They just don’t make ’em like the Ford Crown Victoria anymore. The Blue Oval, as well as its Mercury and Lincoln counterparts, made hay with the Panther platform back in the day—and even though they might be done with it, enthusiasts aren’t. Such a claim is evidenced by the team at US Shift in South Carolina, which is using a Grand Marquis with a two-valve 4.6-liter V8 to show off its 10R80 transmission controllers. Whereas hot-rodders have clung to three- and four-speed automatics for years, these guys believe the 10-speed is the future.
Call me crazy, but I think they might be right.
Obviously, folks like Karl Baumann at US Shift know a lot more about high-performance transmissions than I do. I am but a scrub… er, I mean, a scribe. Baumann and Andy Wood from Unity Motorsports Garage argue in a recent YouTube upload that many of the Ford 10-speed’s problems have been worked out, like the CDF drum issue that plagued earlier examples. Newer versions of the 10R80 have proven to be a suitable swap as a result.
The Mercury Grand Marquis build in question is essentially stock, engine-wise. It does have long-tube headers with a full Stainless Works exhaust, but aside from that, it’s a factory two-valve V8. That means any change in drivability can be chalked up to the 10-speed that’s paired to a 3.08 rear end in this car. Baumann says he considered a 2.73 rear given the wide spread of gear ratios, even though that sounds crazy if you’re used to something like 4.88s with a four-speed.
US Shift documented most of the swap on its YouTube channel, where you’ll also find an S197 Mustang equipped with a 10R80. The shop runs billet SunCoast Performance flex plates in these cars, as the aftermarket shop already offered them for eight-bolt crank engines and recently added support for six-bolt Ford modular V8s. There’s an entire ecosystem evolving to serve hot-rodders who go this route, further supporting the claim that these 10-speeds could become the go-to.
And while you can’t discount the Grand Marquis project’s extra horsepower from the exhaust upgrades, it runs the eighth-mile about 1.2 seconds quicker than a four-speed car. That’s a huge improvement, considering the engine was completely left alone. Factor in the better drivability of a 10-speed that keeps rpm low while cruising around town and you have a pretty compelling case for the swap.
“You shouldn’t be able to have that much fun with 270 hp,” Baumann said after a short test drive.
If you’re worried about how the 10R80 holds up to more power, look no further than the blown 5.0-liter Coyote trucks that are laying down 700 hp without issue. The truth is that modern vehicles make more torque from the factory than a 20-year-old F-150 or Mustang could have ever dreamed, so the stock transmission needs to be that much stronger. I’m not saying they’re invincible—what is, these days—but it seems like a sweet package.
Finally, for anybody with more brand loyalty to GM, US Shift is developing products for the 10L90. That transmission was co-designed with Ford, although it features unique shift programming, a different valve body, and some GM-specific internals. The first example will be an F-Body Trans-Am that they’re working on as we speak. I don’t know about you, but I like the sound of that.
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