Replaced my Mark VIII with a Vortec...

"Vortec" V6, that is.

You all knew I sold my Mark VIII because I needed to get a small van, and I ended up getting a '99 Chevy Astro, with their 4.3L "Vortec" V6.

It's pretty nice for a small van. Less than 42K miles, and it's the LS version, with most the bells and whistles. It's obviously not as nice a ride as the Mark VIII, but better than your average van. So far I've recorded a solid 21 mpg highway, but I'm sure my daily driving will be less. One thing - the steering on these vans has virtually no feedback at all - it's way too light for my preferences. It tracks and drives perfectly straight, but the slightest nudge on the steering wheel gives no resistance, so it's a little too easy to turn when you're not paying attention. Ford/Lincoln definitely got it right with the steering feel in their T-Birds/Mark VIII's.

Anyway, here's a pic, (and I'm definitely keeping my T-Bird):

http://www.goldengatemark8.com/99Astro.jpg

John
[link:www.goldengatemark8.com|Golden Gate Mark VIII Website]
http://mark8.org/users/johnaec/Mark_VIII_s.jpg
'97 Mark VIII LSC (Sold to SCcouper)
'96 T-Bird 4.6L

RE: Replaced my Mark VIII with a Vortec...

Nice van, and that engine is great. I have a ton of miles on my vortech 5spd and it runs flawless. You get the best of both worlds, lots of torque, and great gas milage. Best truck and engine i ever owned. Although i did squeeze 210,000 out of my old 88 Silverado 305 5.0 motor before i traded it in for this one.
Yeah the steering wheel input is something to get used to. haha You can drive it with two fingers on steering wheel easily. But don't sneeze, cause you will turn quick. LOL :7

1995 DK Blue Lincoln Mark VIII
1998 DK Blue Chevrolet 1500 P/U
2004 BLACK/Silver HONDA CBR 600RR

RE: Replaced my Mark VIII with a Vortec...

Congrats on the van. I've got 91K on my 5.3 and get 18-20 mpg...love it! Good luck with it.

RE: Replaced my Mark VIII with a Vortec...

Well, it's mostly been working out OK, but over the weekend, both little plastic clips that hold the latch rods to the latches for the upper rear Dutch door broke - how it happened to both at the same time I'll never know. I was able to replace them yesterday, but this morning the battery was dead. I think it's because the "glove box" door is misaligned and the light stays on if I don't catch it. 'Got to fix that...

John
[link:www.goldengatemark8.com|Golden Gate Mark VIII Website]
http://mark8.org/users/johnaec/Mark_VIII_s.jpg
'97 Mark VIII LSC (Sold to SCcouper)
'96 T-Bird 4.6L

RE: Replaced my Mark VIII with a Vortec...

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Well, it's mostly been working out OK, but over the weekend, both little plastic clips that hold the latch rods to the latches for the upper rear Dutch door broke - how it happened to both at the same time I'll never know. I was able to replace them yesterday, but this morning the battery was dead. I think it's because the "glove box" door is misaligned and the light stays on if I don't catch it. 'Got to fix that...John[link:www.goldengatemark8.com|Golden Gate Mark VIII Website]http://mark8.org/users/johnaec/Mark_VIII_s.jpg'97 Mark VIII LSC (Sold to SCcouper)'96 T-Bird 4.6L
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Might be easier to disconnect that light if you dont need it often.

RE: Replaced my Mark VIII with a Vortec...

[div class="dcquote"][strong]Quote[/strong]
Might be easier to disconnect that light if you dont need it often.
[/div]Yep - already did that, (I can't see how to get it aligned exactly - no adjustments??).

It's funny - I've been driving Ford/Lincoln vehicles for so long that you get used to the little deficiencies in them, then you get another make, only to find other problems. The fit and finish, mainly of interior pieces, could definitely be better on this van, and of course, there are the corners the bean-counters took. 'Big example - the door hinges. They're welded on and not adjustable, but Chevy sells replacement hinges if the doors do need adjusting. I have the service manual, and to adjust the doors, you have to drill the welds out and remove the hinges, then replace them with the bolt-on ones, that also include a special backing plate. They must have saved all of $5 by welding instead of bolting them on in the first place, but really makes it a pain to fix them.

Fortunately, only one door is barely out of alignment, so I'm not going to worry about it. But this is in the same genre as the Mark VIII rear window seal - to save a few dollars at assembly they make repairs ridiculously expensive or painful - (all manufacturers seem to do this...).

So far, though, I'm pretty happy with it.

John
[link:www.goldengatemark8.com|Golden Gate Mark VIII Website]
http://mark8.org/users/johnaec/Mark_VIII_s.jpg
'97 Mark VIII LSC (Sold to SCcouper)
'96 T-Bird 4.6L