Crown Vic Cruise control & steering wheel swap

[@Lot76CARS]

A new steering wheel and cruise control, very worthwhile updates Matt.

[@jackscott8931]

You overdubbing dispide the mic issue was truely excelent, you honestly would not know that it was unplanned! Thank you for the effort you put in to make these videos as professional looking as they are!

[@michaeltutty1540]

Neat job, Matt. Not surprised at the cruise control. The vast majority of Panthers had it standard, so Ford only made the one wiring loom. For the wheel, you need the 16 inch steel. That one you have is useless. It is from a 91 or older car. It is much more than likely a 15x6. That wheel dates all the way back to the full sized 66 Ford and Mercury models. You need the 16 inch steel wheel from a P71/72 or Taxi Package. Most of the other trim/performance packages had alloy wheels standard in various sizes depending on both year and package, not to mention optional equipment selection. These Ford's had limited option packages, but a multitude of stand alone options. Ordering my 89 was 45 minutes of going through the book deciding on what I did and did not want on my car. The order was placed 11 November, 1988 and I got the car on 27 January, 1989. It was a one of one.

[@broomad]

Matt - next time leave the bolt in the steering wheel when you pull it off. That way you won't hit yourself in the face if the wheel flies off suddenly. Don't ask how I know 😁

[@organiccold]

I was about to post that.

[@roryhazlie753]

I was about to say the exact same thing

[@iangascoigne8231]

Edd China top tip.

[@greghill7759]

I decided to do my first custom job and fitted a "sports" steering wheel to my Cortina. That was 50 years ago.... my broken nose still shows the result.

[@iangascoigne8231]

@@greghill7759 Ouch!

[@jefferysmith3930]

Wonderfully simple. I did the same operation on my sister’s Chevy Astro cargo van camper. Just installed a plug in module and cruise control turn signal stalk sourced from a salvage yard and presto! Cruise control! Transforms the car on a highway journey. Great job, Matt.

[@furiousdriving]

I was amazed how easy it was, Ive spoken for hours to my Merc specialist, and he doesnt think it can be done by anyone but the factory specialist at a main dealer

[@robertfoster6070]

I admire your research and determination to upgrade your Crown Victoria.

[@ollie7117]

I love how your merc doesn’t have cruise control but the crown vic now does! Priorities!

[@furiousdriving]

But is does have a DVD player, so thats good, I guess?

[@bhagwan5806]

Great to see the mention for Kent Keys, those guys are great!

[@HowardLeVert]

Many years ago I retrofitted cruise control to my BMW E34, which needed much more surgery than your Crown Vic (it did involve taking a cold chisel to the body as well as wiring in an additional loom) but it had the same sort of mechanical actuator. I can tell you I have never felt as nervous as the moment I pushed the newly-fitted column stalk to set the speed, worrying if the car would just take off uncontrollably. It didn't :)

[@paultaylor9652]

Nice update Matt, try cleaning the steering wheel with a magic eraser gently, it'll take the shine and any dirt of it.

[@CauliflowerMcPugg]

A nice upgrade and easy to do. Its nice when a job goes well.

[@timbre7999]

Congrats on getting all of that fixed and upgraded! I'm hugely impressed by how you managed to install cruise control by the way. It's an impressive and good looking thing that big Ford (still love the Volvo as well though)

[@grayfool]

Nice. Don't you love when a plan comes together.

[@mattt5738]

Great to see something go smoothly! You deserve it after all the jobs that turn out harder than they should! Hope you’re loving the car 👍🏻

[@furiousdriving]

I am, it is awesome!

[@scottishcarenthusiastsandtrain]

Nice simple and effective little modification for the crown Vic.

[@mpersad]

Love that the cruise control is mechanical, top update!

[@archechme]

For me a car isn't complete unless it has A/C and cruise control. Both absolutely essential. Good job!

[@iangascoigne8231]

And elected windows.

[@fhwolthuis]

Great job! Always leave the nut on when pulling a steering wheel, could get very painful otherwise 😅

[@frothe42]

Cool, cruise control! Great job!

[@paul1153]

A great upgrade Matt.A plug and play outcome, so to speak.

[@greghill7759]

An heroic upgrade that would give me a nervous breakdown. Well done, Matt.

[@maxidyne]

Looks so much better, and CC is a must have! Great job Matt.

[@furiousdriving]

perfect for a long trip!

[@milksheihk]

You could still use that 15" wheel as a spare if you only use it on the back, just means that if your flat is on the front you have to do a bit of tyre rotation.

[@furiousdriving]

Its got an LSD so I wouldnt risk it

[@milksheihk]

@@furiousdriving Oh, I've had rims of different diameter where the OD of the tyres fitted just happened to match.

[@alchapman1052]

Nice to see you have a few straight forward jobs with out bruce force and damaged knuckles.

[@markotango54]

Great to see updates of your improvements and general Fettling Matt

[@eggy1962]

Any signs of the rover p6 firing up any time soon?

[@eddierools]

Thank you SO much for this! Hoping to someday use this as a guide to add cruise control to MY P71! ^^

[@BrooksterMax]

NIce. brave working on airbags! Didn't know you could have cable based cruise control always thought that kind of thing was for fly by wire electronics so very interesting to see the implementation here. Also surprising it didn't need any programming, just fixing the components was enough. Good work!

[@EmilysDadd]

There was a world before fly-by-wire electrickery 😉

[@davidcoleman7674]

Excellent work! That all went surprisingly well!

[@jonnyroberts5545]

great video and really great voiceover work here too!!

[@PaulinesPastimes]

Fabulous. Wouldn't it be nice if all upgrades were plug and play like that. If ever a car needed cruise control it is that one. ✔😊

[@paulie-Gualtieri.]

Great edition to the Crown Victoria Matt

[@vwestlife]

Nubbin? Is that a technical term?

[@peterriggall8409]

Boy, that did go well. Big help having the wiring there. So it is true, American cars are better to work on than British ones. 😳 Top job Matt.

[@commodore665]

nice work Matt , love those old buses , I have a Holden Commodore SV6HO , lovely cruiser .

[@lesklower7281]

One out of two projects done only need another wheel l always carry a good day spare wheel with a good tyre and the spare wheel for the Crown Victoria is full size which is a bonus and if you get a flat and change the tyre you can keep traveling at the same speed not be restricted by a space saver

[@CraftinFears_Official]

Fun fact: if you pull off the trim off where the black button (not the trunk button the one on the other side of the wheel closest to the driver door) there will be 2 wire harnesses and those are for adjustable pedals and traction control all you need to do is find the same trim with the buttons so you can have the options working (if you need I can send the video on where I found that out at)

[@williamwales6619]

Yo Matt, Ever tried a LHdrive to a Rhd Conversion? That'll see wot yer made of🤣👍 Thanks for the vid.

[@iangascoigne8231]

“How hard can this be” You really love tempting fate Matt"

[@LukeLappage95]

Wow, its x10 easier to put cruise in a crown vic than a au falcon thats for sure. Looking into adding cruise to my au falcon forte and its gonna be a right pain to add the factory unit in

[@encinobalboa]

Use a very small amount of seal breaker on the hub. IME, transmission fluid from the power steering reservoir works great. Let soak. Sometimes wheel comes off on first pull.

[@robturner7945]

An extra 10kg in the boot of that tank is neither here nor there tbh 🤪. Great video as always.

[@pauldavies6037]

The car is not my cup of tea but I'm so pleased it is in so good condition you wont be underneath trying to undo rusty bolts no bad paint and rust take it easy Matt

[@andyarmstrong1493]

Job well done! Always feels good to improve something.

[@hsj687]

You are a genius! Well done pall👍👍

[@springy-2112]

Some little victories! Peace and love brother 👍🏻☮❤

[@ImpalamansGarage]

Excellent upgrade!

[@cjmillsnun]

You can use that spare although if you have a front puncture it is a faff as you could swap the spare with a back wheel, then put the back wheel on the front. This is how the space saver worked on some late model MGs.

[@furiousdriving]

With an LSD on the back Id be wary of swapping wheels incase the rolling radius was even a couple of mm different

[@michaeltutty1540]

That spare may not fit over the discs on back either. By the time this was built, 16 inch were standard across the board. Also P71/72 cars came with wider wheels than standard saloons. That wheel looks like it is from an old Box Panther, so 91 or older. If off a standard saloon, it is a 15x6. If off an estate, Tow or Performance/Handling Package car, or P71/72, it will be a 15x6½. The special package cars came with full sized wheels and tires as spares included in the packages.

[@tristanpage6805]

Great video again. Amazed it worked straight away. Try that in a modern car

[@homemechanic86]

If the spare fits the rear, then you'll can use it by swapping the spare on the rear then rear on the front if a front puncture. That's what some cars do

[@furiousdriving]

thats a faff but would work

[@homemechanic86]

@@furiousdriving it is, but with some manufacturers it's the norm as lost cost option. It's something to keep you safe until you can find a new one.

[@michaeltutty1540]

Not a good idea. Any variance in circumference can cause the clutches in the Traction Lok axle to wear or overheat. Plus, that may not even fit over the rear brakes. This car requires a 16 inch wheel and the tire must match the circumference of the other tires.

[@usuallyfixingtinkering]

The trick is to leave the nut at the end to stop the steering wheel wacking you in the face!

[@bajaclaws]

Matt I own a 2001 p71 to install cruise control do i have to do the same or can i just download the ford software reflash the computer I assume

[@mrcogginsgarage7062]

Well done Matt,a great improvement One thing have you ever tried to get fresh blood out of upholstery fabric, very difficult and painful especially when it's from your own nose !.. So please do yourself a favour next time you remove a steering wheel leave the bolt or nut on the shaft by a couple of threads at least better safe than sorry I had a incident some time back when a wannabe mechanic bled all over a customers car wasn't that pleased when I made him pay for The valet afterwards.

[@mark_p300]

Matt, I've noticed in other videos you've complained about the annoyance of the "bings and bongs" emitted from the Crown Vic and other American cars, e.g. @8:31 in this video, and you don't seem to know *why* the car is making noises at you. The purpose is two warnings: 1) you've left the key in the ignition, so it sounds the chime when the driver's door is open to remind you to take the key out before walking away from the car, and 2) when you first insert the key and turn the ignition on it sounds the chime for a few seconds to remind you to buckle your seat belt (e.g. @8:46). Try getting in the car, closing the door and bucking your seat belt before inserting the key!

[@furiousdriving]

I KNOW Ive left the key in or opened the door, I dont need the car to tell me!

[@mark_p300]

@@furiousdriving It's not about what you need. 😋 In accordance with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (/Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standard) 114 the car MUST TELL YOU that you've left the key in, and in accordance with FMVSS/CMVSS 208 it MUST TELL YOU to put your seat belt on.

[@brainwells6634]

I was parked by the panther body triplets a Ford Crown Victoria LX a Mercury Grand Marquis LS, and Lincoln Town Car long wheel base model all elderly owned and all garage princess especially in Illinois with road salt and pot holes. They are the living room on wheels. The Grand Marquis and Lincoln Town Car got climate control and audio controls and the steering wheel

[@repairupdaterepeat5815]

Honestly, quite liked the VO. Maybe needed a bit of background choonz but yeah, I'm digging the VO

[@raymondhayes7673]

Victory Outdoor Services on KZbin the boss there has recently bought a Crown Vic much like yours Matt, l think he has a few performance updates planned for it.

[@tony-yp6qk]

Another great video has always matt 👍

[@Bratfalken]

If you get a puncture on a front wheel, first fit the not well fitting sparewheel on the rear if it uses drumbrakes there? Then take the that rear wheel to the front. But beware do not drive especially long with different sized wheels on an differential, it wears it out as the often sliding bearing on the differential gears.

[@furiousdriving]

Its an LSD so could be very bad!

[@Bratfalken]

@@furiousdriving extra care needs taken. But to get off a busy road.

[@michaeltutty1540]

Rear brakes should be disc, not drum, on a Crown this new. The last rear drum brakes on a Panther were 91.

[@Bratfalken]

@@michaeltutty1540 might be smaller in diameter???

[@RogueRestorationsLTD]

Matt is known as the draper expert as advertised

[@huwdavies6650]

When removing a steering wheel, it is always advisable to leave the bolt on a few threads. Don't ask me how I know!😵🥴🤕

[@pigeonpoo1823]

congratulations. gonna go out on a limb and say adding cruise control to anything recent would be, err, a bit more challenging.

[@GoldenCroc]

Its often easier "nowadays" than ever, in many ways. Just plonk a new stalk on, and enable it in the cars software with a tickbox.

[@robertlewis2]

Now if you can just have as much success with getting the Rover P6 to start :)

[@iangascoigne8231]

Technical advice supplied by Furious Jr.

[@benjaminwillis3545]

How do you feel about a rover 45 sprit s

[@furiousdriving]

feel good, I guess!

[@danielrussell446]

Nice car Benjamin my dad and brother both had the 45 impression S both 1.4 5 door dads was British racing green my brothers was copperleaf red

[@benjaminwillis3545]

@@danielrussell446 i have the ocean metallic blue one with a sports kit

[@histriamagna1014]

A nice leather coating on that steering wheel would be perfect. Here in my town a guy can do it for 60 euros. And he did it for me a couple of times on my cars. Excellent job although Matt.

[@furiousdriving]

If Id not got this new wheel Id have got the old one covered, but with a P71 you embrace the basic! Rubber floors and vinyl seats for the win!

[@chrisbury4635]

Amazing how the cruise control was just plug & play and away she goes, with the spare wheel maybe try a Granada, Scorpio or Transit wheel perhaps ??

[@furiousdriving]

I think the PCD/stud pattern will be different, and the CV brakes are massive compared to Euro Fords so wouldnt clear

[@chrisbury4635]

Okie dokie mate 👍🏻

[@michaeltutty1540]

The bolt pattern is very different and so is the offset. The cruise control is exactly as difficult as I figured. The factory wiring harness was made ready for cruise on all cars because it was standard fitment on all Panthers except Police and Taxi Package cars. It was less expensive to have one loom to install in St. Thomas, Ontario than to have to make 2 different ones.

[@Zaltic]

Looks like a lot of the American police cars. Not as many of these but you still see a few

[@seancooke7332]

Crowning Glory and Victory Cruise.

[@straightpipediesel]

Unfortunately, you got the era where Ford had the cruise control buttons all jumbled. It should be Res/Accel, Cancel, Set/Decel like everybody else. Every time I adjust cruise on one of these I have to look down and read the labels.

[@888johnmac]

re your spare wheel ... have ford pulled the Jaguar trick .. the spare only fits the rear , so if you puncture the front you have to fit the spare on the rear , then fit a rear wheel to the front ?? ( major PITA )

[@888johnmac]

aah , see others have mentioned this ... nice that the cruse control was plug & play

[@furiousdriving]

also, with an LSD on the back Id be wary of swapping wheels incase the rolling radius was even a couple of mm different

[@888johnmac]

@@furiousdriving .. aah yeah , good point

[@michaeltutty1540]

Everyone forgets that the rear is also a disc brake, and that 15 inch wheel is off a 91 or earlier "Box" Panther. It won't work.

[@ImpalamansGarage]

I think some folks just grip a steering too tightly and wear them out prematurely. Same with seats. It's weird how some people just destroy seats.

[@GoldenCroc]

I think they are a bit on the heavier side... and slide in and out a lot more.

[@jo_clarke1960]

Ain't it a great gelling when it all works. Only thing I would have done different is, leave the air-bag off until after the test, just in case

[@furiousdriving]

I didnt know if any electrical systems are linked so that might deactivate it - the brake light circuit is connected to cruise as well

[@jo_clarke1960]

@@furiousdriving Ah, yeah. Them's the probs with imports, even thou it's American, guess it's not always as easy the find the answers as it would be on a UK car. Loved the sound of Junior in the background on the road test too, so enthusiastic 😁👍

[@tonys1636]

Two out of three this time, your success rate is going up. Can you get a Space Saver spare wheel for this, it will save some weight and space in that cave like boot/trunk.

[@michaeltutty1540]

No. Space saver cannot be used with the limited slip. The difference in cargo capacity doesn't really matter. 22.2 cubic feet with full sized spare, 22.8 with a full sized. Not worth the lack of safety of a half tire.

[@tonys1636]

@@michaeltutty1540 I forgot about the limited slip diff. Until Matt gets a spare he must hope that he doesn't get a puncture in a place that does not have a phone signal. Those instant repair kits are next to useless and the tyre cannot be repaired after using one or a tube put in. Not that many tyres have the puncture in the right place for a repair to be legal or possible.

[@Leon-uj7pc]

I am surprised the car did not have cruise control in it. The entity ordering that car from the factory must have been trying to go as cheap as possible. Does it have remote entry? If it does but you don't have the transmitter then you easily program a new transmitter. However if the original buyer went super cheap buying the Vic then the remote keyless entry system was not included in the car. I had a 2006 Taurus that was a fleet car where the buyer did not order it with remote entry. i simply went to the local junk yard and bought the entire inside fuse box from a well loaded 2006 Taurus and swapped out my existing inner fuse box with the junk yard one (a few screws and a few connectors but no cutting or splicing of wires (plug and play) ) and simply programmed it to a remote I had and I now had a remote keyless entry system and also day time running lights. As for the spare wheel. See if it fits on the rear wheels? If it does work on the rear wheels, Then you can use it for a flat tire on the rear. If you get a flat on the front then you simply remove one of the rear wheels. Put the spare on the rear and move that rear wheel to the front. That is the proper method for putting one of those silly doughnuts (aka compact spare) on the car (you never should be putting it on the front (though folks do) always on the rear and moving a rear wheel up to the front for stable driving)

[@furiousdriving]

P71s didnt get remote locking, just the drivers door works on the key, central locking off the door buttons inside. Cruise was an unusual option on police cars too. With an LSD on the back Id be wary of swapping wheels incase the rolling radius was even a couple of mm different

[@straightpipediesel]

Police departments often want all their cars keyed alike, so any officer could jump into any car and drive it. That's why they couldn't have remote keyless entry. They also often had no immobilizer for this reason. With today's push-button start cars, a fleet key option allows all cars in the fleet to unlock and start with any fob, but the remote control functions will be inoperative.

[@organiccold]

Now,.thats a nice mod.for.sure

[@milksheihk]

Why are there so many metric fasteners used in a US market only car?

[@GoldenCroc]

Because automakers are metric. Long time since they werent.

[@themancalledx]

Gotta tint the windows

[@benday1218]

That moment when you reconnect the battery and pray the airbag doesn't go off! Did the airbag have an expiry date on it? MK1 Mondeo ones have 10 year dates, so mine 'expired' in 2003!

[@furiousdriving]

They are all 10 year arnt they?

[@benday1218]

@@furiousdriving ah really, I didn't know that, I thought that was a a 90's thing. A bit of Googling says that as time has gone on, expiry dates have been dropped as they have proven to be reliable long term. Mine's disconnected anyway because of 'issues'

[@michaeltutty1540]

North American cars did not come with an expiry date affixed. 10 years is meant to be it, though. I will stick with a car that does not have one.

[@benday1218]

@@michaeltutty1540 thanks for the info.

[@longbar2344]

fitted cc to my old vectra b. never worked though lol

[@furiousdriving]

New cars need the ECU to be told its there, then it gets complicated!

[@longbar2344]

@@furiousdriving yeh probably needed the vauxhall laptop on it.

[@mikeymike3240]

What suckseeds………a toothless budgie, lol 😝

[@pastytit]

Spare fits the rear?

[@furiousdriving]

probably but thats only half useful

[@A320Pilots]

Lovely Omega!

[@TheLooseMechanic]

the brakes are smaller on the rear, so if a front punctures, nick the wheel from the rear, spare on rear, rear tyre on puctured front. eassy peassy, squeeze those lemons!

[@69Phuket]

If you don't wanna be talcum powdered to the point of Casper. Drive safe! Air Bags!

[@joespittle1]

Where you able to find a set of dog dish hubcaps?

[@furiousdriving]

not for cheap!

[@danielrussell446]

Looks nicer with the crown vic wheel trims and they are original on this car

[@tonys1636]

You chose the wrong time to post, Eurovision comes first, this is now on the back burner till after 22:10

[@davidthehillbilly7995]

So you need a 16"X7" steel wheel with 18 holes? The junkyards around here want 30 bucks apiece for them. Shouldn't cost all that much to send it to you. If you like, I'll check and get you a figure....

[@jimmyquinn9639]

Well done 🚘🚙🚗👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@Landie_Man]

“Bowden” is the word you’re after

[@andrewphillips6436]

Curious - metric bolts? I'd've expected imperial being fromvthe USA.

[@furiousdriving]

metric head at least

[@Suskie64]

If you try mashing a metric thread nut or bolt on an imperial thread you may succeed but it's just wrong. The thread form and teeth per inch (or cm if metric) are different. Those 11mm nuts for example are more than likely 1/4 UNF (Unified Fine thread) and would need a 7/16 AF (across Flats) spanner. There are metric spanners or sockets that will be a close fit but not exact. Maybe have a look into the details of Imperial vs Metric sizes/threads across the range and invest in a set of Imperial spanners and sockets to use on American stuff.

[@michaeltutty1540]

Ford used a mixture. Depends on what you are working on.

[@mark_p300]

American automakers began transitioning to metric fasteners in the 1970s, and by the late 1990s it was uncommon to encounter SAE (*not* Imperial) fasteners anymore. EDIT: And the American automakers never did anything as stupid as e.g. metric threaded bolts with Whitworth heads, like Morris/MG did in the distant past. If you find a bolt with a metric head in an American car it is metric through and through.

[@mark_p300]

@@Suskie64 On the contrary, those 11 mm nuts are almost certainly 11 mm. By the time Matt's CVPI was built the only SAE fasteners left might have been the body mounting bolts. Every single fastener on the Modular V8 is metric, every single fastener in the 4R70W transmission is metric... In fact the transmission pan should have "METRIC" prominently stamped into the bottom of it! 😄

[@nigelrudd670]

It's not a rover 🤔🤓 Draper promotional video 🤓

[@AntonyThorburn]

get a 54 206. many years of videos on fixing one.

[@squeakers27]

Always plenty of work to do on it, well my one at least 😂

[@extrovertoliver7187]

The Ford Crown Victoria is the best car of all time. Fight me!

[@furiousdriving]

nope! Agreed!

[@michaeltutty1540]

I'll fight you. LOL. Give me an 89 Grand Marquis LS with the 351W (5.8 litre) V8 and the Trailer Tow III Package. Same horsepower as the 4.6, but with 390 ft/lbs of torque at 2200 rpm. Factory rated for 6,000 pounds on trailer, but 40 mpg on the motorway when not towing. I know ALL about them because I was one of the 6 or 7 who ordered one in 89. There is one that I know of still on the road. The others were all wrecked or abandoned. With the 351 cruise is an absolute must. 110 mph is considered a comfortable cruising speed because of the gearing and torque. 0.60:1 overdrive and a 2.73:1 Traction Lok back axle. That axle was the performance ratio. Base was a 2.24:1!

[@Luke-PlanesTrainsDogsnCars]

Matt ..I STILL don't get it ...LOL

[@furiousdriving]

How?!? Its the best thing ever!

[@guy4469]

wath the guy try to replae his steering wheel badge on his BMW E38 with a srew driver boom skrew driver in his fae glasses fly air bag in his fae .he s hurt

[@curtisj2165]

That was easy

[@jasoncornell1579]

This mission will be a failure if u get an airbag in the face😁

[@adelaideautowashes]

An airbag accidentally going off in your face is not pleasant. Don't ask me how I know that.

[@jameshunterford4099]

34th Comment WAHOOOOO! I like your watch!

[@furiousdriving]

34 Boom! and thanks