New to the Forum. Thinking of buying MVIII

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wm_sorg

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Hi All,

I am new to the forum. I am thinking about buying a mark VIII with around 97,000 miles. What common problems do I need to look out for. I currently own a MN12 thunderbird.

Does the trans have the same issue with the T/C shuddering?
How reliable is the air suspension?
Are there shock absorbers?
Any issues with the 32v 4.6?
What kind of performance?
How is the mileage?

Thanks for your time.

Regards,
BILL
 
Mark VIII

wm_sorg said:
Hi All,

I am new to the forum. I am thinking about buying a mark VIII with around 97,000 miles. What common problems do I need to look out for. I currently own a MN12 thunderbird.

Does the trans have the same issue with the T/C shuddering?
How reliable is the air suspension?
Are there shock absorbers?
Any issues with the 32v 4.6?
What kind of performance?
How is the mileage?

Thanks for your time.

Regards,
BILL
Click to expand...



Buy one, you'll love it !!!!!!!
 
Thanks. Looks like I will be looking for a gen one. Please keep posts coming. Especially driving impressions.
 
All you need to do is drive one and you'll be sold!!

Will you have repairs? Of course you will. All depends on how well the car was cared for by previous owners. Miles on the car somethings will wear out over time!

Nice thing is there is a lot of help here at LvC to help keep your Mark VIII running good and enough advice to help keep your Mark VIII from having to go to the Car Doctor! Many fixes are easy and you'll save a bunch. Plus you'll have fun doing it! :Beer
 
Would aroud $800 cover yearly maintenance? Is the 32v engine as reliable as the 16v 4.6? Also I read on one sales description that the air filter is perment. Is this true?
 
wm_sorg said:
Hi All,

I am new to the forum. I am thinking about buying a mark VIII with around 97,000 miles. What common problems do I need to look out for. I currently own a MN12 thunderbird.

(1)Does the trans have the same issue with the T/C shuddering?
(2)How reliable is the air suspension?
(3)Are there shock absorbers?
(4)Any issues with the 32v 4.6?
(5)What kind of performance?
(6)How is the mileage?

Thanks for your time.

Regards,
BILL
Click to expand...

First off....:W to the LvC..... :Beer

All of your questions are relatively easy to answer, you just may not like the answers.....LOL.

1) Yes, but it can be resolved with a simple Mercon V flush/fill. BUT, to keep it running strong you should look into the upgraded springs that are on my parts pages just scroll down and look for the parts. Also, you can upgrade your tranny for firmer shifts with a Baumann Engineering shift kit (which is the best purchased kit out there....and the customer support is second to none).

2) That all depends on how old it is. If you can handle simple hand tools you can fix most, if any, suspension problems that happen to come up. The older the car, the faster you will have to replace the suspension components.....unless already replaced. Anything that is around 10 years, or older, will most likely need replacements.....you can get factory parts from Max @ 5 Star Ford (1-800-866-1520 ext. 236.....NO ONE BETTER!!!) or you can get rebuilt parts from American Air Suspension (Eddie Spinks.....none better for rebuilt suspension parts). Most of that will fix any/all suspension problems.

3) Yes, in the rear.....none in the front (front has struts).

4) None that i can think of....as long as it has been maintained.

5) What ever you want.....stock has 280HP for the base models, and 290HP for the LSC's. Have seen them up to 600+....so anything is feasible.

6) On my last long distance trip, I clocked 34.9MPG with the O/D off and the cruise set at about 80MPH.

Hope that helps.....
 
1wykdmk8 said:

6) On my last long distance trip, I clocked 34.9MPG with the O/D off and the cruise set at about 80MPH.

Hope that helps.....
Click to expand...
What?! :bsflag:
 
hottweelz said:
What?! :bsflag:
Click to expand...

That is completely not :bsflag: I have absolutely no reason to......but you can believe what you want, I was completely surprised to flick that button and see that it said 34.9MPG....I was like...>WTF...even my girl said the same thing.

I did it in both directions......but the way I usually drive, I am lucky to see 13MPG in the city.
 
I can handle the maintenance. Just worried about reliability. If I find a car that has had the air bags serviced then do I need to worry about shocks in the front? Also is the compressor electric or driven from the engine? Does it runcontiniously or only during leveling?
 
wm_sorg said:
I can handle the maintenance. Just worried about reliability. If I find a car that has had the air bags serviced then do I need to worry about shocks in the front? Also is the compressor electric or driven from the engine? Does it runcontiniously or only during leveling?
Click to expand...

If the air ride in the front was replaced with new parts (not used/rebuilt) then you got new 'shocks'. The front struts have airbags on the top, and shocks on the bottom.....just like struts on a front wheel drive car......except instead of a coil spring, we have what is called an 'air spring' (hence airbag). Some ppl have went the way of a coilspring setup for their cars, and have enjoyed it...so they say. (don't know why, but to each their own). Mine had never let me down, and if it had a prob, I was able to fix it with no problem......so far....LOL

The compressor is electric, and is located in the front of the car on the passenger side behind the inner plastic fenderwell just behind the bumper. It only runs if it has to. It should NEVER run continuously, IF it does, then there is a problem.
 
Do the gen 1 cars have the air ride diagnostic diaplay? If it says air suspension ok should I believe it?
 
If you buy mine you will be upset, because i beat on her soo much, its not worth much more than 3 now (went through 2 trannies and workin on the third in 14000 mi) but otherwise, get one. it is quite possabily the nicest, hottest thing iv ever had. and dont worry bout it being a grandmas car...just show it off and they will recognise.
 
Wow how many miles on the engine? What are you doing to those poor trannies.

MrWilson said:
If you buy mine you will be upset, because i beat on her soo much, its not worth much more than 3 now (went through 2 trannies and workin on the third in 14000 mi) but otherwise, get one. it is quite possabily the nicest, hottest thing iv ever had. and dont worry bout it being a grandmas car...just show it off and they will recognise.
Click to expand...
 
wm_sorg said:
Hi All,



Any issues with the 32v 4.6?


Thanks for your time.

Regards,
BILL
Click to expand...

yes, alot, when first mod you want more their i said it. :W
 
wm_sorg said:
Wow how many miles on the engine? What are you doing to those poor trannies.
Click to expand...
well she just had her 60,000 mile b-day. but i got her at 46, and 3 days after i got her i "needed" a new one...i am pritty sure i was scammed out of that. and then 10k mi later, another one. and now its being silly again...if you drive like me( or atleast how i drove in the summer) you could easily understand how i could do that. also that and i think fraud was involved here


BTW, i HATE the mark tranny. iv driven a plethora of cars with diffrent trannies...and id have to say, that i liked...the one on my friends durango the most. if i could or was willing to, this thing would have a t-45/-56 in it faster than you could read this.
 
1wykdmk8 said:
That is completely not :bsflag: I have absolutely no reason to......but you can believe what you want, I was completely surprised to flick that button and see that it said 34.9MPG....I was like...>WTF...even my girl said the same thing.

I did it in both directions......but the way I usually drive, I am lucky to see 13MPG in the city.
Click to expand...


i dont want to sound like an ass, but...even if i TRY to get good gas mlg. i dont even see 35 unless im going down hill with cruse at 53-5(i think that that is the most fuel efficant for O/D) im avg'n 16.8 right now, but that could easily be up to 23...but no way NO WAY could you get 34.9. its just impossible...give me the gear ratio of 3'rd and the rear end you got, and ill prove to you that it was a mistake...im sorry, i know that you are very trustworthy ppl...but i can not believe it. (though there are strange things with this car, i do notiace a jump in mlg arround 40-45 with od off, as opposed to on. also arround 75-80 it jumps another 5, but thats 27-9. im sorry, i dont want to insult your integrity, but i just refuze to believe this. :steering
 
MrWilson said:
i dont want to sound like an ass, but...even if i TRY to get good gas mlg. i dont even see 35 unless im going down hill with cruse at 53-5(i think that that is the most fuel efficant for O/D) im avg'n 16.8 right now, but that could easily be up to 23...but no way NO WAY could you get 34.9. its just impossible...give me the gear ratio of 3'rd and the rear end you got, and ill prove to you that it was a mistake...im sorry, i know that you are very trustworthy ppl...but i can not believe it. (though there are strange things with this car, i do notiace a jump in mlg arround 40-45 with od off, as opposed to on. also arround 75-80 it jumps another 5, but thats 27-9. im sorry, i dont want to insult your integrity, but i just refuze to believe this. :steering
Click to expand...

The funny thing is, I was gonna take a picture of it when I hit the button, but did not have the camera in the front (it was in the trunk), or I would have taken a photo.

I do not really care what ppl believe, I still to this day do not really believe it. I thought it was a fluke, but when I got like 32 MPG on the return trip I kinda believed it. I never really looked at it before on my first Mark VIII, so who knows what I got in that car. When I drive on the highway I get over 30MPG easily almost all the time.....unless I feel the need for speed....then that goes out the window.
 
1wykdmk8 said:
The funny thing is, I was gonna take a picture of it when I hit the button, but did not have the camera in the front (it was in the trunk), or I would have taken a photo.

I do not really care what ppl believe, I still to this day do not really believe it. I thought it was a fluke, but when I got like 32 MPG on the return trip I kinda believed it. I never really looked at it before on my first Mark VIII, so who knows what I got in that car. When I drive on the highway I get over 30MPG easily almost all the time.....unless I feel the need for speed....then that goes out the window.
Click to expand...

well call me thomas, but i do believe the 30 on hwy tho. i dont want to insult you, but it just doesnt seem plausible to me.
 
I think the car was supposed to have like 30+ mpg when it was new. Oh well....not a big deal.....I would like to repeat it, but I have a few things done to the car now, so I doubt I could replicate it.
 
I've gotten over 30 mpg Hwy many time! In my 93 Mark VIII.

On my trip out west while ave about 85 to 90 mph I would avg 27.7 mpg on the hwy!

In the mountains I avg. 24 to 25 mpg. Love my ecconomy car!!! 4.6L 32 V. V8. with all the ponys to play and room for 5 with out squeezing the life out of them!!

I believe you Ray!!
 
I get 30 flat on the hiway only with O/D ON @ 65mph. As soon as I get off the hiway my real comptuer displayed avg is 22.

So are saying maybe there is an issue where the motor works less at a higher RPM out of O/D which affects mileage? Maybe I have an experiment tonight.
 
My avg. mpg is usually around 23 to 24. I don't have a lot of stop and go traffic but my wife does a lot of short less than 1 mile drives. Boscobel is small!

I like to check the little mpg monitor a lot. I usually set it every + 30 mile trip just to see how things are going!

My Mark VII a much different story!! avg. mpg is usually around the 18 to 19 mark with Hwy no AC up to 25 mpg usually around 22 to 23!
 
It has been said the faster you go (as long as you are not accelerating the whole time....but you are at a steady rev) the better the gas mileage is. That 34.9 was ALL highway.....NO stops, NO acceleration (except to get to 80......QUICKLY), and NO stomping on the gas. There was very few cars on the road, and it was at night, so they could see me coming a mile away with the driving lights that I have behind the grille, so they got out of my way before I even got there. I know I got better gas mileage than I had ever in any other Mark VIII because I did not stop at the gas station that I usually did on the drive to/from. My green car usually got between 28-32 MPG, it all depended on ow spirited I was with the gas pedal. :Beer
 
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