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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
You are in the Ford Crown Victoria/Mercury Grand Marquis Forum. Your Hosts are pat & karens
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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. |
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Replying to: basils (Jun 28, 2005 5:48 pm) 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"!
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Replying to: turbo301 (Jun 29, 2005 3:56 am) 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.
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Replying to: basils (Jun 29, 2005 8:27 am) 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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Replying to: marsha7 (Jun 28, 2005 6:51 pm) And, I had my Chevy pickup from 12/96 to 4/04 so that's what, over 7 years, and I never had any fuel system troubles of any kind. And that thing had a large tank (28 or 32, I don't remember for sure...) So I'll save my luck for something important, like the lottery. Besides, aren't fuel tanks plastic or plastic lined now days? |
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Replying to: turbo301 (Jun 29, 2005 9:12 am) I still don't need foglights though! But some people really do like them and I suppose I can understand that. I just don't have any need for them. I respect your opinion about the two-tone design. I just don't agree 100% with it. True, one of the combinations does look pretty cheap and dated, but like I said, the GM attracts many folks that think golf carts are "cool", stuffed animals in the back window are "cute", and think Frank Sinatra is still in the top 40. The chrome? What about all the salt on those Canadian roads and eastern rust belt states? They wouldn't last three seasons. But yes, I had them when I was younger and you could crush a sherman tank with them. Now for my critical look at the CV/GM. a.) Offer the Mustang engine as an option....but not too expensive. b.) Better color choices......more darker greys, browns, tans, and reds. c.) Update the front and rear fascia....ever so gently though. d.) Update the interior and dash......keep it retro though. e.) Start advertising this car instead of acting like it doesn't exist!! Take care.
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Replying to: basils (Jun 29, 2005 11:13 am) Our roads are salted to death, and even though my '85 is pretty darn rusty (even with only 107,000 km on it!), the bumpers are like new. Ford's chrome is 100x better than General Motors' in this regard, since the latter's bumpers seem to rust and peel a lot worse and in shorter time. I'm sure that modern chrome is not as good a quality as that old Ford stuff, unfortunately. My take on your points: a.) You said it! b.) I think we need more interesting colours - too much tan out there these days. How about some nice greens? c.) Sure d.) The current dash IS retro - but what's the fine line between retro and outdated LOL?! Some sort of '60s luxury car homage might be nice, though... Certainly more chrome would be nice, since chrome has come back "in" lately. e.) Amen!
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Replying to: turbo301 (Jun 29, 2005 11:36 am) Glad you agree about the CV/GM points I made. Yes, the current dash is sort of retro....but more like early eightees retro, not the '60's or '70's that I was trying to convey. A bit more chrome (like you said), maybe some added colored lighting (like that slight green hue from the late sixties), perhaps even a touch of REAL wood? (That may be going too far). I didn't know that Ford bumpers would last in all that salt...I'm surprised. When I was a little kid I used to like to rub the palm of my hand on the rust bumps of chrome bumpers. I can even remember trying to clean off those bumpers with rust remover. Always left pits in the chrome. The colors? Yeah, tan and silver is everywhere! Even white is over represented these days. Same with a common red...ala Dodge...yeck! Yeah, I love green. Some interesting greens would be cool, just not the blue-green crap from the early nineties.....reminds me of a swimming pool bottom.
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and I'm glad to see you folks working things out. However, we need to back off the political characterizations and the flat generalizations about any given ethnic group - neither subject belongs here. So carry on about the cars - and again, I'm glad to see a good conversation going on here.
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