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Anyone else soured by the cost of replacement parts??

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Posted by: Dr. Paul

You know, I've only owned my Lincoln for a few years. It's been a decent car, is very comfortable, and does what I need it to do - which is get me where I need to go in comfort, and with a little class.

Recently however, I've become a bit jaded with my 98 LSC. The following stuff has broken - most of it is standard stuff:

1. Mixture door, no mo' heat
2. Passenger headlight bulb
3. Driver seat motor
4. Passenger lock button
5. Driver seat fore/aft/up/down buttons
6. Driver side mirror leaked out

So, here's what that stuff costs:

1. Mixture door actuator is cheap, but the labor is either a HUGE pain in the ass to do myself, or pay some shop $500 to do it.
2. This baby cost me $200, but lucky for me I got it right before they became unavailable
3. This stupid thing on ebay goes for between $250 and $300.
4. Small plastic switch cost me $20.
5. Big plast switch cost me $40
6. A replacement mirror from Ford costs $200. A whole assembly on ebay is $250. That's absurd.

The worst part is, this is all used crap that is just as likely to break in a few years as the one it replaced. I haven't even had the pleasure of having the air suspension and a-arms start breaking yet.

What's even more infuriating about these stupid cars is that more parts are becoming unavailable every day. This only leads to people jacking the prices through the roof on ebay.

I'm not a cheap guy by any means. I have a $14,000 motor in my Mustang. However, when I spend money on it, I feel like there is some value added. In my Lincoln, I feel like I'm getting screwed over because I'm unluckly enough to own a car that doesn't have any parts available for it.

It is because of this that I'm going to sell this stupid car. For the same money and upkeep, I could have one hell of a nice daily driver mustang with dirt cheap parts to repair it and keep it in OEM or better condition.

Anyone else feel the same way?

Paul.

Posted by: 67Continental

i'll be glad to have you off the board. hope it sells fast.

Posted by: Joeychgo

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dr. Paul

It's been a decent car, is very comfortable, and does what I need it to do - which is get me where I need to go in comfort, and with a little class.

Thats what your paying for. Luxury, class, image.

Posted by: NYC LS8

That's part of the reason I gave my 95 away - I got sick and tired of having the parts place by me have to order parts for it because they weren't in stock (cam sensor, IAC valve). I go there for stuff for either of my VIIs, and they have it every tmie. Nevermind the PITA that the VIIIs are to work on. IAC valve anyone? Been there, done that. How about changing plugs and wires and having the rubber part that sits over the plug come off the plastic tube and stick on the plug. THAT was fun fishing out with a coat hanger, lemme tell you.

Don't get me wrong, I love the Mark VIIIs, but they're just too finicky for me.

Posted by: Dr. Paul

Quote:

Originally Posted by 67Continental

i'll be glad to have you off the board. hope it sells fast.

I'll hang around, just for you.

I thought you hated me so much that you had me on your 'ignore' list. Hmmm, strange.

Posted by: Dr. Paul

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joeychgo

Thats what your paying for. Luxury, class, image.

Since most people think it's just a damn thunderbird anyway, I don't think it's worth it.

Posted by: 67Continental

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dr. Paul

I'll hang around, just for you.

I thought you hated me so much that you had me on your 'ignore' list. Hmmm, strange.

a little bird told me you were leaving, so I had to see for myself if it was true. Luckily it was. Everyone else is on this board to help others, you seem to only be here to put people / lincoln's down, or to post about how much you hate your mark viii. in my opinion, you are the only negative user on this board.

Posted by: vr4

expensive car = expensive parts.

Posted by: taylor414ce2003

what you expect something made in America to actualy run and last longer than the warranty period

Posted by: mespock

Quote:

Originally Posted by 67Continental

in my opinion, you are the only negative user on this board.

No spend time in the political forum... LOL...

My thoughts. I paid very little for my 3 Mark VIIIs. I've replaced parts that have worn out. The cost some but I didn't think that they were too bad. (then again it depends on where you purchase them. I purchase mine on line.)

I figure if anything big really goes.. I'm still ahead from purchasing a new car.

Insurance is low, No car payments, and the cost of repairs hasn't hurt me yet.

As for the T-Bird comment.. hell... if that's what you think, around me nobody thinks it's a T-Bird...

Posted by: 67Continental

Quote:

Originally Posted by mespock

No spend time in the political forum... LOL...

lol as a Canadian, it's a forum I have zero interest in, lucky for me

Posted by: midwestbird

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dr. Paul

Since most people think it's just a damn thunderbird anyway, I don't think it's worth it.

Whats wrong with Tbirds, especially ones with DOHCs

Posted by: BLACK SUNSHINE 95LSC

As with any car you buy, if the

who owned it before you never changed the oil or rigged it with bars leak and motor honey, thats not the lincolns fault? If the raced it around on 87 octane and the motor was pinging like the booths in a porn shop, thats not the lincolns faut or any cars fault.

With proper maintinance you could rag on them a little and go 250,000 miles no problem. You live in desert, and it KILLS cars. Mine lives in garage and goes out at night, and during the day in the winters, which are precip free and 50's. If you bought it used in Pheonix, chances are its hit. I bought mine from cali and drove them back, the desert is too hard on cars, especially when summer average high is 115 degrees.

The purpose of this site is for Helping others, someone has a problem people shoot ideas and problem solved.

Your hvac system problem could be a cracked plastic vacume line that runs off top of manifold? all those doors run on vacume i beleive? Just a thought, even though you have done nothing but bash me, I still can help you, thats what the sites about, HELPING OTHERS, not siskel and eibart on car ettiquette, it just has no purpose here.

BUY MOTORCRAFT PARTS ONLY. IF IT LASTED 9-13 YEARS, CHANCES ARE YOU'LL GET THAT AGAIN. A $40K CAR IN MID 90'S WOULD RUN YOU $60-$65K NOW, SO YOU GOT YOURS FOR 5 G OR SO AND PUT A G IN IT, WHATS THE BIG DEAL, THESE CARS ARE SO UNDERVALUED BECAUSE THOSE RICERS THINK LINCOLNS ARE GRANNY CARS, THATS CALLED THE "SLEEPER FACTOR".

I wish you luck, but whatever you do, take a MIDOL and chill, no need to bust everybody, ruins you likeability and credability !!

Good Luck

Posted by: Dr. Paul

Quote:

There are some on this board who would probably disagree with you about how helpful I am. Luckily, I don't care what your opinion is of me. I'm happy to have helped them out, and would do so again in the future.

Quote:

Whats wrong with Tbirds, especially ones with DOHCs

Absolutely nothing, I'm just tired of people telling me my Lincoln is a Thunderbird. They're retarded.

My car has no mechanical problems. It's all the peripheral BS that breaks on these things. The motor will definitely outlast the rest of the car.

Quote:

You live in desert, and it KILLS cars.

No it doesn't. Dry climates like Phoenix are one of the best places to buy used cars. The cost of replacing rubber is much cheaper than rusted out body panels.

Quote:

If you bought it used in Pheonix, chances are its hit.

What evidence do you have to support this little gem?

Quote:

I wish you luck, but whatever you do, take a MIDOL and chill, no need to bust everybody, ruins you likeability and credability

I care little about my likeability, and I would put my credibility up against anyone else here. For starters, I can even spell it right.

Paul.

Posted by: BLACK SUNSHINE 95LSC

Your a doctor I would hope you could spell....I am retired mechanic, I dont care about spelling, what people think of me and my likeability is what matters most to me,

you see just because you are a character, doesnt mean you have character..

and

its better to be thought a fool, then to open your mouth and remove all doubt !! not sure if you'll get that one, most dont...

bottomline thats the problem, on a forum your likeability is important, and let everyone else on the site determine your credability, you can't.

I have to say you tick off more people and just have a bad attitude, why are you even on this site ???

we could take a poll.. but if your attitude could change, or you could holdback a little or take it out on neighbors cat, but not other members.. you just volunteer coments that are not asked for, nor are they even valid, just an opinion like schphinkters we all got them...

still waiting for you picture gallery, you rip on others, so post some pics of that derby beater so we can take our turn ??? you'll never do that or you'll take a pic of someone elses ride perhaps

either way you can have your negative opinions, just spare us, we REALLY DONT CARE TO HEAR THEM...I can only burn one for ya and hope you'll change, DOC

its all good

Posted by: JC1994

I have never had my Mark mistaken for a bird, but it's a gen 1 so that's probably why. and as far as the price for parts, it still way cheaper than a car payment every month.

Posted by: Dr. Paul

Quote:

Originally Posted by BLACK SUNSHINE 95LSC

Your a doctor I would hope you could spell....I am retired mechanic, I dont care about spelling, what people think of me and my likeability is what matters most to me,

you see just because you are a character, doesnt mean you have character..

and

its better to be thought a fool, then to open your mouth and remove all doubt !! not sure if you'll get that one, most dont...

bottomline thats the problem, on a forum your likeability is important, and let everyone else on the site determine your credability, you can't.

I have to say you tick off more people and just have a bad attitude, why are you even on this site ???

we could take a poll.. but if your attitude could change, or you could holdback a little or take it out on neighbors cat, but not other members.. you just volunteer coments that are not asked for, nor are they even valid, just an opinion like schphinkters we all got them...

still waiting for you picture gallery, you rip on others, so post some pics of that derby beater so we can take our turn ??? you'll never do that or you'll take a pic of someone elses ride perhaps

either way you can have your negative opinions, just spare us, we REALLY DONT CARE TO HEAR THEM...I can only burn one for ya and hope you'll change, DOC

its all good

You didn't answer any of my questions/responses above.

If people put up pictures of their car on a public forum, would you expect everyone to reply saying "woW bRaH, thAt ShizzY is tYTE yO!"

That would make for a boring circle-jerk kind of forum, now wouldn't it? People have posted pics of their cars on here and I replied that I liked it very much. That just happened to not happen in your case. Get over yourself.

Go ahead and continue believe that I own old crappy cars and that I come on here to validate my pathetic existence by picking on other people's cars. It's cool.

Carry on.

Paul.

Posted by: 02LSE96LSC91SE84TC

Yikes not again.

My Mark had alot of little annoying crap break too when I got it. I chose to make it a weekend toy rather than the daily driver. That didnt solve the problem, it has evolved to more serious crap now. Yet I still treat it well and it continues to let me down. Ohh well, good thing i have many.

Posted by: LABATTS-50

I love my mark 8 its a 93 i paid 1000 dollars for it and have put 500 in to the car. The mark 8 can need work and it dose have its down falls but the money i have spent on it is worth ever Pennie. I haven't spent much on it but its the best bang for my buck and for the most part i love working on it because i am a car guy . Arent we all. Mustangs are a dime a dozen.

Posted by: evillally

Quote:

1. Mixture door actuator is cheap, but the labor is either a HUGE pain in the ass to do myself, or pay some shop $500 to do it.
2. This baby cost me $200, but lucky for me I got it right before they became unavailable
3. This stupid thing on ebay goes for between $250 and $300.
4. Small plastic switch cost me $20.
5. Big plast switch cost me $40
6. A replacement mirror from Ford costs $200. A whole assembly on ebay is $250. That's absurd.

Bah! That's all you've spent? I myself and a few others have spent some serious coin on replacement parts and customization. And the blend door motor replacement should be an easy gig for a motor man. I do however, think Ford should be given at least 30 lashes for headlight debauchle. If I could only get my hands around the throat of the parts executive responsible...

Throw it on eBay for no reserve and collect what you can get. I'm contemplating selling mine, too. I recently got promoted at work- and as a promise to myself, I think I'm gonna buy a CTS-V...

Posted by: torquemonkey

Dear Dr. "Meany Head" Paul,

I share in your frustration. Have you priced a replacement cup holder for we Gen IIs? I believe the issue is, that there is an expectation of show room quality after many years of use. (not necessarily abuse, stuff would break sooner) Be it a cheap base model to the top end luxury cars, manufacturers use “value engineering” to cut costs across the board.

Every car has issues, I’ve read were writers complained that Aston Martins’ have a generic Ford turn signal arm. Why should that be a problem? Expectation... You would expect a car w/ a price tag like that to have only the “best” designs & materials offered. I myself have an expectation that a Lincoln, ought to have the best materials and craftsmanship available and put those into line production for the customer. Ensuring many years of motoring enjoyment. I am in my own happy little world when I think like that. Reality is, car manufacturer’s need to sell more cars or we end up where we are at today. (Ford and GM Co. instability...I’m sure you understood where I was going)

Lee Iacoca was asked about the issue of old Mustangs and the problematic location of their drop in gas tanks, igniting when the cars were struck from behind. His answer; “Buy a new one”. Short, sweet and to the point. Manufacturer support is to upgrade. Sound familiar Techie?!?!

In the end, I’m on your side. Frustrated, feeling ripped off and short sheeted. (Aside from those who have sold me parts from this and other sites, Thx.) Keep in mind that I choose to keep my VIII. I choose to keep it in the best shape I can. I Choose to accept the nuisance repairs and enjoy what the auto has to offer. I hope you will too.

Now off to wrench on the VII. It never ends....

Posted by: billcu

I've got two 94 Mark VIII's.

I bought the red one about 6 years ago it had 95k miles on it. Major repairs: new front suspension including airsprings, air compressor (w/spider valve), brake pads and rotors (front twice) battery, 8 tires, transmission, halogen headlight housings, AC condensor, radiator and a steering rack. The car has 187k miles now and it runs and drives great.

I bought the green one about 2 years ago it had 146k miles on it. Major repairs: new front suspension including airsprings, air compressor (w/spider valve), front brake pads and rotors, battery, alternator, 4 tires, HID headlight housings, EGR tube and sensor. The car has 163k miles now and it runs and drives great.

I do all my own work on my cars in my driveway. I enjoy it. They were high mileage cars when I bought them. I expected a lot of these repairs. I've never had cars last this long.

The only replacement parts that I found to be unusually high are the front airsprings and the headlights.

My other car is a 78 MGB. Some people tell me that I'm a glutton for punishment but, the more I work on all these cars, the more I like to drive them.

Posted by: Sergmark

Quote:

Originally Posted by vr4

expensive car = expensive parts.

Very simply put & remember it says lincoln on the badges and what did these cars cost new !

Posted by: mespock

Quote:

Originally Posted by billcu

I do all my own work on my cars in my driveway. I enjoy it. They were high mileage cars when I bought them. I expected a lot of these repairs. I've never had cars last this long.

Very well put... Same here I enjoy the work.... and they are high mileage cars that have lasted a very long time. Parts are going to wear out. I don't care what car you have after 100,000 miles something is going to wear out.

As I've said in many thread I don't have a car under 140,000 miles and they all run great. I've had to do some replacing of parts. I've saved a lot of money thanks to LvC and on line part stores.

Plus with how much I've paid from my cars if they totally died I don't feel I'm really out too much... New cars depreciate more in one year than the amount I paid for my cars even with the repairs.

Personally I feel "replace the part and get over it" Enjoy the car...

Posted by: Jerrwayne

When it comes to my 97 I just bought a worn out car and some of the new stuff I'v bought I'm just gona save to use when I purchase a gen 1. My 97 is a parts car. Wish I new that before I bought it. O'well. I'v cussed it a few times and cussed about it a lot until I decided I was gona make the best of it and use it for parts. Good luck with whatever you do.

Posted by: Dr. Paul

It's not so much working on it that is a problem. i don't really mind working on cars THAT MUCH (or I obviously wouldn't have my Mustang in the garage... needy bitch) - but c'mon, $200 for a light bulb!!! That is, if you can even find one.

Perhaps I'm spoiled by the boundless Mustang aftermarket.

It is definitely cheaper than a car payment - that I agree with. Most of my friends are paying $500+ per month for their cars. Screw that.

However, I would just like to not have a dozen little infuriatingly annoying things break on this car.

Oh, and I forgot about the door handle. That was fun. $140 for parts/paint - and that was not a fun job. I'd rather pull a motor than replace that again. That sucked.

Paul.

Posted by: turn_on68

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dr. Paul

It's not so much working on it that is a problem. i don't really mind working on cars THAT MUCH (or I obviously wouldn't have my Mustang in the garage... needy bitch) - but c'mon, $200 for a light bulb!!! That is, if you can even find one.

Perhaps I'm spoiled by the boundless Mustang aftermarket.

It is definitely cheaper than a car payment - that I agree with. Most of my friends are paying $500+ per month for their cars. Screw that.

However, I would just like to not have a dozen little infuriatingly annoying things break on this car.

Oh, and I forgot about the door handle. That was fun. $140 for parts/paint - and that was not a fun job. I'd rather pull a motor than replace that again. That sucked.

Paul.

Paul you have to shop around. I paid like $13 for my door handle and then the dealership / body shop just slipped it in when they were painting another car black and charged me nothing. The install was a nightmare, I almost quit 3 or 4 times trying to get it all hooked back up right. My blend motor was quoted by one delership in New Braunfels where I live at $67,Max at 5-Star quoted me $30 plus $5 for postage. Dealerships here are anywhere from $750 to $850 to replace this $30 part. Obviously I will do that myself. I did my own front shocks and had some trouble with the drivers side trying to get it compressed enought to get it in,but a long enough pry bar and it went easy.
I now have the rear shocks and air bags to do. I have the parts just trying to make the time.

Posted by: Gruuvin8

An expensive luxury car is like an expensive woman; if you don't spend money on her, you can't keep her, and you probably don't deserve her!

All this trash talkin' about your car is easy when your car doesn't talk back.

I bet if your car could talk back, she would say,

"Go buy a Toyota, you cheap cry baby!!"

LoL

see ya!

Posted by: MediumD

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dr. Paul

Perhaps I'm spoiled by the boundless Mustang aftermarket.

You are. You know why there's a boundless Mustang aftermarket? Because they're a dime a dozen. Mark VIIIs aren't, and sometimes you have to pay to play.

Posted by: Dominus

BTW, the mirror does not have to be replaced a complete unit if it leaks out. You can replace just the mirror glass itself. Done it on both sides.

Posted by: Dr. Paul

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dominus

BTW, the mirror does not have to be replaced a complete unit if it leaks out. You can replace just the mirror glass itself. Done it on both sides.

Yup, I found the $15 ebay replacement. That's gonna work fine for me. Screw $200 mirrors - that's retarded.

Posted by: torquemonkey

Here is an idea from this forum; post #3 follow the ebay link....
http://www.lincolnvscadillac.com/showthread.php?t=27526

Posted by: Dominus

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dr. Paul

Yup, I found the $15 ebay replacement. That's gonna work fine for me. Screw $200 mirrors - that's retarded.

I have found that the electrochromic function in the side mirrors is pretty useless anyway. At least on these cars.

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