My 1987 Two Door Crown Victoria AKA THE BROWN BLOB

[87gtVIC]

I just read through this whole thread and all I can say is
WOW
I just can’t believe all the work and attention to detail! It’s unreal.
Good for you, that has to be the nicest Panther I have ever seen.
Love it.

Thank you. I do appreciate it. It is a nice car but there are always areas for improvements.

[87gtVIC]

Swapped in an upper tilt steering column cover from a 86 Mustang. It has no shift lever hole so I can complete the factory interior 5 speed look. This only worked as I already had a early 80's Thunderbird steering column covers installed. Panther steering column covers will not interchange (top of one bottom of other) with a fox body type. You would have to swap the whole shebang and the fox mustang one may not actually be long enough.

Various steering column covers:

Thunderbird lower, mustang upper, Thunderbird upper and panther upper



And some up to date interior pics of the interior:













I scored a house hold electric range oven and plan to powder coat some larger pieces as I now have an oven for them to fit into....

I have a spare lighting tubular upper intake already sandblasted...as well as an egr spacer and throttle body.

the fender braces will also get treated in time.

[Tiggie]

I should have figured you would be the one to solve the funky column shifter remnants problem. Good work.

[87gtVIC]

I should have figured you would be the one to solve the funky column shifter remnants problem. Good work.

Thanks

I found the mustang upper super cheap on ebay and figured why not try it out. Turns out it fits pretty damned good with the thunderbird lower.

The mustang upper and lower MAY fit on a panther column but the lower would then have a hole where the key release button is. This seems to be the best option.

One may notice that the mustang upper column cover is shorter in length. Drivers side still tucks under the dash trim when installed. Passengers side leave a slight gap of under an inch. Hardly noticeable.

[mitymerc]

I've wanted my own oven for years, but no room in the garage.

Got busted with a driving light housing in the toaster oven this week.

How else are you expected to get moisture out of them?

[87gtVIC]

I've wanted my own oven for years, but no room in the garage.

Got busted with a driving light housing in the toaster oven this week.

How else are you expected to get moisture out of them?

I hear ya. I picked the oven up from next door and had to take it to work as I have no room for it at home. Once I got it to work I welded on some wheels to it as well as made an adapter to power it up off our camlocks. We have tons of 3 phase 208 power here. Two hots and a ground on the camlock ends to a rang stove female receptical and I am all good.

[87gtVIC]

Took the car out for its first long trip all by my lonesome this morning. It is like a different animal having the manual transmission.

I am a newb manual car driver so I am still learning taking off and I found difficulty getting from 4th to 5th. Also a couple instances of 4th to 1st. Oops! Did't break anything yet. I definitely wont be able to shift this thing fast anytime soon, if at all considering the LONG stick I have to throw. lol I found I do best just going through the gears slowly. It still is fun even if you cannot shift as fast.

One thing I have to look into is why the cruise control...speed control is no longer working.

During the trans swap I added the cruise clutch dump switch (goes in line with the brake pedal switch to kill speed control) as well as relocated the cruise control computer and even unplugged the servo module under the hood to access the ecm while looking for pins i needed to tap into for other reasons. I also de pinned and repinned the VSS connector at the tranny (as I had a nicer plug to install). There was also all the fumbling of wires within the steering column. Once I gain some motivation again I will did into it. I do want it to work.

[mitymerc]

As far as shifting fast, you'll need to break in the new gears & synchros a little and just practice. T-5s are quick shifting trannies. 5th gear is a different animal, just always be slow & deliberate with it.

[mitymerc]

Also, when trying to shift fast, hold the knob loosely (counterintuitive isn't it?) It will help the shifter go where it knows it needs to. As far as the long shift lever goes look up guys like Ronnie Sox, the old school guys had long ones too. I have a "long handle" Hurst in the black car no complaints vs the "short " ones in the other cars.

[gadget73]

does that shifter have gates or stops? Any chance something is not quite adjusted right making it hard to do a 4-5?


nothing else was changed besides the trans stuff right? Just thinking of possible unrelated variables for the cruise.

[87gtVIC]

As far as shifting fast, you'll need to break in the new gears & synchros a little and just practice. T-5s are quick shifting trannies. 5th gear is a different animal, just always be slow & deliberate with it.

Also, when trying to shift fast, hold the knob loosely (counterintuitive isn't it?) It will help the shifter go where it knows it needs to. As far as the long shift lever goes look up guys like Ronnie Sox, the old school guys had long ones too. I have a "long handle" Hurst in the black car no complaints vs the "short " ones in the other cars.

Thanks for the pointers Jim.

does that shifter have gates or stops? Any chance something is not quite adjusted right making it hard to do a 4-5?


nothing else was changed besides the trans stuff right? Just thinking of possible unrelated variables for the cruise.

It has stops for two gears.

I think it is more a driver error than a transmission/shifter issue. I am just not familiar with driving a manual.


The trans is the only new thing with the addition of the clutch dump switch. All speed control gear is the same as it was before the swap.

It will be something silly..I hope. I had vacuum lines and the main harness to the servo both disconnected.

I had the cruise computer/module disconnected and relocated (now wires extended..just physically relocated) and added the cruise dump switch in line right before the cruise computer.

I had things disconnected in the steering column regarding the cruise buttons as the entire column was removed from vehicle.

I had the VSS removed from the car and a new connector put on the vehicles harness because the old one had broken tabs.

I have the EVTM out and it gives me a few things to troubleshoot and I will follow the steps.

The onnly things I am unsure of though are the vacuum lines at the servo. There is a vacuum line to the plastic side of the servo that has a check valve in it from the main vac tree at firewall. And then I have the vacuum line that runs from the dump valve under the steering column that goes to the "t" on the metal side of the servo. One side of that "t" leads to another port on the plastic side of the servo.



Unrelated to speed control....the seatbelt locks up an awful lot now after rippin it in 1st gear. Kinda nice as it hold you in place on your couch seats.

[jaywish]

The engine has to drop rpms to match speeds while you are up shifting if you want to spare the clutch material and be easy on the transmission. This can take some time. A close ratio transmission is quicker to shift for this reason as the engine does not have to drop as many RPMs to match the new gear.

[packman]

Took the car out for its first long trip all by my lonesome this morning. It is like a different animal having the manual transmission.

I am a newb manual car driver so I am still learning taking off and I found difficulty getting from 4th to 5th. Also a couple instances of 4th to 1st. Oops! Did't break anything yet. I definitely wont be able to shift this thing fast anytime soon, if at all considering the LONG stick I have to throw. lol I found I do best just going through the gears slowly. It still is fun even if you cannot shift as fast.

One thing I have to look into is why the cruise control...speed control is no longer working.

During the trans swap I added the cruise clutch dump switch (goes in line with the brake pedal switch to kill speed control) as well as relocated the cruise control computer and even unplugged the servo module under the hood to access the ecm while looking for pins i needed to tap into for other reasons. I also de pinned and repinned the VSS connector at the tranny (as I had a nicer plug to install). There was also all the fumbling of wires within the steering column. Once I gain some motivation again I will did into it. I do want it to work.

I learned how to operate a manual trans with my '53 F-250 when the flattie was still running. I didn't actually learn how to drive a manual trans until I got my 1st Ranger (3.0L/T5). That was a good truck to learn with. Being grossly underpowered, I was not afraid of blowing it up or losing control.

[87gtVIC]

Can anyone confirm which vacuum line goes where on the speed control servo (under hoot bit).

There are two.

One from manifold vacuum

the other to the brake pedal dump valve.

I am just looking for confirmation as to which one goes where on the servo. Black plastic side of servo currently has manifold vacuum via checkvalve.

Metal side (which has a "T" that branches to Plastic side of servo currently is coming from brake dump valve.

[gadget73]

Thats how mine is hooked up. Single hose to manifold vacuum, the Y fitting to the vacuum dump valve.

make sure the dump valve is holding vacuum. I've had adjustment problems with that before.