automobile advice needed

[draboo]

wife and i are going to look at a 1993 Lincoln Towncar. It has 110,000 miles on it.dont know what series it is. i was wondering if anyone out there knows about any reason we SHOULDNT buy this car. we are going to look at it tomorrow. any one know any quirks about this model,any known recalls,etc??

thanks to all once again! brad/draboo

Is it a s-t-r-e-t-c-h?

[BBA]

Those were supposedly nice cars, but I don't like Fords so I'm no expert.

All I can say is, take it to a reputible shop and have the used car mechanic look it over.

[crazyray]

A thorough check by a trusted mechanic is a must.

[Richard Cranium]

If it's the front wheel drive Town Car, avoid it.

The 3.8 V6 Ford engines have had bad Head castings for about 15 years and Ford refuses to fix the problem

The Rear Wheel Town car has some of the most expensive suspension parts known to man.

When the shocks go out, the car drops to the ground, you're looking at about $2,300 to replace all four.

I vaguely remember some other electrical probs but memory fails me right now.

My advice, avoid it.

What about a Pontiac Bonneville SSE, 93 or newer ?

The 3.8 GM powerplant and driveline is good for over 200,000 with little or no service.

Or, a Chevy Caprice. Get a SS Grille, rear deck spoiler & wheels and you got yourself a bulletproof driveline built on a 1/2 ton pickup chassis. These get over 26 mpg on the highway.

I work with hundreds of folks on a day to day basis, I hear all the horror stories about cars because the job I have puts me in contact with almost all of them very often.

Another Ford problem, the "modular" V-8 engine that is in the Crown Victorias is known to wear out very quickly, it's even worse than the 3.8 V-6 that Ford refuses to re-tool and make it right.

Ford built many engines that were far superior to GM's for years;

1. 351 Windsor V-8
2. 302 Pushrod V-8

They had to go and ruin a good thing. The Ford engines were lighter and produced more HP than the GM counterparts of the same era,, no more.

[Warthog]

When the shocks go out, the car drops to the ground, you're looking at about $2,300 to replace all four.

And I thought my shocks were somewhat expensive!

Warthog

[narayan]

I agree with Richard Cranium.

Furthermore, if you look at any Ford with over 60,000 miles on it and you are looking to keep it for a while, avoid it.

[caddmannq]

My boss bought a '92 town car in '93. It was the most troublesome car he'd ever owned.

Transmission problems that could never be permanently solved.
Emissions control systems problems.
Electrical problms.
Guzzled oil.

I'd avoid it at all costs.

OTOH, I agree with the Doc about the 3800 Series II powered Bonneville. I own a 1996 model, and it's smooth, fast, comfortable, handles well, and reliable, and gets superior gas mileage. 210 HP, and lots of torque. Bought used in '98 for $10,500.

Mine has 86,000 miles on it, and it would cruise all day at 100 MPH, and still gets 30MPG cruising at 70MPH. The engine only turns 2200RPM at 80MPH...3000 at 100MPH, and redlines about 6500RPM. It tows my 14 foot fishing boat up the mountain 70+MPH, with pedal to spare.

The only real problems have been:

1. Squeeky alternator bearing, which I replaced myself (twice) for $5 each.
2. Cracked battery terminal, at 50,000 miles, probably due to overtightning, and the fact that there are two positive battery cables on a long side-mount bolt. with a thick lead spacer in between. This led to loostening and corrosion, and probably the crack. I put in a new battery, a shorter bolt, and replaced the thick spacer with a star washer, trimming the excess rubber from the terminal cover as required. End of problem.
3. The cover on the sunvisor mounted vanity mirror cracked at the hinge. Repaired with stickey-backed velcro, for the time being.

[Cruez]

I may be biased, mainly because I love Datsun/Nissan products since I have started driving...

I would avoid any newer american car with over 100,000 miles, I have seen many fall to pieces waaay before it hits that number...I bought my first american car this year, well sort of...It is a 1991 Taurus SHO, though american, the DOHC 220 HP engine is made by Yamaha, not Ford. That is the only reason I bought it. Its fast, agile, good gas mileage, loaded, and a 4 door. I would not buy a normal Taurus...(...the wife got the new Maxima.. , cant afford two of em..)
I still have a collection of other Datsuns/Nissans that have never given me any major problems in years and thousands of miles......

[draboo]

wow,thanks everyone. we looked at
it today,and went for a test ride. didnt get out of the complex and the front right wheel bearing,i think,started howling. we turned around and brought it back. he said he thought he heard something when he drove it. (used to be his uncles car,who died). we wont be looking at that one again even if he gets the noise fixed.

as far as the other suggestions go,we are looking for a full sized 6 passanger boat. the two of us plus all four g-kids take a trip each year to the Milwaukee zoo(or somewhere),so we need the room. even been thinking about a surburban,maybe even a 2 wheel drive. usually they are fairly inexpensive. looked at a olds 88 today,about a 96 or so. that was a 6 pass,but looked a bit cramped .

any more suggestions on 6 pass vehicles or experiences with them would help us.


thanks again for all the posts!!


brad/draboo