DeviLSh
Dedicated LVC Member
Hello everyone, I wanted to introduce myself on here and create a thread to help document and share the ownership of my recently purchased 2006 LS. I have been posting around a bit here and there in the last couple of months, otherwise I was an active member from about 05-07, back when I had my first Lincoln LS. Yes - I am crazy, like many of you, and bought a second LS. Some 7 years later I am back here on LVC, and ready more than ever to get back into one of my favorite cars of all time.
Quick back story: When I was in high school I had done some light research on what my first car would be. I was a huge car guy, always have been and my friends at the time were big into imports, and muscle cars. I wanted something different, and my parents said I could what ever car I wanted to.....Caveat being I had to pay for it myself. I was around a variety of influences but knew my desire to take the less beaten path meant I would need something nobody else had, or would guess that I could own. Enter my early obsession with the LS. After I started researching I realized how underrated the car was. It had this marauder/5series/classy yet aggressive vibe and after test driving my first one, I was hooked. At 17 I got into a 2001 LS V8 Sport, black on black. I kept that car throughout high school and throughout the first year and a half of college. The car made a HUGE impression on me and I have never been able to forget it. It was my first car, so i learned a lot about modifications, upkeep, driving a RWD vehicle, etc. Over the course of ownership my love for the car blossomed and I added a few things. Which made the car a little more respected when friends/outsiders would encounter it. As you all probably know - the car is not a rocket, but it will surprise people from time to time, and its mix of driving feel, timeless looks, and performance make a great overall car. I ended up getting rid of it in the fall of '07 to "save on gas" and sold it to a guy who bought it on the spot. The car was later t-boned and totaled out. (the owner called me 1.5 years later to tell me he loved it up until the day he had to leave it).
The car had an XCAL2 tune, Magnaflow CBE w/ res delete, LSK intake with stock airbox, K&N, custom cold air tube to feed box, 3.58 diff from an '00, Eibachs, gen1 LSE wheels, Tint, Kenwood, gen2 fogs, painted surround, and mclaren grille. Some other small bits here and there. I loved it to death and enjoyed taking it to the strip. Best pass was 14.6 - before the diff and intake changes made. (who knows if that helped or not). My favorite thing to do was chirp the tires b/w 1-2 with the Torrie tune. The car was so unique.
Shortly after the LS I got into a mk4 jetta 1.8t 5spd. While the LS was "better" that Jetta literally was the gateway to my future. Entering the VW world was a great experience, and I stayed there for a long time, as a matter of fact - I am still in it. My soon to be wife and I currently have a a mk4 GTI and a '10 Vw CC. Both manual, and both great cars. My budget jetta turned into a project car, and really expanded my horizons in the car world. I became a DIY'er, A photographer, and a member of a great community. (I even met my now fiance on the VW forum: vwvortex) After the jetta became more of a weekend warrior I got into a passat when I graduated school, and when it came time to leave the nest, I parted out the Jetta to help fund the next steps of life. Last March (2015) I sold the Passat and got into a brand new 2015 Audi A3 - which just until recently was sold to a family member. If you are curious about these vehicles - search the name "DBVeeDB" on vwvortex.com, where i have some timeline threads there for each car. Why tell you all this? Not sure... but I guess the point I want to get across is I have a respect for all cars. Not just American, german, 4cyl/V8, turbo or NA. I am a true car guy. And through this entire life changing VW process, I never quite lost my love for the Lincoln LS. I always told myself I would get another one someday and "do a better job" of turning it into something great. I hate driving a stock car, but over the last decade my tastes, modding style, and ability have become more seasoned. Either way, I come into LS #2 a bit smarter, and a bit more informed. So I am excited to apply my evolved style and ownership to this next family member.
After some serious thought, I finally decided my next car would be an LS. Why not, I never stopped wanting one so I started looking. I wanted a gen2 LSE or an '06. No exceptions. I am a member of LLSOC as well and on a whim one night I posted there for the first time in years. Turns out a member I met years ago during my gen1 onwership, and while I was vacationing in FL was still around and active on the fourm, and happened to be selling an '06 with 70k on it. And it still had Ford ESP care on it! It had every option less rear heated seats, and was a Florida car, with a "mature" owner. It was the perfect car for me, and priced well. Fast forward to December '15 and the car was purchased and shipped to me here in IL. I had finally gotten the car I had lusted for for 6+ years. Before I knew it I was standing there watching a silver beauty come off this carrier. The nostalgia hit me right away, and my excitement for the car hasnt left me yet!
Enough words - Picture time!
Leaving FL
Arriving:
Off the trailer:
Before I could get the car home (3min from where it was delivered) The bad luck started rolling in. This car left FL in perfect order, Thankfully my dad was able to test drive it for me out there and facilitate the transaction on my behalf, and even see it off. The car was inspected and serviced by the PO's local dealer, driven, looked over, etc. So I felt pretty good but still told myself "its a 10+ year old car, not just that but its a damn LS. It will not be perfect" When she started up on the trailer on that brisk 20 degree night, there was a squeak at idle from the belts. (Its just cold I told myself) So the car warmed up, i put my new plates on and got in to drive her home for the first time. As I drove off in the car it overheated within 1000ft. I shut it off and let it cool. No clouds, no hissing, no apparent leaks. I started it back up, turned the heat on, and putted home where it spent its first night with its hood up.
I was upset - the car I waited 2 weeks to arrive after buying it already had a problem. Even worse is the typical coolant failure parts were JUST replaced back in FL (everything less degas). Being the forum lurker I am that is where I immediately looked for evidence of a leak. But all was good. I found coolant in three other places:
Negligence by the previous dealer's coolant overhaul? Plastic didn't like the weather change? Did the carrier let the car overheat at some point during transport? Coincidental and awfully convenient part failure just in time for me? Who knows, but it didn't matter. I needed to get it diagnosed, and fixed so I could start enjoying her!
The car was serviced at a local dealer (still had coverage, so why not!). It was returned to me 7 days later and I finally got to get behind the wheel of an LS. The drive home was amazing... the car was MORE than I remembered, and being the first gen2 I had ever driven, the updates and new motor were a nice change. I got it home and immediately took some pictures to document the first day.
Saw this and couldn't resist parking next to it. (Same paint code by the way!)
In the days to follow I finally had some time to spend with the car so I started by removing the dash trim from the PO (it was a black wood adhesive style kit)Little heat, little goo gone, and about 6 hours of my time scraping away I was finally done. MUCH BETTER, And to my surprise only the center-upper dash vent trim was chipped. Rest was in good shape even after the beating i put it through removing the trim.
Next up was the exterior pinstriping from the original dealer. They were painted on...... Clearcoat and finish weren't too bad underenath to my surprise. I was expecting the worst.
After: (4.5 hours total time spent)
Which brings me to today - I have put ONE tank of gas in it since its arrival, and its back at the dealer getting its next repair. Late Monday night (when it was in the negatives) the car started up fine but I noticed a strange noise on cold start (think of a shoe in the dryer thumping around as it rotates). It quickly subsided but as I walked to the front of the car to determine the source of the noise I noticed a puddle underneath the front right corner. ATF (or PS) fluid was dripping, and a decent amount. I got the car home and collected some fresh fluid, and snapped a pic:
Now let me be clear - I am always willing to get my hands dirty, but if I have the ESP care, might as well use it right? So I took some notes, and off i went to late night drop off. Spoke to the tech today and he thinks its a slow leak that resulted from the cold temps. (remember this car's first 10 years were in sunny FL) I am not convinced yet its just a contraction expansion issue, but am waiting to hear the final diagnosis. That brings me to TODAY. I decided to cure the itch of missing the car already, that I would come on here and spill all my thoughts into Post #1 of this thread. Killing two birds with one stone by introducing myself and getting caught up with my first month of ownership on my second LS.
I plan on using this thread as means to document my ownership, share the experience, and hopefully, be of inspiration or help to others. I believe in good car communities and am happy to be given a second opportunity to own one of these cars, and share it here on LVC. I have been following a lot of the member's builds here over the years, so forgive me in advance if I come on too strong to some of you.
I want to thank a few on here now for providing me some inspiration and motivation to buy this LS over the years. Mainly - cammerfe, Alax7, Mark, BigRig, g-rell, EZair(mike), dwiggy, and many others. When I was on here last, Rob (ILLS) was pretty active, as was Jason (02LSElhhafdjafdgjfgj.....) but they seem to be long gone. I remember donating my original 3.31 rear-end to Rob for developing Jason's 4.10 swap. Its great to see so many members from back then still here, and hopefully you are all willing to welcome me back. I am also looking forward to getting to know those who were not around when I was and meeting a whole new wave of LS owners.
I wont go into my plans for the car just yet, as I want to get more seat time and take it slowly- enjoy the ride if you will. I have wanted it for so long that I have a lot of ideas, and haste makes waste. So I want to iron out any more issues it has transitioning to me and this climate. And go from there. I will say the the stock exhaust note is lacking, so that needs to be addressed asap. Otherwise, it will remain a daily driver (not off to a good start) until I get married and settle. Then it may go under the knife for something a little different. Until then, feel free to comment or advise me, I certainly do not know it all and wouldn't be on here if I did.
Longest first post ever? Thanks for reading - sorry for the biography. Looking forward to getting reacquainted.
-Devin
Quick back story: When I was in high school I had done some light research on what my first car would be. I was a huge car guy, always have been and my friends at the time were big into imports, and muscle cars. I wanted something different, and my parents said I could what ever car I wanted to.....Caveat being I had to pay for it myself. I was around a variety of influences but knew my desire to take the less beaten path meant I would need something nobody else had, or would guess that I could own. Enter my early obsession with the LS. After I started researching I realized how underrated the car was. It had this marauder/5series/classy yet aggressive vibe and after test driving my first one, I was hooked. At 17 I got into a 2001 LS V8 Sport, black on black. I kept that car throughout high school and throughout the first year and a half of college. The car made a HUGE impression on me and I have never been able to forget it. It was my first car, so i learned a lot about modifications, upkeep, driving a RWD vehicle, etc. Over the course of ownership my love for the car blossomed and I added a few things. Which made the car a little more respected when friends/outsiders would encounter it. As you all probably know - the car is not a rocket, but it will surprise people from time to time, and its mix of driving feel, timeless looks, and performance make a great overall car. I ended up getting rid of it in the fall of '07 to "save on gas" and sold it to a guy who bought it on the spot. The car was later t-boned and totaled out. (the owner called me 1.5 years later to tell me he loved it up until the day he had to leave it).
The car had an XCAL2 tune, Magnaflow CBE w/ res delete, LSK intake with stock airbox, K&N, custom cold air tube to feed box, 3.58 diff from an '00, Eibachs, gen1 LSE wheels, Tint, Kenwood, gen2 fogs, painted surround, and mclaren grille. Some other small bits here and there. I loved it to death and enjoyed taking it to the strip. Best pass was 14.6 - before the diff and intake changes made. (who knows if that helped or not). My favorite thing to do was chirp the tires b/w 1-2 with the Torrie tune. The car was so unique.
Shortly after the LS I got into a mk4 jetta 1.8t 5spd. While the LS was "better" that Jetta literally was the gateway to my future. Entering the VW world was a great experience, and I stayed there for a long time, as a matter of fact - I am still in it. My soon to be wife and I currently have a a mk4 GTI and a '10 Vw CC. Both manual, and both great cars. My budget jetta turned into a project car, and really expanded my horizons in the car world. I became a DIY'er, A photographer, and a member of a great community. (I even met my now fiance on the VW forum: vwvortex) After the jetta became more of a weekend warrior I got into a passat when I graduated school, and when it came time to leave the nest, I parted out the Jetta to help fund the next steps of life. Last March (2015) I sold the Passat and got into a brand new 2015 Audi A3 - which just until recently was sold to a family member. If you are curious about these vehicles - search the name "DBVeeDB" on vwvortex.com, where i have some timeline threads there for each car. Why tell you all this? Not sure... but I guess the point I want to get across is I have a respect for all cars. Not just American, german, 4cyl/V8, turbo or NA. I am a true car guy. And through this entire life changing VW process, I never quite lost my love for the Lincoln LS. I always told myself I would get another one someday and "do a better job" of turning it into something great. I hate driving a stock car, but over the last decade my tastes, modding style, and ability have become more seasoned. Either way, I come into LS #2 a bit smarter, and a bit more informed. So I am excited to apply my evolved style and ownership to this next family member.
After some serious thought, I finally decided my next car would be an LS. Why not, I never stopped wanting one so I started looking. I wanted a gen2 LSE or an '06. No exceptions. I am a member of LLSOC as well and on a whim one night I posted there for the first time in years. Turns out a member I met years ago during my gen1 onwership, and while I was vacationing in FL was still around and active on the fourm, and happened to be selling an '06 with 70k on it. And it still had Ford ESP care on it! It had every option less rear heated seats, and was a Florida car, with a "mature" owner. It was the perfect car for me, and priced well. Fast forward to December '15 and the car was purchased and shipped to me here in IL. I had finally gotten the car I had lusted for for 6+ years. Before I knew it I was standing there watching a silver beauty come off this carrier. The nostalgia hit me right away, and my excitement for the car hasnt left me yet!
Enough words - Picture time!
Leaving FL
Arriving:
Off the trailer:
Before I could get the car home (3min from where it was delivered) The bad luck started rolling in. This car left FL in perfect order, Thankfully my dad was able to test drive it for me out there and facilitate the transaction on my behalf, and even see it off. The car was inspected and serviced by the PO's local dealer, driven, looked over, etc. So I felt pretty good but still told myself "its a 10+ year old car, not just that but its a damn LS. It will not be perfect" When she started up on the trailer on that brisk 20 degree night, there was a squeak at idle from the belts. (Its just cold I told myself) So the car warmed up, i put my new plates on and got in to drive her home for the first time. As I drove off in the car it overheated within 1000ft. I shut it off and let it cool. No clouds, no hissing, no apparent leaks. I started it back up, turned the heat on, and putted home where it spent its first night with its hood up.
I was upset - the car I waited 2 weeks to arrive after buying it already had a problem. Even worse is the typical coolant failure parts were JUST replaced back in FL (everything less degas). Being the forum lurker I am that is where I immediately looked for evidence of a leak. But all was good. I found coolant in three other places:
Negligence by the previous dealer's coolant overhaul? Plastic didn't like the weather change? Did the carrier let the car overheat at some point during transport? Coincidental and awfully convenient part failure just in time for me? Who knows, but it didn't matter. I needed to get it diagnosed, and fixed so I could start enjoying her!
The car was serviced at a local dealer (still had coverage, so why not!). It was returned to me 7 days later and I finally got to get behind the wheel of an LS. The drive home was amazing... the car was MORE than I remembered, and being the first gen2 I had ever driven, the updates and new motor were a nice change. I got it home and immediately took some pictures to document the first day.
Saw this and couldn't resist parking next to it. (Same paint code by the way!)
In the days to follow I finally had some time to spend with the car so I started by removing the dash trim from the PO (it was a black wood adhesive style kit)Little heat, little goo gone, and about 6 hours of my time scraping away I was finally done. MUCH BETTER, And to my surprise only the center-upper dash vent trim was chipped. Rest was in good shape even after the beating i put it through removing the trim.
Next up was the exterior pinstriping from the original dealer. They were painted on...... Clearcoat and finish weren't too bad underenath to my surprise. I was expecting the worst.
After: (4.5 hours total time spent)
Which brings me to today - I have put ONE tank of gas in it since its arrival, and its back at the dealer getting its next repair. Late Monday night (when it was in the negatives) the car started up fine but I noticed a strange noise on cold start (think of a shoe in the dryer thumping around as it rotates). It quickly subsided but as I walked to the front of the car to determine the source of the noise I noticed a puddle underneath the front right corner. ATF (or PS) fluid was dripping, and a decent amount. I got the car home and collected some fresh fluid, and snapped a pic:
Now let me be clear - I am always willing to get my hands dirty, but if I have the ESP care, might as well use it right? So I took some notes, and off i went to late night drop off. Spoke to the tech today and he thinks its a slow leak that resulted from the cold temps. (remember this car's first 10 years were in sunny FL) I am not convinced yet its just a contraction expansion issue, but am waiting to hear the final diagnosis. That brings me to TODAY. I decided to cure the itch of missing the car already, that I would come on here and spill all my thoughts into Post #1 of this thread. Killing two birds with one stone by introducing myself and getting caught up with my first month of ownership on my second LS.
I plan on using this thread as means to document my ownership, share the experience, and hopefully, be of inspiration or help to others. I believe in good car communities and am happy to be given a second opportunity to own one of these cars, and share it here on LVC. I have been following a lot of the member's builds here over the years, so forgive me in advance if I come on too strong to some of you.
I want to thank a few on here now for providing me some inspiration and motivation to buy this LS over the years. Mainly - cammerfe, Alax7, Mark, BigRig, g-rell, EZair(mike), dwiggy, and many others. When I was on here last, Rob (ILLS) was pretty active, as was Jason (02LSElhhafdjafdgjfgj.....) but they seem to be long gone. I remember donating my original 3.31 rear-end to Rob for developing Jason's 4.10 swap. Its great to see so many members from back then still here, and hopefully you are all willing to welcome me back. I am also looking forward to getting to know those who were not around when I was and meeting a whole new wave of LS owners.
I wont go into my plans for the car just yet, as I want to get more seat time and take it slowly- enjoy the ride if you will. I have wanted it for so long that I have a lot of ideas, and haste makes waste. So I want to iron out any more issues it has transitioning to me and this climate. And go from there. I will say the the stock exhaust note is lacking, so that needs to be addressed asap. Otherwise, it will remain a daily driver (not off to a good start) until I get married and settle. Then it may go under the knife for something a little different. Until then, feel free to comment or advise me, I certainly do not know it all and wouldn't be on here if I did.
Longest first post ever? Thanks for reading - sorry for the biography. Looking forward to getting reacquainted.
-Devin