Ok, this time I have cash in hand! Looking for a wrecked 03+ Crown Vic

So I have been given the thumbs up from SWMBO to purchase a parts Crown Vic for our Galaxie. The plan as of now is to graft the front suspension into the Galaxie and then a little down the road swap the Mod motor and all of the EFI stuff into there too. That means that I am looking for a 03+ CV with a decent front suspension, motor and trans. If I can get a REALLY good deal on one with a bad trans, I will just find a mustang 5 speed and go manual. I am located in Columbia, MO and need to be able to grab this in a one day trip and my budget is about $1k. There are plenty of runners under $2k but finding one that is solid for this much is not so easy.

http://www.copart.com/c2/homeSearch.html?criteriaType=detailedSearch&returnPage=home&searchType=HOME&filterBaseLabel=Automobile+FORD&filterCode=&freshRequired=true&oSearchByType=Y&vehicleType=V&startYear=2003&endYear=2009&make=FORD&model=CROWN+VIC&titleGroupCode=&location=zip&stateFacility=*&zipPostalCode=32266&mileageRange=99999

pimpm3 wrote: http://www.copart.com/c2/homeSearch.html?criteriaType=detailedSearch&returnPage=home&searchType=HOME&filterBaseLabel=Automobile+FORD&filterCode=&freshRequired=true&oSearchByType=Y&vehicleType=V&startYear=2003&endYear=2009&make=FORD&model=CROWN+VIC&titleGroupCode=&location=zip&stateFacility=*&zipPostalCode=32266&mileageRange=99999

Not to derail the thread, but how easy is it to buy a car from Copart?

I was looking through their website and it looks like I have to use a middle man to purchase.

I have looked into it and I think that gov deals might be easier than jumping through the copart hoops

If your state allows regular joes to buy salvage vehicles, then Copart isn't too bad...just watch the fees!!

Up in ny, there's a lot of guys using them for demo derbies. What your looking for can be found with no title or cats around your price.

Did the CV ever get the 3-valve engine, or did it stick with the 2V? The former is a lot less sucky of an engine.

2 valves only.

why would you swap the motor in after the front suspension? the front of the car is going to have to be blown completely apart to add the front suspension crossmember- which also has the motor mounts for the mod motor built into it so you might as well do it all at once.

as to where to get them: one guy i know picks them up dirt cheap from government auctions and by scouring Craigslist... he just brought 2 of them up from Missouri to Minnesota and he paid something like $1200 for the pair. used parts from both to build one good one, which he sold for $3500, then parted out and scrapped the other one and made something like $2500 off that one..

I will do the entire thing at once if the front suspension won't clear the FE motor. They mount in different ways and the Galaxie is full frame so I don't have to remove the engine mounts to install the crossmember. I will just keep my eyes pealed for a retired cop car or something.

bgkast wrote: If your state allows regular joes to buy salvage vehicles, then Copart isn't too bad...just watch the fees!!

I have to have a dealers license to buy from auction in MO.