gen 1 vs gen 2

I've never driven a gen 2, but I prefer a little of each of their looks. If they would not have changed the design of the taillights, kept the original throttle cable, and kept the gen 1 e brake setup, I would say the gen 2 is the better car.

Exactly.

I like the Gen 2 headlights but I like the Gen 1 rear surround. I like the two tone tail lights but I dont like the smaller inner lens and still I feel the all red ones hit my silver off well. I do like the Gen two rear bumper and valance and the front valance but I am drawn between the fog lights for both generations.

The good part about all this is if you have the cash and a spare vehicle to drive during the down time you can swap easily.

But thats on a cosmetic point of view at the two.
 
Well I believe that the gen 1 responds to the mods better than the gen 2 does. I know that the gen1 actually benefits from the full magnaflow exhaust, where the gen 2 is VERY minimal ( couple horses, about it). Even teh difference between the 3.58 and 3.31 isn't too much (I've been told by more than a few people that it isn't worth the time to switch to the 3.58's when I tear into the rear end to install the LSD).

I would say that given proper drivers in each of these cars with the basic 3 mods, the gen 2 would have a SLIGHT advantage. But not enough to base a decision of "which is better" solely on performance.
 
didnt they pull features out for the Gen2? Like the rain sensing wipers?

No. Gen II started with the 2003 model year, and those had them.
They eliminated the rain sensing feature early in the 2004 model year.
Other than that and the manual transmission, they only added features to gen II.

Another good gen II feature - Electric cooling fan.
 
ok so im getting confused.... my fans are definitely electric and i have a compus in my rear view mirror which i am told is wierd for a first gen
 
ok so im getting confused.... my fans are definitely electric and i have a compus in my rear view mirror which i am told is wierd for a first gen

Did you buy it new? If not, perhaps the previous owner modified it. Does it work as variable speed (Pretty good trick for a modification) or as single or dual speed?
How many fans does yours have? AFAIK all stock LSs only have one engine cooling fan. Gen I - hydraulic, Gen II - Electric.
 
If there was something I could change right now, that would be it. I dont' like the hydraulic cooling fan. I think the motor is starting to go in mine. It runs warm sometimes (at about 3/4 the way up the temp guage), and it sounds like the fan tries to run REAL hard to keep the temp down.
 
i have to double check.... pretty sure their are two that hi lo speed triggered from the thermostat switch.

No I bought the car used, but from myunderstandding th previous owner was an older woman. I noticed the drivers side VCG was done in orange gasket maker, and the car had an indash 6 disk with no subs as well as an aftermarket alarm with remote start.
 
Do the GEN 1's come with heated & COOLED seats, like some gen 2's.

Only Gen 2 since it was a new technology around 2002+

Cause I guess some people can't roll down a window or open the sunroof like the rest of us....
 
Only Gen 2 since it was a new technology around 2002+

Cause I guess some people can't roll down a window or open the sunroof like the rest of us....

New tech as in what? For Lincoln? There are a few vehicles pre 2002 with those options.
 
I test drove an MKX with the cooled seats. I like that feature because it keeps the temp nice enough that I'm not sitting in ball soup after an hour drive on a hot day.
 
hmmm then maybe it's not new technology but the only years I've seen the cooled seats are 2002+ years.....
 
I just think the Gen1 was the original and they went a little different direction with the Gen2. While it gained a few ponies it lost some Sport IMO. Most of the interior improvements are more just differences and subject to opinion. Different fabrics ane trim don't mean improved to me. I like the Gen1 seats better cause they have a sportier feel to me. I really don't like the Gen2 cluster at all. The Gen2s with the brushed metal and wood trim mix look like a mistake that slipped from the factory. Exterior is only slightly different, but the Gen2 single bulb tail looks cheap to me. Do like the Gen2 Headlights and grill better.


I will say the only way I'll own a Gen2 over my Gen1 LSE is a 04-05 Black LSE model. Seen one the other day and I could dig it.
 
hmmm then maybe it's not new technology but the only years I've seen the cooled seats are 2002+ years.....

They were added to the LS for the 2003 and up model years. I think the Navigator may have had them before that. I have seen some cars that claim to have cooled seats that were really just fan forced air, or air from the car's AC.
 
They are still considered cooled seats as apposed to air conditioned seats.
 
They are still considered cooled seats as apposed to air conditioned seats.

True.
The point being that the LS's self contained heated and cooled seats really are a hi-tech feature, as compared to the way some other cars do it.

In any event, if you live in a hot climate, they are handy to have.
 
so I've been wondering if the 2nd gen parts would work on a 1st gen such as window regulators, coils, and all that awesome stuff.

I love the first gen interior, I think it looks much nicer than the 2nd gen, but the exterior 2nd gen gets my vote.
 
Only thing I like about the Gen I interior are the seats. The leather/vinyl/whatever is much nicer and doesn't seem to crease as much.
 
first gen cluster, steering wheel, feel of the seat I like better


second gen aluminum is nice, but if its half aluminum and half wood then no thanks... but cooled seats would be nice!
 
first gen cluster, steering wheel, feel of the seat I like better


second gen aluminum is nice, but if its half aluminum and half wood then no thanks... but cooled seats would be nice!

It's either brushed aluminum or wood-grain, not both.
 
I like mine half and half:

Interior #1.jpg


Interior #2.jpg
 
It's either brushed aluminum or wood-grain, not both.
The center stack is brushed aluminum on all 2nd Gen LSes, so you could say it's both. The trim on the dash and doors is either aluminum or wood, though--and the wood is real wood (American walnut burl), unlike the plastic "woodgrain" on the 1st Gens.
 
The center stack is brushed aluminum on all 2nd Gen LSes, so you could say it's both. The trim on the dash and doors is either aluminum or wood, though--and the wood is real wood (American walnut burl), unlike the plastic "woodgrain" on the 1st Gens.

The center stack/console on the 2nd gen is a satin nickel plastic a long with the door pulls surround, while I liked the look it was just too much plastic that is why I chose to cover with real burl wood.
 

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