A Town Car out of town - my 1997 Town Car Signature Series

[Tynnerstroem]

Esteemed Panther-bretheren,

Allow me to present my 1997 Lincoln Town Car Signature Series that I have procured. Facebook Marketplace is a dangerous thing.






Now I haven't been actively looking to replace my 1988 Grand Marquis, which is pretty well sorted currently. But what with the paint, cracked dash and missing screws in door panels and dash I have felt that no matter how much work I reasonably put into it, it won't be as nice as I would like it to be in the end. When I came to that conclusion, I decided to be one picky bastard when it came to the replacement and not to buy for the sake of buying. As such I've been keeping my eyes open for some time, and finally this beautiful Town Car came along. Now I am likely in the minority here but the aero-generation is my favorite among all Panther platform cars, and the 1995-97 Town Car's are likely the most attractive of all cars ever to ride on top of this platform.

It is likely a two-owner car, which spent most of its days in Florida. The previous owners were a couple who live here but who wintered in Florida, found this car at a dealership and bought it to have as their car in the United States. That was 18 years ago. Since the car came here in 2010, still under their ownership, it has sat during winters and has done approximately 25 000 miles (40 000km) and now has a total of 112 000 miles and change (180 000km). There's no rust on it. The underside hasn't seen salt in its life from what I can tell, the factory paint and markings are still there. It's finished in this gorgeous color that I think is called Evergreen Clearcoat Metallic and has a beige interior.

It is a Signature Series so it has lots of goodies. It has a (functioning) sunroof, the JBL stereo and a dual exhaust from the factory. That exhaust is a nice surprise, as it's my understanding that the 1997's shipped with a single system unless you sprung for a Cartier. It also has air ride which functions wonderfully and was partially restored under the previous owner. I have never had air suspension before but man what a wonderful thing! It's just perfect going down the road.

Now no car is perfect and the same is true for this one. It has a few imperfections in the paint but none too bad to have redone at this time. But there is some service work to be done, as they've kept up with motor oil changes but not much else and it is a surprise that it runs as good as it does. There's a vibration when braking but I can't feel it in the wheel so it's likely coming from the rear discs. The plug wires are numbered and have the year 1997 printed on them - surely these are the factory ones? The front end was rattling pretty bad over uneven surfaces so I changed these links out which sorted that problem. But I also then noticed that the rubber seals on the ball joints were broken, so I've ordered new upper and lower ones as they've began creaking on every Panther I've owned so far - why take a chance?


The parking lamp assembly decided to lose its glass when I was washing the car with a pressure washer, but this quick redneck glue fix sorted that out. Ideally I'd just get new assemblies but they don't have the Lincoln crest on them, so hopefully this will suffice.



I also got rid of those clown-ass chrome arches around the wheel wells, which makes the car go from caricature to tasteful really fast. For reference, here's what it looked like before.




The rear bumper also sags on it, which is visible from this angle. I don't know if that's fixable or if one has to try and find a new one. Anyone have any ideas?


So, now what? Well the plan is for this to become my new, only car. One could argue that its a shame to begin exposing this car to road salt and all, but at the same time I believe in driving my cars. Since it hasn't seen any salt before I've decided to shell out for one of those truly professional rust proofing treatments at a reputable firm.

• It has the plastic intake with the plastic crossover, so I assume that's the one it came with from the factory. I'd assume its the Dorman 615-178 that I would replace it with (together with that metal coolant pipe under the intake, as I've understood those can crap out as well and why not while the intake is off)? I know there's a Ford Performance thing but it's my understanding that its for later cars, or cars with different heads or whatever but I'm not interested in spicing this car up - I just want that dependable, dignified Town Car vibe.
• The JBL-system is acting up, as there's this reverbing sound effect that comes and goes and the sound one day decided to just get "flat", so I'm going to need to troubleshoot that stuff.
• There's a fair bit of wind noise (not from the sunroof) and road noise that I need to dig into where it's coming from.
• The front door sags a bit, and I saw there was a thread on re-pinning the hinges. That thread looked to be about a 1980's model, but are those hinges the same on my 1997? I couldn't see that new complete hinges were available to buy anywhere.
• The car just needs general servicing, with fluids, PCV valve and that whole jazz.

These all feel like surmountable tasks. But overall it's a beautiful car that I aim to care for and enjoy driving far and wide. I'm really pleased with it and it's nice to be back in an aero car again.

[87gtVIC]

Nice car. That is a pretty color for sure.


I actually liked the chrome over the wheel arches. Still looks good without it to.

For the bumper who knows? Maybe one can remove it and shove something underneath it to prop that section up more.


enjoy.

[Arquemann]

You'd piss off a lot of Mercedes owners with your statement about the chrome arch trims. And I fully agree with you.

She's a definitely a looker! These cars look the best without vinyl tops. Looks much more modern inside out, compared to the pre-facelift ones. Even though I prefer the pre-facelift, the newer front works well with the green.

[jaywish]

Yes that is indeed a great find

[Pvt.Hudson]

Chrome wheel arch covers only serve to rot out the fender faster then it already does.

For the intake you need the NPI one but Ford doesn't offer those anymore and really the only choice is Dorman or Mystery brands. And recently Ford contracted either Dorman or another OEM to make a aftermarket PI intake which makes less power the normally PI intake and has integrated gaskets. You could swap to the PI intake however its uncertain if the new PI intake could be adapted.

The under intake hose on a 97 isn't metal its a rubber hose that is 98+ thing IIRC.

Stereo I would just get an aftermarket and be done with it. JBL is ok an improvement over the premium sound system but aftermarket offerings sound way better. And I think you can still get a module that would retain the steering wheel controls.

Other specific things to watch for is the outside dimming mirror delaminating, no longer made. Blend door actuator which requires partial dash removal which controls the temperature of the EATC. And the moon roof button these like to break.

I prefer the 90-94 ones but the interiors on those are fragile. I've owned 4 Aero TCs and 1992 is best year looks wise. 97 was just a hold over year where they cut costs but it did get you conveniences like single key for entire car and no trunk lid keyhole cover,

[GMUE03]

Gorgeous. The best looking generation of town car in my opinion. Not to mention, the 4.6 is such a wonderful engine. I’d like to think they’re inherently less leaky than the 302 (going from paper gaskets to rubber gaskets/o-rings).

Sorta bitter sweet knowing the 88’ will get put up for sale, but all good things must come to an end. Excited to see where this project goes!

[DerekTheGreat]

...So, now what? Well the plan is for this to become my new, only car. One could argue that its a shame to begin exposing this car to road salt and all, but at the same time I believe in driving my cars. Since it hasn't seen any salt before I've decided to shell out for one of those truly professional rust proofing treatments at a reputable firm...

The best way to avoid rust is to avoid salt+moisture exposure. Beyond that, the ONLY thing which will work at slowing the rate of rust accumulation will be to treat the thing with Fluid Film or Wool Wax annually, or Krown T40, but that's the least effective of the bunch. Coatings/paint simply DO NOT work. All they do is trap moisture while giving off the facade that your car is not rusty due to the black paint or whatever color their schmoo is.

EDIT: You certainly want to have it treated before salt exposure. Don't think that because it hasn't seen salt that you've got six+ years before it'll start to happen to your car. Coating systems' corrosion protection does have a lifespan. Beyond that point, they will start to rust rather quickly when exposed to salt & moisture. It only takes 2-3 years around here for older cars imported from arid states to start crisping up around the edges.

[Tynnerstroem]

Thank you kindly gentlemen. I've ordered some parts for the Grand Marquis, to sort some things out before I sell it, so this car is currently doing daily driver duties. It's wonderful to have cupholders again and that sunroof is just such a wonderful thing on these sunny spring days. My white trash ass can't get over what a joy it is to drive a car with air suspension, and it's not like the Grand Marquis doesn't float like it is. I have noticed a drop hanging from the shocks up front so I'm thinking I might as well order new ones. In order to avoid stiffening it up, which ones do you guys recommend I go for? I'm going for that factory floating feeling, no CVPI cosplay here. Although I have noticed that the car has both front and rear sway bars.

87gtVIC the more I read up on how those arches are usually mounted to the car, the more I realized that a sizeable amount of people actually like them. To me they look off on a car that is otherwise so lacking in chrome, but if one prefers the more classic look I certainly see the appeal.

Arquemann ah yes the chrome-arched Benzes! I remember seeing those in traffic when I was a kid. We always equated it with the Finnish Roma back then, fairly or not. I do agree that these need to be without vinyl tops. Those aftermarket ones just never look as right as the factory ones on our boxes do. Thanks!

Pvt.Hudson thanks for the great write-up! I was a bit worried what I might find under there but considering it hasn't seen salt I rolled the dice and got lucky. They were put on there with three self-drilling screws each. Nightmare fuel. For the intake I'll go with the Dorman, it seems the easiest way, but as for the under-intake hose it still makes sense to swap it out for a new coolant hose right? God knows what shape that thing is in after 30 years. The drivers side mirror has indeed begun delaminating but seems to control and heat up okay so it'll be in place for now while I keep an eye out for a good used one. As for the stereo I hear you, but considering it's a semi-complex setup on these I'd prefer to keep it stock. This stereo mainly plays jazz, driving rock or narrated articles or audiobooks. The house music DJ sets of my nightclub-going youth would likely sound awful on this setup but that's a price I'm willing to pay.

GMUE03 Thank you kindly! Having been out of a 4.6 for like four years I'd forgotten how understressed and silky smooth these are. The Grand Marquis has had a wonderful run with me, being awoken from a driven-once-a-month-in-the-summer slumber to daily commuting and cross-border travels. If it was hit by a truck tomorrow I'd still be glad for the travels it got to do, and I'm passing the facelift-box torch on to you from now on

DerekTheGreat the car will be treated this summer, a comfortable distance ahead of salt season. I am under no illusions about what driving it year-round will or won't do to it, but at the same time I just can't do the summer and separate winter daily driver. The joy is in using them, and I do look after them in the winter with a weekly wash. Now if it was a 50k mile car, some rare one-off or a vintage Porsche, say, then yes but such a car I wouldn't buy for daily duties anyways. This, and the '88 Grand Marquis, are ways to add some color and joy to life's daily duties.

[DerekTheGreat]

I'm not saying don't drive it, I'm saying treat it with something that'll actually help prevent corrosion. I posted a while back about my GMT400 truck and it's rust accumulation, or rather, lack thereof. I bought it and started driving it everyday years before those things became worth money. Even now that they are, I have no plans to sell it for something else, even though it would cost me north of $6,500 USD for it's near exact replacement.

[Pvt.Hudson]

Pvt.Hudson thanks for the great write-up! I was a bit worried what I might find under there but considering it hasn't seen salt I rolled the dice and got lucky. They were put on there with three self-drilling screws each. Nightmare fuel. For the intake I'll go with the Dorman, it seems the easiest way, but as for the under-intake hose it still makes sense to swap it out for a new coolant hose right? God knows what shape that thing is in after 30 years. The drivers side mirror has indeed begun delaminating but seems to control and heat up okay so it'll be in place for now while I keep an eye out for a good used one. As for the stereo I hear you, but considering it's a semi-complex setup on these I'd prefer to keep it stock. This stereo mainly plays jazz, driving rock or narrated articles or audiobooks. The house music DJ sets of my nightclub-going youth would likely sound awful on this setup but that's a price I'm willing to pay.

Its just cooling hose so you can replace don't recall the size. Actually come to think of it I think the under intake hose is rubber until PI intake came in 2001 because of the deeper runners. I swapped a PI intake on my 2000 TC. Mostly because I wasn't going to wait around for the og intake to fail and I wanted to gain a little bit of power as well.

Very doubtful your going to find a working exterior dimming mirror unless it NOS. I would just swap the mirror for a non dimming one. As replacement mirror housings/w mirror don't come with memory so its really the easiest path. Or you could try dissecting it draining all of the electrochormatic fluid and then reassembling it but I think the seals on them are designed to be assembled not disassembled.

Some other maladies are cracked solder joints in the instrument cluster, just have to retouch them and issues of instrument cluster weirdness will be gone. Also heater are plenum door hinge is made of plastic and will break at some point and you will no longer be able to control the airflow. Dash removal require which would be good time to replace the blend door actuator with a Motorcraft one if you can still get one. You will have to make a new hinge for the heater plenum. And EATC AC cut out relay (soldered onto the EATC PCB) if stops working your AC will no longer work until its replaced. There are companies that will rebuild EATC but cheaper to have soldering iron and just DIY.

Been a long time since I had my 95 TC but I still remember not enjoying cleaning out the EGR passages because of the shitty valve seals. My 97 GM valve seals slightly leak but because its plastic intake it never clogs. Swapped over complete TC seats with Mark VIII headrests and working redundant control steering wheel from a 97 TC into my 97 GM.

[MelvinH365]

Looks like a beautiful Town Car. I sadly just sold my '97 Executive. I still think it was the best driving car I have owned. The ride/handling balance these cars have is remarkable. Well, at least from the perspective of a box owner. My '97 also had that rear bumper sag, and I never did address it. I did fix it on my old Grand Marquis by removing the cover and then stacking some rags on top of the crash bar. I think I also saw a guy use a pool noodle once. The door hinges are different. My '97 also had this problem. The 90s don't seem to hold up very well for whatever reason. I never had a problem with the hinges on my '07 Marquis.

[Tynnerstroem]

Thanks again Pvt.Hudson. I assume that whether that actuator or heater core go out first, I'd assume you don't do one without the other once one craps out.

Thanks MelvinH365! These really do ride absolutely wonderfully. I have found some relevant info on the hinge pins online so I'm hoping I get to that this year as it has chipped a little paint off of the rear door.

I have been using the car a bit since I got it. What a lovely car this is to drive and now that summer has come around the sunroof is nothing short of wonderful. A wonderful commuter too, as I'm seeing a steady 20.5 - 21 MPG.




I have been doing some service work but a fair bit remains, as I've mainly been washing it. The leather was bone dry so I treated it today but it will likely need further doses of conditioner to be properly rejuvenated. The plugs and wires must've been the ones from the factory, check these wires out! Swapped the coils while I was at it. I also did the fuel filter as I couldn't find any indication on it actually having been swapped out.

[Tynnerstroem]

A wonderful driver it has been for various summer adventures. We've been blessed with a good summer too, with high temperatures and sunlight.








But is there any joy that lasts? If there is, I am yet to find it. I've bought a new intake and everything to do that job, to be rid of the plastic crossover and to get that peace of mind that comes with eliminating a known fault. Alas, the world had other plans for me and decided to stay one step ahead.


How did the car end up on a tow truck? Well, the more I have used and looked more closely at the car, the more I have realized that no, I can't drive it in the winter. It's too nice. Having wrenched on it a bit underneath the car I am amazed at how nice it looks and how no bolts are stuck. The car looks beautiful when I wash it and I dread the car being in an accident due to someone losing their grip on the snow or some such. With the Grand Marquis that wasn't an issue, as it has never been this nice. But after a fair bit of mulling it, I decided that I need something else to drive while this ole gal is spared the indignities of salt.

So that led me to Marketplace and other assorted places for classifieds. Now I didn't want to put myself through the punishment of just any old econobox with a stick shift, so I gravitated towards what I've found to be an arbitrage opportunity in my market: Gray market USJDM cars. These tend to come here when expats move here, through the embassy or when Swedish people living in North America bring their cars home. These are in a sense "real cars", in that they're not tiny or uncomfortable or just that they don't feel like a punishment when driving them. Also, since a lot of them were never sold here, nobody on Marketplace or wherever knows that these cars/models exist, leading to them being priced a lot lower than a car of comparable size and comfort that's sold here from the beginning. There has never been a Honda Pilot, Toyota Avalon or Nissan Altima sold here, so who is going to search for that on Marketplace? Not to mention having access to the huge parts ecosystem of RockAuto and Youtube how to's that come with models that sold more than our entire market when new. After some searching, I landed on this (cue the memes of the subprime loan auto buyer):



It's a 2013 Altima SL with the 2.5 four banger and a snooze-inducing CVT. Some Swedish guy bought it new in St. Louis when attending school and then brought it home, having done a proper undercoating and that whole jazz when bringing it here. An exciting car it is not, but it ticks all of the boxes for me. It is a lot of car for not a lot of money, so if it gets rear-ended during my commute I'll just pocket the insurance money and look for the next such car. On sales numbers, they sold about 320 000 Altimas in 2013 whereas that same year Sweden's entire market saw 269 000 new cars registered in total.

But back to the Town Car - what happened? While going across the country to pick up the Altima, I was sitting at a light by a roadside construction and began started smelling coolant. Then smoke came. By incredible fortune this was by a spot in the road that allowed for parking so I managed to pull over before the temp gauge climbed out of the "normal" range. People have found religion for less. Pop the hood - coolant all over the top of the motor. Both coolant hoses and the radiator look fine, so my guess is the crossover walked off the job, or that hose/pipe under the intake. By this point I am about 250 miles / 400 km from home. Regardless, I called my insurance company who were super cool. They hooked me up with a towing and a rental car, all included in the modest deductible, and the tow guy who was also a cool guy drove us to the rental place as it was on the way to the yard. Cannonballed the miserable rental car to the Altima guy, bought it and then left the rental to cannonball the Altima home. A friend of mine who has a dealership hooked up a car transport home to me and I'm being told the car lands today. A nuisance for sure, but my goodness thank whatever higher power is out there that it happened where I could pull over and not obstruct traffic. I looked and there's no water in the oil so I foresee no motor damage from this.

I have a little sorting out to do with the Altima and the Grand Marquis to get that one ready for selling, then my undivided attention shall be directed at the Town Car again. Fun times!