Mods
-Hubcap delete.
-Involuntary hood ornament delete.
-EGR disabled (ECU controls it wrong, totally undriveable otherwise).
-Cassette adapter for tunes.
-Parking lights reverted back to stock from EU-spec.
-Involuntary hood ornament delete.
-EGR disabled (ECU controls it wrong, totally undriveable otherwise).
-Cassette adapter for tunes.
-Parking lights reverted back to stock from EU-spec.
Build story
Hello from Finland!
Really wanting to get into american cars at a young age, but having little money, I was inspired by Junkyard Digs and others. I came across a listing for an old Ford sitting for years, and went from there.
It was a grandma's car, sat in a shed for 10 years after the owner started suffering from dementia. With fresh gas and a battery I drove it 200km home, stalling every single time I stopped.
The 100k mile TB fuel injected 302 ran like garbage and stalled all the time, but I still took it on a 900km roadtrip with friends. I did fix the cigarette lighter(s) to have a 12V cooler in the backseat.
Starting to diagnose the engine, I found problem after problem and fixed them, but the rough running would never improve. Even the timing chain was worn beyond sensibility (plastic gears), but a new one wouldn't fix the stuttering. I ended up going through 2 distributors and 3 ignition modules. DOA parts aren't fun. Every single fuel and ignition system component and sensor was changed to get it running right.
Now every single thing works on the car, and I daily it during the summer. In two summers I've put over 4000 miles on it. As many roadtrips to events as possible.
I'm from Finland, so almost every part I've had to buy from overseas. There are approx. half a dozen of these Grand Marqs ever brought into Finland, that doesn't make it expensive though.
It's not a build, it's not a classic and it's definitely not anything special, but the hardships I've been through with it made me fall in love with it.
Really wanting to get into american cars at a young age, but having little money, I was inspired by Junkyard Digs and others. I came across a listing for an old Ford sitting for years, and went from there.
It was a grandma's car, sat in a shed for 10 years after the owner started suffering from dementia. With fresh gas and a battery I drove it 200km home, stalling every single time I stopped.
The 100k mile TB fuel injected 302 ran like garbage and stalled all the time, but I still took it on a 900km roadtrip with friends. I did fix the cigarette lighter(s) to have a 12V cooler in the backseat.
Starting to diagnose the engine, I found problem after problem and fixed them, but the rough running would never improve. Even the timing chain was worn beyond sensibility (plastic gears), but a new one wouldn't fix the stuttering. I ended up going through 2 distributors and 3 ignition modules. DOA parts aren't fun. Every single fuel and ignition system component and sensor was changed to get it running right.
Now every single thing works on the car, and I daily it during the summer. In two summers I've put over 4000 miles on it. As many roadtrips to events as possible.
I'm from Finland, so almost every part I've had to buy from overseas. There are approx. half a dozen of these Grand Marqs ever brought into Finland, that doesn't make it expensive though.
It's not a build, it's not a classic and it's definitely not anything special, but the hardships I've been through with it made me fall in love with it.