What to look for in a 1984 Ford LTD Country Squire before I buy

Hey Guys,

I am starting to look at 1984 or so Form LTD wagons and wanted to know if there is anything I should keep an eye out for while I shop around? Is there anything I need to make sure is not missing, anything that is a typical problem or sign with these wagons?

Thanks,
Steve

 

front frame boxes and frame around the tranny crossmember mounts

the boxes rot out generally on the inside mainly on pass side but have seen them bad only on the bottom near where the lower A-arm/control arm attaches

 

I would go at least 1 year newer, Steve The '84's had a kind of funky TBI on the intake. I'm a bit gun-shy of the '84's. I had a '84 Colony Park that got some kind of electrical short under the hood and burned up on me.

The '85's and later had true electronic fuel injection.

 

I agree with KK. The 85 through 91 is a much better car. 84 and older also had some odd ergonomics and they can make it difficult to repair the cars too. For instance, in 84, the horn button was on the end of the turn signal. Weird to get used to! TRY to find that switch now, and the high beam dimmer/relay is built into it, so it is a bit necessary.

IF you can find one, the cars, and the concurrent Grand Marquis, were available, at least in Canada, with the 351W engine. Our version was akin to the American HO version and is terrific for both gas mileage and performance. Mechanically, these cars are almost bullet proof if you keep the transmission kick down cable working properly. And about every 30 years or 150,000 miles, you need to budget about $400 to change the steering box. Also, a good 2 1/4 inch dual exhaust wakes up either engine and gains you about 5 mpg compared to the single. Stick with the Ford high pressure gas shocks, too. They work better and are CHEAP. Readily available too. If you can find one, too, go for the ones with the Trailer Tow III package. They have a factory power steering cooler in front of the rad. Changes almost everything in the car, and well worth the hunt.

 

Hey steve, i can chime in here as i am a relatively new owner of an 84 country squire i attained in october of last year. Far as things to look for specific to this year model the CFI (carburated fuel injection) CAN be fickle, however with the heavy rebuild im doing on the top end of the motor to replace the camshaft/lifters/etc, the throttlebody assembly and CFI isnt all that bad. the reasons my car has had "issues" was due to bad mechanics in the past, not the fault of the owner or car itself. i however must admit, i will be this spring converting my 84 squire to EFI. this is more for fuel economy than anything however. the CFI is tuned properly and using a good 5w-30 synthetic, can get 18-19,mpg highway, 13-14 city. with a k&n air filter 20-21 mpg highway.

aside from that things to keep an eye out for condition on these wagons, if its from up north, and it doesn't have undercoating, i wouldnt even bother with it unless you get up under it and look for rust. interior condition is a must as reupholstering a squire even without the rear dual facing seats would be expensive; especially if it has a velour interior! also other cosmetic biggies, woodgrain and woodgrain trim. is the main woodgrain is faded, is fixable. if the trim is damaged, and not fixable or missing pieces, pass on it! these parts are nla, and expensive to replace from classic/antique parts dealers as find them intact at junkyards is almost impossible these days. also make sure the headliner is in good shape, again big wagon = expensive to redo, even on your own!

common problems with this age car engine electrical wise, engine sensors needing replacment, grounding cable from battery to engine block replaced, and the fuel sending unit. i was lucky enough to come across one from a wrecked towncar and cleaned it back into ohm spec with my mechic's help, but finding OE fuel sending units is VERY hard outside of junkyarding. ford does not make them anymore! so if the gas guage is dead, check that and the voltage regulator on the instrument cluster. also the plastic bushings in the power windows motors may be dried up and cause your power windows to not work anymore. easy fix, but requires taking off the body panels to repair it. engine wise, asolutely check the brakes, master clyinder, all vacuum lines, coolant lines and radiator. all will likely need to be replaced unless you have documented proof of good maintenece from the previous owner. i was VERY lucky i got the cars "papers" and have almost all problems encountered accounted for in paperwork dating back to 1986. if you dont, plan on replacing all of those items at the least. also wires, cap and rotor too. just standard stuff. also make sure the transmission shifts well in all gears. i have 98,570 miles on my wagon, but the motor isnt original, so im very lucky there. this motor only has about 15,000 on it based upon my mechanics inspection as the paper work has no mention of a motor swap at all...

i will tell you unless you have documented proof it was babied, plan on spending 3k or so to get it up to excellent running condition mechanically and electrically for an "average" maintained wagon with elecellent paint/body and interior furnishings. if it needs cosmetic work, double it at least. it depends on your skill level, and how much you want to put into it. if you like a project, its easy and fun to work on because parts are so cheap. if not, hold out for a better condition wagon.

remember wagons were the suv's of thier day. they were usually beat to hell and thrown away, so a gently used one like mine even with the top end motor refurb is almost unheard of because of the cosmetic shape. attached below is a photo of her a few weeks after i got her and detailed her inside and out.

i love towanda to death and after im done fixing her up, she will be good for 300,000 before a major rebuild needs to happen.

Will Hemb

those problems are not because of design faults, but because of age.

 

As an aside, mechanically, these cars can be virtually bullet proof. I know of one 1991 Crown Victoria that is coming up on 1,300,000 kms (or about 850,000 miles) with the original drivetrain still functioning as new. The owner runs Castrol Symtec 5W50 motor oil in it, and all the other fluids have been converted to full synthetic as well

 

I have a 85 with the injected carb...POC....and a 89 injected 5litre...also a POC

so Im going the other way from my bretheren......'everything should have a CARB on it'....

and thats my 2 bits....and I may owe you change

 

I agree with Rev, a carb works better than the fuel injection, but most people don't know how to make them work right. Go for the Edelbrock Performer intake and 1401 square bore 4 bbl carb, with the right jetting and metering, and you have an unbeatable combo. It will start on the first turn of the key, no matter the weather, from -50 to +50 celcius, every time.

 

My 2bbl stock VV removed 79 302 starts up just fine too!

 

Hi Steve. I've had my 85 Colony Park for about 6 months now. It was garaged and with 172,000 miles, it still runs like a top. The original owner I bought if from was very meticulous so the car was maintained to a high standard....

Some things to look for... a common place for rust on the body is behind the back tires, especially on the spare tire well which is on the passenger side. Also look at the "magic tailgate" and check to see if it still opens both ways. Check to see if the transmission has been rebuilt at some point so you know what you may be getting into. Mine was redone around 120,000 miles and is shifting smooth. The climate control can sometimes have problems in these cars, so depending on where you live, you might want to check to see that the heater is working properly. I am thrilled with my car and would do it all over again in a minute. These cars really do drive beautifully. Best of luck with your search.

 

Personally, I would try to stay away from the optional climate control system. The normal air conditioning works better and is much less complex. It is not always easy to find one without the climate control, but they are out there, even on some very loaded examples. The direction controls are fine. It is the temperature blending controls that are a pain in the rear. Also, vacuum leaks cause the whole thing to go wonky, so if the vacuum is not right, you get full heat at full throttle on a hot summer day. NOT what I call fun.

 

Great thread on the Country Squire... count me in as loving my old car.

 

I will be following this thread with interest as I have pretty much decided that when I get some $$$ that I will try to track down an 80s vintage (pre-airbag). There is a little lot nearby that has a nice looking tan colored 85 Colony Park for three large. 302 engine but I couldn't tell if it had the AOD. Three speed auto would be a deal breaker for me. If I had it I would be very tempted on this one. On quick perusal it looked very clean with almost no rust (unusual for northern Indiana). It had a sticker in the window for some sort of undercoating so that may have helped.

mike

 

mashaffer any country squire or colony park 79-91 has the aod transmission. was part of the major redesign with the panther/ crown vic platform. they had no other transmission option...

Will Hemb

 

Ya I own a 84 and love it!!! you do have to get use to the fuel injection but its not hard.... Just have to press the gas pedal a little down when you start it. Check the back window wheather striping, I need a new one and its very hard to find.