Just purchase 2002 Town Car, like new, but something concerns me Bigtime, pls read.

[sengle1013]

Hey guys, I just sold my 98 Grand Marquis and picked up a 2002 Town Car. It has 30k miles and is like new inside and out. I believe I got a good deal on it as it runs and drives like new, no squeaks rattles noises etc. However, I just noticed something that kind of has me scared to death. Above the glove compartment, the wood section, I noticed that there is about 1/16 of an inch between the wood piece and the dash. I pulled carfax on this car before I purchased and was clean, just as dealer told me about being one owner etc. It came from a retiree locally here. There are lots and lots of Grand Marquis's and TC's used for sale here (Mesa/Phoenix area) because of the snowbirds. Anyway, is this small gap an indication that the car has been wrecked? I feel I got a good deal but now I am scared that I may have been had. I know noone can say for sure without really looking, but do TC's ever have this small gap just naturally? I looked at all quarter panels and bumpers etc and there is no paint color difference and it would really surprised me if this baby had been wrecked. Another thought I had was that the airbags had been deployed, just another way for saying wrecked I guess. But if this had happened, it would have been inoperable, and with an old lady who owned it, the police would have been called, if an accident is bad enough that the police are called, it goes on carfax generally if a report is filed. Another thoguht I had was that maybe she had to have the AC blend door replaced and they didn't put the dash back perfectly, hence the gap. Anyway, I am h oping it could happen naturally but am fearing the worst on this small gap. Can anyone offer any guidance/opinions? Thanks for reading,

[sengle1013]

hey all, well, i showed a friend of mine the little gap and he said he thought it could be from the sun and that it didn't look like it had been wrecked, hoping i am being paranoid. The car has no tinted windows and the sun here can be brutal. She had a carpet thing over the dash (she kept it by the way, go figure) but he said even with that they can warp a bit or expand and retract. curious if anyone has any other thoughts and thanks.

[Towncar]

Sounds like you've covered every conceivable scenario.

I think it wasn't installed correctly at the factory and you're the first to make it an issue. If so, you should be able get it right so it doesn't bug you for the rest of your life.

[sengle1013]

Agree with what you typed. This dealer is legendary in how many Town Cars and Grand Marquis's they move around here with the geriatric population. The salesguy told me that customer service and maintaining their integrity are their foremost goals. This will be interesting I have a feeling. I imagine they will say, tough luck, you bought it that way. I hope not, and will ask them what gives with this separation/gap because I'd like it fixed. However, to fix it, I believe they will have to disassemble the whole dash and put it back in a fraction of an inch different. When all of this is said and done, there certainly could be a little rattle or squeak that was NOT there before the minro detail fix. Then I think, show it to them, have them confirm it has not been wrecked again, and just go on with the car. It is a beautiful car, white cartier edition and I love it. Sometimes little things hurt that much more when it things are so prisitine. will advise what happens but thanks for the feedback.

[tdc1948]

I have a 2000, bought under similar circumstances (from a dealer, a year and a half ago, 24 k miles; it truly did -- and still does -- look new). The point of relaying that is to attest to the same feeling: the least blemish is painful.

Your story interested me, so I've just checked mine. No gap.

So something seems to be is ever so slightly (very slightly) awry in yours. It's obviously best to check thoroughly before buying, but if the dealer is as reputable as you say, and if you've only had it a few days, they may be willing to set it right, if it's not an expensive job.

One thing for sure: you won't know unless you ask!

[tdc1948]

Originally Posted by sengle1013

hey all, well, i showed a friend of mine the little gap and he said he thought it could be from the sun and that it didn't look like it had been wrecked, hoping i am being paranoid. The car has no tinted windows and the sun here can be brutal. She had a carpet thing over the dash (she kept it by the way, go figure) but he said even with that they can warp a bit or expand and retract. curious if anyone has any other thoughts and thanks.

BTW, only a guess, but yes, that may be the problem. By all means try to keep it out of the sun as much as possible. (I have a friend in Tucson who regularly bakes Beemers rather than spring for a carport. Not good.)

[sengle1013]

points taken and i do appreciate the responses, now if it would only let me upload photos, arrghhh. anyway, i do think it was prolly something not done exactly right at the factory and the sun perhaps made it shift a bit over 5 hot phoenix summers, a guess anyway. i don't believe it's been wrecked. i am taking to dealer in the morning for a simple alignment, it is pulling slightly to the right and am going to ask them about this little gap and see what they say. i do feel though that to fix, one would have to completely remove the dash and reinstall it, to me, then you risk squeaks and rattles after done. it shouldn't be that way, but i've seen stuff like that after fixing blend door etc. minor minor but still, when it's such a work of art, it kind of breaks your heart. another question while we're chatting, do i buy the extended warranty? 3 yrs/36 $1335. i think it's prolly a good choice.

the other thing that is hard to figure out is the distance to empty thing. i filled it up today on a level surface. am averaging over 21 all around. filled it up, assuming 19 gallons, and it says distance to empty is 299. how can this be? my 98 mercury didn't get quite as good of mileage and always read 400 or a bit over when i topped her off like today. still, my town car says 299 and that frustrates me. any ideas? either the miles per gallon is off or the distance to empty is off. thanks one and all! i will keep trying to post pics. it is a 2002 cartier just in really really clean condition. thanks again

[WALLY NC]

How many hundred dollar bills would it take to make a space that large and will you be willing to return them to the little old lady ???

Wally

[sengle1013]

I'm not sure I totally understand the question but it is an interesting one. Sounds like you're saying I got a good deal and to roll with it, OR give it back. Well, from what I know now, no sir, would not give it back, I love the car. Just a question because I got soaked with a wrecked car once. I do not believe that is the case.

[Bearfoot]

If there are so many LTCs, etc. in that area, what kind of prices for '02, spotless, low miles?

[tdc1948]

Originally Posted by sengle1013

i am taking to dealer in the morning for a simple alignment, it is pulling slightly to the right and am going to ask them about this little gap and see what they say. i do feel though that to fix, one would have to completely remove the dash and reinstall it

Probably, but sometimes those who know what they're doing know good tricks. In my experience, best to ask rather than assume. I know nothing of the innards there, but it wouldn't be a total gobsmacking surprise to learn that tightening a few crucial screws accessible by removing the glove box would work wonders. (And in asking, since what you'll really be asking is "Will you fix this gratis?", avoid supplying them beforehand with the answer "Too much trouble/too expensive [etc.]".)

Originally Posted by sengle1013

do i buy the extended warranty? 3 yrs/36 $1335. i think it's prolly a good choice.

Tough call. In the condition it's in, there shouldn't be anything going wrong with it in the next 36k miles. Then again, ya never know, and anything can happen. I once bought a 5-year-old Park Avenue with 60k. Seemed in marvelous condition, but I let'em sell me the extended warranty. A few months later the transmission started to whine something awful. The warranty paid for a new one, which would have cost double the price of the warranty itself.

[sengle1013]

Originally Posted by Bearfoot

If there are so many LTCs, etc. in that area, what kind of prices for '02, spotless, low miles?

there are alot, but this is the first one i saw like this. i saw some others close, and by time i called back to start check writing, they were gone...

i snatched this one up for 14.8

[sengle1013]

ok, just got back from ford/linc/merc dealer. alignment was out and they did it, it si fine, no drifting whatsoever anymore. the dash he said was installed correctly and everything looked good, technicians checked it, said probably was heat issue and without redoing whole thing, can't do anything. looks like this is one to suck up and just enjoy the car, which I will, still trying to get pics up. Thanks