Calling all MARK VIII experts...I've got questions

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tical3604

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So I'm looking at this pearl white 1997 Mark VIII LSC. 53000 miles, it's been owned by an old lady for the past 3 years and is in immaculate condition. The only thing wrong with it is the cd disc changer is broken.

Shes asking 8500, which is rediculous, and I'm going to have to talk her down. Maybe I'll have a word with her husband. Cars are more expensive here in washington for some reason, but 8500 is just stupid, no matter what condition the car is. I'd even be willing to spend 7000 on it, just because the vehicle is in such good shape with low miles.

anyway, HERE are the questions

-I've done a little research on marks, and it seems like the 97 year isn't brought up too often. Is it a bad year?

-When can I expect major problems to start showing up? I'm not going to run this car too hard, I'm gonna purr it...And it's been driven lightly since it was purchased, so it's in great condition...

-What is the real gas mileage of these cars? I've heard a lot of different numbers thrown around, 26 hwy\20 city,22 hwy\18 city....I know thats not that big of a difference but still...

-Does this year have the HID problems the other ones do?

-Is the back seat useless like I've read, or can you fit a person or two back there? I've never actually seen a Mark VIII inside and out.

-I'm 6'3...Is this car tall people-friendly?

I was going to buy a 2001 LS, but found out it had way too many expensive problems and I need a car that I can count on and not have to fix too often for the next 4 years or so. I mean, it's a car, it's gonna break sometimes, but I don't want something that's gonna be like the LS.

Oh, and if any of you guys have tips on how to talk her down then please let me know. Shes a stubborn old lady, and this is the first car I'm buying.

THANKS FOR THE HELP!!!!
 
I havent had mine too long, but I can answer some of the questions that I know. Now mine is a 98 LSC but...

My fuel milage is about 27 Highway/18 city. but the low city is due to my driving LOL

and I am 6'5" and weight north of 350lbs and fit fine. so i dont think you will have any issues in that area.

you CAN fit people in the back. but they must be short and it is VERY tight.

The others, well I cant help too much on that.

Good luck, and I love my Mark VIII!!!!!
 
tical3604 said:
So I'm looking at this pearl white 1997 Mark VIII LSC. 53000 miles, it's been owned by an old lady for the past 3 years and is in immaculate condition. The only thing wrong with it is the cd disc changer is broken.

Shes asking 8500, which is rediculous, and I'm going to have to talk her down. Maybe I'll have a word with her husband. Cars are more expensive here in washington for some reason, but 8500 is just stupid, no matter what condition the car is. I'd even be willing to spend 7000 on it, just because the vehicle is in such good shape with low miles.

anyway, HERE are the questions

-I've done a little research on marks, and it seems like the 97 year isn't brought up too often. Is it a bad year?

-When can I expect major problems to start showing up? I'm not going to run this car too hard, I'm gonna purr it...And it's been driven lightly since it was purchased, so it's in great condition...

-What is the real gas mileage of these cars? I've heard a lot of different numbers thrown around, 26 hwy\20 city,22 hwy\18 city....I know thats not that big of a difference but still...

-Does this year have the HID problems the other ones do?

-Is the back seat useless like I've read, or can you fit a person or two back there? I've never actually seen a Mark VIII inside and out.

-I'm 6'3...Is this car tall people-friendly?

I was going to buy a 2001 LS, but found out it had way too many expensive problems and I need a car that I can count on and not have to fix too often for the next 4 years or so. I mean, it's a car, it's gonna break sometimes, but I don't want something that's gonna be like the LS.

Oh, and if any of you guys have tips on how to talk her down then please let me know. Shes a stubborn old lady, and this is the first car I'm buying.

THANKS FOR THE HELP!!!!
Click to expand...

imo the 97 base is the worst of them all, but in reality theres realy no "bad" ones.

problems can happen any time, its all a matter of the car...but usuially arround 80k do you realy need to start looking at some things. not major major, but not regular maintainence.

idk about the hids but i hear a lot about there not being any bulbs for the hids right now

back seat is actually very roomey, im 6'5" and im comfey back there, as long as the front seats arent all the way back

for driving, and being tall...its one of the first cars i would look at.
 
6'2" 220 easy fit, it engulfs you. lots of people will dis the gen 2's but i love my 98 lsc the 97-98 are very much the same but the 98 interior is stepped up slightlly IMO, better linc emb on the steering wheel, better smooth jbl badges not stamped etc, but every where else is basically the same, poss the trans is different (i dont know what year they updated the internals *key in mike i know you know this part)
 
Mark VIII are not cheap to repair either, but a Forum like LvC and help you make many repairs very affordable as long as you are not afraid to get a little dirty...
 
I have a 97 I am selling in Southern California. Asking alot less then the one you are talking about, might be worth looking into it and driving it home! :D

well, I am 6'0" 240lbs and I fit comfortably, I have had passengers in the back seat and as long as the front seats are not reclined and back all the way there is room for 2 adults. I average over all 21 mpg and I have an ocassional heavy foot. I would say 19 city and 25 highway sound about right. HID's can go out and to my knowledge ford no longer offers replacements but there are a few people on here that are improvising and modifing others to fit. Or you can fight for a set on ebay, they usually go about $200 a bulb. Good luck!
 
How is the 97 the worst base model? It's the LSC btw,if you missed that...

also-

how much is it going to hurt to put mid-grade or even regular chevron gas in there?Is premium a necessity??

she only put about 3k a year on it while shes had it,not much highway driving...good or bad?


I need help on how to talk her down too, she's being pretty damned stubborn. needs to get some sense smacked into her.who the ffff is gonna pay 2k over blue book. the blue book price of the ride in excellent condition(which supposedly 5% of used cars fall into) is almost 6500. WTF is 8500

If someone can comprehensively break everything down to me it would be much appreciated, I'm a mark VIII newbie but love the car.


heres some pics-

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I must say that is a good lookin car but if you want to know why that year aint the best just look at evillally picture on the side or just ask him :).
 
I have a 97 LSC and I just love it. I’ve had it for a little over a year now with no major problems. The down side is unless you are mechanically inclined ( I am not ) just about anything that needs to be repaired is going to be costly. My car just hit 100,000 and the tune up and rear brakes ran me $700. This included all new coil packs, plugs, wires and rotor replacement for the rear. From what I understand that was not a bad price at all. The upside is the tune up should be good for anther 100,000 miles.
I’m 6’2” and I have no problems fitting in the drivers seat and driving all day long. As far as the back seat is concern, no one can sit behind me when I’m driving and I wouldn’t sit behind my 5”5” wife if she was driving. My 8 year old niece barely fits in the back of this car. My kid is out of the house now so I didn’t care about the room in the back.
I also live in the Seattle area. As you well know traffic from Olympia to Everett just plain sucks about 80% of the time. I am getting about 19 to 20 miles a gallon on average. My commute is all in town but my son is stationed at the Everett Naval Base and my wife works in Olympia so I get around the area quite a bit.
I know of no problems with the HID’s in the 97’s. I did have to clean and polish my headlights because they looked to be fogged over but all this required was time and elbow grease. If you happen to lose your low beam you have to replace the whole headlight assembly to the tune of $3 to $500 from what I understand. The taillight across the trunk is a pricey sucker as well.
The bottom line is this is a modern luxury car. Like any modern luxury car if something goes wrong you get to pay for it. I’m glad I didn’t know a lot of this when I bought my car because to tell you the truth I don’t know if I would have bought it and as I said at the top I love the car.
If you do buy it check this website out whenever you can. The people on here have been fantastic about helping me and anyone else with any questions about this car that may come up.

Good Luck,
Mavrick
 
Hey Mavrick, I just noticed you were from Puyallup. Man I was out there for a few days during that major rain storm where it rained for like 30 or 40 days straight.
 
so the 97 have a lot of crazy problems eh? is evillallys car a lemon or what?are all the 97s f'd up and have crazy amounts of problems?
 
good post maverick, thanks

If I get it at 53000,pristine condition(owned by old people the whole time),I shouldnt have any problems with it for quite some time,right?
 
tical3604 said:
good post maverick, thanks

If I get it at 53000,pristine condition(owned by old people the whole time),I shouldnt have any problems with it for quite some time,right?
Click to expand...


cars will have problems regardless of mileage.
 
but I'm saying this particular vehicle, not cars in general. I'm asking you guys specifically because you all own marks, and know the frequency of problems.
 
tical3604 said:
but I'm saying this particular vehicle, not cars in general. I'm asking you guys specifically because you all own marks, and know the frequency of problems.
Click to expand...


we can't predict if one car will have a problem. You just have to accept that it is a 10 year old car and things will break and go out on it. It is not as likley on a lower milage car but it is most definately possible.
 
i got mine with 75k on the clock and now its got 127k in 2 years so needless to say i drive the hell out of it, no major repairs, the compressor went out at 112k (expensive, $500ish but i bought a warrenty just for the air susp coverage for less than the comp alone and i got payed to put it in,p.s. im a tech) besides normal mant its been over all good, as for haggling down grandma, ummmmm air susp probs, some VERY $$$$ parts, i dunno
 
I have a '97 LSC and am very happy with it. Outside of 100K maintenance, the car is pleasure to drive. When I had gotten the car the front suspension was shot and the tires were way out of balance. After a front suspension rebuild, wow, what a difference!
At 6' 260# plus, the car fits me like a glove. Very comfortable around the city or on the highway. You won't go wrong with any year as a daily driver. Should you be a performance buff, perhaps a '96 ought to be your choice. More parts to choose from, style is arguable.
 
tical3604 said:
-I've done a little research on marks, and it seems like the 97 year isn't brought up too often. Is it a bad year?
Click to expand...
No. It's the first year of the Gen2. This means you have functioning headlights unlike many of us Gen1 guys. There is nothing exceptionally good or bad about this model year. It is fine.


-When can I expect major problems to start showing up? I'm not going to run this car too hard, I'm gonna purr it...And it's been driven lightly since it was purchased, so it's in great condition...
Click to expand...
Simply do to the age, I would be absolutely certain to check the condition of the air ride and the air springs. Regardless of mileage, the rubber in the air springs will breakdown over time, and require replacement.

If you can do simple automotive repair, this isn't a difficult repair to do at all. In fact, it's quite simple and a good introduction to the Mark VIII.

-What is the real gas mileage of these cars? I've heard a lot of different numbers thrown around, 26 hwy\20 city,22 hwy\18 city....I know thats not that big of a difference but still...
Click to expand...
Guys with well tuned Mark VIIIs routinely claim highway mpg of 26-28. I haven't experienced this, but my transmission hasn't been working well either.

-Does this year have the HID problems the other ones do?
Click to expand...
HID headlights don't classically have problems. The "problems" associated with Mark VIIIs are with the Gen1 halogen headlights. The HID headlights are an absolute pleasure to drive with.

The availability of replacement bulbs is very limited right now, Ford is backordered. This situation should be remedied within the next month. And if it's not, there are members working on adapter plates so that we can all use more readily available aftermarket systems.

-Is the back seat useless like I've read, or can you fit a person or two back there? I've never actually seen a Mark VIII inside and out.
Click to expand...
Have you seen an 89-97 Thunderbird or Cougar? The interior size is very, very similar since the two cars virtually share the same platform.

You can put two people in the backseat. It's not as bad as a Mustang, not as nice a Towncar.


-I'm 6'3...Is this car tall people-friendly?
Click to expand...
Yes.

I mean, it's a car, it's gonna break sometimes, but I don't want something that's gonna be like the LS.
Click to expand...
The drivetrain in the car is great. The engine will last nearly forever. There are some little things that might trouble you, like the blend door accumulator on the A/C, and there are a lot of electronics on these cars, so it's always possible you'll have to chase gremlins.

Drive the car. If you're excited by the car and can do simple mechancial work, for the right price, it's a great car. But, keep in mind, it is an exotic car. There is no denying this. It's an exotic engine. It's an exotic suspension. But it's rewarding to own and a pleasure to drive.
 
It's not as bad as a Mustang, not as nice a Towncar.
Click to expand...
I like that. Mustang back seats are horrible...towncar back seats on the L....you can stretch out in those.

damn,class is in session.this is a good post. calabrio, you know a lot of stuff man...that post was thorough

it seems like there are lemons in all the years of Mark VIII's Gen 1's or Gen 2's, you either get a good one or a bad one IMO.
Click to expand...

ford should stop making lemons.wtf.wheres qc at wixom.

04SS, thats a nice mark, but a long drive!!
 
A Kia Spectra needs a tune-up from time to time. It may cost less but it still needs it. I had a Chevy that had to have new fuel injectors put in to the tune of $1000.00 as well as 2 or 3 computer chips at 2 to $300 a pop.. Did that make it a bad car? No. Now all that added up to around $2000.00 a high amount for at best a an $4000 dollar car at the time Or you can look at it as 10 months worth of $200.00 a month car payments and I had the car for another 3 years or so after that and it was going strong when I sold it. So, the way I look at is $5200 saved not $2000 spent because I wasn‘t making any car payments during that other 26 or so months after that. Its all in how you look at it or can afford spend.
If I had a crystal ball I would have one less ex-wife and I would have won the lottery by now. My point is this car is more complicated than others. It has the bells and whistles that made us buy them in the first place and with the bells and whistles you do have more that CAN go wrong. Not that it will, but it can. Its also more costly to fix if you like myself don’t have the mechanical skills to work on them yourself IF something should go wrong. So long as you are prepared to whip out your check book or credit card IF something should go wrong it’s a car worth pursuing. If not you better look at a car that has been built in greater numbers than this because outside of the oil changes nothing is cheap. All that being said, once again I love the car and I don’t regret buying it. I’m also willing to pay the price if need be. Are you? is the question you need to answer for yourself. Hope for the best but be prepared for the worse.
To 04SSHD, yes we do get a little rain from time to time but then again I was in southern California for about 2 weeks durning Feb. 2005. All the newscasts in San Diego started with houses sliding down the hill sides. Yet they keep right on building them and blaming everyone else when it slides down the hill. I also got pictures of a refrigerator and a recliner floating down the street in Palm Springs. At the same time it was 60 and sunny here. Southern California had twice the rainfall we did that winter. I’ll tell you one thing, you sure as hell can’t beat the summers in the Pacific Northwest. Don’t tell anyone. We have enough people around here as it is.

Mavrick
 
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