2004 Ford Crown Victoria....

[Warped9]

Last October (2017) when I lost my father I inherited his well-maintained and very low mileage 04 Crown Victoria (only 108,000 kilometers). I was already well familiar with this car as I had beasically taken over the driving duties as my father became increasingly ill and eventually incapable of driving any longer at all.

I continue to keep the car clean and well maintained. Just as all those previous years since 2004 it is garaged every night so it has never spent any winter nights outdoors. Ditto in the daylight when it is not being driven. As is the original paint is in very good condition albeit wit with the few inescapable stone chips which are touched up with original paint and clearcoat.

I admit this is likely not a car I would have bought for myself, but as a used car you could not do better than this. And now that it is mine it has really grown on me. And it is certainly in contrast to more contemporary cars where many of them look computer designed. And inside there is no infotainment system, Bluetooth or Wi-Fi connectivity. It is an old school car with nothing to distract you from driving.

The ride is wonderful, but this car comes into its own on the highway where cruising at 120-130 kph feels like nothing. Even so over the winter I decided I wanted to make this car more my own yet without going too far. I wanted it better than factory, but nothing outrageous.

To that end:
- K&N Performance Air Filter (Added three weeks ago. I didn't think this would make much difference, but, damn, the car does feel snappier and more responsive throughout the rpm range. I am considering going with a full-up Cold Air Intake.)
- DAI Alloys Target 17x7.5" wheels w. Michelin Pilot Sport A/S+3 235/55Z17 tires (Installed this afternoon. Not only does the car look better and stick better but it actually rides better than the 60-series Michelin Defenders on OEM 16" rims.)
- Chromed Honeycomb Grille (This will arrive next week and will replace the stock grille. The new grille looks rather '60's musclecar style.)
- ADTR 29mm front stabilizer bar with 21mm rear stabilizer bar. (To be added for flatter and more stable handling.)
- Stainless Works Catback (chambered) Dual Exhaust. (To be added to give the car a sportier note without being too obtrusive)
- Headlight Relay & Performance Bulbs (To be added for much improved lighting.)
- Original Ford CrownVic molded splash guards (To be added to replace the flat guards presently on the car.)
- Vented Discs with upgraded Callipers (To Be added)

 

[StarCruiser]

Having a sturdy older car to "play with" is rarely a bad thing...

Just don't break the ol' girl!

 

[Warped9]

Just don't break the ol' girl!

I can be weird. After I put it in gear and before I take off I almost always pat the dashboard. When I get out of the car I often give it a pat on the door frame or on the front end.

And when I come out of work I often greet the car with, “Hey, buddy, Lets go!”

I often feel Dad is with me when driving, particularly if there is Country playing on the stereo.

In winter with the black steel wheels with winter tires it looks like a cop car and cars on the highway often move over as I come up behind them.

 

[Owain Taggart]

That is a nice looking car. Coincidentally, my Grandfather's last car was a Ford Taurus (I believe) from the same era. I remember going to the dealership with him to pick it up. He eventually had dementia along with episodes of blacking out, so his driving privileges were taken away from him. Having to part with it was a hard thing for him to understand given that he was a very independent person. Not quite sure what happened to the car in the end, but it had sat in the garage for a long period of time undriven and I think the underside was in bad shape.

 

[Warped9]

My car was built in June 2004. When Dad bought the car that year it already had about 12,000 or so kilometers on it as it was a Ford exec car. So he put only about 96,000 kilometers on it over his thirteen years of ownership. I’ve put only about 2,000 kilometers on it since I took ownership last October. This was probably the most reliable car he had ever owned. And he didn’t have a light foot, but took immaculate care of the car—something I wish to emulate.

 

[Turd Ferguson]

Another plus: I'm not sure how fast you drive on the freeway, but at night, people have a habit of confusing these cars with cop cars, so they'll quickly merge to get out of your way!

 

[Warped9]

Another plus: I'm not sure how fast you drive on the freeway, but at night, people have a habit of confusing these cars with cop cars, so they'll quickly merge to get out of your way!

On the highway I cruise about 70-75 mph (about 120 kph).

 

[J.T.B.]

Nice to see an older Crown Vic in good shape, and without a spotlight by the windshield. They were the last of their kind.

 

[Warped9]

Nice to see an older Crown Vic in good shape, and without a spotlight by the windshield. They were the last of their kind.

I learned to drive in a ‘73 Mercury Meteor—in Canada a more basic verdion of what was rhen known as the Mercury Marquis. That car was a land yacht with a 400 cubic inch V8 that floated, pitched and wandered—you wondered if the steering wheel was actually connected. You didn’t drive that car so much as point it in the right direction. It could be unnerving. I never understood how my Dad could drive that car at 70-80 mph.

My first car was a ‘79 Volkswagen Rabbit L 2dr with a 4spd manual. That silver bunny went like stink and was a blast to drive. Also fantastic in the snow during the winter. It was such a drastic difference from the Meteor. I loved that Rabbit.

Comparing the Crown Vic with the Meteor is like night and day. The build, design, quality control and performance in every measure is vastly superior. It’s like driving a sports car in comparison. Neat that Ford’s internal designation for these cars was Panther.

A lot of cars from the past are viewed with great nostalgia, but they were not always the nicest things to drive (or maintain). But they did have style and presence. Very few cars today echo that style and presence of the past: the Chevrolet Impala, the Chrysler 300, maybe the Taurus, the Mustang, the Camaro, the Challenger and the Corvette. Although there are some nice vehicles I can’t think of one SUV of any size that stirs the emotions. Well...maybe the Ford Explorer Sport...maybe.

If I were to shop for a new car today I would be looking at Volkswagen or Ford. I do like the Fusion with 2.0 litre and AWD. Pity that Ford is getting out of the car business (in North America) except for the Mustang.

 

[J.T.B.]

Yeah, that floaty feel through the power steering is something I remember well from my grandparents' cars (late '70s to late '80s Monte Carlo, Fifth Av, Town Car).

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

The 1978 Mercury Grand Marquis was no different, though possibly even longer than the 73.

 

[John Clark]

Another plus: I'm not sure how fast you drive on the freeway, but at night, people have a habit of confusing these cars with cop cars, so they'll quickly merge to get out of your way!

One of my mates had a Vauxhall Omega (which some of the local police also used). People tended to get out his way in a hurry too.

 

[Warped9]

My new chromed honeycomb grille arrived this afternoon. From what I’ve learned it looks rather straightforward to remove the original grille and install the new one. It’s also dead simple to transfer the original grille mounted Ford logo to the new piece.

 

[StarCruiser]

A lot of 70's era cars had that floaty feel. My Grandparents owned an '72 or '73 LTD Coupe that was a true "land yacht".

It was odd, as the car I first drove in was my dad's old '67 Pontiac Catalina (this would be around 1980) and it DIDN'T float at all. 400 cubic inch Pontiac V8, and heavy duty truck shocks on the rear end. That 2 ton beast liked turns and despite really needing an overhaul, would still run like the devil!

 

[Warped9]

My brother had a ‘74 Ford Gran Torino Brougham. A bit smaller, but niot much different than my Dad’s Meteor.

Although I never got to drive it I really liked my Dad’s ‘66 Ford Galaxie 500 2dr. fastback. It was black with red interior. That style is still rather nice looking giiven many old cars seem to now have some odd proportions compared to what we have become used to with contemporary designs.

Before that my Dad had a ‘59 Ford Custom 300 sedan in blue with blue interior. Talk about odd proportions with tailfins and rocket exhaust style taillights.

 

[StarCruiser]

At least those old cars HAD style - unlike so many cookie-cutter designs of today.

In some cases, you really have to see the badges to have any idea who made them...

 

[Warped9]

Got this done a few days ago: chromed honeycomb grille replacing the original factory grille. Took me about half an hour.

Someone I know at work suggested I tint the windows. A definite negative in my view in that I don't think it really looks better (my opinion) and the added tint makes for poorer night visibility.

My intention is to keep visible modifications lowkey and clean. Most of the upgrades I'm considering will be unseen and under the skin, so to speak.

 

[Santaman]

Nice car, from what I've read it is a bit of family history on wheels, keep it, cherish it and pass it on.

Having no computers and other electronic gimmicks means yer less likely to develop electronic gremlins.

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

At least those old cars HAD style - unlike so many cookie-cutter designs of today.

In some cases, you really have to see the badges to have any idea who made them...

The 70's & 80's were terrible for that. Ford/Mercury & Chevy/Buick/Oldsmobile/Pontiac/(occasionally Cadillac) all had their own version of the same exact cars with only the grilles & tails being different. Chrysler/Dodge/Plymouth too. 3 of those nameplates are gone now, and the rest seem to have found their own styles more or less.

 

[J.T.B.]

Having no computers and other electronic gimmicks means yer less likely to develop electronic gremlins.

2004 isn't that old!

The 70's & 80's were terrible for that. Ford/Mercury & Chevy/Buick/Oldsmobile/Pontiac/(occasionally Cadillac) all had their own version of the same exact cars with only the grilles & tails being different.

Yeah, that was the height of it (or the depth) but it wasn't really new. GMC and Chevrolet truck had done that from way back, '50s DeSotos were usually pretty similar to Chrysler models, Pontiac to Chevrolet, Mercury to Ford.

When I was in high school I worked in a restaurant and a one day waitress was letting everyone know that she had bought a Cadillac! She was so proud. Well it was a Cadillac Cimarron, which was basically a heinously overpriced Chevy Cavalier compact, and everybody kind of rolled their eyes when they saw it. It was only about a year old but she got nothing but trouble from that car.

BTW is anyone familiar with referring to a Chevrolet by the shortened "Chev," but pronounced "shiv"? I suspect that was fairly local.

3 of those nameplates are gone now,

Four!