Anyone own a 93-97 Ford Thunderbird or Mercury Cougar?

[d33pt]

I'm looking into buying a Tbird.. was wondering if any of you guys have one and can tell me if they suck or not. I wanna get a 96 or 97 with the v8. A Cougar Xr7(same car basically) would be cool too. I'm not too impressed with Ford reliability, but i'm looking for a decent sized car with RWD and a V8. Can't afford a '96 Chevy Impala, so I might have to settle for a tbird unless everyone here says it sucks.

OLD thread. Moved from OT.
admin allisolm

 

[perry]

Good buddy of mine drives a 99 Cougar, his wife has a 93 w/ V6 in it.. blew a head gasket about a month ago, cost 1000 to get it fixed. Otherwise, it has been pretty troublefree. I like the styling of the Tbird more than the Cougar..

 

[thedarkwolf]

My dad has a 96 t-bird 4.6l auto with 230k miles and has only had a few problems with it. It blew the intake manifold gasket(not head) somewhere around 130k but that was covered by a recall and cost us nothing(after reading what Mechanix wrote I am betting the manifold cracked it was a 2 years and 100k miles ago I can't remember), it had problems with the egr valve for awhile but it never affected driving eventually we had it replaced, a vapor canistor of some sort had to be replaced, and something in the drivetrain is starting to act a little funny we think its the trans. It kinda slips/jerks slightly at certain rpms, under certain conditions going into second. If you do not change the trans fluid when you are suppost to in these cars the trans will start to stutter going into second. Changing the trans fluid should clear it up we had it happen in ours once (its different than whats going on in it now and changing the fluid didn't help). Think those are the only problems we have had with it. People say they go through brakes fast and like to warp the rotars but the way my dad drives we haven't had that problems. He got 100k miles out of the front brakes and hell I think he is still on the origanal back brakes. Even with the miles on it still gets around 25-26mps highway, rides great, engine still feels smooth and as powerfull as the day he brought it home( I don't think its using any oil). I love driving the car if that helps

 

[amb#cog]

Anyone own a 93-97 Ford Thunderbird or Mercury Cougar?

Thank the frikkin lord. No!

Sorry.
I've had some baaaaaaad luck with Fords myself.
Still want a Stang though. :Q

 

[8ball]

I've got a 93 cougar. Nice ride. Had both heads done, cost $1500. Had to have that done because the water pump went out and blew a head gasket. Tie rods are notorius, too, but those are cheap. I would buy another one.

 

[Mechanix]

I worked on them for the last 11 years at a dealer. If you are going to get one make sure you get a 4.6 litre V8. Do not get a 5.0 V8, Do not get a 3.8 litre V6, for gods sake dont get a 3.8 litre supercharged, you will be sorry, you will be poor. '94 and up with a 4.6 are pretty good cars. Some '93 models had problems with ac condensation dripping on floorboard. '96 and up have problems with the intake manifold splitting behind the alternator,(the intakes are plastic and this problem will usually be covered by FoMoCo, but not always). '95 are just my favorites, as far as reliability goes. '94 and '95 models sometimes have problems with the egr ports clogging up on them, easily fixed even possible to clean them yourself with little difficulty. All 4.6 engines on all ford models have had problems with plug wires, budget for it. Change your oil at 3k miles, trans at 25k miles, these cars will run well over 1ook miles with no problem. Good luck

 

[miken]

I have had an 86, 90, and a 96 Ford Thunderbirds. The 86 Was a very good car with the 3.8L, the 90 was a very good car with the 3.8L in terms of reliability they were pretty good. Workmanship sucks on anything under 93. especially power windows coming apart and interior problems. The 96 was a decent car, but the manifold blew for me, the EGR was a problem, and the tranny sucked, slipped all the time into second. I took it to a dealer and they said it was "normal" I had the 4.6L. the stock times of 0-60 with the 4.6L is 7.9 seconds, it seems faster. It's a very heavy car (don't get a 3.8L). Buy better tires than the Firestone FR series they come with, the car will handle alot better. This car has a very small turning radius, and the ride is superb. Traction is bad even with the traction assist in snow, although rain handling is drastically improved over previous models. Leather seating comes apart to easily on all models, get cloth. The oil filter is in a bad spot, you are guarenteed to get oil spilled on you, so get it done at Jiffy Lube. Brakes are excellent, especially ABS. Trunk size is excellent. Stock radio is adequate. Any questions?

 

[d33pt]

Thanks guys! these responses are great. I was looking to buy a 95 or newer with the 4.6L V8. seems like this would be the best choice. Price ranges from 5-10k. I'm looking to spend around 6-8k for a car with less than 50k miles. Seem reasonable? Anyone with more reviews...please feel free to add in...

 

[miken]

Sold my 96 with new tires/battery 4.6L, leather, moonroof for $10k, Buy it in the winter though, dealers hate RWD cars in the winter.

 

[UN1Xnut]

The normally asperated V6 versions are very under powered. The "LX" models are a waste of your time and money. Find one of the SuperCoupe versions if you can (says "Thunderbird SC" on the rear bumper). Has a 240HP supercharged V6 in it and can get to 300HP without too much effort. Do note that the SC's are very rare. I have seen only one SC with a 5-speed ever.

If you can afford one, try looking for a Lincoln Mark VIII. They are basically a Thunderbird with leather seats and a 280HP V8. If not, an Cougar XR7 (base model V6 once again not worth it) or a Thunderbird SC (good luck finding one) would be worth it.

As for handling, they are no BMW, but are rather good considering. The Lincoln version is much better than most give it credit for.

-nut

 

[classy]

Me and wife owned a V8 Tbird 94. Terrible car. All sorts of problems. If you buy a V8 one stay with 97. All the previous years had very bad transmissions and brakes. Especially ABS.

 

[SonicFlux]

I'm a proud and original owner of an '88 5.0 T-Bird It has 180,000+ miles on it, and still runs great. However, part of the reason it still runs great is that I have taken care of it over the years by performing all preventative maintenence myself and never missing an oil change. However, the years have definately taken a toll on the suspension. Even replacing the shocks and struts no longer provides a smooth ride. But the 5.0 motor is rock solid, and she still has plenty of get-up-and-go power when I need it.

Here's a list of problems and/or maintenence issues I've had in order of when they happened:

1. Cracked block (happened when car was brand new and under dealer warranty). Small block was replaced by dealer (No problems with current block and 180,000 miles).

2. Car is bad on brakes. I have to replace front brakes every 1.5 years.

3. A/C system went out 3 years ago. $1800

4. Replaced master cylinder and brake booster 2.5 years ago. ~$200

5. Replaced rear axle about 2.5 years ago. ~$400

6. Water pump failed along with hoses 2 years ago. Approx. $200 in parts.


For over a year, I've been looking at a new Dodge Dakota R/T 5.9L V8, and I even have the money to buy one! But I just can't part with my T-Bird since it's not costing me much to keep running and hardly giving me any headaches.

 

[d33pt]

So far so good...the problems I dont want to see are tranny and engine problems. I don't mind replacing brakes every 1.5 years..sounds about right to me.. water pump's kinda iffy..that can leave you in a bad situation if it fails suddenly.. head gaskets shouldn't blow unless it overheated.. darkwolf's 96 has a ton of miles on it..tranny stuttering at 230k miles wouldn't surprise me.

any other suggestions for cars.. here are my requirements..
RWD
V8
$10,000 or less
'95 or newer
50-70k miles
ROOMY..room for 4-5ppl, big trunk

I'm also looking to buy a Caprice 9c0...but seems like I can hardly find out that isn't an ex cop or taxi. I'll keep my options open though. Crown Vic/Grand Marquis is another choice..but I dont really like their look much. My dream car's the Impala...i'm pissed that they slaughtered the name with the new Impala (Lumina replacement). Thanks guys.

 

[miken]

If you wanted a stupid SUV then why didn't you say that earlier? The mid nineties Impala is the only V8 besides the 'bird in that class, however 5-6 people aren't getting into a bird, 4 max unless they are really small.

Why don't you get an Old's Intrigue? 3.5 V6 gives more HP than a bird.. 220hp/260 torque, it's in your price range, and you can even drive it well in the snow!

V8's are over-rated, and before everyone jumps on me, look how many eights are out there compared to sixes, and don't tell me that an SUV has an eight for performance.

 

[d33pt]

To clarify..i DO NOT want an SUV. I will look into the olds intrigue.. i assumed that was outta my price range as they're a relatively new model. When was the first one made?

 

[miken]

I think it was '97, they had a 3.8L 200hp in 97 and early 98, try to find one late 98 with the "baby northstar" engine, shouldn't be too pricey. selling around 10k around here, Toledo OH. (depending on milage)

Sorry about the SUV crack, I just dislike them a bit.

 

[d33pt]

Did some research...98 Intrigue came with 3.8L with 205hp/230lb-ft, 99 had the 3.5L with 215/230, slightly weaker than what I was looking for. I'm still pretty dead set on a V8. Gas is getting cheaper..only 1.65/gal here, and my current POS car (91 Maxima) gets only about 19/25mpg anyway, I'm getting tired of fixing that crap car so I'm looking to empty my bank account on another one.

 

[miken]

215/230? that's strange.. My father in-law has one and his brochure I could have swore said 220/260... oh well.. How about a 96/97 Grand Prix GTP? 5 people, Supercharged 3.8L V6 240hp/?? torque Minor tweak to make it to 270-300hp.

Why are you looking at a Tbird if you want more than 215hp? The Tbird only has 205hp.

 

[d33pt]

Doesn't the Tbird have closer to 300lb-ft of torque? I'm looking for more of a torque rating, not HP. I'm not too fond of superchargers on V6's. Looks like a reliability problem waiting to happen. Also the Grand Prix's are way too sporty looking. I do NOT need any more tickets. 4 is enough.

 

[Pacfanweb]

The year models you mention (93-97) are relatively trouble free. There was a problem a couple of years with the 3.8 V-6 blowing headgaskets. Get the V-8. It doesn't matter if you get an earlier model with the 5.0 or new with the 4.6. Both are reliable.
Be sure to service the trans.(flush it, don't just change the filter and refill) every 25-30k miles. Rear wheel drive Fords are known to develop torque converter shudder on slight accel. if fluid not changed regularly.
I noticed someone mentioned plug wires. This is true, and the symptom feels exactly like torque converter shudder.(only applies to 4.6liter)

My mom had a 92 Cougar the put nearly 200k miles on. Got 90k on the original tires???!!!
Was still running fine when she sold it.
As far as the 3.8 SC (super coupe), it was also fairly reliable. They do sometimes require supercharger replacement around 100k miles, but really don't have many problems otherwise. Try to find one with low miles if possible. They are fun to drive.

 

[Deicide]

Have you looked at the Olds Aurora's? They seem to match what your looking for. They have a northstar V8, 4 doors, and a very nice interior, at least on the ones I've seen. I don't really go for the exterior styling, but thats subjective; check it out.

 

[d33pt]

I would but Aurora's are FWD. That's just a shame...a V8 with FWD

 

[miken]

A little torque steer never hurt anyone!

 

[d33pt]

I get enough of that on my maxima...it's not fun..especially in the rain...

 

[flabbergasted]

Miken, I'll agree with you that V-8s have this kind of mythical quality in the US (i.e. the new I-6 from GM in the '02 TrailBlazer/Envoy/Bravada spank most of the V-8 offerings when it comes to horsepower) but the reason why V-8s are popular and a lot of times necessary in SUVs/Trucks is because they develop better low end torque than other engines. And torque is what allows you to pull heavy loads (such as the F-350 or Silverado HD which can pull upwards of 15,000 lbs or, 5 1/2 Honda Civics)