Ickaber
LVC Member
Well, here's how I ended up with a 2000 Lincoln LS (V6) six days ago. It actually started 4 years ago, when I bought a Civic to cut my gas bill down, planning to give it to my daughter when she turned 16 this past December. Unfortunately, what we've learned is that I'm not sure she'll ever be able to *safely* drive a stick in public, so I started looking for something else with an automatic transmission.
I found a 2000 Lincoln LS advertised as not running for $800. Something about it kept drawing me back to it, so I finally convinced my wife to go take a look at it with me. The owner said it ran and drove great until the time that he parked it, but since it had been sitting for a few months he couldn't get it to start again. Challenge accepted!
He wanted it gone and said he'd take $500 to make that happen. I told him I wanted to hear the engine turn over at least, so he connected some jumper cables. It turned over, but didn't fire. So then I spent some time debating with myself whether or not this was a smart idea. The interior looked perfect, but the exterior had hail damage from Texas years ago, so a branded title. I figured my daughter will be driving it mostly, so I didn't really care about that too much.
So, I decided to pull the trigger, but said I wanted to listen to it turn over one more time. I climbed in and turned the key, and after a few sluggish rotations it fired right up. He had just never charged the battery long enough, apparently. I opened the door and the owner immediately said, "The price just went up." He wanted the $800, and I agreed.
I was able to drive it home (~30 miles), but found that when in gear but stopped it seemed to idle really rough. So I texted the owner and asked if that had been happening before it was sitting, and he responded immediately that it had been for a few months and that his mechanic told him there was a broken motor mount. I looked and sure enough, I can see that the passenger side mount bracket is broken, and the sharp edge of the broken bracket is digging into the rubber of the mount.
So, after giving it a walk around, in the light, the following day, here are the issues I've discovered and/or parts I've ordered; most are cosmetic:
I haven't driven it since I brought it home, as I want to get the motor mounts replaced before taking it anywhere. I plan to change the air filter, fuel filter, oil and filter, and transmission fluid this week while waiting for parts to come in. I'm also considering getting a paintless glue-type dent puller to see if I can straighten out any of the hail damage. It's most extensive on the hood, so I might just keep my eye out for a whole hood, but still pull the dents from the top and trunk lid.
I've already learned a lot from this site in the 6 days I've owned this car, and I'm sure I'll continue to hit you guys up for help.
Thanks and I look forward to being part of the community.
I found a 2000 Lincoln LS advertised as not running for $800. Something about it kept drawing me back to it, so I finally convinced my wife to go take a look at it with me. The owner said it ran and drove great until the time that he parked it, but since it had been sitting for a few months he couldn't get it to start again. Challenge accepted!
He wanted it gone and said he'd take $500 to make that happen. I told him I wanted to hear the engine turn over at least, so he connected some jumper cables. It turned over, but didn't fire. So then I spent some time debating with myself whether or not this was a smart idea. The interior looked perfect, but the exterior had hail damage from Texas years ago, so a branded title. I figured my daughter will be driving it mostly, so I didn't really care about that too much.
So, I decided to pull the trigger, but said I wanted to listen to it turn over one more time. I climbed in and turned the key, and after a few sluggish rotations it fired right up. He had just never charged the battery long enough, apparently. I opened the door and the owner immediately said, "The price just went up." He wanted the $800, and I agreed.
I was able to drive it home (~30 miles), but found that when in gear but stopped it seemed to idle really rough. So I texted the owner and asked if that had been happening before it was sitting, and he responded immediately that it had been for a few months and that his mechanic told him there was a broken motor mount. I looked and sure enough, I can see that the passenger side mount bracket is broken, and the sharp edge of the broken bracket is digging into the rubber of the mount.
So, after giving it a walk around, in the light, the following day, here are the issues I've discovered and/or parts I've ordered; most are cosmetic:
- Service manual CD
- Motor mount bracket
- Motor mounts (x2)
- Passenger side rear door handle (the old one had been scraped on something)
- Wheel center cap (x1)
- Keyless entry remote (x2)
- Passenger side mirror (got one on eBay for $33 + shipping; how did I not notice it was a different color than the rest of the car?)
I haven't driven it since I brought it home, as I want to get the motor mounts replaced before taking it anywhere. I plan to change the air filter, fuel filter, oil and filter, and transmission fluid this week while waiting for parts to come in. I'm also considering getting a paintless glue-type dent puller to see if I can straighten out any of the hail damage. It's most extensive on the hood, so I might just keep my eye out for a whole hood, but still pull the dents from the top and trunk lid.
I've already learned a lot from this site in the 6 days I've owned this car, and I'm sure I'll continue to hit you guys up for help.
Thanks and I look forward to being part of the community.
