I'd been looking for a nice used car, and I realized how much I missed my old '93 Mark VIII. Unfortunately around here it's very rare to see them on the road, let alone find one for sale.
I eventually found what looked to be a good deal- a silver '93 with 95k miles, 10k on a new transmission, $3000 obo. The guy said it was mechanically perfect aside from "slightly warped" rotors. He lived 90 minutes away, but it seemed to be worthwhile. So my dad and I decided to make a little road trip out of it.
The car was an absolute disaster. I had no idea rotors could even *be* so "slightly warped". They made BANGING noises and caused the front end to dart back and forth! Additionally it had obviously been wrecked, was repainted by a very drunk person, the steering had 2 inches of play in either direction, it felt like it was making about 100 horsepower, and the "new" transmission mysteriously behaved exactly like an AOD with a disconnected throttle cable. I wouldn't have hauled the piece of junk away if it were free.
Needless to say, we left there quite disappointed. Dad said he had to make a bathroom stop before hitting the road, so we went to a nearby gas station. As we were walking out, I saw a gorgeous Mark VIII pulling up to a pump. Just spotting one was weird enough, but what I saw next sent chills down my spine: a warranty statement on the window, and a dealer tag.
I talked to the guy, and it just so happens that he owned a small car dealership. It was for sale, but he was filling it up (with *premium*!!) because he it was his car of choice for a 400 mile road trip. A very good sign.
It's a '95 base, almost fully loaded (no phone, aftermarket CD changer), jewel green/tan interior, 72k miles. Nearly perfect condition in & out. I ended up taking it for a spin, and aside from some very slight TC shudder and the message center claiming the door was ajar, it felt brand new.
I told the guy why I happened to be there, and he looked a bit stunned. Apparently he was supposed to already be on the road, but was running late. Frankly I was so weirded out by the whole situation that I didn't feel up to making such a big decision, so I decided to sleep on it.
I called the next day and ended up buying it for $3900, which included all the registration fees as well as delivery to my front door. It arrived this evening, and I absolutely love the car.
I still can't get over how I ended up with it, though!
I eventually found what looked to be a good deal- a silver '93 with 95k miles, 10k on a new transmission, $3000 obo. The guy said it was mechanically perfect aside from "slightly warped" rotors. He lived 90 minutes away, but it seemed to be worthwhile. So my dad and I decided to make a little road trip out of it.
The car was an absolute disaster. I had no idea rotors could even *be* so "slightly warped". They made BANGING noises and caused the front end to dart back and forth! Additionally it had obviously been wrecked, was repainted by a very drunk person, the steering had 2 inches of play in either direction, it felt like it was making about 100 horsepower, and the "new" transmission mysteriously behaved exactly like an AOD with a disconnected throttle cable. I wouldn't have hauled the piece of junk away if it were free.
Needless to say, we left there quite disappointed. Dad said he had to make a bathroom stop before hitting the road, so we went to a nearby gas station. As we were walking out, I saw a gorgeous Mark VIII pulling up to a pump. Just spotting one was weird enough, but what I saw next sent chills down my spine: a warranty statement on the window, and a dealer tag.
I talked to the guy, and it just so happens that he owned a small car dealership. It was for sale, but he was filling it up (with *premium*!!) because he it was his car of choice for a 400 mile road trip. A very good sign.
It's a '95 base, almost fully loaded (no phone, aftermarket CD changer), jewel green/tan interior, 72k miles. Nearly perfect condition in & out. I ended up taking it for a spin, and aside from some very slight TC shudder and the message center claiming the door was ajar, it felt brand new.
I told the guy why I happened to be there, and he looked a bit stunned. Apparently he was supposed to already be on the road, but was running late. Frankly I was so weirded out by the whole situation that I didn't feel up to making such a big decision, so I decided to sleep on it.
I called the next day and ended up buying it for $3900, which included all the registration fees as well as delivery to my front door. It arrived this evening, and I absolutely love the car.
I still can't get over how I ended up with it, though!
