Started my truck today. It cranked over really, very slowly. I don't think it likes the cold so much.
This past week it got down to 5 degree Fahrenheit (-20 with wind chills). I have a 91 volvo 240 with a billion miles, it most definitely wont start, lol. When it wasn't so worn out it was a champ.
I finally did a thorough inspection of the Crown Vic the other day. What I found was mostly good, the only bad thing being a worn out pitman arm. I gopro'd the first half of it. I started a lot more technical inspection, and found the bad pitman arm, after I shut the camera off. Shoulda kept recording but whatever. And while we're on the topic of cold startups; it was about 20 outside when I took this video, and the car's been sitting for 3 months. It was a little sluggish but she fired right up. I know no one's gonna sit through an 8 minute video, so here's a little table of contents for ya. 0:30 Fluid check, 3:20 Panel Gap check, 4:00 Trunk Check, 4:25 Extremely sluggish startup, 5:00 Blower Motor Check, 5:40 Cold Transmission Fluid check, 6:45 Cinnamon Bun discovered in glovebox, 7:00 Stereo Check, 7:30 Interior Checkover
For its age and mileage it seems to be in sound condition. Have you moved it yet? Like even just back and forth?
We took it on a full test drive in october. Drives well for the most part. It has a shimmy coming from the front right wheel/suspension. I figure that's just a bent wheel. It also kinda wanders, which I'd say the bad pitman arm is at fault for. It needs an alignment, too. It also shifts really hard when you get into the gas, which seems kinda like a jmod to me. I want to return the transmission to stock so I don't just completely trash it after a month of WOT every time I get on an interstate on ramp or turn out into traffic. But I did move it back and forth after I turned the camera off. Also shifted through all of the gears (P,R,N,D,1,2) to see if it clunked or lurched. It doesn't lurch, but there is a little clunk when you shift into drive or reverse. It's hardly noticeable so I won't worry about it for now, but it might mean some repairs down the road. Maybe U-joints but I'm not sure. The brake pedal is nice and firm, so no leaks. The horn also doesn't work, but I've known this since the test drive. I did a little more investigation, and it just doesn't press in. It's like it's jammed or something. That whole steering wheel is trash, so I'm not sure what I'm gonna do about it. The windshield has a little chip in it which is visible in the video. I'll just get Safelite or someone to come out here and patch that shit up. It's REALLY dirty, as you can probably tell. I'll have to spend a little while cleaning it up, but that's no big deal. It's also got the wrong lugnuts, so the caps won't stay on the wheels. I saw a lot of different prices for those, one of the highest being a whole set on amazon for 25 bucks or so, so it's not a big deal.
That may just be the standard tuning for the the P-71 tranny. As far as I know the stock P-71 already has some of the components of the Jmod from the factory. Like the tune and the tranny cooler.
Yeah they're tuned to shift a bit higher and faster, but not like this. It's like whip-your-head-back hard shifts. It pains me for it to shift like that because it's so damn hard on the transmission, which was a little too weak for the Panthers anyway until they changed it in 04. It all depends on what I find when I drop the transmission pan. From what I've seen so far, though, the transmission is healthy. Had nice pink fluid and it didn't smell burnt, which I gotta admit kinda surprised me lol.
They seem to last about 350k so it should be good still unless the previous owner was the burnout/apex everything/neutral slam type of guy. Well, just in case... http://www.restorationperformance.c...Detail?cvsfa=4488&cvsfe=2&cvsfhu=313434303031 Actually, for what your saying http://www.americanmuscle.com/tciau...convertor-9604-GSFitmentV1&year=1998&model=GT
From what I've heard they typically don't last past 150k :\ If your pre-04 crown vic still drives and it has over 150k, chances are that it's had a new transmission, or been rebuilt. But if it does end up shitting itself while the car is in my possession, I'll probably rebuilt it myself.
I've seen crazy ranges. Almost all of the taxi Crown Vics in Boston are retired Boston police cars. I heard of a guy who bought one with 300k on it with the original tranny and he has put 80k more on it and still has the original tranny. Most NYC cabs seem to last about 250-350k. The engines are said to last the life of the vehicle which can occasionally be past the million mile mark. In the Expedition/Explorer/F-150 they seem to be 150k with less than stellar maintenance.
Damn. I'm sure it's job in police work greatly affects how long the transmission lasts. If it was a captains car, the transmission will be in new condition when it's retired. But if it spent every day of it's life going after speeders on I75 it'll be trashed. http://www.cvpi.org/archives/p71interceptor/wsdindex.html bookmarkingthispagesofuckinghard.jpg I also recorded this when we were there. Well, actually my dad did, hence the "OKAY" in the start of the video. I was in the car. Nothing special, really. But it's cool...I guess. Oh, and there's news on the title. Kinda. The dude said they got something in the mail that looked like it was from the state. but it hasn't been opened because his wife, the one that is dealing with all of this. So I guess I'll be hearing in the next week or so whether or not I'm gonna get to take the car home.
Harder shifts can actually make a transmission last longer believe it or not. Slow luxurious shifts create more heat and band slippage. But obviously too abrupt and it can do mechanical damage, its not a cut and dry thing.
But that jerk is stress that I don't want to put on the whole drivetrain. Driveshaft, U-joints, differential, axles. It's all old and worn out, and I don't really like testing my luck. :\ Stock, the P71's have a quick shift, but it doesn't jerk the car forward.
That website is absolutely amazing. There is so much stuff... I think I'm going to build my own dual exhaust system for the Grand Marq. All's I need is a H-pipe and a drivers side tail pipe. Then two Magnaflow's and I'll be good to go. Flowmaster's sound better on V6 then V8... They sound to tinny on a V8 but bring out the best of the V6. I took this a few weeks ago.
Damn, that actually does sound good. The P71's came stock with dual exhaust I think I've said this before, but I'll keep the exhaust stock because it'd be impossible to sneak out with a loud car.
I don't want to make my car THAT much louder. It's more about tone then decibels. Anyone can make there car deafeningly loud, just cut the mufflers out. I like it loud enough to echo off of walls in a small alley way. It's actually illegal to modify your exhaust system here so....
I replaced the gas struts for the boot a few days ago. Waiting on some replacement brackets for parcel shelf. It has taken 2 years but the car is finally growing on me although I'm sure something will go wrong in a few days to make me hate it again, it has behaved itself on the reliability front recently though.
Bad picture quality, but I got some new rally lights mounted about a week ago, I got them on christmas eve from dad
I did a 6677 today and verbally abused it when it decided to die every time I put it in reverse, unless i did a very mild neutral slam.
