Should i buy??? To good to be true, probably

[porschpow]

There's a guy selling (his friends) 1997 town car.

Older gentlemen lives in nursing home now, doesn't drive

it has 57k on the clock, 1 owner, LOOKS BEAUTIFUL

I have read here about the issues they have with the plastic intake and oil consumption issues

He is asking for 3k (assuming OBO)

Even with the plastic intake (which is what he thinks is in the car), is it worth getting? Any pointers to look out fo rin this car?

[Bobcat]

Aeros are dirt cheap all the time, do some research on em. The airbags tend to go too, since those cars are getting old and they're wearing out. If it has coils then you're in the clear, the intake isn't such a big deal; just need a replacement or a JY one.

I love Aero Towncars..

[porschpow]

Didn't know about the airbags!

Im not sure, ill check for coils.

How much of a PITA is it to do the intakes? How about the cost.

Just trying to quantitize costs to use for leverage on getting a better price

Aeros are dirt cheap all the time, do some research on em. The airbags tend to go too, since those cars are getting old and they're wearing out. If it has coils then you're in the clear, the intake isn't such a big deal; just need a replacement or a JY one.

I love Aero Towncars..

[zoomie]

Poss valve seals need replacement, and that horrid plastic intake.....ick

[porschpow]

How do you inspect to see if it does need valve seals replacements?

How about the plastic intake? Any pics of what to look for?

[sly]

cold start will puff blue smoke out the tail pipes if the valve seals are shot. but they fixed that problem in 96 supposedly. The plastic intake, if it's been replaced, will have metal under the thermostat housing. If it's plastic under the thermostat housing, it'll need to be replaced.

[porschpow]

How much would it cost to get that done (the intake) Estimates I have seen are 600-700 dollars

Hypothetically if it's not fixed by 96, how much would it cost to get the valve seals fixed?

[Lincolnmania]

iirc valve seal issues got corrected in 96.

the intake change isnt horrible, just time consuming, i suppose one could knock them out fast after replacing a few.

3000 is a good deal if the car isnt a pos.

[porschpow]

I'll look at it today or tomorrow. From the looks of it, it looks like the older gentleman parked it in his bedroom

[gadget73]

air springs are also not a big deal. A pair should run you about 250 and its not really any harder to install than coil springs in the back. Much ado about nothing when it comes to air suspension repairs.

[porschpow]

ok coo, thanks.

So, apparantly, thsi si only an executive series with leather interior, keyless entry, no cd player...hmmm what else, the car is beautiful (seats are immaculate) but noticed some minor dents in the passenger fender (accident/fender bender??)


I will consult kbb/edmunds/nada/carguru for a more realistic price

[killgore]

Please excuse me while I thread highjack for just a second. The aero towncars have air bag issues?

Granted you are protected in probably one of the most sturdy cars on the road....sooooo

Check and make sure maintenance stuff has been taken care of. I know there wouldn't be a huge paper trail because a lot of older people like to it on their own, but do a quick inspection and make sure you aren't buying a 4.6 filled with sludge.

[IPreferDIY]

Please excuse me while I thread highjack for just a second. The aero towncars have air bag issues?

Granted you are protected in probably one of the most sturdy cars on the road....sooooo ...

I looks like they were talking about the air suspension air bags, which wear out eventually (and apparently more so in hot and dry climates):

... The airbags tend to go too, since those cars are getting old and they're wearing out. If it has coils then you're in the clear, ...

air springs are also not a big deal. A pair should run you about 250 and its not really any harder to install than coil springs in the back. Much ado about nothing when it comes to air suspension repairs.

[piranah]

I would say 2500 tops, without photos. Being senior owned, the dents are probably from parking. The air bags are really easy to replace if they are bad. Intake isnt too bad an issue, but just takes a little $ and time. The valve seals were fixed in 95-96 depending on when the car was made.

Or to avoid all the intake/valve seal issues, just find a 90 townie.

[porschpow]

Yeah I meant air bags as in the air springs,

i will call ford with the vin to get history on the car