Bison (1990 Grand Marquis)

[P72Crazy]

Did you replace the plastic gears in the odo and tripometer? I have three CVPIs (all with 140 clusters) and every darn one is broken! One at 130K, 152K, and 170K. From what I read, it takes about a hundred for parts to fix each one (car).

[VicCrownVic]

I got my odo gears for under $66 and change here: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Gauge-Cluste...70979946409%26

I've put over 10K miles on these gears in the past year.

If anyone can confirm that these: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mercury-Gran...32efa9&vxp=mtr which are listed as 92-93 would work on a 90-91, these would be $41 and change.

For the lighting, the climate control was pretty straight forward, not much you can do about the clock that I am aware of, and the rear defrost button has a really tiny light. If you take the rear defrost button apart you'll see what I mean, iirc if you wanted to change this one with an LED it would require some soldering and probably an LED like this: http://www.ebay.com/itm/20-pcs-x-5mm...item4d0dba895a.

[VicCrownVic]

...
The needle still doesn't glide when I accelerate, it kind of jerks like my old one, maybe it's a problem with the speed sensor thing that I believe is attached to the transmission somewhere, idk. What would cause it to jerk like that?
...

I'm not sure myself. If it is the vehicle speed sensor, it's easy to swap a new one in. It's located on the trans tail-shaft housing on the driver's side and there is only 1 bolt (7/16 or somewhere around that size wrench needed iirc) that holds it on. If you hit the JY the VSS should be easy to find since you just need to find something with an AOD, even though the 89 and older panthers used a mechanical speedo, the VSS is still the same.

I would be shooting completely in the dark, but if I had to guess, it could be VSS like you mentioned, or a loose connection somewhere, or maybe a broken tooth on the speedo gear on the VSS.

[BuffaloRider]

Thanks for all the info vic. I was messing around with the defrost button for a minute, I twisted out the tiny little light in the bottom and it had a blue rubber thing over the bulb, I pulled that off, put it back in and it looks green still. I wonder if it's got something filtering the light to make it come out green. I'll look into it more.
I'll have to grab a new vss when I can and see if that helps my jerky speedo.

Those LED's are definitely crap, thats what I get for going with cheap china stuff. I definitely like the look of the red instrument cluster lights but I can't see it in the dark. It doesn't look like any light is going through the white mph numbers either, just the kph below. (btw I kept the silver temp and fuel gauges cause I thought I'd switch things up a bit lol)


I wish it was bright like this picture tom took from his LED interior


I guess I'll have to try this superbrightleds.com I keep hearing people mention.

[VicCrownVic]

If you take apart a 89- cluster you will find the same blue colored caps over the lights to make the green colored light.

[BuffaloRider]

It's been like a year and half, time for an update! I'm at about 89000 miles, still going strong as buffalo. I added red LED's to my speedometer and climate control a while ago ( http://www.grandmarq.net/vb/showthre...rument-cluster ) And I had a terrible fuck up where I let my tefba filter get clogged, which led to overheating, then a leak in my timing chain cover, so I had to pull that and replace it, threw a new timing chain in too ( http://www.grandmarq.net/vb/showthre...t=timing+chain ) Everythings been going good with the car in the last year so I've just been enjoying the reliability, which I deserve. Just changed the oil again recently, I think I'll run this for just a couple hundred miles and change again, help get the oil a little cleaner.
Unfortunately my wifes explorer is taking a dump and needs to be sold so until then she's driving my car and I'm driving a POS loaner blazer that makes me fear for my life every time I'm behind the wheel. So I'll be spending this summer fixing up and selling her car, then buying a new one (hopefully a whale panther) so that we aren't relying on my car for transport and I can get started making all those repairs I've been thinking about all winter.

Here are my plans for my car this summer

Clean rust, bondo
Paint lower half black
Smoke taillights
Wash, wax, clean interior
Wheel cylinders, calipers, brake hoses
Rear differential oil change
Yet ANOTHER Coolant flush
3G Alternator swap
Headlight wiring harness
Remove upper intake
Replace leaky valve covers and gaskets
Vacuum lines
Upper intake manifold gasket
GET A F-ing STEREO ALREADY!

Of course I'll be lucky if half of that gets done, but we'll see. I'm excited to get back to making improvements. Expect to hear more from me in the near future concerning rust repair and paint because that's what I'll probably be tackling first since it puts a pit in my stomach every time I see the rusted quarter panel

Thanks for all your guys help so far btw!

[VicCrownVic]

Good to hear from you again!

One of my favorite cars to follow if you couldn't tell by how much I've posted in your thread, lol. I looked back through the thread and can see how much I've learned about these last of the box panthers (90-91 CV/MGM) over the past year and a half. Knowing what I know now, there are some things that I would explain differently and some things that turned out to be just wrong.

[p71towny]

Sounds like you'll be busy! Keep up the good work.

[DerekTheGreat]

Thanks for all the positive feedback guys, it's greatly appreciated!
"you spend all this time and money on your car but you leave me driving around in a piece of shit!"... damnit, she's got a point.

Nice ride!
I know that feeling, after all the work done to my car Ashley is starting to feel bad about her '89 lol

[BuffaloRider]

Good to hear from you again!

One of my favorite cars to follow if you couldn't tell by how much I've posted in your thread, lol. I looked back through the thread and can see how much I've learned about these last of the box panthers (90-91 CV/MGM) over the past year and a half. Knowing what I know now, there are some things that I would explain differently and some things that turned out to be just wrong.

Hey, I appreciate that. Whether you were right or wrong, it's always good to have people pulling for ya. I think I can relate a lot to your posts because we have similar budget restrictions lol. BTW Mad props on that heater core write up, real thorough man, I love it!

Thanks for the encouragement fellas. It's gonna be a hard summer, I've got a lot on my plate, for sure... but I've got a big appetite nom nom nom lol

[BuffaloRider]

It's been a long time. I've really missed this place.

My wife was recently accepted to a Phd program out in Virginia and for the first time in my life I'll be living outside of the great state of Ohio. I just spent a small fortune on a 2010 Yota Camry so we can have something reliable and fuel efficient to get us back and forth when we visit home. It'll also help her fit in among the phd crowd. Which brings me to this...
There's a good chance I'll be selling the Bison soon. I'm pretty bummed about it. Since my last post I really haven't done anywhere near as much as I had planned.

The odometer is at almost 99,000 miles now and she's still running strong, but a little rough. The most pressing issues are the radiator fan clutch, the suspension in the back is totally fucked and bounces like a trampoline, I might have oil in my coolant, and I've been noticing a little sputtering at cruising speeds from time to time. It's also out of alignment and it's really tearing the hell out of the white wall tires I tried so hard to get. I still haven't been able to commit enough time and effort towards an amateur repair of the rust spot on the rear quarter panel and more spots are showing up as I speak.

I have done a 3g alternator swap but the power still seems to pulsate sometimes. I've replaced a bunk window motor. I niteshaded a new pair of taillights and they look dope but I was trying to get some kind of brighter taillights in before putting them on. I've also got a pair of lincoln logs (two actually) that I was going to hit with paint and then install... ill probably be selling a pair soon, just a heads up. I got a headlight harness to rig up a relay but haven't gotten around to it. I've also got all sorts of little parts and pieces that I was planning on fixing/replacing, like 02 sensors, a bunch of gaskets, etc.

I'd love to keep the car, and I still just might, but if I do I'll be forced to watch it wither away as I scramble to fix what I can with even less time, space, and money than I have now. At this point it'll take a fair amount of effort to raise it from beater status and I know my wife would be embarrassed to have her peers and professors seeing her hubby driving around town in an old hooptie. If I could get it to (and keep it in) near-mint condition it would be a different story.

I'll probably be and making a detailed post in the "for sale" section soon but feel free to make an offer on the lincoln logs, nightshaded taillights, or anything else in the meantime.

[Tiggie]

What part of VA you headed to?

[Salty Dog]

It's been a long time. I've really missed this place.

My wife was recently accepted to a Phd program out in Virginia and for the first time in my life I'll be living outside of the great state of Ohio. I just spent a small fortune on a 2010 Yota Camry so we can have something reliable and fuel efficient to get us back and forth when we visit home. It'll also help her fit in among the phd crowd. Which brings me to this...
There's a good chance I'll be selling the Bison soon. I'm pretty bummed about it. Since my last post I really haven't done anywhere near as much as I had planned.

The odometer is at almost 99,000 miles now and she's still running strong, but a little rough. The most pressing issues are the radiator fan clutch, the suspension in the back is totally fucked and bounces like a trampoline, I might have oil in my coolant, and I've been noticing a little sputtering at cruising speeds from time to time. It's also out of alignment and it's really tearing the hell out of the white wall tires I tried so hard to get. I still haven't been able to commit enough time and effort towards an amateur repair of the rust spot on the rear quarter panel and more spots are showing up as I speak.

I have done a 3g alternator swap but the power still seems to pulsate sometimes. I've replaced a bunk window motor. I niteshaded a new pair of taillights and they look dope but I was trying to get some kind of brighter taillights in before putting them on. I've also got a pair of lincoln logs (two actually) that I was going to hit with paint and then install... ill probably be selling a pair soon, just a heads up. I got a headlight harness to rig up a relay but haven't gotten around to it. I've also got all sorts of little parts and pieces that I was planning on fixing/replacing, like 02 sensors, a bunch of gaskets, etc.

I'd love to keep the car, and I still just might, but if I do I'll be forced to watch it wither away as I scramble to fix what I can with even less time, space, and money than I have now. At this point it'll take a fair amount of effort to raise it from beater status and I know my wife would be embarrassed to have her peers and professors seeing her hubby driving around town in an old hooptie. If I could get it to (and keep it in) near-mint condition it would be a different story.

I'll probably be and making a detailed post in the "for sale" section soon but feel free to make an offer on the lincoln logs, nightshaded taillights, or anything else in the meantime.

Damn! I just finished reading the whole thread. Sucks you may sell the car but everything happens for a reason imo. You'll be able to take all the knowledge you gained from Bison and re-apply it to your next project. Good luck!

[Chuck Norris]

I drive an old hooptie, but I try to make sure my wife is in a better car. As long as her car is nice and you like your car, I'm sure she loves you enough to understand!

But sometimes doing what is right for you, and doing what the people on a web forum want you to do, are not the same thing. I feel for you if you have to sell it. Sounds like you have a lot of blood, sweat and tears in this car! I saw your thread for the first time today, read every word you wrote and most of the others. Ironic, since you wrote that your posts were too long and nobody will read them. But I did read them!

Point being, you have had this car for years and have become emotionally connected to it. You sell it and get stuck in a much newer 2006 Chevy Cobalt or 99 Hyundai Sonata, you are going to HATE those cars. PLEASE, think long and hard about selling it if it still runs (basically) good. Make sure whether or not you really have oil in coolant of if it's just sludge. You're gonna miss her when she's gone, and it's cheaper to keep a paid-for car on the road than to replace it (usually - there are exceptions.) Peace be with you!

[VicCrownVic]

That sucks mang, I hope things work out to where you can keep it. If you end up selling it, hopefully a nicer one comes along and you're in a position to snag it. Either way, good luck with the future plans.

I took what I learned from your red LED swap and applied it to my newest box Panther, The Scab, which I picked up a few months ago. For now I have just the '90-'91 police cluster with red LEDs but plan to install a '98-'02 cluster with red LEDs and maybe get to the heat/ac controls with red LEDs. Actually, I think what I learned from your swap also helped me when I installed the '98-'02 cluster in The Ice Car too.