Found a 2003 P71

[Sphinx]

White

72,000 miles

Dual Spotlight..

Minor body work on the rear fender... but was planning to repaint the car all black...

5,500


any comments?????

good car?????

[mercenvy]

Does it have a honeycomb grille?

It's pretty hard to say whether the car is good or not from your description...do you have any pics? How was it used? What climate is it from, did it spend alot of time idling, does it have any new stuff(tires, brakes, etc,)?

[Sphinx]

even though i felt sarcasm from that comment merc.... I havent been able to head down to look at it cause of my ankle.... but its in El Segundo, Ca.

I talked to the guy I think he said new tires are on it.
hold on.. ill get the ad...

http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.jsp?car_id=207008287&dealer_id=58239078&car_year=2003&model=CROWNVIC&num_records=&bkms=1157240122474&lang=en&start_year=2003&mod_bookmark_id=null&certified=&search_type=both&distance=75&make=FORD&min_price=&address=93551&advanced=&end_year=2003&max_price=&cardist=49

not a whole lot a pics..

[Paul_]

Forget the P71, find yourself a 2k2 or above LX Sport or LSE.

[mercenvy]

even though i felt sarcasm from that comment merc.... I havent been able to head down to look at it cause of my ankle.... but its in El Segundo, Ca.

I talked to the guy I think he said new tires are on it.
hold on.. ill get the ad...

http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.jsp?car_id=207008287&dealer_id=58239078&car_year=2003&model=CROWNVIC&num_records=&bkms=1157240122474&lang=en&start_year=2003&mod_bookmark_id=null&certified=&search_type=both&distance=75&make=FORD&min_price=&address=93551&advanced=&end_year=2003&max_price=&cardist=49

not a whole lot a pics..

Yeah well the sarcasm was only the first statement........I couldn't resisit.

Seriously I would not buy that car sight unseen.
When I go to buy a car, I bring a jack and a section of 2X4 with me. I jack up the control arm and wiggle the wheel back and forth and side to side. You will know right away whether the tierods/pitman/idler are worn from the side/side, and the balljoints on the in/out test. At least then you can lowball a little as far as price if the parts are worn. These cars don't have rack&pinion(except for Marauder and the newer models) so there are alot of moving parts in the front steering/suspension then when added up at the same time is rather costly. Other than that-just drive the car and see what you think of it. Get underneath it. Nobody selling a decent car should object to that.
But P71s are a different bunch-you could get the creampuff of the century, or the biggest dog this side of Clifford.
There's just not enough info for me.
Good Luck!

[Archangel]

Mercenvy, this car is 2003 model, IIRC 2002 was the last year for the pitman-arm-type steering linkage.

[mercenvy]

Thank you.
I knew that they went to the rack-and-pinion at a certain point, but was uncertain as to when that time actually was...
Either way you will at least be able to ckeck the balljoints and tierods.
You won't be able tocheck for idler/pittman because they don't exist in your car.

[Paul_]

Forget the P71, find yourself a 2k2 or above LX Sport or LSE.

Forget the P71, find yourself a 2k2 or above LX Sport or LSE.

Forget the P71, find yourself a 2k2 or above LX Sport or LSE.

Forget the P71, find yourself a 2k2 or above LX Sport or LSE.

This.

[zwack88]

I would be kind of on the fence with that one. I mean I got my car when it was 4 years old for $2750 and it had 78k on it. That is twice what I paid for something that is only 3 years old as compaired to when I got mine when it was 4 years old. Mine didn't need any body work either. I just got mine cause there is no way I could pass up a 2000 for $2750. I was in the market for a panther and I was looking at aeros and boxes then I came across mine. If I were in the market for another panther I would steer clear of a p71 just for the fact you don't know how much it was abused. I am with Paul just get a LX sport or a lse.

[DanHool]

whats everyones oppinois as to whats better ont he newer opr the older steering?

[zwack88]

The rack and pinion is so much smoother and easier to turn in the lse then my steering box in the vic.

[Sphinx]

well i dont think i have that kind of money...... but the p71 has way more hp

also the lse and sports dont have pi engines do they?!

[Paul_]

Anything from 2001 up has the PI(Performance Improved) engine. If you can find one for a decent price, get a 2k3 or newer LX Sport or an LSE. The 2k3s+ have a new frame, new steering, new brakes and a new suspension. With the new suspension and new brakes you could take the wheels off an '05 'Stang and bolt them up to your car without spacers if you were so inclined.

The LSE and the LX Sport also have alot of features that aren't even available in a P71. And most of them, once you have it you don't want a car without it ever again.

[DanHool]

The rack and pinion is so much smoother and easier to turn in the lse then my steering box in the vic.

im more of a reliability and durability person, which would be cheaper to replace?

[zwack88]

A p71 is no faster then a Sport or a lse. The computer is the only thing that really effects anything but it isn't that big of a deal if you were to get a tune on a regular panther.