Need suggestions for my 89 LTC

[dcadiman]

Hello to all. This is my first post, although I have been lurking for a while.
I recently purchased an 89 Lincoln Town Car with 86,000 miles. It has been well treated and I hope it will last me a while. I have a couple of questions:

1. Where can I get aftermarket performance parts?
2. Are parts interchangable from other cars and if so which cars?
3. What is the best HP gain I can realistically expect?

I read that the car has 150hp off the showroom floor, but I doubt I have that much now. Someone had suggested that I install high performance plugs and a high flow air filter for cheap gains, but I am looking for true dual headers (not the stock ones) and maybe programming the chip. I do not plan to race the car, I just want to have as much power as possible available to me if and when it is needed.

Thank you in advance.

 

[formerknown]

Try an HO swap for an extra 50-65 HP:
http://www.lincolnsonline.com/article66.html

After that, see this article for more HP:
http://carcraft.com/techarticles/116_0307_ford/

Regardless of what you may have heard, the old box-style Ford/Linc/Mercs are capable of some good 1/4 mile times for their size and weight. A guy with a 351W Crown Vic went 13.58 with less than $3000 worth of upgrades.

But with an HO conversion, AFR heads, dual Flowmaster exhuast system and some headers, a Baumann AOD shift kit & torque converter, gears, and a few other strap-on upgrades, you should have yourself a nice, powerful Lincoln!

 

[dcadiman]

Thank you for the advice Evilally. Please xcuse the n00b question, but what is H.O.? I am a shade tree mechanic and am just getting into fuel injected motors.

I am still trying to find out about interchangability. Will parts from any 5.0 302 mustang fit? Or are there specific years and models?

It seems that nobody sells headers for the Lincoln, but there are tons of mustang parts out there.

 

[Pepsi2185]

HO is high output. Ford made two 5.0's one 150hp 275, and the other 225~ 275~. One was mustang and mark VII (HO motor) and all the other fords got the regular 5.0. I think some of the the early years of the mustang motors that cannot be used for a HO swap but i know you can find that info on the link evillally gave you.

 

[thamarkman]

a 90' towncar has factory headers that will bolt right onto your heads. Or you can get some headers designed for a mustang, the problem with that is the placement of the O2 sensor and other crap that can be right near the exhaust manifold.

 

[dcadiman]

Thanks again all. Are there any specific years or models of mustang (cobra, GT) that I should look for? Or will parts fit as long as they are for the 5.0L 302?

 

[formerknown]

Try to get heads, ECM, cams, etc made after 1987.

 

[DJ Kontakt]

I sell performance parts, and can steer you in the right direction if you need anything for your suspension.

As for power mods, i reccommend ripping out your stock air box and buying the largest K&N cone filter you can find. Make a tube to extend the intake, and pop the filter on the end. Improved gas mileage, and a nice few HP gains.

 

[lincolnmania]

there are tons of upgrades for your 89 towncar......heres a list of what i've done
5.0 high output with thumper ported e7's, 1.7 roller rockers, ported intakes, 65mm explorer v8 throttle body, 1/2" intake spacer, 130 amp altenator from a 95 mustang gt, hedman headers for mustangs, a motorsport mustang off road pipe. mark 7 lsc computer, cold air intake, shift kit, 3.73 trac lock
suspension and brake mods
rear swaybar from a 79-91 crown vic police, front bar from a 79-91 wagon or a police, 98-02 towncar front suspension and brakes, 91-95 towncar rear discs, 02 crown vic police steering box, kyb shocks, also you need 16" or larger wheels for the 98-02 front brakes with the two piston calipers
check out my forum www.grandmarq.net
scott

 

[dcadiman]

LincolnMania, I have some questions now that I have been learning a little bit. If I put the computer from another car, will I have to "flash" it? Or is it plug and play? And with the throttle body, is that a simple bolt on or is there more involved?