Hello GAG users. For my first MyTake, I will be in my own words giving an overview of the history and demise of a fantastic motor built by Ford Motor Company, as well as sharing some of my own thoughts and opinions in relation.
Firstly, let me start by saying that the concept for the Ford Panther was first unveiled in 1978 and ran a first generation series using different motors up until 1990 which I may cover in a future MyTake.
The generation we are focusing on today is the second and third generation using the famed 4.6L.
The 4.6L Modular V8 has stood the test of time for 2 solid decades as being one of the most reliable, dependable, and longest lasting engines on the road with ability to exceed 300+ thousand miles on a single motor build seeing to it of course that regular maintenance is a regular thing in it's lifespan. Ford initiated the motor's production back in 1991 and ended it's production in 2011 to pursue their future productions using newer and more state of the art technologies the present time automotive industry demands.
The motor from 1991 to 2011 underwent very little changes over the course of it's production years, however a few changes over those years did happen with newer engine years having slight HorsePower and LB-FT Torque increases. So Kudos to Ford for obeying the "If it's not broken, don't fix it " rule.
The motor was first introduced in the Lincoln Town Car in 1991, followed by it's cousins the Mercury Grand Marquis and Ford Crown Victoria adopting the motor a year later in 1992. The first variants of the motor were running 190HP/270LB-FT Torque while the last variants of the motor were running 239HP/282LB-FT Torque. Down below I will create a chart displaying these spec changes mentioned.
1991-92 ~ 190HP/270LB-FT Torque
1993-97 ~ 210HP/270LB-FT Torque
1998-00 ~ 215HP/285LB-FT Torque
2001-02 ~ 235HP/275LB-FT Torque
2003-11 ~ 239HP/282LB-FT Torque
From the chart above, you can see very little difference in gains over the years. The motor did not make any significant power numbers in it's later production years which indeed had a helping hand in the Panther Platform's demise due to a demand for more power to Fuel consumption ratio in today's Auto industries.
Ford however has released sub-variants of the motor used in a few other vehicles in their lineup which I will get to in just a moment. First before I move on, I want to mention Lincoln once more. There is one variant of the motor I did not mention in the chart above. Back in 1998, Ford used a variant of the motor in their Lincoln Town Car which made 205HP/268LB-FT Torque for the complete redesign of the Town Car from the previous 1991-97 body style. The Lincoln Town Car in 1999 to 2011 then used the final variant of the motor until demise. Down below I will include 2 pictures to illustrate the makeover of the Town car from 1997-1998.
1997:
1998
Moving along to the other variants of the motor used in a couple of Ford's separate vehicles in their lineup. I will first start with probably the most famous and most recognizable variant as seen in the picture right below.
State Police CVPI:
The Police Variant.
The Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor (or CVPI for short) is famous for a variety of reasons. It holds the highest ratings in reliability, dependability, ease of repair, and low maintenance/cost to run. Ford using this variant has earned top tier ranking as one of the biggest providers for police forces in all of North America and it's for reason, which I will cover now.
The CVPI is the same car as the civilian version of the Crown Victoria, except for a few differences. The CVPI for starters does not have a "chip". The ECU in the police variant is tuned differently than the civilian model to cater to the higher driving demands police work calls for. The engines in the CVPI are tuned to meet the specifications of 250HP/297LB-FT Torque. What makes the engine different than civilian variants is the fuel/air mixture of the engine is tuned higher along with the shift points. This is that "cop chip" effect that is often times believed. Other differences include heavy duty shocks which the civilian models are usually seen with air ride suspension. The heavy duty shocks allow for better stability and handling at high speeds, along with durability to be able to handle jumping curbs, tracks, or any other rough terrain the CVPI might encounter during it's time in use. The CVPI has a transmission cooler to keep the transmission temperatures low due to the constant idling these police engines do during a shift. The CVPI has dual exhaust, modified body panels (in some police vehicles), and a slightly greater ride height versus the civilian variants. Along with the already mentioned, other additions are the basics like push bars, cages, lights with sirens, paint. Just the basics you see every day.
Police work is very demanding work and this is where Ford shines with their CVPI variant. The above modifications mentioned along with the motor itself, Ford has been able to create a smooth hard working vehicle that can handle everything police work throws at it. A vehicle that can idle in the hottest summer days, get floored to 100+MPH, jump curbs, and PIT maneuver fugitives without breaking a sweat. When you are a police officer keeping the streets safe, you need a vehicle that can do all of this and not have you worry about it not working. The CVPI accomplished this with ease and as a result solidified a place in automotive history in police work. The newest EcoBoost Interceptors we all see today will have to meet or exceed 20 years of consistent service along with a better reliability streak to overthrow the title the CVPI holds.
The CVPI has become a very popular choice among the younger generation for their cheap price point and ease of repair or modification. With police agencies all over North America converting over to the newer Ford EcoBoost lineup, sales for decommissioned Crown Victorias are really affordable varying anywhere from 2000 to 10000 dollars average pricing for a decent one depending of course on mileage, year, and condition. The cars make for great starter vehicles for people who don't have the time or money to repair lesser reliable vehicles, or a great starter vehicle for building something fast. Modifications for the 4.6L are similar to the same as what you can get for other motors on other cars. Very common is a super charger or 1 large turbo.
This video demonstrates a modified CVPI with an engine swap which a lot of drag race enthusiasts who own the car end up doing. Depending on what you have done, you can make similar time numbers using the right parts and tuning in the stock 4.6L.
Engine Swapped Crown Vic:
Getting into another variant of the motor, Ford has used this motor in their Mustangs. In past years ranging from the mid to late 90's to almost mid 2000's, the Ford Mustang GT used the 4.6L which made different numbers throughout it's years of Mustang production ranging from 215HP/285LB-FT Torque to the highest output in the later years being 260HP/300LB-FT Torque. I did not include anything under the name Shelby simply because even though they have created a CS8 package for the motor which is a super charger setup that boosts power from 260HP to 350HP as well as having partnership with Ford, it was not for sale to the public as a standard option. It was a separate package you would have to have paid for and have specially installed by Shelby. Not by Ford Motor Company themselves.
Another car worth mentioning in Ford's lineup that also used a variant of the motor is the Ford Thunderbird along with it's fancier brother the Mercury Cougar. This was back in the years ranging from 1994 to 1997. The 94-95 made 205HP/265LB-FT Torque and the 96-97 made 205HP/280LB-FT Torque.
T-Bird:
Cougar:
Getting into a special variant of the motor for a special vehicle in Ford's lineup, and probably every Vic lover's wet dream, It is with great pleasure I announce to you the Mercury Marauder as seen in the picture below.
Mercury Marauder:
The Mercury Marauder was Ford's high performance version of the Mercury Grand Marquis. It features the 4.6L motor however differently crafted, it was built as a DOHC rather than the traditional SOHC. The result of this was 302HP/318LB-FT Torque, marking this the fastest 4.6L Ford has made on the bottom end to date without any additional help from performance modifications. Past variants of this DOHC have also been used in past cars such as the Lincoln lineup. A couple examples are the Mark VIII and Continental. The motor was also used in a couple Mustang variants. Examples given are the Mach 1, and the Shelby SVT Cobra. The motor has also taken a leap into the supercar world as it was the heart of 2 cars made by Koenigsegg. The Koenigsegg CC8S and CCR V8 both used this motor with a dual super charger set up making 646HP/550LB-FT Torque for the CC8S and 806HP/680LB-FT Torque for the CCR V8. Getting back to the Marauder, the car was only produced for 2 years, those years being 2003 and 2004 with only 11,000 units made. The Marauder is a rare car and becoming more and more rare as time goes on because collectors are going to be more inclined to hold onto their Marauders due to said value and rarity. The Marauder has everything the Police package has minus the police equipment, however that can be over-ruled by the performance exhaust kit that comes standard off the show room floor. Not too shabby for a blacked out Grand Marquis. Other colours were also available however black was more commonly ordered with these cars. The car unfortunately did not sell well and the project was discontinued only after 2 years. If anyone reading this article has one, consider yourself fortunate.
Next and last vehicle I want to bring up before summarizing all this up is the E-Series van in Ford's lineup as seen in the picture below.
Ford E-Series:
Looking at this van, you as the reader must be wondering "why are you bringing this vehicle into a Panther Platform article? ". I will explain this right now and follow up with a summary of my own words and input. This particular vehicle, being just a cargo van and nowhere near related to any of the vehicles listed from the beginning holds a special spot in this article because actually despite the Panther Platform motor being discontinued in 2011, it was still in use in the Ford E-Series vans from 1996 to 2014 with 2014 being the last year for this series in the work lineup Ford offers. In 2015, Ford went forward with a total redesign of their van joining it's competitors in the Euro Van segment that has been increasingly getting more and more popular in the work force therefore 100 percent killing off the 4.6L for good to replace it with the new EcoBoost and other V6 options Ford offers in their current market. The new Ford Transit vans offer more power, better economy, and better practicality as well.
Ford Transit Van:
My Summary:
Ford has had it's ups and downs just like any other car maker in history. When it comes to Ford and their 4.6L Modular V8, I will vote that Ford really hit this one out of the park. It was a motor in my opinion that was apart of the last of the great American V8 Sedans of yesteryear we all knew and loved and probably some of us still love to this day. It was reliable and cheap to run with little maintenance needed. However with the newest trends in the car industry being downsizing with smaller engines with better fuel economy. To keep up with the car industry demands, Ford rather than trying to improve what couldn't be any more improved had no choice but to kill off this legendary breed due to being unable to produce the motor in a more economical way while still offering power to compete with other Auto makers. The motor will be forever loved by enthusiasts of all types for it's legendary reputation as one of the greatest American V8's ever made. As you will see in this one last video.
The Last Crown Vic:
So congratulations on making it this far. I didn't go into every nitty-gritty fact and detail about the motor, just the major basics which I hope you as the reader Found my first MyTake to be both well written and educational and I hope you as the reader enjoyed reading it and maybe perhaps learned some new facts.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. It is much appreciated and I hope to get some good feedback to how much you guys liked this and maybe talk about your own related car stuff. If there is anything I can do better, please feel free to let me know in the comments below. This was my first time and still a learning experience and I would like to create more content for you guys to read but also enjoy. Thanks again for reading. Take care. And have a great day.
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