How much is this car worth?

I want to buy a used car(either a 2002 Saab 9-5 Linear Sedan or a 2001
Volvo S80).
My parents on the other hand are trying to get me to save my money and
drive one of their older 2000 Lincoln Town Cars.
I don't think the Town Car is a safe car because the fuel tank is
located behind the rear axle.
My mom wants me to save my money for a rainy day and not buy a car,
and maybe(which seems unlikely at the time) my dad will buy me a
cheaper car like a high milage 1999 Volvo S80 so I can save my money
for a rainy day, or else I'll have to buy a car with my own money
because I just don't feel safe any car that has a rear fuel tank(such
as a Pinto, Mustang, Crown Victoria, Grand Marquis, or Town Car).

I know my dad probably won't allow me to sell the 2000 Town Car in
order to buy a 99 S80, but just on the off chance that he does allow
it, what is this 2000 Town Car Executive worth?
My dad says that it's worth at least $10,500, but I say it's worth
less than $6700.

DON'T FORGET TO LOOK AT THE PICS AT THE BOTTOM.

I'll give a detailed description and point out the problems and I've
included SEVERAL PICS to show you what kind of wear and tear and
damage the car has.
Don't Forget to look at problem NUMBER 16, since it's the most
important problem.



Here's a list of the problems.


1. The rear bumper is cracked.

2. The left rear tail light is chipped.

3. One of the side view mirrors is painted a different color than the
rest of the car.

4. The button to open the gas door doesn't work, so you have to open
the trunk and pull a cord with a handle inside the trunk to open the
gas door.

5. The remote sensors on the car don't work so you CAN'T open or lock
the doors, or open the trunk or the gas door remotely.

6. The Power Mirrors Don't work, you have to physcially push the
mirrors with your hands to adjust them.

7. The door to the driver's left armrest is loose and even if you try
to put it back in place, it just falls off every time you close the
door(the big one not the armrest door).

8. The Front Center Armrest(storage console) is unhinged on the right
side and part of it is missing and broken.

9. The rear left ashtray door is missing.

10. The 12 volt input jack would normally be inbetween the 2
cupholders, but on this Town Car, it just dangles near the floor and
it's impossible to try and put it back in its place(it just doesn't
seem to fit).

11. The front right floormat is missing.

12. The car generally has excessive wear and tear for a car that's
less than 4 years old.

13. The driver's control console(windows, locks, mirrors) is not
properly in place.

14. You always get the "sevice engine soon" warning when you turn on
the car.

15. The Magazine Pouch that's located on the back of the front
passenger seat has become unstappled and part of it is dangling on the
ground(unfortunately I forgot to take a pic of this).


16. The BIGGEST problem is that the transmission is messed up.
The car will NOT shift past 2nd gear while in "OVERDRIVE"(overdrive is
the normal driving setting).
Each time you star the car, you have to push a button on the shifter
to switch to "Overdrive Off".
What "overdrive off" does is that it only gives you 3 forward gears
instead of 4, and "overdrive off" also gives you more engine breaking.
So I always drive in "overdrive off".
If I ever forget to press the button to engage "overdrive off" after
starting the car, then the car tops out with a BLAZING FAST top speed
of about 35mph in 2nd gear and I can hear the RPMs going real high so
then I have to press the button to engage "overdrive off and then I
can shift into 3rd gear.
I wonder if my dad gave me this car because it only has 3 forward
gears and thus has a very low top speed compared to all other cars on
the road.
I never drive that fast anyway, and thus I've never even found out
what the top speed of this car is in 3rd gear(since it basically
doesn't have a 4th gear because it's broken).

BTW, don't forget to see the pics to see what I mean.

Here are the pics.

http://www.dbstalk.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=2056

http://www.dbstalk.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=2057

http://www.dbstalk.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=2058

http://www.dbstalk.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=2059

http://www.dbstalk.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=2060

http://www.dbstalk.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=2061

http://www.dbstalk.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=2062

http://www.dbstalk.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=2063

http://www.dbstalk.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=2064

 

Go to www.edmonds.com or www.cars.com.

They have tools that let you calculate the value of the car.

Before thinking that the car is not safe because of the gas tank, why not
find if there are problems because of the placement of the gas tank. I think
that you will find out that there are not more explosions and such in this
car.

Jeff

 

when you are old enough to move out the house and have the money then
you can buy what you want.. when living at home(you dont have any of
your own money, dad and mom support you and you have to go by their
wishes)... so drive what they want until you grow up and can make your
own mistakes.. then you can buy a front gas tank car like a corvair...
if you can find one...

 

It sounds like a slider;

More like a $3500.00 trade in car, where you get $8000.00 on paper, and
$3500.00 real money.

Drive it till the transmission croaks on the freeway, call daddy to spend
$1800.00 to $2400.00 for a rebuild, and tell him: "You should have bought me
the Saab and traded this slider!

Refinish King

 

Hear! Hear!

I wouldn't give that kid ANY car.....

PC

| when you are old enough to move out the house and have the money then
| you can buy what you want.. when living at home(you dont have any of
| your own money, dad and mom support you and you have to go by their
| wishes)... so drive what they want until you grow up and can make your
| own mistakes.. then you can buy a front gas tank car like a corvair...
| if you can find one...

 

My cousins 1994 Towncar with 600K Kms on it when sold (travelling political
consultant for cities in Ontario and Quebec... super high kms a year) was in
better shape then this car which is less then 1/2 the age. TC's don't hold
value all that well around here... So it's probably not worth much to
someone else... Probably worth more to your dad.

 

I would not trade my wife's 1988 Chrysler New Yoirker for that thing.
At 16 years old and 246,000KM it's in MUCH better shape - even though
Chryslers tend to shed trim parts at an alarming rate, it still has
virtually all parts still firmly attatched.

 

over 200000 in 4 years? The car is not worth spit.... hell its not worth the
bullet to put it out of it's misery...

However good ole dad will think it's the best thing for you. Take the free
car, let dad know everytime you have a problem with it, and drive it till it
dies. Make sure you call mom or dad to come and get you when it fails.

 

Don't worry about the location of the fuel tank. If there's an accident
severe enough to rupture the tank you'll have far more important things to
worry about than a fuel leak. You're far more likely to have a fire from
fuel lines under the hood, or to get struck by lightning or run over by a
semi truck. If you want safe, it's hard to beat an older Volvo, you can pick
one up for a song and they're virtually indestructible.

 

wow.

 

Amazing.

This kid is whining about problems with a 4-year old LUXURY car -
demonstrating how petty, ungrateful, and amazingly self-important he/she is.
It is amazing how ungrateful some people are when someone else is footing
the bills.

As a new driver in the '70's I was grateful to use my folks' left-over car.
I demonstrated that by taking some of my meager high-school-job money and
actually fixed the big problems with their car, rather than bitch to them
and others about the state of the car they let me use. After all, they were
paynig my room, board, and most other costs in my life.

To the kid: Accept the GIFT of using their car, and use some of your money
to fix the things you don't like or don't work, and actually IMPROVE the
situation for you and your parents.

I know mine is not a popular opinion in this self-important society, so
flame on if you want - I can take it just like I can give it.

GMan

 

YES YOU MAY SAY WOW!!!!!!
I have seen the pictures and it was really sad to see a 4 year old car like
that.
I myself drive a 1992 Volvo 940 SE with leather seats, etc and still after
12 years !!!!!!!!!! it looks almost like new. Perhaps European quality is
much better, I don't know. (I live in the Netherlands). But a car like the
Lincoln wouldn't pass the annual check overhere. It had to be repaired
first. (for what costs ?????)
For real safety reasons I would buy a S80, and it doesn't really matter what
year built. Ofcourse I understand you parents concernes about saving money
for a rainy day. I bought my car with 200,000 KM on the clock and only in
the beginning I had some additional repairs concerning Lambda and minor
engine difficulties (because the car was neglected by previous owners), but
now 10,000 KM later it still drives great. High milage will not say it's a
bad car, but you never know. Volvo engines are known as very good and
reliable engines. Before buying, let the car be checked by an independent
expert to get a good opinion.
Good luck with your search.

regards Peter

 

<< Amazing.

This kid is whining about problems with a 4-year old LUXURY car - demonstrating
how petty, ungrateful, and amazingly self-important he/she is.
It is amazing how ungrateful some people are when someone else is footing the
bills.

To the kid: Accept the GIFT of using their car, and use some of your money to
fix the things you don't like or don't work, and actually IMPROVE the situation
for you and your parents.

I know mine is not a popular opinion in this self important society, so flame
on if you want - I can take it just like I can give it. >>

A man after my own heart. When I read this original post I said to myself,
this kid had nerve. My first car was a bicycle. I didn't have a car until I
was a sophmore in college.

Ronald W. Reed, MBA
1990 745T 262,000 miles and still rolling, I plan to get at least 400K before
trading up to a '95 945T.

 

Agreed.

If it's your first car, shut the hell up and be glad it's being given to you.

My first car was a '71 rusted out Cutlass Supreme - I paid $100 for it and it
wasn't worth that much!

It did have a 4-barrel carb, tho.


~~~
The biggest obstacle on the path to success is the stupidity of others.

"I'd bang her, for sure, but she's no Geddy." - Mike Smith, AMR

My eBay Stuff:
http://tinyurl.com/u0fi

 

Amen! YOU nailed it!.....

PC

| Amazing.
|
| This kid is whining about problems with a 4-year old LUXURY car -
| demonstrating how petty, ungrateful, and amazingly self-important he/she
is.
| It is amazing how ungrateful some people are when someone else is footing
| the bills.
|
| As a new driver in the '70's I was grateful to use my folks' left-over
car.
| I demonstrated that by taking some of my meager high-school-job money and
| actually fixed the big problems with their car, rather than bitch to them
| and others about the state of the car they let me use. After all, they
were
| paynig my room, board, and most other costs in my life.
|
| To the kid: Accept the GIFT of using their car, and use some of your money
| to fix the things you don't like or don't work, and actually IMPROVE the
| situation for you and your parents.
|
| I know mine is not a popular opinion in this self-important society, so
| flame on if you want - I can take it just like I can give it.
|
| GMan
|
|
| | > I want to buy a used car(either a 2002 Saab 9-5 Linear Sedan or a 2001
| > Volvo S80).
| > My parents on the other hand are trying to get me to save my money and
| > drive one of their older 2000 Lincoln Town Cars.
| > I don't think the Town Car is a safe car because the fuel tank is
| > located behind the rear axle.
| > My mom wants me to save my money for a rainy day and not buy a car,
| > and maybe(which seems unlikely at the time) my dad will buy me a
| > cheaper car like a high milage 1999 Volvo S80 so I can save my money
| > for a rainy day, or else I'll have to buy a car with my own money
| > because I just don't feel safe any car that has a rear fuel tank(such
| > as a Pinto, Mustang, Crown Victoria, Grand Marquis, or Town Car).
| >
| > I know my dad probably won't allow me to sell the 2000 Town Car in
| > order to buy a 99 S80, but just on the off chance that he does allow
| > it, what is this 2000 Town Car Executive worth?
| > My dad says that it's worth at least $10,500, but I say it's worth
| > less than $6700.
| >
| > DON'T FORGET TO LOOK AT THE PICS AT THE BOTTOM.
| >
| > I'll give a detailed description and point out the problems and I've
| > included SEVERAL PICS to show you what kind of wear and tear and
| > damage the car has.
| > Don't Forget to look at problem NUMBER 16, since it's the most
| > important problem.
| >
| >
| >
| > Here's a list of the problems.
| >
| >
| > 1. The rear bumper is cracked.
| >
| > 2. The left rear tail light is chipped.
| >
| > 3. One of the side view mirrors is painted a different color than the
| > rest of the car.
| >
| > 4. The button to open the gas door doesn't work, so you have to open
| > the trunk and pull a cord with a handle inside the trunk to open the
| > gas door.
| >
| > 5. The remote sensors on the car don't work so you CAN'T open or lock
| > the doors, or open the trunk or the gas door remotely.
| >
| > 6. The Power Mirrors Don't work, you have to physcially push the
| > mirrors with your hands to adjust them.
| >
| > 7. The door to the driver's left armrest is loose and even if you try
| > to put it back in place, it just falls off every time you close the
| > door(the big one not the armrest door).
| >
| > 8. The Front Center Armrest(storage console) is unhinged on the right
| > side and part of it is missing and broken.
| >
| > 9. The rear left ashtray door is missing.
| >
| > 10. The 12 volt input jack would normally be inbetween the 2
| > cupholders, but on this Town Car, it just dangles near the floor and
| > it's impossible to try and put it back in its place(it just doesn't
| > seem to fit).
| >
| > 11. The front right floormat is missing.
| >
| > 12. The car generally has excessive wear and tear for a car that's
| > less than 4 years old.
| >
| > 13. The driver's control console(windows, locks, mirrors) is not
| > properly in place.
| >
| > 14. You always get the "sevice engine soon" warning when you turn on
| > the car.
| >
| > 15. The Magazine Pouch that's located on the back of the front
| > passenger seat has become unstappled and part of it is dangling on the
| > ground(unfortunately I forgot to take a pic of this).
| >
| >
| > 16. The BIGGEST problem is that the transmission is messed up.
| > The car will NOT shift past 2nd gear while in "OVERDRIVE"(overdrive is
| > the normal driving setting).
| > Each time you star the car, you have to push a button on the shifter
| > to switch to "Overdrive Off".
| > What "overdrive off" does is that it only gives you 3 forward gears
| > instead of 4, and "overdrive off" also gives you more engine breaking.
| > So I always drive in "overdrive off".
| > If I ever forget to press the button to engage "overdrive off" after
| > starting the car, then the car tops out with a BLAZING FAST top speed
| > of about 35mph in 2nd gear and I can hear the RPMs going real high so
| > then I have to press the button to engage "overdrive off and then I
| > can shift into 3rd gear.
| > I wonder if my dad gave me this car because it only has 3 forward
| > gears and thus has a very low top speed compared to all other cars on
| > the road.
| > I never drive that fast anyway, and thus I've never even found out
| > what the top speed of this car is in 3rd gear(since it basically
| > doesn't have a 4th gear because it's broken).
| >
| > BTW, don't forget to see the pics to see what I mean.
| >
| > Here are the pics.
| >
| > http://www.dbstalk.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=2056
| >
| > http://www.dbstalk.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=2057
| >
| > http://www.dbstalk.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=2058
| >
| > http://www.dbstalk.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=2059
| >
| > http://www.dbstalk.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=2060
| >
| > http://www.dbstalk.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=2061
| >
| > http://www.dbstalk.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=2062
| >
| > http://www.dbstalk.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=2063
| >
| > http://www.dbstalk.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=2064
|
|

 

I guess you really weren't paying attention to my post.
I would drive the UGLIEST most beat up unreliable car in the world if
it was a very safe car and had a strong boron steel safety/roll cage,
great crash test results, tons of airbags, great injury rates, very
low death rates, etc over the best looking most reliable sportiest,
biggest babe magnet of a car if that car was not a very safe car.
As horrible as the Town Car looks, that's NOT my main problem with it,
my problems with it are the fact that it has a rear fuel tank(behind
the rear axle), the fact that it doesn't have 5 star NHTSA front or
side crash test results, the fact that it is untested in the IIHS
front offset or the European NCAP Front Offset crash test.
The fact that I suspect that the roof on the Town Car is basically
made of foil and probably doesn't have any structrual integrity since
it probably doesn't have what in effect would be considered a roll
cage the way Volvos do(I saw them do a rollover crash test on the
Volvo XC90 on the Discovery Science Channel and the same test with a
Ford F-150 and the performance of the Volvo was INCREDIBLY IMPRESSIVE
and the F-150s performance was very sad).
I would for example not have so many problems with driving a Volvo S80
in the same condition that the Town Car is in.
I'm not looking for what you think I'm looking for in a car.
My list of important features about a car are these in order of
importance.

1. SAFETY
2. Reliability
3. Fuel Economy
4. Cost of Spare Parts/Labor

 

Try the bus for short trips and scheduled airlines for long ones. They meet
all your criteria.

Howard

 

LOL...... Don't feel too bad, my first was a '74 MustangII, probably
50%+ of the body was bondo, and the starter worked intermittently, so I
had to pushstart it(a four-speed) quite a bit. Pretty embarassing, but
my quads got huge.

 

You have a very long list of "features" you want, but it seems you're
overlooking the big picture. Obviously you want to get from point A to point
B in one piece, there's a lot more to the equation than the length of the
list of safety features. Most important is the driver, if you're a skilled
and attentive driver it'll go a *long* way towards the goal. Next the way
the car handles can do a lot to help you get out of trouble. Unfortunatly
there's a lot of not so good drivers out there so sometimes an accident
can't be avoided but there's plenty of good safe cars out there. Plenty of
cars have lots of safety features and even did well on crash tests but still
perform rather poorly in the real world. The fuel tank behind the axel isn't
a problem, my brother was driving a '79 Volvo with a rear fuel tank, no
airbags, just a good solid design by a '97 Honda that was going roughly 40
mph. The Honda crumpled up past the front wheels and dumped fluids all over
the road, driver sustained minor injuries. The Volvo drove home with a
slightly buckled rear end, fuel tank was undisturbed. That's my only
firsthand experience but there's plenty of other examples out there, I've
seen lots of 240's that have been hit hard in the rear and have yet to see
one where the fuel tank ruptured. Engineers think of this sort of thing so
they protect the tank between the heavy steel frame rails below the crumple
zone. In the end, my two cents are if you want a very safe car, look into a
Volvo 240 or 740 series, they're tanks and they won't let you down. If you
want something a little more sleek and sporty but still quite safe consider
a Saab 900 or 9000 series. Always wear your seatbelt and don't put all your
faith into airbags. In some cases they can save you, in others they can kill
or seriously injure you. I personally prefer to not have an airbag, a well
designed car with properly used seatbelts is safe and I don't have to worry
about an explosive charged bag breaking my nose if I bump a pillar in a
parking lot or have an electrical malfunction, both with plenty of
documented incidents.

 

The most important safety feature in ANY car is the nut holding the
steering wheel.
With anything resembling due care and attention a Linc Town Car is a
pretty safe vehicle. And among it's faults, a rear mounted fuel tank
ranks WAYYYY down the list.

Drive the Linc carefully - spend a bit of time and money to remedy the
most serious deficiencies, and prove to your folks you can be trusted
with something better.

Either that or oil up the chain on the old Huffy or Sekine and keep on
pedalling.