Seriously the best ride, reliability car ever made! One flaw is the blend door actuator but I had that repair down to 1.5 hrs! Do a hundred or more and it’s no problem!
I think that's amazing - were you in Ontario, I'd want to snatch that up! I like how much room is in that car; something you don't get in modern sedans, plus such a reliable platform too.
i'm in the airport transportation business and I had a few of these. got over 300,000 miles out of them without any major repairs or transmission issues. I wish Lincoln still made them , I drive Lexus now.
@@Oldtimered _"I was with you until you said Lexus."_ Well, look at it from a practical standpoint. Since Ford discontinued the Panther platform, what other car comes close to the durability and reliability of a Town Car with at least adequate luxury features for passengers? That would be the Lexus LS series. The Lexus would probably be quite a bit nicer in terms of luxury, though trailing the Town Car for ruggedness and cost of ownership. However, the Lexus will still be made well enough to where regular maintenance and occasional repairs will return excellent service life. You can't say the same for anything modern from Europe, nor can you say the same about more modern offerings from Cadillac, nor could you expect the same from a modern Lincoln, though with possible exception with their Navigator SUV. But what if a full-sized truck-based SUV is too much for what's needed, such as from fuel costs? What does Lincoln currently offer that's comparable to the Town Car of the past in terms of durability? Again, you're back to the Lexus LS. The OP has implied rather strongly that he would have chosen Lincoln over Lexus but, again, Ford doesn't make the Town Car anymore, so he didn't have much of a choice. And if he's running a fleet, he can't continue to use old and high mileage vehicles. Part of it is because of his competition, and also likely because of his insurance for livery service.
@@Watcher3223 I see you did your homework. Even with the practicality of a Lexus, I tend to route for US made vehicles, but now knowing even if they are American made, most parts are shipped in from other countries. It's not just Lexus, Toyota, Hyundai, Kia, etc. Though I do like Nissan with the NV series. My likes and dislikes are scattered. Even American made, I like Ford for being the only American maker that is owned by the Ford family, and they didn't take the bail out money during Obama's Presidency. Even Ford has models and years of production I stay clear of. Sporting a 2007 Ford Freestyle station wagon. It has been a fabulous vehicle in and around town, and long distant travels. Loaded for Bear, it gets 28-32 mpg at 80 mph. With 150,000 miles on it, I will hold on to it for my daughter to drive.
@@Oldtimered Well, if the Town Car were still being made, it would have come from St. Thomas Assembly in Ontario. Town Cars were made in Wixom, Michigan, but then Ford closed that plant and consolidated all Panther platform production to St. Thomas until the Panther platform's discontinuation. Ford would shutter and demolish the plant, afterward.
My mom drove one of these blocks. Unfortunately she drove like Mr Magoo and consequently dented every panel on the car. One day she hit a stanchion in a parking lot and deployed the driver side air bag. Since the car had low miles, I totally fixed it up for her care giver to take her to her doctors appointments as her dementia precluded her from driving. After fixing the car to pristine condition, I told her that. She told me I shouldn’t have done that because my car didn’t have a mark on it! I nearly died laughing.
Some years ago, I went to be a caregiver at the Cancer Treatment Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. They had a fleet of Lincoln Towncars that replaced the Cadillacs. I talked to the fleet manager and he said they were some of the best cars they had ever owned in the fleet. GREAT VIDEO!
I have a Grand Marquis with almost 500,000 miles and it still purrs like a Panther. The standard Town Car has a 117 inch wheelbase. That car should have a 123 inch wheelbase. (The Crown Vic has a 6 inch stretch for some taxi cabs that makes it 120 inch wheelbase; the standard Crown Vic is 114.7) That 4R70W transmission is bulletproof. Those Panthers have a full-frame. GREAT VIDEO!
I was a dirt poor Grad Student in Manhattan and had to get to California. Back in the day you could contact car haulers and drive cars to remote locations.I think they paid me?? Chump change -- but I did not pay them. I recall they even helped with gas money.At this time I had long hair and a beard think a not quite as handsome Jeremiah Johnson.Well the gave me a jet black hearse -- maybe 2 years old. I went the Southern route and when the tinted windows were rolled up no one could see inside. I learned real quick that folks - especially Southern folks in smaller towns-- really respect the dead. I actually had men remove their hats out of "respect for the dead".Cops let me fly by at 20 mph over the posted limit -- I guess they thought I was "Rushing" to a big funeral. What a trip -- a fun very fast trans continental journey -- and no hauntings, either. I delivered the Hearse to a Funeral home in long Beach, Ca.
The Town Car "L" was designed for the livery service industry, ie limos and funeral homes. I wanted an "L" but couldn't find one so I bought a 2005 Town Car with 50,000 miles on it. I love it.
Some lady just crashed into the back of my 2005 li coln town car with 306k miles... was in great condition. So i bought another 05 with a bad transmission and lower miles... ready to continue the town car legacy.
This towncar is without doubt one of the best cars Ford ever built , the engine was bulletproof , the ride was super smooth , and of course, as usual it went the way of the DoDo bird . G.M. did the same thing with the buick 3800 V-6 ! Unfortunately these beautiful cars are just too old now , so forget about buying one today , nothing lasts forever right ??
My brother has a 2000 Lincoln Town Car with less than 60K on it. I have a 2003 Lincoln TC 160K (my 2nd Lincoln) and 2003 Crown Victoria LX with only 46,000 miles still. I also own a 1978 Cadillac Eldorado that now has 28,000 mi. So there are people who don't drive their cars a lot. Wish Ford would make the Panther platform cars again they are great cars.
Currently I own a 99 Cartier Town Car. Bought it from the 2nd owner, who owned it for 12 years. I knew when I called to ask about it I was going to buy it as soon as he began to tell me the story of the car. His energy was very positive, and he is also a hard core Ford fan who does much of his own maintenance. Everything works, factory shop manuals and a new grill included, as he added auxiliary high beams behind the grill for night driving, and had shaved a wee bit from the inside of the grill to let the light through better.
As a current owner and 4 time owner of a Grand Marquis I can attest they are the greatest automobiles ever built. I'll say it again; happy to see Detroit iron on the Car Wizard channel.
Nice car. I recently bought a 2011 Town Car in like-new condition. They are awesome cars, easy to maintain and work on, and I plan to drive it the rest of my life.
I never knew that the Town Cars had rear air suspension... I've never seen one squatted in a driveway! But compared to the other cars he mentioned, it certainly makes more sense to put a simple deactivate switch in the trunk where the spare tire is then buried in the touchscreen system... I guess we all also learned that if you want an incredibly well preserved Lincoln or Cadillac, you should buy it from a mortician!
My favorite hire driver used this vintage of Lincoln Town Car to take me to and from LAX. A total professional and never let me down. Perfect vehicle to take a relaxing ride where I could either work or nap.
A really special car. I own a 2001 Town Car Cartier L. I now have 114,000 on the clock. My plan is that this the last car I need to own, as 300k is easily attained with proper care. Euro Asian Bob for the win. Thank you, Car Wizard and your wife, for sharing this amazing vehicle.
18-20mpg in town was decent for that era TC, I had a 2003 and would average 18mpg driving 5-8 hours a day using it as a delivery vehicle, on long highway trips it would would get up around 22-25mpg, even after 225k miles
I love the Town Car. You can make an argument that it's the best car Ford has ever made. I keep a lookout for one if I can come across one for a good price that doesn't have a ton of miles or in run down condition. I know there will be that one that will try and dismiss the car as an "Old man's car" but since I'm over 50 now I understand the value and appeal of an Old Man's Car.
The 'crossed c' logos on the seats are unique to Cartier Town Cars. If you look closely on the grille and on the trunk, the Lincoln badges are replaced with Cartier logos as well. That dove gray leather is another Cartier exclusive item.
I think the post 2000 Town Cars are Peak Automobile...enough tech to minimize maintenance and have some basic safety, but nothing overwhelming and screen and software based. I've had two occasions to buy one...and didn't act fast enough..they were sold before I could get an offer on the table.
I have a 2011 Towncar and I wish ford instead of building a 4 door mustang would bring back the Panther packed with a Coyote!! Missed opportunity on ford's part there's a segment of people that miss sedans...... great video👍👍
Thank you Car WIzard. I have a 2003 Grand Marquis and I was always disturbed by how rusty the underside looked. The car runs and drives like a dream, but the appearance underneath always bothered me. But this car also has the same and you found no issues here. I love my grand marquis. Saving up to get it back to the air suspension (previous owner did a coilover swap)
Either suspension works OK. The air suspension should not be too expensive. As far as I remember it's 'pretty cheap' compared to modern plastic cars. Not too bad, and you can do the non-air as you say...that works. But check the price difference. :0
We used to have the same Towncar, year and model. It was a great car and road like a yacht. But one thing that Mrs Wizard missed. The Seat adjuster in the back armrest was to adjust the front seats, not the rear. So many times going on road trips with friends, they would get drunk and start messing with the front seats and the radio. Crazy because it would actually adjust the drivers seat even while driving. (where it defiantly shouldn't)
company i worked for made the intake for this 4.6. biggest issue is the aluminum water crossover on the plastic intake. heat and water are not kind to plastic over time. it is a lost core manifold too vs welded shells.
Mrs. Did the seat switch operate in the back seat of the Town Car L? The one I owned the seat switch moved the front passenger seat forward to increase leg room for the executive sitting in the back. Same reason the sound and climate control was on the right in the rear seat. I didn’t enjoy that car. My oldest learned to drive in it as he hated my avalanche I also had.
Car wizard L stands for Livery service. It was either dignataries or consul car Again it was for Livery service from the factory Anthony Gazzo Knows about these. It may have been used for funeral purposes The flashing lights tell me a counsul or diplomat car Either or it a livery vehicle. It's an extended wheelbase car
"L" stands for "long wheelbase." Base trim "executive" mid trim "signature" and top trim "Cartier" were available as long wheelbase. The funeral home that bought this car could have bought an Executive L, and it would have worked just fine. But im sure they care about their customers and their experience, so they sprung for the top dog trim in Long Wheelbase. Most livery cars were Executive trim and didn't bear the "L" unless they were long wheelbase.
the crown vic was available in extended version as well for cab and livery use. I would guess that car was held privately or owned by a municipality and purchased at auction. The damage on the condenser indicates highway use. If the sill plates on the rear door openings are absent excessive shoe scuffs would indicate limited back seat usage and the silver color not a common funeral car color based from what I see in my area.
Silver is actually a common color for funeral vehicles, but I’ve seen them in other colors than just black or white. One funeral home that isn’t too far away from where I live has 4 funeral coaches in that color, the lead vehicles are in that color, and they have at least 1 or 2 Chevrolet Express vans in that color, their limousine, and I think their removal van might be that color as well.
What a beautiful car. Those Town Cars have some of the most comfy seats I have ever sat on. And if the suspension is good the ride is like nothing else.
I used to own a 1959 ford rancho hearse in the 1980s still had the rollers in the back.Amazing thing young women would want to go in it and everyone asked if i had ghost stories lol. One day i was driving into the city and everyone was moving out the way and i got a clean run ,Then got out when i arrived and saw the headlights on, Everyone thought it was a funeral ,I guess it was a fast one lol. Cheers from Australia
Yes, it's a Cartier design, and as such, worth a little extra money. If this car were restored and went to auction, I don't know how much it would fetch. Maybe $15,000?
The surprising thing about Lincoln Town Cars is how reliable the air suspension system is. And if it ever does break, repairing it is *not* stupid expensive. Sure, it's more than the cost of a couple of regular shocks, but it's far cheaper than the many thousands of dollars you'd spend on the air suspension in a Cadillac, Lexus, or Mercedes.
The steering wheel has real wood. The wood steering wheel is functional in purpose. It is stronger. If you want the look of wood on the steering wheel you use real wood for added safety and longevity. The rest of the interior is faux wood. It would be a waste of wood, be much more expensive and not look any better with real wood.
This car came from a former owner, Beckwith Mortuary in Larned, Kansas (population less than 3300-ish) I can understand how it logged fewer than 2000 miles per year. I just looked at the title. Thank you Becky! Larned, KS is kind of in the middle of a lot of 'nowhere' towns that aren't really close together at all. Beautiful country, BTW. It looks like it went to the local Larned, KS used car dealer in early September '24, and Bob snagged it a few days later. ;) Please keep up the good work Becky and Bob. And I know this a mundane car, but that is what I like.
I wish they still made the Executive L today! I am tempted to purchase a 2011 Executive L put in a new transmission with additional gears for better fuel efficiency and fine tune with a more modern fuel injection, and turbo charge. Sounds silly, but I love the smoothness of these cars, and openness of the interior, it could be worth it for me.
As a funeral car, the engine probably has more hours than distance sitting running in the cold or the heat to run the air-conditioning and a lot of slow running. Which would mean, unlike other low mileage engines, it won't have seal failures. I would put a new stainless larger bore exhaust, let her breath. But so very nice.
Looking at the patina of rust overy many of the undercarriage components - and on such a low mileage car - it really suggests that Ford only gave those components a very light dusting of paint - if it all.
Technically, you do have to drop the gas tank to replace the fuel pump. They mounted the connector on top of the tank... There are ways around this. Just not recommended.
I replaced a couple of window regulator assemblies on that same era Town car....somewhat of a nightmare.....have to drill out oem rivets, replace with bolt's and then there's an odd large round plastic spacer involved.....had to replace those with fender washers as shims....
My 2000 Crown Vic P71 gets 18 mpg. That is normal on panther cars. I also changed the fuel pump myself. The plug on top on the fuel tank between the tank & body was the hardest part.
8:58 This is a large part of the reason I love this channel. Look at that straight face...... it's a talent. XD 45k and it has probably never been on the highway or warmed up from anything but idling. 45k isn't as good as it sounds in some of these cases.
If only cars today had the panther platform. The world would be a much better place. You can't go wrong with a Grand Marquis, Crown Vic, Town Car........truly one of the best eras in the car industry.
Car wizard, L stands for Livery service. The blinking lights is for dignitaries that must've been a counsul or A diplomat car But the L stands for Livery Extended wheel base
I talked to Bob yesterday. If it all works out I will get this car. I am planning on sending the money tomorrow. ;) Thank you Mr. and Mrs. Wizard for showing this. Bob also has a very nice video on this car on his UA-cam channel. Bob also has a lot of interesting cars on his website/dealership. I have to blame my helper Adam who recently bought a Mercury Grand Marquis locally to me. He got a true 'Little old lady who only drove the car to church on Sundays' car. That inspired me to look for a Panther platform car....NOW. I knew about them already, but now I thought I couldn't pass this one up.
I got this car yesterday. It is nicer in person than in the video. Thank you Car Wizard and Mrs. Wizard. And thanks to Bob and Becky. And thanks to Sue! (The 'shipping' coordinator. It was so easy)
It's no longer worth to resurface the rotors since hourly labor rate has gone up. I have a 07 Scion Tc, a local shop wanted $270 out the door per axle. I bought new rotors and pads @local autozone and put them on. It was $160 out the door price. Next brake change, I will take my rotors to O'reilly's they cut your rotors for $15 each piece. The following brake change you throw those away and buy new rotors. Big deal it's a brake, you do that shit on your own.
These days its actually cheaper and faster to just buy new rotors. But the old rotors should have a parts store cone because that metal needs to be re melted to machine other parts as in the metal itself should not be wasted. They make good wheel chocks when working under a car also.
I used to drive limos. We had some L series cars. I liked them. Especially before 2003 when they changed them to feel more “sporty”. Didn’t like the Town Car after that.
I have a 2005 signature L and a 2010 signature the 2005 is faster has bigger brakes a heater pcv valve instead of a standard one rear heated seats rear radio controls rear heat controls and can move the passenger seat much further up than the signature from the rear seat control plus lots of little differences and yes the 6 extra inches in the back seat makes a big difference
I put a lot of miles on Lincoln Executive L series cars driving them in LIvery or Towncar service. If you are careful you can see 20-22 MPG and I found the maintenance to be fairly inexpensive. We put 350-400,000 miles on several cars and if maintained, as the cars I drove were, there were very few other issues other than a belt tightener or in one case a transmission, but overall if you take care of this car, it will take care of you. I have thought about buying one of these for myself, but it would have to be an L series because not only is there 6" more legroom in the back, the ride is noticeably better.
If you take your time, you can find these in that good a shape for around 3 to 4k for sale in rich mans neighborhoods, thats how I purchased a 2005 town car that has more chrome than the one in the video and is just as nice and got it for 2900.00 this last June 28th
Glad you liked our Town Car Wizard! What does everyone else think?
Seriously the best ride, reliability car ever made! One flaw is the blend door actuator but I had that repair down to 1.5 hrs! Do a hundred or more and it’s no problem!
I think that's amazing - were you in Ontario, I'd want to snatch that up! I like how much room is in that car; something you don't get in modern sedans, plus such a reliable platform too.
Always liked working on and driving the panther platform. Smoothest ride you can get.
Very nice. I love those cars. If only I was closer and had the extra $.
Greatest automobile ever built.
i'm in the airport transportation business and I had a few of these. got over 300,000 miles out of them without any major repairs or transmission issues. I wish Lincoln still made them , I drive Lexus now.
I was with you until you said Lexus. Do you have a fleet of them or just your one? Don't know why I dislike them, I just do.
@@Oldtimered _"I was with you until you said Lexus."_
Well, look at it from a practical standpoint.
Since Ford discontinued the Panther platform, what other car comes close to the durability and reliability of a Town Car with at least adequate luxury features for passengers?
That would be the Lexus LS series.
The Lexus would probably be quite a bit nicer in terms of luxury, though trailing the Town Car for ruggedness and cost of ownership.
However, the Lexus will still be made well enough to where regular maintenance and occasional repairs will return excellent service life. You can't say the same for anything modern from Europe, nor can you say the same about more modern offerings from Cadillac, nor could you expect the same from a modern Lincoln, though with possible exception with their Navigator SUV.
But what if a full-sized truck-based SUV is too much for what's needed, such as from fuel costs? What does Lincoln currently offer that's comparable to the Town Car of the past in terms of durability?
Again, you're back to the Lexus LS. The OP has implied rather strongly that he would have chosen Lincoln over Lexus but, again, Ford doesn't make the Town Car anymore, so he didn't have much of a choice.
And if he's running a fleet, he can't continue to use old and high mileage vehicles. Part of it is because of his competition, and also likely because of his insurance for livery service.
same I had one now a Lexus
@@Watcher3223 I see you did your homework. Even with the practicality of a Lexus, I tend to route for US made vehicles, but now knowing even if they are American made, most parts are shipped in from other countries. It's not just Lexus, Toyota, Hyundai, Kia, etc. Though I do like Nissan with the NV series. My likes and dislikes are scattered. Even American made, I like Ford for being the only American maker that is owned by the Ford family, and they didn't take the bail out money during Obama's Presidency. Even Ford has models and years of production I stay clear of. Sporting a 2007 Ford Freestyle station wagon. It has been a fabulous vehicle in and around town, and long distant travels. Loaded for Bear, it gets 28-32 mpg at 80 mph. With 150,000 miles on it, I will hold on to it for my daughter to drive.
@@Oldtimered Well, if the Town Car were still being made, it would have come from St. Thomas Assembly in Ontario.
Town Cars were made in Wixom, Michigan, but then Ford closed that plant and consolidated all Panther platform production to St. Thomas until the Panther platform's discontinuation.
Ford would shutter and demolish the plant, afterward.
My mom drove one of these blocks. Unfortunately she drove like Mr Magoo and consequently dented every panel on the car. One day she hit a stanchion in a parking lot and deployed the driver side air bag. Since the car had low miles, I totally fixed it up for her care giver to take her to her doctors appointments as her dementia precluded her from driving. After fixing the car to pristine condition, I told her that. She told me I shouldn’t have done that because my car didn’t have a mark on it! I nearly died laughing.
Sad that I have to croak to ride in a luxury vehicle.
Some years ago, I went to be a caregiver at the Cancer Treatment Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. They had a fleet of Lincoln Towncars that replaced the Cadillacs. I talked to the fleet manager and he said they were some of the best cars they had ever owned in the fleet. GREAT VIDEO!
I have a Grand Marquis with almost 500,000 miles and it still purrs like a Panther. The standard Town Car has a 117 inch wheelbase. That car should have a 123 inch wheelbase. (The Crown Vic has a 6 inch stretch for some taxi cabs that makes it 120 inch wheelbase; the standard Crown Vic is 114.7) That 4R70W transmission is bulletproof. Those Panthers have a full-frame. GREAT VIDEO!
I was a dirt poor Grad Student in Manhattan and had to get to California. Back in the day you could contact car haulers and drive cars to remote locations.I think they paid me?? Chump change -- but I did not pay them. I recall they even helped with gas money.At this time I had long hair and a beard think a not quite as handsome Jeremiah Johnson.Well the gave me a jet black hearse -- maybe 2 years old. I went the Southern route and when the tinted windows were rolled up no one could see inside. I learned real quick that folks - especially Southern folks in smaller towns-- really respect the dead. I actually had men remove their hats out of "respect for the dead".Cops let me fly by at 20 mph over the posted limit -- I guess they thought I was "Rushing" to a big funeral. What a trip -- a fun very fast trans continental journey -- and no hauntings, either. I delivered the Hearse to a Funeral home in long Beach, Ca.
That's a really neat experience!
cool story bro,( sarcasim) seriously good moves buddy. free trip, paid for and pocket money to boot. well played sir
You're gonna give someone Cannonball ideas, lol.
@@blakelowe9079 THAT would be funny!! A Hearse with blacked out windows with a race suspension and 900 HP doing 120 mph...hell I'd watch that movie!
The Town Car "L" was designed for the livery service industry, ie limos and funeral homes. I wanted an "L" but couldn't find one so I bought a 2005 Town Car with 50,000 miles on it. I love it.
I’ve always wanted one of those Lincoln Towncars. They were a real joy to drive. I had the pleasure of driving several of those, when I was younger.
This is my dream car. I think the 98-02 Town Cars are some of the nicest looking cars ever made.
Some lady just crashed into the back of my 2005 li coln town car with 306k miles... was in great condition. So i bought another 05 with a bad transmission and lower miles... ready to continue the town car legacy.
This towncar is without doubt one of the best cars Ford ever built , the engine was bulletproof , the ride was super smooth , and of course, as usual it went the way of the DoDo bird . G.M. did the same thing with the buick 3800 V-6 ! Unfortunately these beautiful cars are just too old now , so forget about buying one today , nothing lasts forever right ??
They are not 'too old'. WTF?
My brother has a 2000 Lincoln Town Car with less than 60K on it. I have a 2003 Lincoln TC 160K (my 2nd Lincoln) and 2003 Crown Victoria LX with only 46,000 miles still. I also own a 1978 Cadillac Eldorado that now has 28,000 mi. So there are people who don't drive their cars a lot. Wish Ford would make the Panther platform cars again they are great cars.
Nice car.. My family owned several Funeral Homes in N.E. GA.. They started out w/ Cady's then to Mercedes Benz and then Lincolns.
Currently I own a 99 Cartier Town Car. Bought it from the 2nd owner, who owned it for 12 years. I knew when I called to ask about it I was going to buy it as soon as he began to tell me the story of the car. His energy was very positive, and he is also a hard core Ford fan who does much of his own maintenance. Everything works, factory shop manuals and a new grill included, as he added auxiliary high beams behind the grill for night driving, and had shaved a wee bit from the inside of the grill to let the light through better.
As a current owner and 4 time owner of a Grand Marquis I can attest they are the greatest automobiles ever built.
I'll say it again; happy to see Detroit iron on the Car Wizard channel.
These slightly modern Lincoln Town Car's are immaculate.
I used to have a 98 town car. Definitely miss that car. Thank you for sharing this beauty
I have a 98 marquis!
What happened to it?
Nice car. I recently bought a 2011 Town Car in like-new condition. They are awesome cars, easy to maintain and work on, and I plan to drive it the rest of my life.
That’s nice. How many miles on it? Mine has 40k something miles and is an 07. It’s on my channel and I love it.
Happy 2005 Signature limited Town car here and keeping it for my entire life
I've ridden in a few of these out of airports. Very nice way to unwind after a long flight.
I have a 2001 Lincoln Town car with 327,000 miles with the same engine and transmission. It's a great car.
My wife had a 2002 Cartier Signature, in the same color. It was a very good car and traveled well, if you don't mind driving your living room.
Beautiful car. People might call it an old man's car, but I love to have it.
I never knew that the Town Cars had rear air suspension... I've never seen one squatted in a driveway! But compared to the other cars he mentioned, it certainly makes more sense to put a simple deactivate switch in the trunk where the spare tire is then buried in the touchscreen system...
I guess we all also learned that if you want an incredibly well preserved Lincoln or Cadillac, you should buy it from a mortician!
6:02 those are not personalized stitchings in the seats. Those are the Cartier stitches that come with all Cartier Edition Lincolns
Yeah I mean it's named after the jeweler, so it had to be nice.
@@MaycJr …and those Editions of Lincolns were. Lavish. 🫡💯
My favorite hire driver used this vintage of Lincoln Town Car to take me to and from LAX. A total professional and never let me down. Perfect vehicle to take a relaxing ride where I could either work or nap.
Superb video - so nice to see both simplicity and quality in one vehicle !!!
A really special car. I own a 2001 Town Car Cartier L. I now have 114,000 on the clock. My plan is that this the last car I need to own, as 300k is easily attained with proper care. Euro Asian Bob for the win. Thank you, Car Wizard and your wife, for sharing this amazing vehicle.
18-20mpg in town was decent for that era TC, I had a 2003 and would average 18mpg driving 5-8 hours a day using it as a delivery vehicle, on long highway trips it would would get up around 22-25mpg, even after 225k miles
I love the Town Car. You can make an argument that it's the best car Ford has ever made. I keep a lookout for one if I can come across one for a good price that doesn't have a ton of miles or in run down condition. I know there will be that one that will try and dismiss the car as an "Old man's car" but since I'm over 50 now I understand the value and appeal of an Old Man's Car.
The 'crossed c' logos on the seats are unique to Cartier Town Cars. If you look closely on the grille and on the trunk, the Lincoln badges are replaced with Cartier logos as well.
That dove gray leather is another Cartier exclusive item.
I think the post 2000 Town Cars are Peak Automobile...enough tech to minimize maintenance and have some basic safety, but nothing overwhelming and screen and software based. I've had two occasions to buy one...and didn't act fast enough..they were sold before I could get an offer on the table.
I have a 2011 Towncar and I wish ford instead of building a 4 door mustang would bring back the Panther packed with a Coyote!! Missed opportunity on ford's part there's a segment of people that miss sedans...... great video👍👍
Thank you Car WIzard. I have a 2003 Grand Marquis and I was always disturbed by how rusty the underside looked. The car runs and drives like a dream, but the appearance underneath always bothered me. But this car also has the same and you found no issues here.
I love my grand marquis. Saving up to get it back to the air suspension (previous owner did a coilover swap)
Either suspension works OK. The air suspension should not be too expensive. As far as I remember it's 'pretty cheap' compared to modern plastic cars. Not too bad, and you can do the non-air as you say...that works. But check the price difference. :0
We used to have the same Towncar, year and model. It was a great car and road like a yacht. But one thing that Mrs Wizard missed. The Seat adjuster in the back armrest was to adjust the front seats, not the rear. So many times going on road trips with friends, they would get drunk and start messing with the front seats and the radio. Crazy because it would actually adjust the drivers seat even while driving. (where it defiantly shouldn't)
company i worked for made the intake for this 4.6. biggest issue is the aluminum water crossover on the plastic intake. heat and water are not kind to plastic over time. it is a lost core manifold too vs welded shells.
Easy fix
Mrs. Did the seat switch operate in the back seat of the Town Car L? The one I owned the seat switch moved the front passenger seat forward to increase leg room for the executive sitting in the back. Same reason the sound and climate control was on the right in the rear seat.
I didn’t enjoy that car. My oldest learned to drive in it as he hated my avalanche I also had.
Car wizard
L stands for Livery service.
It was either dignataries or consul car
Again it was for Livery service from the factory
Anthony Gazzo
Knows about these.
It may have been used for funeral purposes
The flashing lights tell me a counsul or diplomat car
Either or it a livery vehicle.
It's an extended wheelbase car
I’m with you on the use. Virtually no wear in the back. I doubt it got used as a service car. The mint interior leads me to believe private use.
"L" stands for "long wheelbase." Base trim "executive" mid trim "signature" and top trim "Cartier" were available as long wheelbase. The funeral home that bought this car could have bought an Executive L, and it would have worked just fine. But im sure they care about their customers and their experience, so they sprung for the top dog trim in Long Wheelbase. Most livery cars were Executive trim and didn't bear the "L" unless they were long wheelbase.
I believe the seat button in back actually controls front pass side. To get more leg room.
Yes, that's for the VIP who rides in the back and needs more room I guess.
the crown vic was available in extended version as well for cab and livery use. I would guess that car was held privately or owned by a municipality and purchased at auction. The damage on the condenser indicates highway use. If the sill plates on the rear door openings are absent excessive shoe scuffs would indicate limited back seat usage and the silver color not a common funeral car color based from what I see in my area.
Silver is actually a common color for funeral vehicles, but I’ve seen them in other colors than just black or white. One funeral home that isn’t too far away from where I live has 4 funeral coaches in that color, the lead vehicles are in that color, and they have at least 1 or 2 Chevrolet Express vans in that color, their limousine, and I think their removal van might be that color as well.
What a beautiful car. Those Town Cars have some of the most comfy seats I have ever sat on. And if the suspension is good the ride is like nothing else.
I'm sure Mrs Wizard would be a lot of fun in a back seat :)
I used to own a 1959 ford rancho hearse in the 1980s still had the rollers in the back.Amazing thing young women would want to go in it and everyone asked if i had ghost stories lol. One day i was driving into the city and everyone was moving out the way and i got a clean run ,Then got out when i arrived and saw the headlights on, Everyone thought it was a funeral ,I guess it was a fast one lol. Cheers from Australia
I love these LTC L rides!! Big stretch and the only thing missing from this cool ride is a factory moonroof.
98 thru 2002 have the best style and build quality.
That clock is made by Cartier, hence the name of this edition.
Yes, it's a Cartier design, and as such, worth a little extra money. If this car were restored and went to auction, I don't know how much it would fetch. Maybe $15,000?
I'm 99.999 percent sure this was a funeral car. Trained funeral director here.
Heated garage low mileage low speed use . Far from Creepy a true cream puff !
This so cool. Respect!
If you have the hearse variant of this, the airbag kill switch is under the casket compartment accessible on the rear passenger side.
You eject the casket/coffin out through the roof as far as I know. It's a hidden feature. He can't show you the buttons for that, LOL.
Great channel!
5:18 I would! I can’t deal with my family without a drink! 😂 obviously not driving of course.
Beautiful car, I don’t think we’ll ever see seats like these on cars again. They’re like the old school lazy boy chairs
I had a 99 Presidential Touring Sedan in mother of pearl and champagne. Boy do I miss that car!!
The one thing Mrs. Wizard missed is that it has an Alpine stereo!
Old Lincolns had Alpines. Caddis had Bose
The marauder has the alpine system as well
Your other channel look very interesting, thank you dear Car Wizard.
The surprising thing about Lincoln Town Cars is how reliable the air suspension system is. And if it ever does break, repairing it is *not* stupid expensive. Sure, it's more than the cost of a couple of regular shocks, but it's far cheaper than the many thousands of dollars you'd spend on the air suspension in a Cadillac, Lexus, or Mercedes.
That's beautiful. On my first visit to Canada I got picked up in a Grand Marquis or Town car, it was so comfortable.
Also, that woodgrain is the best wood that petroleum can buy
The steering wheel has real wood. The wood steering wheel is functional in purpose. It is stronger. If you want the look of wood on the steering wheel you use real wood for added safety and longevity. The rest of the interior is faux wood. It would be a waste of wood, be much more expensive and not look any better with real wood.
This car came from a former owner, Beckwith Mortuary in Larned, Kansas (population less than 3300-ish) I can understand how it logged fewer than 2000 miles per year. I just looked at the title. Thank you Becky! Larned, KS is kind of in the middle of a lot of 'nowhere' towns that aren't really close together at all. Beautiful country, BTW. It looks like it went to the local Larned, KS used car dealer in early September '24, and Bob snagged it a few days later. ;) Please keep up the good work Becky and Bob. And I know this a mundane car, but that is what I like.
I wish they still made the Executive L today! I am tempted to purchase a 2011 Executive L put in a new transmission with additional gears for better fuel efficiency and fine tune with a more modern fuel injection, and turbo charge. Sounds silly, but I love the smoothness of these cars, and openness of the interior, it could be worth it for me.
As a funeral car, the engine probably has more hours than distance sitting running in the cold or the heat to run the air-conditioning and a lot of slow running.
Which would mean, unlike other low mileage engines, it won't have seal failures.
I would put a new stainless larger bore exhaust, let her breath. But so very nice.
I love this era! 1977 is my favorite of all time.
Perspective: If this were a Ferrari F355 it would have needed four engine out services by now
Depends, with those massive tires with an S speed rating on a Ferrari, you might not have made it to the first belt service :D
Probably would have burned down 😂
"brakes are good, tires fair"
Tip: if you plan to resurface rotors, it's best to resurface them ON the car. This compensates for any imperfections in hub run out.
Perfect Halloween episode!
I love the town car.
Looking at the patina of rust overy many of the undercarriage components - and on such a low mileage car - it really suggests that Ford only gave those components a very light dusting of paint - if it all.
It's 24 years old, you expect it to not have surface rust on the underside?
Typical of all domestic brands.
Beautiful car….funniest part!!Mrs. Wizard I’m a tall person, 5’9….😂😂😂
I’ve had two Town Cars, and a Crown Vic. Miss all 3 of them!
Technically, you do have to drop the gas tank to replace the fuel pump. They mounted the connector on top of the tank... There are ways around this. Just not recommended.
An other savvy quote, "No matter how rich you are the last guy you hire will work for 15 bucks/hour......"
I had a Lincoln Towncar Cartier L beige with a beige vinyl top. Very nice car
If I had the money and the room ...definitely I would buy this...
Car wizard is the kind of guy that reviews cars too cool for Doug Demuro.
Thissssss is a fact
Info ad for Euro Asian Bob.
I replaced a couple of window regulator assemblies on that same era Town car....somewhat of a nightmare.....have to drill out oem rivets, replace with bolt's and then there's an odd large round plastic spacer involved.....had to replace those with fender washers as shims....
My 2000 Crown Vic P71 gets 18 mpg. That is normal on panther cars. I also changed the fuel pump myself. The plug on top on the fuel tank between the tank & body was the hardest part.
8:58 This is a large part of the reason I love this channel. Look at that straight face...... it's a talent. XD
45k and it has probably never been on the highway or warmed up from anything but idling. 45k isn't as good as it sounds in some of these cases.
I absolutely love the Town Car!!
UK .. Saw a Black Ford Mach-E stretched into a hurse the other day in the City of Bath , It did look really cool.
I think I've seen one or two of those and yes, I agree.
Oh, I thought he said "house".
You can't unplug one of the plugs for the fuel pump without dropping the tank or cutting a hole to get to the top of the tank where the connector is.
Cut the wires, cut off new plug and wire to old plug. There is nothing wrong with old plug.
@@altg5708 I just cut a hole when I did it but it was a dirt track car and I didn't care.
If only cars today had the panther platform. The world would be a much better place. You can't go wrong with a Grand Marquis, Crown Vic, Town Car........truly one of the best eras in the car industry.
Ford can bring it back if they want to, but they only care about immediate profits with cheap labor and cheap quality.
Ford didn’t want to make long lasting cars anymore. Look at the recall, record the last 10 years.
Planned Obsolescence, try ordering a car with crank windows and just Am /Fm radio , A/C, + cruise.
Car wizard, L stands for Livery service.
The blinking lights is for dignitaries that must've been a counsul or A diplomat car
But the L stands for Livery
Extended wheel base
@@RustyZipperI was just riding in my friends new spark with crank windows and manual locks. But it did still have Apple CarPlay and Bluetooth factory.
that's a beauty. like My parents Mercury grand marquis I inherited only has 36K .
I talked to Bob yesterday. If it all works out I will get this car. I am planning on sending the money tomorrow. ;) Thank you Mr. and Mrs. Wizard for showing this. Bob also has a very nice video on this car on his UA-cam channel. Bob also has a lot of interesting cars on his website/dealership. I have to blame my helper Adam who recently bought a Mercury Grand Marquis locally to me. He got a true 'Little old lady who only drove the car to church on Sundays' car. That inspired me to look for a Panther platform car....NOW. I knew about them already, but now I thought I couldn't pass this one up.
Love this car Mr. Wizard thank you for your great work and car reviews.
You’ll need seat bolsters if the funeral is led by State Officer Jeremy Dewitte! 😂 “Get outta my Funeral!!!”
"Son you're gonna drive me to drinkin' ......." (you fill in the rest)
If you dont stop driving that hot rod Lincoln!!
Beat me to it
Ah, Asleep at the Wheel seems so appropriate; Commander Cody And His Lost Planet Airmen, too!
I got this car yesterday. It is nicer in person than in the video. Thank you Car Wizard and Mrs. Wizard. And thanks to Bob and Becky. And thanks to Sue! (The 'shipping' coordinator. It was so easy)
Panther 🐆 platform… Preys on you.. 👻 🪦
It's no longer worth to resurface the rotors since hourly labor rate has gone up. I have a 07 Scion Tc, a local shop wanted $270 out the door per axle. I bought new rotors and pads @local autozone and put them on. It was $160 out the door price. Next brake change, I will take my rotors to O'reilly's they cut your rotors for $15 each piece. The following brake change you throw those away and buy new rotors. Big deal it's a brake, you do that shit on your own.
These days its actually cheaper and faster to just buy new rotors. But the old rotors should have a parts store cone because that metal needs to be re melted to machine other parts as in the metal itself should not be wasted. They make good wheel chocks when working under a car also.
@@EarlGuyton425 bro using rotor as wheel chocks? That is the most redneck thing I have ever heard.
@@EarlGuyton425Unless you have a brake lathe to do the turning yourself that is
I used to drive limos. We had some L series cars. I liked them. Especially before 2003 when they changed them to feel more “sporty”. Didn’t like the Town Car after that.
Obsession with "sportiness" is a plague across the automotive industry it seems...
These were the best cars Ford ever made for the purposes intended.
I have a 2005 signature L and a 2010 signature the 2005 is faster has bigger brakes a heater pcv valve instead of a standard one rear heated seats rear radio controls rear heat controls and can move the passenger seat much further up than the signature from the rear seat control plus lots of little differences and yes the 6 extra inches in the back seat makes a big difference
It is a slice of comfort for sure
These are SOOOOOOO rare I feel like the 03 to 11 L’s are more common
Nobody really wants the 98-02.
@@whitegoodman7465 I know that but the L version wasn’t really made but a few years then 03 to 11 it was more popular
I think it's because the 98-02 body style was only made for 5 years, while the 03-11 was made for 9 years
I put a lot of miles on Lincoln Executive L series cars driving them in LIvery or Towncar service. If you are careful you can see 20-22 MPG and I found the maintenance to be fairly inexpensive. We put 350-400,000 miles on several cars and if maintained, as the cars I drove were, there were very few other issues other than a belt tightener or in one case a transmission, but overall if you take care of this car, it will take care of you. I have thought about buying one of these for myself, but it would have to be an L series because not only is there 6" more legroom in the back, the ride is noticeably better.
Beautiful car. It will likely outlast any brand new Ford for a fraction of the price.
Man, if I had the cash money to buy this I'd be on a plane to Wichita already!
If you take your time, you can find these in that good a shape for around 3 to 4k for sale in rich mans neighborhoods, thats how I purchased a 2005 town car that has more chrome than the one in the video and is just as nice and got it for 2900.00 this last June 28th
Panther platforms for life!!!! 🔥🤘😎🤘🔥
Now that’s a clean old car very nice, I’m hitting the top “how much” “how much”
I love the Panthers. Thanks for the fun channel.
My 2010 lincoln town car executive l has 429,000 miles on it dosent have fatter tires for it just standard 225/60/17 it's doing alright