Mark VIII Daily Driver?

want a reliable daily driver?
get a taurus or panther or something.

i daily my mark viii, but it has fought back at times. 195k miles now, and still on air. ;)
 
I currently have just under 155k miles on my 98. It shifts at 7k rpms and still shreds street tires all motor. I have been beating on it for 80k miles. I don't dislike my car, I enjoy it to the fullest extent. :D

Still seems strong at 154, 500 which was the mileage here. Dry street, temps in the lower 60s and street tires with 3/4 tread:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ghp6FjS5e-s&feature=youtube_gdata_player

The tune is a bit rich, so it is still a little slow. ;)
 
Most of what everyone else has posted here has pretty much been my experience. I had my '93 from 90k or 95k to over 180k, and almost all of my issues were suspension-related. The only drivetrain issues I had were (in chronological order): the transmission started shifting kind of funny (don't remember exactly what it was doing, but I knew it was "off"), so I upgraded to Mercon V and changed the ATF filter around 100k, replaced the serpentine belt once, the thermostat went out once, and right before I hit the deer, it had developed an oil leak (at about 175-180k range, I'd say; probably the infamous oil filter adapter gasket) and I believe the alternator was getting ready to go. So all in all, my experience was mostly just routine maintenance as far as the drivetrain goes, and I drove that car like I stole it daily. It was unusual for me to go a week without hitting 100+ MPH on a backroad somewhere. The car was wrecked on Halloween night of 2008, and the car has sat since (I don't have the heart to get rid of it or part it out). Earlier this year, I decided to see if it would crank, so I put a battery in it, topped off the oil, and it cranked right up after 3+ years of sitting, and after just a few seconds of a somewhat rough idle, she idled just as smooth as if I'd parked the car yesterday.
 
I developed a front seal leak after getting the trans fluid changed a while back; what do you expect to pay for all that drivetrain work? are you completely rebuilding your tranny?

No, not complete rebuild. I'm just gonna put new oil seals (like front pump, rear drive shaft, and maybe dipstick tube). I already have another 1995 j-mod drilled plate to put in the valve body with new-style accumulator pistons and several springs to choose from (if I put any back in). I have the new dimple-style pan & filter and Merc-V fluid for it. Also, I have a performance torque converter I'll put in at the same time.

I've been debating whether or not to change to a newer valve body (I have a 2004) because of the roller-clutch being in there (1995) instead of the mechanical diode. I could put a new mechanical diode in with the newer valve body, but that's more money. It's possible to get a late-model 4R70W for about $200 now, so I'm not sure how much work & money I want to put into this older 1995 tranny.

Most likely I'll just do the j-mod, fluid & seal change and just run it till it poops, then swap in a newer tranny.
 
want a reliable daily driver?
get a taurus or panther or something.

Taurus???? WTF??? :p

No really, the Panther is the way to go for a truly reliable tank on wheels. You can't beat a big REAR-WHEEL-DRIVE body-on-frame car. For reliability and durability, run as fast and as far away from anything wrong-wheel-drive as you possibly can. Avoid it like the plague. FWD is pure junk. PITA to work on and expensive if you don't have your own lift and special tools. Treat all FWD vehicles as if they were contaminated with the most contagious and virulent strain of the most horrible, painful, and torturous disease man has ever come in contact with. Because that's basically what wrong-wheel-drive is:D

i daily my mark viii, but it has fought back at times. 195k miles now, and still on air. ;)

Same here. Mine has over 210k and still floating on air. Or...it will be next week when I get the alignment done and she's back on the road again:D
 

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