1997 Base half-breed

[markup97]

I would like to keep a rolling journal of my car here if I could, complete with notes and ideas. (versus it being scattered all over the different sections of the forum)

I will start with the day I brought it home. The car is a salvage-title 1997 MKVIII Base Black-on-Black with the 'Snowflake' wheels. AM/FM/CD radio with no extra disc changer involved. No Moonroof, no heated seats. Being it is a Base model, I didn't expect any of that. Found the car on a local Craigslist ad for $1000 OBO. It was a 68,500ml car that needed a battery. Get there and it also needs a right front wheel bearing and front brakes. I was able to secure the purchase for $850 and bought a battery ($150) to drive her home (so it came in right at $1000 to get it in my driveway). Got the title and plates 3 days later.

History of the salvage: The car was purchased new in early 97 and driven for 20,000mls by a Kentucky couple. The car was hit HARD in the rear in 1999 (enough to total a $40,000 car) and was purchased at a salvage auction by a Kentucky dealer. The dealer proceeded to install a new dash and a 98 steering wheel. They also back-halfed the car. It appears that 97-98 rear clips were unavailable at that time, so they clipped it with a 7/94 rear clip (not knowing MKVIIIs, I didn't know this when I bought it). The work was done so well that I couldn't tell it had been done (and I have worked in body shops). Owner of the dealership gives it to his wife to drive. She doesn't like the car, so she signs it over to her Canadian Grand-Daughter, who was living in Ohio at the time. Car has 30,000 miles on it by this time. She drives it for the next years and puts 38,000mls on it. Pregnancy forces the sale of the car. That is where Craigslist and I come in. I was looking for a drivetrain donor for my 85 Mustang project. Went to look at this car and bought it. On the way home, I realized it was too nice of a car to kill, so it was kept. I did the brake job and installed a new hub. Drove the car for a few days until the trans decided to die. I also need a steering column for the car, as this ones tracks are shot. Located one when I was on vacation in Florida and it is being shipped to me shortly. The trans is going to cost me $1700 to fix, but when dome will be guaranteed to hold 500hp/500lbs of tq.

Anyway, Pics:


















She needs more parts and love, which she is getting. I have the fixture to drill her for the 4.5" bolt circle (and I have the studs as well) plus a set of Mustang ABS front hubs. Just purchased an FRPP 4.10 gear set, and have an 8.8" trac-lock center waiting. Also, purchased an SCT X3/SF3 tuner with tune, and the K&N panel filter. Deep sump aluminum trans pan and auxiliary 30,000GVW trans cooler. Have my wheels, but their centers need powdercoating and tires purchased. She will aslo be getting the LCS body-colored trim treatment, and the 95-96 Rear bumper cover added (it will have the trim depression filled to match the smooth looks of the 97-98 front end) so that I can run the tips/tailpipes I have. Once everything is in order, I will sensor-lower it and roll the quarter lips for rubber clearance. Exhaust headers are being made now for it (mid-length units with integrated high-flow cats in the collector area). Mandelbentexhaust will be providing the dual exhaust (as I will be running the MagnaFlow 2-in-2-out 'X' muffler and then back to Turbo XL Magnaflow muffler units.

 

[ShakerGT]

Wow I actually kinda like that hybrid combo of 1st & 2nd gen. Very nice!

 

[markup97]

I believe that once all the side/rear bumper trim is filled in and all other trim (save the side window surround) is body-color matched, it will flow quite well. Right now, with the chrome strip running 3/4 of the way around the cars beltline and being completely void on the nose, it looks odd. Once everything is filled in, flushed, and color-coded, it should be quite smooth looking.

I also have a 2010 GT500 hood vent/air extractor that will be fit down into the hood (with the entire honeycomb surface opened up versus it only being half-opened now) to help with heat evacuation/underhood pressure relief. Another idea I have (with the parts) is to graft a lower section from an Olds Alero (99-00) front bumper onto the 97-98 upper front bumper cover and then run fog lights/cooling vents in the openings.

 

[markup97]

Got a few pics of her from the underside today (as it rests on the transmission shops rack. For the most part, she is quite rust-free. A surprise for such an old car and for it living in Ohio. The mechanic who removed the trans commented on how easy everything came free, and was glad of it. They cut an hour off the labor charge because it came apart so smoothly.







Even the rear diff brace pads are cleaner than most. They have a little rust, but are really quite a bit better than any I have seen.




All in all, for a welded half-breed Northern car, she is in good shape. Trans is in NOT so good a shape (that will be the next series of pics, even though they are documented in the drivetrain section).

 

[markup97]

Ok, this next series of pics is from the carnage on the bench. Since it is verbally documented in the drivetrain section, I may not do it again here. I will however extend notes to what is going on with the new parts.

Damaged clutch basket/drum. Those silver shards are all that is left of gear teeth and snap-rings. The drum was burned black from heat. All of these parts are being replaced with new OEM/Late-model parts and upgraded frictions.








Pump gears are so chewed up where they meet the pump bore that it looks like they were bushed with 40-grit! Surprised that the pump bore itself was smooth and clean. You can catch your nail all along the surface of the gears.






After a good cleaning with fresh fluid, it is still dirty. Pan is being replaced with an aftermarket deep sump aluminum unit.


Yes those teeth are step-grooved from wear. It too is getting replaced with a billet unit.


Gear teeth are polished mirror-like and cut to razor-sharp. Should NOT be that way. Being replaced with an OEM Ford unit.


It is getting the 98+ One-way mechanical sprag installed, along with the Sonax billet shift selector plunger and pressure relief valve. New front drum (as mine was torched), upgraded bands, o-ring mod on the output shaft/O.D gear, 98+ accumulator pistons and billet caps with new shoulder-cut O-rings, Jmod with all fresh springs/balls/filters, new gear selector, all new o-rings and seals, and a 2000-stall converter. All in all, it will be a FAR better trans than it was before.

 

[driller]

Make sure they use the spiral lock ring instead of the OEM snap ring.

 

[markup97]

Taken care of JP! That was one of the upgrades that was being discussed. The guy does 4R70W/4R75Ws for heavy use, and does one about once a week. He is relieved to have mine as he gets to use a bit more freedom and has a bit more time to play with it (as I don't need it back until later next week). He is quite willing to work with me and to discuss upgrades to the trans.

 

[billcu]

Nice car!

I'm curious though, it's a Gen 2 car but it doesn't have the Gen 2 evap tray under the trunk. How did they get around that?

 

[markup97]

Bill, I am not sure. Being this car is a Gen-1 rear clip mated to a Gen-2 chassis, they may have re-constructed it as a Gen-1 from the doors back. Me not being familiar with the MKVIII (I can't even begin to tell you how much I am learning by being here and by lurking at lincolnvscadillac and MKVIII.org) I really can't comment. This is my first MK, and you could imagine my disappointment when I learned that this car was a sheetmetal 'bastard'. But, since it was done extremely well and is in great shape, I am slowly warming to the idea of its uniqueness (even though it is not pure 1997-98 Gen-2. I am learning what I can/can't do with'to it, and that excites me. I just hope others don't look down on the car (or me for owning it/keeping it) for something that was not its' fault.

Back to the car itself; I acquired a bit of metal box-tubing yesterday that will become a set of braces and subframe connectors-matrix/jacking rails. I won't be able to get back and see the car (up on the lift) until Wednesday of this coming week, and at that time I will get the measurements I need to create these pieces, along with a front pinion lower brace (like the 03-04 Cobra has) as well as get measurements to machine the cradle bushings from aluminum.

 

[markup97]

http://pptac.http.internapcdn.net/pptac/imagesProducts4/16111.jpg

Wheel choice I am going with. Ultimate center color yet to be determined, but the lip will remain Chrome. Wheels are 18"x 8.5" front with 35mm offset and rears are 18"x 10" with 45mm offset. Cobra brakes will be behind them (up front anyway) and will probably be painted either Red, Brembo Burnt Orange/Copper, or Anthracite Gray. 'LincolnStar' emblem in Chrome on the appropriately sheened center cap. Lug nut color undecided, but down to Gloss Black or Chrome.

 

[driller]

Back to the car itself; I acquired a bit of metal box-tubing yesterday that will become a set of braces and subframe connectors-matrix/jacking rails. I won't be able to get back and see the car (up on the lift) until Wednesday of this coming week, and at that time I will get the measurements I need to create these pieces, along with a front pinion lower brace (like the 03-04 Cobra has) as well as get measurements to machine the cradle bushings from aluminum.

FYI... I was going to do jacking rails with my sub-frame connectors but negated doing so once I found you could jack the entire side of the car up simply using the jack under the subframe connector. I used round 1-1/2" chrome moly tubing.

You supposedly can modify the Cobra pinion brace to fit the FN10 but I tried to do so and failed. So you would probably be better off buying one made for the car or fabricating your own.

 

[markup97]

Hey JP, I am going to be making my own pinion brace, as there is NO WAY the Cobra unit is even close enough (I just used it as a reference so some would know what brace I was talking about). With the move coming, I am going to be quite busy elsewhere and may have to back-burner this (unless we are silly-dead at work and then I can weld everything up there!).

 

[Mad1stGen]

This is very interesting.

Bill, notice the car has a Gen1 tank, so the tank pressure transducer must be gone. I wonder if they installed the 1st gen charcoal canister in RH front wheel well ? They had to fool the PCM to avoid getting tank pressure monitor codes, unless there are codes present ? PCM flashed ? Chipped ?

 

[markup97]

If codes are present, they are not throwing a 'Check Engine' light. The computer is a 97 ECM, and at the moment is stock (that I know of). I just got an X3/SF3 with a tune for the 4.10s, K&N filter, AIR and EGR delete, and Jmod going into it (not going to be installed until after the car makes it back to Florida). Tune has not been loaded yet either.

This car really is a Gen2 from the back of the door forward and a Gen1 from the rear door seam back. Odd vehicle, and even more so the more I learn about it.

 

[dnsherrill]

did you consider hub-swapping?
---
with those wheels you selected....front Cobra brakes on (re-drilled) Cobra rotors? on front mark hubs?

 

[markup97]

I have ABS Mustang front hubs ready to bolt on, along with Cobra calipers and rotors. For the rear, I have the drilling fixture to take them to 4.5" bolt pattern and a brand new set of Dorman studs. I will be drilling the MKVIII rotors/rear hubs. The wheels are 5x 4.5" bolt pattern. Again, that will have to wait until everything gets to Florida as I just don't have the money to get the wheels finished and tires bought/mounted/balanced AND get everything moved 1,000 miles!

 

[markup97]

I did manage to get a chrome 'MARK VIII' trunk emblem the other day. It was the best looking one I could find throughout two yards. The emblem on my car now is Gold in color, and I am not really a fan of it (being it and the 'Lincoln' trunk script are the only such hued pieces on the car), so the chorme emblem will replace it. I cleaned it with Dawn dish soap and a medium toothbrush, blew it dry, polished the chrome as best as I could (using plastic polish), shot the emblem in Gloss Black (being my car is Gloss Black), wiped the still-tacky paint from the chrome letters, baked the paint dry, and applied new double-sided tape to the back side of the emblem. When I get the car back it will take the place of the Gold moniker. The 'Lincoln' moniker will be replaced with something else when I get further along in the modification process. Pics coming soon.

 

[markup97]

A set of chrome trunk emblems I managed to polish back up fairly clean and painted the recessed area Gloss Black (as my car is Gloss Black and I am hoping it will help hide the background of the lettering by them being the same shade/color as the car).




Posted this down in the 'Exterior Care' section, but staying true to the nature of this thread, I will post it here too.



I am using a 1999-2000 Oldsmobile Alero front bumper cover lower section grafted to the upper bumper cover of a Gen2. I am also using the fog lights from the Alero as well. I want to remove the grill bars and use Octagonal Mesh in the grill area, as well as in the openings of the lower bumper and in the GT500 hood vent. Do you think I am crazy with poor taste or do you like the idea/look?

 

[SCTBIRD1173]

It's interesting I'll give you that... :wink: From how you describe your cosmetic mods I'd like to see the car in person and take it in.

Personally as far as fog lights go on these cars I haven't seen anything subtle enough that I think compliments the perfect lines of this car. I've stared at the front of my car many times wondering why at least the LSC doesn't have fog lights but can't come up with anything I'd like. I've decided when I swap my bumper cover I may play with the old one and mock up the new Ford LED driving lights. I know they aren't really bright but it might be just subtle enough to look good in my opinion.

Keep up the good work. I think it will look nice when it's done.

 

[markup97]

Thanks Bryan, it is 'interesting' for sure. I did another one where I took the end curves of the fog light cut-outs to the very edge of where the Lincoln bumper cover naturally arcs back to meet the wheel well openings and it looks a bit better. It elongates the center opening (making it appear less stodgy) and brings the center of the fog light itself directly below the low-beam headlight element. To me, it makes quite a difference in the overall appearance and integration of the lower/fogs. I will be heading back to the yard to pick up another Alero front end here soon so that I can cut/splice it to make it the proper length for the Lincoln upper (the spare front cover sits in Florida waiting on my return). I will experiment with the Octagonal Mesh in the lower sections first (it will be painted Black to hide it being there) and if I like the look, I have a spare grill opening I can play with to render the Octagonal Mesh into it (that mesh will also be painted Black, and I will be re-installing the Lincoln emblem right where it is at.

I HOPE to bring the car home tomorrow from all of the trans work it just had done (depends on how much all the work was and what my bank account has in it!). Then I will be driving it until it is time to move to Florida. I will have a friend drive it down (probably fly him up, hand him the keys and gas money, and tell him I will see him when I get there!) and then start modifying it once I am settled back in. I will keep this thread updated as things happen.