85.03 Crown Vic Coupe "CVGT"

[88Vic]

The NV3500 is one of the more difficult transmissions to rebuild, so at some point I'm going to price how much more expensive it'll be to swap in a TKO. Since my truck is a 2WD regular cab that I don't daily, I'm thinking of going the 6.0 swap route if I decide to make it a bit of a hot rod. Then again, could go with a TBI 350 with Vortec heads and 454 TBI, Procharger makes a kit for the 88-95 trucks.

Logan have you considered a Procharger setup as opposed to a turbo? It's a simpler setup and you could fab up the parts as easily as you would a turbo system. You don't have the lag nor the heat that turbo's put out. A lot less part changing involved.

[P72Ford]

Logan, with the 3.73s in the car, the drivetrain will have much less stress on it. A heavy car with a small tranny is less than ideal, but the 3.08s make it worse. 3.73s= more mechanical advantage, which means "easier" acceleration for the engine and the rest of the drivetrain.

My method for keeping transmissions together was to never drive one that pretended to be sporty. You can't speed shift a VW Beetle, even if it has dual carbs and you're a dumb teenager. All that happens is the shifter moves or the linkage comes apart and you lose the gears until you put it back together. Same if you're driving a pickup truck. The transmissions simply will not shift in a manner that is conducive to blowing it up unless you're the "grind it till you find it" sort.

With pick up trucks, the gear spacing is so broad that shifting it fast is a moot point. Even if you hammer out a shift, with the broad gear spacing one of two things has to happen. The driveline has to speed up, or the engine has to slow down; or both. The result is shocking the doo-doo out of the driveline. U joints, shafts, and even the transmission internals.

Thats how I grenaded 2nd in the NV3500 in my Dodge.

We've got a SM465 in the GMC but with 4.10's out back it's top speed is about 50mph haha. I'd like to throw a NV3500 in it's place so when do you think you'll be taking yours out?

You're looking for an NV4500. An NV3500 is an aluminum case unit that is about 10% as strong as an SM465. NV4500 is a cast iron case, came behind GM engines, has a low first gear, and OD. My '75 has an NP435, with 4.10s. I have 35s on it, so it "kind of" cruises at 60.

The NV3500 is one of the more difficult transmissions to rebuild, so at some point I'm going to price how much more expensive it'll be to swap in a TKO.

I had every intention of rebuilding mine myself, until I started reading. With the cost of special tools and rebuild kit, it was just cheaper to buy a remanufactured unit.

[gadget73]

I really just think all you people are abusive to your equipment.

[sly]

I know I am... but my equipment seems to be masochistic. Just keeps asking for more.

[mercurygm88]

I beat the ever living fuck out of my '88 for 3 years and 10 months and it took everything I could throw at it. Neither the engine or the shitty AOD ever gave up. Alas I have matured a lot in the past 4 years and I am a totally different person than I was back then. The Town Car is getting babied I've only had it up to the speed limiter once, and the only times it's seem WOT under my ownership was while passing or evading carnage. Ok there was that one little one wheel peel when I first got it, but I promise I'm done with that.

[sly]

I've never seen the speed limiter in mine (Disabled in the 93, 88 shakes too much over 85mph for me to push it much past 90)... but WOT... do that a lot... and I've jumped the 88 over one intersection (good crown in the middle) a number of times since I put the stiff shocks on it. Doesn't even come close to bottoming out... but I bet my seat is a little deeper.

[88Vic]

I used to WOT my Lincoln, only because it wasn't downshifting like it was supposed to. It's because the TV bushing was gone and I didn't realize it, and I fried it shortly afterward. The incredibly obvious brass bushing slipped my mind, and now I'm paying for it.

At least the new AOD will be fresh along with the rehabbed engine. The old dry-rotting tires will be shown no mercy, and with no limited slip I hopefully won't break anything else, but I'm really good at breaking things. I should think about a career in demolition...

[Bobcat]

I've had my car up to 125, would've kept going and hopefully down to SF i'll test it some more.

If I didn't care about the end result of the car, I would just keep throwing on 15" burnout tires and setting them ablaze. But I'm building the car to corner and handle like past track raced boxes. But style comes at a cost.
The two rear tires just cost me 340$, special ordered from California and they're the only ones in the size. They're also Perellis.


There's a clunk in the front end again under hard braking, guess I need to tighten the control arm more...

[Bobcat]

Logan have you considered a Procharger setup as opposed to a turbo? It's a simpler setup and you could fab up the parts as easily as you would a turbo system. You don't have the lag nor the heat that turbo's put out. A lot less part changing involved.

I have, because I've run into so many cheap ones. But Nate keeps talking me out of it and the shitty fuel economy keeps talking me out of it.. Plus a turbo v8 would just be an animal and bear to drive. It'd be awesome.

Plus turbos do really good burnouts, it'd put these 11 3/4" tires to work..

[mercurygm88]

I've never seen the speed limiter in mine (Disabled in the 93, 88 shakes too much over 85mph for me to push it much past 90)... but WOT... do that a lot... and I've jumped the 88 over one intersection (good crown in the middle) a number of times since I put the stiff shocks on it. Doesn't even come close to bottoming out... but I bet my seat is a little deeper.

I accidentally jumped my '88 several times but never actually did it on purpose, mostly while driving in unfamiliar areas. I normally don't need WOT to pass someone in the Lincoln but it makes it fun, plus that mod motor has so much more get up and go than the lopo had. The numbers say that max torque is at a higher RPM but both cars with mod motors I've owned have just felt so much more powerful and smoother accelerating than the '88 did.

[88Vic]

I have, because I've run into so many cheap ones. But Nate keeps talking me out of it and the shitty fuel economy keeps talking me out of it.. Plus a turbo v8 would just be an animal and bear to drive. It'd be awesome.

Plus turbos do really good burnouts, it'd put these 11 3/4" tires to work..

Centri blowers aren't like the crappy roots, they're essentially a belt-driven turbo. They build boost progressively with rpm just like a turbo so they don't add stress to the engine, no more than a turbo does, which is why you can put one on a stock engine and it'll last. As economy goes, they have a fraction of the resistance that a roots does, the same if not less than the backpressure a turbo creates in the exhaust, so they'll get you the same economy as long as you're not on it all the time.

I live right by Procharger, know a guy who worked there a few years ago, got to tour the facility and learned a lot about them, really cool stuff.

[P72Ford]

Not a fan of centrifugal superchargers; especially in a heavy vehicle with a standard transmission. Been there done that.

Unless you wind it up enough for the shift recovery to be in the boost, it is a very awkward driving experience.

[88Vic]

Same as a turbo in my experience, that guy who worked at Procharger has a 4spd 2WD Suburban, I want it so bad.

[Bobcat]

Nate had bad issues with his Novi and it has forever made him sour towards them.

But realistically. All forced induction will have some sort of delay.


Centri blowers are very cheap used and would be very easy to do.... Hmm...

[88Vic]

You can't go wrong with either, I just prefer Centri because they're a more simple install, less parts changing and modifying to make it work.