Panther Common Modifications

• Should I be worried about driving around town with underdrive pullies?

  If you are planning on running a large stereo or ton of electronics, I would suggest leaving the stock alternator pulley on to make sure your charging system works correctly. If you are at all worried about charging problems, just leave the alternator pulley stock and you should have absolutely no problems. When you do put the alt. pulley on, the lights tend to dim at night when you come to a stop.

   

  I ran around with my underdrive pullies on my car for over 75k miles and had no ill effects.

   

• What throttle body should I get?

  Trying to figure out what throttle body to get?

  • As far as price goes, Ford Racing 70mm unit ($$$) > BBK Throttle body 70/75mm unit ($$) > Aviator 70mm unit ($)
  • The Ford Racing and the Aviator are basically the same pieces. They both are 70mm throttle bodies at both ends, but have a step in the inner part of the body. The inner diameter steps down to 68.34 mm but for the price, you really can't beat it.
  • The Aviator has a plastic throttle bracket while the FRPP piece has a steel bracket.
  • The BBK pieces are one piece billet bodies that are 70 or 75mm all the way through. As far as build quality goes, the BBK is a nicer piece then the others
  • Will you notice a difference in performance between these throttle bodies, no. All will give a noticeable gain and increase in throttle response
  • On a stock car, we do not suggest anything larger than a 70mm throttle body! You will lose low end torque and the car may bog off the line.
• Do I need friction modifier with the Royal purple fluid I bought from you?

  No you do not. The Royal Purple fluid includes friction modifier so you're ready to go! Some suggest running it anyways, but you don't technically need it.

  I run Royal Purple fluid with friction modifier in my cars.

• Why do the K&N FIPK kits not fit the 04+ cars?
  The reason they don't fit is because in 04 PI went to a larger 80mm mass air flow sensor and it was integrated into the airbox.  Because the larger MAF is molded into the airbox you can not separate it out to use the conical filter supplied in the kit.  
  

  You can NOT make a Marauder kit work on the larger MAF as the Marauder uses a dual bore throttle body and the inlet elbow is completely different. 
  

  If you have an 04 civilian car with the MAF not integrated into the airbox you can use the FIPK kits!
  

  To make a K&N FIPK work on a PI you'd have to get an 80mm MAF separately, get a Marauder kit and a CV kit and use parts from both to make it work.  The amount of money spent wouldn't be worth the small gains. 
  

• My Speedo doesn't read correctly after a gear change?

  After swapping in different gears, you'll need to adjust the speedo to read correctly.

  2002 and earlier cars can swap the mechanical speedo gear to get the speedometer to read correctly. 3.55, 3.73 or 4.10 all uses a 23 tooth speedometer gear. For more precise adjustment a speedcal is suggested.

  2003+ cars have no speedo gear and require a computer tune to calibrate the speedometer.

• What gear should I put my car?

  (Courtesy of TurboVic) Gear choice depends on several things, it's a trade-off. The more gear you get, the faster you can accelerate, to a point. The trade off is that your gas mileage will suffer with each step up on the gear chain.

  
  

   

  Most civilian Crown Vics come with 2.73 gears, 3.27 in the performance and handling package (99-00 Vics with P&H get 3.55's). Police interceptors get 3.27's from the factory, which was upped to 3.55's for 99-00.
  

  
  

  All civilian Crown Victoria's come with open differentials, which means you will only leave one mark when you try a burnout. 3.55's should be the minimum you should consider to up the performance of the Vic. 3.73's are a much better choice and are still very good with gas mileage. 4.10's would be about as far as I would go on a modded Vic due to the fact you run out of revs at around 4250rpm. 

  
  

  Regardless of which gears you choose, consider it a good time to replace your differential at the same time, the labor is not extra when doing a diff and gears at the same time. Most shops will charge between $250-300 for installation, add an extra $100 if your bearings are shot.

  
  

  You will need a 23 tooth speedometer gear to switch to any of these gears. With 3.55's, your speedo will read about 3mph slow at 65mph. With 4.10's, it will read about 3mph fast. 3.73's will read about perfect. On the newer cars, you'll need an electronic speedometer compensator, which is available from Abbott.

• What is the difference between 28 and 31 spline axles?

  28 spline axles are stock on all Panthers up to 2004 except for the Town Car limo packages. 31 spline axles came standard in all 05+ Panthers. To upgrade to a 31 spline trac-lok, you would need to replace the trac-lok unit as well as a set of 31 spline axles.

  You can find out your rearend combination by checking out the following vin decoder compliments of Liquid

  The advantage of 31 splines is with more splines it can withstand more hp and heavier launches on the track.

  • Exhaust

Panther General FAQs

• Do i need a computer tune when putting on normal bolt on?

  No you normally do not need a computer tune when installing normal bolt ons. That includes throttle bodies, intake tubes, K&N intake system, exhaust, ported plenums, etc. You will need a tune for the following: cams, MM airbox or any different than stock MAF, nitrous, supercharger, turbo, It would be ideal to get a tune when you do the PI intake swap, but it is not necessary. It would be ideal to get a tune when you put on the underdrive pullies to raise up the idle to keep the battery charged. If you have any other specific parts, please contact Chris and he'd be happy to answer.

• Do you have any used parts available?

  Ask Chris as sometimes we have the original parts used for testing or know of used parts that are available.

• Does my car have PI heads?

  Any Panther model year 2001 or later has them. 

• How do I place an order?

  You can place an order online through our store, email or call me.  Whatever works best for you!  

• Is there anything else?

  For more FAQ and technical information, vin decoders, etc, check out Liquid's site: http://www.crownvic.net/liquid/

  And: 

  If there are other FAQs that you think would be beneficial or worthwhile to add to this, please email Chris and let him know:

  adtrsales@hotmail.com

• What are some modifications that I should get?

  Steeda underdrive pullies, ported upper plenum (throttle body if you have the money), 80mm Marauder air box and a chip. Later on down the line, exhaust, rear gears and trac loc (if you don’t already have it), shocks and sway bars.

  
  
• What is a Panther?

  A Panther is the designation for the chassis on a Town Car, Grand Marquis and the Crown Victoria

• What is the MZT?

  The MZT is a term that many of the Crownvic.net members call the Marauder airbox, Zip tube and custom computer Tune.

   

  For more information click on the www.Crownvic.net link compliments of dRock

• Who do you recommend I get a custom chip from?

  Talk to Lonnie at www.BlueOvalChips.com He knows his stuff and strives to make every customer happy. Tell him Chris sent you!

Panther Intake Modifications

• 70mm or 75mm Throttle body?

  70mm is the largest I'd suggest on a relatively stock car. With a 70mm throttle body, there will be a slight gain in throttle response and maybe some horsepower. Many will argue that it costs horsepower, but I felt a gain on my personal car. A 70mm throttle body and our ported upper plenum are a great combination and you'll definitely notice a difference.

   

  The 75mm throttle body works very well with the AED kits. This is not suggested for a naturally aspirated car.

• Are there any '05+ throttle bodies available?

  Unfortunately in '05 Ford switched to drive by wire throttle bodies and as of now there are no aftermarket throttle bodies. We used to be able to use the Mustang throttle bodies but when they switched to the 3 valve engine and a dual bore throttle body in '05 the aftermarket throttle body manufacturers all went to the new design. There is no other car that uses the same single bore drive by wire throttle body that has more aftermarket support or is commonly modified.

  
  
• Do you need a larger MAF (mass air flow sensor) to make a 70mm TB work?

  No you do not need a larger MAF, but the two parts compliment each other nicely.

  
  
• What do I need for the PI intake manifold swap?

  You need the following:

  • -PI intake manifold
  • -PI coolant tube
  • -PI coolant nipple
  • -Intake manifold gaskets
  • -A new alternator bracket or modification to existing bracket

  Contact Chris for pricing

• What else do I need to get the MM airbox to work?

  You need the MM airbox assembly and a custom computer tune. (No a Superchips 1725 tuner will not work)

  Other suggested parts to go with your MM airbox would be the following:

  -   Either the '04 or '06 PI intake tube as the opening going onto the MAF is the correct size. You can use your stock tube but it will require effort to make it go on.
  

  For more information on intake tubes check out the following link compliments of dRock

  -    MM MAF wiring harness replaces your stock MM wiring harness and relocates the IAT sensor which used to be in your airbox into the MAF. This makes for a cleaner install on all 02 and earlier Panthers. If you don't want to do any wiring, you just need to drill a hole in the airbox for the IAT sensor like stock. 03-04 Panthers have the same MAF pigtail and modifications are not needed. All 05+ Panthers should use the 04 PI airbox as that utilizes the same MAF connector and incorporates the larger 80mm MAF.
  

  -    180 thermostat and 22c plugs are a good addition as they help reduce pinging and detonation. Most tuners suggest these.

• What is th difference between the Aviator and the Ford Racing 70mm throttle body?
  The difference between the two is that the Ford Aviator throttle body is an OEM piece and used on a production car. The Racing piece is a little more heavy duty with a different throttle linkage than the Aviator. They are the same diameter inside and out and both include a TPS sensor.
• What kind of PI tube do i need on my car?

  For all information on the differences in Zip tubes, check out the following link compliments of dRock

• Which should I get? Marauder airbox or K&N FIPK?
  I personally would go with the Marauder airbox assembly as it includes an 80mm MAF and will give you a documented 15 rwhp. The FIPK kit is nice, but the main problem is that it would require modification to make an 80mm MAF work.
• Why do you suggest the colder plugs and thermostat?

  The answer is that it allows the tuner to be more aggressive with the tune and helps prevent pinging and detonation.
  
  Normally 1 heat range colder on the plugs is for N/A cars and 2 heat ranges are meant for heavily modded cars with boost or nitrous.

ADTR Ported Upper Plenum for the Crown Vic

• Do I need a chip to make this work on my car?

  No chip has been needed thus far to our knowledge. Any time you make an improvement a chip would be suggested but not required.

• Do I need a gasket or anything else installed?

  Nope, everything is included and you can reuse the throttle body and EGR gasket.

  
  
• Is it hard to install?
  No, it is a simple bolt on that can be done in less than 30 minutes. Instructions are included, and if you lose them, they are also available on the web.
• What is an ADTR ported upper plenum?

  It is a new hand ported upper intake plenum. We remove sharp edges, remove casting defects, reshape the angle the air enters the engine and help smooth out the airflow.

• What kind of gains have been observed?

  The car hasn’t been dyno tested with just this part, but there was an increase in acceleration and throttle response. Similar plenums have been shown to increase hp over 8-12 rwhp and 12-15 rwtq.

• What size throttle body would you suggest?

  Stock works for most near stock cars, 70mm for slightly modified cars and 75mm for heavily modified or blower cars.

• Why are the 03 plus plenums more expensive?

  Ford decided to change the casting design along with different vacuum ports. Those changes cost more, thus the increased price.

ADTR Header and X-pipe system

• Do I have to lift the engine off the mounts when installing the headers?
  We did on our install. One of our customers was able to leave the engine in the mounts. He did have to remove the starter still. It is not necessary, but definitely helps get your hands and tools in there.
• Do I need new exhaust gaskets or anything else for the install?

  Gaskets, bolts, and hardware are included in the kit.

• Have you had problems with the bolts backing out?

  With any header, this is a common occurrence. You will normally have to tighten the bolts every once and a while. It should not be a big problem though.

• How much is shipping?
  The exhaust package comes in one large box. Shipping within the continental United States is included in the package price.
• I know your system fits 98 plus cars, but does your header and x pipe system fit on my pre 98 car?

  We tested on two different earlier year Crown Victorias. Both needed slight or no modification to make our package fit. The area in question in both situations were the lower control arm mounts.

• What exhaust do you suggest we mate up to your header and cat package?

  We suggest you replace your stock cat back system as it is a restriction and negates the extra flow you would have gotten from the header and cat package. I would suggest a 2.25 inch system from the cat back unless you plan on major modifications down the line.  

  I run a 2.25 inch cat back system on my 98 Crown Vic and a dual 3 inch cat back system on my supercharged 92 Crown Vic

• Why do the headers not fit our stock cat system?

  The headers exit at a different angle from the stock CV exhaust manifolds thus needing a new cat assembly. Since most customers do not have a tube bender or welder at their disposal, this system is sold to bolt on. We can sell the headers separately if you want to make your own system. Please contact Chris if you are interested.

• Why do you use shorty headers?

  The reason I use shorty headers is because there are no long tube headers that will fit the '02 and earlier cars.

   

  The only shorty headers that have been proven to work are the SVO/Ford Racing shorty headers. Other manufacturers like BBK and JBA have had clearance problems with the frame and the steering system.

• Will I need a computer tune?
  No you will not need a computer tune. There are bungs welded in so all of the O2 sensors have a place to go.
  
  If you chose the off-road version you will need to either get MIL eliminators or turn off the rear O2 sensors.
  

Panther Suspension Modifications

• I have a PI and have heard the Addco sway bars don't fit. Is this true?
  No it is not true. If you just bolt it on, the oil cooler line does run into the sway bar. However there is an easy way to fix this. We make an aluminum spacer to put between the sway bar and the frame. The oil line rests on the bar, but is not bent or kinked.
• Which shock is better, Edelbrock or Bilstein?

  Both are great shocks. I sell more Edelbrock shocks then I do Bilstein. Both offer a firm-controlling ride. I have not personally owned a car equipped with the Edelbrocks as I choose Bilstein. Either way you will be getting a great shock and should be very happy with either.

• Why can't I use the Energy Suspension control arm kit on my 03 plus Panther?

  The suspension design changed on the 03 plus Panthers as they went under a complete redesign and implemented rack and pinion steering.  

  You can try to make your own kit piece by piece, but as of now, there are no complete kits for 03 plus cars.