What to look for??? buying??

[Caddydaddy13]

Hey guys, well i sold my 98 Caddy Deville and i am seriously thinking about buying the 87 Grand MArquis i talked about in my first post. It has only 35k original miles on it, and is in almost mint condition. It is $2300 firm.

It really is a beautiful car, but is there any major things i sould look for first? Any major problem areas?

~Thanks

[ford man]

Thoroughly check out the transmission. Get it up to freeway speeds if possible. Look for rust everywhere. Registration current? no back fees? Any maintence history or owner history is helpful. Any recent maintence done would be a plus... Test everything- ac, heater, power windows, radio etc, turn signals. Bring a blanket or piece of cardboard to lay on and look underneath the car for oil leaks and rust etc. Verify for yourself the mileage and condition. Tires ok? How old are they?

Hope this helps, Isaiah

[zoomie]

way freakin cool another local mang!!! although i think 2800 is a bit much for that car but its awsome that you chose a box! welcome to the party mang! oh check the shift grommet if its still there,replace anyway if this is broke it will toast the trans withen 5 miles

[EHJ710]

I LOVE the box panthers. I have two owned two Crown Victorias, an '82 and an '88, both of bought in the mid 1980's and drove them for happily and very and proudly for years. In fact the '88, a beautiful silver one, was used as my personal wedding limousine in San Francisco in 1994!

I even drove both of them on vacation across the border into Mexico, where the Grand Marquis was sold but with "Ford" (and not "Mercury") badging in these years, where the box panthers were known as "Mexican Cadillacs" back then.


Dollar per mile, the cheapest and most reliable cars of the all the ones I've owned, since the first one I bought (back in 1967) to this year, which brought me back to the Grand Marquis, the last iteratiom of the wonderful panthers, this year again. HAD to have one of the last ones, before it was too late to grab a new or near new one.

Nothing really about them gave me trouble, ever, that I can think of.

But my '82 reputedly had a poorly rated variable venturi carb system that wa no good. But mine never gave me trouble. By 1986 the 5.0 V8 had the EFI and it was super.


Spend a couple hundred bucks and install a dual exhaust on the 1987 if one isn't there. You'll enjoy the extra power.

If the car is equipped with the "Trailer tow" option package, it already has the dual exhaust, a peppier rear end (3.55 maybe) trailer wiring for the tail lights, HD radiator and transmission cooler, and ful size spare tire, so with those you are ahead of the game, some of those things come with the Police Interceptors of that Crown Vic Police Interceptors.

Another great idea, and part of the trailer tow package, as mentioned, is to fit a full size spare tire and matching wheel, on the trunk shelf, where the Interceptors have them. A neat addition, and dirt cheap to do, just buy a new matching tire and wheel, and it bolts right on.


Aside from the awful "Joan Claybrook" 85 mph speedometers on them, and no gauges, or tach, they are wonderful cars, great gas mileage, roomy, huge trunks, BOD safety and real metal bumpers, repairable by any dribble-chin corner gas station mechanic, and great visibility out the all the windows; what's not to like?

If you are VERY lucky, the car will have the little vent windows on the front doors; both my Vic's did, they were a stand alone option, and they look and function well.

I liked especially the carriage lights on the Grand Marquis box sedans of the area, definately more upscale from the Crown Vics that did not offer them even as an option.

The optional turbine wheels that were standard on the LS ones, looked nice, but the steelies and hubcaps standard on the GS '87's looked good and were lots easier to keep clean especially on the front wheels where brake dust builds up quick.


$2300 - $2800 is a good price for one like that, considering what value those cars are for the money. They cost about $17,000 - to $18,000 for a new one back in 1987, if my memory serves, and so now, they have depreciated to almost nothing, so if this one runs out well, its whole life is ahead, and theylook snazzy too, even over 20 years old.


This is an '85 LS from the movie "To Live and Die in LA" (1985)





Also, ask the dealer for an OASIS report. As I recall, these Panthers had a factory recall of some kind, I think maybe something about the ignition. IF your car never had it performed, take it to the dealer, and have it done. It's totally free....

[zoomie]

check this out gigs-36drs-2123721904@craigslist.org

[zoomie]

ecen better yet this http://cleveland.craigslist.org/cto/2117181982.html

[1987cp]

Just my ... on a 24-year-old Vic or Marquis, you're buying it for the body/frame and not for the engine or transmission. You'll eventually be upgrading the whatever out of the driveline anyway.

[Caddydaddy13]

Well i have driven the car. and it drives smooth as can be. Everything works on the car. heat and a/c work great. Car has tons of documentation and all original sales paperwork. And interior is absolutely MINT! Vinyl Top is perfect. Underneath is very clean, there is some rust in areas, but not too bad. there is a few small rust spots on the body (the worst is under the drivers side mirror, and another small one by front pass side wheel well molding. The only real bad other than that is that there is a hole in the fuel line on the driver's side. Tires are good. and has a new battery.

The original owner was an old man who passed away and the current owner bought the car throught his estate/lawyer. He bought it about a year ago and never registered it. I noticed it in his driveway one day on my way to work. so after work i stoppped and checked it out, it wasnt plated. so i knocked on the door and asked if it was for sale. guy said well no but his wife was getting on him to sell and he could use the money.. he said he paid $2900. but would drop to $2300 since it has a slight fuel line leak. He was going to keep it as his retirement car but got laid off.

So i am torn as to what to do.... i figure it has a lot of life left, but also dont want to sink a ton of money into it right off the bat.

Debating if i wanna go this route or get a newer car, since it will be a daily driver.

[zoomie]

Well i have driven the car. and it drives smooth as can be. Everything works on the car. heat and a/c work great. Car has tons of documentation and all original sales paperwork. And interior is absolutely MINT! Vinyl Top is perfect. Underneath is very clean, there is some rust in areas, but not too bad. there is a few small rust spots on the body (the worst is under the drivers side mirror, and another small one by front pass side wheel well molding. The only real bad other than that is that there is a hole in the fuel line on the driver's side. Tires are good. and has a new battery.

The original owner was an old man who passed away and the current owner bought the car throught his estate/lawyer. He bought it about a year ago and never registered it. I noticed it in his driveway one day on my way to work. so after work i stoppped and checked it out, it wasnt plated. so i knocked on the door and asked if it was for sale. guy said well no but his wife was getting on him to sell and he could use the money.. he said he paid $2900. but would drop to $2300 since it has a slight fuel line leak. He was going to keep it as his retirement car but got laid off.

So i am torn as to what to do.... i figure it has a lot of life left, but also dont want to sink a ton of money into it right off the bat.

Debating if i wanna go this route or get a newer car, since it will be a daily driver.

fuel line is a piece of cake if you buy it send me a pm and well see what we can work out it is a rather easy fix though and i can fix it, or ryan or zach if he has time

[Piece-it pete]

I'd say compared to the cost of a new or newer car you could easily buy the Merc and have say lincolnmainia give it a thorough onceover, or for cheap do it on the fly. I owned an 87 and it was easily the best overall and most reliable car I've ever owned. I'm on my 4th box panther currently, my DD, an 85 with 145K on it, saving money and living large every mile

If you consider that ANY car you buy in this price range (and quite a bit higher) is almost certainly going to need a few things, perhaps front end work, almost certainly suspension, possibly full tuneups, rust/body work, interior issues, etc you might as well get something truly durable and classy, just my .02. Old full size Ford products are just so inexpensive, such a good value.

Pete