Faults:
Battery and Alternator changed at 120,000 miles. New 02 sensor, new air pump hoses to catalytic converters.
Changed all belts and hoses. Rebuilt front and rear brakes. New brake hoses. New master cylinder. New front rotors. New wheel cylinders on all four wheels. New brake hoses. Cost less than $250.00 in parts. Provided the labor myself. Not a bad deal considering a brake shop would charge much more. Brakes would have lasted a bit longer, but I figured I would just change all the parts, and not bother with it for several more years.
Changed Universal joints at 130,000 miles out of safety concerns. Change your your U joints at 100,000 miles. they have a limited lifetime. This is a safety issue on ANY rear wheel drive car. Bearings on mine at 130,000 were dust, drive shaft would have fallen off. This is to be expected. Not a manufacturers fault.
Changed water pump at 125,000 miles. Started to leak. This item usually goes around 100,000 miles. Water pump was only 35 bucks. 3 hours of work to install it myself. This is not Ford's fault. It is a normal wear item.
Changed the front and rear shocks, and put on a new muffler. New tires.
Change oil every 3,000 miles, rotate tires every 6,000 miles. Change coolant every year flush and fill. Change tranny fluid every 30,000 miles. Change spark plugs, rotor and distributor cap every 15,000 miles. Changed the wires.
General Comments:
Car runs like new. No hesitation, no stalling. It gets around 15/20 MPG.
I have done a lot of work on this car, but that is to be expected on car that is almost 18 years old and has well over 100,000 miles. Parts wear out. Change the normal wear items, and you will have a very reliable car.
This car is also great because it very cheap to repair, and is very easy to work on. Parts are everywhere and they are cheap.
I have known people to get 300,000 miles out of the engine and transmission. It all depends on how you take care of the car, and how you drive it.
It is too bad Detroit doesn't make a car like this anymore. This is truly the last of the traditional American full sized cars. Rear wheel drive with a big V8 and tons of room.
This thing is a freeway cruiser. I love the ride, and the way it handles. The power steering is effortless, you can turn the wheel with one finger. I miss this type of effortless handling when I drive my brand new car.
This is my wifes car, and I drive it whenever I can, as I just love the way it rides.
I have thought about selling this car, and getting a new one, but I just like it too much. I just don't want to part with it. I am actually thinking of having it repainted, and having a new vinyl top installed.
22nd Nov 2006, 17:32
Dose it have a 302 0r a 351.