[curtis73]

[quote=Epistemology]
Earlier this week, I purchased a 1995 Lincoln Town Car Cartier for $2000. [quote]
That's a good price any way you slice it

First, when I looked at the vehicle, I noticed that there was no coolant in the reservoir (there is no cap on the radiator as far as I know) I purchased the vehicle anyway. I filled the reservoir up to the cold line. After ten miles of driving, the reservoir bottle was almost empty. The heat works well and the digital dash gauge indicated normal temperature (which probably just means the thermostat is open, but the coolant isn't boiling in the reservoir). I did smell a faint smell of coolant in the vehicle.

You are correct, there is no cap on the radiator. The reservoir is a pressurized surge tank and the cap on that tank is the pressurized cap. Its possible that the coolant was lower than you thought and filling the tank wasn't enough. For instance, if the radiator were only 3/4 full, you would have filled the reservoir, then running it would have sucked that water into the tank leaving the reservoir empty again. Keep filling the reservoir as it gets empty and my guess is that it will eventually level off.

The coolant smell could be any of the things you describe, but I suggest getting a cap for the reservoir first. Primarily because its a pressurized cap and the cooling system needs it to operate properly, but also because it could be the source of your coolant smell. If the coolant smell remains, then explore the other options.

A head gasket can fail in many ways. It can leak compression into the coolant, it can leak coolant into the oil, it can leak compression between cylinders, and it can leak coolant out on to the ground. Diagnosing it can be tough. The quick and dirty ways are to look for oil or bubbles in the coolant, look for coolant in the oil, smell the exhaust, and do a leakdown test on all cylinders. Any other coolant leaks have to go somewhere. Most heater cores will leak right onto your carpet, others will leak on the ground outside the car.

Also, the car is hard to start (about five seconds of cranking) on a cold morning and will stall if driven before letting it warm up. Tired plugs?

It could be a few hundred things and its frustrating to check. Fortunately, plugs are cheap and easy to do on 4.6s. I would replace plugs (or at least check them) and check all the coils. After that I would check the coolant temperature sensor. If its out of whack, it won't be giving the computer the right information on how much fuel to inject when its cold.

I can say that if I floor it (this typically makes automatics "kick down" to a lower gear) at around 50 miles per hour the vehicle doesn't gain any speed, but slows down. When I let off the accelerator to about half way, it has no problem getting up to 70. I was told that this is because I have overdrive on and that I should turn it off so it can kick down. Does this make sense?

Nope. The tranny should kick down and select the proper gear. Even if it didn't kick down, it shouldn't slow down when you floor it. If you are flooring it and the engine RPMs rise as it slows down, then it could be the transmission or torque converter. If the engine is slowing down with the rest of the car, its an engine problem. fuel filter, injectors, fuel pump, some sensor, or something else. Look to air and fuel systems first. Putting your foot to the floor does two things; gives the engine more air, and tells the computer to give it more fuel. Any time you floor it and lose power without describing large clouds of black smoke, its probably running lean. I would test fuel pressure and change the filter first.

Would it be possible to fit the Town Car with a manual transmission? Would this be more affordable to maintain/repair?

As my hotrodder grandfather told me once, everything fits anything with a torch and a welder. It has been done, but its not easy by any means. The T5 was used in many applications, as was the T56. It will require pretty major surgery to get it in there along with a bunch of custom pieces, but its possible.

Finally, would coolant and oil should I be using? The green stuff and 5W30 Castrol?

Use whatever color coolant is in there right now. As far as brand, I don't usually worry about it. Read the ingredients on the store brand and you'll often find that its exactly the same as the expensive stuff. Oil weight should be listed on the oil cap. For a more detailed description based on your climate, look in the owner's manual. 5w30, 10w30, 0w30 synthetic would all be fine choices. Pick your favorite brand and go for it. I usually do castrol or valvoline, but everyone has their favorite brand.