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Thread: 1986 LTD Wagon

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    FEP Power Member gmatt's Avatar
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    Default 1986 LTD Wagon

    Thought I would start a thread about my '86 LTD wagon. Haven't done much to it yet, except drive it. Done a little maintenance; alternator, fixed a couple vacuum lines, nothing major. I've been wanting to install trailer hitch, but hadn't been able to find one specific to the LTD. I finally did get hitch off craigslist that had been on a '91 Mustang. 20bux. Fit perfectly with a minor tweek!

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    FEP Power Member gmatt's Avatar
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    Almost forgot. Replaced passenger side mirror and driver side front marker lens with NOS parts I found on ebay.

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    Sweet deal. Do you have any pictures to share? What are your plans for it?
    '89 XR-7 5 Speed
    '95 SC 5 Speed
    '91 Crown Vic P72 351W
    '97 Thunderbird
    '85 Ford LTD Squire

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    FEP Power Member gmatt's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by KevinVarnes View Post
    Sweet deal. Do you have any pictures to share? What are your plans for it?
    Not sure about plans. It needs some paint touch up, I'd like better seats, maybe sway bars. I have a little fishing boat I'm going to pull around with it.

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    Very nice! What color interior?
    Brad

    '79 Mercury Zephyr ES 5.0L GT40 EFI, T-5
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    FEP Power Member gmatt's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ZephyrEFI View Post
    Very nice! What color interior?
    Chocolate brown velour. Driver's seat back is kinda wonky. Rest of the interior is in pretty nice condition. No cracks in the dash pad.

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    FEP Power Member gmatt's Avatar
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    Couple more pics.
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    Last edited by gmatt; 05-20-2023 at 01:46 PM.

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    Looks nice. Your woodgrain trim has the same issue mine does. Eventually I will get the courage to take it off and do something with it. Fixed liftgate glass?
    '89 XR-7 5 Speed
    '95 SC 5 Speed
    '91 Crown Vic P72 351W
    '97 Thunderbird
    '85 Ford LTD Squire

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    FEP Power Member gmatt's Avatar
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    Yes, the trim is peeling. Not sure what to do about that. Lift gate glass is hinged and is working fine.

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    My trim is peeling badly. Luckily the Di-Noc it surrounds is still in good shape. To fix the trim properly means it needs to come off. There are ways to refinish it with paint and still get the woodgrain effect in it. I will probably go that route since trying to wrap those pieces doesn't sound/look like very much fun to me. My lift gate class is hinged as well. I looked at a couple with fixed glass and I like the ability to open the glass independently of the lift gate.
    '89 XR-7 5 Speed
    '95 SC 5 Speed
    '91 Crown Vic P72 351W
    '97 Thunderbird
    '85 Ford LTD Squire

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    FEP Power Member gmatt's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by KevinVarnes View Post
    My trim is peeling badly. Luckily the Di-Noc it surrounds is still in good shape. To fix the trim properly means it needs to come off. There are ways to refinish it with paint and still get the woodgrain effect in it. I will probably go that route since trying to wrap those pieces doesn't sound/look like very much fun to me. My lift gate class is hinged as well. I looked at a couple with fixed glass and I like the ability to open the glass independently of the lift gate.
    If I fixed the trim, I would probably just paint it a solid color. And I like the opening window too. Just I've heard a lot about the hinges/mounts cracking.

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    Quote Originally Posted by gmatt View Post
    If I fixed the trim, I would probably just paint it a solid color. And I like the opening window too. Just I've heard a lot about the hinges/mounts cracking.
    Noooooooo!!!! Don't talk like that. There was a guy on another forum I frequent with one of these and both of his glass hinges were broken. I found one RH NOS hinge on ebay for him, but not the LH. So many parts on this car would be impossible to find if they break.
    '89 XR-7 5 Speed
    '95 SC 5 Speed
    '91 Crown Vic P72 351W
    '97 Thunderbird
    '85 Ford LTD Squire

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    Wow! I want another one! And a 4 door sedan too! If you decide to sell it next year...

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    Quote Originally Posted by nelzfoxes View Post
    Wow! I want another one! And a 4 door sedan too! If you decide to sell it next year...
    Well, the wagon is currently doing service as a daily and I'm just getting back into using the Fairmont after finishing(90%) a 5.0 transplant.

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    FEP Power Member gmatt's Avatar
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    The car had been running 'OK', but had a slight miss at idle and occasionally died at stoplights, etc. Wife got stranded today when it decided to die and not restart. Tow home. No spark. Tried a spare coil, no go. Took a TFI module from an old distributor and bam, good to go. Could not get my socket into the failed TFI to remove it and ended up removing the distributor to do it. Actually broke the plastic inserting the socket to remove the bolts. Did not have this problem removing the 'good' TFI from the other distributor.

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    FEP Power Member gmatt's Avatar
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    The wagon seemed to be sagging a bit in the rear and since I want to pull my boat(super light 14' jon), I decided new rear springs are in order. Also, I decided to add GT front & rear sway bars which means 'new' rear lower control arms since the current ones aren't drilled for the sway bar mount.

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    FEP Power Member 4-barrel Mike's Avatar
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    How about Gabriel air shocks for the rear?

    Mike

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    FEP Power Member gmatt's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by 4-barrel Mike View Post
    How about Gabriel air shocks for the rear?

    Mike
    Springs and sway bars are installed. Went way easier than I anticipated. Hardest part was getting the bolts to line up with the rear sway bar. Picked up about an inch. It already has air shocks. I don't like using them to make up for worn out springs.

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    FEP Power Member 4-barrel Mike's Avatar
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    Fair enough!

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    What springs did you go with? Mine sits a little low in the rear as well. I also have air shocks (for now), but like you am not a big fan of using them. Seemed like there weren't many options for rear wagon springs when I looked a couple of months ago.
    '89 XR-7 5 Speed
    '95 SC 5 Speed
    '91 Crown Vic P72 351W
    '97 Thunderbird
    '85 Ford LTD Squire

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    FEP Power Member gmatt's Avatar
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    When I purchased the springs, the specific wagon springs weren't available. I tried Rockauto and Moog who both listed them in stock and who both refunded my purchase after I bought them from the online catalogs. So, I looked at the specs for all the springs that Rockauto listed for the LTD and bought the ones which had the thickest wire diameter and the highest load capacity. I think they were within 50lbs or so of the wagon specific spring. They are a progressive rate spring too. It was listed as an ACDelco part 88913778, but it arrived in Moog packaging with an ACDelco sticker and part #. Funny, after I received the springs, I got an email from Rockauto that the original springs I had ordered were back in stock. Link: https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo...440690&jsn=263
    Last edited by gmatt; 06-26-2018 at 06:21 AM.

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    FEP Power Member gmatt's Avatar
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    I just now checked Rockauto and they show the wagon spring in stock as well as the one I bought. They are actually within 35lbs load capacity, 910 vs. 875, but The one I got has thicker wire diameter, .610 vs. .590. Maybe it has an extra coil? The free length and compressed height are both higher than my spring.
    Last edited by gmatt; 06-26-2018 at 06:18 AM.

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    Ah gotcha. I've never seen the Delco rear wagon springs not in stock. Makes me think I better buy some before they go out of stock forever. It does look like the wagon springs have fewer coils assuming the pictures of each are accurate.
    '89 XR-7 5 Speed
    '95 SC 5 Speed
    '91 Crown Vic P72 351W
    '97 Thunderbird
    '85 Ford LTD Squire

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    Funny this thread was created on 420 , and has had 420 replies before mine .
    clowns to the left of me , Jokers to the right

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    FEP Power Member gmatt's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ashley roachclip View Post
    funny this thread was created on 420 , and has had 420 replies before mine .
    .lol.

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