Vintage Car Thread - Discussion and Parts Requests

[Rathdown]

Never brake or swerve to avoid hitting a deer on the highway. Braking at speed causes the nose of the car to dip down and increases the chance of the deer coming over the hood and through the windshield. Swerving may result in contact with another vehicle or force another vehicle into a dangerous situation trying to avoid your car. Panic swerving can also lead to a total loss of control causing a serious crash.

 

[jamespowers]

Never brake or swerve to avoid hitting a deer on the highway. Braking at speed causes the nose of the car to dip down and increases the chance of the deer coming over the hood and through the windshield. Swerving may result in contact with another vehicle or force another vehicle into a dangerous situation trying to avoid your car. Panic swerving can also lead to a total loss of control causing a serious crash.

So, like the Titanic should have done, just hit it head on. Less damage more people survive.

 

[jamespowers]

Ford's new Interceptor CAN come with 365hp and all wheel drive, but it's not on the initial package.
So much for cutting up a field to get away from the cops.
Dodge has a rwd model, but (here goes that debate) I see quite a few of them out of commission.
Chevy has a Caprice that they say is not a Pontiac G 8 platform, even though it can come with a 355hp V-8 and it's rwd.
BTW I've seen a lot of the Police SUV's around town. Lowered AND fast? Where do I sign up?

The difference is that all of that stuff is special order and costs MORE money than the regular heap they produce nowadays.
The police know what is going on. They are moving to the SUV because it is the only place they can get room and not have to throw the perp in the trunk---oh wait, that isn't so bad.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

Me, too. That's all I drive. Looks like I'll never own anything newer than a 2011 for a sedan. We have SUV police cars up here for in the winter. Our cab fleet is going to minivans with every Vic they retire.

I hate the fact that they have done away with the RWD big cars GM and Ford used to produce. You know that cabs and such now use SUVs and vans for the job that was once handled by those cars. I can't wait to see SUV police cars.

Yes, it's not in the basic package, and they're not as durable, and they're more expensive. A new Crown Victoria was somewhere in the 25,000 range, if I remember correctly, and they were highly profitable for FoMoCo. They're easy to fix, the parts are readily available and police and fleets loved them, because with body-on-frame construction, it's easy to swap damaged body panels, compared to unibody jobs with are a pain in the keister to work on. Also, the engines are standard mount, much easier to work on, they're not crammed into the engine bay, and you can see all 8 spark plugs.

Ford's new Interceptor CAN come with 365hp and all wheel drive, but it's not on the initial package.
So much for cutting up a field to get away from the cops.
Dodge has a rwd model, but (here goes that debate) I see quite a few of them out of commission.
Chevy has a Caprice that they say is not a Pontiac G 8 platform, even though it can come with a 355hp V-8 and it's rwd.
BTW I've seen a lot of the Police SUV's around town. Lowered AND fast? Where do I sign up?

 

[jamespowers]

Yes, it's not in the basic package, and they're not as durable, and they're more expensive. A new Crown Victoria was somewhere in the 25,000 range, if I remember correctly, and they were highly profitable for FoMoCo. They're easy to fix, the parts are readily available and police and fleets loved them, because with body-on-frame construction, it's easy to swap damaged body panels, compared to unibody jobs with are a pain in the keister to work on. Also, the engines are standard mount, much easier to work on, they're not crammed into the engine bay, and you can see all 8 spark plugs.

If they have 8 spark plugs. Nowadays they want to get all they can out of a four banger or a coffee can 6.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

Crown Vics do, they all came with the 4.6, or the 5.0 and 5.8, in the older models.

If they have 8 spark plugs. Nowadays they want to get all they can out of a four banger or a coffee can 6.

I'll hang onto my V8's as long as I can.

 

[jamespowers]

Crown Vics do, they all came with the 4.6, or the 5.0 and 5.8, in the older models.

I'll hang onto my V8's as long as I can.

The 4.6 isn't worth having though. Talk about underpowered. lol lol The 302 is the minimum.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Just got an update on the Plodge -- everything is done and ready to go except for the exhaust manifold. They've been having trouble getting the Desoto/Chrysler type required by my Canadian engine, and the one they thought they had got damaged by the guy who was trying to get it off its original engine. So now they advise they've found one in North Carolina and it has been shipped and is en route, and barring another unfortunate mishap it should be arriving tomorrow or Thursday. And then, at long last, she'll have a whole new engine, the brake job will be finished, and it'll be ready to roll.

Except we're supposed to get more snow this week and below-zero temperatures. So I won't be driving it home.

 

[jamespowers]

Just got an update on the Plodge -- everything is done and ready to go except for the exhaust manifold. They've been having trouble getting the Desoto/Chrysler type required by my Canadian engine, and the one they thought they had got damaged by the guy who was trying to get it off its original engine. So now they advise they've found one in North Carolina and it has been shipped and is en route, and barring another unfortunate mishap it should be arriving tomorrow or Thursday. And then, at long last, she'll have a whole new engine, the brake job will be finished, and it'll be ready to roll.

Except we're supposed to get more snow this week and below-zero temperatures. So I won't be driving it home.

[video=youtube_share;barWV7RWkq0]http://youtu.be/barWV7RWkq0[/video]

 

[AtomicEraTom]

The 4.6 I had in my 2000 and 2003 P71 Vics outperforms the 5.0 in my Colony Park by a mile. It would actually give the LT1 in my Fleetwood a run for its money.

The 4.6 isn't worth having though. Talk about underpowered. lol lol The 302 is the minimum.

 

[jamespowers]

The 4.6 I had in my 2000 and 2003 P71 Vics outperforms the 5.0 in my Colony Park by a mile. It would actually give the LT1 in my Fleetwood a run for its money.

Of course they outperform a car weighing nearly 1,000 pounds more---they had better. lol lol lol The Colony Park had a 351 or the 460 for a reason---it was all metal and HEAVY.
Cadillacs over the past twenty years have not been known as speed racers either. The 80s Cadillacs had abysmal performance engines in their big cars. They finally stepped it up later but the performance for a heavy car was still not good.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

Well, I thought the 260 hp LT1 350 that, minus the heads, is identical to the engine in the Corvette was a reasonable powerplant.

Well, yes, the pre-'79 Colony Parks were monsters. Mine's a '90 and while big by today's standards, not a particularly large car.

Of course they outperform a car weighing nearly 1,000 pounds more---they had better. lol lol lol The Colony Park had a 351 or the 460 for a reason---it was all metal and HEAVY.
Cadillacs over the past twenty years have not been known as speed racers either. The 80s Cadillacs had abysmal performance engines in their big cars. They finally stepped it up later but the performance for a heavy car was still not good.

 

[jamespowers]

Well, I thought the 260 hp LT1 350 that, minus the heads, is identical to the engine in the Corvette was a reasonable powerplant.

Well, yes, the pre-'79 Colony Parks were monsters. Mine's a '90 and while big by today's standards, not a particularly large car.

Ok, then you have a much smaller Colony Park with all kinds of weight saving aluminum and plastic in there.
Then again, the Vic has lots of weight saving aluminum as well. The hood and trunk on those are aluminum aren't they?

 

[David Conwill]

If Crown Victorias have aluminum hoods and trunks, I'd be surprised. Otherwise, it wouldn't be safe to park one outside in most areas. Scrappers are voracious and brazen when it comes to aluminum, copper, and brass.

 

[splintercellsz]

Here are some projects that we are now beginning.

1949-54 Chevy
The white cab was given to a friend for a trade as he just wants the roof, so he gave us all the parts you can see in the bed. The rusty cab & bed are for the truck we are building.

We dropped the truck & parts off at another friends who will be doing some body work & assembly for us.

The truck's chassis.

'48 Plymouth
My dad picked this up awhile back, so he can build a '48, just like his dad (my grandfather also owns a '48 Plymouth). We are slowly beginning work on it. When the weather warms, we will fully look into it, as it ran when it was parked (1998 I believe), and the front wheel is locked right now.

This is my grandfather's '48 Plymouth (mentioned above, just wanted to share it as well). He gave it this paint job as a temporary hold-over untill he painted it the real job... 15 years ago. He is slowly beginning work on it again, but with his new house, he doesn't have the time... so sooner or later, the pop and I will be helping him out as a surprise:

 

[jamespowers]

If Crown Victorias have aluminum hoods and trunks, I'd be surprised. Otherwise, it wouldn't be safe to park one outside in most areas. Scrappers are voracious and brazen when it comes to aluminum, copper, and brass.

From Popular Science 1992:
A significant introduction was the replacement of the 5.0 L and 5.8 L Windsor V8 engines with the overhead-cam 4.6 L Modular engine; aside from the similar Grand Marquis and Town Car, no other American sedan in the Crown Victoria's price range offered such an engine. The lighter Modular engine, along with an aluminum hood, contributed to the reduced weight of the 1992 model.
And another one from 2005:
For the 2003 model year, the chassis was again redesigned with hydroformed steel. The front and rear suspension were also completely overhauled. New inverted monotube shocks were now used (replacing the old twin-tube shocks that had been used since the 1960s). In the front, new aluminum control arms, and rack and pinion steering (replacing the recirculating ball units) have been implemented
Lighter engine, lighter hood, aluminum suspension parts etc, etc. Have at scrapping the heck out of them. Perhaps you had better keep this to yourself.
This is all the stupidity car manufacturers go through to meet CAFE standards for cars. Sure the car is the same size but they make them out of aluminum cans now.

 

[Carl Miller]

I had a 9C1 in high school. It was beat and well worked over by the time I got it, but I banged it straight-ish and drove it for 3 years until the 4 speed auto gave up the ghost. That car would eat a 'Vic ALIVE at Wednesday night drags on "Top The Cops" night.

 

[Stanley Doble]

Just got an update on the Plodge -- everything is done and ready to go except for the exhaust manifold. They've been having trouble getting the Desoto/Chrysler type required by my Canadian engine, and the one they thought they had got damaged by the guy who was trying to get it off its original engine. So now they advise they've found one in North Carolina and it has been shipped and is en route, and barring another unfortunate mishap it should be arriving tomorrow or Thursday. And then, at long last, she'll have a whole new engine, the brake job will be finished, and it'll be ready to roll.

Except we're supposed to get more snow this week and below-zero temperatures. So I won't be driving it home.

Lizzie I still have some genuine Canadian manifolds, the ones I have are from the fifties. I know the earliest ones had the exhaust outlet at the very back, then they moved it ahead 3 or 4 inches. If you can post a picture of your old one I will see if I have one to match.

 

[jamespowers]

I had a 9C1 in high school. It was beat and well worked over by the time I got it, but I banged it straight-ish and drove it for 3 years until the 4 speed auto gave up the ghost. That car would eat a 'Vic ALIVE at Wednesday night drags on "Top The Cops" night.

The Malibu, the Caprice or the Impala?

 

[AtomicEraTom]

The Caprice 9c1's are awesome cars. I just disliked that bubble bodystyle. I think they could have done better, but the Aero Crown Vics that were around at the same time were even more horrendous.