[I~LUV~Caddys8792]

Hey, I'm gonna trade in my '92 Sedan deVille on a '96 Town Car Executive Series with 138k miles for $3495. The Town Car is Silver with Silver Leather. It's all in very very good condition. The leather is immaculate, no cracks or tears. The carpeting is extremely clean, and surprisingly, the engine bay looks like it just rolled off the showroom floor. The paint, while it may not be my favorite color, it is in great condition, no rust or fading anywhere.

My father and I came to this conclusion because my car leaks coolant from the side of the block, which may not sound SO bad, but when I read that "Holes in the side of the block are usually due to corrosion on the inside of the block casting. Corrosion won't attack one microscopic spot, it affects a large surface area inside the water jacket.
Odds are you could push a screwdriver right through the side of the engine.
Welding may not do you much good as it requires the existence of metal, you may not have much left and the welder just might open up a bigger hole also." When we read this, we finally realized how bad this situation really is.

I told my father that I thought that it would be in my best interests to sell this, and get a Town Car or a Park Ave. To my surprise he agreed
I know that the Town Cars are built to last. I have seen many with more than 225k miles on ebay, actually theres a '96 Signature Series on there now with 520k miles!!!! :jawdrop: Well anyways, I know that the Town Cars are very reliable, with a somewhat simple design. They are very very smooth riding cars due to their air spring setup (which also, can be a big problem :/ ) But for the most part, they are extremely reliable and extremely comfortable. I believe the "Panther" platform on which the T/C Grand Marquis and Crown Vic are based on has been around since about 1980, so I know it's a time tested design. The motor is the excellent, reliable, surprisingly efficent 4.6 liter SOHC V8. And it's RWD, which I've always preferred even though the FWD may be better in the Minnesota winters. The motor, by comparison to the 4.9 V8, is much easier to work on, more advanced, more efficent and has similar power, and most importantly, much more reliable.

What I liked about it:
- very smooth
- very quiet
- 4.6 V8 because it's so reliable, and it's decently quick
-digital dash
-trip computer
- great looking car
- L-O-N-G hood
- hood ornament
-CD Player (my '92 deville only has cassette)
-very reliable car, built to last, well engineered
-easy to work on motor compared to my car
-RWD
-Body on frame
- the engine sits longitudinal (the correct way!)
- 4R70W is the most reliable tranny in the 90-97 Town Cars
-simpler design than the FWD devilles
- time tested design and Panther chassis
- variable steering ratio
- cupholders are in dash
- MASSIVE trunk
- storage bins in front doors

What I didn't like about it:
- It feels HUGE compared to my deville
- lack of steering feel, but I would get used to that
- it handles like a wet sponge (but it rides VERY VERY smoothly
- Higher dashboard, beltline
- it didnt have the storage armrests of the Signature/ Cartier series
- seats felt like they had less padding then my deville does.
- actually, the seats were less comfortable than my deVille
- lots of plastic on dashboard
-Executive is "bottom rung" Town Car
- the 95-01 4.6's Upper Intake Manifold will go bad, but I think this was already done on this car.

I'm gonna a 93-97 Town Car because they are so reliable, built well, and ride so nice, easy to work on, decently fast, great looking and are cheap to come by and insure!

I'll let ya know!

Here's the car!

What should I look for on this car? What are the big problems? (other than the intake manifold)

 

[terrible one]

My uncle used to have a '96 Towncar. I loved it, good luck with it!

 

[Elvis]

Great car, but you gotta change your name now!!!

 

[I~LUV~Caddys8792]

You can change your name on here?
How's IrishMafia8796 sound??? lol! :histeric:

Can you give me any tips and advice on what to look for?

It's gonna be so cool to surprise my friends and family with another big boat on thanksgiving! :cool2:

 

[Playdrv4me]

Hey just cause you got a Lincoln doesnt mean you dont still love Caddys!!

BTW... Will this be taking the place of the mid nineties Mercedes and BMWs you were lookin at?

 

[I~LUV~Caddys8792]

Yeah, for the most part, I still prefer Caddys to Lincolns

Playdrv4me, No, I still would like to get a W140 S Class, but later, in like 5 years. I just need something now to get me through college with as little trouble as possible, and the TC's are very reliable.

 

[Stoneage_Caddy]

the best part about the ford mod engine is how well it keeps the valve seats and sparkplugs lubercated with oil ....

still hate mod motor ford ....the 4.9 PFI caddy engine is actually much simpler , but the damned thing is turned the wrong way ...

as for holes int he 4.9 block , had one int he shop the other day , by the time the tech was done picking at it he openined up a hole the size of a grapefruit ..there is no way out of that that ends good for you ....so id agree , time ot move on ...but please go get a park avenue .....at least it will last ...whereas the ford mod motor will smoke more than your weedwacker ....

 

[I~LUV~Caddys8792]

I thought that the 4.6 had the burning oil problem only on the 1991 & 92 4.6's. I think they fixed that by '96

A friend of mine had a '94 Bonneville SSE or SSEi, when the tranny decided to go, it had 74k miles on it. I wonder why? It's the same 4T60-E I have in my deVille, and my tranny is in great condition.
That makes me worry about cars with the 3.8 and 4T60-E

 

[Stoneage_Caddy]

nope seen em burn even in the latest body style crown vics ....whats strage is how mustangs were expempt , they seem to burn very clean late in there lives ....but crown vics and the big cars with the lower output 4.6 ...

tell ya another thing , they warp rotors like a sonfabitch ...there known for it ...

its too bad they got rid of the 302 ....

even tho the park is front drive , its a beatter car ....but i will admit nothing rides like the airsprung lincolins .....even the newest caddys dont ride that nice ...not since fleetwood has caddy made a really soft car

 

[I~LUV~Caddys8792]

hmmm you seem to really dislike big body fords

 

[I~LUV~Caddys8792]

Is the oil burning problem very common? I have seen these Town Cars last 300k miles on the same motor, I've even seen one on ebay with 520k miles! When I test drove the '96, I didnt see any blue smoke in my rear view mirror, and my coworker had a '91 Signature series for 153k miles, and his never burned or leaked anything by the time he sold it at 167k miles in 2002.

 

[Jesda]

Town Car. Rock solid reliable.

 

[Night Wolf]

GM 3800..... far more rock solid then nearly any current Ford engine.

I like Ford too.

but 3800 for me.

I helped my father replace the transmission in his '99 Grand Prix GTP when it had aorund 100k miiles on it.. 3rd and 4th gear clutches were shot... we actually had to take it back out, faulty part... but it has a shift kit and whole buncha beefed up stuff now.

Oldsmobile Intrigue powered by the 3800 Series II... get the sports package.

Its an Oldsmobile.... that alone would seal the deal (for me)

far, far better styling inside and out then a last gen Eighty Eight.

Very advanced chassis... nice car.

sports package adds fog lights, fancy wheels, spoiler, dual exhaust etc....

3800 Series II don't need to say a thing about it. If you wanna go fast.. PLENTY of go fast parts.

 

[Night Wolf]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2000...590906781QQcategoryZ12476QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Thats a really nice one... that is fully loaded with heated leather seats, dual zone climate control and the baby Northstar... the 3.5L "Shortstar" Make sure to click the link to view all pictures.

If I was getting one, I would want cloth seats (somewhat prefer them) and the electonic climate control would be nice. I would actually rather have the 3800 just for the fact that I like the engine so much.... but the 3.5L Twin Cam is quite a peppy little bugger.

damnit, why do I have to have such a bond with Oldsmobile.....

They are CHEAP too... '98's with the 3800 are going for like $4,000 for a nice one... even cheaper.

I like them alot, its a new looking car both inside and out, shiney, good paint (since mine is going to hell) and a perfect daily driver... build up the sound system as i have done to the Caddy (though that is nice.... tweeters on the top of the doors) and it would be a perfect car for me to use as a car.... for some reason, the '93 Coupe has never felt like a "car" hard to explain it... my '89 Olds 88 does though.... I can't explain it.

 

[Stoneage_Caddy]

i dont hate big body fords , just the mod motor ....302 powered towncars were about the best thing out in the late 80s ...great cars ...

i see alot of them burning oil out on the roads ...ive had ford mechanics tell me that "yes that happens ALOT" and ive had other mechanics "nope never happens" .....to me it looks like as big of a problem as chrysler had with the 3.0 V6 built by mitsu ....

there killer cars , dont get me wrong , i rented one every chance i had in california when i lived there in 99 ...

 

[brougham]

By the Town Car and be happy with it. Although it would be even nicer if it was a Signature or a Cartier and it wasn't silver I wouldn't worry about the smoking problem. There are a lot more of them that don't have any problems then ones that do. The only cars I've ever seen do that are worn out looking Crown Victoria taxis.

The newer 3.8L engines are junk. They have problems with the intake melting and dumping antifreeze into the engine. I'd take my chances with a Town Car any day over that:ill: It sounds like I~LUV~Caddys8792 would more rather have a Town Car anyway.

 

[Night Wolf]

By the Town Car and be happy with it. Although it would be even nicer if it was a Signature or a Cartier and it wasn't silver I wouldn't worry about the smoking problem. There are a lot more of them that don't have any problems then ones that do. The only cars I've ever seen do that are worn out looking Crown Victoria taxis.

The newer 3.8L engines are junk. They have problems with the intake melting and dumping antifreeze into the engine. I'd take my chances with a Town Car any day over that:ill: It sounds like I~LUV~Caddys8792 would more rather have a Town Car anyway.

how......could......you......

the 3800 Series II *ONLY* issue is the plastic intake manifold... most don't have the "problem" some do.... HARDLY enough to call it.... junk.

my 3800 Series I is a beast... powerful, and I get 22mpg town and 32mpg highway.... driving with a heavy foot... great car.

 

[I~LUV~Caddys8792]

Most important things for me in next car that are different than my deville:
-Simple, time tested engine
-reliability (200k miles is no problem)
-proven chassis design
- RWD (for the most part, it's easier to work on, no McPherson struts)

Things I would like to get:
- Leather
- V8
- I wanna try something thats not a GM product
- SOHC motor
- air springs might be neat
- digital dash

Nightwolf, that Intrigue is nice, but it's not really what I'm looking for, I would like to stick to a simple motor design (3.5 N* is too complicated) I also would like another luxury sedan, so it's not a downgrade from the deVille. I would like an old, time tested motor and chassis, and I would like to limit the technology as much as possible. The thing about the Buick is that it's a Buick which never really competed with the deVille or Town Car. For as nice as that car is, its kind of a downgrade from a deVille, I had a Buick already, and I wasn't too impressed with that, it felt like a real cheap vehicle by the way everything inside was plastic, and it had a real poor build quality. I really like Caddys and Lincolns the most. I would consider a '90-92 Brougham also, but there too expensive for me, all the broughams around here for less than $4000 are 1986-89 models, and thats too old for me.

 

[Adam]

congrats man, that is a nice looking Town Car. one thing to watch out for is the air ride suspension. i thought the Continentals were the only bad ones with that but two of my friends have them and they are blown. plus i have seen like twenty of them with blown bags. other than that they are pretty rock solid good luck and congrats. also yes appeal to Sal and he will change it for you or you can change it. have you got it yet?

 

[soccer_eldorado]

I drive a 96 towncar and an eldorado and even though I hate to admit it, even though the cadillac is a lot nicer looking car in my opinion, the towncar seems a lot more reliable in the six years I have owned them(as far as 10 year old cars go anyway). I changed the airsprings out for regular springs, put a few weights in the trunk, and now the car rides smoother, although, if I had to do it again, I would have just replaced the airbags, there's not really much difference in price, and if you have even the slightest mechanical ability, its simple. The towncar is an excellent car, mine has 155,000 miles on it right now, and it drives and rides just as smooth as it did when I bought it in 99 with 30,000 miles on it (I'm in lawschool, so as long as it lasts till I'm out of school I'm happy with it). That guy is right about rotors, I've gone through two sets of them, but no big deal, considering hardly anything else has gone wrong with it. The caddy is faster, and flashier, but the lincoln is a great car you will not regret buying. Oh, and another thing that goes wrong with nearly everybody I know that has a 95-97 towncar, the intake manifold cracks after a while because it is plastic/resin, (the original one anyway), but that's pretty easy to replace, just a pain in the ass to get everything off the top of it, and you need to replace the gasket usually. Ball joints and tie rod ends usually crop up being bad, but other than that, I haven't seen a lot go wrong with towncars.