Possibly looking at purchase

[MustangCop]

Howdy,


I am currently looking at possibly purchasing a Mark. However, I need to get some information before I make my decision.

A little background is in order here. I grew up in a Ford family, all I know about vehicles revolves around Ford. I started out with a '65 Shelby, when I sold that I got a '93 Mustang Cobra, which my ex-wife brilliantly sold when I was over seas. Since then I have had various vehicles but never anything I really wanted. Last year I found an '88 Mustang GT that I dearly loved. However, it needed so much work that I never did get it road-worthy. My wife (not the wicked witch of the west that sold my cobra) lovingly convinced me to depart with the Mustang so we could get some bills taken care of. She did so with the promise that I could get the vehicle that I want when the time was right.

I have searched high and low for the right car. I always wanted something that is uncommon, yet recognizable. Something that was comfortable, yet powerful. I looked into Porsche, BMW, Mustangs, etc. but living where I live (Hilton Head/Parris Island area) all of those vehicles are as common as fleas on a dog. Yet, I have only seen one Mark in the area.

What I need is good information about the Mark. What are it's strengths, what are the weaknesses? What do I need to look for when looking at them? Are there any trouble areas that will bite me in the future? I just need solid information that will help me make the right choice and have a good vehicle that I will enjoy for years to come.


Thanks in advance for the help.

 

[fossten]

Strengths - engine, purchase price is cheap
Weaknesses - just about everything else will break at some point.

Don't buy one unless you want to learn to work on it.

If you don't mind working on it, you will find this site invaluable - to the tune of saving you thousands of dollars in labor costs.

The wrench turners will chime in soon but that's the short, non-detailed version.

 

[98lincmk7lsc]

Welcome to LVC from Summerville, SC! You ever make it to this area?

If so, and you need help working on it once you get one, I'd be happy to help!

 

[Lownslowlsc]

gen 2 97-98

hid healights go bad and are not sold new..Its either ebay for a used one or get a new ebay hid setup with adapters..usually under 100 bucks

Rear neon light ballast. Dont make them anymore..Get a used one or buy a new one from a member named glitch...90 bucks iirc.

Cupholder assembly: the "wings" often break making them unuseable.

Blend door actuator: these break aswell and are costly to replace at the dealer..Can be done by the first timer in less then a day. part is only 50 buck...get it done will be 5-750.

<97 trans arent the best..98 has the "good trans"

96 is a oddball year for parts for the first gen iirc

93-96 have crappy headlights, more outdated ext and int. Some will say they are abit faster.

All: Air susp problems..Can be converted to coils for under 500..Can do urself.

 

[MustangCop]

Welcome to LVC from Summerville, SC! You ever make it to this area?

If so, and you need help working on it once you get one, I'd be happy to help!

Thanks for the welcome y'all. I'm not immune to working on my own vehicle, so that is not a problem. I have restored a total of 5 vehicles in my past so there is not much I won't do.

I appreciate the offer for help, though! Very cool. New car means learning a new set up.

I live in Beaufort, which isn't all that far from Summerville, I do make it up there on occasion. Originally I'm from Texas, my wife's parents retired in Beaufort and she wanted to live near them.... you know how that story goes.

Primarily I'm looking for a '97 or '98 LSC, I like the neon tail light. I'm thinking of spending between $5k and $8k for a low mileage example, if I can find one in black.... (that's the one my wife wants).

I'm guessing at this, but isn't the 4.6 engine the same as was put into the mustang, thunderchicken, and crown vic? I realize it is a DOHC where the others were only SOHC, but aside from the heads the remainder is the same?

 

[fastmark1993]

the mark has a dohc 32valve 4.6, same motor that is in the cobras the mark was the first with this motor, so really cobras have a mark viii motor! its a b head engine. so superchargers are "fun".

if your looking for fast, go for a early build date 93
luxury, 97-98 lsc.

 

[Screw-Rice]

the mark has a dohc 32valve 4.6, same motor that is in the cobras the mark was the first with this motor, so really cobras have a mark viii motor! its a b head engine. so superchargers are "fun".

Don't start giving the guy bad info. The engines are similar, but NOT identical. Intake is different, and intake (iirc) cams are different.

Superchargers can be added, but require some modification.


I have a 97 LSC, that I DD. 20k miles on it, this year, and no major issues.

They can be really reliable, just have to stay on top of the "typical" issues.

 

[fossten]

Thanks for the welcome y'all. I'm not immune to working on my own vehicle, so that is not a problem. I have restored a total of 5 vehicles in my past so there is not much I won't do.

I appreciate the offer for help, though! Very cool. New car means learning a new set up.

I live in Beaufort, which isn't all that far from Summerville, I do make it up there on occasion. Originally I'm from Texas, my wife's parents retired in Beaufort and she wanted to live near them.... you know how that story goes.

Primarily I'm looking for a '97 or '98 LSC, I like the neon tail light. I'm thinking of spending between $5k and $8k for a low mileage example, if I can find one in black.... (that's the one my wife wants).

I'm guessing at this, but isn't the 4.6 engine the same as was put into the mustang, thunderchicken, and crown vic? I realize it is a DOHC where the others were only SOHC, but aside from the heads the remainder is the same?

I'm sure you don't need me to tell you this, but make sure you leave $1 grand for replacement parts and such.

 

[Lownslowlsc]

I'm sure you don't need me to tell you this, but make sure you leave $1 grand for replacement parts and such.

sound advice...

And for the price range your looking at it shouldnt have very many probs and under 50k miles on the high end (6500-8000) 8k being a 9.5/10.. Just check the main problem areas listed.

 

[rooster1969]

In some cases that would $1 grand won`t go far.

 

[Lownslowlsc]

but if the dood is spending upwords of 8k on 1 i sure hope he wouldn't have to spend that to get it "in shape"..Maybe if he spends 3-5k.

to get my 97 w/125k I got it for 3k 2.5 years ago "in shape" only cost me 5-600 bucks. 2 Bj's,strut robs bushings, blend door actuator, new 1.5 lowered kit,shocks,and misc little things on the inside and outside cause i'm anal.

 

[rooster1969]

Never know, a used car purchase is a gamble no matter how much you spend.

 

[Don Pfau]

AFTER LOOKING AT SOME OF THE CARS YOU HAVE OWNED. It looks like you would want to up the base peformance level. If this is true i would look for one for sale here already like you would want it. This would save you work and money. Unless you would want to do it. Oh ya Welcome

 

[MustangCop]

AFTER LOOKING AT SOME OF THE CARS YOU HAVE OWNED. It looks like you would want to up the base peformance level. If this is true i would look for one for sale here already like you would want it. This would save you work and money. Unless you would want to do it. Oh ya Welcome

It is true that I have owned some real performers in the past. I was young, dumb, and full of... pride.

I am not looking for one that is already modified, I want something bone stock. I would probably do a little exhaust and intake work just to give it a little extra power and a nice sound. I'm not looking for a stoplight gladiator. Something comfortable to cruise in with my sweetheart by my side. I get enough of the high speed driving in my job. I suppose I have grown up.... God I feel old.

And thanks for the welcome

 

[Marcus]

A few things from the top of my head for gen 2s (97-98). These are mostly cosmetic or "gadgety" things. I'll leave the mechanical stuff to the experts.

Oil pan (applies to all Marks)- These tend to rust badly, and are no longer available new. Used ones are fairly hard to come by.

Oil filter adapter gasket - can go bad and is a pain to replace (or so I'm told ).

Headlights - the HID bulbs are no longer available. They will start flickering when they're going bad. You have several choices - a) get a used one on ebay for around $100 and hope it's good, b) pay $1000 or more for Ford's halogen conversion kit (not sure if they're still available), c) buy an HID conversion kit on ebay. There's a member here (DLF) who makes some plastic bushings that will allow you use them.

Also be sure to look for signs of condensation in the headlight lenses, water stains on the reflectors, etc. Cloudy lenses (on the outside) can be polished up to like new with a little effort.

Neon Light - Getting impossible to find used in good condition. Make sure it works obviously. If not, there is a guy who makes ballasts that will usually solve the problem. Otherwise, look for condensation in the lens or black areas on the reflector. The black spots are actually where the chrome coating has peeled off and isn't fixable short of major surgery.

Blend door actuator- This is a device buried behind the dash that controls the air temperature and it tends to break. Run the car until the engine is hot and turn on the heat. If it's coming out cold, your blend door is probably bad. The good news is that it's a fairly easy, if intimidating, fix.

Rear Window - Check for uneven or curled seal around the rear window. The problem is known to Mark owners as the "lasagna syndrome". The seal is part of the window and cannot be repaired or replaced separately, although some people have come up with their own fixes. The window can run from $600 to $1400 from glass shops.

Seat tracks - Make sure the driver's seat moves smoothly forward and backwards. These have nylon gears and can get noisy or stop working completely. All you should hear is the slight hum of the motor, not any grinding sounds. Tracks are available on ebay for around $100-200.

Steering column - Make sure the tilt and telescope functions correctly. If it hesitates or doesn't work at all, the internal sensor (potentiometer) is dirty. Sometimes the column can be disassembled and the sensor can be cleaned, so it's not necessarily a deal breaker.

However, if the column pops and cracks when you move it in and out (telescope) with the button, the internal ball bearing carriers are broken and your only choice is to find a good used column. The tracks can get so bad that the wheel will become loose and can be moved around a few inches any direction. The carriers are also nylon and no longer available.

Rocker panels - Check the rocker panels, especially between the door and the rear wheel well, for rust. Look at the bottoms too, where the sheet metal wraps under the car. This is especially critical on cars with a sunroof. Ford unwisely chose to run the hoses for the sunroof drains into the rocker panels and depended on some small holes to drain the water. The holes get clogged up and water can sit in the rocker panels for years. If that's the case, you can be sure that the inner panels are a hundred times worse. Very expensive to repair. Ask me how I know. A little surface rust on the bottom may be normal, but if it looks like it's bubbling from the inside, this is a deal-breaker for sure IMO.

Front suspension problems - These cars seem to eat up bushings and ball joints like nobody's business. Strut rod bushings are a common problem, with people reporting them going bad in mere months. You'll get different opinions on specific brands to use. I'll leave that to someone else.

Rear upper shock mounts - If the car has the original shocks, these WILL be bad. DLF makes replacement mounts and I believe you can get them from American Air Suspension too.

 

[Moes8]

I'm guessing at this, but isn't the 4.6 engine the same as was put into the mustang, thunderchicken, and crown vic? I realize it is a DOHC where the others were only SOHC, but aside from the heads the remainder is the same?

Its Dohc as you said, it also Aluminum block versus Cast iron in the Sohc version.

there are quite a lot of differences in sohc vs dohc in these mentioned cars.

 

[UltimateSVT]

I'm thinking of spending between $5k and $8k for a low mileage example, if I can find one in black.... (that's the one my wife wants).

Spending about $4,800 will get you a beautiful 50k-70k Gen II. Be patient, they are really great cars & these Lincolns are sleepers. No one expects them to hold such beautiful power & they expect FWD V6 engines under our hoods.

The 93's have the most power/weight ratio, etc... Just harder to find a low mileage 93. Much more luxury to deal with on the 97-98 models that require maintenance (HID's, bland door, tilt steering, etc...) but yes, the 97-98's are gorgeous.

When you are good & ready, post the ad's of the cars you are interested in & we will do our best to point you in the right direction!

Welcome to LVC!

 

[chicken]

A few things from the top of my head for gen 2s (97-98). These are mostly cosmetic or "gadgety" things. I'll leave the mechanical stuff to the experts.

Oil filter adapter gasket - can go bad and is a pain to replace (or so I'm told ).

the adapter gasket isnt too bad, extensions and swivel sockets help alot just have to be ready to make one hell of a mess

Blend door actuator- This is a device in the dash that controls the air temperature and it tends to break. Run the car until the engine is hot and turn on the heat. If it's coming out cold, your blend door is probably bad. The good news is that it's a fairly easy, if intimidating, fix.

i wouldnt call it easy unless you have experience. you have to pull the dash 80% out and work blindly through a couple holes and its in a awkward location to get to. id check the heat like stated above then flip that thing to ac check to see if it blows cold then back to heat. you can reach a lever under the dash to adjust the temp manually, so the seller could of flipped it to heat knowing its getting colder, who is gonna check the ac. if it cycles its ok, for now (sadly these break alot)

Steering column - Make sure the tilt and telescope functions correctly. If it hesitates or doesn't work at all, the internal sensor (potentiometer) is dirty. Sometimes the column can be disassembled and the sensor can be cleaned, so it's not necessarily a deal breaker.

However, if the column pops and cracks when you move it in and out (telescope) with the button, the internal ball bearing carriers are broken and your only choice is to find a good used column. The tracks can get so bad that the wheel will become loose and can be moved around a few inches any direction. The carriers are also nylon and no longer available.

you sure the rollers arnt available? i bought some a few years ago when mine fell apart, and didnt even need them. heres what happened to mine. theres a upper and lower roller, they sit in steel channels (one over and one under each roller) and the channels are held in by a roll pin. mine broke the upper rear roll pin allowing the upper channel to move around, eventually it fell out followed by the roller and then it did this (see vid) all i had to do was remove the column and completely disassemble it (not for the faint of heart) replace roll pin and reassemble and all has been good for a while now. the car is "drivable" with the column like this but it isnt fun, luckily mine fell apart 100 ft from my job and it was a slow day

YouTube - loose steering column

Rear upper shock mounts - If the car has the original shocks, these WILL be bad. DLF makes replacement mounts and I believe you can get them from American Air Suspension too.

the other method is to burn the rubber out of the stock mounts, install a tbird shock and use the supplied bushings in the burned mount

if the rear shock mounts are bad you will know it, there will be a horrible bang from the rear each time you hit a bump

 

[fossten]

Rear upper shock mounts - If the car has the original shocks, these WILL be bad. DLF makes replacement mounts and I believe you can get them from American Air Suspension too.

$20 at Strutmasters.com