Shine some light on the subject...

[87CrownVic]

HELLO. Im putting the high line grille from 80-82, I believe, into me 87 Crown Vic header panel. I have the grille with the driving lamps molded in and the stupid "putty in place" lenses. I am trying to find the OE lamp sockets for those 194 bulbs so I can actually USE the lamps I bought the beautiful NOS grille for. If anyone has a part number for the factory Ford part or a napa socket number please, do share. Thanks!

[Grand Marquis GT]

Got a pic of the grille? It sounds like an LTD "S" grille, and won't fit.

[87CrownVic]

Darn it lol, everyone keeps telling me that. I just drilled and nutserted my header panel for the couple of mounting holes that dont line up. Almost all of them do, and the space at the bottom of the grille due to it being about 3/4 of an inch shorter is barely noticable. I finally found a guy locally that found me the sockets so I'm set. I just wish I would have wired the new sockets into the running lamps before I assembled the header panel and headlamp assemblies.

[85crownHPP]

not the mention the shape of the top of the grille is different

[87CrownVic]

Thats why you move the grille up on the header panel a bit and realign the holes that dont line up. You barely notice the gap at the bottom. I'll post some pics when I get the front clip finished in a couple weeks, I think it looks pretty darn good.

[85crownHPP]

well, if you can make this work, and make it look like its supposed to be there, you will leap up a thoasand notches in your status here.

But Il telling you, unless you plan to modify (cut up) your headder panel and/or grille, its not going to fit.

Aside from the "S" grill being shorter, its also about 2 inches longer, and the shape of where the grill nests into the header panel are VERY different. The quad-headlamp grille protrude out and over the top of the headder panel, the other does not.

I have wanted one of these grilles on my box as bad as I wanted the clear lenses... the mang who executed one of the first big brake and other serious mods to boxes also tried to make it fit.... no dice.

Not to discourage you, but I hope you have some bodywork planned into this

[87CrownVic]

WOW you guys weren't kidding. I looked at the difference at the top and the angle where they meet the grille but I never bothered to look at how much longer that grille is. Anyone know if those early header panels that work with this grille came with 4 headlamps and if it fits my front end properly? I really really wanna use this grille and would be willing to get the header panel but I want to make sure I can run the dual headlamps and that it will fit my fenders and hood.

[gadget73]

Its an LTD-S grille, from the 2 headlight header panel. Its actually the base model. It will fit with the hood and fenders.

[87CrownVic]

Thank you for the pic, that helps in my vivid mental vision of this stupid idea. I keep looking at those single headlamps and its just not growing on me. What to do..... what to do.....

[Enigma]

get a set of aftermarket driving lights, and dremmel them into your existing grill.?
Not the easiest of mods, but could be done.

[85MercPark]

I love the look of the LTD-S

Would that work with an 85 Merc Hood and fenders?

[gadget73]

I love the look of the LTD-S

Would that work with an 85 Merc Hood and fenders?

Fenders yes, hood no. 79-87 CV had a different hood, I forget if its longer or shorter than the 79-91 GM/88-91 CV hood but theres about an inch of difference in the middle. The late CV hood is actually the Grand Marq hood. I want to say the GM / late CV is the shorter of the two, and using that hood with the older CV header panel will put a gap between the header and the hood. Either that or it overhangs, one or the other.

[DuceAnAHalf]

god, i want a LTD-S front end, then i would complete the trifecta of 79-86 front ends. although i need the 82 ish grill (the one that looks like a '79, but with a small oval in the lower drivers side)