Coming up on 100k, looking for suggestions

[Kstills]

My 1997 LSC is going to pass 100k this summer. After 12 year of faithful service, the front struts have finally given out. Thanks to Eddie, I'll be doing a spring conversion on the car this week.

I'll have a better handle on the front end when I do the conversion, but I'm thinking that before the end of the summer it would probably be a good time to replace all of the front end suspension and steering parts. So I'm trying to make a list and buy them a few at a time so that I can do the job by the end of the summer.

I'm looking to eventually go back to air, so I think I'll need the UCA's for the Mark VIII, but I can get away with the LCA's for the Tbird. So far, list is

UCA's (moog)
LCA's (moog)
Sway bar links (check sway bar for rust. Moog)
Rack and Pinion kit (Adelco)
Brake rotors (paint calipers. Figuring OEM rotors)


I've changed the oil twice, and both times I have some kind of oil on the line that runs right behind the radiator (don't know what it's for at this point). It's covered with a corrugated plastic sleeve, and the whole thing is covered in fluid. I'm not using oil between changes, and all the fluid levels are fine. I'm wondering if I might have to change that oil filter gasket while I'm doing the suspension? I haven't checked the oil pan itself (no loss of oil so far) but I can certainly give that an eyeball prior to starting the suspension.

Any suggestions or comments would be welcome. Well, suggestions are welcome, I'll reserve judgement on comments.....

 

[mespock]

Drive it ... change oil ... Drive it ... change oil ... Drive it ... change oil .... A tune up is nice every so often at normal intervals ... Drive it .... Change oil ...

It's a Mark VIII some parts will wear out ... control arms ... brakes .... tires ....

Engine will run for ever....

This Spring I bought my first Mark VIII with less than 100K ... Feels weird ...

Don't worry about 100K ... means nothing ... My other Mark VIIIs 93 - 230,000 miles, my 94 - 180,000 miles, my 95 178,000 miles ... All are still running strong ...

Drive them change the oil ...

 

[XLRVIII]

congratulations on finally getting the motor fully broken in!

might treat it to a set of spark plugs

 

[Kstills]

From what I've been reading, the engines do seem to be pretty reliable. Aside from cleaning it and doing the normal fluid changes, I'm happy with that aspect of the car.

Also, I picked up a 98 base for the cost of dragging it from south jersey to my house, and I'm in the process of stripping it of everything that I can possibly use in the future for my LSC. Unfortunately, it's suspension was in worse shape then mine, only one good front strut and one good rear bag. And both looked to be OEM, though the car had 186k on it so they might have been replaced at some point. So in the near future, I'll also have a spare engine and tranny to play with.

I've seen picks of the ball joints failing on these things, and that's got me concerned enough to be proactive on the front end. I'm not sure if they've been replaced before, but regardless it seems to be worth the effort to do, if just for my piece of mind.

I was looking for rechroming of the wheels, and I came across a company selling OEM ten spokes:

http://www.capitalwheels.com/store/customer/home.php?cat=1&page=2

They also have the chromed center caps. Mine are pretty beat, and according to what I've read they probably are not candidates for rechroming, so down the road these look like a nice fit for the car.

 

[Kstills]

congratulations on finally getting the motor fully broken in!

might treat it to a set of spark plugs

I drive this thing like a little old lady.

But spark plugs would probably be a good idea. Now that I've finally figured out why I couldn't find the spark plug wires....:shifty: