A fresh start / JMS's 2013 Gem Green Build Thread

[Junkyard_Mad-Scientist]

Yeah I think suspension, is the game. How much would you ruin it for day to day to handle the occasional tow?Gears, keeping the trans cool and happy that’s all no problem. And I know there is plenty of engine, I mean, I’m doing it now with a four banger for Peet’s sake.

Fair question, Id probably get heavy coil springs, if it had airbags id swap the springs in, and then add inside the coil airbags for load leveling and only inflate them when there was a load. if it had bags you could easily use the on board compressor to adjust on the fly. but with the bags deflated it would ride like normal. These things are a great canvas for getting creative

 

[Zpak]

I’m with you 100% on this.

Pay more for less reliability. you get more power but what good is it if you cant drive it. the playstation controller steering wheel buttons in our SHOs was gross to me, granted I loved my car, i CAN do without. now you pay for a car to drive itself and to have more screens all while it cant make it to the first oil change. I just want simplicity and to feel the car. back when you could talk to your car and you thought it was listening, as apposed to now that they are listening and respond with restaurant suggestions.

**steps off soap box**

I enjoy creature comforts as much as anyone else, but I want to sit on my couch to watch TV, I want to DRIVE my car (which coincidently also has a couch). Since I bought my Lincoln just a few months ago, it has already been our ONLY car for a few days here and there with the wifes car and my truck deciding to check out in the heat. but the panther abides, and it does it so well Im starting to think of leaving it alone and picking up a 99-04 mustang to play with since my fox took a tree branch a few weeks ago.

That’s why I’d even consider a stupid idea like pulling a camper with a town car. I just don’t want anything modern anymore. I really believe they’re intentionally built like garbage to make you give up ownership. Yeah it’s gonna be trash so just lease and it won’t be your problem ever. You’ll own nothing and be happy. On top of all the spy crap but I won’t even get started down that path.

 

[luigisho]

Im starting to think of leaving it alone and picking up a 99-04 mustang to play with since my fox took a tree branch a few weeks ago.

This is the way. I also look at older Corvettes and Mustangs while looking at v8 lincolns

 

[Junkyard_Mad-Scientist]

A mundane update for a mundane car. The AC in Bea has been questionable since I bought her, reasoning that no tint during a record summer maybe its just not that good. But the vic was always ice cold...so after tint I put the gauges on it, it was low so I topped it up, AC worked great. the last few weeks its been getting weaker and weaker so I ordered an orifice tube and picked up some freeon. before I got around to actually working on it I noticed at idle the AC was okay but anything in the revs it got warm, so I was hoping for just the orifice tube being the issue.

I safely and responsibly evacuated the system, replaced the orifice tube and high side shrader valve, pulled a vacuum on the system and charged it. Vents got down to 47 degrees, pressures were on the low side but in range, but the chunks of metal in the tube mean my AC issues are just starting.

For those following you'll remember one of the reasons I finally gave up the SHO was AC issues with the evaporator, my trucks ac is also struggling with this heat, but the wifes car...we bench lined temps last night, the fusion has never even had a gauge on it in 11 years...37 degrees out the vents. Ill take a hurt system putting out 47 as a win but DAMN that fusion gets low.

and the fusions vent

 

[Junkyard_Mad-Scientist]

First real break down for Bea! the power steering pressure switch exploded...yup life with a panther is pretty tame, $100 for a new line and sensor from the local parts store and shes back up and running just in time for my trucks heater hose to explode. Seriously considering a Schwinn. But, it took some extra time while I was there to tweak the alignment and load a new tune. slightly more aggressive shifts and a touch more rpm for the shift points. She still needs gears which im thinking about just snatching out of my mustang once the temp gets below nuclear temperatures. but between the tune and the AC being fixed ive seemed to have lost some of my proud mileage and dropped under 20mpg. But for a full size v8 car im not mad, after my winter wish list is done ill be lucky to see 15-16