car of my dreams

[Lincolns Own]

so tonight we looked at a '98 black on grey LSC. 93k miles, 1 owner which was a older man. the car has the '93 snowflake rims because of the peeling chrome on the stock wheels. the car is so beautiful! gold package, turn signal lights under the mirrors, 10 disc CD changer. the only thing i miss is the sun roof and the cell phone but, its ALL BLACK! sad thing is that we traded the '94 for it, plus $6.7k. they tried to give us 500 for the trade!!! i :q:q:q:q my pants. i proclaimed the phone, moonroof, the factory '95 bumper cutouts on a '94 car. they then took $1500. im going to get pics later, as its dark here. another thing is that the back middle break light panel doesnt light up whatso ever. can someone tell me how much that costs so i can tell the ":q:q:q:qty chevy" dealership to replace that? they tried to tell me that on the '98, the back wasnt suppost to light up. i guess they thought i was dumb for a 17 year old. i blew my stack. so pics will come soon!

 

[98LSC32V]

Ford/Lincoln doesn't make the OEM Neon tailight assembly anymore but Glitch can sell you the inverter for a good price. Look in the 5 Star Ford forum for details.

 

[formerknown]

another thing is that the back middle break light panel doesnt light up whatso ever.

Check your local laws. In some states, the neon tail counts toward the "brake light" category on safety inspection. I had a friend with a 97' in New Hampshire that failed his inspection because the neon did not work.

 

[mark0101]

last time I checked for the neon tailight, it was for 1,000 dollars. I have heard that if you don't slam your trunk hard, it should run as long as the car. Is this true?

 

[formerknown]

last time I checked for the neon tailight, it was for 1,000 dollars. I have heard that if you don't slam your trunk hard, it should run as long as the car. Is this true?

Probably not. The neon light itself is quite secure in the assembly. I think Ford designed the light with durability in mind. What happens in the case of the Mark VIII lights is two things:

1.) Moisture. If your tail light has black spots or streaks in it, that it water or condensation leaking into the light. In this case, you'll need to remove the moisture by drilling holes in the backsdie of the assembly and allowing for the bulb area to dry out.

2.) The ballast fails. The ballast itself "burns out". This doesn't happen as often as the moisture problem. Moisture can also short-out the ballast. In this case, you'll need a new assembly supplied by either Ford (obsolete), or a ballast by glitch.

I replaced my entire assembly because it became too condensed with moisture and the bulb burned-out. The entire neon was black or brown and looked horrible. I replaced the assembly for $400 with my Ford F&F discount. I had a JL 10w2V6 pounding in the trunk all night long and owned the car two years before selling it to Mike. As far as I know, it still works fine.

There are plenty of neon rear lights on eBay right now...

 

[Lincolns Own]

yes, i will not let chevrolet get away with not replacing this. i know its an expensive part and when i told them that it would be around 800-1k, their mouths just dropped. thanks for the help and i'll tell them to get on it pronto lol

 

[Frat-man-du]

$768 to replace after a failed inspection. Lincoln was supposed to give me the old one, but they smashed it....sigh.

anyway I think they are no longer available form the dealer.

 

[Lincolns Own]

damn, anyone got a link to one on ebay or anything? i cant seem to find them on there. thanks alot.

 

[BrightsMarkVIII]

When I worked at the body shop painting before I came in the Air Force, I had a Mercury Mystique I transformed into a SVT Contour from head to toe, inside and out, well with the SVT rear bumper it has a grill slot that I used a LED from a Cadillac Deville. I got it from a totaled car at the shop...guess my point is if you have any friends at local body shops tell them to keep there eyes open or have there parts manager call around for you...I got mine for free, you might be able to do the same!

 

[Lincolns Own]

i called someone at 5 star ford, and gave the number to the chevy dealer. they should be taking care of it. i got a couple of pics but the camera is in the car and the car is gone lol. hopefully i'll put them on tonight

 

[segxr7]

i know its an expensive part and when i told them that it would be around 800-1k, their mouths just dropped.

With what they charged you, that light could cost $3000 and they'd still be making money on the deal. For that kind of money on a Mark with 94k miles I would be hounding them if a trim panel was nicked or the ash tray lid squeaked.

Don't back down, and make sure EVERYTHING is working & in good condition. If they agree to order parts, do repairs, etc., get it in writing (and dated!) so they can't drag their feet until the warranty expires and suddenly have amnesia. Good luck!