$3,000 difference is it worth it

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Ken Shepard

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So I have narrowed my choices to 2 cars The first is a 97 two owner LSC opalescence White no moonroof or heated seats tan interior with just over a hundred thousand miles directions to eat looks a little worn out
The second car is a 98 LSC collector's edition same color with the saddle interior two tone does have moonroof and heated seats this is a one-owner car with 80,000 miles
They are priced at 6000 and $9,000 respectively
Pretty sure the collectors edition does not come with the ingot set
I have to admit the interior is way nicer there on the collector's edition
I'm looking for opinions as to whether you think a 3 thousand-dollar difference is worth it thank you in advance
 
They're both overpriced so hard to say. <50k mile Mark viii's usually get around $7-9k.

Realistically (Imo), the 97 lsc should be between $4-5k on the high end and the CE probably $5.5-6.5k.
 
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Lownslowlsc said:
They're both overpriced so hard to say. <50k mile Mark viii's usually get around $7-9k.
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Not in the 97 98 LSC from what I've seen
They have paint issues or the headlights are all yellow and you can tell they've been attempted to be cleaned or the driver seat is beat
And these are both coming from dealerships so of course they're going to be more expensive
 
It's your money, do what makes you happy. I just can't imagine spending that much for a 20 year old car unless it has low low miles. Even then it would be a hard sell knowing that it'll still likely need work done.
 
Well I'm not buying it as an investment obviously as an over the road truck driver gone months at a time .I don't want to spend all my free time trying to save 1500 bucks or whatever,will be pleasure only. And from what I've seen there's not tons of decent cars left out there so my options are limited in my opinion..but I appreciate the feedback for sure
 
Ken Shepard said:
So I have narrowed my choices to 2 cars The first is a 97 two owner LSC opalescence White no moonroof or heated seats tan interior with just over a hundred thousand miles directions to eat looks a little worn out
The second car is a 98 LSC collector's edition same color with the saddle interior two tone does have moonroof and heated seats this is a one-owner car with 80,000 miles
They are priced at 6000 and $9,000 respectively
Pretty sure the collectors edition does not come with the ingot set
I have to admit the interior is way nicer there on the collector's edition
I'm looking for opinions as to whether you think a 3 thousand-dollar difference is worth it thank you in advance
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On Car Gurus.com open yourself to a nationwide search. I know 9000 grand is way too much as there are more of these cars in excellent condition , one I saw in calif. l.a. 55k at 5000 $ and there ar5e many others too if you look. Do buy a mark thats a creame puff as you will have no problems in the first year of driving it
 
$6k and 9K sure sounds steep and for that sort of money you could have an excellent/needs nothing example. I would pass on these. For reference I bought my 97 Base 52K miles 2 years ago private sale for $3K and it needed another $2K in work now its in great shape.
 
So how much value if any would you think the collector's edition status is worth if any
 
BILLBOATS said:
On Car Gurus.com open yourself to a nationwide search. I know 9000 grand is way too much as there are more of these cars in excellent condition , one I saw in calif. l.a. 55k at 5000 $ and there ar5e many others too if you look. Do buy a mark thats a creame puff as you will have no problems in the first year of driving it
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Well I did just that, again. I'm not seeing anything that sweeps me off my feet price wise
I want 97 98 only. The low mileage versions I saw are all in the 7-12 grand range there was one that had 5 owners a little cheaper. I like the white/ tan color scheme more then the gray. At the end of the day its a couple Grand not a big deal. We give that much away every year in handouts at truckstops
 
Gotta have a good believable story though
That I'm going to see my family and don't have gas story is pretty played out
Cuz who the hell drives across country with no money hoping to bum the gas money all the way
 
Ken Shepard said:
So how much value if any would you think the collector's edition status is worth if any
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Being a exclusive model I would pay 1 to 2 thou more provided low miles clean body, good tires and no issues to fix
 
I am considering convert to springs and not rebuilding front end 340, moog complete plus unknown amount for labor. The sell it after I find a nice mark for 5000 which I saw in Car gurus in an l.a. showroom . 55,000 mi. Seems it would be better to sell mine and buy a cherry mark 8
 
So I assume the non working rear taillight has an almost dark tint on it,looks darker in comparison to the surrounding lights?
 
Ken Shepard said:
So I assume the non working rear taillight has an almost dark tint on it,looks darker in comparison to the surrounding lights?
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Go to Car GURUS.com and specify lincoln mark 8 98-97 Look at some ot the prices using the Nationwide search tab.
 
There is more choice deals like this and no 9 grand if you take to your computer and search will save you thousands
 
IMO, the moonroof, heated seats and nicer condition would be worth it. Just be sure to check the air ride system, if still there. I'd be surprised if it's lasted this long.
 
Presently I have not seen mark 8's as a collectors car increase meaningfully like the muscle cars or the fords and chevys. They should be going up as there are many less of them in 2017. I suspect the public is not yet fully aware of the limited supply and too theres not the demand like muscle cars. The next 5 years will tell the classic value for the marks. And too they are just recently getting 25 to 30 years old so in time they will bring a few thousand more.
 
BILLBOATS said:
Presently I have not seen mark 8's as a collectors car increase meaningfully like the muscle cars or the fords and chevys. They should be going up as there are many less of them in 2017. I suspect the public is not yet fully aware of the limited supply and too theres not the demand like muscle cars. The next 5 years will tell the classic value for the marks. And too they are just recently getting 25 to 30 years old so in time they will bring a few thousand more.
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My 96' base had issues at 100k miles like clockwork, and I had bought it with roughly 60k. I too was a truck driver, and at one point was forced to drive 400 miles a week to get to the nearest hub for the company I worked at.

Anyhow, nearing the 100k marker, front wheel bearings, oil filter adapter gasket (do not ignore these, you see oil everywhere, replace ASAP as it'll puke it faster than you can top off), rear shocks, ball joints, where all one after the other.

When I got the car, early on I modified the sensor brackets to drop the ride height roughly 1.5". This almost immediately exposed weak spots in the rear bags, with one failing completely while I was 200 miles away from home for the job mentioned above. Had other bag done later, locally, and the compressor replaced (did it myself).

The coil-over kits, are seemingly more expensive than the bags, which will be even higher factoring in the job of installation, alignment, and anything else needed i.e. new tierods, balljoints, etc.. They also remove the better ride quality and you loose auto-leveling i.e. put 400 pounds in the trunk, and it won't sag with bags, just like semis. If going 97-98' LSC, many/most of those had a push-button handling options, and I think auto-lowering at highway speeds. The lower it sits at speed, the better your MPG (by decent amounts I experienced after lowering mine). New bags will probably outlast your ownership. Rear bags cost roughly $90 each + shocks, vs. $500 for kit that needs installed and wiring messed with to fool sensors, etc.

As others mentioned, $9k+ is expensive for a higher mileage car. If they have every single receipt for repairs that are common, still a high price. I paid $7k for mine IIRC back in 05' and it had 62k with minor aesthetics issues, but it ran like a champ. Sold it around the 128k mile mark. Also, unless it's garaged religiously it's entire life, sun roofs destroy the pleather/leather, and can fail to work eventually. If their drains clog up (pine needles are the worse) water can enter the car.
 
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Like sincoln said, around 100K miles, the front end normally needs to be re done, as does a few oil leaks. The CE is the last run of MK VIII's, only 1326 made. I'd think this would make their value more than a regular MK VIII.
 
If I had to do it all over again I would buy a car from a member who has done all the work and just pay what they asked. While looking for my car I saw a handful "creampuff" cars with low mileage and very minor cosmetic issues, some even cheap (sub $5K). However, at this age ALL of them need front end work if not done recently, regardless of mileage.
 
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