A Grand Marquis far from home - Life with my 1988 Mercury Grand Marquis GS

[sly]

It's weird. I can edit the post and see all the images, but after save, none of them show. Gonna try a few other tricks.

Got it. Looks like for some reason it needed a carriage return before and after the images. I guess it was trying to render them off screen.

[Tiggie]

Flooring it and getting an antifreeze smell from the vents is almost certainly the heater core, barring no leaks elsewhere. My 88 was doing this for a while - very slight smell. Threw in some stop leak (not really recommended since you care about your car). It stopped and it's been fine for years. Your luck may vary. I have a different car that gave me a slight smell and well and it had a catastrophic heater core failure the next time I pushed the rpms up there. If in doubt, replace it now while you can afford the down time.

Is the Clinton/Gore bumper sticker an original? Thought of adding one to my 90.

[Mainemantom]

As far as dash covers I am very familiar with them. The "carpet" type I have had for many years. I used to be a dealer for many manufactures. Dash designs, Dash Mat, and others. Some have a lifetime warranty on fading. Shop around for pricing as it varies. Those are custom fit for the model vehicle. Most of them have a good fit. They come with tabs on the underside and velcro to attach the cover to the dash. I normally did not recommend a customer attach it. I have one attached to the 90 CV. It has been on for over 22 years. You can wash the dash cover. I hand wash it using Woolite.
As far as the plastic dash caps, I have one on one of the Lincolns. It fits well and I dyed it to match the interior. Since I put mine on, they can be ordered from the factory already painted or in black. The one I have came with adhesive to apply to the original dash. Easy to install. The one I have has been on for about 18 years.

[Tynnerstroem]

Tiggie that's unpleasant, but I guess not unexpected news. You are right though, better do it now before the snow hits. I found two YouTube videos that deal with the replacement of the heater core on these, and together with the shop manual (and encouraging words from my dad) it should be doable even for me. I checked RockAuto and the heater cores on offer look like the vary between them in how the two water lines are bent. Looking at these two videos (1988 LTD Crown Victoria heater core replacement. (youtube.com) and Heater Core Replacement How To - Ford Crown Victoria / Lincoln Town Car / Mercury Grand Marquis (youtube.com)), it does look like the Four Seasons one (part number 98620) should fit but I'd very much welcome yours and anyone else's input here just to make sure I order the correct one, before I have to pay shipping, value-added tax and customs charges. Also, while I'm under the dash, is there anything else that I should try to do at the same time? Any hard-to-get-to sensors, valves or anything else under there that's good to check off the list? I was thinking doing the heater core hoses under the hood but if you can think of anything else I welcome the input. After this, the only part of the cooling system that is untouched is the radiator itself.

The bumper sticker I actually put on there. There's an ugly big scratch under there and I felt it was a fun-period correct and cheap way to make it look better. With time it looks appropriately worn as well.

Mainemantom great input, thanks a bunch. I note RockAuto has some branded Coverlay, which seems to be the plastic dash caps. I would guess these are the most similar to factory designs. There's no preview for the different colors but I would guess that on my interior a "medium gray" would be just fine. The interior of my car is pretty light, and I note there is a "light gray" to be had but I would rather have a dash pad that's a little too dark compared to the rest of the interior, than one that is a little to light. Are there other brands of these plastic ones you think I should consider? My car has automatic lamps, and it says that there is a cut out for it, do you have any experience with how well that cut out matches the position of the sensor?

sly thanks for your help with the images!

[DerekTheGreat]

Great pics.

Your car actually has the uplevel interior, you can tell by the pillowed seats.

As others have mentioned, the heater core has most likely walked off the job. If you go to run the heater and it smells like breakfast & syrup, yep.

Plug #'s 8 and 4 tend to look like that on these, although yours is the worst I've ever seen- it had to be misfiring. You need to replace the valve stem seals. You could also try running a hotter plug. I had an '89 Town Car in my fleet that would foul out #8 within 300 km's or so. On a side note, I really like those copper NGK plugs. I've got 'em in everything we run, short of our 2002 Tahoe. The Tahoe, now that's a vehicle I really like as all the work I've had to do for it (short of the driver's side window motor) has all been elective.

[VicCrownVic]

Your car actually has the uplevel interior, you can tell by the pillowed seats.

For '88+ MGM those are the GS seats. They are the same as the early year LS seats. In my opinion they are much better than the '88+ LS seats. The seat bottom feels more supportive and sit slightly higher compared to the late LS seats.

[DerekTheGreat]

LS being the upper trim level? Those seats certainly don't look base, and I've seen some base-y base out there.

[kishy]

As noted, the buildup on the plugs at the rearmost two cylinders results from oil consumption. On an engine with good valve seals but which is still generally worn, those cylinders will consume oil more than the others via the PCV system, and on an engine with bad valve seals (which is probably all of them that have never been done before), it will be amplified. With the engine being tilted rearwards as it is, gravity makes more oil pool towards the rear of the head so the valve seals more likely to leak a larger amount of oil are those ones.

(and do bear in mind the absolute weirdness that is Ford's cylinder numbering compared to every other manufacturer - although I like Ford's more, if you regularly wrench on non-Fords, you will be confused by the notion of #4 and #8 being the rear two)

My '91 will make its rear two plugs look like that, or worse. It's abnormal in the sense that it isn't as-designed but it's normal due to aging.

[VicCrownVic]

LS being the upper trim level? Those seats certainly don't look base, and I've seen some base-y base out there.

Yes, GS is the lower trim level, and LS is the higher trim level. Those are indeed the stock '88+ GS seats which are the same as the stock '87- LS seats and, in my opinion, better than the '88+ LS seats.

[DerekTheGreat]

My foot is in my mouth.

Probably why I thought they were the higher level, given they were on LS stuff '87 & down. What do '88+ LS seats look like?

[VicCrownVic]

My foot is in my mouth.

Probably why I thought they were the higher level, given they were on LS stuff '87 & down. What do '88+ LS seats look like?

Well, I mean, you're sort of right if it were pre '88. (See Kishy's '83 2dr MGM which is an LS. Marge is an LS but does not have the original front seats, but instead has '88+GS/'87-LS seats)

'88+ LS seats:



Last off topic/tangent post from me, LOL

Tynnerstroem, my older sister had an '88 MGM the same color around 2002/2003. Even at barely over a decade old I don't think hers looked as good.

[Mainemantom]

Tiggie that's unpleasant, but I guess not unexpected news. You are right though, better do it now before the snow hits. I found two YouTube videos that deal with the replacement of the heater core on these, and together with the shop manual (and encouraging words from my dad) it should be doable even for me. I checked RockAuto and the heater cores on offer look like the vary between them in how the two water lines are bent. Looking at these two videos (1988 LTD Crown Victoria heater core replacement. (youtube.com) and Heater Core Replacement How To - Ford Crown Victoria / Lincoln Town Car / Mercury Grand Marquis (youtube.com)), it does look like the Four Seasons one (part number 98620) should fit but I'd very much welcome yours and anyone else's input here just to make sure I order the correct one, before I have to pay shipping, value-added tax and customs charges. Also, while I'm under the dash, is there anything else that I should try to do at the same time? Any hard-to-get-to sensors, valves or anything else under there that's good to check off the list? I was thinking doing the heater core hoses under the hood but if you can think of anything else I welcome the input. After this, the only part of the cooling system that is untouched is the radiator itself.

The bumper sticker I actually put on there. There's an ugly big scratch under there and I felt it was a fun-period correct and cheap way to make it look better. With time it looks appropriately worn as well.

Mainemantom great input, thanks a bunch. I note RockAuto has some branded Coverlay, which seems to be the plastic dash caps. I would guess these are the most similar to factory designs. There's no preview for the different colors but I would guess that on my interior a "medium gray" would be just fine. The interior of my car is pretty light, and I note there is a "light gray" to be had but I would rather have a dash pad that's a little too dark compared to the rest of the interior, than one that is a little to light. Are there other brands of these plastic ones you think I should consider? My car has automatic lamps, and it says that there is a cut out for it, do you have any experience with how well that cut out matches the position of the sensor?

sly thanks for your help with the images!

I would go with the coverlay.as it has a Lifetime warranty. According to the Coverlay web site, there are a bunch of colors available. That is the only "dash cap" company I have dealt with. I am very pleased. They have a chat or phone number to ask questions. I believe that the sensor hole is pre cut, mine is. Doesn't hurt to ask though. One thing I noticed is the finish is not shiny and the plastic has a texture, not smooth. I like that the gloss is not shiny as it limits the glare. The texture, though not smooth like the factory, looks good. I would order through their official website or maybe by phone. Ask about the 33% off summer sale.

[DerekTheGreat]

Well, I mean, you're sort of right if it were pre '88. (See Kishy's '83 2dr MGM which is an LS. Marge is an LS but does not have the original front seats, but instead has '88+GS/'87-LS seats)

'88+ LS seats:


Last off topic/tangent post from me, LOL

Oh, the '88+ LS seats look like a downgrade compared to'87- LS seats. Strange. With box Lincolns, Signature Series seats definitely look like an upgrade compared to their base model siblings. Do they feel like an upgrade? No idea.

[Tynnerstroem]

DerekTheGreat Thank you very much! Buying this car inspired me to resuscitate my old DSLR camera, which has taken the majority of the wrenching pictures.

The car didn't run awfully actually, but certainly not perfect. It idled a little rough when sitting at a stop light but ran strong otherwise. What's the skill level required for the valve stem seals? Could I do it myself in dads driveway? Or is this something that a shop would have to do?

The heater core had indeed packed it up, and it happened almost exactly as Tiggie explained it. I had put my dad on driving duty and he was running errands when he floored it and the vents let out a big cloud of moisture and coolant started coming out in the engine bay (thank god not from any of the hoses or parts I've already replaced!). I just ordered the heater core with the part number I mentioned in my earlier post, and I am as always struck by how cheap parts are on RockAuto and how quickly they get things to you (arriving next Wednesday). Even over here on the other side of the Atlantic, where the parts have to go through customs and be hit with a customs charge and value added tax it's still literally only pennies to keep this car running.

kishy thanks for the rundown! I have actually replaced the PCV valve and grommet and will do the valve covers at some later point.

VicCrownVic no worries, I welcome these discussions in my thread! That's what the forum is for right, us learning from each other. Thank you very much! To be fair to your sister's car this one has been repainted and kept out of salt for at least a decade. On my watch the car will make a return to the salt, but I'm thinking that the automatic car wash in my neighbourhood will do a fine job of keeping the car in reasonable shape during the winter.

Mainemantom thanks very much for your input! I don't think this is a now-problem so I will probably hold off on doing the dash until next year - I have a bunch of next year items on my list, such as dash, stereo and speakers, new shocks and maybe some paintwork.

[VicCrownVic]

I don't mind in my own threads either, I like a bit of discussion, but I try not to get too far off in other people's threads, lol.

If you didn't know before about the MGM LS/GS seats, now you do. While the seats you have are the same as the early LS seats, they are indeed the '88+ GS seats and most likely original to the car.

On the topic of seats, the later year box panthers had a build sheet that was usually in the wire mesh of the seat bottom. https://www.grandmarq.net/vb/forum/t...67#post1053567
I'm not sure what most of the info on the build sheet means, but someone in the community might.