1987 Mercury Colony Park LS review from North America

AOD transmission failed at about 95,000 miles, rebuild cost me about $800 at a reputable shop. However, tampering was suspected, as these transmissions are known to go well past 150,000 before requiring major service.

Heater hoses begin to fail at about 90,000 miles, so replacing all of them when you get the car is cheap insurance.

Water pump failed at about 95,000 miles. For the money, I should have put on a polished aluminum pump instead of having my mechanic do the job.

Replacing the stock air-filter box with a conical filter neatens things greatly.

Original hood insulation was pretty ratty when I got the car, so I eventually ditched it. Universal replacements are available from Dynamat and other sources.

Original muffler (very quiet!) made it over 100,000, I believe. However, don't waste your time having it replaced at your local Ford dealer - ditch the Y-pipe and either have your local muffler shop put in factory duals or build your own system - it's cheaper and easier if you don't mind a more aggressive sound.

Driver's seat (usually the only one used) has begun to sag.

My car lacks the optional Trac-Lok differential. I'll have to add a locker when I have the money.

The cast-iron water neck uses paper gaskets that like nothing better than to leak all over the motor. Replace with the polished O-ring neck available from Spectre (labeled for '75 to 80-something Windsor motors) - it's only a couple of bucks more at AutoZone, and solves a lot of headaches when swapping thermostats.

While not a problem I've had, it seems like a lot of these cars have sagging rear springs. Replacements are readily available from Performance Suspension Technologies (www.p-s-t.com) for about $90, as I recall, and they're easy to swap.

Stock wheels and tires (205/75/15) are much too narrow for a heavy car. I put on 15x8 wheels with 255/60/15 Radial T/As. to maintain stock sidewall height while vastly improving stability and braking traction.

Lack of rear swaybar is also unacceptable. Performance Suspension Technologies offers a high-performance bar (1" diameter) for about $140.

My stock brake-proportioning valve decided to quit last summer, and the shop and I weren't able to get it to work reliably. Replacements seem not to be readily available, so I got some tubing from Jeg's put in a Wilwood adjustable proportioning valve. For those who haven't done brake lines before, double-flare tools are available at Advance Auto Parts (or probably CSK or Pep Boys), and the Classic Line kit from Jeg's comes with all the oddly-sized nuts you'll need. Grab a line bender and a brake T-fitting at your local parts store and you're in business. This swap has the added benefit of being manually adjustable to improve front-to-rear brake bias.

Finally, do NOT spend the money on an A/C recharge without pressure-testing the system. It's nearly a sure-fire waste of money - I had the O-rings replaced and the system charged, but was soon out $250 and still had no A/C. Removing the compressor makes spark-plug changes much easier until you have the money to service the system properly or put in a new system from Vintage Air.

It's a beautiful car, but it's receiving many modifications to suit the needs of a younger driver. The 5.0, while slightly weaker than its Mustang counterpart, is still strong. Also, the build quality is slightly lower on the earlier cars (prior to the front end and interior facelift in '88 or '89), so expect a few squeaks and rattles. These wagons are, however, excellent "compromise" vehicles, offering the comfort and performance of a large sedan with most of the truck-like utility most drivers will normally need. Some buyers may shy away from 80's iron, but I've found my injected model to be very reliable. It's a shame that so many of these wonderful vehicles simply have not been maintained. Some day mine will get the fresh coat of Oxford White it deserves, along with other tweaks, and will likely live with me for a very long time!