Quick question:
By 1992, was Ford using an electronic control for the AOD in the Mark VII LSC, or did they still use the TV cable? If they still used the TV cable, did they still have a propensity to fall apart at the throttle body and cause erratic shifting?
According to Mitchell ONDemand it's the AOD, not the AOD-E. Not surprising, I suppose, since the car also had speed density and an externally regulated alternator...
My engine came from a '91 LSC and it had the brass bushing and steel clip on the TV Cable. I suspect Ford had corrected the issue by then.
Or the massive recall that affected almost every RWD ford had something to do with it.
It may have had a nylon bushing instead of the rubber one by '92, but they still failed sometimes. The bronze bushing and clip is available from Ford new for < 5.00 so always replace it because the trans will burn up within a few miles without the cable connected.
My '92 Grand Marquis had the plastic bushing, fell apart when I was checking it's condition... Replaced it with the brass one...
Yeah, but a recall doesn't mean every RWD Ford had that recall service performed.
Thanks for the information, folks.
So I went and looked an a '92 LSC SE, which is a car I have always wanted. Not just the LSC, but the LSC SE. This one has the dark metallic red monochromatic paint scheme with a white interior. It has the charcoal BBS wheels with one missing centercap.
It has every possible option, 105k miles, inspected, runs and drives well (I was told).
The frame looks great with only minimal rust in the strut towers. While the trunklid and one front fender need some minor rust repair, the quarters and door bottoms looked mint. The interior is very rough.
I looked it over from stem to stern and saw no evidence of an accident.
They're selling it because it suddenly lost overdrive and they parked it for fear of causing further damage. It needs some new power steering lines to be safe for driving.
While looking it over, I confirmed what I had suspected: the TV cable was no longer attached to the TB linkage. I did not point this out to the owner. Would this keep the AOD from engaging overdrive?
They're asking a flexible $1,500. Thoughts?
Did you look at the condition of the transmission fluid??? 49 times out of 50, the transmission is already screwed when they notice it won't shift...
If the tranny is bad, $1500 is at least double what I'd even consider a good price...
I forgot to check the transmission fluid.
I can always go back and see it again.
A Mark VII is one of the few cars I'd give up my T-Bird for. They're hard as hell to find around here, and IMO are one of the best looking Fox cars ever built. The're kind of like a better looking T-Bird with all of the popular swaps already done (HO, 5-lug, 8.8" rear, floor shift, etc).
That being said, I don't know if I'd part with $1500 for one with a potentially bad tranny, trashed interior, and leaking PS lines. Mind, these are also things you could use to bargain the price down. Even if the tranny is fvcked it's only a few hours to replace an AOD, or if you were feeling especially frisky, a few more to swap a T5 into. That interior thing, though... that would break my heart. It's not like you can just find white leather LSC/SE seats at the local pick and pull...
If it's red w/ white interior then it's an elusive Fire and Ice Mark VII. That color combo is rare. Dk green and white interior is also.
I would be betting that the trans is in need of a rebuild.
What you need to do is get them to let you test drive it, and limp into a parking lot nearby and hook the TV cable back up to see what happens.
I gave 475 for mine with a bad trans and a trashed interior, and I was able to swap in a T5 for less than it cost to rebuild the AOD.
The T5 swap would be far more likely than an AOD rebuild.
It is a shame about the interior. The door panels are loose and stained, the seats are a 5 out of 10, the rear seat has mud and rust on the white leather (hauling junkyard parts?), and the headliner is totally destroyed. I don't think the moonroof leaks, though.
You can just barely see the white interior in the attached picture.
Would a $500 offer be an insult? This guy seems like he won't budge out of the four figure range.
I suspect he'll have it a loooong time then... A car like that wouldn't bring more than $300-$400 at auction around here... And if it has some rust, probably not that much... I bought a rusty '86 at auction back in '98(source of my 5.0), for $200 and it ran and drove...
Make him a offer and leave your number...
I went to look at a '77 305 Monza some years ago the guy wanted $1500 for... Was a nice little car with only 51K mi, a fresh transmission, and paint, but had a leaking heater core... I decided not to buy it, but was thinking I'll offer $900 to see what he does... Just before I made the offer, he blurts out "I'll not sell it for less than $750"... Yep bought me a Monza...
I'd say that car has air bag issues, too, judging by how low it sits. I'd try $500 on him. Worst he can do is say no...
Yeah, offer him 500 and see what happens. If he says no way, no big deal. You're in PA, Mark VIIs are all over the place up there. :D
ya 1500 may be a little high, i bought my 92 lsc for 800 canadian like 3 years ago and it had every option, the only thing wrong with it was that the passenger side door skin was folded up at the bottom and the seats were shot. it runs good, so i used the engine and trans for my 88 cougar.
Every car I have seen that was in good shape, had a good headliner. If the headliner is missing or ripped up with lots of tears in it, the car generally wasn't taken good care of.