Gauging interest on my 1988 Colony Park wagon. 106,000 miles. I know once it leaves my hands I'll regret it and be heartbroken, but other projects and life plans are taking shape. If the right owner, right offer, etc comes along I am going to entertain it.
Car is located in north east Illinois near the Wisconsin state line. It is NOT a midwestern car, it came originally from the west coast and the condition reflects that. The body and frame are clean and 99.9% rust free. The only spot of corrosion is on the body plug in the passenger side front door frame. I will be posting two Youtube videos which clearly show that. The vehicle is in great shape inside and out. All vehicle equipment is in good condition and works as designed. Windows, door locks, tailgate and glass, power antenna, air conditioner, heater, front and rear defrosters, signals and lamps, etc etc etc - it all works. Instrument cluster and radio work great with no warning or trouble lamps displayed. Radio display LCD does not have working back light making the station readout difficult to read under certain conditions. I was and may yet still replace the radio with something more modern.
Vehicle drives straight and rides smooth the way these are supposed to. Steering is spot on, requiring the minimum amount of fuss and one finger to pilot down the road as one expects from a box panther. Front shock absorbers have been replaced with new units and wheel alignment performed. Newer all season tires from the previous owner are installed with good wear pattern and tread life. Rear suspension and all springs have been inspected and passed. Front brakes are new in every respect - calipers, pads and rotors. Engine fires up and runs smooth, idles smooth. Fuel pump and sending unit was replaced with a new assembly because the gauge would drop out and randomly show empty. Spark plugs, wires, distributor and ignition module have all been replaced. Battery and terminals were replaced when the battery died on me this winter. Tailgate cable was in poor shape upon taking ownership of the car, so I replaced that with a generic but functional truck cable of the same length.
Two of the power windows had loose/stripped gears, so I replaced those as well. All windows and locks on the doors work well. Front doors have the vent 'smoker' windows which are fantastic in the summer time. Almost negates the need for air conditioning. Seats are in good shape, no rips or tears in the fabric. Fold away seats in the rear section are blue vinyl and work flawlessly. Its an 88, so only the two front primary seats have shoulder harnesses - all other belts are lap only. it has seat belts for eight total. Power seat motor and controls work great. Interior lighting works in all sections. Exterior lights all work - headlamps, high beams, signals, cornering lamps, brake lights, 3rd brake light, B pillar decor lamps. The bulb in the driver keyhole is apparently burned out and I have no desire to take the door apart to replace it.
The car drives great. The ride is smooth all the way to 80 mph with a full compliment of adults from stem to stern. Acceleration is on par with your typical two plus ton panther - adequate
Cruise control works as designed. The 'cancel' button has intermittently not shut off cruise control on the first click while driving, so I either press it once more or tap the brake pedal. Steering wheel leather is intact, but aged. There is slight discoloration and wear. Wiper stalk and gear shift are in good shape and work on all settings. Braking is, as anticipated with new brakes, very good. The car tracks straight while stopping or accelerating. I have not had tracking issues or pulling at any speeds. The car is very comfortable and rides relatively quiet. The exhaust had rotted through at the midsection, which was replaced. The car is much quieter now. I see roughly 17 miles to the gallon with mixed city and expressway driving.
Issues I have with the car? What few there are, are minor. There is a very intermittent and very slight stumble which manifests itself so randomly and so infrequently that I cannot for the life of me track it down. When it happens its for a moment or so and feels either like a sudden miss or hiccup. Best I can tell its something that occurs when there is alot of cool moisture/recent rainfall. I replaced the battery, terminals and some awfully green ground wire, and I have not had the car repeat these little quirks since then. I hesitate to call it a cure, and would rather be upfront about that. There are two small dents of any real consequence - one on the right rear door (looks like a golf ball smacked it) and one next to the tail gate glass on right side. These are visible in the video links posted here. The woodgrain is all here and the chrome is too, but they are 27 years old and show their age in certain spots. The good and great far outweigh the negative. I have owned two of these wagons and two other panther sedans (an 89 and a 10). This by far is the one I get the most thumbs up in. I rarely see them around this area and when I do, they are in sad shape.
I am torn, but the right amount of money would probably sway me. I am asking $3,500 which I consider more than fair considering the mechanical well being and cosmetic quality inside and out. My 8 year old daughter just peeked over my shoulder and read the title of this thread - her sour reaction might be enough on its own to convince me to keep it!
Message me here or email me if interested - protegegarage@gmail.com
video #1 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tiSr_uc4up4
video #2 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6f54Ov63N4A
Click the attachments below for larger images;
Car is located in north east Illinois near the Wisconsin state line. It is NOT a midwestern car, it came originally from the west coast and the condition reflects that. The body and frame are clean and 99.9% rust free. The only spot of corrosion is on the body plug in the passenger side front door frame. I will be posting two Youtube videos which clearly show that. The vehicle is in great shape inside and out. All vehicle equipment is in good condition and works as designed. Windows, door locks, tailgate and glass, power antenna, air conditioner, heater, front and rear defrosters, signals and lamps, etc etc etc - it all works. Instrument cluster and radio work great with no warning or trouble lamps displayed. Radio display LCD does not have working back light making the station readout difficult to read under certain conditions. I was and may yet still replace the radio with something more modern.
Vehicle drives straight and rides smooth the way these are supposed to. Steering is spot on, requiring the minimum amount of fuss and one finger to pilot down the road as one expects from a box panther. Front shock absorbers have been replaced with new units and wheel alignment performed. Newer all season tires from the previous owner are installed with good wear pattern and tread life. Rear suspension and all springs have been inspected and passed. Front brakes are new in every respect - calipers, pads and rotors. Engine fires up and runs smooth, idles smooth. Fuel pump and sending unit was replaced with a new assembly because the gauge would drop out and randomly show empty. Spark plugs, wires, distributor and ignition module have all been replaced. Battery and terminals were replaced when the battery died on me this winter. Tailgate cable was in poor shape upon taking ownership of the car, so I replaced that with a generic but functional truck cable of the same length.
Two of the power windows had loose/stripped gears, so I replaced those as well. All windows and locks on the doors work well. Front doors have the vent 'smoker' windows which are fantastic in the summer time. Almost negates the need for air conditioning. Seats are in good shape, no rips or tears in the fabric. Fold away seats in the rear section are blue vinyl and work flawlessly. Its an 88, so only the two front primary seats have shoulder harnesses - all other belts are lap only. it has seat belts for eight total. Power seat motor and controls work great. Interior lighting works in all sections. Exterior lights all work - headlamps, high beams, signals, cornering lamps, brake lights, 3rd brake light, B pillar decor lamps. The bulb in the driver keyhole is apparently burned out and I have no desire to take the door apart to replace it.
The car drives great. The ride is smooth all the way to 80 mph with a full compliment of adults from stem to stern. Acceleration is on par with your typical two plus ton panther - adequate
Cruise control works as designed. The 'cancel' button has intermittently not shut off cruise control on the first click while driving, so I either press it once more or tap the brake pedal. Steering wheel leather is intact, but aged. There is slight discoloration and wear. Wiper stalk and gear shift are in good shape and work on all settings. Braking is, as anticipated with new brakes, very good. The car tracks straight while stopping or accelerating. I have not had tracking issues or pulling at any speeds. The car is very comfortable and rides relatively quiet. The exhaust had rotted through at the midsection, which was replaced. The car is much quieter now. I see roughly 17 miles to the gallon with mixed city and expressway driving. Issues I have with the car? What few there are, are minor. There is a very intermittent and very slight stumble which manifests itself so randomly and so infrequently that I cannot for the life of me track it down. When it happens its for a moment or so and feels either like a sudden miss or hiccup. Best I can tell its something that occurs when there is alot of cool moisture/recent rainfall. I replaced the battery, terminals and some awfully green ground wire, and I have not had the car repeat these little quirks since then. I hesitate to call it a cure, and would rather be upfront about that. There are two small dents of any real consequence - one on the right rear door (looks like a golf ball smacked it) and one next to the tail gate glass on right side. These are visible in the video links posted here. The woodgrain is all here and the chrome is too, but they are 27 years old and show their age in certain spots. The good and great far outweigh the negative. I have owned two of these wagons and two other panther sedans (an 89 and a 10). This by far is the one I get the most thumbs up in. I rarely see them around this area and when I do, they are in sad shape.
I am torn, but the right amount of money would probably sway me. I am asking $3,500 which I consider more than fair considering the mechanical well being and cosmetic quality inside and out. My 8 year old daughter just peeked over my shoulder and read the title of this thread - her sour reaction might be enough on its own to convince me to keep it!
Message me here or email me if interested - protegegarage@gmail.com
video #1 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tiSr_uc4up4
video #2 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6f54Ov63N4A
Click the attachments below for larger images;
Comment