"On the road again...", err I mean now

E

eduncan911

Registered
Heh, I just NOW got my Mark VIII on the road (after I bought it almost 18 months ago with a blown engine). Finally got my arse in gear and swapped in another 6 bolt crank cast motor. Shaved a set of DOHC heads (from a Cobra) a little and put in NAVI cams though. I can't leave anything "stock". lol


Anyhow this is the first time I've ever driven a Mark VIII and I have say, this is one smooth ride! A bit too soft. Maybe I'm used the tight handling Mazda Protege family-car, or the high-speed suspension that was under my Cobra, or how firm the newer Caddy's feel... It's soft!

Needs EVERYTHING done to it though before I can start tearing into the drivetrain. Well overdue for maintenance items (rearend fluid, stocks/struts are shot, rotors are warped, etc). It has clocked 90k miles on the odometer though, so I guess it's about time for an overhaul.


Anyhow, just wanted to say "the mark is on the road!" and thank everyone here for the support of my questions over the years in the planning that I have for project "MARKed for Death".

Eric

(some pics)
http://modular4v.com/projects/tt_project/rear_corner.JPG
http://modular4v.com/projects/tt_project/wash.JPG
http://modular4v.com/projects/tt_project/65degees.jpg
(sprint camera fone pics above, eww)
 
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congratulations! you don't here too many people complaining the mark is too soft... it's pretty firm for a lincoln! If you lower it a bit and put in some aftermarket shocks, that should firm it up for you. I believe Eddie (bluecollar, american air suspension) is coming out with koni adjustable air struts for our cars.

BTW... your wheels are on backwards (the rear ones at least).
 
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That will be nice to have.

Yeah, I've read where some people have swapped in the 03 Cobra rear shocks in the Lincoln. I'm just not sure what to do about the front. Are the struts servicable, or do I have to replace the entire airbag/strut assembly?
^- that's a lazy question.. As I have the manuals on CDs from Ford. lol


Fyi, I was the uhh... "Camera" car in a "legal grudge match" on a "close coarse" between a friend's 98 Cobra vert (just gears and exhaust) against some WRX guy (normal import owners, talking up they have 500HP etc).

Of coarse they left the "Camera car" (me) from a dig but after the WRX got only 3 to 4 cars ahead I caught his speed. He no go anywhere else. The guy riding with me said, "I've never been so comfortable during a race before, so what are you later tonight..." lol in the middle of the race. lol

Then the "What the ****? The WRX isn't pulling away! You're right there with him!" The Cobra obviously walked him hard and just pulled away from me a hair.

Well, at this point we talk the WRX into going from a 30 kick (my car = stock everything, except the cams and broken/deleted EGR). Uhh, I've never laughed so hard in my life. It was dead even all until I hit 120.


Which brings me to my next point, I thought my car had a speed limiter at 115 or so? Or is that the LSC that has the lower speed limiter due to the higher gear ratio in the rearend? I think I read that part somewhere.

Oh, and my car has a one piece aluminum driveshaft. Does that sound right (trust me, I thought I had a two piece but yet I starred down the driveshaft with the tranny out... It's one piece!).


Here's one other "doesn't make sense" fact. My car is an 1995 model. The original owners manual in the glove compartment has the "Lincoln Certified" credit-card type card in it. And it states it's an "LSC Upgraded" model right on the card. ?!?! Uh, I have single exhaust and already calculated I have 3.08 gears. Was this a mistake on the car printout? It has the matching VIN number emborded into the car.


The car was a Lincoln Program car until 85,000 miles. Where my friend bought it seeral years ago and barely drove it. He changed the oil in it at 90k but f-ed the filter and blew oil everywhere. Locking up the old engine almost dead on 90 miles (90,005). That's when I purchased it (cheap). He did zero mods, and he bought it from the Lincoln dealership with Lincoln the former owner (no previous owners).

Therefore, being a Program Car you know they wouldn't touch it with aftermark parts. And I know my friend pretty well, he says he didn't do anything performance-wise (or maintenance either) to the car. We saved all of that for his 490rwhp 2003 Cobra he owns. ;)


Anyhoot: the LSC card in the glove compartment, the one piece aluminuim driveshaft, the "120mph" test drive without a shut off... Some things aren't adding up...

Eric
 
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BTW... your wheels are on backwards (the rear ones at least).
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Yep, I bought it that way and just now got it on the road this weekend. Haven't had time to mess with "the tires". lol

What's even funnier is NO ONE in our performance groups have ever noticed it when my friend used to drive it to the meets (when his 03 cobra was down for upgrades we were working on). Hell, even this past Sat when i was out at the local meet no one noticed.


And you picked it up immediately! lol The tires are correct. It was when it was a Program car that is when it got new tires and they crossed the wheels up.

Eric
 
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>>>Anyhoot: the LSC card in the glove compartment, the one piece aluminuim driveshaft, the "120mph" test drive without a shut off... Some things aren't adding up...

LSC card came with all the 93-95 marks. It doesn't mean squat.
Are you sure you got the 1 piece DS ?
When I had stock gears, the car went close to 130mph.

Nevertheless, I looked at your pics at the mod4v. Nice car !!!
 
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Stock you should top out at about 132 with the stock 3.08 or around 125 with the LSC model which was rare in 95.
 
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The two-piece driveshaft looks very much like a 1 piece. I believe that there is a tube within a tube or something stupid like that. Anyway, it doesn't matter. What matters is whether the car vibrates. Do you get any vibration when you're going 130? If you get gears (which should be the first mod) you'll know pretty quick whether you need to upgrade the driveshaft or not.
 
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