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Hoop
Hoop SuperDork
1/11/13 8:43 p.m.

So, I went with this. `99 Grand Marquis LS with 145k that was a Texas car. Underneath is nice and solid. I got it for $2500 out the door.

And yes, I fully intend to autocross this.

David S. Wallens
David S. Wallens Editorial Director
1/11/13 8:45 p.m.

Sweet. During dinner Alan and I were discussing my desire to track a P71.

Hoop
Hoop SuperDork
1/11/13 8:48 p.m.

I am eagerly awaiting the opportunity to do so in mine. Hilarity shall ensue.

Woody
Woody GRM+ Memberand MegaDork
1/11/13 8:48 p.m.
David S. Wallens wrote: Sweet. During dinner Alan and I were discussing my desire to track a P71.

You like that gray one, don't you?

David S. Wallens
David S. Wallens Editorial Director
1/11/13 8:56 p.m.

Gray, navy or maroon, probably.

irish44j
irish44j PowerDork
1/11/13 9:09 p.m.

And you may ask yourself

How do I drive without a third pedal?

And you may ask yourself

What is that thing sticking out of the steering column?

And you may tell yourself

This is not an e30 or Miata!

And you may ask yourself

Am I right?...Am I wrong?

And you may tell yourself

MY GOD!...WHAT HAVE I DONE?

Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon SuperDork
1/11/13 9:09 p.m.
irish44j wrote: And you may ask yourself How do I drive without a third pedal? And you may ask yourself What is that thing sticking out of the steering column? And you may tell yourself This is not an e30 or Miata! And you may ask yourself Am I right?...Am I wrong? And you may tell yourself MY GOD!...WHAT HAVE I DONE?

Same as it ever was, given that my other car is a Caprice Estate!

Raze
Raze SuperDork
1/11/13 9:17 p.m.
David S. Wallens wrote: Sweet. During dinner Alan and I were discussing my desire to track a P71.

DO EEET

EvanB
EvanB GRM+ Memberand PowerDork
1/12/13 1:56 a.m.

I was going to come here and praise the brilliant thread title but I was beaten to it.

Great car.

Ransom
Ransom GRM+ Memberand PowerDork
1/12/13 2:00 a.m.

I'll go ahead and say that the thread and its title are brilliant, even for those of us who have little to no interest in the car.

The car matters not. There is brilliance afoot here.

Knurled
Knurled GRM+ Memberand PowerDork
1/12/13 3:56 a.m.
Hoop wrote: And yes, I fully intend to autocross this.

We do, of course, request video documentation of this. Strictly for recordkeeping, of course

ddavidv
ddavidv PowerDork
1/12/13 5:42 a.m.

One of our local autocrossers, John Rudy, made a habit of regularly amusing us:

In the quest to find a photo of that car I came upon these:

AngryCorvair
AngryCorvair GRM+ Memberand PowerDork
1/12/13 7:55 a.m.
Hoop wrote: Same as it ever was, given that my other car is a Caprice Estate!

well played.

44Dwarf
44Dwarf UltraDork
1/12/13 8:07 a.m.

So you "living in a shoot gun shack"

ZOO
ZOO GRM+ Memberand SuperDork
1/12/13 8:08 a.m.

Once in a lifetime . . . everyone should drive a large automobile. I remember, perhaps in the mid-eighties, a Peter Egan "Side Glances" article where he waxed eloquently on about the virtues of massive American cars. It challenged my perspectives as the scion of a European car guy.

jstein77
jstein77 Dork
1/12/13 8:17 a.m.

I dug some some very old (2002) video of one of our local competitors in a Lincoln.

http://www.cfrsolo2.com/video/bigcar.mpg

failboat
failboat SuperDork
1/12/13 8:32 a.m.

Ill have to check the garage to see if i have any parts leftover from my 99 gs. I autocrossed it with stock suspension, hpp 21mm rear sway bar, and some 17x8 mustang wheels with 245 width tires. Steering feel non existent but the car was predictable.

I later upgraded brakes to hawk hps and drilled and slotted rotors...but never got out to autocross after...

I miss driving a larger car. My current want is a V6 challenger.

noddaz
noddaz GRM+ Memberand HalfDork
1/12/13 9:15 a.m.

So what zip code.... I mean class do cars like this run in? BTW, most excellent thread...

Toyman01
Toyman01 GRM+ Memberand PowerDork
1/12/13 9:23 a.m.

There was a guy around here that autocrossed one of those. It looked like a hoot.

Hoop
Hoop SuperDork
1/12/13 9:23 a.m.
failboat wrote: Ill have to check the garage to see if i have any parts leftover from my 99 gs. I autocrossed it with stock suspension, hpp 21mm rear sway bar, and some 17x8 mustang wheels with 245 width tires. Steering feel non existent but the car was predictable.

Oh, if you have any of that, let me know!

As for its classing... probably G Stock?

mazdeuce
mazdeuce HalfDork
1/12/13 9:59 a.m.

I've watched a few caprices autocross and I've got to say that they are the most course dependent car I have seen. Tight with quick transitions and they are terrible looking. Smooth, flowing and fast courses they look like a fighter jet (tipping the wrong way of course). I always thought they would be great on a nice open fast road course. I like big cars and I cannot lie.

fanfoy
fanfoy New Reader
1/12/13 10:53 a.m.

I gotta admit I really want to see a video of this thing killing cones. But I want to see a video of the driver during that run even more. I rode once on the front seat of one of those, and apart from the comfort, I remember sliding all over those slabs of leather they call car seats even when driving on the street. I don't see how you could autocross that thing and not fly out the window at the first corner

Hoop
Hoop SuperDork
1/12/13 10:55 a.m.
mazdeuce wrote: I've watched a few caprices autocross and I've got to say that they are the most course dependent car I have seen. Tight with quick transitions and they are terrible looking. Smooth, flowing and fast courses they look like a fighter jet (tipping the wrong way of course). I always thought they would be great on a nice open fast road course. I like big cars and I cannot lie.

While mine never looked like a fighter jet, it was a pretty smooth car on course. Granted, it was also much slower, but that did not stop me from unsettling the rear end on those tight transitions.

Here's the thread: http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/grm/why-yes-a-caprice-wagon-is-faster-than-a-volvo-245/49889/page1/ and a video of the Caprice (starts at 3:17) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=As2L8IgDZn4&feature=relmfu

Javelin
Javelin GRM+ Memberand MegaDork
1/12/13 12:01 p.m.
Raze wrote:
David S. Wallens wrote: Sweet. During dinner Alan and I were discussing my desire to track a P71.
DO EEET

Oh, hai.

neon4891
neon4891 UltimaDork
1/12/13 12:33 p.m.
Hoop wrote:
failboat wrote: Ill have to check the garage to see if i have any parts leftover from my 99 gs. I autocrossed it with stock suspension, hpp 21mm rear sway bar, and some 17x8 mustang wheels with 245 width tires. Steering feel non existent but the car was predictable.
Oh, if you have any of that, let me know! As for its classing... probably G Stock?

Yes. Panther cars are GS. Last time I went there where 5 cars in GS, the largest class that day. My Neon, 2 P71s, a 9C1, and IIRC, a StarQuest. Side note, V6 Accords are also in GS.

Either way, I have my heart set on replacing my neon with one of these boats. Preferably an '03 or newer for the frame. But if I end up with an older one, I have some 235/75/15 snow tires from an F-150 for the winter.

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