybe a more modern 250-300 watt CD/Audio system, mine looks like it is from the 80s...separate headlights for upper and lower beams, side by side for a low profile hood, maybe offer HID Xenon, side marker lights like on the GM (when those marker lights come on at nights, it illuminate the countryside so you can play night baseball), bring back the taillights from last year which had amber signal lights at the bottom of the red taillight...headlight switch on a steering column stalk like on imports, just to name a few...if they added some or all of these ideas, especially the 300HP engine (they did it in the Marauder), I would buy another one in a few years, and, if I knew they were going to terminate the CV/GM, I would certainly buy one and store it so I would have another one when this one wears out...many folks call it a "old person's car" but what is wrong with great safety, large car, great ride, good road car, maybe it is just the old folks who figured it out and Ford is smart enough to provide it... | |
| Ford is definitely smart enough to figure out they should keep making it after GM & Chrysler quit making them because some pointed head MBA from Michigan State U said 'Nobody wants big RWD cars anymore, let's drop them and force our customers into Luminas, and call them Impalas, they won't know the difference!' | |
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Opened Motortrend yesterday "redesign on existing platform". I wonder what it would be. Me personally - I would like to have more legroom for rear passengers. Extended (like BMW) driver and passenger seats. And deeper trunk. May be air suspension on all four corners. Slightly updated exterior - a little edgier - but just a little. Xenon headlights. Detailing of more expensive car, like LED taillight, or at least, as in post 2930 "the taillights from last year which had amber signal lights at the bottom of the red taillight". Keep shifter on the steering column - I personally don't see any point in wasting floor space. What's name of it - rear parking signal? That's too. Tranny could be 5 or 6 speed (like the one on Montego) - will it add to fuel economy. Something like Chrysler's Variable Displacement engine would be nice. Ford should think heavily about putting some hybrid powerplants in it's heavier vehicles - CV is mostly fleet/cab/cop car - it will be fuel economy of scale. Did I forget something?
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I am thinking about purchasing a 1999 Grand Marquis GS. Were there problems with the 1999 intake manifolds (I know 1997 especially had problems because they were plastic)? Any problems with head gaskets?
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Replying to: fsv (Jan 06, 2005 10:27 am) I have to ask, why? I remember back far enough, to the advent of automatics, when there were 1 and 2 speed automatics in the early 60's. They were ok, not efficient but ok. 3 speeds were revolutionary in 62 & 63. That's all we had until the 80's then Automatic Overdrives came out and Wow! The effort to squeeze an extra MPG out of a Lincoln Town Car spawned a 4 speed automatic! Unfortunately, the damn thing had a short life span since they self destructed from a constant shifting in and out of OD, so everybody locked them out of OD unless they hit the freeway. There went the economy. Now, we're getting 5 speed trannys. I have one. I gotta tell you, I think it's overkill. That first gear lasts about a second, and it's into second. What was the point? Did that really get me anything? I'm not sure it did. Now we need 6 speeds? Frankly, I don't think so. I think 4 was probably enough, and I'm damn sure 5 is. YMMV, that's just my opinion. I can't imaging how 6 speeds is going to do much more for me that 5 does. |
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Replying to: dhski04 (Jan 06, 2005 5:28 pm)
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