Another Vicker Saying Hi!

[McVic]

Hi! Another Crown Vic owner joining this neat little forum. Hope you don't mind another one. I'm willing to be one of the redheaded stepchildren. lol

I would just put the stats and pic of my Vic in my signature but right now not quite sure of the rules so will introduce it here. It's been about 8 years since I've owned my 1998 Crown Vic and this is what it looked like when I bought it. It was "light denim" which at the time I hated, which looked fantastic with the original chrome from the factory. To highlight it more, I added chrome strips to the upper bumpers and sides (which Ford should have done already) and chrome to the door handles. After this pic I also added a hood ornament from an 80's LTD and it really added a perfect finishing touch.

http://www.mercurymarauder.net/gallery/data/500/Vic24.jpg

But I as I mentioned I hated the light denim at the time and really wanted something a lot more sporty, always with the Marauder and CV Sport in mind. The car also felt downright anemic so I added a CAI, upgraded to the PI intake manifold when my plastic crossover finally burst, and added dual exhaust (with glasspacks). I can say 100% they all made a difference you could feel but for some reason the dual exhaust REALLY opened her up.

Poor girl was trying to exhale through a straw!

I then painted it black which was a failed attempt (my first time painting a car) so I sanded it down and did it again. This time it looks much better. I also added 18" Mustang GT wheels with 235 P Zero Nero Pirellis. What a world of difference THAT made!

Here she was getting prepped for the second job. Yes, I had to do it outside, but it wasn't bad!

http://www.mercurymarauder.net/gallery/data/500/medium/DSCN00991.JPG

And here she is as of yesterday. I just restored the headlights and they're crystal clear. It's one of the things I wanted to show off but didn't show up in the pic.

http://www.mercurymarauder.net/gallery/data/500/medium/20160819_155645.jpg

This paint job still has some flaws (due to prepping, not painting outside) so I'll be addressing that at some point.

Anyway that's it. I have a few questions to ask and since this seems like a nice community am looking forward to the responses. Thanks for letting me join!

[RubberCtyRauder]

getting a tune for it will help even more, see Marty O at Mos Speed Shop here in tbe vendor forums

[Mr. Man]

Welcome. How did you restore the headlights? Did you use a product(s), sand them down or other?

[Turbov6Bryan]

Welcome. How did you restore the headlights? Did you use a product(s), sand them down or other?

I started with 600 grit and worked up to 2000 grit. Actually I used a foam sanding block used on Sheetrock... Lots of running water to get the contaminants away from the lens after lifting off with the foam pad

Then cleared when I painted the front nose pieces

[SteelQualityMan]

Welcome aboard. I too am a Crown Vic owner. I have a 2001 Kenny Brown converted Crown Vic LX sport. I keep meaning to post some pictures of the Crown Vic parked next to the marauder in my garage. It warms my heart every time I see it. The Crown Vic is something like three inches lower then than my marauder, having had the suspension dropped and it is now sitting on 35 series tires. For motivation there is a supercharged 4.6 liter 2 valve delivering about 300 horsepower to the rear wheels. The windows are tinted all around and people tell me that while it has the silhouette of a cop car the tint and the low profile it look more like something that the FBI or CIA would be driving.

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[MERCURY 2003LSE]

Welcome :beer:

[McVic]

Welcome. How did you restore the headlights? Did you use a product(s), sand them down or other?

Thanks for all the welcomes! I actually did the same thing as what was mentioned. I used a sponge sander I had on hand that was already used, so was maybe around 600-800 grit at that point, then skipped right to 2000. Then I buffed them using Meguiar's Ultimate compound with an orbital buffer. I finished them off with carnauba wax. Just gonna keep waxing them every time I wax it.

I had done this before but not as good a job mostly because those nipples Ford left on them got in the way. Always hurt my fingers hitting them with a wash mitt, too! This time I cut them off with a dremel and used an attachment to grind them as smooth as possible before I sanded them. REALLY enjoying them now as they are looking sharp and the night driving is totally different. I never knew the stock lights were actually so adequate. Totally satisfied with them.

As far as a tune, this is one of the reasons I joined this forum. I'm new to it but I eventually want to do a tune complimenting a Jmod, 4.10 gears and maybe a 100 shot of nitrous. Always wanted to change the gears in it and came very close to doing it once, not knowing until recently a tune is basically mandatory for the trans to shift properly afterwards.

I have a center console/shifter I want to install and if the other mods can get her at least into the 14s I'll be completely satisfied! Probably keep her forever!

[djcrook73]

Welcome! I have a 95 crown vic in addition to the marauder and these cars are the toughest I have ever owned for sure.. I was always a gm guy but consider me A partial convert after seeing the beating there cars can take. Car looks great for doing it yourself. Great job!

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[Marauderman]

Welcome as well- I too started with the Vic and still have one --see my list below--best car for the money when they were built--I have had an '88,'95,
'98, '00 and now the '04 Sport--Great cars.

There are some Marauders now around for sale you might be interested in as well-

We are a lot nicer here and try to help everyone..

Tom

[Turbov6Bryan]

Original poster- We think alike, sand it with foam pad, hit it with 2000

It'll be milky white when it dries after 2-3 days. Wipe it with plastic cleaner, clear it and it'll look new. That's my pic

[cvsport2003]

looks good from the original pics

ur upgrades and paint really made it look like a few years never crown vicortia and from the painting out really came out good

just give the paint a good wed sand/ buff and wax then a really good plish and will never know you did it urself and also done outside..

great looking cvsport as i am also a cv sport ownser as of now and have a mgm and my wife has a licoln towncar carrtier

i use the mgm for daily and the cv sport on weekends shes usually my garage qween as she only has 14k miles on her and the wife has the lincoln town car carrter.. she loves it

[McVic]

Original poster- We think alike, sand it with foam pad, hit it with 2000

It'll be milky white when it dries after 2-3 days. Wipe it with plastic cleaner, clear it and it'll look new. That's my pic

Yea we do think alike! I had done them before when I first got the car and just had to do them again, but never did them as thorough a job the first time so really pleased this time.

Yours turned out really nicely with the clear. I used Rustoleum 2x Gloss Clear (lacquer made to go over plastic) after watching a video a guy called ChrisFix did on Youtube. I guess the can I got was a dud or something because I did everything right and they still came out milky. I also sprayed it over something else and it did the same thing to it. So, I had to sand all of that crap back off and start over again. This time after going over with 2000 grit I just buffed and waxed it and am done.

I'm just gonna try to keep them waxed and buff them out twice a year or so if I have to.


looks good from the original pics

ur upgrades and paint really made it look like a few years never crown vicortia and from the painting out really came out good

just give the paint a good wed sand/ buff and wax then a really good plish and will never know you did it urself and also done outside..

great looking cvsport as i am also a cv sport ownser as of now and have a mgm and my wife has a licoln towncar carrtier

i use the mgm for daily and the cv sport on weekends shes usually my garage qween as she only has 14k miles on her and the wife has the lincoln town car carrter.. she loves it

Thanks! I'm going to wetsand it definitely. I actually am considering putting a vinyl wrap on it to experiment with that, as the whole thing interests me anyway.

[Turbov6Bryan]

Yeah, like 10 years ago I sanded the headlights on my dads Camry and sprayed them with rattle can UV protectant clear. They were yellow in 2 years


That headlight i used a gravity feed gun and the same clear I used on the car over base coat.
That light was 40 bucks shipped off eBay and was horribly faded, I had maybe 30 minutes in it total :)