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Young guy looking to buy conti (questions)

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Posted by: TULinebacker

Hi everyone, Im 21 and im considering buying a continental. Most ppl my age like sporty/japanese car but i definatley prefer large luxury sedans. Ive found several 97-99 continentals on autotrader that are affordable for me ($7k-$9k and under 75k miles) but i have some questions....

1. Im in college and I dont have alot of money to spend on repairs because I can only work part time. Are continentals problematic compared to most cars?? (keep in mind im getting something with around 75kmiles). I need something reliable. Im trying to research but im getting some conflicting information,,,JDpower and assosciates rates lincoln as one of hte most reliable car while consumer report says its one of the least relaible??

2. If something does go wrong, are lincolns overly expensive to get repaired? Right now I have a saturn and my parents do not want me to get a lincoln because they say it will be much more expensive to repair compared to what i have now, should something go wrong. I dont mind paying a little extra but Im not sure if it will cost a little more, or alot more.

Thanks for any help!

Posted by: Sandlot

Lincolns in general have some model specific parts that are expensive due to there relative rarity.

From what I have read in the last 24 hours the Continentals only real downfall is the air suspension. This is expensive to repair if it is replaced as is (around $1200-$1500) but can also be replaced with traditional springs for much less, around $400.

The engine in the '95-'02 is a derivation of Fords 4.6L V8. FLM has made more of these than any other modern V8 in there linup and has no plans to discontinue the platform. parts are readily available and any mechanic who can work on a V8 mustang can work on a Conti. It is a front wheel drive car however, so be aware.

The rest of the car is based on the Ford Taurus. This being one of the largest production run cars of all time, and known to be bullitproof, bodes well for Conti reliability and parts availability.

Posted by: pepperman

to

the air system on the Continental can be expensive to replace but they are a good car. Test drive the Continental first before you buy, and when you do get it post some pics of it!!!!!

Posted by: napoleon1072

Quote:

Originally Posted by TULinebacker

Hi everyone, Im 21 and im considering buying a continental. Most ppl my age like sporty/japanese car but i definatley prefer large luxury sedans. Ive found several 97-99 continentals on autotrader that are affordable for me ($7k-$9k and under 75k miles) but i have some questions....

1. Im in college and I dont have alot of money to spend on repairs because I can only work part time. Are continentals problematic compared to most cars?? (keep in mind im getting something with around 75kmiles). I need something reliable. Im trying to research but im getting some conflicting information,,,JDpower and assosciates rates lincoln as one of hte most reliable car while consumer report says its one of the least relaible??

2. If something does go wrong, are lincolns overly expensive to get repaired? Right now I have a saturn and my parents do not want me to get a lincoln because they say it will be much more expensive to repair compared to what i have now, should something go wrong. I dont mind paying a little extra but Im not sure if it will cost a little more, or alot more.

Thanks for any help!

Im 19 and Own a 97 Conti shes a fun car to drive/mod, and shes been very reliable the only thing i've really had to do to her was change out the spark plugs

and that was a few years ago check it out take them for test drives and see what you feel more comfortable in.

P.S. You can always tweak the engine with Cobra parts

Posted by: atomheartmother

Well these cars are indeed a pricey fix at your local dealership/repair spot.
Since they are considered a "status" vehicle they are costly sometimes. But if ya do the work yourself... they run smooth and strong a long time.

Posted by: Linc97

I highly recommend the Lincoln Continental. . I have a 1997 model and the ride is pure luxury. I prefer driving my Lincoln over my 2001 Expedition!! What a ride! I replace the front springs(didnt come with front air bags) with strutmasters suspension package. My Anti-theft alarm would make the horns go off at all hours of then night - until I lubed and greased the door ajar switch in the drivers door and it hasnt been a problem since then. Replacement parts found only at the dealer are VERY pricey: Overhead console $450, Door panel $400, Auto lamp module $500 etc. . .but sometimes you can find these on Ebay or use lots of patience and go to a junkyard.
Hope you find a nice one that needs little fixup, you will love it.

Posted by: JLewisinSyr

If you do the work yourself, its no more expensive then fixing a Ford Taurus. Parts are fairly cheap aftermarket. If you plan to take it to a dealership though, you can easily rack up some nice bills. I've dropped $1,600 in my Lincoln over the past few months on ball joints, bearing hub assemblies and other items. Unfortunately though, up until this past week, I've had no time to do the work myself, so the dealership did the work for me instead.

Posted by: gimpgutter

I am 20, in college and own a beautiful 96 Continental. I absolutely love my car, everything about it,except repairs. This car was $45K to buy new and still has repair prices to match that price tag, even though you can pick up a 97 for less than 4 grand with under 100K miles.

Our car was meticulously maintained since we bought it used in 1998. All fluids changed regularly, always kept clean ,repairs taken care of immediately. Until about 2 years ago, our car had been to the repair shop once. However, there came a time when many thigns randomly seemed to go. Here is the list:
1) Paint on the car faded. Now, my car is black, and i have seen this only on other black Lincolns. The roof, hood, and trunk all showed signs of bad paint fade that was highly noticeable. Only solution was to get it repainted. Hood, trunk, and roof came out to 1200$. He did an awesome job, but still expensive. So rule #1, don't buy a black one from around this time (or find out if they stopped that issue in 97).
2) Both passenger and driver door handles snapped right off. Now we tried fixing this ourselves with a metal screw, which worked only so long. They need replacement, which is prob around 150-200 for both.
3) The dreaded air suspension. Granted NJ roads and the cold can really put a stress on the air springs, this breaking is imminent. And thats about $1500, or about 600 if u do it youself. If i were you, try to get a Conti with this already replaced.
4) The tie rods often need replacement after 120K miles. Came out to 600$ for parts and labor on that one.
I think that is about it for the major issues that most peopel seem to have.

Adding that up is 1200 + 200 + 1500 + 600 = 3500$. Hey, thats the bluebook on my car !. So, as you can see, costs of these common things may be worth as much as the car. HOWEVER, once you get these fixed....u will get a good 150K miles out of that car if you treat it well. And in my opintion, 3500$ for a car that will last you another 5 years its not a bad deal, especially since it is a Lincoln.

My car is fast, beautiful (really shines with a nice wax job), it has a great stock stereo, plenty of room for all my drunk friends, nice spacious trunk (not quite a Town Car, but good enough for 4 sets of clubs), awesome gauges, and is just an all around great car.

Come on, look at that beauty!

Posted by: MichiganTeddyBear

While my conti is a 91 and quite a bit different from what your looking for, I can honestly say that they are wonderfull. I am very sorrowfull right now, as my conti is in a state of non-function (rear air suspention), and I don't have the fundage to fix it right now. I am stuck driving my trusy rusty Jimmy.

Posted by: jrhartman

I prefer the 95-97 style over the 98+. You should be able to pick up one with less then 100K for $3.5-4k quite easily. The biggest concern that I would have is that some of the parts are quite expensive because they are continental specific (i.e. - ABS pump is ~$1400 at dealership)

good luck with your search.

Posted by: JLewisinSyr

Quote:

Originally Posted by jrhartman

(i.e. - ABS pump is ~$1400 at dealership)

Good thing they don't fail often...

Posted by: jrhartman

Quote:

Originally Posted by JLewisinSyr

Good thing they don't fail often...

it only takes once

Posted by: JLewisinSyr

Quote:

Originally Posted by jrhartman

it only takes once

Then you find yourself a used one at a pick and pull...

You can also find them at online dealerships for about $850.00

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