FDR
Dedicated LVC Member
I always wanted a build thread, so now seems like a great time. Nobody is here anymore, but the gravity well known as Facebook makes me want to have something searchable. Posts over there get lost in the timeline and you can't see the light. Before I get into that rant... I was going to wait to make a build thread for when I boosted it or an engine swap or something, but I got into bikes and that has really quelled my need for 4 wheel speed. I'm happy (for the time being) to leave that dream alone and just make it excel where it already does well: spirited cruising. I don't expect this build thread to be the highlight of your day. Best I'm hoping for is one of my fixes or repairs will help someone in the future or at least give an answer as to what was done.
2002 Lincoln LS V8 Sport. I've had the car as long as I've been on here: 10 years. I acquired it in 2014 from the passing of a cousin, so those that know me, know this is a sentimental car. It had 63k miles at the time, now around 115k. Despite going through all the classic problems, the knowledge I've gained in this forum (both actively searching and passively absorbing) has made this car secretly reliable since I could detect all the nuances of imminent failure and then stress for a month or three about dealing with it preemptively.
Some general info as I find time to post more details of projects. Radiator, brakes, wheels, ignition coils, euro rear, exhaust, tune, aesthetics, audio
Radiator: Most recent project was retrofitting an all-aluminum Mishimoto radiator for a 2005 Mustang, pioneered by @DeviLSh. Not a friendly job, but not particularly complicated. Main thing is modifying one lower mounting tab to be more centered to the car by about 2", plus some work to adapt the cooler mounting bungs. Same screws, different height. I'm not sure I'd actually recommend this one, especially since there's that no-name all aluminum radiator (and degas) on ebay these days. But, if you know me, tHaT wAsN't GoOd EnOuGh FoR mE.
Brakes: 06+ Jaguar S-type R brakes all around, the 355mm fronts and 320mm rears.
Wheels: 03-5 StR "Zeus" 18s to get a 255/285 staggered setup but beware, the fronts needed a 3mm spacer and caliper grinding to get them to fit the StR front brakes. Might just be an LS thing with shallower disk mounting. Hindsight is 20/20 so I wouldn't have ground the nubs on the caliper had I known I was going to use 25mm studded spacers later. It's pretty when I jump the battery and get to see a clean-but-bent spare Zeus in the well.
Ign Coils: I swapped the COP pins to use the Mustang 2v 4.6 Accel 140032 coils pioneered elsewhere on here. They've been in since 2014 for over 50,000 miles. They've had a few misfires over the years, but cleaning water/oil out of #8 and now #7 has straightened it out each time. The oil is from sloppy filling, not valve cover gaskets. I've replaced the wiper seal, but I think too many things are warped. A flaw in running without the coil cover. I'll try to modify or copy the stock covers this summer to accommodate the outward plug. Dielectric grease and the thicker coil boot works well, but you can't fight the expansion and contraction of the well air forever -- it'll suck everything in eventually.
Euro rear: The rear has a pair of prototype Euro inner tail lights (diffferent from Japanese), standard Gen 2 outers, and the Euro license surround. Japanese inners are just like American, but clear tops. Euro takes that but makes the red bulb a 3157 for rear fog use and adds a 3156 reverse light to the top since the license plate would interfere with the American lights.
Exhaust: Muffler swap, tips, bumper cuts. SLP LM2s were too quiet for a generous member we used to have, another Devin, but I find them perfect on the LS with the factory resonators. The Magnaflow kits have a certain popping or clapping I'm not a fan of, which I believe is specifically canceled by the resonators. Tips are 2014 Saleen Mustang tips. I thought they mirrored the tail lights nicely, but I can't deny I often think about going with standard quads. The bumpoer was cut up to about the metal bumper frame. Gen 1 people, go ahead and cut the bumper. It's such a visual improvement.
Tune: Unleashed aggressive tune via SCT X3. Gen 1 lost compatibility with the X4 after some firmware update and managed to brick my PCM. I have a 2018 thread on here about that issue. We all know we can't actually feel the supposed 15hp, but those A shifts sure are a thrill. It has a knack for chirping into 2nd aty WOT.
Aesthetics: Wings West rear spoiler. Gen 1 LSE front bumper. Gen 2 headlights and header panel with an adapter pigtail. Non-LSE people: paint your door sill covers flat black, get rid of that faded plastic look forever. 03 Mach 1 Chin spoiler cut down on length and sliced behind to flex wider. Some older pics feature a roof spoiler as well, some original SPoilerKing I think. The body tape wore out so I peeled it before I lost it. 50% tint on the sides and 35 on the rear glass, just to clean up the look bnut not get pulled over all the time.
Audio: nothing special, an ok JVC head and 8" round subs in the deck. Stock everything else. The deck took some cutting.
That's all I got for today. I'm sure there's a dozen things I'm forgetting but that's why I'm here. I've forgotten more than I've done.
2002 Lincoln LS V8 Sport. I've had the car as long as I've been on here: 10 years. I acquired it in 2014 from the passing of a cousin, so those that know me, know this is a sentimental car. It had 63k miles at the time, now around 115k. Despite going through all the classic problems, the knowledge I've gained in this forum (both actively searching and passively absorbing) has made this car secretly reliable since I could detect all the nuances of imminent failure and then stress for a month or three about dealing with it preemptively.
Some general info as I find time to post more details of projects. Radiator, brakes, wheels, ignition coils, euro rear, exhaust, tune, aesthetics, audio
Radiator: Most recent project was retrofitting an all-aluminum Mishimoto radiator for a 2005 Mustang, pioneered by @DeviLSh. Not a friendly job, but not particularly complicated. Main thing is modifying one lower mounting tab to be more centered to the car by about 2", plus some work to adapt the cooler mounting bungs. Same screws, different height. I'm not sure I'd actually recommend this one, especially since there's that no-name all aluminum radiator (and degas) on ebay these days. But, if you know me, tHaT wAsN't GoOd EnOuGh FoR mE.
Brakes: 06+ Jaguar S-type R brakes all around, the 355mm fronts and 320mm rears.
Wheels: 03-5 StR "Zeus" 18s to get a 255/285 staggered setup but beware, the fronts needed a 3mm spacer and caliper grinding to get them to fit the StR front brakes. Might just be an LS thing with shallower disk mounting. Hindsight is 20/20 so I wouldn't have ground the nubs on the caliper had I known I was going to use 25mm studded spacers later. It's pretty when I jump the battery and get to see a clean-but-bent spare Zeus in the well.
Ign Coils: I swapped the COP pins to use the Mustang 2v 4.6 Accel 140032 coils pioneered elsewhere on here. They've been in since 2014 for over 50,000 miles. They've had a few misfires over the years, but cleaning water/oil out of #8 and now #7 has straightened it out each time. The oil is from sloppy filling, not valve cover gaskets. I've replaced the wiper seal, but I think too many things are warped. A flaw in running without the coil cover. I'll try to modify or copy the stock covers this summer to accommodate the outward plug. Dielectric grease and the thicker coil boot works well, but you can't fight the expansion and contraction of the well air forever -- it'll suck everything in eventually.
Euro rear: The rear has a pair of prototype Euro inner tail lights (diffferent from Japanese), standard Gen 2 outers, and the Euro license surround. Japanese inners are just like American, but clear tops. Euro takes that but makes the red bulb a 3157 for rear fog use and adds a 3156 reverse light to the top since the license plate would interfere with the American lights.
Exhaust: Muffler swap, tips, bumper cuts. SLP LM2s were too quiet for a generous member we used to have, another Devin, but I find them perfect on the LS with the factory resonators. The Magnaflow kits have a certain popping or clapping I'm not a fan of, which I believe is specifically canceled by the resonators. Tips are 2014 Saleen Mustang tips. I thought they mirrored the tail lights nicely, but I can't deny I often think about going with standard quads. The bumpoer was cut up to about the metal bumper frame. Gen 1 people, go ahead and cut the bumper. It's such a visual improvement.
Tune: Unleashed aggressive tune via SCT X3. Gen 1 lost compatibility with the X4 after some firmware update and managed to brick my PCM. I have a 2018 thread on here about that issue. We all know we can't actually feel the supposed 15hp, but those A shifts sure are a thrill. It has a knack for chirping into 2nd aty WOT.
Aesthetics: Wings West rear spoiler. Gen 1 LSE front bumper. Gen 2 headlights and header panel with an adapter pigtail. Non-LSE people: paint your door sill covers flat black, get rid of that faded plastic look forever. 03 Mach 1 Chin spoiler cut down on length and sliced behind to flex wider. Some older pics feature a roof spoiler as well, some original SPoilerKing I think. The body tape wore out so I peeled it before I lost it. 50% tint on the sides and 35 on the rear glass, just to clean up the look bnut not get pulled over all the time.
Audio: nothing special, an ok JVC head and 8" round subs in the deck. Stock everything else. The deck took some cutting.
That's all I got for today. I'm sure there's a dozen things I'm forgetting but that's why I'm here. I've forgotten more than I've done.
