During the course of ownership, i've been documenting various projects related
to my 1998 police interceptor.
Aftermarket radio installation
Article has radio related wiring color codes, electrical connector pinouts,
and other useful information for anyone considering upgrading the stereo
in a 1995 or later crown victoria. Note: This article does not deal with
ford "premium sound" setups.
Aftermarket DEI530T window module
Many cars now on the market have an auto-down feature on the drivers window.
Quickly tap the window button once and release and the window will roll fully
down. Article explains in detail howto install an aftermarket window module
that will give the front driver and passenger side windows auto-down and
auto-up.
Factory cruise control
All civilian crown vics had cruise control as a standard feature in 1998.
On 98' police interceptor and taxi packages cruise control was optional.
Article is relevant to anyone with a 1995 or later crown victoria. 1994 was
the transition year, some crown vics got the electric cruise setups used
in the 1995 models, some got the older electric/vacuum setup used in the
1993 crown vics.
Alarm with remote start and keyless entry
Article contains a list of alarm related wire color codes and locations.
Also has other information that would be useful to someone installing an
alarm into a 1998 crown vic.
GenII taurus SHO console
Bucket seats were standard in police cruisers, split bench was an extra cost
option in the police package. Police departments need the large open area
between the two front seats to mount radios and other equipment. Driving
around without anything to rest my right arm on felt awkward, so i grabbed
a center console out of a GenII ford taurus SHO. SHO console has a very integrated
look with the crown vic interior, and is a good choice if you don't want
console made for mounting police radios.
Gentex autodimming rearview mirror with compass and
thermometer
Is a nice feature not to be blinded by bright headlight glare while driving
at night. Compass is useful for making decisions of which roads to take when
driving in unfamilar areas. Note: electrochromic mirrors appear to be incompatible
with aftermarket window tinting.
Lighting Control Module
Majority of the interior and exterior lighting on 1995 and later crown vics
is computer controlled. This article has some pictures of the internal circuitry
that controls the lighting and some other useful information.
"Dark Car" Mode
Have you just bought a police interceptor from auction and want the interior
lights to turn on when you open the door? Take a look at this article.
Waterpump and idler pulley replacement
Waterpump replacement is a very easy job on 1992 and later crown vics, should
take less than an hour even for the backyard mechanic.
Optional Equipment Retrofit
A rough draft of an article that lists various factory options avaliable
in crown vics and how to add them.
Back Door Inside Handle Fix
Just a place marker at this point, article is not complete. Many police interceptors
were ordered from the ford with the interior door handle and lock buttons
inoperative, since it is undesirable for prisoners to be able to escape from
the rear seat. Initially, many people fiddle with the "child safety switch".
But after removing the interior door panel, it becomes apparent that the
rods that connect the handle to the latch just aren't there. A kit containing
the rods and rivets is shipped from factory in a plastic bag in the trunk,
but this kit is often lost before being given to the new owner.
Questions or comments, email me:
