My 1985 Town Car Sig.

[Piece-it pete]

I've hit 10k un-broken-down-always-started miles today!

Not bad for a higher mileage 25 year old car with me driving it.

Still need to change the heater core, find buttheads' vacuum leak and replace the lines, get the starter changed, get the top done, get the glovebox back in, find an intermittent short under the front dash, paint the dash, get the a/c charged, change the timing chain, replace the rear bearings, fix the power locks, replace the heater lockout, install the aoooga horn, replace the back rubber brake line, burn the horrid cheap pioneer rear speakers, other things I can't think of right now....

But apart from that, I'm finished

Here's to another 100k!

Pete

[gadget73]

hey, quickie for you. On your Towncar, do the rearmost window felts slide down with the glass, or do they stay in the channel and the glass slides inside of them? Both of my rear doors have the felt moving with the glass, but I don't remember if my originals did that or not. Never spent much time in the back seat playing with the windows. Based on how the door is built, having the felt move seems to make sense but I just want to check before I call it normal.

[Piece-it pete]

I trotted out and looked, the felt on the back side of the glass goes up and down with the window, the rest appear to be fixed in place.

Pete

[sly]

I've hit 10k un-broken-down-always-started miles today!

Not bad for a higher mileage 25 year old car with me driving it.

w00t!

my 93 has somewhere in the area of 60K?

only "breakdowns" were flat tires and a recently dead battery... which I don't count as breakdowns. all other breaks were caught before the car was down (water pump, hoses, and a tranny leak). That is the most reliable car I've ever had.

the other 2 are too new to me to say much about yet... but other than water pumps and that computer issue with my 88 MGM, they've all been great and I've never had to tow any of my own vehicles since I got these panthers. these truly are awesome cars.

[Piece-it pete]

That's great!

And no kidding, when I knew I had to go cheap cheap (^%@$ economy!) there was no real other choice than a Ford box. I halfheartedly looked at a few General Motors boxes but clean = $, you get more for the money with Ford and they're more reliable and longer lived anyway my experience.

I probably would've bought a late model Grand Marq otherwise, or stretched to a newer TC. Not so much styling but power and gas mileage. And I occasionally go on sales calls.

My favorite was my second panther, an 87 Grand Marq LS, Dk brown/dk brown leather, bought it in 91-92? with 42K for $4500, from an 87 year old. It was in beautiful shape, wintered in FL. Best car I ever owned. Sold it with 220k, no problems (but looking a little worn), the lady I sold it to drove another year when it got t boned. Even with the side smashed in it ran good and tracked straight. I'd practically kill for another in that shape!

This one, I looked until I found a good runner, presentable, with very little rust. Then got ripped off. Then looked until I found a good runner, presentable, with very little rust. In person.



Anyway, I'm a happy camper. I sure wish I had a garage though. Maybe if the market ever recovers.....

Pete

[Piece-it pete]

I've come to a somewhat difficult decision. No, not selling old glory, but that she'll only be my DD.

The other day I was chipping ice off her and it occurred to me - how on earth could I do this to a car that I had really poured some soul (and money!) into? Then Mr Rock met Mr Fender, so I do have damage on both fenders now, however light. And again, I'm looking at her very light little rust spot yesterday, and of course the salt is attacking it, killing it before my very eyes. She's a little shopworn overall too.

The killer was really reading Pirates goodbye thread. He mentioned that a lot of us are part changers, vs customizers. That's when it really came together in my mind.

Not that I was planning on dropping a blown 460 in it, or 17 switch hydraulics. Heck when I bought it I was planning on attempting to keep it for 5 years, 5 years of Ford goodness. But it (and this site!) grows on you, and I've been scheming now to turn her into a show car, even if stock.

But ifs are a problem. If I get the money. If I can get a garage. If I can get a second car. Hell, if I have a job next year! Dam ifs, always causing problems.

I'm not going anywhere, I like you guys for some strange reason and I do indeed like my car, I've still got over 4 years to hit my goal, and I'm not gonna drive some ragged out rust bucket (as long as I'm solvent!), so I'll still be wrenchin' away out there, and still have to get the top done among many other things. But it was a sad realization.

Pete

PS But a lot can happen in 4 years!

[rick99601]

I've come to a somewhat difficult decision. No, not selling old glory, but that she'll only be my DD.

The other day I was chipping ice off her and it occurred to me - how on earth could I do this to a car that I had really poured some soul (and money!) into? Then Mr Rock met Mr Fender, so I do have damage on both fenders now, however light. And again, I'm looking at her very light little rust spot yesterday, and of course the salt is attacking it, killing it before my very eyes. She's a little shopworn overall too.

The killer was really reading Pirates goodbye thread. He mentioned that a lot of us are part changers, vs customizers. That's when it really came together in my mind.

Not that I was planning on dropping a blown 460 in it, or 17 switch hydraulics. Heck when I bought it I was planning on attempting to keep it for 5 years, 5 years of Ford goodness. But it (and this site!) grows on you, and I've been scheming now to turn her into a show car, even if stock.

But ifs are a problem. If I get the money. If I can get a garage. If I can get a second car. Hell, if I have a job next year! Dam ifs, always causing problems.

I'm not going anywhere, I like you guys for some strange reason and I do indeed like my car, I've still got over 4 years to hit my goal, and I'm not gonna drive some ragged out rust bucket (as long as I'm solvent!), so I'll still be wrenchin' away out there, and still have to get the top done among many other things. But it was a sad realization.

Pete

PS But a lot can happen in 4 years!

glad youre gonna save her.

[Piece-it pete]

Oh heck I love the car. I'd love to make it a supermodel. But instead it's gotta go Joe Walsh, 'ordinary average guys, with average houses, and average wives'.

And maybe my next one.... :heyhey:

Pete

[85crownHPP]

Get on that rust pronto this spring!! The little bit on mine turned into a lotta little bit quick...!

[LTDMan83]

^YES!!!

Get on it asap. Rust Never Sleeps. It is eating away at your car right now.

Glad you are gonna save her though.

[Piece-it pete]

I'll kill that rust all right - with extreme prejudice! :animalmother:

Funny, looking at that longwinded and pointless post, how I practically get weepy over cars. Darn emotional attachment to machines, one of you college guys should write a paper on it. Boohoohoo my precious car! Lol.

Just a quick observation - it looks like I don't have that screen on the PCV. I looked around for it, finally taking a hard look under the oil cap that the PCV fits into, it appears that the cap acts like a catcher/drain, I can't find a filter. I have officially given up unless I hear differently

The headlight relay conversion happens hopefully Friday, as is new rear speakers. It also looks like, after getting a defective upper ball joint, the bottom is bad too (pass side). This would explain a LOT of what I thought were tire/rim issues. One more reason to try to stretch and buy good parts.

Pete

[gadget73]

85 doesnt really have the screen. It has sort of a filter thats built into the cap, but I don't know that its replaceable. I think about all you can do with it is flush it though with carb cleaner.

[ford man]

You can buy a new pcv valve for an '85 at any autoparts store for 2-5 dollars. No screen, more of a check ball type of deal. If you can hear your valve rattle when you shake it, then it should be good.

[Piece-it pete]

Thanks guys.

The PCV is new, but after hearing all the posts on the filter I went a'looking for it.

I kinda hate the cap, because it's hollow (I'm guessing) it gets pretty darn hot, but no screen + it looks old school cool = capful of win

Got the rear speaks yesterday, so darn tired I didn't even look at them. They've GOT to be better than the screech machines back there. I'll have them in by Monday. 4 new headlights too, to go with the relay setup. Tomorrows' the day!

Pete

[Piece-it pete]

As reported elsewhere, the headlight conversion was a giant win, I highly rec it. I didn't buy the 'fancy' sealed beams, just plain old Wagners. I'm happy with them.

Well, my brothers and sisters in rock and roll, I finally figured out what the heck was going on with my suspension. After tons of spending time and some money going after possible bent rims, bad tires, rebalancing etc, and finding a bad upper ball joint I changed my lower this past weekend.

And guess what. After pressing the new lower in it's a little wobbly. I figure it isn't seated properly and mess about with it for a while.

Finally convinced it really is all the way in, I pick up my hammer and give it a tap.

Plink! Thud. It falls out. The seat in the lower control arm is loose!

The very same LCA that has already had Energy bushings installed, and the bolts tightened with Loctite red

NO FREAKIN' WONDER the car's been handling strangely. Doh

Rig it up alert: Read no further if descriptions of sheer juryrigging cause distress :

For the time being my neighbor is gonna tack weld it in, I expect a slight improvement in my cars drivability

Come summer, I can take my time and change the blessed thing.

So my question on this killing train ride to knowledgeability: How on earth do you check lower ball joints? Was there a way to discover this outside of changing it?

Also, the slight weird miss I've mentioned, that gadget thought might be slack in the timing chain, is getting worse. Driving down the highway (try it with a loose lower ball joint sometime ) it occasionally feels like the trans is slipping a little then re-catching. I was mulling it over when it dawned on me that it's probably the chain issue.

Then I was talking to an old mustang guy, told him what I driving, he said, ah, so you've already changed the chain, right? Um, no lol. He says, 149k, it's gonna leave you stranded. So I think it's moved up the importance list a little.

Pete