The Mercury Grand Marquis of 1982-1991 is the squared body-on-frame Panther-platform full-size Mercury, sharing its chassis with the Ford LTD Crown Victoria and the Lincoln Town Car. For 1983 the Grand Marquis became a standalone Mercury model as the Marquis name moved to a mid-size car, while the 1982 cars still used the Marquis line with Grand Marquis as a trim. From 1983 the standard engine was the 5.0 liter (302 cubic inch) Windsor V8 with a four-speed AOD automatic; a 5.8 liter (351 cubic inch) Windsor V8 was offered as an option later in the run. Body styles ran from a two-door and four-door pillared sedan to the companion Colony Park station wagon, with an LS top trim throughout and GS badging on the base car from 1988.
Other Mercury Grand Marquis generations
Platform
The 1982-1991 Mercury Grand Marquis is built on the rear-wheel-drive, body-on-frame Ford Panther platform, the same architecture used by the Ford LTD Crown Victoria (later Crown Victoria) and the Lincoln Town Car. It uses a separate steel perimeter frame with a solid rear axle and coil-spring suspension.
Engine lineup
For 1982, when the car was still sold within the Mercury Marquis line, the standard engine was a carbureted 4.2 liter (255 cubic inch) V8, with the 5.0 liter (302 cubic inch) V8 optional. The 255 was dropped after 1982, and from 1983 the 5.0 liter (302 cubic inch) Windsor V8 became the standard engine. A 5.8 liter (351 cubic inch) Windsor V8 was available as an option during the generation.
- 4.2 liter (255 cubic inch) V8, carbureted: the standard engine for 1982 only, dropped after that year.
- 5.0 liter (302 cubic inch) V8: optional in 1982 and the standard engine from 1983 on. It used a two-barrel carburetor early, throttle-body central fuel injection (CFI) for 1983-1985, and sequential multi-port electronic fuel injection (SEFI) from 1986. Output was rated at about 130 horsepower for 1983, roughly 140 for 1984-1985, and 150 from 1986.
- 5.8 liter (351 cubic inch) Windsor V8: an optional engine, most commonly documented for 1986-1991 and rated at about 180 horsepower; some references list it earlier in the run.
Body styles
- Two-door pillared coupe, offered in the earlier part of the generation and discontinued after 1987.
- Four-door pillared sedan, offered throughout.
- Colony Park four-door station wagon, the companion full-size Mercury wagon.
The 1982-1991 Grand Marquis was a full-size six-passenger car with a bench or split-bench front seat available.
Transmissions
The 5.0 liter and 5.8 liter cars used the four-speed AOD (Automatic Overdrive) automatic transmission driving the rear axle.
Year-by-year notes
- 1982: Grand Marquis is offered within the Mercury Marquis line rather than as a standalone model, with a carbureted 4.2 liter V8 standard and the 302 optional.
- 1983: the Grand Marquis becomes a standalone Mercury model, the Marquis name is reassigned to a new mid-size car, and the 302 becomes the standard engine with throttle-body CFI.
- 1986: the 302 adopts sequential multi-port fuel injection (SEFI), and the optional 5.8 liter 351 V8 is documented from this point.
- 1987: last year for the two-door coupe.
- 1988: the base car gains GS badging; a mid-cycle restyle better integrates the bumpers before the redesigned aero Grand Marquis arrives for 1992.
Trims and variants
- LS: the top trim throughout the generation.
- GS: the base trim, carrying the GS name from 1988; before that the base car was an unnamed standard trim.
- Colony Park: the companion full-size Mercury station wagon associated with the Grand Marquis range.
This generation is the Mercury counterpart to the Ford LTD Crown Victoria, differing mainly in front and rear styling, trim, and interior appointments rather than in chassis or drivetrain.
Asked all the time
What engine does the 1982-1991 Mercury Grand Marquis use?
It uses the 5.0 liter (302 cubic inch) Windsor V8. Early cars are carbureted and later cars use electronic fuel injection, paired with a four-speed AOD automatic transmission driving the rear wheels.
When did the Grand Marquis become a standalone model?
For 1983. In 1982 the Grand Marquis was a trim within the Mercury Marquis line; for 1983 it became a standalone Mercury model and the Marquis name moved to a new mid-size car.
What body styles were offered?
A four-door pillared sedan and the Colony Park four-door station wagon, both full-size six-passenger cars on the Panther platform.
How does it differ from the Ford LTD Crown Victoria?
The 1982-1991 Grand Marquis shares the rear-wheel-drive, body-on-frame Panther platform and 5.0 liter V8 drivetrain with the Ford LTD Crown Victoria. The differences are in front and rear styling, trim, and interior appointments, not the chassis or powertrain.
What trims were available?
The sedan was offered in GS and LS trims, and the wagon was sold as the Colony Park.
Technical Reference
Member-uploaded diagrams & documents for this generation. AI-classified; community-verified where badged.
Data/Spec Plates (1)
- DaSilva Racing Dynojet Dyno Sheet - 356.66 hp / 379.86 ft-lbs (6/2/2011)This document is a chassis dynamometer (dyno) results sheet produced on Dynojet Research equipment at DaSilva Racing, 960 Brock Road, phone (905) 837-7700. It presents three stacked graphs plotted against vehicle speed…
Manual Pages (1)
- Ford Canada Recall 05S28 Notice - Speed Control Deactivation Switch Fire RiskThis document is a safety recall notice letter (Recall 05S28) dated September 27, 2007, from Ford Motor Company of Canada, Limited (Oakville, Ontario), sent under the Motor Vehicle Safety Act of Canada. It notifies the…
The wall · registered 1982–1991 Grand Marquiss
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