LSCthunderchicken302 writes:
Hello Sajeev,
Last year I picked up a '91 Lincoln Mark VII LSC for $800. It's in decent shape for being a Chicago area car and having 153K on the clock. The body has no major rust issues except for the front fenders, which have rust holes due to the sunroof drains, so the car will eventually need new fenders. The under body and frame are rust free and very clean. The car sat for several years before I purchased it and over the last year I have put about $500 into the car replacing various wear/tune up items (water pump, hoses, belt, cap, rotor, plug wires, spark plugs, and the starter). The car runs well and I've always wanted one, being that I have been a Fox Body nut since I started driving.
I would like to keep the car as I enjoy driving it. My daily driver is a 2011 Ford Focus SE bought new. It currently has about 28K on it and I'm hoping to keep it another 10 years or more. The Mark VII needs several things to make it more presentable including a paint job and the replacement of some of the leather panels on the front seats. In addition I would like to replace some wear items on the car such as the air springs so I won't have to worry about failure in the future. I can do the repairs as time/budget allow and probably get a pretty nice car in the end.
The issue I'm having a problem with is that I already have a fun car that I tinker with: a 1988 Ford Thunderbird LX. It's a factory 5.0 car with Edelbrock aluminum heads, a GT40 intake, .533 lift Comp roller cam, AOD with 2800 stall converter, and a 3:73 Traction-Lok differential. It's a fun car and it's the first car I ever bought. It's not going away as the improvements I've made to the Thunderbird in the last 12 years I've owned the car make it too fun to part with. Also being my first car the Thunderbird is special to me.
I'm wondering if it makes sense for me to have two project/fun cars or if it's overkill? A little background on me: I'm in my late 20's and I'll be getting married later this year. My fiancé doesn't mind cars and in fact likes them as her daily driver is a 2012 Mustang V6 in Grabber Blue. I own my own house outright and I only have two sources of debt: about $15K I'm paying off in student loans for my master's degree and the other two years on the loan for my Focus. I bought a new car as a daily driver as the dealer offered me 0% for 60 months. Who am I to say no to free money from Ford Credit? I am saving for retirement and put 15% of my yearly salary towards that. I make in the mid to upper five figures so I'm not poor but I'm not rich. As of right now having the Mark VII is only costing me about $300 a year in insurance. Does it make sense for a late 20 something to have two fun cars or should I ditch the Mark VII and just keep the Thunderbird?
Sajeev answers:
Before I go completely bonkers over a Fox Body question, a question back: do you have adequate parking for everyone's cars???
LSCthunderchicken302 writes:
The parking situation is good with the extra fox. The Thunderbird and my fiance's Mustang reside in the garage while the Focus sits in the driveway. I usually keep the Mark in the driveway as well but if weather is bad my parents have let me drop it off at their house. They have space in their garage they are not using.
I should also note that I purchased the AOD floor shifter from your 1988 Cougar XR-7 on foxtbirdcougarforums several years ago. I think you sold it to me for ten bucks. I still have it if I ever get the desire to remove the column shifter from my Thunderbird. And yes the graphic EQ in my Thunderbird still works. It's wired through a JVC head unit and the factory amp.
Sajeev answers:
Since normal people won't understand this graphic EQ hack, a photo from my Cougar to clarify:
Not only is the Fox one of the most customizable vehicles on the planet, the truly insane among us convert the Ford EQ's wiring into RCA connections; making it work with any aftermarket stereo. And it sounds kinda great, too!
What a small world it is: you knew me back when I was a Fox UBB forum fiend! Times change, but multiple housebound projects are doable for these reasons:
- Your intelligent and enviable debt-to-equity ratio.
- Ownership of a new vehicle as a daily driver.
- Enough space at your residence for cars, without pissing off your significant other.
- Intimate knowledge of the vehicles in question, with a great track record for success.
- Readily available parts and low-cost of ownership inherent in Fox Body (resto?) modification.
- A strong internet community to help you when needed. And a sympathetic resto-mod Cougar owning schmuck on TTAC too, if that helps.
You are one lucky duck. How do I know? This is kinda how I co-exist with my old Fords. BAM SON!
A final note: since you showed me yours, here's mine. Getting rid of my shifter opened up room in the Cougar for a manual gearbox. Thanks for that. And best of luck with the LSC, I am jealous.
I really, really want an cherry 88-89 LSC, just not with Porno Red leather. One of these Foxes is enough.
Send your queries to sajeev@thetruthaboutcars.
from The Truth About Cars http://ift.tt/Jh8LjA
Put the internet to work for you.
No comments:
Post a Comment