Very Surprised! Bone Stock 1995 Lincoln Town Car - 23.8mpg...

[Sporty Modder]

I did some reasearch when I had my town car and it has a detuned version of the tv 4.6 mustang engine or more correctly the mustang had a tuned up version of the town car engine. If I remember correctly the 95 town car has 190 hp and 280 ftlbs torque. The 04 still has the 2v engine but w 240hp /300ftlbs, the same as early 2v4.6/96-97mustangs.
The maurader is an awsome car with the 4v "cobra" engine and 300 hp stock. Same body as the 03-11 town cars. Your 95 shares the body with similar year crown vics and mercury grand marquis only differance, lights and grills.

[Big Dave]

Imagine the body in post #7 with an Ecoboost engine and a T-56 transmission and appropriate gearing...

Not a project for a DIYer, but no outrageously expensive once you had that engine paid for.

[Sven7]

Yummy. I do recommend doing this to it. Lowered, moon caps, spoiler, belly pan. Maybe even a roll cage if you want to take it racing. It would be sweet. This one looks tubbed too, but you could probably get away with some high pro tires on the back.

[Sporty Modder]

Originally Posted by Sven7

Yummy. I do recommend doing this to it. Lowered, moon caps, spoiler, belly pan. Maybe even a roll cage if you want to take it racing. It would be sweet. This one looks tubbed too, but you could probably get away with some high pro tires on the back.

You do know this is a mkVIII, not a town car?

[brucey]

Wasn't that the one that has the record for highest speed of whatever? I think they removed the rear brakes entirely, and completely gutted it on top of sitting it on the floor.

[johnunit]

A few things:

These cars are usually less than 4500lbs with driver. Not as bad as people think.

Crownvic . net Crown Victoria, Grand Marquis, Marauder, and Towncar is your friend

the Marauders and MK8s had 4 valve motors. Very different valvetrain and incompatible intakes.

high 20s is very acheivable in steady highway driving. I can do 23mpg in my brick-shaped carbureted 5.8L 1985 Crown Victoria. Similar weight, almost the same transmission (gearing changes a bit and yours is electronically controlled) and worse in every other concievable way.

The underside of these are VERY dirty. Lots of potential for experimentation there.

If there's a car reliable enough to offset fuel use with low maintanence costs, a Panther chassis (like our cars) is it.

If you want power, talk to Lonnie@ Blue Oval Chips or the good people at ADTR | Your Panther Performance Specialist
They are the top two of a select group of shops that specializes in Panther chassis cars.

If you're interested in it, there is A LOT that can be done relatively cheaply to the handling of these cars

The transmission is the only thing that will directly swap over from the MK8 to the Town Car, and I'm not even sure about that (Lincolns used oddball trans lengths)

Junkyard parts and a relatively cheap tuner can be used to make them relatively quick, but if you want better than the 15s without nitrous, mileage-killing gears, and/or a barely streetable torque converter be prepared to shell out big money

The differences go beyond front and rear fascia for the Town Car vs. grand marquis and Crown Victoria. Again, Crownvic.net is your friend when it comes to sorting these things out.

Find out what rear gear you have. I don't remember the coding off hand, but getting the numbers from the tag on your rear axle cover or the area mark "AX" on the door sticker should give you what is needed to find out. You may have 3.27, 3.08 or even 3.55 rear gears as opposed to the highway 2.73s. That can be good or bad depending on your commute. Some report better in town mileage with gearing as aggressive as 3.73.


I love these cars and their anachronisms, and I hope you can find a place for it in your life. They are the height of comfort, as long as you don't have to park anywhere too tight!

[JQmile]

Thanks for the advice....not sure how much I want to do with the car yet. It's not really a classic, but since it was bought new by my Grandfather, I might have a little hesitation to chop it all up. I'm heading out to work at 5am, and going to drive 60mph and see what it does going slower. There's also a few hills I can coast down on my way to work at 65+.

My buddy has this car:



So I know that there aren't that many parts that are bolt-ons to make the thing fast, that's why I am looking into doing some aero mods. And yes, I know the above Lincoln is not a Towncar and it has a downforce spoiler, but hot rod Lincolns are hard to find pictures of, despite the old rock song

[JQmile]

Originally Posted by Big Dave

Imagine the body in post #7 with an Ecoboost engine and a T-56 transmission and appropriate gearing...

Not a project for a DIYer, but no outrageously expensive once you had that engine paid for.

6.4L Power Stroke with a tune! 550rwhp and....40mpg? Who knows?

[JQmile]

[slowmover]

I wouldn't hotrod a fifteen year old car. Reliability is more important than a few mpg points. A bellypan is a great idea. A LIFELINE brand battery and new cabling is also. Same for going through suspension bushings and the like (dry rot) to make things like new. BILSTEIN or other high quality shocks. MICHELIN tires.

Same for 13V at the headlamps (relay-drive upgrade), etc. I've owned quite a few older cars (twenty years or more at purchase) and they can be made great DD's as the actual cost of ownership is low when the owner exchanges sweat equity in return for stopping and reversing the clock.

But a car that has been used a particular way is usually not happy with majr changes. A real PITA to learn the hard way. Making new the following: fluids, filters, hoses, belts, tires, shocks, brakes (lines, hoses, M/C), primary and secondary electrical; body bushings, suspension rubber, steering, etc. can all demand most of ones time. And a fair budget as factory parts only are the worthwhile choice when one is dependent on the car.

MPG is about driving: fewest miles driven in the most skilfull manner.

Spending money to change things is what can drive them into the ground . . doesn't matter that we call it "performance" also if it shortens vehicle or component life in search of a few mpg. It will. A car that old is at the end of it's service life without some serious work on each system to replace time-worn items. The next 100k miles is not so easily accomplished, but it's an ideal candidate with which to do it.

That it also gets mid-20's highway is lagniappe.

Electrical reliability is what will kick your patootie . . put the very best battery in that thing and factory or heavier primary cabling as a start. Chase all grounds throughout the chassis and make them brand-new.

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