97 t-bird burned=

[jamesmetairie]

my son,s 97 t-bird,v/8 ran hot. by the time he could safely pull over the temp needle was maxed out.mechanic says maybe cracked head or blown head gasket. car has 160,000 miles on it. already it needed heater core and ball joint work . it is nice with leather,alloys,etc. what do you guys recommend in this case? thanks.

[LeSabre97mint]

Originally Posted by jamesmetairie

my son,s 97 t-bird,v/8 ran hot. by the time he could safely pull over the temp needle was maxed out.mechanic says maybe cracked head or blown head gasket. car has 160,000 miles on it. already it needed heater core and ball joint work . it is nice with leather,alloys,etc. what do you guys recommend in this case? thanks.

Hello

I'm not familiar with the engine in the t-bird. Does it have the 3.8?

Regards

Dan

[MagicRat]

Originally Posted by LeSabre97mint

Hello

I'm not familiar with the engine in the t-bird. Does it have the 3.8?

Regards

Dan

The V8's were the OHC 4.6 liter.

The cooling system and combustion chambers can be pressure tested to accuratly determine the possibility of leaks, wear and damage. Before making a decision, it may be helpful to properly evaluate the engine's condition.

These engines are relatively expensive to rebuild. If you did rebuild it, you bviously still have the high mileage driveline to worry about, as well as the other repairs.

I suspect the repairs would exceed the value of the car, if it needs a new engine.
If you can find a decent used engine for not much money, a repair may be financially reasonable, especially if the body/chassis/paint is rust free and pristine.
Otherwise, just sell it for what you can and move on .