Lengthening a 2004 Ford Taurus

When I'm done, it "will" look quite a bit different than simply "adding six inches through the trunk area". I will, in the end, post pictures "before modifications" and "after modifications".

But your comment does lead me to my next planned step in the modification of the car's body.



jag1959
Administrator
Joined Jun 26, 2011
14,332 Posts
#44 · Jul 29, 2022

"Maybe it's the perspective the pics were taken from but I have his feeling when you are done with the rear you're going to end up deciding to kick out the front a bit."


jag1959, I must confess that your comment was never lost on me (I have always thought that the front end of the car was a little too short) but because I did not want to go through the work I tried my hardest to resist making a front end change.


I figure at this point “I’m whipped”. I have already pursued “fins” and wasted alot of time and money, so I figure if I don’t end up with the look that I am after by the time that I invest money in finishing it (painting it) that I will have really wasted my time and money. So I intend to bump the front end out perhaps 5” while moving the engine carriage (and consequently front wheels) forward 2.5”. This will not only lengthen the front end but would also give me a 2004 Taurus that could comfortably fit 33” overall height wheel/tire combos at all four corners (not that I would do it).


My initial thoughts are to completely strip the front end (bumper and its cover, fenders, hood, etc.) Then move the mounts for all of these items (bumper, radiator, fenders) forward 5”, through extending the frame rails if necessary. Then move the engine cradle assembly mounts forward 2.5”. I figure that because I intend to increse the size of the front wheel wells approximately 5” (just like the rear of the car) that I can simply purchase some sheet metal to fill in the gaps at the top rear of fenders (the portion behind the wheel wells). The only thing that I anticipate purchasing at this point in order to make these front end changes would be a second hood, which I would use the rear 5” of to extend the length of my current hood.



More to follow…..

After studying my profile pictures and considering the work involved to move the engine cradle assembly forward 3.5” and the front body features forward an additional 3.5” I have decided that it will simply be easier to move everything forwad through welding new sections into the upper and lower frame rails on each side of the engine compartment. I have decided to go with a 5.5” increase in length. I plan to move the engine "cradle assembly" forward 4.5” while moving the front end parts forward an additional inch.

In order to make these modifications I plan to make new rear "cradle" mounts, which will be located 4.5" forward from the current ones. After making the new rear "cradle" mounts I will attach the cradle and use it to locate front cradle mounts, to the frame of the car which I will lengthen 5.5" through the upper and lower frame rails through adding 1/8" steel plates.

I have developed a plan to execute these modifications as simply as I can. First, I will place the front of the car on the stand that I made last time at a position at the front of the car's outer frame rails (just behind the current rear engine cradle mounts). Then I will disconnect (or cut) all lines and attachments from the car's firewall to the car's engine (plus the exhaust pipe) to accommodate the lengthening of the front end. Next, I will place the engine cradle with the front engine cradle mounts still attached (in order to support the front end features of the car during the move). After that I will use my pallet jack with blocks to support the engine cradle/front end of car assembly. Next I will cut through the upper and lower frame rails on each side of the engine compartment just in front of the strut mounting plates (separating the front of the car from the rest of the car). Then I will disconnect the rear engine cradle attaching bolts, and use the pallet jack to relocate the engine cradle/front end assembly to a position where I have plenty of room to weld in new rear cradle mounts. Once the new rear cradle mounts are in place, I will reattach the engine cradle to the new mounts. At that point I will develop a plan for filling the gaps in the frame rails.


More to follow…..

Well, I am well under way on the front end modifications.

I have stripped the front end (picture), …placed it on the body support mount that I had previously made (picture), …cut the exhaust pipe, …disconnected the steering linkage, …disconnected a few heater hoses, …and unfortunately had to cut the two AC lines because they will have to be lengthened.


After preparing all the lines and hosing for the move, I placed the engine cradle/front end assembly on blocks on my pallet jack, disconnected the rear cradle mounting bolts, and cut the upper and lower frame rails on each side of the engine compartment. Then I moved the engine cradle/front end assembly forward 5.5” and downward slightly to make room for new rear engine cradle mounts.


Because I am now moving the rear engine cradle mounts forward, I can no longer use their existing frame constrained nuts. Because the new mounting location is now 3” in front of the firewall, I fabricated two diagonal columns of 2.5” pipe with 3/8” plate welded to is bottom end, and with cutouts in their lower side walls to access nuts for mounting the rear of the engine cradle in its new position (picture).


More to follow…..

After yesterday's session I don’t know if I would use the word “enjoy”, but I will confess that I am driven by something.



Wow!!! when I think about what it would be like to have a car lift, where I could stand under the car to weld…..



Well, with a good deal of access difficulty (‘worming’ around on my back in the 12” gap between the bottom of the car and the ground - actually 10” under the support dolly) I finally got the rear cradle mounts welded in (pictures).

In order to further strengthen the car’s frame to accomodate slightly increased tensile stresses at the base of the forward end of the passenger compartment due to moving to front wheels forward, I welded a short section of 2” x 1/4” bar from the back side of each of the two rear cradle support columns to the car’s reinforcing channels at the lower front of the passenger section on each respective side of the car (it can be seen in the pictures). Once I had the rear cradle mounts welded in, I painted them.

Now that the rear engine cradle mounts are integrated into the car’s body I can fabricate and weld in the new front engine cradle mounts and then work on extending the upper and lower frame rails on each side of the engine compartment.

More to follow…..

I have fabricated new front engine cradle mount columns out of 2.5” pipe with openings in their side walls, just like the rear mounts (pictures) so that I can access nuts for mounting the engine cradle assembly’s front ends. Once I fabricated them I mounted them to the front of the cradle assembly after rotating it to the proper pitch. Once the cradle assembly was located to the proper pitch (front to back), I let the front end simply set on the cradle mounts to support it heightwise (picture), then I clamped a couple of straight bars in the gaps in the upper frame rails to maintain a 5.5” gap (picture). After this I used a template which I had previously made of the original sweep of the upper frame rails in order to pitch the front end into the proper position. With the front end located in the proper position, I welded the front cradle mounts in place to the bottoms of the frontal frame rails, and painted them (pictures).

Its time to fill in the 5.5” gaps in the car’s upper and lower frame rails on each side of the engine compartment. To do this I formed the 5.5” long 1/8” plates shown (picture). My plan is to weld these new sections in (starting with the inner one closest to the engine) from the outside (the wheel well area) so that I dont have to move the engine out of the way.


More to follow…..

It is now time to address the strut mounts. I have decided to scrap the ones that I previously made when I raised the front end, and make two new ones which will attach between the upper and lower frame rails (making for a rigid and strong front end framework). In typical fashion I made a flatpattern cardboard template (picture) which I transferred to 3/16” plate, then cut it out and formed a symmetrical pair of strut mounting plates to be welded between the upper and lower frame rails on each side of the car (pictures).


To locate and properly ‘pitch’ these two strut mount plates, I noted the “gap” between the front suspension’s lower control arms and the cradle assembly’s frame when the front end of the car was ‘loaded’ and sitting on its wheels. I duplicated this gap (which should theoretically be close to the neutral sitting height of the front of the car when finished) and drew a line from the centerline of the strut tower clamp to where the centerline of the strut mount plate should be located for proper ‘toe in/out’ pitch of the wheels and proper pitch rearward of the front suspension. I had already noted where the centerline height of the strut tower mounts should be relative to the upper frame rails. With this information I developed and fabficated the strut tower mounts. After locating these two strut mount plates in the proper positions, I welded them in between the upper and lower frame rails on each side of the car, starting on the passenger side, then using it for a model for the driver’s side (pictures).


More to follow….

Thank you Automender12345,

I reversed the hole pattern (180°) to make access to the lone hole on the non-equallateral triangle which would otherwise be up against the inside of the break in my new strut mount plates (it was simply an access issue). I am hoping that reversing the holes does not effect the spring cup orientation. If so I can simply drill three more holes in my mounts in the proper orientation.

When I think about the 'radical changes in camber' brought about by the individuals who change the factory height of their cars (especially lowering them down until their chassis almost touches the ground), I don't feel so bad about my suspension.

Note: In placing the spring seats (the mounts) I did move them closer to centerline of the car to help "square up the wheels" when the car is sitting on the ground.

To further accomodate slightly increased compressive stresses at the upper front of the car’s passenger compartment due to moving the front wheels forward 4.5”, I welded in two reinforcing plates (one on each side) joining the back of the strut tower mounts to the car’s passenger compartment (pictures). Once these plates were welded in (picture), I welded in a new mount for the engine’s upper torque mount link on the pasenger side strut tower mount (picture). Next, I cut out and formed a couple of 18 gauge plates to fill the 5.5” gaps in the fender wells between the upper and lower frame rails where I had separated the front and back sections of the car’s front end. Finally, I rewelded on a few brakets on the driver’s side fender well which attach a few of the engine compartment components (picture). With all of these modifications to the frame rails/engine compartment complete I painted everything (pictures).


At this popint I think I will put the car back on its front wheels.


More to follow…..

I started with the exhast pipe. First, I disconnected it where it meets the exhaust manifold just under the engine. It turns out that if I cut the weld at this flange and simply rotate the first section of the exhaust assembly it raises the exhaust pipe up into the original cavity. I have decided to add two flanged joints to the exhaust system, changing it from one section to three sections. I decieded to work backwards from the rear of the car forward when making the sections because this forward joint is easy to access.


Pictured is the ‘new’ rear section of the exhaust system (the portion behind the rear joint). The rear muffler use to hang from a bracket that carried it significantly under the frame rail at that location (a good 4”). In order to move the muffler upward toward the frame rail, I welded a little ‘horn’ on its front edge (picture) which will slide through a cylindrical rubber bumper mounted in a tube welded to the bottom of the frame rail. This ‘set-up’ will move the muffler upward 2” (just under the frame rail) where it won’t be visible in the car’s profile. In order to make the muffler easy to remove (through sliding it forward off of the ‘bumper engaging ‘horn’ at its front end) I added the rear flanged joint to the rear of the exhaust system just above the rear control arms.


The center section of the exhaust system (pictured) joins the rear and forward sections. And the forward section joins the center section to the engines exhaust manifold. I added a few pictures of the new exhaust system before installation.


More to follow…..

See this forward exhaust system mount (picture); it just may cost me a $1000 before I’m done. It turns out that after welding it in place, the process started a fire under the dashboard, which, by the time I quenched it, has probably caused considerable damage under my dashboard. Whatever this pile of melted plastic is (picture), I’m sure that it is no longer functional. Heat, coming up through the defrost vents also took out my front window (picture). Anyway, I have the exhaust system installed.


Not a good day on the project.


Any advise on dashboard removal would be appreciated.



More to follow…..