2001 TC Touring

OldRelayer

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We have had 5 Mark Viiis and still have a 98, that we will probably keep and pass on. We also have a winter car because the Mark even with 4 studded snows barely creeps through the winter so we have a winter car that works out well. I drove a 2000 TC touring a couple of years ago and it was very close to the Mark in feel, although it was a tad softer ride, the Mark hits the road pretty hard but has great road feel. These touring editions are pretty rare, in all the time I have looked for one, I have only seen a couple and right now there is one close enough to buy. I have some serious doubts about this car as a winter car and I guess I dont' need another pure summer car, any comments?
 
The touring are rare but not that rare too, if you don't like the car, search for another touring TC. I don't know if this is a great choice if you are going to use it for winter since its still a RWD. but then again they use it in New York all the time.
 
Thanks for the reply. I don't know them to be rare by anything I may have read, but I just haven't seen very many. I suspect it didn't constitute a very large percentage of the number of TCs made in the years they made them. I was wondering how the new as in 2003 when they changed to a beefer standard suspension compare with the touring edition? For the moment the Mark is still a beautiful car but with 109K not sure how much longer that can last, although we do care for it meticulously. Normally we would have traded 10 - 15k before this but we haven't found anything we really like. At this point the Mark worthless except to us, will probably keep it even if we fall in love with something, which I don't see happening real quick.

Thanks
Barry
 
From what I have known, The Touring TCs have the montube shocks just like the 03+. I see them somethimes, there chrome is painted the same color as the Body. Plus they are faster. 0-60 in 7.5 and 1/4 in 16.1(this is just from what I have got from the Internet)I say you buy it because they are much more reliable then the Mark VIIIs but I wouldn't say it the best for a winter car since its still a RWD.
 
the touring sedans have sportier rear end gears, sportier shocks(still has the air bag suspension), perforated and heated leather seats, black woodgrain, special wheels, everyone i have seen has had a sunroof, cd player, painted belly band chrome and a few other things. very awesome cars, my dream lincoln actually. before i bougt the car i have now, i looked at a 99 touring sedan, white pearlescent, stunning car. but it had 80k on it, and with a 4 year loan, who knows where my mileage would be. i wish i would have bought it though, i see it from time to time around my neighborhood and always end up drooling.
 
OldRelayer said:
Thanks for the reply. I don't know them to be rare by anything I may have read, but I just haven't seen very many. I suspect it didn't constitute a very large percentage of the number of TCs made in the years they made them. I was wondering how the new as in 2003 when they changed to a beefer standard suspension compare with the touring edition? For the moment the Mark is still a beautiful car but with 109K not sure how much longer that can last, although we do care for it meticulously. Normally we would have traded 10 - 15k before this but we haven't found anything we really like. At this point the Mark worthless except to us, will probably keep it even if we fall in love with something, which I don't see happening real quick.

Thanks
Barry


what do you mean by standard suspension? they still have air suspension....
 
The Mark does have a reputation, I have always read that it had poor reliability, but we have had 5 of them and the one we have now has almost 110K and I would have to say they have been very reliable and cheap to keep. Other than ball joints I haven't spent anything on any of them. However, the miles are getting up there and eventually there will be issues no matter how well the car is made or how well you keep it. I just don't know when that will be, right now the car looks and drives like the day we bought it.

On the TC touring, I think this could be a decent replacement, has all the things we are use to having, like the keyless entry, I couldn't imagine carrying around keys. The thing I like about the Touring is what makes it like the Mark, horrible in the winter. Which may not be an issue, because we have always had a winter car for that reason. I have spoken to the guy with the 01 Touring and he has an offer and will probably sell it before we can get down there to look at it, about 3 1/2 hours and my wife doesn't have a day off in the near future. I have driven a 2000 touring and I liked it and I think she will too, I tried to get her to drive a newer TC at the dealer and she didn't want to, with memories of the earlier TCs. If the 03 plus has the same suspension that is good news, but HP will probably be an issue, she is a bit spoiled in that regard. I do believe if I can get her to drive a touring, she would like it.

Thanks
Barry
 
Nakoa said:
what do you mean by standard suspension? they still have air suspension....

Yes they all have the air bags but there is more to it than that. The touring and the Mark have more road feel than a standard TC, well a standard 02 and earlier TC, not sure about the newer ones.
 
the towncars arent lacking in power, horsepower sells cars, torque wins races. the towncars tourque to hp ratio is higher than that of the devilles. its got some low end grunt. all i have ever driven were lincolns, and the newer town cars are really a step up in terms of power than what most people who have driven 80's and 90's models would think. my 90 was sluggish as hell, my 2000 will chirp the tires if i dont watch it. the 03+ towncars get a few extra horses, but there also a bit bigger than the 98-02 models. im not sure what the winers are like up there, but in texas theyre slushy and icy and my towncar maintains its self well. but dont expect a sport coupe when driving a luxury sedan without some mods.
 
Actually we have been leaning more toward keeping the Mark and updating the winter car, which is a 97 Olds 88, that has been just a great winter car. And we have talked about a Continental, I made a terrible mistake in 1988 and bought the very new production Continental, was just a horrible car, had it 6 months and lost a ton. I do understand that the newer ones are much better and actually have a tamer version of the same Engine used in the Mark. I was thinking more like a 2001 or 2002, why would you say 95 - 97?
 
95-97? those years for the conti sure are ugly inside and out. and dont tell me thats not a factor, if it werent, none of you would have bought a lincoln or a caddy.
 
Nakoa said:
95-97? those years for the conti sure are ugly inside and out. and dont tell me thats not a factor, if it werent, none of you would have bought a lincoln or a caddy.
Which years are ugly 2001 -2002 or the 95-97? Opps, I see now, I guess I agree, I do like the 2002 and the two tone seats look nice. One thing about my 88 Continetal it had great soft leather. I love the look of all the Marks, I have had all of them from the first year they made the Mark VII (1984) to the last year they made the Mark VIII(1998). I don't find the TC terribly attractive, but I do like the looks of the 2002 Continental especially in maroon.
 
Call it whatever you call it the Mark has more of it than the tC or the Continental.
 
actually with a bad driver in a Mark, The Continental will beat the Mark.
 
I learned to drive in the snow on rear wheel drive cars cause front wheel hadn't been invented yet. Put snows on em and drive like ya got good sense and you will be fine.
 
It is funny that this thread is still active. We didn't by a TC but a Eldorado. Not a terrible winter car but with the wide tires and the added horse power it isn't great either but we have gotten through to winters without getting stuck too often. The car is primarily driven by my wife who is a pretty good drive and has made it through many winters with a Mark with 4 studded snows, but we park the Mark for the winter now. I live in Maine, winters are not trivial here and this one has been a particularly bad one. Fortunately we kept the Olds(it wasn't worth anything to anyone but us) because the Crapalliac has spent much of the time we have owned it in the garage. In the year and a 1/2 we have owned it it has cost more than every other care put together we have owned in the last 25 years. True it wasn't new but our Mark has 130K now and still hasn't cost us much more than a ball joint that gets eaten up with our Maine after winter roads. Retired now and going to nurse these three older cars along for as long as possible. It is April 4th and I can barely see the Mark, probably be another month before we can dig it out, we stored it last year but it came back smelly and my wife doesn't want to do that again. At 63 we should be thinking a stock TC to drive to places where old people go, but we still like a little performance, but Premium fuel has gone higher percentage wise than low octane. It use to be $.10 more now your lucky you can find a station that charges $.25 more and sometime more than $.30. What &^%$%^& rip off. Well that is my story and I am sticking to it. I still think the Mark was the finest car ever made in America, I can't understand why it didn't sell well, even the crap Eldorado was in productions longer and cost a lot more, go figure.

Take care,
Barry
 

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