97 / 98

BadSax

enjoys 3 martini lunches
Hello Everyone,

I'm looking at this car and the VIN says it's a 97, but it has the 98 airbag cover and doesn't have (or is missing) the coolant cross over cover.

Is it common for late 97's to have the 98 stuff?

- and if so, what other things should I look for (or be happy it may have)?
 

steve

With "LOD" Since 1997
The car is sold old maybe the cover went missing. Maybe the steering wheel was replaced due to air bad deployment. Check the build date sticker, if it was a late build (like June 1997) that may be why as well.
 

tixer

Lincoln Evangelist
Also look at the front door tweeter speaker covers. There was a slight difference in the logos.

The '97 was chrome, with a ring around the edge, where the '98 is black, with a more modern looking "JBL" logo.

the '97 will also have chrome door strikes, where other years are black
 

billcu

Head Moderator
They changed the steering wheel airbag cover during the 97 model run. Some have the 98 style and some don't.
 

Lvnmarks

quandoomniflunkusmoritati
You'd have a hard time guessing what year mine is than. I'd go with what the vin says and enjoy the nicer airbag.
 

BadSax

enjoys 3 martini lunches
Any pics?
This was the car I was looking at...





I called and asked for additional pictures... pretty much got the run around, and never saw any photos show up in my e-mail.

The vin says 97 - they're asking good money for a 97 car with 136+K miles... the dealer told me it was a repaint - but I'm not sure if he was trying to impress me with it's 'new paint' or if the car actually has been painted...

Anyway, I'm not driving back to NC to look at a very big 'maybe'... :frown:


For the record - lest some of you have forgotten :p (or never knew) - this was my last red / grey 98 :D

 
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