VicCrownVic's 1991 Mercury Grand Marquis LS "The Scab"

[Tiggie]

Impact is your friend on those. When putting the shoulder harnesses in my 88, I tried the breaker bar. I broke the bit after putting about two feet of extension on it. My impact wouldn’t touch it. Borrowed a friends impact from his work and it was out in 5 seconds. The right tool for the job makes all the difference!

[VicCrownVic]

Yep, pushpin Christmas tree clips like the door panel clips but bigger. I'll try to get a pic of them next time.

I noticed that too, in addition to orientation difference, the front bracket is cut different like Dave said.

I actually broke my old T50 bit getting these panels from the JY which prompted me to buy the impact bit. Come to think of it the bolt that broke that bit was also the driver side bolt. Must be something in the design/location that makes that bolt more prone to get stuck. P side came out fine, but I ended up cutting the D side seat belt at the JY. I hate to destroy things in the process, but these panels are in a color I don't see often in the JY.

[VicCrownVic]

Nice and dry day today, so I took this car to the store this evening. Roughly 5 mile round trip. Talk about wind noise. There is a chunk of weather strip missing on the driver door, and a hole in the windshield seal that has been there since before I bought the car. Exhaust sounds louder than I remember, or maybe I'm just used to the '98.

I topped off the gas and didn't even forget to hit my fuel door popper before I got out. Yet in the '98 I somehow still reach for the radio in the lower position that I'm used to in boxes.

I've got some stuff I'd like to do with this car but not sure that I will get to any of it this year. I guess it depends on how a few other things that are higher priority work out. Most likely The Scab will just be backup this year.

[DerekTheGreat]

You've got too many cars. Time to get a truck as a back-up, they're really versatile and come in handy when you least expect. I've got one that needs work, you can have it for $200

[VicCrownVic]

Half of them are parts cars. I have a truck that I have all kinds of parts to get it going again. I think you've seen it, LOL. (Seen it every day for a while now.)

[DerekTheGreat]

No no no, that's too cushy, has leather interior and powah windahs for chrissakes. You need a real truck, the kind which has a bed that never needs to be made.

[VicCrownVic]

Wife and daughter are out of town with my mom and sister for the weekend. Since I am watching the nephew I decided to pass the time by heading up to my parents' house and work on the cars a little. Yesterday was the '98, today was The Scab's turn. Broke my T50 impact bit trying to get the left rear seatbelt unbolted so I can replace the left rear C-pillar sail panel.
Successfully plugged a slow leak in the right rear tire.
I also figured out what is causing oil spots in my driveway. Turns out my oil dipstick tube is quite loose. As a temporary fix I pulled the tube and put some black RTV around it. I actually have a new dipstick tube in my shed, so I'll have to compare it to the original and see if the dipstick is the right length.

[VicCrownVic]

I took this car to meet up with ComputerFreek to give him some '88-'91 trim clips.
It looks like my temporary fix for the oil dipstick is holding since there are no new oil spots on my driveway. That gives me some time to install the new one or get the good one from one of my other engines which is the route I would rather go since the new one does not have a mounting tab that I remember.

All kinds of compliments from people passing by. This car is not even in that great of shape, LOL.

[87gtVIC]

They are just becoming so uncommon on the road people are happy to see them. I smile a bit whenever I see any older vehicle on the road.

[Tiggie]

All kinds of compliments from people passing by. This car is not even in that great of shape, LOL.

Box love is growing. I miss the comments from daily driving the box. Just think, we've been ahead of the curve for 20 years. For once in my life haha.

[DerekTheGreat]

The only time my '88 gets any love is when Ashley drives it.

[VicCrownVic]

Bunch of dudes no doubt, go figure.

Stopped at the store yesterday with The Scab and while I was loading a large kid into a cart one spot away I noticed an older dude turn and look at the car as he walked by. Not sure, but he could have just been looking at all the rot, LOL.

[DerekTheGreat]

LoL yup, even when she's driving she'll get the ole signal to roll the window down.. Me? Ehhhh, maybe once a year someone might say something. But the difference between her and I is always worth a laugh.

He was most certainly admiring all that patina lol.

[VicCrownVic]

Had another guy (old guy) stop and ask if this one was for sale while I was out in the driveway washing the '98 last week. He said he "had one of those cars back in the day." My response was along the lines that this car is really not in good shape and needs a bit of work. I think I should start telling people the it's not for sale price is $4500 and see what they say, LOL. If they are willing to pay that (or any price really) they will be quite disappointed.

I drove this car up to my parents place yesterday then stopped at a store for the wife to get "a couple things." Yep, she took much longer than "a couple of things" should have taken. It was getting dark by the time she came out, this is when I found that my headlights were not doing well. I put a cheap headlight harness on (last year?) and when I got home from the store (less than a 2 miles from home) I started wiggle testing things. Grounds seemed good. Connectors at the headlights were not. P-side went bright (normal intensity) right away, but D-side took a few times of sliding the connector on and off of the bulb before making a good connection. Not sure when the last time I drove this car after dark was, so I have no idea how long the headlights have been like this, but seems to be just bad connections at the bulbs.

[DerekTheGreat]

Sounds like "Cars that sit" problems.

Although my truck does that occasionally, always the driver's side headlight, only it just turn on. Give it the ole jiggle and it's good for at least another six months.