Faults:

Power steering pump.

Water pump.

Digital dash.

General Comments:

Great old car. I bought this from a one owner. Paint is original, interior is in very good shape. Everything works.

Air shocks replaced with coils before I bought it.

Modern radio/CD player.

No transmission issues.

It's big lumbering and slow. It does what it was designed to do. It's comfortable.

Faults:

The main thing is the 5.0 runs great when it starts, but it takes a few turns of the key back and forth to prime it when it's cold.

General Comments:

As far as beaters go, this has been a good value. No sagging air ride yet or O/D transmission issues. This is the only year with the 302 and this body style.

I have a newer Mazda, but prefer to drive this.

Faults:

Idle control valve (twice) - car idled at about 1500 rpm. About a $500 fix each time.

Air suspension went out right before I got rid of it at 142k, however was still driveable.

Interior roof lining started to peel off in the very front-pretty ugly.

General Comments:

The reliability of this car was phenomenal, considering I had it for about 80k. Better than any other car I have ever owned.

Acceleration is acceptable for such a large and heavy car, but certainly not outstanding. Ride is great, handling sucks. Leaning is horrible. Perfect family car, but not the most fun one to drive. VERY comfortable, the leather seats make it hard to stay awake during driving. Trunk is enormous, backseat is very spacious, however the front legroom is not great for people over 6 feet. Headroom is great, even with the moonroof option. Stereo is very bad; no bass at all. Gas mileage is barely okay - don't expect any better than 17-18 mpg. But, then again it is a pretty big and old car.

I can't stress the reliability of this car enough-I had it from 60-140k and never broke down once! Unbelievable reliability for its age.

I would totally recommend this car-as a first car or a cheap family car. Count on not breaking down, and having a safe, huge, heavy tank of a car that's perfect for the kids and that you'll feel confident in going on long trips with.

Faults:

Air suspension had to be replaced the day I bought it.

Fuel pump had to be replaced.

Trunk lid pull-down had to be replaced. I got a cheap one from a junkyard. It took two tries to get one that worked, but now it works fine.

Air conditioner evaporator core had to be replaced. System was converted to R-130 coolant, as the Freon would have cost $150 just to charge it.

Needs a new water pump.

Needs muffler work.

Rear passenger side window doesn't work.

Leather seats are showing some wear.

The digital instrument panel is so weak that it is barely visible in daylight.

The fan motor doesn't work when the heater is set to "Floor." You have to run the defroster if you want heat to your feet.

General Comments:

The car rides like a dream. It is blissfully quiet, especially on the highway. The bolstered seats are wonderfully comfortable, and I love all the interior room.

The sound system is creditable.

It is fairly reliable.

However repairs tend to be expensive, particularly at a Lincoln dealer.

For such a big car, I get decent gas mileage--22-23 highway, less in town. I fill it up for $25-28.

I bought this car with high miles for just over $2000. The previous owners had had it dealer maintained, and had kept it in a garage. It had been repainted, thanks to hailstorm damage which was covered by their insurance.

I've had to make some repairs, but overall the car shows no sign of slowing down. My friends tell me I need a new car, but I say, "Why?" Why spend all that money for something half as good. I'll fix what goes wrong with this car and keep it on the road.

I plan on driving to Colorado this summer.