What is the significance of a car's factory card? I have a 1983 Ford LTD Crown Victoria and it has a factory card with it. Thanks for your time.

It adds credence and integrity to this vehicle but only adds as much as you will pay for any additional worth because of it. It is a high mileage car...this will sort of negate any other concerns, as upholstery will be worn and will be a used vehicle~

Actually, the upholstery is in pretty good shape considering the vehicle's age. I wish I knew how to tell how many actual miles are on the vehicle as the odometer only has five digits on it. The engine has interceptor parts on it. Doesn't hurt that I have a friend who's a mechanic...actually, a few friends who are mechanics to help. :)

The original purpose of the card was for warranty information, similar to the G.M. Protecto-Plate. Now, it is more of a curiosity, and it is always great to have original documentation with an older car. It may also have the all-important calibration code for the car. That is handy when buying emission control parts. Great choice of car to restore, too. They drive beautifully. If I may make a strong suggestion, when you buy shock absorbers, get the Ford high pressure shocks. They are made by Monroe, come with a life time warranty, and are well under $40 each. They also happen to be calibrated correctly for the car. Ford made 8 different sets of shocks for the Crown Victoria/Grand Marquis sedans, and the after market only makes 2, neither of which is quite right. I've had a few Panthers, and a few more of the Panther ancestor, the 77-79 Thunderbird. Great cars indeed. What engine do you have, the 302 or the 351?

Wow, thanks for the help with the shocks and what not. I plan on getting new shocks, tires, and brakes later this year on it. Right now I'm focusing on areas at a time (ex: Starter, alternator, and battery for the ignition....then moving to the other areas). Regarding my engine, I have the 302 in it. Thanks again for the tip on the shocks. I'll have to look for them the O'Reilly auto website. :)

Give Michael a Best Answer click. He'll become the Top Crown Vic Expert. He gets a "Helpful" from me.

Michael, do you happen to have the name of the shocks made by Monroe? I'm at their website. I see the Magnum Severe Service ones, but I'm not finding anything in particular. Thanks again for all of your help. :)

They are available from the Ford dealer. Fronts are about $37.50, rears are about $35.50, both in Canadian dollars. They are Ford branded shocks made by Monroe. Starter motors are readily available from any parts store. Rebuilt they are about $100, brand new with a life time warranty, made by Bosch, they are $150. I always change the battery cables over to full one gauge for all 3. The up-charge is about $15 total compared to the price of the 4 gauge, but I figure it is well worth the difference. I have had very good luck with the PowerMaster 140 amp alternator, but they are not inexpensive. I just love the power being available. If you change things right, there is a Ford 100 amp available for these cars. It came off the 88-91 with the Insta-Clear windscreen. The regular ones work well if you are not loading up the heavy duty stereo and all the rest. There is room in the battery tray, too, for the giant 1,100 CCA battery that will power half a house if you want more than the standard 650 CCA battery that is listed for the car. If you want to make the old girl REALLY handle, the 351 Trailer Tow III springs, shocks, and anti-sway bars are the way to go. The front bar is, if I remember right, 1 1/4 inch, and the rear is 1 inch. The difference is unbelievable. I used to run BFGoodrich Comp T/A HR-4 tires, in a 225/70R15, at 45 pounds just to be able to handle the torque and cornering forces on my one of one 89 Grand Marquis with the 351 and Trailer Tow III package. Anything else you need advice on, just ask. I am pretty familiar with what can be done for both performance and mileage. 35 MPG (U.S.) is very doable.

Oh, if you want an extra 5 mpg and 25 horsepower at the same time, it is as simple as a good 2 1/4 inch dual exhaust with Magna Flow or FlowMaster DeltaFlow mufflers.

Sheesh guy, I tried looking for that stuff online to no avail. Wish I had the resources that you did. 35 MPG?!?! You gotta be kidding me. And a 1,100 CCA Battery? Holy hell.

The 1,100 amp battery is available at the local parts store. Interstate and Exide both make them. The 1 gauge batter cables are just generic parts from the shelf at the local parts store, too. The exhaust system is easily done by any competent muffler shop, if they have a pipe bender. Make sure they put in an "X" cross over. With the carburetor set up well, you will be surprised at the fuel economy you can get. My 79 Thunderbird, with a 3 speed automatic, and the 302 2 bbl, but with the dual exhaust, would do 500 miles on a single tank, and that is 30 miles to the Imperial gallon. My 89, completely stock, was doing 39 to 40, or 7 l/100 km. There is no magic to it, just picking and choosing the right after market parts, and tuning the engine just right.

Right now, I am in the middle of fixing a 78 Mercury Grand Marquis, with a 400 cid big block V-8. It is the last of the giants. My goal, eventually, is a solid, real work fuel consumption of 5.5 l/100 km, or 50 mpg (Imperial) which is about 43 mpg (U.S.).

Michael, I wish I had the access to the parts that you do. I checked out Interstate as well as Exide for that 1,100 CCA battery for the Crown Victoria and can't find anything even remotely close. Still, I think I'll be good when I get the Crown Victoria up and running. Thanks for imparting the knowledge to me though. I really appreciate all the help I can get with this. Even though the vehicle is gonna be in my name, I'm restoring it for my girlfriend.

Mr. Happy: Don't bother looking up what the books say for the Crown Vic. I measured the space for the battery, and then measured the batteries in the store. I got the largest, strongest one that would physically fit in the space, and that is the 1,100 amp one. It was the same for the battery cables. I went to the shelf, and selected the lengths I needed with the ends I needed, in a 1 gauge wire. There are many upgrades like that available, but they are not always listed in the books or on line, since nobody in their right mind does anything much to a Crown Victoria. Then again who said I am in my right mind? When you come to work on it, message me here, and I'll give you any pointers I can. These cars are bog-simple, and very easy to upgrade.

I have a question about my alternator I have a single wire that isn't bolted on with the wire attached the car tries to start stumbles and dies with wire off the car runs perfect I have and 84-85 ford crown vic ltd with cfi 302 (5.0) what is this wire to is it important I haven't done any driving with car yet because I don't know it is affecting the battery charge