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Topic: Out with the Lincoln... *pics added* (Read 2792 times) previous topic - next topic

Out with the Lincoln... *pics added*

About a week ago a guy driving by stopped in while I was out in the driveway piling firewood and asks me if I wanna sell the stinkin' Linkin'. With gasoline getting more expensive (it's at about $4/gallon right now and only looks to go up) and the fact that a Lincoln Town Car is quite possibly the single most boring car on earth to drive, I had previously halfheartedly considered selling it (even placed ads, with no replies). I told the guy I'd not really thought about it. He whips out $3k, so I sold it to him. I only paid $2k for it, so I made out quite well.

Selling it forced me to drive the F-150 for a week. With $4/gallon gas and a vehicle that swallows it like it's free beer I started seriously considering getting something easier on gas. Some of you may remember that was my original plan when I sold the Volvo. Today I kept that promise to myself and bought a new DD/beater.

It's a '96 Saturn SL-1. 5-speed and fully loaded as Saturns go (A/C, power windows, power locks, remote keyless entry, cruise, and power mirror - yes, that's MIRROR, as in singular - Saturns with the power pack only have one power mirror, the right one). Everything works, including the A/C. The only options it's missing are automatic tranny (thank God), sunroof, and anti lock brakes.

It's in excellent condition (thank you plastic panels) except the left rear quarter panel and tail light - they are broken and need replacement. Because it's plastic it's a bolt-on thing and I've already found the parts for $150 shipped. It also needs a tie rod end ($25) for safety inspection.

The best part of all: $400. The dealer I bought it from didn't realize that the quarter panels are replaceable on it and was asking $700. The previous owner made a really, really horrible attempt at repairing the panel with fiberglass, which makes it look much worse than it actually is. I made it seem like the quarter was a deal-breaker and offered him $400, and he took it! That makes this the cheapest car I've ever owned (my first and previously cheapest car was a $600 Trans Am).

Pics will follow tomorrow - it's too dark out right now. I think I'll enjoy 40 MPG with A/C, and I KNOW I'll enjoy the 5-speed :hick:
2015 Mustang GT Premium - 5.0, 6-speed, Guard Green - too much awesome for one car

1988 5.0 Thunderbird :birdsmily: SOLD SEPT 11 2010: TC front clip/hood ♣ Body & paint completed Oct 2007 ♣ 3.55 TC rear end and front brakes ♣ TC interior ♣ CHE rear control arms (adjustable lowers) ♣ 2001 Bullitt springs ♣ Energy suspension poly busings ♣ Kenne Brown subframe connectors ♣ CWE engine mounts ♣ Thundercat sequential turn signals ♣ Explorer overhead console (temp/compass display) ♣ 2.25" off-road dual exhaust ♣ T-5 transmission swap completed Jan 2009 ♣

Out with the Lincoln... *pics added*

Reply #1 –
Whoa sweet dude. 40 MPG is waaaay better than anything I have ever gotten. Good job!

Out with the Lincoln... *pics added*

Reply #2 –
Theyre plastic?
93 Festiva L, 193k miles, BP+T/G25MR swap, T3 50trim .48/.42, SRT FMIC, Capri electronics/Rocketchip, 2.5" exhaust
bests: ET 12.86, MPH 110.25, 1.92 short
02 Subaru Impreza WRX, 129k miles
97 Subaru Impreza Outback Sport, 236k miles

Out with the Lincoln... *pics added*

Reply #3 –
Everything but the hood panle, trunklid and i think the roof.


Make sure you keep up on the oil changes on it.  My buddy got one that was mint (except for the BLACK smoke pourin g out the tailpipe) for 300 bucks.  We just rebuilt the motor last weekend...... probly only about 20 some hours spent on it total.  the only reason it took that long is because we diddnt have it timed right on the first fire and ended up snapping two rocker arms and bending one valve like an S.  EASY car to work on.  The smoking turned out to be the piston rings were worn out.  New rings, a hone and a good cleaning, and Viola!

40 MPG.  For a grand total of 600 bucks. (300 for the car, 300 in parts and gaskets for the re-build) Nice little car.
88 TC, Lots of Mods.

Out with the Lincoln... *pics added*

Reply #4 –
Nice score for a DD.Can't wait to se the pics.My wife had a Saturn L300 a while back.I have to say,it would move pretty quick,and had plenty of all around power.Leather,heated seats,keyless,CD player,moonroof,and everything else.Great car.
'88 Sport--T-5,MGW shifter,Trick Flow R intake,Ed Curtis cam,Trick Flow heads,Scorpion rockers,75mm Accufab t-body,3G,mini starter,Taurus fan,BBK long tube headers,O/R H-Pipe, Flowamaster Super 44's, deep and deeper Cobra R wheels, Mass Air and 24's,8.8 with 3.73's,140 mph speedo,Mach 1 chin spoiler,SN-95 springs,CHE control arms,aluminum drive shaft and a lot more..

Out with the Lincoln... *pics added*

Reply #5 –
Those are great little cars. My friend had one with the 5-speed and it gave no trouble at all. All the car required was regular maintenance.

Out with the Lincoln... *pics added*

Reply #6 –
Quote from: bhazard;177912
Theyre plastic?

Yes, as Birdman says, all vertical panels are plastic. "Different kind of car" and all that. Because they're plastic they are extremely easy to replace body panels (and because they're plastic they have HUGE panel gaps, which makes aligning new panels a cinch :hick:). They're also very easy to replace window regulators, door lock cylinders, etc - the door skins pop right off. Even the top of the dash panel comes off to allow access to the stuff behind the dash.

Quote from: Birdman;177923
Everything but the hood panle, trunklid and i think the roof.


Make sure you keep up on the oil changes on it.  My buddy got one that was mint (except for the BLACK smoke pourin g out the tailpipe) for 300 bucks.  We just rebuilt the motor last weekend...... probly only about 20 some hours spent on it total.  the only reason it took that long is because we diddnt have it timed right on the first fire and ended up snapping two rocker arms and bending one valve like an S.  EASY car to work on.  The smoking turned out to be the piston rings were worn out.  New rings, a hone and a good cleaning, and Viola!

40 MPG.  For a grand total of 600 bucks. (300 for the car, 300 in parts and gaskets for the re-build) Nice little car.

I was a mechanic at a Saturn dealership for six years - I know these things inside out, and I know how easy they are to work on (the term "gravy" was used in our shop regularly). I'm aware of the oil burning issue - I also know what causes it. Carbon - it builds up on the rings and makes 'em stick. When you replaced the rings in that engine I'd bet the old ones were hard to get out of the pistons because of carbon. Sometimes (but not always) an overnight soak after stalling the engine out with combustion chamber cleaner will free the rings up and reduce oil consumption. I would bet that this car burns oil (it's got close to 290k km or 180k miles on it) and have already loaded it up with cc cleaner as a preemptive strike. If it does end up using a bunch of oil but I end up liking the car I will find another engine, rebuild it, and stick it in. Time will tell...

Quote from: vinnietbird;177960
Nice score for a DD.Can't wait to se the pics.My wife had a Saturn L300 a while back.I have to say,it would move pretty quick,and had plenty of all around power.Leather,heated seats,keyless,CD player,moonroof,and everything else.Great car.

I'd never been a fan of the big Saturns (L-series). The V6 used in them was the same one used in the late 90's Saabs, and anything even remotely associated with Saab is a bad thing (our dealership also sold Saabs and Isuzus, so I was also a Saab and Isuzu mechanic). I'd always felt that the L-series was the beginning of the end of Saturn actually being different from other GM divisions. Up until then Saturns used unique platforms, had unique engines & trannies, etc - starting with the L's they shared platforms and powertrains with other GM divisions, and then starting with the Ion there was nothing "Saturn" left about them at all. Now Saturns are just another GM division like Pontiac or Buick. It's no coincidence that Olds was killed off while Saturn was being "de-Saturned"...

...And now, the pics:
2015 Mustang GT Premium - 5.0, 6-speed, Guard Green - too much awesome for one car

1988 5.0 Thunderbird :birdsmily: SOLD SEPT 11 2010: TC front clip/hood ♣ Body & paint completed Oct 2007 ♣ 3.55 TC rear end and front brakes ♣ TC interior ♣ CHE rear control arms (adjustable lowers) ♣ 2001 Bullitt springs ♣ Energy suspension poly busings ♣ Kenne Brown subframe connectors ♣ CWE engine mounts ♣ Thundercat sequential turn signals ♣ Explorer overhead console (temp/compass display) ♣ 2.25" off-road dual exhaust ♣ T-5 transmission swap completed Jan 2009 ♣

Out with the Lincoln... *pics added*

Reply #7 –
...ain't that quarter panel "repair" pretty? :hick:
2015 Mustang GT Premium - 5.0, 6-speed, Guard Green - too much awesome for one car

1988 5.0 Thunderbird :birdsmily: SOLD SEPT 11 2010: TC front clip/hood ♣ Body & paint completed Oct 2007 ♣ 3.55 TC rear end and front brakes ♣ TC interior ♣ CHE rear control arms (adjustable lowers) ♣ 2001 Bullitt springs ♣ Energy suspension poly busings ♣ Kenne Brown subframe connectors ♣ CWE engine mounts ♣ Thundercat sequential turn signals ♣ Explorer overhead console (temp/compass display) ♣ 2.25" off-road dual exhaust ♣ T-5 transmission swap completed Jan 2009 ♣

Out with the Lincoln... *pics added*

Reply #8 –
Quote from: Thunder Chicken;177967
...ain't that quarter panel "repair" pretty? :hick:


I could do worse.... :hick:

Great deal, congrats...

Out with the Lincoln... *pics added*

Reply #9 –
nice beater. And i bet it looks so much better before the previous owner did that.... I dont get why people gaf things....
RIP 1988 and 1990 Lincoln Mark VII LSC
I welcomed the dark side and currently am driving a 2000 Dodge Durango SLT plus, with a 5.9, Code named project "Night Runner"
Shes black on black, fully loaded, with headers, 180 tstat, e fan, straight exhaust into a cherry bomb vortex ler, full tune up, ported intake and T/B, MSD coil, and round aircleaner.
Mods to come: Fully rebuilt and heavily modded 46RE, and a richmond rachet locker.
my $300 beater ;)
R.I.P Kayleigh Raposa 12/18/90 - 2/24/07

Out with the Lincoln... *pics added*

Reply #10 –
Paint those bumpers and get a better set of wheelcovers/wheels when you repair the quarter and it would actually look pretty good! Nice deal, can't argue with the price! ;)

Out with the Lincoln... *pics added*

Reply #11 –
That looks like a pretty solid daily driver. I would never buy a Saturn with an automatic transmission. For that matter, I would never buy a compact FWD with an automatic transmission, but I'm seeing the manual tranny slowly being whittled out of our society. I guess Americans are so lazy they don't even want to shift.
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
 

Out with the Lincoln... *pics added*

Reply #12 –
Quote from: cougarcragar;178020
but I'm seeing the manual tranny slowly being whittled out of our society. I guess Americans are so lazy they don't even want to shift.


Drive in downtown Chicago in rush hour. Shifting gets old really fast:hick:


Nice pick up. I like how it's green like the Lincoln;)  One of my friends has a Saturn just like it (with an auto). Her plate says "YUM 69" :tg:
88 Thunderbird LX: 306, Edelbrock Performer heads, Comp 266HR cam, Edelbrock Performer RPM intake, bunch of other stuff.

Out with the Lincoln... *pics added*

Reply #13 –
Quote from: TurboCoupe50;177974
I could do worse.... :hick:

Great deal, congrats...
Oh, so could I do worse. You guys have never seen my first car (and my first attempt at bodywork). The bondo was at LEAST 1/2" thick. It literally fell off when I hit a bump...

Quote from: Aerobird Motorsports;178008
Paint those bumpers and get a better set of wheelcovers/wheels when you repair the quarter and it would actually look pretty good! Nice deal, can't argue with the price! ;)

New wheels on the beater are so far down on the priority list it's not even registering. The car's got four brand new tires on it, and I'd be happy if the car outlasts the tires. If I decide I want to keep it I might, just MIGHT, install the sunroof I removed from the parts TC (No, the Saturns don't have that roof support in the way like T-Birds do)

Quote from: cougarcragar;178020
That looks like a pretty solid daily driver. I would never buy a Saturn with an automatic transmission. For that matter, I would never buy a compact FWD with an automatic transmission, but I'm seeing the manual tranny slowly being whittled out of our society. I guess Americans are so lazy they don't even want to shift.
I'd never buy a small car with an auto either. I've not noticed a big problem with Saturn automatics, but I simply don't like the way they drive - it seems that the automatic tranny magnifies the already rough feel of a Saturn. That was the one thing I was absolutely determined - I was gonna have a standard. If I'm going to drive a shiznitbox it's going to be a shiznitbox with at least a modicum of fun. The air, cruise, and power options are just gravy.

Quote from: thunderjet302;178040
Drive in downtown Chicago in rush hour. Shifting gets old really fast:hick:


Nice pick up. I like how it's green like the Lincoln;)  One of my friends has a Saturn just like it (with an auto). Her plate says "YUM 69" :tg:

Dude, it ain't a pick up (that's in the background) ;) And the Lincoln was blue ;);)
2015 Mustang GT Premium - 5.0, 6-speed, Guard Green - too much awesome for one car

1988 5.0 Thunderbird :birdsmily: SOLD SEPT 11 2010: TC front clip/hood ♣ Body & paint completed Oct 2007 ♣ 3.55 TC rear end and front brakes ♣ TC interior ♣ CHE rear control arms (adjustable lowers) ♣ 2001 Bullitt springs ♣ Energy suspension poly busings ♣ Kenne Brown subframe connectors ♣ CWE engine mounts ♣ Thundercat sequential turn signals ♣ Explorer overhead console (temp/compass display) ♣ 2.25" off-road dual exhaust ♣ T-5 transmission swap completed Jan 2009 ♣

Out with the Lincoln... *pics added*

Reply #14 –
Quote from: Thunder Chicken;178049


Dude, it ain't a pick up (that's in the background) ;) And the Lincoln was blue ;);)


I know it's not the Pick-Up I meant it was a nice pick up as in find:D

I swear the Lincoln was Green. I must be color blind:hick:
88 Thunderbird LX: 306, Edelbrock Performer heads, Comp 266HR cam, Edelbrock Performer RPM intake, bunch of other stuff.