Crown Vic VS Impala ...multi Purpose Vehicle Q's

ok, so I get very bored at work and come up with all kinds of crazy car concepts that I think would be "cool" in my head ( dweeb !!!!!! haha )

Anyways, Today I had a cool idea that sounds so crazy I might go ahead and do it ... I would like to put together an american sedan that "can do it all " .... haha .

What does that really mean? , well remember when you were a kid and drew cars and trucks and tanks and airplanes.....well if you did , I always drew blocky baddass cars that looked like mad max-mobiles .

So , I thought "man it would be cool to have a car that you could put together that would be fun to drive in any kind of situation.... if you could run a drag time of around 13 sec. or under, take it autocrossing and it not be a sloppy pig , ability to rallycross it and not kill it , be able to drive on the freeway and be steady , and drive it on the street and be comfy...and have room for your pals.

It seems like a lot to ask, and here are more of my guidelines:

American Available aftermarket Badass Cheap,to buy ,own,mantain and modify. Common parts bin Not a cop magnet Not a "boyracer" car Older Police package available RWD Sturdy Square V8 White

That's all I can think of right now, but right now the two main contenders are 91 and down Crown victoria and Impala , both come in pedestrian 5.0 trims but both have available police packages and bigger engine options a 351cu and a 350cu...I'd like to make it manual , bigger brakes ,bigger sways , harness bar+harnesses , sport or bucket seats might be an option , and not lower , just stiffer , wide steel wheels....etc. Think carrera panamericana-ish...

Discuss :

why not just an Impala SS or Marauder? Then you get most of your requirements stock, but with the same low-key look. Especially the marauder.

beaterworld?

John has a 351 police package 'Vic (looks just like the MiB car) and it doesn't light the world on fire, even with a Performer, 4Bbl, no emissions, and a shift kit. It's still pretty much a dog.

Hell, just get a 01+ P71 like mine, lower springs, manual swap, and a blower and I think you'd be there. Mine does HPDE's, autocrosses, and drag races and has provided 24K of trouble-free road miles (including a 3000+ mile trip). It's high 14's but it's a stock N/A with a CAI, cat-back, and tune only. Add 100+ HP and it'll do 13's. Won STU at Packwood too on 275's.

i really do like the p71 or marauder , even the lx sport crown vic and ss impala would be awesome,but... i want american and older for safety reasons , no one wants to steal/vandalize or mess with an older crappy cheap american car...mostly no one . and i'd like to maybe travel to mexico with it and it not be too desirable to steal or whatever. and i like boxy old cars better, oh and cheap is a plus.

I'd get the pedestrian 5.0 Impala and swap in the truck 6.0 and your choice of manual transmissions. Aside from the pedal situation the rest of the parts should almost fit like they were made for the car, and aluminum heads and intake will probably drop weight even with the iron block.

i don't think you can lose with any of these options.

don't forget how cheap the mopar M-body cars are too

for the love of me i can't finde performance parts for 83 to 91 ltd crown vics...

stealthfighter1 wrote: for the love of me i can't finde performance parts for 83 to 91 ltd crown vics...

There's a reason why...

88-90 cAPRICE 9c1, gutted caged, fitted with 4 recaros, 4.8L LR4, Weiand intake, BBTB, Cam and a T-56 stuffd with 17x10's and 275/40/17's and wilwood brakes.

P71 wrote:

stealthfighter1 wrote: for the love of me i can't finde performance parts for 83 to 91 ltd crown vics...

There's a reason why...

what can't you find exactly?

5.0 parts? 8.8 parts? brakes or suspension from other panthers? c'mon.

I actually thought about this last night. There really isn't all that much for Panthers, especially the box ones. I think the real answer here is fox-chassis Fairmont or Futura. You still have the total box look but it's basically a 5.0 Mustang underneath so parts galore are easy.

This came to mind when I heard a downright nasty cammed V8 fly by and realized it was the baby blue Futura on steelies!

Buick GN / Regal Turbo, etc...

P71 wrote: I think the real answer here is fox-chassis Fairmont or Futura. You still have the total box look but it's basically a 5.0 Mustang underneath so parts galore are easy.

I've always been fascinated by this idea as well, but if you want to fly under the radar I don't think it would work. Around here at least, 99% of them rusted away ages ago, so seeing any Fairmont on the street is a rarity - you'd stick out like a sore thumb.

Upgraded boxy 9C1s will get noticed, at least somewhat, so how about doing the same upgrades to a similar-vintage Olds or Buick? (Or Cadillac, why not.) I think the key would be to NOT do much to the paint job. No better way to fly under the radar than in your (grand)father's Oldsmobile! If it worked for Kidd, it can work for you. (Bonus points if anybody picks up that reference.)

Yeah...I think the problem with the fairmonts is that they were of such low value that most of them have been scrapped and/or are pretty far gone by now. It's a shame. I'd really like to find a straigh-roofed (non-futura) Fairmont to put together as a fun car. A wolf in sheeps clothing...

Clem

i think i got a loose plan that could make this work...i thik the 5.0 would work. The 351w would be ok , but the 5.0 is more common and i'd get a whole mustang 5.0 motor and 5spd , do a simple settup to squeeze at least 350hp out of it , do the 83-91 CV come with an 8.8 rear diff? that diff could hold up to the abuse , if not a nice lil 9 inch rear would do the trick. new stock springs to get the car back up to a stock ride height , performance struts , and replace the brakes with mustang cobra bits, or even like evo brembos since caliper brackets can be fabbed and lots of big brake rotors come in that bolt pattern...idk... and i'm sure i could try to find urethane bushings that work and sway bars that might interchange...16x10 all around steel would be preffered but alum would be ok..., a roll bar for harnesses and a nice little buckets up front, how would one do harnesses in the rear? i think overall simple upgrades all around would make me happy , i thought a simple turbo settup on a 5.0 would net the power but i want to stay n/a for the simplicity.