Thinking out loud, large cars

[fud2468]

I'm not sure if this is the right thread for this--if not, correct me.
Some time back I got advice here on getting a large car for comfort and safety to be used on long trips. For best FE, GMs with the 3.8 engine, and the Avalon, were recomended.
I would drive the car 5000 miles per year at most. In searching this site, I've looked at posts by bluegoat06, mevinwy, 99couch, Will and McCool, among others, and these have been very helpful.
I'm now thinking of a 2001-2003 Crown Victoria. Reviews by owners claim as much as 30 highway mpg for the base model with 2.73 gears. For me, the size is a safety advantage and while the FE would not be as good as other large cars, I feel the high depreciation and ruggedness make a Crown Vic much cheaper to get in to.
I'm considering a grill block, partial or full belly pan, and possibly rear skirts (though I don't want to change the appearance much).
Unless I've missed it, I haven't seen anything on here about FE mods to a Crown Vic.
What are your thoughts?
Thanks, Ray Mac.

[jkp1187]

I suppose it's not impossible to regularly get 30 MPG in a Crown Vic if you're going easy on the throttle and doing a lot of highway driving. Having had an '00 Impala for a long time, I can say that conserving momentum and avoiding city driving really was key to decent MPG in that car. The EPA says an '03 Crown Vic will get 16 city/23 highway.

Have you driven a Crown Vic before? It's always been my experience in those cars that unless you get a sport suspension (or police suspension,) they are very floaty and don't handle very well. Comfortable to drive, but in my mind, less safe, because I've always been of the school of thought that says that it is better to have a more nimble vehicle and avoid the accident in the first place instead of driving a bigger vehicle.

Personally, if I wanted another big sedan and wanted to go cheap, I'd definitely go with a FWD platform like the GM "W" body 3800 V6. The Impalas especially have depreciated a lot, and considering how many are still being used as police cruisers, I think you'll find that the cost of purchasing and maintenance is in the same ballpark as the Crown Vic.

[IsaacCarlson]

they are comfy and pretty oh and did i mention they get good mileage? they are well built in my opinion. a lot of people around here are selling them at the ends of their driveways because they bought something newer, wish i could afford a few for parts....never know when you might smack a deer or get hit or wear something out.....

and of course for those that pull trailers....they don't mind 1,000 Lbs or 2

[RobertSmalls]

Originally Posted by fud2468

Unless I've missed it, I haven't seen anything on here about FE mods to a Crown Vic.
What are your thoughts?

Well, there was the time I half-jokingly suggested a 2.3L Ranger engine with a 5MT would be an excellent power plant for a Crown Vic (which it would be). Strip out every semblance of comfort and luxury to save weight, fit low rolling resistance tires, simple aero mods, and an engine kill switch, and you might see MPGs in the 30's, and not just on the highway.

As for safety, there are small and mid-sized cars that do very well in laboratory tests representing one-car collisions, the most common type of crash. Yeah, a heavier car has an advantage in two-car collisions, but that advantage is gained at the expense of the occupants of the other car. Are you going to tell me your life is worth more than that of a random stranger's?

I don't need much comfort or luxury, hence cars like the Crown Vic and LeSabre don't make sense to me.

[bgd73]

the crown vic police cruiser. p71.
16/23 is the maximum a v8 can suck down, oe never maximizes thier own v8s. one can risk the engine into much higher, but fuel injection is a hopeless slob and it may not be changeable. The modern power steering rack is a bonus. I seek them randomly all the time, the auctioned off beaten police car.
Never went through with any...but would. I am one that bent broke and magled all my cars just by existing. I am sure me inmy locale could throw out the great safety of a crown vic with the perfect omen I have. For side hits, I would keep the cop car taxi looking window seperating the front and back seats and bumper bar. And the when the fat lady in the pt cruiser decides to hit and run, I can chase it down ...

[Frank Lee]

I doubt a Vic would average anything north of 26 without lots of hypermiling. Might get lucky and hit 30 on a long trip. Downhill. With a tailwind.

[Christ]

7.3 IDI fits under the hood of a C-Vic'. Well, not exactly "under" the hood, but it fits in there. You have to use a diff type of air cleaner on it, since the IDI has a 8" tall element (exaggerating) on it. You can use a modified pan from a 302 or 351 to clear the hood.

Make sure, if you get one, you get the transmission adapter plate with it. It will bolt straight to your OEM transmission. Although, you probably should upgrade that to deal w/the torque.

[2000mc]

find the smallest car with gm's 3800 that is comfy enough, 2000 impala should be pretty reasonably priced. then if you feel its necessary, add a roll cage, 5pt harness and put a helmet on

[Frank Lee]

Funny you mention that. I was dreaming of putting a 3800 in a CRX the other day!

[2000mc]

better just bite the bullet and get a displacement on demand aluminum V8, you could probably gear one to run near idle speed at 70mph in a CRX, and only on 4cyls. 40mpg and 0-60 in 4sec