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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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#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.
#2557 of 3244
Re: iusecad [marsha7] by iusecad
Jun 29, 2005 (9:26 am)
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Replying to: marsha7 (Jun 28, 2005 6:51 pm)

Both my cars are parked in the garage when I, of course, am not driving them.
 
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?
#2558 of 3244
Speed control 2000 GMLS by languille
Jun 29, 2005 (9:53 am)
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How do I lift "Resume/Set-Accl/Coast" panel on steering wheel to check elec connections? Is there a catch that must be released?
#2559 of 3244
Re: negative rant... [turbo301] by basils
Jun 29, 2005 (11:13 am)
Reply

Replying to: turbo301 (Jun 29, 2005 9:12 am)

Turbo, you seem like a decent guy and you made your points very well for a 24 year old. No apology is needed, but perhaps I became more pointed than I needed to...sorry. The Canadian attitude that we get down here can sometimes get very annoying, but you seem more resonable and less self rightous than most.
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.
#2560 of 3244
Re: negative rant... [basils] by turbo301
Jun 29, 2005 (11:36 am)
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Replying to: basils (Jun 29, 2005 11:13 am)

Thanks for your reply. I think that Canada's self-righteousness comes from our politicians, who try too hard to distance themselves from their American counterparts. Our current Liberal government can do no wrong (at least, in its mind, and somehow it keeps getting re-elected!), which has lead the whole government to have a very swelled opinion of itself. The media also perpetrates this "gotta be anything but American" attitude; it's our version of national pride, for some reason. However, most, or at least many, Canadians are normal people who have the same values as you guys.
 
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!
#2561 of 3244
Re: negative rant... [turbo301] by basils
Jun 29, 2005 (12:17 pm)
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Replying to: turbo301 (Jun 29, 2005 11:36 am)

Most Americans, me included, tend to be more interested in just being able to do what we want to do....you know, freedom. We want the government to butt out and shut up so that we can enjoy our cowboy spirit in peace. In the media that I hear, and on various message boards I frequent, many Canadians really have this peculiar need to distance themselves from anything American (just as you noted). I can understand that to a certain extent, but sometimes it really comes off as arrogant and snobish. (Just like our liberals here). From the war in Iraq, to the gay marriage issue, religion, politics, history, government assistance, healthcare etc, I'm getting a rather strong impression that Canadians despise the U.S. I really don't see how this will be beneficial to a nation so dependant upon another, do you?
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.
#2562 of 3244
Good conversation by pat HOST
Jun 29, 2005 (1:54 pm)
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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.
#2565 of 3244
Re: negative rant... [turbo301] by basils
Jun 29, 2005 (3:18 pm)
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I can understand why Canadians buy fewer large cars with the higher fuel prices and all.
I'm kind of lucky in my situation. My job is only 10 miles away so it really doesn't matter about gas mileage. I could drive a CV, Civic, Echo, or Expedition. But for a V-8, the Vic does outstanding.
Somebody on another board has now said they saw a 2006 GM. I just don't understand how this can be if Ford has posted, in company letterhead, that the build on these cars doesn't even start until August sometime. I just wish I could see a photo or other proof that an '06 is already out there. Like I've said before, the facelifted GM is something I really want to see. It may be a preview look at what the CV will look like next year......and if it's really nice, I'll get the GM instead of the CV. No way though that I'll wait all the way to 2008 for a 3v engine or MAYBE better styling. I like it the way it is well enough to not gripe if they vastly improve anything. Although if they pop in that Mustang V-8 in '07 - '08....I'll be ticked!! 300 horses in a CV would be really nice!
P.S. I thought the CV was cleared of any flaws in regard to the fuel tank?

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