Crown Vics P71

[snicklas]

Well it has been a bit since my last update. I've taken care of a few more things on the P71. I have changed the oil and filter with Motorcraft 5W-30 Oil and a Motorcraft filter. I have replaced the thermostat (this was the easiest thermostat I've ever replaced) and now the engine comes up to temp as it should. The fuel tank cap has fixed the check engine light. I repaired a connection on the battery cable. I replaced all the coolant hoses since I had one that one beginning to drip. Some of the ends are in a tight spot to work. Greased all the zerks I could find. Rotated the tires, replaced both wiper arms, fixed a door that would not open from the inside handle. Looked at the window that did not want to operate, found the cable broken, so that is a project for another day. I also have a windshield to have replaces, as it has a nice set of cracks in it.

Fairly happy with the mileage. On my mixed commute, I get ~ 18 MPG. Took it on a road trip to Mom and Dad's and got almost 21 MPG. I was not "driving like a grandpa" either.

Finally took more pics:

Passenger Side:

Interior Front:

Interior Rear:

Rear:

Cavernous Trunk:

(You could get several dead bodies in there.... LOL!!)

Front:

Engine:

Passenger Front Fender:

The only real issues is the fogged headlight from where the housing has been drilled, and the small rust spot on the passenger fender.

We still really like the car!!!!

 

[jbaker]

Scott I like it as far as milage my wife gets about 22 and I get 17/18
I know where the gas pedal is,,

As for the trunk it will take alot of groceries and last week we had about 450 pounds of goat and chicken feed in her and it never even seemed to know it.

I love mine

 

[jchamberlin]

Jeff, Scott: I'm averaging 24.4 mpg on my 100 mile daily commute with a 4.6L V8-powered '97 Mercury Grand Marquis. I'm not sure how the Merc compares to the P71 you all refer to, but the body is the same.

 

[snicklas]

Jeremiah, I think the P71 (Which is the Police Interceptor Version of the Crown Vic) has a "hotter tune" for the engine. They are in the neighborhood of 250hp. I think the Civilian Crown Vic and the Merc have a lower rear gear ratio, more for the long highway cruise. Mine, and probably Jeff's has a 3.55 ratio for the "off the line takeoff" to chase someone down. They both are limited to ~ 130 MPH due to tire and other driveline speed limitations. They do however have a 140MPH speedometer on them. I've had mine up over 100 once, I was from about 25 to over 100 and back down to turn in less than a mile. This was on a very good, well known stretch of road. The only reason I didn't get any faster was I ran out of road. Also, in the jaunt, I NEVER had the pedal on the floor....... I think how fun the power is also affects mine and Jeff's mileage...... LOL....

It is a fun car to drive. The only real "issue" I've had, and I'm sure Jeff has also is either the long line behind you, or the car that will not drive the speed limit in front of you. Mine still has a spotlight, so that doesn't help either......

 

[jbaker]

Scott/Jeremiah,
to start the civilian vic and marquis use the same block and most engine parts.

The police model p71 does have higher compression and larger cold air intake, transmission is mostly the same except shift points and torque converter size, rear ends are different also civilian are 2;73 and p71s are either 3;27 limited to 129 mph and 3:55 limited to 119 mph.

I have hit 117mph with out great effort and more room to go (the mustang beside me dropped off at 105mph) on a very nice long flat road with plenty of vision ahead and sides.

I don't mind the long line behind me just the slow drivers on the one lane roads that think I am the cops.

PS there is NO such thing as a cop chip.

 

[jbaker]

mine still has spot lite and antennas

 

[aaytay]

Scott-
I just noticed today that my daughter's car has a tiny spec of rust at the exact same spot on the passenger fender. It's not as big as yours, but perhaps there is something to these that they rust there.

 

[jbaker]

yes that is the first spot to rust out on these,

 

[jbaker]

My Uncle bought a 2008 black on black with tints Police interceptor from Chicago Motors Inc. yesterday (http://www.chicagomotors.info/search/results.php this is the place to go for these cars). It is a SAP model with no spot lite and no wear or drill holes in the interior and belong to Customs and Borders in Arizona.

 

[snicklas]

Well, it's been a while, so time for an update.

I had been daily driving the P71 and loving it, until the pre-03 issue reared its ugly head......

The P71 is now holding down one side of my driveway. On the way to work one morning, merging onto the interstate, I noticed a bit of "smoke" from the rear..... it only happened for 10-15 seconds, and I was almost to work, so I drove the rest of the way in and parked it. Got off work, and decided just to be safe, to check all the vitals.... Oil - fine, transmission - fine, brake fluid - fine, coolant - "Oh S##T!!!" degas bottle was empty. Filled it back up, drove home, needed water. So, I checked it for the next couple of days, since my Excursion had a bad unit hub and I was waiting on the replacement, I had to drive the P71. I was just hoping I was chasing air, but over the course of the next 3 days (Tues - Thurs) I had added almost 10 gallons of water.... (it only holds 4). Thursday, Mom and Dad came over, ad Dad and I went out to look at it. I topped it off once again, and made 100% it was full...... I was under the hood, and revved the engine, and water sprayed out of the cooling fins on the back of the alternator.......

On the early 4.6L V-8's Ford used a 100% "plastic" intake manifold. This manifold has a coolant crossover port on the front, which is also where the thermostat is, and there are 2 "nuts" molded into the top of this passage where the back 2 alternator bolts mount. So you have plastic that gets hot and cold cycles many times, and has constant torque on it from the belt on the alternator. So the front of the intake in that passage will split after many years. In 02 Ford figured out this was a bad idea and redesigned the intake, and mad this front section of the intake from aluminum.

So. I get to replace the intake, and am going to replace the heater coolant return pipe and o-rings while I am in there. Just have to let the piggy bank refill after the unit hubs.....

So just one of the quirks to watch out for on the early 4.6's......

 

[cengelking]

Scott I work for our local village, everyone of the Crown Vic police cars that we had of the 02 range had the plastic manifold changed out. Every couple of weeks there was another one in the shop. Now they run Explorers and Chevys.

 

[jbaker]

I agree on the pre 03 cars intake but the 07 may have been the best p71 made, and no whimpala could compare.

Chris impalas or caprices?

 

[mgonitzke]

Jeff, is that the Mobil in Winnebago in your 6/14 post?

 

[jbaker]

You know it Matt, how many gallons of that have your cubs drank, or do you use shell by F&F

 

[mgonitzke]

Probably about zero, the Shell (now Mobil) at 20 and Meridian was closer

I used to know most of Winnebago like the back of my hand. I'm glad to see I haven't forgotten everything yet...

 

[jbaker]

My car was voted panther of the month on another forum I am on.

http://www.crownvic.net/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php

 

[jlspicer]

Jeff,
Congrats on the "Panther of the month"! Pretty cool..........

 

[snicklas]

Jeff,

Congrats...... still a nice looking car.

Hope to replace my intake in the next week or so.....

 

[aaytay]

Jeff-
Congrats on the recognition. I still wish that site would take new members.

Had to do the mod to fix the "fast blinker" condition this past weekend. That was...... "fun". (Not!)

 

[jbaker]

Art they did start taking new members recently so try again, lots of info there