1989 Lincoln Town Car Signature Series 302CI

Summary:

Lincoln did good

Faults:

Replaced transmission twice @ 115000 & 310000.

Power steering pump @ 500,000

Alternator (three) last @ 516000.

2nd black paint job on 10/1/2007.

Passenger side window motor about 5 years ago.

General Comments:

I've asked my mechanic should we rebuild it. His question, how does it run, my answer is fine. Burns about a quart of oil between oil changes, still gets 17.5 MPG in town 22MPG hwy. His answer "when it breaks we fix it!! I drive this car daily and everything still works.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 1st October, 2007

3rd Oct 2007, 02:24

Wow, the most miles I have seen on a Town Car is 551,000 and that was on a 2003ish model. Do you have pictures of this car?

18th Jul 2009, 01:30

Good for you!!! They don't make car as beautiful as this anymore. I plan to keep mine running as well. Good luck and happy motoring!

1989 Lincoln Town Car Signature 5.0 Liter

Summary:

A good starter car, comfy and cheap

Faults:

Leather Seats badly torn apart from previous owner.

Alternator Quit at 235k Miles.

Moonroof has never worked.

Turn Signal sticks.

Lights for Drive Selector are misaligned (IE, Lights up Neutral when in Drive)

Power steering went out twice on my sister (Judged to be her fault)

Various small things.

General Comments:

I received this car as my first driver in December as a family hand-me-down. Most of the things that went wrong in it are from my sister who owned it before me. The car has been very nice to me so far.

Before being given to me, that car had sat in its spot for about 5 months, since my sister received her new Explorer. Nobody expected it to run another week, judging from the amount of miles on it. But that was at 213k, now its at 252k and still strong as a beast. Various little things have quit, but the drivetrain itself has proven itself extremely reliable and durable.

Driving it is not as bad as most people think. The first thing noticed when getting behind the wheel is the looseness of the steering- I still do not know if this is how most Town car come or if it comes from something we did)

The ride is smooth and comfy. Bumps are barely felt.

The Engine is not a racer, but is not a wimp. It loves the highway more than quick starts, though. Despite its gigantic size, the car actually steers very well, once you get used to the slack in the wheel. Being late for an appointment or following my speed demon friend proved that throwing its weight around a corner and throttling it is not as much of a challenge as most seem. Body Lean is more than normal, however, but seldom worried me.

Space is enormous. For fun my fried locked himself in my trunk and found it quite comfortable. Two people can actually sit on the inside sitting up with it open comfortably. Driver's space is gigantic, with Passenger space being the same.

Gas Mileage is, sadly, pretty awful. Driving like a little old lady and coasting as much as possible in city gets me 16 MPG, hopefully. Normal Driving brings 13.2, and Highway brings a better 18MPG.

One unique thing I have come to appreciate in this car is the neat readouts and user computer on the dash. The digital Speedometer is really neat, and the displays telling you ETA, Distance travelled, Average Miles per gallon, distance till empty, have been a real asset.

Another high tech for an old car item is keyless entry- Not expected on it for sure.

All in all, it has been a great starter car/Beater car, with a big comfy cabin and lots of space, and has served me well. However, due to rising gas prices and the need for a better mileage car, i'll soon be parting ways with it.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 16th June, 2005

13th Jan 2009, 21:44

If all the electronics are working, then it's surely worth a restoration. The parts for these are still plentiful and these old Town Cars seem to be more durable than the newer more complicated ones.

9th Feb 2012, 13:15

Not so cheap anymore, unfortunately. Car dealerships and individual sellers somehow got the idea in their heads that these car are true vintage classics, easily worth a couple of grand. I see these things being sold at ridiculously high prices, when in reality these old Town Cars shouldn't be worth more than $1,000 in outstanding condition. They're still too common to yet be considered true classics for collectors, and they shouldn't be marketed as such.

The thing is, when people throw around the words "classic" or "vintage", the sellers get an excuse to jack up the price and maximize profits from cars that they would normally lose money on, from having them sitting around in their lots and needing routine maintenance.

The bottom line is that the 1980s and early 1990s Town Cars aren't really worth much at all, but yet people sell them for far more than they're really worth. I'd be quite skeptical about laying down even $1,200 for an 80s model in the best condition. I've checked for the 1990 Town Car values, and you shouldn't expect to pay more than $1,100 in the finest condition. Don't be swindled by dealers and individuals looking to make killings on these cars, they aren't "classics" at all. They're just old, out of date cars, nothing more.