So I've been fighting the P71 urge for some time, and while on vacation last weekend, I saw someone towing a pop up camper and thought "Hmmm, that doesn't look too heavy, I'll bet this thing could tow that" talking about my wife's Escape.
"But I hate the way this thing handles, I'll bet a Crown Vic would be much better."
Then, suddenly.
Plenty of space for the family, probably more trunk space, fun to drive on twisty roads (we normally go to the smokey mountains) and part of the GRM trifecta.
What's the tow rating on 03+ panther cars?
My 302 F150 has a 4R70W which should be the same as the P71. Well... same with different ratios.
I think they're rated for 3500 pounds, but some of you people are crazy. I've seen P71s on this forum towing a lot more than that.
My dad's '03 P71 pulled an 18' steel open car trailer with a 1983 Caprice on it. It did it rather well too. I'd say they're pretty capable of towing.
My father had a friend in the late '70s that pulled a gooseneck camper trailer behind a big Caddy or Lincoln. The ball was between the trunk lid and rear window. Supposedly there were a few of them back in the day.
One more question: Does the J mod affect towing at all?
Prior to somewhere around 2003 (I don't recall the exact year) CV's were rated for 5000 pounds. Then it dropped to 3500 pounds for the same car and may have even changed to no tow rating for the last few years of the CV. The decrease from 5000 to 3500, seemed to coincide with a lot of manufacturers doing the same thing because they had much higher profit margins on loaded SUVs and trucks. They took away useable tow ratings from cars which may have had profit margins of less than $1000 and caused buyers to purchase trucks and SUVs with profit margins as high as $10000. All about corporate profiteering...
