Registered vehicle
2008 Mercury Grand Marquis “The Merc”
About the 1998–2011 Mercury Grand Marquis
from the generation archive
The Aero Panther Grand Marquis (1998-2011) proves it's far more than a fleet sedan — owners here are running autocross courses marked by orange cones, sporting racing numbers like 251 and 431, and building custom interiors with gauges and racing stripes. From a clean gold 2000 Grand Marquis with chrome accents and a black lower lip popped open on the grass to these full-blooded Panther platforms carving through cone courses at speed, this generation hub captures a community that takes these big-body sedans seriously.
The story
This is a retired BWI Airport cab that a friend gave to me for free (the price was right!). In order to pass MD state inspection, I had to replace the windshield, the front brakes, struts, tie rod ends and ball joints, but it drives like a new car now. I also did some minor fixes - the electric trunk release was shot; it probably had 10 lifetimes of use in 8 years of use.
The only mod I've made so far is that I put a double din Pioneer(AVIC-5000NEX) Nav stereo with a backup camera. I am not going to put a big amp, subwoofer or anything like that, but at some point I will replace the 4 speakers with a nice set of aftermarket speakers. If anyone has any suggestions, let me know.
Aside from a drivers seat that is worn out, it is in remarkable shape for its mileage. It is going to be my son's 'training wheels' while driving on his learner's permit and then I'll reclaim it for my personal use. Being in my 50s, I learned to drive on a series of land yachts - a 66 Impala Station Wagon, 68 Plymouth Fury, 68 Impala, and a 70 Olds Delta 88 to name a few. I have always felt it better to learn on something big - if you can park and maneuver a barge, then anything else is a piece of cake! — MarylandMGM
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