Hey all,

Anyone done one of these swaps? My friend and I are considering it for a cop car we bought pretty cheap. Kinda've like a Caprice. Crown Vics have always needed a better engine...

 

Hey-
There was one on ebay last summer, white 2000 with ls1/4L60E. Nice looking car, listing might still be on ebay.

 

That would be funny to see. Show a picture when your done with it. Good luck

 

There's room for 3 LS1s under the hood of a crown vic, so I can't imagine it being anything other than a straight forward swap.

 

That would definetly be awesome, but . . . .

What if you rebuilt the modular V8 to handle some serious boost from a supercharger? That's another good option to haul ***, and seems like it would be easier than a motor swap. Of course the LS1 would be a lot more unique.

 

Hmm... Supercharging would be nice. I really like the increased displacement of the LS engines, though...as opposed to the tiny modulars. Heavy cars needs a little more torque down low to really get moving. I could have more torque with a 5.4L, but there goes my gas mileage. I know gas mileage should be the last thing considered when planning for performance, but it IS nice to have a little increased fuel economy.

 

After spending 10 years driving around in those patrol cars (and some other ones we don't like to talk about - Dodge Diplomats ) and some that were sweeeeeeet (LT1 powered Caprices) I can tell you without a doubt that those 4.6 motors don't have **** for bottom end power and I could definitely see a Cobra style supercharger being an awesome (and stealthy) way to go......don't get me wrong, an LSx transplant would be bitchin' and fun and mighty powerful, but when the car already has HD everything built in it, why not just go with what we all (sadly) know works and that is the Cobra tricks from 2003-2004?

It is your guys car so obviously it is your choice and either way it will rock socks, and I am just guessing here, but I am betting that the 4.6 with a supercharger and other goodies would be MUCH easier, much more cost efficient and still get you that factor.

Keep us posted as I just saw a NBM crown vic (ex cop car) pop up around here...............

Also something to contemplate is the weight factor....those Crown Vics are fat pigs (no pun intended) and an all aluminum engine couldn't hurt the weight distribution/chopping a few pounds off the front end.........like I said, either way is Just could be a bitch to get a GM tranny to mate up to the Ford driveline/rearend/etc.......electronics....nothing countless others haven't dealt with in their conversions.

FYI, If you don't know this or haven't figured it out, the Fords have some sort of torque management system built in (or they were REALLY underpowered) cuz smoking the tires was essentially a non-issue in those cars.......chirps here and there on cold days and hard pavement, but otherwise they seemed to have an engine/torque management setup that discouraged hard off the line starts. Do we even know what year this car is? I didn't see or don't recall........if memory serves the current style (with a lot of exterior changes) came about in 1992.........

Those cars got for gas mileage stock.......stuffing a 5.4 in there can't kill what you don't have.

 

We definitely have some thinking to do and you guys have helped.

The weight factor is DEFINITELY a big factor for us, hence the tendency to lean towards the aluminum LS engine.

The other thought, and no offense meant to the LS engines at all...but the '03/'04 Cobra engines do make a ton of power, enough to overcome alot of weight...

Or a big bore '01 Cobra engine, aluminum, bored out to 5.0 or 5.1L with a blower...

Arrrgghhhhh, decisions...

The car is a '01, by the way.

 

The only downside I can see to that is the lack of torque (compared to a similarly powered LSx motor) and you need torque to move those fatties around (the cars that is).......that being said, it would be MUCH easier to keep it a ford engine.

And I have now driven by that NBM ex-cop car 3 times today. Thanks a lot.

 

cobra motor would be a more appropreate swap. but yes it could be done, guys put LS1s in mustangs, so you could go from there. waste of an LS1 imo, thats such a big car its never really going to be fast.

 

I've been thinking about picking up a crown vic, pulling it's gross tired 4.6 that makes no power, and dropping in a proper 4.6 from a mustang, and pray that the mount pattern's are the same. It's a much more realistic option, and I'm willing to bet, easier. No shortage of an aftermarket either, so don't let that worry you one bit.

Now, to address the possible flaming: It might be sacreligious or whatever to chose a 4.6 over an LSx for some of you, but it's nothing to be ashamed of, especially here. A good motor for the application to say the least! Do it and let us know, me especially, how it goes.

 

Newer (2001, 2?) Crown Vic's use the PI motor, so it has some more power.

A KB or Whipple Terminator motor backed by a 4w70w makes for a great Crown vic

Ryan

 

did you ever mod your vic?

 

let me show you what my good friend Sal has done:
http://members.aol.com/powersurgeperf/MadMax2006/

 

Thats got to be fun. Not to fond of it sticking out of the hood, but those 5.4 are tall.

 

i love black crown vics.... very gorgeous cars... throw an ls1 in it, i think your set!

 

i changed my mind. i think an LS1 in a vic wouldnt be so bad, and it would be easier than putting a cobra motor in it. most likely cheaper also. car probably only weighs 500 lbs more than a camaro.

 

Still tossing the idea around - I have a baby on the way so I want a somewhat cool 4-door family car. I wanted to build my own... But the prices of used '02 M5s and some of Mazda's sporty family cars are kinda catching my eye.

 

M5 will be a maitnence nightmare. the mazdas are gehy

 

Not a Civil Service unit, but close enough:






6.0L (LQ4), 76MM Turbo, 4L80E

Functional A/C, Power steering, all stock insturments as well.

Should be a sleeper! lol.