About three months ago, I decided to buy a more fuel-efficient car due to the high gas prices.
But I didn't want an econo-box. I wanted something big and comfortable, relatively recent (and not high-mileage) and reliable. The first car I thought of which fit that description was the Lincoln Town Car. I decided on the '90s. Then I narrowed it down to '94 or '95. Then, because of the fact that the '95s have a lower first ratio gear (2.84:1) than the '94s (2.40:1) I decided on a '95 Town Car, either Signature or Cartier series. There were many potential ones for sale, but they were either not in my area or had high mileage, like 160,000.
A good one showed up on Auto Trader (http://www.autotrader.com): 1995 Town Car, Signature Series, grey, 109,000 miles, service records, excellent condition, original owner, leather, runs great, $4,495.
I drove over to look at it about a week ago and checked it out. It was as the seller described... very nice condition, nice thick leather seats, no large dents, good paint. I took it for a test drive; very quiet. Smooth ride, not quite as smooth as my '76 Cadillac limo, but the engine and transmission were just about as silky-smooth. Kelly Blue Book price for a '95 Town Car in "good" condition is $3,950. I made an offer of $4,000 and the owner accepted.
So I drove over and purchased it today and drove it home. I really like it. One of the last true large luxury cars. I had a chance to take a couple of photos, below).
I really like the cruise control, A/C, and radio controls all on the steering wheel. A good idea.
While I was driving it, I checked the current fuel mileage which was shown on the dash. It said 17.8 mpg, which is about what other Town Car owners get in city driving (range is 17-25 mpg).
What I'll do is drive my '69 Cadillac Fleetwood once every 10-14 days, and the '76 Cadillac limo maybe once a week. That way, a tankful of gas will last at least one month. It will also keep the mileage down below 100,000 on both cars.
Reading through Town Car message boards, I am impressed with the miles these cars rack up without an engine rebuild. Here are some examples:
'92 Town Car--- 267,000 (The owner calls it a member of the 200k club.)
'92------------- 157,000
'94------------- 143,600
'95------------- 151,000
'94------------- dead @ 264,000 (transmission)
These are owned by the same person:
'99------------- 250,000
'95------------- 352,254
'94------------- 450,000
'90------------- 106,000
'90------------- 402,843
'89------------- 470,738
A few more:
'95------------- 232,000 with original engine and transmission
'95 Cartier (top-of-the-line series)-- 495,000
'94------------- 227,000
'93------------- 177,000
Reply With Quote
Originally Posted by Quiggs
.
