What Am I Looking For??

[briasmit91]

Hi everybody! I am brand new to this forum and have been reading over many posts in the past few days about the Lincoln LS. I am in the market for buying one, I just don't know which one to get. Can anybody guide me with any detailed information? I'm looking for specific years to buy, what engine, trim, what to look out for when checking them out... I read that these cars require more maintenance versus the other cars in Ford/Lincoln's lineup. Please help me out! Thanks!

 

[joegr]

I recommend that you shoot for an 06 or an 05. The 06s only came with the V8, the 05s were V8 or V6. I would only get the V8. Look for the lowest miles and best condition that you can find. If you don't have at least twice the purchase price in cash, don't buy it. You'll need the other half of the cash to fix it up after you get it. Do it now if you are going to, because many of the repair parts may not be around much longer. (Several parts are already on the "from a junkyard only" list.)

 

[G-RELL]

low mileage and if I was looking. I'd locate (and travel for) one in a better climate then IA... snow and salt will become a bigger and bigger problem as these get older...

 

[All2kool]

low mileage and if I was looking. I'd locate (and travel for) one in a better climate then IA... snow and salt will become a bigger and bigger problem as these get older...

"What Am I Looking For?"

Any year with less than 80k miles, from the West, Southwest or Florida, with a service history. As stated, you do not want a car that has ever seen a wet salted road, even if the owner states that it never saw a wet salted road.

This is sound advice for any used car purchase.

This Florida car looks quite nice.

 

[joegr]

The years are very different. I wouldn't just say "any year."
2003-2006 have many improvements and more power.
2000-2001, and some/many 2002 have an extreme risk of timing chain failure on the V8.
2000 was the first year and there were many fixes after that.
2003 was the first year of the new generation and there were several fixes after that.
By 2005, most (but not all) of the bugs were worked out.

 

[briasmit91]

The years are very different. I wouldn't just say "any year."
2003-2006 have many improvements and more power.
2000-2001, and some/many 2002 have an extreme risk of timing chain failure on the V8.
2000 was the first year and there were many fixes after that.
2003 was the first year of the new generation and there were several fixes after that.
By 2005, most (but not all) of the bugs were worked out.

So for the 2000-2002, is it better to get the V6? Does the V6 have the timing chain problems too? I don't really care about going fast. I just don't know if the V8 or V6 is more reliable.

 

[All2kool]

So for the 2000-2002, is it better to get the V6? Does the V6 have the timing chain problems too? I don't really care about going fast. I just don't know if the V8 or V6 is more reliable.

I have an '02 and I am quite pleased with it so far. It has 149k miles and I only bought it as it had $3700 in service performed just 500 miles ago. The V8 version does get the Message Center, which I wish the V6 had or could be retro-fitted with.

 

[Lseme]

02 LSE V8 here with 89k and I love it . . . so far. Decent power from a small v8, comfortable as hell & great looks. I'm just waiting fo all the problems associated with this car to start happening. Tick tick tick

 

[joegr]

So for the 2000-2002, is it better to get the V6? Does the V6 have the timing chain problems too? I don't really care about going fast. I just don't know if the V8 or V6 is more reliable.

If you want reliable, you are picking the wrong car, and the wrong years of the wrong car. See my first post. Seriously, if you can't afford to get a good shape, low mileage 2006 and have a lot of money left over, you don't want an LS.

 

[All2kool]

If you want reliable, you are picking the wrong car, and the wrong years of the wrong car. See my first post. Seriously, if you can't afford to get a good shape, low mileage 2006 and have a lot of money left over, you don't want an LS.

Any car that has been abused, not cared for, wasn't regularly serviced, spent its life in harsh winters, driven hard by teenagers, driven on salt covered roads and generally just not cared for will be unreliable. I have a 2004 Town Car that has 222k miles and it's in better condition than most Town Cars with 1/3 the mileage. There was a 2003 Town Car with just a little over 54k miles for sale recently that had more issues than a used and abused livery Town Car with 700k miles. There are forum users here with beat to hell LS' with less than 70k miles and there are forum members here with beautiful LS' with over 250k miles.

It's really what you decide to purchase and how it has been treated.

 

[1LoudLS]

but even the best treated LS will have a few issues that really need to be considered, A: regardless of how many miles are on it, with its age, you can pretty much bet on needing a cooling system overhaul either right away or fairly soon (unless it has recently been done, and done right, and done completely) and B: with this age regardless of miles, you can probably expect to be doing a suspension overhaul to replace all of the worn out bushings and parts.

 

[1LoudLS]

things I would definitely think about...

I wouldn't buy a 1st gen V8 no matter what condition its in, unless you like tearing apart a good motor to replace the timing chains and tensioners to make sure they don't jump a tooth and destroy a head or two...

I also wouldn't even consider a V6 of any years... the one MPG better it gets is A: not worth the loss of power (even if you don't like fast, this is a pretty heavy car and even the bigger motor is slightly under powered) and B: not worth the pain in the ass to remove the intake manifold when its time to replace the plugs and coils.

after owning both a 1st gen V6 and a 2nd gen V8, I personally would never consider any 1st gen, while its not a terrible car, all the updates and changes they made to the 2nd gen fix all of the little things that used to drive me crazy with my 1st LS.


If I was crazy enough to buy a third LS (which at this point in time, I cant see happening) it would have to be an 06, all of trhe bugs that were going to be worked out were worked out, and it has the best look of all the years of LS

 

[joegr]

... (unless it has recently been done, and done right, and done completely) ...

The odds of both of these things being true on a 9+ year old car that is for sale are very very low. Even lower when you consider the prices that used LSes go for.
I don't picture ever buying another one, because I can't see finding one in good enough shape. (I've been and am very happy with both of mine, but I purchased them new.) One day I will be selling them. They have been very well maintained, but you wouldn't want them when I do sell/trade them. The reason I would sell them would be that there was too much worn out to be worth fixing, or that I needed parts that I just couldn't get.

 

[All2kool]

I wouldn't buy a 1st gen V8 no matter what condition its in, unless you like tearing apart a good motor to replace the timing chains and tensioners to make sure they don't jump a tooth and destroy a head or two...

Bummer I guess. That means this 35k mile Gen 1 V8 is really just a $6500 POS in a Silver coat?

http://portland.craigslist.org/mlt/cto/5222398520.html

 

[RigsLS]

^ I'd rock that, timing chain and all, WAIT .... I already do, it's my twin LS.


6500 is too high on that, regardless of low miles.


ps: Don't listen to the Loud1, he's such a 1st GEN hater.

 

[joegr]

Bummer I guess. That means this 35lk mile Gen 1 V8 is really just a $6500 POS in a Silver coat?

http://portland.craigslist.org/mlt/cto/5222398520.html

I wouldn't touch it. Even with the low miles, there are a lot of things that will fail from time alone. It will need the timing tensioners replaced. Almost certainly most of the suspension bushings are toast, as are the grease boots. Once someone starts actually driving it, all this stuff and more will show up. (With so low miles, it's almost certain that none of these things have been replaced.)
Even ignoring that, I test drove a gen I V8 LS (way back when). I didn't like it at all and wrote them off. Later, I was reluctantly talked into test driving a 2004. That, I really liked and I bought it.

 

[Lseme]

The 2nd gens are really that much better ? After all the improvements made to the 2nd gen as one magazine stated something to the effect of lipstick on a pig is still just a pig. Regardless, this is one car I love and mine rides & drives great, no squeaks, rattles or other annoyances. It's tight and handles pretty damn well for a 3600 lb boat

 

[All2kool]

^ I'd rock that, timing chain and all, WAIT .... I already do, it's my twin LS. 6500 is too high on that, regardless of low miles. ps: Don't listen to the Loud1, he's such a 1st GEN hater.

He seems to be down on the LS in general. I get that. Any car can be a dog. Maybe he once owned a Yugo?

I had my '02 on a lift last week to check it out. Every bushing I looked at was in top nick. It wasn't leaking anything from anywhere and it looked like a 30k miles car, not a 149k.

I've owned a lot of cars in my years and I do agree that the first year of a new production identifies the areas needing correction. The second year tries to correct them and by the third year, they are generally well corrected. I likely would never buy a 2000 LS or a 2003 for that very reason, just as I would not buy a 1997 Corvette.

 

[RigsLS]

At the end of the day, it all depends on what one wants to put into it.

 

[1LoudLS]

Bummer I guess. That means this 35k mile Gen 1 V8 is really just a $6500 POS in a Silver coat?

http://portland.craigslist.org/mlt/cto/5222398520.html

pretty much...

still could have the engine destroy its self due to a poorly designed internal part...

still has heated seats that only have one setting (fire under your ass) that will only run for ten minutes before always shutting itself off (probably to keep from badly burning peoples asses)

still has poorly designed window switches that doesn't offer auto down for the pass side, nor auto up for either side (really a pain in the ass when your trying to leave a drive through, while handing the bags to the passenger, while pulling forward, while holding the window up switch the whole time... )

still has a useless ashtray that if you are a smoker, is damn hard to hit the target while driving which gets ashes all over the car OR if you are not a smoker, is to narrow to use as a change holder and try to grab change out quickly while pulling up the the drive through window.

still has the smallest and useless center console that can only hold two decks of cars and three condoms.

still has terrible looking FAKE wood trim.

still has those door panel pockets that just look like a fat mans elastic sweatpants.

still even more under powered.

still doesn't have exterior lights to make sure you dont step in to the sh!t and track into the car when you unlock it at night.

still doesn't have cooled seats to help keeps "the guys" from sweating on a nice hot day.

still has a mechanical engine fan with is prone to failure (the last thing I want as an LS with MORE things to cause an overheating problem...)

(as pointed out in another thread) while not having the damn ninja cup holders, still has those cup holders that are way to close together

still has too much chrome around the windows.

ps: Don't listen to the Loud1, he's such a 1st GEN hater.

well after owning one, and then later getting a 2nd gen, where all the little annoyances were gone, yeah you could say that...

He seems to be down on the LS in general. I get that. Any car can be a dog. Maybe he once owned a Yugo?

its not a bad car, in fact it was really something special (well at least coming from this side of the world) 15 years ago when it came out... but a lot has changed since then, it now offers what comes standard on a Kia. had it not been canceled, it very well could have became an amazing car (as the platform actually has) that would have kept up with the times. but alas, it didn't. its problems are only getting worse, some parts are getting real hard to find for it, there just weren't enough of them made. its a shame.

it was a great car for the $11k I paid for it over 7 years ago. its definitely a great car for all of those that bough one recently for less than half of that. bottom line, like it or not, the car is getting a little long in the tooth. and if I were going to buy a new car today, I can tell you one thing, I expect a lot more than what this 9+ year old car could offer me.

 

[All2kool]

There is a dealer near me with an '05 V8 with 129k miles. He listed it as a 'Sport' edition but the Fog Lights aren't round (are they supposed to be?). He's asking $6995 and it's been listed for several months. I'm almost tempted to drop in and take a look at it but after hearing that the V8 is an over-heating dog, I'm swayed not too. Are all V8's prone to cooling system failure?

My best offer to him would be an insult but he'd have my car and a few of my dollars and an easier car to sell. My only desire to have it would be the Sunroof. I think my interior is in far better condition.

 

[joegr]

All gen II V8s are sports (okay, 99.9% anyway). Round fog light are an LSE feature, and are not linked to sport/non-sport.
All cars require maintenance of their cooling system and other parts. The LS V8 has a lot of plastic cooling system parts that have to be replaced every 6 years / 60K miles or so. As long as you do that, the cooling system is very reliable and trouble free. (Note that this is mostly true for BMWs too. The difference is that with the BMW if you wait for failure, you'll have to replace the engine after it overheats. At least the LS protects itself.)

IMHO, that price is a bit too high.