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

[87gtVIC]

I did the fuel door popper install back in 2013 when I finally found a car at the yards with one!

I like having it a lot.

The existing bucket in your car may have the holes marked with an x where to drill in the fuel well area. I made up a plate and bolted that in with the popper assembly IIRC. Been years but I remember something like that.

[DerekTheGreat]

mmm chocolaty interior..

[VicCrownVic]

I found a fuel door popper on an '86 MGM at the JY last weekend. Of course I grabbed it along with everything I needed to install it. I ran the stock '86 wire from the passenger side kick panel to the actuator and also mounted the actuator last weekend. I then decided I didn't want to use the stock fuel door button since I figured I could mount a '90-'94 LTC fuel door button to the left of the steering column where the wagon tailgate window button would be. So I went back to the JY and grabbed a fuel door button from a '94 LTC, modified my dash trim and installed the button today.
I need to swap out the fuel filler bucket thing that the upper part of the full filler neck bolts to. The stock popper bucked is reinforced with a metal plate, so I figure I should swap it but to do that I need to not have a full tank of gas. Once that is done I'll install the hardware on the fuel door and be done.

After I was done wiring/installing the button I hit it and (had the actuated latch sticking out of the trunk so I could see it when I hit the button)... nothing. I knew the button worked up to the P-side kick panel because I had already tested at the connector there. I was going to test for voltage at the actuator when I realized I hadn't yet bolted the ground down. So I grounded it and watched the latch mechanism move each time I pushed the button. Haha, SWEET! I'll have to get a video of the fuel door opening once I get the final details taken care of.

Here's the button, that's all I got for pics of the install.

[DerekTheGreat]

Nice work. If you want another project, one with an HO in it, I could be tempted to let go of my '91 Mark VII. Some assembly required but all parts minus the driver's side fender are in the box so to speak.

[VicCrownVic]

Back on the road.
This car rides so much nicer than The Ice Car (for now). It seems a bit wimpy by comparison though. Both cars are 2.73 open rear cars, less miles on The Scab's trans, but I think the 200k-ish miles (PO guessed 230K) on the engine might be part of the wimp factor. As long as the engine keeps going without doing anything unreasonable this car will be on DD duty until the threat of snow grows close.

A bunch of maybe plans for this car. Maybe I'll install a 3G, headlamp relay harness, '98-'02 P71 cluster that's been waiting to go in since last year, remote TFI that I've had parts for since last year, late model rotary manual heat a/c control head (that's a big maybe since there is more modification involved than the same swap on an aero). Some of that might happen this year, or none of it might happen this year, but I doubt all of it will happen this year.

Oh yeah, I forgot, I got some work done over the past few weeks in preparation to put this car back on the road. New battery and TPS since I stole the battery and TPS from this car for The Ice Car, new shift tube bushings, new MF switch (working wipers are nice), two new tires to go with the two new tires that went on last year, new ignition lock cylinder and matching door locks I picked up at the JY a few years ago(90+ have door locks matched to the ignition), and also installed an aero cup holder ashtray.

[VicCrownVic]

Parked for the winter and hopefully will not be called on for DD duty until winter is safely over.

One update that I didn't seem to post in this thread is the KYB GR-2 / Excel-G (KYB 344081) police front shocks that I installed back in August. I've been very happy with these shocks and will get the same for The Ice Car when the time comes.

Other than that, nothing new going on with this car.

Windshield wipers don't work right. I finally figured out that the multi function switch is worn and if I hold the wiper/turnsignal stalk just right the wipers work. So this is a note-to-self: get a new multi function switch.

[DerekTheGreat]

The yards always have specials on engines, you could potentially find another vortech to drop in it for cheeeep. There was a nice continental for sale in ohio for $700; http://toledo.craigslist.org/cto/5682539038.html. Could junk the one you've got and get this running with what you made from scrap...

[VicCrownVic]

I figure I'll get The Ice Car ready to be put back on the road if needed, then I might start on the Yukon later this year if the funds are still there. It was nicer looking before it sat year-year and a half and the body started to rot in a few places like lower quarter panels and the bottom of a couple of the doors. If I don't get the Yukon done this year I won't be too upset, everything about that thing is expensive anyway. I've got way to much money into the stupid thing so I will get it done eventually.

The Continental is dad's car, '89 I believe, the engine and trans are good but he said there was a bunch of other stuff wrong with it. I drove it from where it was to where it is in that pic. It needs exhaust work, steering work, and I think dad said something about the sub-frame needing work. We had to move that Continental and dad's '95 Tahoe before I could get my '89 out so I can start pulling the engine from that in the near future (maybe starting on that next weekend at the earliest).

[DerekTheGreat]

Geez Vic, that's a nice looking Yukon you've got there. It just sits in the sun all day? You any closer to throwing an engine in it? What about that Continental?

[VicCrownVic]

Here's some more pictures from this past weekend. I even parked the Yukon next to the Panthers so I could get a shot of the whole fleet. (and my uncle's Explorer)

[DerekTheGreat]

Nice lil Panther pride rally you got going there.

[VicCrownVic]

The Scab and I attended a family reunion today. The Scab's family reunion that is, lol.
Left to right is The Ice Car, my '89 (never had a name, just the white car), and The Scab.












And a couple new pics of The Scab's cluster and engine bay:

[DerekTheGreat]

I just noticed the ice car in the background of one of those shots. If I were you I'd throw a cover of some sort over it to keep the interior bits & paint from going to shit

[sly]

These cars are amazingly stable with a flat rear tire. You really don't notice it until it starts bouncing unless you really know how your car handles and notice the wallow. I usually notice the wallow and give the car a very slight flick and see if the rear walks real easy. If it does... flat tire. If not, probably crappy road or bad cross winds. Haven't had a flat front tire yet. *knock on wood*

[VicCrownVic]

That is some kind of tire destruction. I'm glad you didn't lose any more than a tire.

Same here; that could have been a lot worse, but I didn't lose control and pulled safely from the center lane (3 lanes wide, plus lane and a half shoulder on each side) onto the most accessible shoulder. Happened to be the left shoulder but the right lane was backed up with people heading toward the exit from Westbound M-59 to Northbound I-75, so the right shoulder wasn't an option.