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Would a 2002 Mercury Grand Marquis be a good Gand Stock Car for CTS?


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Hi I'm Ross. I'm tired of being a spectator and I want to get out on the track! I work in the auto sales industry so I constantly have my eye out for cheap trade ins that would fit the Sport Compact or Grand Stock class at CTS. Right now I have my eye on a 2002 Grand Marquis w/ only 109,000 miles. What are yall's thoughts on this being a good (competitive) car for the Grand Stock Class?

 

I have a little money to invest. Would consider buying an entry level car that's already built. I also need everything else for the build (or should I say strip down) so if anyone has anything second hand for sale from the driver seat to safety gear I'm all ears. Would you guys recommend me buying a roll cage kit from Summit of JEGS or can I get one made cheaper around here? (I live in Buda work in Austin)

 

I'm mainly looking to meet some new friends, get some help, and get on the track.

 

Maybe join a team?

 

Thank you for any inside lines and suggestions.

 

-Ross

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I don't know anything about the grand stock class or rules, but these cars seem like worth candidates.

 

http://www.lonestarspeedzone.com/topic/68431-grand-stock-for-sale-race-ready/

 

http://www.lonestarspeedzone.com/topic/69875-ctsccssts-pure-stock-for-sale-race-ready/

 

Surely somebody in the class can shed more light than I can.

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Thanks top_shelf! I saw your good review of the car. But do you think it will pass the CTS inspection for Grand Stock?

 

http://www.centraltexasspeedway.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/2016-Grand-Stock-Rules.pdf

 

My race knowledge starts with racing dirt bikes and being my friend's dad's "pit crew" when he use to race his Thunder Class car at Rio Grande Speedway as a kid and ends with me watching NASCAR on TV or at CTS. lol. I own some tools and know how to use them just no welder, car set up, or technical answers.

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Thanks miniholmes! I saw you were trying to buy it for some bubblegum and crackerjacks. lol. Ya i sent him a reply to his post on here but he hasn't responded yet. I need help getting it to the track and I'll keep it there. Also need all my race/safety gear and transponder so I asked if he would help me out on the price.

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I saw Daniel's black 55 Sideways40 and he told me it is still available. I saw it run middle of the pack a couple years ago. I didn't want to ask him why I don't see any points for him last season, do you know why? With all this fast talk on the green 46 out of Corpus I really want him to get back to me.

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He's pretty busy during the workday but he'll get to you. Car is a CTS car now CCS is closed this year. I know I posted about the seat, but also have a single layer, one piece XL suit worn 3x, and a set of XL Nomex underwear (wore boxers under the bottoms) $100 for the underwear and suit, $50 just suit.

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Thanks top_shelf! I saw your good review of the car. But do you think it will pass the CTS inspection for Grand Stock?

 

http://www.centraltexasspeedway.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/2016-Grand-Stock-Rules.pdf

 

My race knowledge starts with racing dirt bikes and being my friend's dad's "pit crew" when he use to race his Thunder Class car at Rio Grande Speedway as a kid and ends with me watching NASCAR on TV or at CTS. lol. I own some tools and know how to use them just no welder, car set up, or technical answers.

That green car is legal for grand stocks. It's my old car that I sold to Ivan. If you want to know anything about the car you can message me on here and I can answer those questions you may have about it.

 

Car has never finished outside top 3 in points and was usually within top 4 every race unless something broke.

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That's awesome JMcCain8, thanks! Hope I can snag it from him.

 

top_shelf_12 if I can get on the track and your going to CTS this weekend I will definitely buy that suit and undies from ya. If I don't get a car and you're there I would like to at least try them on.

 

Now I just need a helmet, gloves, do they really look at shoes, and maybe a neck brace.

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#46 will be running at CTS this weekend and Josh McCain will be driving it for me (im leaving out of state) so if you would like to speak to him he is the most familiar with the car and contest to how good of a car it is.

Thanks, ivan

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The Grand Marquis isn't a bad car to use; there are a couple of issues that will need to be thought about though.

 

The first thing to keep in mind is at 281 Cubic Inches you are likely giving up at-least 70 Cubic Inches to every other non-mod motor car on the track. There are successful mod-motor cars and have been for years but it is something to keep in mind. The good thing about the mod-motor car is that besides the LT1 Caprice it is the only other car running with aluminum heads which save weight where it is needed the most and the SOHC motors can spin another 1k RPM past what a SBC or SBF can do.

 

You will also have to look into eliminating the air-suspension on the car; tech at Kyle can be tricky as far as what is "factory" and what isn't when eliminating air-springs so I'd ask before buying anything.

 

The wiring work that will need to be done isn't that difficult but if you are not going to keep the factory column and instrument cluster you will have to have the car programmed to eliminate the PATS system.

 

I'd recommend going over the rules VERY closely; there are certain cars that have HUGE advantages over other but I have seen one of nearly everything win in this class. I'm partial to a Lincoln Mark VIII in this class but if I was building a car a 9C1 Caprice would be way-up on my list...

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Building a new car takes more time and more money than you would think. Buying someone elses already built car is a good way to go. Just make sure you look the car over closely. Having someone that knows what to look for (with you while shopping) is a good idea.

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The winner of the first race of the year this year was a Crown Victoria, which is the same car as your Grand Marquis. However, I would recommend a monte carlo or a crown victoria P71. I'm currently building a crown victoria P71 for grand stocks and should have it race ready in a few races, so we'll see how it does. Building a car is a lot of work, I would recommend buying either of those two cars for sale, they're both fast.

 

Now, comparing a stock panther, like your Grand Marquis to a stock 80s monte carlo, you're looking at

 

Pros:
6.4 inch wider car

55hp more than monte carlo

30lb*ft of torque more than monte carlo

Cons:

6.7 inch longer wheelbase

2.8 inches taller

718 lbs heavier on curb weight (before gutting)

 

The weight really kills the fords here, but they can both be pretty close on the track. Most people seem to prefer Chevy though.

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top_shelf_12 Ivan is going to let me borrow all his gear for tomorrows race. But I would still like to buy that underwear from ya and try on that suit if your coming up. Its beautiful in Austin/Kyle today and the rain should hold off the rest of the weekend.

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