My 1987 Mercury Colony Park

[Kodachrome Wolf]

how hot does the engine get? Id its borderline overheating it may be part of the issue here. If no gauge, a laser thing aimed at the thermostat neck will at least give an idea. Better would be voltage output from the coolant temperature sensor. Best would be both to see if the ECT is full of it.

Probe for the gauge is in the place of the one for the dummy light. Typically the needle stays between 200-210. Usually crusing it’ll stay 200, but under hard load or sitting still it’ll get up to 210. Never gets higher than that.

[gadget73]

ok, no worries there. Just a thought since I don't think it had been asked. Would still be worth checking the ECT and ACT to see if one or the other is full of it.

[Kodachrome Wolf]

ok, no worries there. Just a thought since I don't think it had been asked. Would still be worth checking the ECT and ACT to see if one or the other is full of it.

Apparently the ECT was having a physical issue. The socket was able to spin freely, and I realized I could only get an intermittent signal from it. I'm fairly sure it shouldn't be able to do that.

I grabbed a Motorcraft replacement, and just as general reference, anyone who replaces a ECT sensor with a new Motorcraft one (P/N DY1145), you will receive a modern type sensor (similar to '95+) with a replacement pigtail, two crimps, and two heat shrink tubes. This setup replaces the older circular type connector and sensor. You can still get the original type ECT sensor through aftermarket suppliers if you desire.

Motorcraft replacement stuff:


Installed:


I loomed up the pigtail after getting it spliced into the old harness. Seems to be functioning in the correct range with the modern replacement.

As far as driveability goes, it runs considerably smoother than before once it's fully warmed up, AKA, back to freaking normal . I think I can close this chapter of horse hockey driveability problems.

[sly]

[DerekTheGreat]

It's great that these are typically fixed by simple methods & means. I've started watching Pine Hollow Diagnostics(?) and South Main Auto and the troubleshooting those guys sometimes have to do to hunt down driveability type issues looks like a pie I want no slice of.

My Motorcraft ECT sensors come direct from the scrap yard

[gadget73]

Cool. SD has so few inputs that they're all kind of critical. Temperature signal really screws with how the fuel works, it also determines when to turn on the oxygen sensors.

[Kodachrome Wolf]

Received my registration renewal notice today. I've got until next month to swing by the tag office and pay the $20 to get my new sticker. It doesn't feel like I've had this wagon for a year nor did I drive 5,000 miles with it.

I took it out and drove it today. Started off no problems despite having sat for a few weeks. Then I found out the right rear tire has a leak. All the others were at 35 PSI, that one was at 20 PSI. I need to pull it off and inspect it, since it just recently started losing air, so I suspect I picked something up in the tread. I think both of my cars have at least one tire with a patch.

[knucklehead0202]

Sheeit, i've put almost 4000 miles on a work van i moved into about a month ago, which is more than i've put on my "new" car in the last year and a half. Is $20 all you have to pay for the year or is there more to it?

[Giraffe]

Sheeit, i've put almost 4000 miles on a work van i moved into about a month ago, which is more than i've put on my "new" car in the last year and a half. Is $20 all you have to pay for the year or is there more to it?

The explanation for this, as for many other things, is simply that California sucks. Yearly registration for my Mustang costs me $20 in Oklahoma with an additional $20 for the vanity plate it has. Texas gets a little more for the Mercury at about $78 every year. Inspection is $7 at a local place I go to.

[knucklehead0202]

Omg i'm going to cry and/or puke. I'm very aware of the fact that california sucks, but it seems like every day it gets exponentially worse. They seem to take sucking as a challenge here as well, constantly trying to outdo themselves. Can't wait to move.

[sxcpotatoes]

At least you're not a screwed as people in West Virginia. They have a European style VAT for car and towing trailer registration, you pay taxes on the full book value of the vehicle every year at renewal time.

[Kodachrome Wolf]

Sheeit, i've put almost 4000 miles on a work van i moved into about a month ago, which is more than i've put on my "new" car in the last year and a half. Is $20 all you have to pay for the year or is there more to it?

For the '87, since I don't have any vanity or specialty plates, it's just $20, or $21 if I renew by mail.

Georgia changed up how the vehicles were taxed in 2013. There is an annual Ad Valorem tax you pay if you registered a car before the 2013 changeover period. After that point, you now pay a one time tax up front when you register your vehicle.

This is our breakdown:
How Annual Ad Valorem Taxes Are Calculated (Pre-2013)

Ad valorem taxes are calculated using the following formula:

(Fair Market Value x 0.4) x (Millage Rate/1,000) = Ad Valorem Tax

The first part of the formula, (Fair Market Value x 0.4), describes how the assessed value of your vehicle is calculated. The Georgia Department of Revenue assesses all vehicle values for tax purposes each year. Assessments are by law based upon 40% of the fair market value for your vehicle.

A mill is 1/10 of 1 cent or $1 per $1,000 of assessed value. When we publish the millage rate, we are describing the number of mills. When we calculate taxes, we divide the number of mills by 1,000 to convert mills into whole dollars.

The millage rate is approved by each taxing authority. Therefore the individual millage rate for each taxing authority will be different.

The county Board of Commissioners sets the millage rate for county taxes, the county Board of Education sets the millage rate for county school taxes and the city authorities determine the rate for city taxes. These rates are generally set and approved in late July.

Because of this, the amount of taxes you owe will change depending on where you live. Therefore, it is very important you keep your residential address up to date so your registration renewal bills are correct.


Title Ad Valorem Tax (2013 and after)
TAVT is a one-time, per owner tax that is collected at the time the vehicle is titled. This tax applies to all title ownership changes, purchases or vehicles being brought into the state of Georgia by residents or new residents. Currently, TAVT is 7%* of the retail value, assessed value established by the Georgia Department of Revenue, or "clean retail" value shown by the NADA. Vehicles subject to TAVT are exempt from sales tax.


Essentially, when I registered the wagon, I paid all the taxes on it up front and now only have to pay for the registration renewal. The state only values it around $700, so taxes are incredibly cheap. I think when I went to register it, I paid more in title transfer than for the tax and sticker. I recall paying maybe about $90 overall to get it registered in GA, pay the tax, titled in my name, and plated.

The only downside to this style tax is obviously if you purchased a newer car, you're going to pay more in taxes up front, but after that's paid, again, you only pay $20 for registration renewal unless you have a specialty tag where the yearly renewal fee may be slightly higher.

[gadget73]

NJ you pay sales tax on the purchase price of the vehicle when you title it, annual renewal cost varies by GVWR class. The Towncar and the S10 are $78 per year, the Mark VII is $46. The Continental is going with historic plates and those are like 40 bucks every 3 years or something. If its a cash purchase of a used vehicle the money paid is whatever I say it is. A lot of people in this state own "$100 cars".



But fuck that paying annual tax on the book value of the vehicle every year shit. I'd expect more sanity from West Virginia.

[BigMerc96]

NJ you pay sales tax on the purchase price of the vehicle when you title it, annual renewal cost varies by GVWR class. The Towncar and the S10 are $78 per year, the Mark VII is $46. The Continental is going with historic plates and those are like 40 bucks every 3 years or something. If its a cash purchase of a used vehicle the money paid is whatever I say it is. A lot of people in this state own "$100 cars".



But fuck that paying annual tax on the book value of the vehicle every year shit. I'd expect more sanity from West Virginia.

In Michigan it goes of the base MSRP for the model, it goes down by some percentage every year for the 1st 3 years, then remains static for the rest of the vehicles life. That's all good and dandy, except the base MSRP for a M83 body code Town Car (Cartier) in 1997 was $43k, so the registration for my rot box is $199 a year, and the car is barely worth that much in its current condition. For comparison the base MSRP for a M75 (Grand Marquis LS) in 1998 was $23k so its a slightly more reasonable $120 a year.

[gadget73]

I really should stop bitching about the NJ DMV fees I guess. On the other hand we get bent over on property taxes so it all works out. I think thats the real game, each state gets the same kind of money from you but it varies exactly how they extract it. Like they say, death and taxes.