C4c

[d-ray657]

After reading this, I checked out the local CL for Crown Vics. We need to get something cheap because my son's encounter with the deer has us down to one car at home. Do you recommend any particular year(s)?

Regards,

D-Ray

[Boreas]

Originally Posted by d-ray657

After reading this, I checked out the local CL for Crown Vics. We need to get something cheap because my son's encounter with the deer has us down to one car at home. Do you recommend any particular year(s)?

Regards,

D-Ray

I think the "retired" cop cars usually get auctioned by the department or the municipality, etc. Maybe a call to a local PD would tell you how they work it.

John

[piece-itpete]

How old/cheap? Common online consensus seems to gather around the 04 though it might be tough to get really cheap.

My 97 Grand Marquis was very reliable.

Overall problems include:

1991-1995 valve seals. If it smokes this is probably the reason.

1996-2001 intake manifold failure

http://www.agcoauto.com/content/news/p2_articleid/185

If you look behind the alternator you will see the bit circled at that website as 'this area may crack', if it's metal it's been fixed. Most have been fixed by now.

2000-2003 timing chain tensioner premature wear. This is tougher, if fixed at Ford it's probably got little white or yellow 'Xs' and/or 'Os' written somewhere on the valve covers. When going bad the sound is often described as like a sewing machine.

There's other possible problems but these are the big ones.

Any other questions ask away! Love this stuff.

Pete

[icenine]

Originally Posted by piece-itpete

Weeeeeellllll John my luck hasn't been very good lately, but it was my own fault. I probably could've found a clean old Crown Vic (if any of them weren't c4c'd) but no, I had to get all fancy with the Town Car. Again though it was my fault, and here it is almost 3 years later and I'm still driving it.

A friend had a 91 Bonneville, it was a GREAT car. I'd drive the 6000 for sure.

I can see why some folks buy new cars and if you get lucky like Rob can be good to you. Heck my dad doesn't even change his own oil anymore.

That said if I had to pay 10-15-20k or more on a car I'd probably choke

The old Civics the 'kids' drive are amazing. Hey I complimented Mr Honda Seriously, they buy them looking ragged out with 300k miles and drive them forever, good on gas, fun to drive.

Pete

My Honda civic went to 289,000 and I most likely could have had it fixed when it broke down in 2009 but I got tired of dealing with it...
somecame to my house and bought it for $500 NOT Running....
so much for there being a used car at $1000 shortage...

my Honda CRV was bought off a used car lot no bargaining for $13k in 2006 with 70k on it...it is parked outside right now with 231,000 on it.

Pete any empirical evidence of car under 1000k shortage based on fact not you subjective experience?

[piece-itpete]

Um, it's been a few years now... but didn't c4c take around 700,000 cheap used cars off the road?

Pete

[Boreas]

Originally Posted by piece-itpete

Weeeeeellllll John my luck hasn't been very good lately, but it was my own fault. I probably could've found a clean old Crown Vic (if any of them weren't c4c'd)

Pete, you either don't know or are choosing to ignore the fact that one of the objectives of Cash For Clunkers was to get gross polluters off the road. You know, $1,000 cars?

If these trade-in clunkers had been put back on the market they would have either continued to be gross polluters or, because of the repairs to them for emissions, etc., they wouldn't have been $1,000 cars any more.

A friend had a 91 Bonneville, it was a GREAT car. I'd drive the 6000 for sure.

The Pontiac 6000 was basically a Chevrolet Celebrity. That ain't no Bonneville!

John

[piece-itpete]

Ah. Thanks. Don't know GMs very well outside of the b-bodies and even that is fading into time.

Don't polluters bring us back to the first post?

A LOT of energy and resources go into a new car.

Pete

[Boreas]

Originally Posted by piece-itpete

Ah. Thanks. Don't know GMs very well outside of the b-bodies and even that is fading into time.

Don't polluters bring us back to the first post?

A LOT of energy and resources go into a new car.

Pete

It's a balancing act, Pete.

John

[piece-itpete]

Hey D, is this anywhere near you?

http://cedarrapids.craigslist.org/cto/3485184893.html

Pete

[piece-itpete]

Here's another, I know, rims, but it sounds like a lot of basic stuff was done:

http://wichita.craigslist.org/cto/3534676225.html

edit: Whoop nevermind, damage.

Pete