Possibly searching for a Mark soon...

Sadly, Jeremi's CE is no longer available, but no sweat. I also found another candidate on AutoTrader, which looks like a worthy recipient of a T56 swap (with a decent price to boot), moreso than a mint Collector's Edition. I've so far emailed the seller asking about the overall condition of the air ride as well as the driver's seat (which is shown only with a cover). The seller lists it as beige, but from the paint color and code list, I'd guess it's ivory, since it looks MUCH more white...

13994668656.271305114.IM1.03.565x421_A.562x421.jpg
 
(Hmm, the edit button doesn't show.)

I got a VIN from the seller; I can't decode the color, though, not from the chart we have, anyways.

VIN: 1LNLM92V2VY705529 Does it look short to anyone else?
 
In my neverending quest, I found a '96 LSC with rather high miles, but not a bad price. It looks to me like a tri-coat pearl white (bonus points). It's not the opal, is it? Thoughts?

LINK!
 
Colors for the '96 included "HA" Ivory Pearlescent and "WK" Opal Opalescent, both of which are tricoat metallic.

There was also a "WT" Performance White color available.

The base models were available in any of the 3 but the LSC color of the 3 is the "WK" Opal Opalescent.

Same as my '96 base model.
 
My money is on Opal Opalescent.

You're gonna lose this one - I have far too many pictures of my car to be wrong. :p
 
You think so? KBB says $5k...

The Mark VIII may have bottomed out on price. We could be seeing a slow increase in price as they get into 'collector' status.

It's been about a year since I've seen another one on the road here near Disneyland...
 
The Mark VIII may have bottomed out on price. We could be seeing a slow increase in price as they get into 'collector' status.

It's been about a year since I've seen another one on the road here near Disneyland...
Funny that you say that; I think it was Eric and I who were just discussing that the other day. Lots of moderate-mileage (+/- 100k) cars are on autotrader for 6-9 grand, it seems.
 
JP, you were correct! The '96 is indeed code WK. Remind me to buy you a beer next time we meet up. ;)

In any case, I went and saw both the '96 LSC and the Cordovan C.E. today. I took large photos so I will link the photobucket album from here, as it would be a little imprudent, I think, to post well over a dozen 1920x1080 photos. However the cars can be seen on their respective sellers' postings here for the '96 and here for the C.E. A few of the C.E.'s photos were emailed to me, so I posted those as well.

So here is the skinny:

'96 LSC: Opal Opalescent with Light Graphite (WK/D2) 161k miles, $2995

This showed its mileage.
- The front seats were a little rough, and there was wear and tear on some of the electronics.
- The radio power button and the compass button, they were both broken. The radio could not be switched off; the knob would pop back out to on. Also the power antenna motor is dead, so there is no scanning of radio stations anyways, though it picked up several within the city.
- It also has a bad door switch, as it always indicates "Door Ajar."
- The engine seemed to idle a little rough, but it would surely benefit from plugs, wires, and a good general tune.
- The hood also has blotches of what look like sand-dollar-sized spots of sap or some chemical sticking to the surface. It's tough to tell if it's done anything to the clearcoat, but it looks to be on top of the paint.
- The passenger door seems to have a half-broken outer handle as well. The compressor is noisy and probably begging to die; however I plan to run dual pumps sooner or later anyways with a Ray's Switch along with an ASHAM8 or the other one.
- This also has the blend door problem, as it would only blow cold (not that anyone in most of Arizona would ever notice this).
- The chrome above the rear lights is bubbling pretty bad, too.
- The rear window tint is terrible and hazy through the mirror. It has to come off.
- No CD cartridge to be found. (Only cassette in the dash.)

+ The rear glass HAS to have been replaced; the gasket looks mint! :D (There is no evidence, however, of a phone having ever been installed...boohoo.)
+ The pneumatic lumbar works fine, at least on the driver side.
+ It has the Homelink visor, a big plus IMO.
+ The moonroof is fast and flawless!
+ The engine and transmission still pull hard with no issues that I could detect. (Thank God!)

'98 Collector's Edition: Cordovan with Light & Medium Graphite interior. 105k miles, $4150.

- No moonroof. I may consider an aftermarket if I get desperate. (My '94 had a very good one.)
- Paint is rough, may need to be entirely redone on the front bumper and grille, if not also the hood. :(
- Minor dings on the trunk lid and down the right beltline. Most may possibly be popped back out.
- The Fuel Release button and the passenger-side power lock switch both have been mutilated. The lock switch works, but there is NO physical button for the filler release.
- The brakes were weak, but it may just be in need of pads. The pedal seemed to have a lot of travel, however the brakes were consistent, and I wouldn't say the pedal was exactly squishy. (That being said, I'm considering Cobra upgrades and SS lines anyways.)
- The headlight casings, like the rest of the front, are pretty rough, however there was no condensation in either. I think proper wet-sanding and polishing would help tremendously. (Also, for future reference, I am told by a friend in the biz that he knows where to source aftermarket replacements for reasonable money.)
- Also has the blend door problem. Ugh.
- Passenger side mirror assembly will have to be replaced to meet my standards. All but the electrics seem damaged, so I may just search a boneyard for an assembly and get it painted along with the front clip. (Grrrr!)
- CD changer has for some reason been flipped upwards, blocking the hatch to the air ride switch, and cartridge is missing. (Only cassette is in the dash.)
- Neon does not light. (Hopefully a faulty ballast for which what'shisface would provide a replacement.)
- The top of the steering wheel has cracked a bit, but I suspect this is from the sun, and could possibly be refinished by a woodworker I know. (Maybe?)
- No heated seats, but the extra space may be used for suspension controls anyways.

+ The engine bay looks mint. As in absolutely BRAND new. Even the hoses and the coolant pipe look new. Not a single blemish that I could spot!
+ Wired for a phone, though the actual phone and antenna stalk are missing. Probably overlooked by most, yet I am scheming to exploit some of the existing hardware.
+ Also accelerates and shifts very strong.
+ The interior also looks mint, aside from some wear on the outside bolster of the driver seat.
+ No system check problems; doors are not jars this time. :D

The gist of it all.

I am strongly leaning towards the '98 for obvious reasons. My goal is to have a car worthy of local car shows. Not necessarily a consistent winner, but something that can be a source of pride, not embarrassment. (Though the shows remind me of little league where sportsmanship is key and the kids are forced to root for their opponents. "Yay, everybody!") The C.E. appears to be (to me!) a much better and more solid starting point even if the asking price is another grand higher. (In a perfect world, I'd buy both and do coilovers on the '96, sand and paint the remaining chrome off the trim to match the body color, and totally hot-rod it, and possibly do almost nothing but restore and modestly upgrade the C.E.)

Anyways, the photobucket album is here! The C.E. is just dirty from the rain and dust in recent weeks.

Enjoy, and please leave thoughts, opinions, suggestions, and general feedback. Thanks, all!
 
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