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Luxrage posted:I ordered some color samples for a new leather steering wheel cover for the Country Squire today, the OEM leather one on it came with was cracking pretty badly. Wheelskins? I'm very happy with the grey one I bought for my P-71. The smooth skin on the vinyl of my wheel was flaking, exposing the foam. It fit very well. I'd really like to restitch it, because I didn't get it tight enough at a couple of the seams (4 sections on mine, since I got the perforated leather). You've got to *pull* that poo poo. Bought one for my wife's car, too, just need to set aside an hour or so when it's not beastly hot to do hers.
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Sep 7, 2017 17:33
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Yeah, perf will stretch a lot more.
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Sep 7, 2017 20:35
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Darchangel posted:Wheelskins? I'm very happy with the grey one I bought for my P-71. The smooth skin on the vinyl of my wheel was flaking, exposing the foam. It fit very well. I'd really like to restitch it, because I didn't get it tight enough at a couple of the seams (4 sections on mine, since I got the perforated leather). You've got to *pull* that poo poo. Bought one for my wife's car, too, just need to set aside an hour or so when it's not beastly hot to do hers. I think the wheel is smaller on the pre-92s, but hopefully it'll be easy enough. I'm not too sure I'll be able to stitch it properly, it looks complicated! Nostalgia4Butts posted:realtalk love that woody Thanks! We'll see how the show goes tomorrow!
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Sep 8, 2017 22:10
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Luxrage posted:I think the wheel is smaller on the pre-92s, but hopefully it'll be easy enough. I'm not too sure I'll be able to stitch it properly, it looks complicated! Oh, it is, definitely in the thickness of the grip, if not the diameter. The late Crown Vics have one of the beefiest steering wheels ever, and I love it. Wheelskins' site has a selector to find the right size, and it was dead on. I just was too afraid to pull as hard as needed on the laces, initially. Turns out, they're pretty strong.
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Sep 8, 2017 22:37
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Just got to 'Arts and Autos' in Denton, have the car settled in and it just got judged. I'll post better pics when the sun comes up proper! 
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Sep 9, 2017 15:30
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Luxrage posted:Just got to 'Arts and Autos' in Denton, have the car settled in and it just got judged. I'll post better pics when the sun comes up proper! Which car has the Toyota steering wheel? I hope it's this one for the WTF factor during judging.
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Sep 10, 2017 17:35
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My ball joints are wonky and I'm thinking about doing upper/lower control arms and shock/struts. Never done it on a Panther. Do the springs need to be compressed to de-install/replace, or will it fit in ok with the control arms opened up?
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Sep 12, 2017 00:25
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CharlieWhiskey posted:My ball joints are wonky and I'm thinking about doing upper/lower control arms and shock/struts. Never done it on a Panther. Do the springs need to be compressed to de-install/replace, or will it fit in ok with the control arms opened up? What year? 2003+ actually have coilovers.
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Sep 12, 2017 17:13
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Darchangel posted:What year? 2003+ actually have coilovers. 2003. If I replace the whole coilover, can I avoid messing around with spring compressors?
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Sep 12, 2017 17:22
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Yeah, the spring is preloaded so that at full droop there's no load on the control arm. Whole unit should come out pretty easy.
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Sep 12, 2017 17:24
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Awesome. Any recommended brands for control arms or coilovers? Any sporty setups?
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Sep 12, 2017 18:02
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Sorry for the late reply... It beat out the other 80s and 90s cars!   I'll post all of my other show pics in the chat thread. CannonFodder posted:Which car has the Toyota steering wheel? I hope it's this one for the WTF factor during judging. I just posted that image from their site to show what color I was picking out, I've got the OEM wheel on it! And the color samples showed up today!  I think Oak might be too dark, so I will probably order the Sand one.  The car-cover I ordered just showed up. It came with some shammies and a cable lock...  
Luxrage fucked around with this message at 22:28 on Sep 12, 2017 |
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Sep 12, 2017 22:06
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post more of that woodie pls
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Sep 12, 2017 22:18
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Nostalgia4Butts posted:post more of that woodie pls Is there anything you want to see in particular? I have some photos here, but if there's anything else you want to see let me know! I'm gonna try putting on that cover and see if it works out. Luxrage fucked around with this message at 23:26 on Sep 12, 2017 |
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Sep 12, 2017 22:47
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Put the cover on it, this will at least help against the sun while I drive and try to sell the red one, plus it'll help against storms and keep the blankets on it if we ever get hail here. I hope it's not too suspicious: Last time I covered a car when I parked at a place like this was my old Thunderbird when I was in school. And I'd come out to the cover peeled back on it at least once every other week. The plan is to just have it covered while I'm at work since I work 12 hour days. I'll just keep the red one running until it sells. This way at least I'll slow down any sun-baking going on. It's not like I'd be able to enjoy the car on my work days anyways.
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Sep 12, 2017 23:25
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CharlieWhiskey posted:2003. If I replace the whole coilover, can I avoid messing around with spring compressors? Yep, but then you have to pay for the new springs, too. At least, I assume that you can buy a complete assembly, like a "quick-strut" for McPherson strut cars. CharlieWhiskey posted:Awesome. Any recommended brands for control arms or coilovers? Any sporty setups? P71 stuff is stiffer/heavier duty than civilian standard. Not sure on the LX Sport stuff. Eaton Detroit makes 1" and 1-1/2" lowering springs for CV/P71 http://www.hotrod.com/how-to/chassis-suspension/ccrp-1012-eaton-detroit-ford-crown-victoria-lowering-springs/ http://www.eatondetroitspring.com/ordering/parts-lookup/ Front: MC5412-15 $199.95/pr Rear: MC3895-15 $199.95/pr Coil Spring Specialties can custom make springs, roughly the same price: http://www.coilsprings.com http://www.coilsprings.com/request_quote.aspx Coil Spring Specialties does them to order, so you can get the drop you want, and the spring rate you want. Ride Tech makes Shockwaves for the Panther, Front, Part #: 12262409: $800 http://www.ridetech.com/store/2003-up-ford-crown-victoria-front-shockwaves-pair.html Pair those with the OEM rear airbags and inflation system of your choice. Then you can do this:  or this  And still be able to drive the thing. Google images can show you what the 1" or 1-1/2" dropped ones look like (nice.) The P71s, interestingly, are typically just a bit taller than civilian, supposedly to make traversing curbs and such easier.
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Sep 13, 2017 17:16
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Just ran across this: Love those widened OEM 17" steelies.
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Sep 13, 2017 17:21
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Can I get an opinion on my 2001 Mercury Grand Marquis LS? I'm at 250K on the original 4.6l engine. I love the hell out of this car and other than some minor body issues (driver seat is wore out, a scuffed bumper, the pins holding up the headliner fell out) it's in good shape. I did have to replace the intake manifold once. Do I replace the engine on this thing and keep driving? Jasper quotes the following: Price: 3183.00 Core Charge: 800.00 Skid Charge: 250.00 Kit Price: 347.00 Good deal or not? Has anyone had experience with Jasper on Panther-type engine replacements? Should I be asking this somewhere else?
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Sep 13, 2017 17:58
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Darchangel posted:The P71s, interestingly, are typically just a bit taller than civilian, supposedly to make traversing curbs and such easier. Partially to ride at normal height/don't bottom out when jumping a curb when loaded down with all the police gear (radios, computers, emergency kit in the trunk, hefty officer, etc..) I know a motorcycle cop who had to stand on tippytoe on the civilian version of his work bike, it was about an inch and a half higher due to not being as loaded down. Obviously less of a problem with cars, but still there.
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Sep 14, 2017 07:57
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Bad Angus! Bad!
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So this weekend I did a couple different odd-jobs with the cars. I got some spare keys made, I found some Mustang OEM blanks, so I had them cut at the Home Depot, they didn't even charge me!  But here's what the neat stuff I did: for starters, some good stuff: I put on a leather steering wheel cover for the red wagon, I ended up going with the actual red instead of the burgundy, it is REALLY red! But it feels so good! Lacing that stuff suuuucked!  I did more research and found out the squire's leather wheel was actually made in the factory, and the wheel itself is built around having that leather wrap on it, so I'm a bit worried taking it off is going to be more than just replacing the leather wrap on the wheel, since the wheel seems to be built for the factory installed one. I might try leather treating it and seeing how that goes first! I also picked up some hood insulation for the wagons! The red one definitely needed it, and the Squire had oil all over the inside of its liner, which I type more about below:   The bad news: I had the car back at the dealer for the AC, the compressor they had just installed three months ago in the Squire had given up its main shaft seal and was slinging oil all over the inside of the engine bay:   So what I ended up doing was ordering a hood insulation pad for this one. You can see where the compressor oil has been slung all over it. It stunk!    I had been driving it around for only a day when I smelled that all familiar AC coolant smell... but that was odd, it should be getting better with the new compressor...  oh... back to the dealer it goes...  The other thing that I'm having issues with is the car is considtently pulling to the left. I've had the tires rotated, had the alignment done, had the car's front end looked at, and it's all come up fine. The only thing I'm noting is that the car is extremely bitey on the brakes when it's cold, and when I had the car jacked up after sitting for a day, you could barely turn the front right wheel. I wonder if the brakes are grabbing or if the front right wheel bearing is starting to go... The one upside to all of this is today I got approved to get a really cheap mortgage on a home loan, so as of today I'm looking for a house with a garage!
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Oct 3, 2017 23:32
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I just got off the phone with the dealer, apparently they have been seeing more and more bad rebuilt compressors coming in from their supplier, so they ordered a new one this time. I hope this one finally works properly!
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Oct 4, 2017 19:43
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Luxrage posted:So this weekend I did a couple different odd-jobs with the cars. Yes, lacing those up is hard on the fingers. So worth it, though. quote:I did more research and found out the squire's leather wheel was actually made in the factory, and the wheel itself is built around having that leather wrap on it, so I'm a bit worried taking it off is going to be more than just replacing the leather wrap on the wheel, since the wheel seems to be built for the factory installed one. I might try leather treating it and seeing how that goes first! You could always install a slightly larger cover over the existing one. You can order the Wheelskins covers based on size, rather then application. quote:The other thing that I'm having issues with is the car is considtently pulling to the left. I've had the tires rotated, had the alignment done, had the car's front end looked at, and it's all come up fine. The only thing I'm noting is that the car is extremely bitey on the brakes when it's cold, and when I had the car jacked up after sitting for a day, you could barely turn the front right wheel. I wonder if the brakes are grabbing or if the front right wheel bearing is starting to go... Take a look at the caliper, or it's sliders. That definitely sounds like a stuck brake issue. quote:The one upside to all of this is today I got approved to get a really cheap mortgage on a home loan, so as of today I'm looking for a house with a garage! As much as home ownership can suck (I'm about to drop $5400 on plumbing, FML) the fact that it's *mine*, and there's a garage is mighty compensating.
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Oct 4, 2017 21:11
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Luxrage posted:
Yeah, check both brakes and make sure the pads/shoes/calipers are actually backing off after braking. Also make sure brake hoses are not pinched or kinked. How old are the brakes? E: yikes, beaten by almost an hour
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Oct 4, 2017 22:01
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CharlieWhiskey posted:Yeah, check both brakes and make sure the pads/shoes/calipers are actually backing off after braking. Also make sure brake hoses are not pinched or kinked. How old are the brakes? It's cool. I didn't think about the brake lines.
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Oct 4, 2017 23:16
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If the leather wrap is OEM then you bet your rear end it will be well-glued on in addition to the lacing, probably with something epoxylike. You will end up cutting and shaving it. Going overtop will be so so much easier.
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Oct 5, 2017 01:14
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Splizwarf posted:If the leather wrap is OEM then you bet your rear end it will be well-glued on in addition to the lacing, probably with something epoxylike. You will end up cutting and shaving it. Going overtop will be so so much easier. This is what I will be doing on my wife's Kia, for example. The OEM leather is flaking on hers, so still a good surface for over-wrap. Plus it will make the wheel a bit beefier, which it needs. I'm too used to the ridiculously fat wheel in my '05 P71 now.
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Oct 5, 2017 17:26
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Darchangel posted:You could always install a slightly larger cover over the existing one. You can order the Wheelskins covers based on size, rather then application. Splizwarf posted:If the leather wrap is OEM then you bet your rear end it will be well-glued on in addition to the lacing, probably with something epoxylike. You will end up cutting and shaving it. Going overtop will be so so much easier. I'll see if treating the wheel does anything, if not I"ll just get a bigger one! I'm glad I didn't try it before asking first. CharlieWhiskey posted:Yeah, check both brakes and make sure the pads/shoes/calipers are actually backing off after braking. Also make sure brake hoses are not pinched or kinked. How old are the brakes? What you guys are saying makes sense, it would definitely explain why they are so bitey when it's cold, since they are already on the rotor 100% from the get-go. That'll be my next project. I'm still waiting to get the car back, they told me they'd have it ready tomorrow with a proper new AC compressor. I'm so hard-up on wanting to work on a car I'm working on replacing my roomate's washer pump on his '99 Passat... he was given this car and I'm beginning to find reasons why the people who gave it to him were trying to dump it. It shows signs of mischief:   A free car's a free car, but with it leaking oil, buttons falling off, trim sagging, adhesives failing, and damage/dodgey repairs all over it, I'm not sure it's a blessing or a curse for him. Luxrage fucked around with this message at 22:39 on Oct 6, 2017 |
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Oct 6, 2017 22:37
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So last month, I won a 93 Town Car from YouTuber Tyler Hoovie - and he was kind enough to ship the car right to my door. It arrived late last night, and thankfully the driver had a long set of jumpers as the battery drained after a few weeks of not being run - one twist of the key and with some help from my Crown Vic the car sprang to life. Being so late at night, I waited until this morning to take better pics. Here's the car in all it's glory.  I love the front end styling on this era Town Car - especially the Rolls Royce-esque grill.  The rear end is equally as beautiful, if a bit more conservative looking with right angles that were en vogue on luxury domestics at the time.  Love the huge trunk - why there's a air mattress, I don't know. But hey, free bed!  Under the hood is clean as a whistle - the 4.6 runs smooth and whisper quiet, and the transmission shifts like soft butter driving around the neighborhood.  But inside is the real fun - since this car is a Jack Nicklaus edition, it comes with green carpet and off white leather seats (the golf balls were extra). And luxo-barge add ons like auto dimming headlights, and a JBL Audio system with fuzzy speaker covers like this  The car also comes with "Golden Bear" badges on the exterior & interior   What now? Well it's off to my mechanic to get it ready for road trips and day to day use as soon as I get it titled and registered - the AC isn't working (and I'm not sure if it was converted to R-134a or not), the parking lamps aren't working, the check air suspension light came on briefly, and the radio isn't working at all. I purchased a stock head unit from eBay that should work with the JBL amp (I have a bluetooth cassette adapter, and I like the tuner in the stock head unit), as well as a new to me keyfob since the one that came with the car is falling apart. The 98 Crown Vic will be kept in the family, going to my step daughter so her and her boyfriend don't have to share a car (and the money from that going to any Town Car repairs). This car is like a trip back in time since my dad had a 93 Executive Series - his was whorehouse red inside, and didn't have as many options. But it was still a Lincoln - and I can see why he jumped ship from Cadillac. bigtom fucked around with this message at 20:54 on Oct 17, 2017 |
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Oct 16, 2017 21:36
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Free Town Car brothers  That thing looks way nicer than mine.
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Oct 16, 2017 21:40
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Hah, I had just watched your car's episode the other day after hearing him on The Smoking Tire. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZtvtWUoI80 edit: aaand I'm searching CL for Town Cars again. I miss having a Panther and my Fiesta is the opposite of a good highway cruiser. wolrah fucked around with this message at 22:10 on Oct 16, 2017 |
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Oct 16, 2017 22:07
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wolrah posted:Hah, I had just watched your car's episode the other day after hearing him on The Smoking Tire. ...ONE OF US...ONE OF US! I make frequent road trips from NC to NJ/NY/PA, so these cars are perfect for me, even if the mileage is in the toilet around town and they aren't as easy to park as a smaller car. Right now in my driveway there's my girlfriends 98 Grand Marquis GS, my 98 Crown Vic LX, and the 93 Town Car - a pack of Panthers if you will. Now to try and diagnose the lack of parking lamps (but the brake lights work)....
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Oct 17, 2017 22:30
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You can't get a better discount than Cheap-as-free! I love the special edition luxo-cars, the more out there the better. The fuzzy speaker covers make me think of those golf club cover-things.bigtom posted:...ONE OF US...ONE OF US! When I first picked up my 87, it has an issue with the headlights on where the parking lights or the inside panel illumination wouldn't come on, it ended up being a slight melt in the headlight switch plug. Is yours just having the parking light problem, or is it also the instrument cluster illumination? The plug itself was only 12 dollars, so it wasn't a bad job. I believe they kep those switches all the way up until maybe 2000 or so.
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Oct 19, 2017 18:20
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bigtom posted:...ONE OF US...ONE OF US! Depending on the year, it may be the Lighting Control Module. The Panthers are famous for the LCM failing in some odd way. There's even a current recall, because it can also affect the headlights. Basically, the usual problem is that the relays in side the module are poo poo, and soldered in.
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Oct 19, 2017 19:10
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How common are the extended wheelbase models in the US? IIRC the Crown Vic "P70" was fleet-only outside of the Middle East, but at least based on wiki it sounds like the Town Car L may have been sold through dealers. Is that true? Also have any of you messed with your factory ECU? Back when I had my '93 I was considering Megasquirting it, but it looks the newer models have a powerful enough ECU that's been hacked to a point that it's not worth it to go standalone. That's also nice because I live in an emissions county, so anything with OBD-2 needs to pass a plug test. I have my warranteed daily driver, if I buy another car I'm probably going to tinker with it a lot. Seems like SCT and HPTuners support the newer ones while some of the old names from EEC-IV have moved up to support the EEC-V cars.
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Oct 19, 2017 21:44
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Luxrage posted:When I first picked up my 87, it has an issue with the headlights on where the parking lights or the inside panel illumination wouldn't come on, it ended up being a slight melt in the headlight switch plug. Is yours just having the parking light problem, or is it also the instrument cluster illumination? The plug itself was only 12 dollars, so it wasn't a bad job. I believe they keep those switches all the way up until maybe 2000 or so. It's the cluster lights as well as the parking lights - if I pull the headlight switch out just so I can get them to turn on, so I'm sure it's the switch. Using the AutoLamp, I can have all of the lights on...but I bought a new switch off RockAuto for $120 to be on the safe side. But they do work, and amazingly no burnt out bulbs!  I already spent $45 on another factory head unit to replace the one the car came with - this is the same unit I remember from my Dad's Town Car, and it even gets C-QUAM AM Stereo (KDKA isn't in stereo, but something triggered the stereo pilot when I took the pic).  The electrical system in this car is noise free, which was my biggest complaint about the 98 Vic - I had to filter the hell out of the radio to listen to any AM, and it even caused issues with FM stations on the fringe.
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Oct 20, 2017 17:38
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ugh. Was going to pull the trigger on a single owner 2011 Towncar Signature-L with about 50k miles on the clock. Mechanically perfect, full-service history at the dealership, new Michelin tires, everything interior is perfect. But there's a door ding [circular/golf ball sized] and it looked like freddy krugger was loading luggage on the top deck of the rear bumper. The dealer offered to have their body shop take a crack at fixing it but i'm concerned with the paint match [silver metallic]. I've been hunting for a low mileage 2011 L that hasn't been roached out by a limo company and I'm not sure if I should just grab it or not. [timing is good, I got a buyer for my Lincoln continental]
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Oct 22, 2017 05:22
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wolrah posted:How common are the extended wheelbase models in the US? Ones with 200,000+ miles on them and roached out? not too hard. I'm trying to find a low mileage 2009-2011 L and having a hell of a time, I may wind up getting the one near me and haggle a bit on the price and deal with the door/bumper cosmetic issues on my own.
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Oct 22, 2017 05:50
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bigtom posted:It's the cluster lights as well as the parking lights - if I pull the headlight switch out just so I can get them to turn on, so I'm sure it's the switch. Using the AutoLamp, I can have all of the lights on...but I bought a new switch off RockAuto for $120 to be on the safe side. But they do work, and amazingly no burnt out bulbs! Mine was the same way, you had to pull it out ever so slightly past the parking light mode to get it all to come on, everything past that would just be headlights only. See if that switch helps, you may still need a plug, because when I pulled mine out it had become fused together!  bigtom posted:I already spent $45 on another factory head unit to replace the one the car came with - this is the same unit I remember from my Dad's Town Car, and it even gets C-QUAM AM Stereo (KDKA isn't in stereo, but something triggered the stereo pilot when I took the pic). I had that same style of radio in my 94 Thunderbird, they're good units, and it worked well in a cabin as small as the T-Birds. However, they definitely do have their shortcomings. Not that it matters these days, but the tape deck mechanisms in them are pretty rock solid. The Squire's radio is full of whine that changes with engine speed. I've been told it's either the ground cable for the amplifier needs to be cleaned and re-mounted, or it's a bad coil. I'm hoping it's just the ground issue. I kind of want to keep it.... it's nice having an audio tachometer!  The starter in the squire's also dragging a little bit... so I'm gonna have to address that at some point. It looks easy enough to do, at least.
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Oct 22, 2017 19:03
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Luxrage posted:Mine was the same way, you had to pull it out ever so slightly past the parking light mode to get it all to come on, everything past that would just be headlights only. See if that switch helps, you may still need a plug, because when I pulled mine out it had become fused together! Ouch! Thankfully I have a bunch of pick & pulls around here so if I need a plug I should be able to find a 90-94 TC to yank one out of. Believe it or not, I use the tape deck with a Bluetooth cassette adapter - I think I need to clean the heads because the left channel is weaker than the right, but the fact it works at all leaves me amazed given the age. I do have to replace or refoam the sub-woofer - it distorts when I have the volume turned up, and it gets annoying after awhile. Does yours have the premium sound with the external amp?
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Oct 23, 2017 02:16
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Protip: relay the headlight switch to the headlights. I do it on nearly every car I've owned after my 1998 Delta 88 almost burned down from a melting headlight switch. One of our ambulances actually did burn down from that. Why run the full current though the switch? Ford/GM 
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Oct 23, 2017 04:18
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