Introduction then Questions

My name is Robert and I am a semi retired Executive Chef,,with a love of Detroit Iron and Partial to luxo cruisers,,I,ve own Buicks olds,s Campaigned a Pontiac Super Duty,with a 57 Belair for a tow car,,but that was in my youth aas an adult I drove Chryslers and a bunch of Caddys,,never cared much for Ford until I Bought a 87 Towncar,in 98,which had 63k on it,well 10 years have passed and the Lincoln has 204000 on it and doesnt seem to be ready to give uup but the body has fallen prey to minnesota salt,,so it,s newer car time,,,I have my eye on a 1996 lincoln towncar Jack Nicklaus edition with a 114000 on the odometer,,I,ve been researching towncars for a year and know of the 2 major problems,rear suspension and intake manifolds so I know i need to look for when itr comes to those problems I could use some help with any other probs you guys and gals can think of I,m going to look at the car on wednesday and the fellow says its loaded disc changer ,moon roof etc I,ve also read the the JN editions also came equipped with 16" rubber and an touring suspension,,does any body know were I can find a option code list so I,ll Know exactly what on the car ,,of course I will let my long time repair shop give it a going over before I part with the cash,,any help would be appreciated thanks Robert

1995-1997 Are really good TC's,the newer the better.
They changed the style in 1998,it looks like they gave it steroids.
I would go south to buy one,because of salt damage.



MCGIVER

Hello and welcome to Automotive forums.

You did ur reasearch on the Towncars, Air suspension and intakes are the most common problem. I will tell u a problem that I have see 4 times myself here in Florida, customer will state that car intermittenly startes or stalls. Well, it can lead to 3 problems if u dont get this fixed right away. The block of relays and wires on the drivers side will bend causing a short just enough that when someone sits in the car, it can effect it, So since the relay isn't getting enough power, it doens't send enough to the sending unit in the gas tank which will take out the fuel pump. I had this problem on my car and took me 3 years to completly just recently fix it. I have been able to help 3 others since. Not trying to scare you upon your purchase, but this is my story..


B

Another very common problem is the blower speed control module.

Go down about 15 threads of the list to "AC fan will not run on low" and read the entire post.

Another somewhat common problem is the MFS (Multi-function Switch) and - in my opinion - if something on it starts going bad it is best to replace the entire MFS.

NONE of these items in this thread would keep me from buying a LTC. :cool: :2cents:

Also, it is important to keep the transmission serviced according to the schedule in the Owners Manual.

Thanks guys,,I looked ar the car today,,You would think If somebody wanted to sell a luxury car they would empty the ash trays,( no butts but plenty of crap) vacumn the interior clean the leather upholstry,etc ,the guy told me ther was no rust ,dents,dings ,rips, tears,The car actually drove nice with the exception of the steering which seemed to bind,Iv,e heard of this problem but do,nt know what the remedy is,,the rear suspension was ok and it had the intake upgrade,the unfortunate thing was the all the dents, dings, star cracks and surface rust that turned me off maybe I,m a getting a little finicky in my old age but body wise it was in no better condition than my 20 year old lincoln ,,a wasted day and a 1/2 tank of gas,,,the search goes on

Just wondering - how much was he asking for the car?

What is the MFS? And where is it located?


B

It was in parenthesis where I used MFS. :)

MFS = Multi Function Switch located in the steering wheel. It controls every thing from the wiper washer to the 4 way flashers and every thing in between - turn signals, high/low beam, wipers, horn and who knows what else. That's why it's called Multi function switch.

As far as I know the cruise and radio don't go through the MFS.

Just wondering - how much was he asking for the car?Asking price is 3900.00 or best offer

Asking price is 3900.00 or best offer

Around here (southwest Idaho) that would be way too much for the actual condition you say it is in. I bought my '95 TC a year ago with 160k on the clock for $3000. No scratches, dents or dings. Upholstery (cloth) very good and a good motor. No cracked or broken control buttons.

A couple of minor items...RH outside mirror does not adjust remotely and windshield washer does not work.

Gotta love that TC.

Around here (southwest Idaho) that would be way too much for the actual condition you say it is in. I bought my '95 TC a year ago with 160k on the clock for $3000. No scratches, dents or dings. Upholstery (cloth) very good and a good motor. No cracked or broken control buttons.

A couple of minor items...RH outside mirror does not adjust remotely and windshield washer does not work.

Gotta love that TC.I knew the price was a little high, if the car was in the condition he stated I,d have offered him 3300 to 3500, I,m not afraid to put up a little more money for a car thats been well cared for,

well I was going to make due with the old 87 but this week the ac went out so This week I drove a 98 town car with 85500 on it,I,m not nuts about the looks on the 98 but after driving the car I was kind of impressed seems to drive a little smmother and handle better than the 90 thru 97,,it,s that Metallic white with the blue kind of squared off vinyl top,,not as classy as the old burgandy 87 but acceptable any way the owner has allowed me to take the car to my repair tech for a check-out ,I know I need the intake manifold replaced as well as some new rubber,,also the owner has done a trans service and replaced the oil with AMSOIL ,has done the front brakes and replaced a coil pack? ,, guys asking 5k but he,s had on craigs list for a couple of weeks so he,ll probably take less,,I,m figuring 43 to 45 would be a fair price,,any thoughts

The intake will cost you around 800 to 1300. Atleast in Florida anyway. There is a hose that runs under the intake and can be replaced only when the intake is off. Might want to have that done when the intake is off. I think for the amount of work that needs to be done (intake and tires) and who knows what else is next, I would off him $3900 and explain why. Hope this helps...

Bryan

The intake will cost you around 800 to 1300. Atleast in Florida anyway. There is a hose that runs under the intake and can be replaced only when the intake is off. Might want to have that done when the intake is off. I think for the amount of work that needs to be done (intake and tires) and who knows what else is next, I would off him $3900 and explain why. Hope this helps...

BryanHey Bryan Thanks for the reply,,I had the car checked out by my tech today,,,it checks out steller,needs a fuel filter,,and the rear brakes show about 50% wear,,air bags are scuffed from wear but are ok my guy says its a keeper,,ran a CARFAX and it shows it as a legit ! owner,,I do,nt think the guy will take 3900.00 but it,s worth a try,,It,s tough to find a decent low miler in Minnesota ,,these people drive the Crap out of them,,believe me I,ve was looking for a 95-97 and could,nt find anything that was close to being nice,,i.ll let you know what happens thanks,,RetChef

By the way all you guys are great,,the wealth of knowledge you,ve shared with me is priceless,, I,m into Vintage Audio and belong to a couple of sites and you guys are as much fun to talk to as my Buds at the audio sites

Well I,m the proud owner of a 1998 Town Car,, after the clean Car-fax and a clean bill of health by my Mechanic I decided to replace my 87 townie as my daily driver I still plan on keeping the old girl for winter driving ,,but with no AC and a broken front spring I can,t justify spending any more Cash On her I paid 4400.00 on the 98 tell me were are you going to find a 10 year old car with one owner and lo miles on it for that kind of money,,,Now I need to pick-up some cheap horse power so Duals and an intake are on the short list,,which leads me to my next question how do I do a K&N without spending a ton,,,,thanks again guys