considering purchase of a 98 LSC

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Ken Shepard

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Hello everyone this is my first post.
I am in the market for a 98 LSC the one that I am considering as a hundred thousand miles on it at a buy here pay here lot. This may sound crazy but one of the main reasons I'm considering this car is the headlights are both crystal clear which I have noticed is a problem on many of these cars. So either it has been wrecked or it's been garage kept I would prefer to think the latter. Anyways I am looking for some guidance as to what I should be aware of and look for with a car with this many miles any help is appreciated this car has been on my bucket list for a long time and now that they are relatively affordable I think I'm going to take the plunge. I have heard these motors go 300,000 miles with no problem is that true? Anyways I look forward to hearing some feedback from you guys thank you very much in advance
 
I just bought my 97 a couple of months ago, and like you, always wanted one, looked until I bought my California garage-kept car with 89 k miles.

I learned some lessons in a short time:
1. Be sure it has the little windshield washer button switch on the end of the turn signal arm.
2 that the heater works via the climate control. Problem with these cars --all Ford's-- is the blend door actuator breaks, and it's a HUGE job, upwards of $1000 to fix.
3. No leaks in the air bags.

I paid $4500 for mine, and have since put in another $5000. By the time I'm all done, it'll be closer to $6000. But that includes audio upgrade to Kenwood touchscreen unit, window tint, racing brake rotors and pads. What it needed was front end work, ball joints, upper/lower arms and end links for the sway bar, tensioner, pulley and serpentine belt. Plus, I had all the fluids, oil, tranny, p-steering, brake lines, and rear differential drained and replaced with Amsoil synthetics.
0916171708a.jpg
 
Jim Knight said:
I just bought my 97 a couple of months ago, and like you, always wanted one, looked until I bought my California garage-kept car with 89 k miles.

I learned some lessons in a short time:
1. Be sure it has the little windshield washer button switch on the end of the turn signal arm.
2 that the heater works via the climate control. Problem with these cars --all Ford's-- is the blend door actuator breaks, and it's a HUGE job, upwards of $1000 to fix.
3. No leaks in the air bags.

I paid $4500 for mine, and have since put in another $5000. By the time I'm all done, it'll be closer to $6000. But that includes audio upgrade to Kenwood touchscreen unit, window tint, racing brake rotors and pads. What it needed was front end work, ball joints, upper/lower arms and end links for the sway bar, tensioner, pulley and serpentine belt. Plus, I had all the fluids, oil, tranny, p-steering, brake lines, and rear differential drained and replaced with Amsoil synthetics.View attachment 828567046
Click to expand...
Thanks for the reply, can you elaborate on what you mean specifically about the heat? Do you mean switch from let's say vents to defrost to floor? Or do you mean stuck in either heating mode or ac mode with no control over the temperature. Thanks. Nice car you have
 
Ken Shepard said:
Thanks for the reply, can you elaborate on what you mean specifically about the heat? Do you mean switch from let's say vents to defrost to floor? Or do you mean stuck in either heating mode or ac mode with no control over the temperature. Thanks. Nice car you have
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Call me. 321-210-0964. I'm Jim
 
Welcome.

Clear headlights are good but I can also get my 177k headlights looking brand new with 10 minutes and a $7 bottle of Meguirs plastix. They may have been previously converted to hologen units so be aware of that.

Things to look for-

Air ride- It's finicky and pricey to keep going. New oem bags are no longer made, those who have them ask a pretty penny. Front rebuilt units are availble for $200/pc. Coil conversions are reasonably priced and worry free. Take a peak under it if it's a concern.
Suspension- Make sure there aren't any odd popping or creaking noises. These cars can be hard on the front end parts.
Blend door actuator- Controls the heat and a/c. If broken it'll give you one or the other. It's a $45 part but is somewhat labor intensive to replace for someone that hasn't done it before.
Rust- You're in Fla, but common rust areas here in the north are on the rocker panels in front of the rear wheels, behind the front wheels, the tray under the trunk and lower doors.
Headlights- Hids are oem and aren't available, haven't been for many years. Hid conversions are available for $150-200 from a member on this forum if it comes to that. Otherwise you'll have to buy used @ $100~/pc.
Neon- The trunk light is a neon powered by a ballast. Often time the ballast will fail resulting in no light. Also look for black marks indicating moisture has been present.
Cupholder- The wings break often
Telescoping steering wheel- Check for smooth movement up/down and in/out
Seat tracks- Make sure they both move.
Stereo- If it works, great. If it doesn't it's more than likely the amplifier.

Other then that just the normal stuff you'd look for when buying a 20 year old used car. Don't get scared off, these are just some common problems that these cars might have during their lifetime.
 
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Is anybody using LED bulbs in the Headlights
s there a repair for the neon in the tail light that is sort of a major part that I want to work

Thank you so much very comprehensive information
 
Ken Shepard said:
Is anybody using LED bulbs in the Headlights
s there a repair for the neon in the tail light that is sort of a major part that I want to work

Thank you so much very comprehensive information
Click to expand...

People have used led bulbs, I'n not sure what goes into fitting them though. The same adapter used for the aftermarket hid conversion may be needed for the led bulbs.

The "glitch" ballast is a aftermarket unit used to replace the oem ballast. Though oem units can be had on ebay for $100~.
 
Lownslowlsc said:
People have used led bulbs, I'n not sure what goes into fitting them though. The same adapter used for the aftermarket hid conversion may be needed for the led bulbs.

The "glitch" ballast is a aftermarket unit used to replace the oem ballast. Though oem units can be had on ebay for $100~.
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I'm liking this forum
Thank you for promt replies
 
Are there any common motor issues I need to be aware of? Blown head gaskets etc. I've read these are considered bulletproof motors but I'm not a big fan of Ford so I know absolutely nothing about the modular motors
 
Motors themselves are good with no internal issues that I can think of. Some cars have timing chain rattle at startup but goes away after a few seconds. Fwiw, my 97 has no noise @ 177k. Use a Motorcraft FL-820s and your choice of either 5-20 or 5-30 oil. The most common place to leak oil from is the oil filter adapter gasket and oil pressure switch. Less frequently valve cover gaskets and oil pan gasket. You have a car long and you'll likely encounter every problem there is. :)
Keep the trans fluid clean and only use Mercon V.
 
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I'm about to pull the trigger on a one owner collectors edition 80k mile car for asking price of 9 grand. I'm trying to get them down to less money. And the best part sight unseen from a dealer outside Chicago
I love being impetuous
 
Make sure you get pictures of all the problem areas (Rust) from the dealer. The last thing you want is a crusty car from the north.
 
Yes I've already told him I want video/pics of all the prone areas AND written confirmation that everything works as it should
 
Ken Shepard said:
Is anybody using LED bulbs in the Headlights
s there a repair for the neon in the tail light that is sort of a major part that I want to work

Thank you so much very comprehensive information
Click to expand...

I installed LED bulbs I found for the high beams, link below. The neon light is usually the ballast, and is an easy inexpensive fix for $100

LED High Beams 9005 install in 2nd Gen
 
Th
91 LSC SE said:
I installed LED bulbs I found for the high beams, link below. The neon light is usually the ballast, and is an easy inexpensive fix for $100

LED High Beams 9005 install in 2nd Gen[/QUO
Thank you, can you post a link to the adapters mentioned, they may be the solution to adapting LEDs to my motorhome I'm having. Led bases are all to small to fit the aftermarket headlights I have. Thanks so much
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