My 1987 Mercury Colony Park

[TecNickal]

Going to sell my 91 and hang on to the 87. Perfect parts hauler, go to the office car, etc. I bought another car

One of the actuators is frozen, still need a gear kit for the back window. After crossing battery terminals, may need alternator and/or voltage regulator - we'll see.

Otherwise, I don't think this car needs much of anything except a VERY good cleaning inside and out, wiper blades, and some less UGLY wheels. Think I should throw some alloys on it? What kind should I get that's factory Ford?

[Stocker]

Can never go wrong with the turbine wheels.

[TecNickal]

Junkyard alternator from a 90 Town Car fixed my crossed battery terminals stupidity.

The cargo area was FULL of water after last rain storm. The kid seats were in standing water :-( Headliner sagging. Believe the prior owner, when MAACO painted or whomever, they did not put sealer around the screws/bolts that hold roof rack on - so water came in all down there. The back tailgate glass was wet - so was the passenger side window C/D pillar - but not the driver.

I backed it under cover for now.

[Mainemantom]

It could be that whoever installed the roof rack did not use the teflon inserts for the screws. Well at least whoever installed it did not drill through the headliner. On second thought maybe they did and replaced the headliner. I have seen that happen !

[TecNickal]

Teflon inserts for the screws? Did not know about this. Headlienr is definitely original to the car, nothing through the headliner luckily!

[Mainemantom]

When I get a chance I will look at the shop manual. Maybe they will show them. Silicone sealer would do the same thing however it may be harder to remove the screws if needed later.

[Mainemantom]

I looked at a shop manual. It does not reference a roof rack or mounting of such thing. It shows trim all over the car, but not the roof rack. Odd.

[TecNickal]

Wagons get no love! Thanks for checking though Tom!

So I scored parts off of an 88 CP yesterday that had the factory tow package Local guy parting it out.

1) Roof rack spoiler
2) 4 Turbine wheels
3) Exhaust from cats back. I cut the exhaust right after the muffler and will rejoin the exhaust there. Believe I forgot 1 hanger, so I'll go back and grab it.

Hoping to go back and get the 3.55 TracLoc rear end soon. That should be fun trying to remove the carrier and the pinion while laying in the leaves/dirt. Minus the front fender and under door chrome strips, the other pieces of trim are all there.

[gadget73]

When i put the stainless trim panels on the Towncar, I dipped the screws in silicone. they came out fine when I needed them to. The sealer was there more to keep the panel from rusting around where the screw punched a hole than anything else.

[TecNickal]

I'll reseal the roof tmrw night.

Tonight I took the TB/EGR coolant hoses and put them together as the gaskets between both are steaming.

Torqued lugnuts to spec tonight. Did a quickie wipedown of the nasty steering wheel. Rechecked all my fluid levels. Radio don't work, but DANG the heat works REALLY WELL. Changed the fuel filter (10 years old).

And took it for its first mayden voyage under its own power



I drove it 40 miles running errands. It performed great. Gave it a half tank of gas and just drove.

Only issue I can find at fault is the speedometer error is realllly bad. Like the dash reads 85 when i'm really doing 70. Need to get my goodie bag out of speedometer gears.

Once I seal the roof up, I'll take it through the TOUCH (yes with brushes) car wash and let it scrub most of the dirt and check for leaks that way.

Not bad for a sub $1000 car that needed a $3 grounding strap from engine to frame, and another from frame to body. Think shifts AMAZING, nice quick shifts.

[Kodachrome Wolf]

Those turbines look really sharp now that you got them on. Better than those wire wheel covers, IMO.

[TecNickal]

I've noticed lately the car starts out in second gear sometimes. I'd shift it into 1 and it'd go. Figured old car stuff. It also shifted quickly from 1, did a quick shift to 2, then into 3rd. Then lockup around 35-40.

Today wasn't so good....

I'd driven down interstate at 70. entered downtown. Tried accelerating from a light and felt like brake torqueing ...but brakes are fine. It was half accelerating then i feathered the throttle and it kinda went, then did a really soft, crummy shift to 2nd and a yuck into third. It contined doing this the whole drive. Mind you, plenty of ATF, and I do have TV grommet installed OK.

I babied it back home. Got stuck at steep uphill traffic light. Tried to accelerate...it tried, but no go. Had to put in N, flashers, and reverse into a parking lot. Tried to drive it this evening - still doing it. It now accelerates but then it has a really long pause before trying for second and stutters. Poor wagon. It's never towed anything...fluid looks fine...

So IDK what the hell is going on. I thought it was shifting great. Figures something would happen. I have a leaky roof, and leaky windshield and now a junk transmission? Things come in threes!

Trying to decide what to do next...does it need TV cable adjustment

[sly]

Probably. Sounds like lack of pressure. Could also need a filter change. Worst case, rebuild time. Could also be low fluid.

[purplebomb302]

Have you checked the TV cable grommet?

[87gtVIC]

I gotta say does anyone read what the op rights? He mentioned half the stuff that was recommended by you two. lol

/minirant. lol