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    #1

    My First Merc

    I am the proud 2nd owner of "Grandpa's Church Runner". I bought a 2003 Grand Marquis LS Ultimate this past Saturday with 28,000 miles on it! That is less miles than any used car I have ever owned in nearly 20 years of car ownership! This is one nice car, and I plan on making it a long term investment. My questions are - What can I expect from this car, is it as Reliable as I am led to believe, will I be able to drive 2000 miles across country and not irritate a bad back? What kind of car is it? I bought it knowing that these cars go 10X the miles I have on it currently, and am happy to have such low miles on a nice looking and nice riding car. I just want to know what to expect in the future...

    thanks!

    Rhealduin
    These are a couple of the Dealer Pics that led me to bud the car...
    Click image for larger version Name: merc4.jpg Views: 1 Size: 45.5 KB ID: 1302922Click image for larger version Name: merc1.jpg Views: 1 Size: 38.8 KB ID: 1302923Click image for larger version Name: merc10.jpg Views: 1 Size: 32.4 KB ID: 1302924Click image for larger version Name: merc15.jpg Views: 1 Size: 37.5 KB ID: 1302925
    Tags: Howdy!, n00b
    #2
    There are real end issues on this year so be on the look out. IIRC they used softer materials and that was the cause. Are you going to do your own work or farm it out? If you need help, do check out our resident expert, in your state, Scotty (Lincolnmania) as he is reliable, reasonable and a great guy to boot! Please note, I make NO money from this recommendation - just trying to be helpful. Others will chime in on '03's.....


    "Hope and dignity are two things NO ONE can take away from you - you have to relinquish them on your own" Miamibob

    "NEVER trade your passion for glory"!! Sal "the Bard" (Dear Old Dad!)

    "Cars are for driving - PERIOD! I DON'T TEXT, TWEET OR TWERK!!!!"

    Comment

      #3
      You will love it. That's a NICE Merc. Too nice for a daily driver lol. My only beef with 03+ is the rack and pinion steering. Not that it's bad, but I prefer recirculating ball style.
      Chris - A 20th Century Man \m/ ^.^ \m/

      Comment

        #4
        Might have been some LCM issues as well. Don't remember for sure.


        "Hope and dignity are two things NO ONE can take away from you - you have to relinquish them on your own" Miamibob

        "NEVER trade your passion for glory"!! Sal "the Bard" (Dear Old Dad!)

        "Cars are for driving - PERIOD! I DON'T TEXT, TWEET OR TWERK!!!!"

        Comment

          #5
          Originally posted by miamibob View Post
          There are real end issues on this year so be on the look out. IIRC they used softer materials and that was the cause. Are you going to do your own work or farm it out? If you need help, do check out our resident expert, in your state, Scotty (Lincolnmania) as he is reliable, reasonable and a great guy to boot! Please note, I make NO money from this recommendation - just trying to be helpful. Others will chime in on '03's.....
          Thanks for the heads-up! I had not seen anything mentioned on the 'net before buying it, so it is nice, in a way, to know it is not a perfect car! I was suspicious. For most work, I will likely have to farm it out these days - bad back was my reason for buying this, and keeps me from doing my own work.

          Thanks for the recommendations!

          Comment

            #6
            It is almost too nice to drive daily, but it is also WAY too comfortable to leave parked! I have noticed the steering floats along with the rest of the car - minimal effort required!

            Comment

              #7
              Welcome to the Party!!

              Also, the timing chain tensioners were hit or miss. If it has three dots on the timing chain cover, they were replaced.

              If you drove 2000 miles with this car, you would be glad you did.


              -ryan s.
              08 Lincoln Navigator L - 233k
              03 Mercury Marauder- 63k
              97 Ford Crown Victoria HPP "Tank of Justice III" (TOJ3) - 194k -->578.9 miles on ONE tank of gas<--
              94 BMW 325i Convertible - 135k
              73 VW Super Beetle "Bunky" <----- Wifey's
              12 Mini Cooper S - 90k <---- Wifey's
              Originally posted by pantera77
              Well my buddy tells him he knows exactly who loves buying shitboxes.

              Comment

                #8
                Welcome!

                I'm not too familiar with the newer cars, my 91 is the newest panther I have ever owned, but it looks like the issues that I am aware of have been covered already.
                Also, since it has the digital dash I assume it has Electronic Automatic Temperature Control (EATC). If it does have EATC and it defaults to defrost, then you'll want to replace the 4 o-rings in the vacuum actuators found inside the control head. It's a minor issue compared to the other issues already mentioned.
                Vic

                ~ 1989 MGM LS Colony Park - Large Marge
                ~ 1998 MGM LS - new DD
                ~ 1991 MGM LS "The Scab"
                ~ 1991 MGM GS "The Ice Car"

                Comment

                  #9
                  The LCM's have an extended guarantee from ford. Good for 15 years or 150,000 miles iirc.
                  The rear axles were soft. I just checked my 03 axles at 30K miles and they are fine but you may wnt to look at yours around 40K.
                  As SVT said, look for the 3 dots.

                  If you want more cushie, buy a Town Car but these are real nice and should last many years with normal maintenance.
                  03 Marauder DPB, HS, 6disk, Organizer Mods> LED's in & Out, M&Z rear control arms, Oil deflector, U-Haul Trans Pan, Blue Fuzzy Dice
                  02 SL500 Silver Arrow
                  08 TC Signature Limited, HID's Mods>235/55-17 Z rated BFG G-Force Comp-2 A/S Plus, Addco 1" rear Sway, Posi Carrier, Compustar Remote Start, floor liners, trunk organizer, Two part Sun Visors, B&M Trans drain Plug, Winter=05 Mustang GT rims, Nokian Hakkapeliitta R-2 235/55-17
                  12 Escape Limited V6 AWD, 225/65R17 Vredestein Quatrac Pro, Winter 235/70-16 Conti Viking Contact7 Mods>Beamtech LED headlight bulbs, Husky floor liners

                  Comment

                    #10
                    Your Mercury may have a small amount of problems as people have mentioned. Nothing really serious. Keep the maintenance up on it . Keep records of any work done. If you do not abuse it, have it service by qualified people, it will serve you well for many miles and years. Expect excellent gas mileage, excellent comfort.

                    Comment

                      #11
                      Originally posted by Rhealduin View Post
                      ... What can I expect from this car, is it as Reliable as I am led to believe, will I be able to drive 2000 miles across country and not irritate a bad back? What kind of car is it? I bought it knowing that these cars go 10X the miles I have on it currently, and am happy to have such low miles on a nice looking and nice riding car. I just want to know what to expect in the future...
                      ...
                      Welcome!

                      As you probably already know, certain versions of these cars have been used as police cars and taxis, and the latter typically end up with very high mileage. They're built like a tank and will last a very long time if properly maintained etc. The issues that I know about with the 03's have already been mentioned.

                      If I was you, I'd rustproof the crap out of it. Two weak points for rust are: 1. parts of the frame near the catalytic converters (I think people call them "torque boxes"), and 2. the front fender wheel well lip seams. You can get at the latter by removing the top fender liner bolts and shooting a suitable oil in through those holes.

                      The spark plugs are probably rated for 100,000 miles, but you might need to replace them before then.

                      You should get at least 100,000 miles out of the steering and suspension joints and bushings. It's probably best to replace all that stuff at once when the time comes rather than do things on a piecemeal basis, particularly to avoid multiple alignments. It's a lot of work replacing all that stuff, but you potentially get another 100,000 miles.

                      Have fun!

                      2000 Grand Marquis LS HPP, a hand-me-down in 2008 with 128,000 km; 175,000 km as of July 2014
                      mods: air filter box 'tuba', headlight relay harness, J-mod (around 186,350 km), 70mm throttle body, KYB Gas-A-Just shocks, aluminum driveshaft, ARA3 PCM

                      Comment

                        #12
                        Thanks guys for all the info! I knew it was a good find, and I intend to keep it around for a LONG time, it is the most comfortable ride I have had in quite a while. I miss the Land Yachts of old!

                        I have a bit of homework now, and look forward to checking into a few things to see what was done. I already know that I will be doing the 4 O-Rings though... I was wondering why the A/C liked to come out of the Defroster at times...

                        Thanks again!

                        Comment

                          #13
                          I did the O-rings on my 04. It's not a bad job, just takes a little time. The plungers can be a little tough to get back in, but you'll know when they are seating properly. Do a quick Google, there are plenty of write ups on it.
                          2020 Volvo XC90 T6 Momentum (Ice White / Blonde)
                          2022 Ram 1500 4x4 5.7 Etorque, Built to Serve Edition, (Granite Crystal / Black)
                          Past Panthers
                          1989 Grand Marquis LS (Cabernet/Grey), 1989 Lincoln Town Car SS (White/Blue), 2004 Mercury Grand Marquis Ultimate (White/Black)

                          Originally posted by Lincolnmania
                          if its got tits or tires it's bound to give you trouble

                          Comment

                            #14
                            Here are a couple of links to some of the best info I found on the EATC o-ring replacement.

                            http://www.mercurymarauder.net/forum...ad.php?t=80673
                            and a youtube video:
                            https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-43OlvWP0x8
                            Vic

                            ~ 1989 MGM LS Colony Park - Large Marge
                            ~ 1998 MGM LS - new DD
                            ~ 1991 MGM LS "The Scab"
                            ~ 1991 MGM GS "The Ice Car"

                            Comment

                              #15
                              Didn't have time earlier, here is the one I used. http://2008crownvicowner.blogspot.co...mperature.html
                              2020 Volvo XC90 T6 Momentum (Ice White / Blonde)
                              2022 Ram 1500 4x4 5.7 Etorque, Built to Serve Edition, (Granite Crystal / Black)
                              Past Panthers
                              1989 Grand Marquis LS (Cabernet/Grey), 1989 Lincoln Town Car SS (White/Blue), 2004 Mercury Grand Marquis Ultimate (White/Black)

                              Originally posted by Lincolnmania
                              if its got tits or tires it's bound to give you trouble

                              Comment

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