Batboard

Gone is the rear window grid antenna, now replaced with a black fixed mast on the right rear fender. Looks very out of place.

more cost cutting

the interior quality has also diminished greatly.

The interior is the same as the last 3 years. The steering wheel and igniton switch changed a little..

Overall the interior hasnt changed a whole lot since 1995.

The AM/FM antenna works alot better than the window mounted wire.

If you think the interior quality is the same on 1995 and 2003--2005 then you must have never been in a vic of said model year.

The "plastic" is very thin and flimsy on 2003+ vs the previous years. A difference can even be felt between 1995 and my friend's 2002. His interior squeaks and rattles like crazy. My uncle works at Ford and agrees with my observations on the cheaper interiors.

Thanks for the confirmation Jimmy.
I was walking through the parking lot at the County fleet maintenance shop a couple months ago and saw the 30+ 2005s sitting there, waiting to be outfitted. The antennas there looked out of place.

Given the time and manner of access required, I didn't dare go near the cars for fear of being shot.

It is different.... I guess they figured that bad guys are usually face planted to the hood rather than the trunk...where its colder and might bend the antenna..

PJ makes a good point as I can attest to having to have had to replace a few of the old fender antennas over in Morris County NJ. I think another part of the reason they are bringing the regular style antenna back is because of the ability to place a disguise antenna in it's place to use in place of a conventional 2 way 1/4 wave antenna. With the factory window types, you could'nt find a decent disguise antenna worth a $hit. Not that the fender mount units are all that great, but they generally perform a hell of alot better than the cheap window stick on antennas that Tessco used to sell.

As much as I like SUV's for patrol use GM really needs to produce a full size sedan for a pursuit vehicle.

Our oldest vehicle is a 94 Caprice and even with more miles on than the CV's its in better shape than our oldest ford which i s a96.

The trunk mounted antenna look goofy.

Adam,

I work on them all day...

I would have loved to have had a mast antenna instead of the in glass type. AM talk radio was almost impossible to pick up with that crap glass antenna.

mancow

then why not put the antenna on the front fender where it belongs?

FFParamedic571 wrote:Adam,

I work on them all day...

go get in a pre 98 vic.. press on the door panels, window switch panels.. knock on them.. feel them.. really check em out.. now compare with a 2001+

if you cant feel the difference you've gone numb

I see that even the new Mustang has a fender mounted antenna - has Ford given up on the window antennas and why? I had just gotten used to seeing cars with no external antennas and never expected to see them again.

Well, what this does make easier are undercover/unmarked cars. You could easily replace the stock antenna with a Comtelco antenna and nobody would be the wiser.

Then again, if you are using a Crown Vic as an undercover vehicle, I don't think hiding the antenna is your biggest problem...

-M

Dave Mac wrote:I see that even the new Mustang has a fender mounted antenna - has Ford given up on the window antennas and why? I had just gotten used to seeing cars with no external antennas and never expected to see them again.

Why? Because they suck! Reception is horrible in low signal areas on FM and worse on AM, much more than with a fixed mast.

Our problem is Ford adding this antenna in the rear. It's taking away from mounting an antenna there, and will cause interaction with our primary VHF antenna on the right side of the trunk. We use 100w Orion's, and now the AM/FM antenna is about 15" away from the VHF 5/8w.

Grrr.

It'd be nice if Ford advised agencies about this stuff before hand.

Ford is doing this to save money, people. The reception on the window ones didnt suck and they arent doing the fender antennas for our benefit. The windows with antennas built in cost around $800 and Ford is all about cost cutting.. this is saving them a tremendous amount of money. Much more than thinning the interior quality.