Because SedanLimo. (photo courtesy: forums.vwvortex.com)
Nick writes:
Archangel of the Panther Platform –
A nice looking 2005 LWB Lincoln Town Car with only 107,000mi popped up for sale at a nearby dealer with a what-I-hope-to-be-optimistic $8,000 asking price. As any follower of the good book of fat Panther Love(tm), I keep my eye out for a good one on the local boards.
I took a new position a while back that has me commuting about 65mi a day – about 90% interstate. Going from my comfortable, competent Accord to the extremely comfortable TC would cost me about $10/week in increased fuel costs if I exclusively used the TC (which I wouldn't do).
For a number of reasons – weekend trips to the lake, grandparents needing a real car with room for car seats, traveling to-from LeMons build sessions, conveying gravitas and refined taste when showing up at friends' houses, hoonage, and taking stress of the DD Accord that is accumulating mileage like a space shuttle, a third car would be a nice thing to have, even though I'm aware it is probably cheaper to just run the Accord into the earth.But I miss the cult of Panther and secretly want one and all the fun parts my kids and I could bolt on it. Also, my folks would probably use it somewhat regularly. In my first 'third car' experience, they were happy to informally allocate running costs as they used it a lot more than they thought. My Dad's Focus just isn't the kind of freeway ride he wants at his age, so I think he'd secretly be rooting for this purchase. Long term, it might be an appropriate car hauler or cart hauler if Jr is interested in such things.
The LWB is more than I planned to spend for a third car, but not an unreasonable amount. LWB models with well in excess of 300,000 miles seem to go for no less than $4000-5000 on eBay. As long as its not wrecked, I'm figuring that the thing wouldn't depreciate much if kept in good shape.
Which leads me to my questions:
- Am I self rationalizing about the depreciation and would it be better to scoop up a Marquis/Vic/regular Town Car when one hits the sweet spot for me for less than half the price?- How much better are the 2003s than the earlier models?- Does the LWB body bring any special challenges or limit tasteful aftermarket modification?– anything to look out for with these?
I think the dealer is selling this through the wrong channel and I'm hopeful it's going to not attract a lot of foot traffic at a retail car dealer.
Well this archangel certainly thinks the LWB Town Car (black on black, if possible) is totally the way to rise up the ranks in the cult of Panther Love. But since most of our readers are of the boring "ZOMG Panthers are horrible" crowd, let's keep it brief. To your questions:
Am I self rationalizing about the depreciation? : It's a safe bet that LWB Town Cars (and Marauders) with good paint/interiors will hold their value well. Not true for other Panthers, but it is The Great American Sedan: even for GM guys looking for a newer ride.
How much better are the 2003s than the earlier models?: they are still "skinny" Panthers (skinniest is 1998-2002, especially 1998), as the 90-97 models (especially 1995) are the Fat Panthers in terms of fit/finish and overall lack of bean counting in everything from dashboards to the number of Lincoln-y tail light clusters.
But the 2003 model has significant chassis (hydroformed bits, aluminum bits), steering (rack and pinion) and electronic upgrades that make them better…even without yesteryear's plush ride and creature comforts. They are still better because they soaked up engineering advancements over the years. Except journalists say the Panther hasn't changed much since 1979, they'd rather not do their homework and shame FoMoCo for neglecting it to death…
…what a load of trash!
Does the LWB body bring any special challenges or limit tasteful aftermarket modification?: Suspension, engine, transmission, etc are all the same. Honestly they look better than the short wheel base model, I don't expect any challenges. Even the rear stereo controls are probably compatible with aftermarket stereos, as they have conversion harnesses that work with auxiliary controls (normally the ones on the steering wheel.)
Anything to look out for with these?: Be careful of how awesome you feel after owning a "skinny panther" Lincoln Town Car. But seriously, check for normal wear and tear and the condition of the transmission and ATF. Everything else is pretty robust, even if a module goes bad, replacement bits are cheap and plentiful. Also try not to go nuts with Panther Love modifications after you do an SCT engine/trans tune, because that's one of the few bang for the buck modifications that'll work.
I think the dealer is selling this through the wrong channel: Wrong! You think fleet buyers don't look for cars in your corners of the Interweb? You think their employees don't have buddies in the fleet car trade that are foaming at the mouth for it? Be it Panther, Land Cruiser, or whatever automotive poison, the fanbois are all over the web looking for it.
The post Piston Slap: The Looooooong Cult of Panther Love? appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
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