The rest of the wagon’s body is really really good shape. Floorboards wheel arches everything else are fine. I found a grand Marquis In the junkyard that was in immaculate shape and I took the saws all and cut out the sills along the floor boards and dogleg. I will just drill out the spot welds and cut up mine the same way and Weld them in. I’ll do that before I lift the car from those spots. It’s a lot of work but I think the car is worth it
Registered: 11/30/17
Posts: 84
Loc: Southern California
Originally Posted By GrandMarq9807
How are you planning on fitting the unibody to the CV chassis??? If lower section of the wagon is rotten, I'd look at cutting out the floor pan & welding body to MGM floor pan...
That basically how a Dodge Charger General Lee was constructed using a '99 CVPI donor...
I did see the general lee stunt car that was done that way, and I've seen a couple of the truck swap guys keep the Vic floorboard too. I like that in some instances but, I'm going to try to keep as much of the original sheet metal and look on the 68 as possible. It needs some minor rot repair that I will fix over time, but nothing crazy. As of right now I have the full front subframe cut off at the firewall. The front torque box, and rocker panels are going to need to be cut for fitment at least. Basically I'm just going to get the frame to tuck in the best I can. Remove any unused subframe, and reattach with original frame bolt locations with custom body mounts. That's the idea, but I'll see when it starts going together. I will an update in the next couple days with pictures, and another video of both cars getting taken apart for fitment.
Edited by DesertRatRacer (02/25/1805:00 AM)
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1997 Ford Crown Vic P71 1997 Lincoln Mark VIII 1999 Ford F-150 5.4 1970 Ford Galaxie 500 2001 Mercury Marquis LS / 1968 Mercury Montego MX Station Wagon
Registered: 11/30/17
Posts: 84
Loc: Southern California
Originally Posted By 124neta
I like these projects. A lot.
Video looks a bit lengthy for me at the moment.
Best of luck.
Cool to hear, Thanks
Going to be uploading a lot of pictures soon that will give you some express viewing.
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1997 Ford Crown Vic P71 1997 Lincoln Mark VIII 1999 Ford F-150 5.4 1970 Ford Galaxie 500 2001 Mercury Marquis LS / 1968 Mercury Montego MX Station Wagon
Registered: 11/30/17
Posts: 84
Loc: Southern California
Originally Posted By SteveH
I look forward to seeing your progress on this project. I think it will go smoothly.
Steve
Smoothly is the plan, Cool, Just working on figuring out how to lift the body up and down reliably.
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1997 Ford Crown Vic P71 1997 Lincoln Mark VIII 1999 Ford F-150 5.4 1970 Ford Galaxie 500 2001 Mercury Marquis LS / 1968 Mercury Montego MX Station Wagon
Registered: 11/30/17
Posts: 84
Loc: Southern California
The secound video I made basically shows the process I went through to get ready to start test fitting the frame to the unibody wagon. There is a lot of similarities between this and the f-100 or other crown vic frame swaps, except this wagon is a true uniboby car with no removable frame. Part of the process will show how I'm cutting the front unibody subframe out to prep for fitment, along with brainstorming some of the other areas for concern and frame fitment. After that I"m fully dissembling the Grand Marquis to the frame / rolling chassis.
I plan to keep as much of the stock 68 montego sheet metal and look as possible. some of the obvious things will be the newer steering column, digital gauges, and updated heater controls. As far as the dash it should look like a custom vintage hotrod dash, with no huge pointers to the chassis swap. I want to mount all the under hood wiring to the frame, and keep it off the fenders. Then the goal will be to make the hood and fenders easily removable to work on the car. I also plan to take the weights of some of the items and a final vehicle weight when finished. Take the fenders for example... the 68 fender really doesn't feel heavier than the 01, but I need weigh the items to double check that.
I'm still a little confused on the rear end gearing i want to use. The 01 chassis currently has 3.55 gearing which would be a great starting point for a future turbo car, But the T-56 transmission I have for it from a 02 Viper Srt-10 which has a first gear of 2.66 and was used with 4.56 rear gear in the 500hp truck. The 03/04 cobra had the same 2.66 first gear, but also had the 3.55 rear gear stock with 390hp... but the stock fist gear of the 4r70w that is currently in the marquis chassis is 2.84. That is a little better off the line for the lower power stock motor. So I'd honestly rather keep the 3.55 gears for the future, so I'll probably just wait and see how it feels, and hopefully wait out for a turbo to make up for that tall first gear.
Below I'll just show some pictures of getting everything apart, and ready for test fitment.
Thats the old 351w coming out
Pulling out all the front suspension.
I have this autobody repair book that Ive been using for brainstorming the station wagon floorpan.
Removed all the front end parts, and separated the radiator support to use with the frame.
This shows the whole front subframe cut off, I left some behind in case I want to use some for frame mounts.
Taking out the Grand Marquis dash... always fun
Plan on blending the top 68 dash cover, with the 01 metal dash insert and making my own dash.
Taking the marquis apart to get to the frame.
Fully stripped grand marquis body, ready to be removed from frame.
Ended up lifting the body a few inches, and tell flipped the body off the frame... Easier said then done.
Now the frame is basically ready to be put under the wagon for test fit... I just need to figure out an easy way to lift the wagon body up and down easy to do all the fitment work. I'm trying to get more camper jacks as those are the most affordable option for me right now.
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1997 Ford Crown Vic P71 1997 Lincoln Mark VIII 1999 Ford F-150 5.4 1970 Ford Galaxie 500 2001 Mercury Marquis LS / 1968 Mercury Montego MX Station Wagon
I missed the point that this was uni body wagon no the frame on body like the full size ones. Add a bit of complexity and a bit more work. Using the floor pan might be a good idea.
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1985 Country Squire (aka Woody) 1981 Lincoln Mark V1
Registered: 11/30/17
Posts: 84
Loc: Southern California
Originally Posted By SteveH
I missed the point that this was uni body wagon no the frame on body like the full size ones. Add a bit of complexity and a bit more work. Using the floor pan might be a good idea.
Oh ok, I plan to get rid of most the subframe, unless it can help with mounting to the frame. Just need to find a happy medium between it being strong, but not weighing too much.
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1997 Ford Crown Vic P71 1997 Lincoln Mark VIII 1999 Ford F-150 5.4 1970 Ford Galaxie 500 2001 Mercury Marquis LS / 1968 Mercury Montego MX Station Wagon
Registered: 11/30/17
Posts: 84
Loc: Southern California
I'm basically just needing to get camper jacks or something still to help lift the body. In the meantime I'm going to patch a hole in the driveway concrete to make things easier working with the frame swap in the long run. so I'm just going to get everything organized, do the concrete work, and try to sell unneeded parts while I'm waiting for the body lift solution. Also on the hunt for a 4 valve engine, but I'm in no hurry. The other day too I traded the stock mercury wheels (with scraped lips on driver side) for a set of steel wheels. I'm not sure if they are standard steel wheels for this year or if they're the Police version. I traded, and also got $30 on top, plus I like the steel wheel look with the wagon over the stock marquis wheels, so that's perfect for me.
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1997 Ford Crown Vic P71 1997 Lincoln Mark VIII 1999 Ford F-150 5.4 1970 Ford Galaxie 500 2001 Mercury Marquis LS / 1968 Mercury Montego MX Station Wagon
Registered: 06/05/10
Posts: 19872
Loc: I can see Detroit from here!
The P71 and the standard wheel were one and the same after the '80s. Those appear to be standard '98-'02 style steelies. Also used on a few other models like the Ranger/Exploder. Nice sturdy wheels.
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-Steve
2006 Audi A6 ~132k miles, stock. 1998 Mercury Grand Marquis LS HPP ~100k miles, slowly acquiring modifications. 1997 Town Car Cartier ~145k miles, Ported Plenum, Gutted Airbox, Contour E-fan Retrofit, Dual exhaust with Magnaflows, cats deleted, MSD Ignition, KYB Gas-A-Justs, P71 front bar, air ride reinstated, Projector retrofit, Caddy 4-note horn retrofit, Wood rim steering wheel retrofit, holistic weight reduction as the parts fall off.. 1996 Mercury Grand Marquis GS 117,485mi. R.I.P. 7/14/12
Registered: 11/30/17
Posts: 84
Loc: Southern California
Originally Posted By BigMerc96
The P71 and the standard wheel were one and the same after the '80s. Those appear to be standard '98-'02 style steelies. Also used on a few other models like the Ranger/Exploder. Nice sturdy wheels.
Cool to know, Thanks
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1997 Ford Crown Vic P71 1997 Lincoln Mark VIII 1999 Ford F-150 5.4 1970 Ford Galaxie 500 2001 Mercury Marquis LS / 1968 Mercury Montego MX Station Wagon
Registered: 11/30/17
Posts: 84
Loc: Southern California
*Pictures and Video Below
Finally fully decided on project redneck for the wagon. Its had the redneck windshield banner for about 16 years, so it seemed fitting. Plus the goal is to use all parts from different vehicles, and make a lot of the other items I need. So this is a budget redneck hotrod all the way through from start to finish.
I finished the disassembly of everything, and test fit the frame. Everything with the body and frame matches up as I expected. I tried to leave some things still attached to both the frame and wagon, but it seemed better to just remove everything for test fit, and doing everything right the first time.
I plan to fully set the body on the frame next to see exactly where I will need to cut, and modify the body. I'm still on the search for a good Mark Viii engine, that seems to be the most affordable 4v engine for sale. Just waiting on the metal to brace the floorboard, and I can start cutting soon. I'm looking forward to reassembly of the wagon, but lots of metal work before that.
I edited this video a little different, and tried to edit out all the dead space and Ums. It made the video a lot shorter than the last one, but with tons of info / progress made still. I've been doing the videos with my iphone, and it seems to be working good. I would like to get a nice camera, but i will probably get a go pro first due to cost, and being able to film more work action shots. The videos right now are mostly progress, and information, but i'm looking to show more work soon. Maybe let me know what you would like to see as far as video style, and I will try to do whats best for everyone.
Also if you would like to see any certain videos of the cars, info, etc... then just ask I'm always glad to help.
Thanks ...
Body Meet Frame... Frame Meet Body
Basically was removing rear suspension / stuff to test fit, and put it on wheels with no tires to get it even lower.
This was the first test fit, and everything was about what I expected.
I realized that the body needed to be completely stripped to reduce weight for cutting into the floorboard.
The tailgate was heavy to say the least.
The torino is very happy with a lot of the wagons old parts.
Ended up removing the engine to to make a little more room to work. Hopefully I can put a 4 valve back in.
Everything is pretty much stripped, and test fit, just waiting on some metal to brace the inside of the wagon before I start cutting the floorboard up. I almost need 70 feet total of bracing... might be overkill, but better safe than sorry. I had randomly went to get some free car seats from a guy, and it turned out he is a mega metal scrapper. He said by the end of April he should have a bunch of metal set aside for me.
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1997 Ford Crown Vic P71 1997 Lincoln Mark VIII 1999 Ford F-150 5.4 1970 Ford Galaxie 500 2001 Mercury Marquis LS / 1968 Mercury Montego MX Station Wagon
Registered: 11/30/17
Posts: 84
Loc: Southern California
In this video and pictures below of the crown vic frame install into a 1968 mercury montego station wagon… I will be mostly focused on the Installing of bracing for the subframe and floorpan removal. Once all that is braced I can start removing the subframe that is in the way still, and any floorpan that needs removed also. With the floor cutout to fit the frame… I can start final fitment / frame mounting soon.
_________________________
1997 Ford Crown Vic P71 1997 Lincoln Mark VIII 1999 Ford F-150 5.4 1970 Ford Galaxie 500 2001 Mercury Marquis LS / 1968 Mercury Montego MX Station Wagon
Registered: 11/30/17
Posts: 84
Loc: Southern California
Just another update, started channeling the floor, and also got a different engine for the project. I will add the two youtube links below if you want to check it out.
I finished cutting out the front subframe and was able to get a better test fit. Also finished cutting up the mercury marquis body for the last bit of parts
I was going to keep the 4.6 2v engine, and decided to get a F-150 truck intake manifold for the PI engine to help drive torque better. It would also have a forward facing throttle body, with a mostly metal intake. The junkyard wanted $175 for the intake with some electrical and fuel connections. I had found an F-150 parts truck to get the intake off of, and was saving up some money. After putting some money together I decided I might as well put a little more cash together, and just get a 4V engine like I wanted from the get go.
I basically was looking for whichever 4v engine came first as I had gone through many sellers that didn't come through. If i didn't already have the t-56 transmission ready for this, I probably would have focused more on a 4.6. After thinking things through a lot I decided to focus on a 5.4 DOHC out of a Lincoln navigator. It meets the rpm and horsepower goals, along with the focus on torque / intake manifold design. The plus also is the fact the the navigators come with a forged crankshaft, and will help with building the engine up on a budget.
I was still having tons of trouble finding a navigator for sale at a decent price, so I went to my local junkyard and they happened to have one. I made a part trade / cash deal and took it home. Long story short the engine ended up being bad with two cylinders leaking through the exhaust valves. I was able to get my money back, but still did the trade to keep the engine as a core.
Little while later I finally made a deal for a kinda rough navigator, but i feel like the engine was taken care of pretty well for most of its life. I bought it for $800, and after i part it out I should easy make my money back plus some, and get the engine / tons of parts for my truck. I'm happy to be able to do this engine combo, and felt like it was the missing link to really make this build badass.
So so far I have the 5.4 DOHC engine, SRT-10 T-56 transmission, Stock 3.55 gears, engine tuner, and a street / strip locker. I still need to source turbos / parts, clutch, driveshaft maybe?... etc. I was thinking so far the list of vehicles that this project has is big... 68 Mercury Montego Station Wagon(Body), 01 Mercury Grand Marquis(Frame), 99 Lincoln Navigator(Engine), Dodge Ram SRT-10(Transmission), Mustang Cobra(Bellhousing, Clutch Pedal, Driveshaft)...
I was thinking it would be cool to source some factory style turbos maybe... then it could really stay with the junkyard themed list of parts. If anyone has any recommendations, or turbos i should checkout just let me know.
Edited by DesertRatRacer (12/08/1812:26 AM)
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1997 Ford Crown Vic P71 1997 Lincoln Mark VIII 1999 Ford F-150 5.4 1970 Ford Galaxie 500 2001 Mercury Marquis LS / 1968 Mercury Montego MX Station Wagon
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