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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

What is this discussion about? Ford Crown Victoria, Mercury Grand Marquis, Exterior, Sedan


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#2547 of 3244
Re: turbo301 [gmctruck] by iusecad
Jun 28, 2005 (9:19 am)
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Replying to: gmctruck (Jun 28, 2005 4:57 am)

well I don't personally run it empty; there always seems to be at least 2 gallons left when I do fill up. (I hate stopping at the gas station.)
 
I've never bought into the theory about the pump sucking crap off the bottom of the tank just because I've always felt that stuff gets stirred up into the mix every time you fill up. (JMHO)
 
And I live in NE MN and so far haven't had to deal with stop & go traffic. But I understand what y'all are sayin'...
#2548 of 3244
Seeking feedback by isseyvoo
Jun 28, 2005 (10:27 am)
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A friend of mine's grandfather's estate is being settled, and on the block is a (always garaged) 1990 GM, cream colored with the half vinyl roof and opera light. I remember coveting this car when I was in college back when it was new. Anyway, I don't need the car. In fact, it would be a total indulgence. But the family is threatening to sell it to a cab company if I don't step in to save it, and it's too beautiful to suffer that fate. Anything I should be forewarned about before taking the plunge? (Obviously, since it hasn't been driven in quite some time it will need a change-out of belts, hoses, fluids, plugs, etc.)
#2549 of 3244
2006 MGM Changes by frasierdog
Jun 28, 2005 (12:29 pm)
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https://www.fleet.ford.com/showroom/2006fleetshowroom/2006-grmarquis.asp
 
- New grille and front fascia
- New headlamps and available fog lamps
- New tail lamps
- Wooptifreakingdo
- Prettydamnpitiful
 
Color me disinterested in 2006.
#2550 of 3244
negative rant... by turbo301
Jun 28, 2005 (2:56 pm)
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Replying to: frasierdog (Jun 28, 2005 12:29 pm)

I saw a 2006 Grand Marquis driving around about two weeks ago. They look okay - nothing that we haven't really seen before - but I fully agree that Ford is just wasting this design by not livening up a bit; the public couldn't be any less interested, and it's all Ford's fault for stagnating. Foglights are AVAILABLE? Foglights are like the new power steering - you can't imagine a new car of any stature NOT coming with them. It's shamefully that it took Ford this long to put them on, let alone not even STANDARD?
 
BTW the two-tone paint treatment is gross Talk about a lack of imagination. No longer is two-toning the graceful (or outrageous, depending) styling touch it was in the '50s. Simply painting the lower half of a car a different colour (and slapping on the bumpers from the corresponding colour parts bin) barely counts as two-toning: it's more like a really distinctive gravel guard treatment!
 
I love that fleet page - "4 distinctive trim levels". Gotta love how automakers today think that juggling a bit of equipment leads to the creation of "distinctive" trim levels.
#2551 of 3244
Re: negative rant... [turbo301] by basils
Jun 28, 2005 (5:48 pm)
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Replying to: turbo301 (Jun 28, 2005 2:56 pm)

A 2006 GM? No way, must have been a 2005 model. The build on the car doesn't even start until this coming August. If you still insist it's an '06, let's see a photo or hear a detailed description of what's different....not just a subjective slamming of what a travesty a car without foglights is (who cares). And how is two-tone paint not imaginative? See any other major brand out there with it? I don't, and I think it takes guts to do it. And why would you say it "barely counts as two-toning"? Do you expect them to paint the car a different color right down the middle? Of course the bumpers are painted, what do you want, the old chrome style back? Besides, the target demographic that the GM is aimed at typically finds two-tone paint kind of nice. I actually like one combination myself.
Yes, Ford could do more to improve the panther line, but right now just keeping themselves in business is "Job 1".
I plan on getting an '06 in August before they possibly ruin the current look that I find very attractive. And when the GM actually shows itself to the public, I truly hope it looks even better, because I may just get one instead of a CV.
#2552 of 3244
iusecad by marsha7
Jun 28, 2005 (6:51 pm)
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there is another reason not to allow the tank to go below 1/4...the concept of sucking up all the silt has validity, but when you allow the tank to run too low, moisture can collect in the tank and permit rust...when the tank is over 1/4 (and, actually, kept over 1/2) the odds of moisture condensation can run very high...
 
I appreciate that we do not like to stop and fuel up...but your reason for doing it your way is strictly convenience, with no basis in automotive principles...the reasons given NOT to do it your way, given by multiple posters, has sound automotive reasoning behind it...good luck...
#2553 of 3244
06 Changes by jsylvester
Jun 28, 2005 (8:32 pm)
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I have driving lights on my Intrepid R/T, and I use them maybe 3-4 times a year - I don't see where it improves visibility unless you are in the mountains. Technically speaking, most cars have driving lights, not fog lights, as fog lights are aimed lower, and are designed to shine under the fog, which typically hovers about 1 foot off the ground.
 
What I miss in the newer Grand Marquis is the complete lack of chrome in the interior. Maybe it is just me, but comparing my 94 to a new one, and the newer interior looks more European, and much more boring.
#2554 of 3244
Re: negative rant... [basils] by turbo301
Jun 29, 2005 (3:56 am)
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Replying to: basils (Jun 28, 2005 5:48 pm)

Dude, no need to get all bent out of shape. I love these cars too, don't forget, but that doesn't mean there isn't room for improvement. The basic body tooling of these cars has been paid off for, like, a decade, so Ford should be giving us more for our $30-$40k (Can).
 
First off, I said that I thought it was an '06 because it didn't look like any '05 I'd seen. It was just in passing so it was hard to tell, but don't forget that I live only 20 minutes or so from the factory, so it could have been a prototype (no front plate, didn't see what kind of back plate it had). My best friend, then 16, got his hands on a '98 CV prototype - painted in black and white, even - before the body style even appeared on the street, so you'd be surprised at what you see around my town.
 
And "who cares" about foglights? Well, I obviously do; they are very handy at illuminating the road surface, and after you drive a car with them, night driving is never the same without them. Find me another $40k (Can) car without them; the point is that Ford is cheaping out because they figure that their clientele won't notice, but that's no way to get new people into the fold.
 
As for the two-toning, yeah, it's pig ugly, I don't care what anybody says. There is no imagination, it doesn't follow the contours of the car, etc. Yes, the chrome style metal bumpers would be most welcome, because they can take up to so much more damage. My '85's bumpers have taken bridge strikes, ripping other car's bumpers OFF, etc. and it still looks brand new. The soggy plastic on my '04 can barely take me washing it, let alone hitting anything (which hopefully won't happen for a while) LOL! When I said that they were painted on the two-tone models, what I meant was that they don't do anything special for the two toning package; they just grab, say, an arizona beige bumper set and slam it on a white car! Very lame. How much does that option cost? It costs nothing for Ford to make it, I'm sure.
 
Anyway, keep your cool, we're all friends here and we all like the same cars. However, I'm obviously not the only one who is not impressed with Ford's stagnation with regards to Panther development since frasierdog was the one who posted "prettydamnpitiful"!
#2555 of 3244
Re: negative rant... [turbo301] by basils
Jun 29, 2005 (8:27 am)
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Replying to: turbo301 (Jun 29, 2005 3:56 am)

First of all I'm not upset, mad, hot, or even "bent out of shape". I apologize for not knowing that you live next to a Ford plant, but how would I know that? I don't study everybodies profile you know. That being said, if you claim you saw an '06, give us some details, ok? I mean you must know that this is a board where a fair amount of us would like to know what differences you saw....even if you weren't impressed.
And where I live, foglights are either for guys that drive jacked up "meathead" 4x4 pickups, or show-offs. They really aren't needed in my neck of the woods, even though we do indeed have fog. In my opinion they are highly over rated. Besides, the new xenon (or whatever they are called) lights work very well at illumination and Ford should put them on the Vic. Foglights just muck up the lines of the front end anyway.
And, as a Canadian, the nation that prides itself on being "accepting and well behaved on the national scene", you should know that your opinion about two-tone paint is merely subjective. It's like art, everybody has an interpretation. (Even if it can be summed up as "pig ugly"). And since you've brought it up as an area of discourse, I reviewed the Mercury site and still disagree with your rabid negativity. And chrome bumpers? Please....I was only joking about that.
Yes, we all like the panther. But if you like it so much, why be so harshly critical because Ford is pretty much leaving it as is for '06? I mean it's a fantastic car just as it sits. Why slam Ford, during such tough economic times for them, when the Vic is nearly perfect? Like others have said, if you want a sports car....go buy one. If you want foglights (not needed anyway), either go find a more expensive euro-mobile with them, or get them installed aftermarket. I just don't see the point in being so upset verbally (yes, you, a Canadian) about a car that is nearly at the top of it's game, just because of some truly minor things. You don't like the GM two-tone paint? Ok, so don't buy one. Not enough horsepower? (I would submit this as being in need of some improvement) So put in a few reletively inexpensive mods to improve it by at least 50 to 75 hp.
It seems to me that you're demanding a lot from a car that is a great deal for the money....and one that you say you like anyway. If you wait till next year, or the year after, Ford will be changing the Vic. I just hope it's not in the Euro or Japanese style.....it's got to stay American in style......big, roomy, rear wheel drive, V-8, and ride like a Town car.
#2556 of 3244
Re: negative rant... [basils] by turbo301
Jun 29, 2005 (9:12 am)
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Replying to: basils (Jun 29, 2005 8:27 am)

The only reason I'm being overly critical about my favorite modern car (I just bought a 2004 CV with about every penny I had in the bank, so rest assured that I DO like these cars!) is because Ford is letting it slip through the cracks. It is because of Ford's inattention to the design - indeed, to many of their designs - that they are doing so poorly financially (that, and the unions are demanding way too much). In the auto industry, "it takes money to make money", and putting money into products is how a company generates business. Letting a once-great seller like the GM/CV twins slowly die off is very depressing. And I fully agree that its replacement should be "American-style"; this SHOULD be a sure-thing, given how well the decidedly-brash Chrysler 300 is doing, but Ford may just as well decide to go down the BMW route. Let's hope not, though...
 
Now, let me address a few of your points:
 
a.) Foglights (or driving lights, whatever you want to call them) may "mess up" the front end styling, but they are a symbol: they immediately add an air of expense to a car. Even if you never use them, think of them as a hood ornament for the modern age. Adding this kind of luxury "flair" would make the panther design look a whole lot more modern - "relevant", if you will. I personally like the look of a car with big foglights (my dad bought a Protege5 - HUGE fogs on that puppy!). Those little dinky ones like on the Marauder, Mazda3, etc. aren't worth having, visually or functionally.
 
b.) Your view of Canadians is funny . I guess that is the reputation we have, but rest assured that the vast majority of us are just like Americans. Despite what both Americans and Canadians like to think of themselves or each other, we're all the same. I am fully tolerant of people's opinions on the two-tone paint treatment; I never said that everyone must accept that it is gross. However, I expect that my opinion will also be tolerated. If you want to spend however many hundreds of dollars on this option, be my guest. It reminds me of the extra-padded vinyl roofs available on the '91 and down GMs; $700 for that? Anyway, as I say, people can spend their money any way they want to.
 
c.) No doubt, the Panther cars are great deals; I couldn't turn my '04 down for the money! It handles great, I think the power is very respectable, etc. My only real complaint is the interior, which is quite spartan; however, it is comfortable enough. I didn't think that I was being as negative as you seem to think I was, sorry about that. In some ways I wish that Ford would never change the design, that way my car would never look old! However, for the sake of the breed (that is, big American V8 rear-drivers), this can't be allowed to happen.
 
d.) The chrome I-beam bumpers were the greatest things since sliced bread. They looked great and were tough as heck.
 
e.) I do indeed already have a sports car - but my CV is faster LOL!
 
Now, if only more 24 year olds liked these cars as much as I do, Ford wouldn't be in this pickle and they could afford to change them up a bit .
 
Anyway, I will appologize again for coming across as overly-negative. I have a great passion for these cars, and I guess I just let it boil over out of frustration. These cars don't get nearly as much good (or at least neutral) press as they should, and that is mostly due to the lack of substantial visual change. Certainly improvements have been made under the skin, but that won't be enough to catch most people's attention.

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