Just recently purchased a 93 Town car with 136k miles for $800. Factory air suspension is still functioning and it rides beautifully! This is really the only generation of town car I like, definitely looks/feels much different from the Crown Vic
One of the last great land yachts. You can cruise all day in one of these. Adjustable steering is interesting for a 90s car. It's surprising how dated the window switches look contrasted with the digital dashboard. Fun fact, the grille hinges in like a trash can door to absorb impacts. This one looks to be sitting a little high, probably from the conversion springs. There's a lifted Grand Marquis near me on stock wheels and it looks interesting. It's a shame American luxury has tried chasing Europeans where every car must be tight and sporty to be considered luxury. SUVs may have replaced land yachts but that's no reason to have tight hard seats. If I was in the market for a luxury car I'd try to find a well-kept Town Car or Fleetwood because luxury to me means comfort. I wear a watch to work because it's really convenient having the time with me at a glance. It doesn't even have a battery. Maybe it's the car guy in me but I love all the little mechanical bits precisely assembled ticking away inside. If you want a nice starter mechanical watch in case you have to dress up, look at Orient.
There really isn't anything to replace a Town Car on the market these days. If you need the cargo space the Panthers offered, you have to go with a full size SUV now, and a high end one if you want to match the ride quality. If you don't need the cargo space, the 2017-2020 Continental isn't bad. It's stiffer than the panthers, but comfortable enough to drive long distances. (the Taurus of the same years is pretty much the same car). I've also enjoyed the (Hyundai) Genesis lineup. (They made Genesis it's own make several years ago, not branded as hyundai) Had a month long rental on a G70, and it was comparable to the Continental.
My mechanical daily watch is a citizen from the 70's that i got from my dad. It was strapless and unused for maybe 35 years....wound it up, put a strap and bam! I smile eveytime i use it!
Those air suspensions were not expensive nor "faulty". They're actually incredibly simple and easy to maintain. You can replace essentially the entire system for probably $400. But if you just replaced the dryer in them every 3 or so It would probably double the lifespan of the air ride.
I purchased one of these back in 2013 for $500 with a bad intake manifold with a little over 200k on the clock. I daily drove that car for 5 years, when I was done with it, it had 350k, and I gave it to my dad 5 years ago now it's at 373k but I had to get another Panther, and now I daily a 2008 Crown Vic PI. I like the stance of this Town Car, its really nice, mine used to sag a little in the rear even though it had coil springs
I have a 97 TC with 182k on it. It's going to be a weekend cruiser. I've always wanted a 95-97 model and they are getting harder to find in any condition but certainly one in nice shape. This one was a two owner car that was right here in my town. Runs great and everything still works so far. Bought it a few months ago and haven't driven it much because of snow. Looking forward to cruising with it this summer.
I had an acquaintance once whose rule for car ownership was nothing under 18 feet 2 inches. Which coincidentally is how long a 90s Town Car is. He put OEM '97 Mustang GT 17s and performance tires on his (to my knowledge) otherwise stock TC and took it autocrossing. It may have had upgraded suspension components. I rode with him once or twice on the track. I miss that car and his '71 Grand Ville convertible which I regret never riding in. Good times.
I had a 97 signature I bought in 2020 with 47k mi on it. Car was my favorite of all time, always wanted one and was not disappointed. Loved that car every day that I had it!
Uggg, another Town Car like the Grand Marquis with their distinctive air ride systems removed in favor of steel springs. I wish people would just repair and keep these systems. Every time I look to buy one, the whole air ride system has been chopped out. I tried to convince a friend to repair the air ride in his cherry Grand Marquis; even telling him it was unique as the Camry and Accord don't have it. Nope, chopped up and steel springs installed.
I would absolutely love to get my hands on an old panther body. I absolutely love panther bodies. I'd love to get an old Grand Marquis or this Era of Lincoln Town car. I love that fat chunky bench seat in these, the fact that there is no center console just makes you feel at home in one of these. I'm not getting one of these no time soon becuase gas mileage sucks and for now I need vehicles that are more fuel economical and practical.
Sorry my man, without the air springs the ride just doesn't compare. I've had two of the same model year, 2005 Town car one with the original air springs and one that had been swapped to coils. the difference is night and day. I'm about 7 Panthers in now and my 95 Town car was still the best car I ever had. Miss it, but she started falling apart after 450,000 miles of midwest winters. The last gen TC is a really nice car, but the 95 rode like a dream. As an afterthought, on the old TC not being "politically correct," or it feeling bare bones or such, I'd chime in that first, it might seem like a big, gas guzzling, dumb car, but when you total one out and need three trips in the rental SUV to fit the same amount of cargo the Panther carried all without rising above window height and while getting 25+MPG, you might rethink just how bad it is. The only things made today that can compete for cargo or passenger space are full size SUVs with some of the high end ones maybe competing on ride quality. As for feeling bare or outdated. Maybe, in 2023. For those of us driving 90's Town Cars in the mid 2000's, they had every feature a brand new car could offer and some the new ones didn't. 8 way power seats, one touch windows, the little info section with MPG and distance to empty readings, and maybe my favorite that I wonder why isn't a standard feature on all cars some 30 years later now: the automatic headlights. Even little things like not having a radio antenna sticking out and having a soft close trunk make the town cars stand out even today. You can easily stick a modern stereo in them ( well kinda, the double din isn't actually deep enough for a full head unit, but most of the touch screen ones today will fit). The only thing really missing compared to modern cars are the 'you're a bad driver' features like lane keeping and blind spot monitors.
These are a handsome timeless design even still when I see one they look phenomenal and stately. I had a 93 with dark red interior had to pay parking garage double to park it because it was so long...at 110mph it felt like it was lifting off the ground entirely. My 07 Grand Marquis was also a very reliable car if not as interesting.
I'm curios about people's mpg numbers from other drivers. I drove a few vics, the marquis, and the aero town car, and the best mileage I ever got was 21 highway.
You would THINK....that if we wanted to reduce the number of cars driving out there, they'd keep the center middle front row seats on more cats to accommodate an extra person.
Please review a first-gen Town Car (1981-1989). I have had 3 TCs in my relatively short lifetime - an ‘85 (my first classic car love), a ‘97 (same gen as in this video, facelift and all), and an ‘87 (hot-rodded this bastard to hell and back) - and I can say with absolute confidence that the first generation Townies pack the most fun!
Steering stiffness is automatically adjusted. At least in accord and above + Acura since at least 2010. Modern cars do this, you just don't get to control it.
No longer do we think of not wanting to own one of these vehicles because they are considered such 'grandpa' cars; really not the case anymore. These types of cars are so robust, plush, solid, legit comfortable, reliable, spacious, well equipped and reasonably affordable with heap tons of parts still available to maintain them on the road. One with its service records up to date are really worth getting into one.
Amazing how unreliable NA 4 cylinders can be. Amazing how they can't tow a grocery cart. Amazing how a 4.6 V8 will outlive them all. Amazing how stupidly uncomfortable they also are.
I'm not that amazed. Sure, you can match this engine's peak hp with around a 2.5 to 2.7 four-pot, but it'll have as many cams and valves as this thing, still a whole lot less torque, and it'll still cost more (!).
@@ImmortanDan NA 4 cylinders were putting out this horsepower two decades ago, the money you would save in gas and repairs / maintenance to a comparable V8, NA 4 would pay for itself many times over
The steering and strength of that generation far surpassed the current generation I prefer the traditional steering suspension they were made where it drove like a truck it was far more resistant to bumps and pot holes. And it was in my opinion far more comfortable then the my 2010 Lincoln Town Car Executive L.
Why has the world done away with cars like these I love them , big comfy , why do you need to feel the road on your way home from work or need urgent handling when you are doing the school run or the food shopping ? you don't ,its comfortable and forgiving like if you are for instance trying to pick something up off the passenger floor I know in my town car it's not gonna suddenly fly off the road when I accidentally jerk the wheel .
I, for one, adore the digital gauges. These panthers feel SO much more modern than the first gen.I've owned an '88, a '91, and a '94 hearse version of the Town Car. The second gen were excellent and reliable, but slow enough to be dangerous pulling on to some uphill highway on-ramps. The hearse needed the partition moved back another six inches for leg room, but was one of the best vehicles I've ever owned. Totally regret selling it.
Look at that ground clearance more than any modern sedan and more than lost of crossovers. That's my biggest problem with modern cars. Just so ridiculously low. No wonder people go for crososvers.
You do realize this is the traditional American luxury car Big 5,000 lb floaty boat thing only recently have they try to copy the Germans and do it worse
At the time this was built it was a luxury car. Wide and thickly padded leather seats, soft suspension, electronic gadgets, and a torquey V8 was American luxury. These are highway cruisers and are actually pretty quiet inside. Euro luxury was sporty but American luxury was comfortable.
@Jonathan A typical "patriotic" moron detected🤦♂️ I had a ride in a '98 TC limo, nowhere close to the W140 S - class or even Lexus speaking of noise insulation and road feel.
Those small rear windows back in the 70’s were called “Opera Windows “, Mr. Shooting Cars. But I’m giving away my age. Great videos! 👍
The names' Pradel, Zach Pradel 👍🤣
@@ajaykumargoel9398 No, the name was and is ''Opera Windows''.
just kidding : )
That's a fact.
@@erisgh0sted961- that’s a fact, Jack!
I had one these about 5 yrs ago sure do miss it love the ride and so did my wife just floated down the road just loved it.
I had a 97, I miss it every day. It was the perfect car, it had everything I wanted in a car and nothing more.
Just recently purchased a 93 Town car with 136k miles for $800. Factory air suspension is still functioning and it rides beautifully! This is really the only generation of town car I like, definitely looks/feels much different from the Crown Vic
Holy what a steal!
How in the world did you find such a deal???
I bought one today for 800 and it has 120k miles @hakeemsd70m
Loved the ride and plush seats on these. Could relax through an interstate road trip where the road is the destination.
Good times.
One of the last great land yachts. You can cruise all day in one of these. Adjustable steering is interesting for a 90s car. It's surprising how dated the window switches look contrasted with the digital dashboard. Fun fact, the grille hinges in like a trash can door to absorb impacts. This one looks to be sitting a little high, probably from the conversion springs. There's a lifted Grand Marquis near me on stock wheels and it looks interesting.
It's a shame American luxury has tried chasing Europeans where every car must be tight and sporty to be considered luxury. SUVs may have replaced land yachts but that's no reason to have tight hard seats. If I was in the market for a luxury car I'd try to find a well-kept Town Car or Fleetwood because luxury to me means comfort.
I wear a watch to work because it's really convenient having the time with me at a glance. It doesn't even have a battery. Maybe it's the car guy in me but I love all the little mechanical bits precisely assembled ticking away inside. If you want a nice starter mechanical watch in case you have to dress up, look at Orient.
There really isn't anything to replace a Town Car on the market these days. If you need the cargo space the Panthers offered, you have to go with a full size SUV now, and a high end one if you want to match the ride quality. If you don't need the cargo space, the 2017-2020 Continental isn't bad. It's stiffer than the panthers, but comfortable enough to drive long distances. (the Taurus of the same years is pretty much the same car). I've also enjoyed the (Hyundai) Genesis lineup. (They made Genesis it's own make several years ago, not branded as hyundai) Had a month long rental on a G70, and it was comparable to the Continental.
My mechanical daily watch is a citizen from the 70's that i got from my dad. It was strapless and unused for maybe 35 years....wound it up, put a strap and bam! I smile eveytime i use it!
Those air suspensions were not expensive nor "faulty". They're actually incredibly simple and easy to maintain. You can replace essentially the entire system for probably $400. But if you just replaced the dryer in them every 3 or so It would probably double the lifespan of the air ride.
400$ is INSANELY expensive compared to the simple struts that are 80 bucks for an entire system. Nice try
@@bldontmatter5319 compared to gm's magna ride thats not bad
@@bldontmatter5319The air ride actually lasts far longer. Like 200k miles when properly maintained.
@@bldontmatter5319 It is indeed very cheap for the air suspension. If it was a Mercedes it would cost at least a couple of grand to repair it.
I purchased one of these back in 2013 for $500 with a bad intake manifold with a little over 200k on the clock. I daily drove that car for 5 years, when I was done with it, it had 350k, and I gave it to my dad 5 years ago now it's at 373k but I had to get another Panther, and now I daily a 2008 Crown Vic PI. I like the stance of this Town Car, its really nice, mine used to sag a little in the rear even though it had coil springs
I love these old land boats
so do I mainly 70's for me but the panthers and caprices not the 2010's one the old one were something special
@@Richard-Allen The panther platform reaches back pretty far.
I have a 97 TC with 182k on it. It's going to be a weekend cruiser. I've always wanted a 95-97 model and they are getting harder to find in any condition but certainly one in nice shape. This one was a two owner car that was right here in my town. Runs great and everything still works so far. Bought it a few months ago and haven't driven it much because of snow. Looking forward to cruising with it this summer.
I have a 1996 town car but needs a few repairs since I has it sitting for a while. I love it and can’t wait to get it back on the road!
i have a 92 and never getting rid of it
That watch to car comparison at the end is why I subbed👍
Watching this sitting in my 07 town car
I love those cars!!! Some of Ford's best work. Other than the Model A, of course.
I wish big ol sedans would make a comeback in north america
My dad had one of these in silver, it was the car I associated with him.
Love the “aero”Panthers
so do I
I have a few TC . They rock. The 96 drives nicer than the 09 lmao😂
I had an acquaintance once whose rule for car ownership was nothing under 18 feet 2 inches. Which coincidentally is how long a 90s Town Car is. He put OEM '97 Mustang GT 17s and performance tires on his (to my knowledge) otherwise stock TC and took it autocrossing. It may have had upgraded suspension components. I rode with him once or twice on the track. I miss that car and his '71 Grand Ville convertible which I regret never riding in. Good times.
I had a 97 signature I bought in 2020 with 47k mi on it. Car was my favorite of all time, always wanted one and was not disappointed. Loved that car every day that I had it!
i love my 97 town car it's got its problems but it rides like nothing else.it's completely stock and only has 66.039 miles
that digital cluster is stunning
Uggg, another Town Car like the Grand Marquis with their distinctive air ride systems removed in favor of steel springs. I wish people would just repair and keep these systems. Every time I look to buy one, the whole air ride system has been chopped out. I tried to convince a friend to repair the air ride in his cherry Grand Marquis; even telling him it was unique as the Camry and Accord don't have it. Nope, chopped up and steel springs installed.
Because it cost money to fix it and converting it to springs is a lot cheaper it's the same situation with the Mercedes ABC system
Some people don't like how the car handles with air suspension. Sure its smoother but its constantly wallowing out and understeery
My favorite style Town car
The air suspension is only expensive to maintain if you stick with OEM. I have had $60 aftermarket air bags for 2 years now on mine with no problems.
My grandpa had one of these, traded it for an 06, and I thought it was a downgrade.
I like these cars more!! Amazing job Zack.
I would absolutely love to get my hands on an old panther body. I absolutely love panther bodies. I'd love to get an old Grand Marquis or this Era of Lincoln Town car. I love that fat chunky bench seat in these, the fact that there is no center console just makes you feel at home in one of these. I'm not getting one of these no time soon becuase gas mileage sucks and for now I need vehicles that are more fuel economical and practical.
Sorry my man, without the air springs the ride just doesn't compare. I've had two of the same model year, 2005 Town car one with the original air springs and one that had been swapped to coils. the difference is night and day. I'm about 7 Panthers in now and my 95 Town car was still the best car I ever had. Miss it, but she started falling apart after 450,000 miles of midwest winters. The last gen TC is a really nice car, but the 95 rode like a dream.
As an afterthought, on the old TC not being "politically correct," or it feeling bare bones or such, I'd chime in that first, it might seem like a big, gas guzzling, dumb car, but when you total one out and need three trips in the rental SUV to fit the same amount of cargo the Panther carried all without rising above window height and while getting 25+MPG, you might rethink just how bad it is. The only things made today that can compete for cargo or passenger space are full size SUVs with some of the high end ones maybe competing on ride quality.
As for feeling bare or outdated. Maybe, in 2023. For those of us driving 90's Town Cars in the mid 2000's, they had every feature a brand new car could offer and some the new ones didn't. 8 way power seats, one touch windows, the little info section with MPG and distance to empty readings, and maybe my favorite that I wonder why isn't a standard feature on all cars some 30 years later now: the automatic headlights. Even little things like not having a radio antenna sticking out and having a soft close trunk make the town cars stand out even today. You can easily stick a modern stereo in them ( well kinda, the double din isn't actually deep enough for a full head unit, but most of the touch screen ones today will fit). The only thing really missing compared to modern cars are the 'you're a bad driver' features like lane keeping and blind spot monitors.
Golden age of American cars
These are a handsome timeless design even still when I see one they look phenomenal and stately. I had a 93 with dark red interior had to pay parking garage double to park it because it was so long...at 110mph it felt like it was lifting off the ground entirely. My 07 Grand Marquis was also a very reliable car if not as interesting.
Excellent video! You have a great deal of enthusiasm. I enjoyed the video very much.
That color is a 1990s color. It would be unimaginable to buy a car these years in that turquoise 🤣
love your feed man.
As the 8th gen b body cars rivaled these 2nd gen panthers it is interesting seeing the comparisons
Those second gen Town Cars were beautiful.
I love the towncar but prefer the more curvy looks of the 2001 gen. This car is definitely an awesome grocery getter!
I'm curios about people's mpg numbers from other drivers. I drove a few vics, the marquis, and the aero town car, and the best mileage I ever got was 21 highway.
I get around 18-20 highway 04 LTC
I have 97 TC that has 21mpg avg hwy, 16mpg avg city.
So 21 is pretty standard.
I had a surprisingly good 28 mpg average on the highway today in my 2011 Crown Vic LX. Never did that well before, 26 was about tops.
Great Parchment interior!
I want one of these so bad. I'm buying one this year for sure! And tbh any year is cool! If I find one with good miles I'm on it!
You would THINK....that if we wanted to reduce the number of cars driving out there, they'd keep the center middle front row seats on more cats to accommodate an extra person.
My favorite car 1997 Town Car, Also have an 89 . Both less than 90k on the odometer
Please review a first-gen Town Car (1981-1989). I have had 3 TCs in my relatively short lifetime - an ‘85 (my first classic car love), a ‘97 (same gen as in this video, facelift and all), and an ‘87 (hot-rodded this bastard to hell and back) - and I can say with absolute confidence that the first generation Townies pack the most fun!
Steering stiffness is automatically adjusted. At least in accord and above + Acura since at least 2010.
Modern cars do this, you just don't get to control it.
No longer do we think of not wanting to own one of these vehicles because they are considered such 'grandpa' cars; really not the case anymore. These types of cars are so robust, plush, solid, legit comfortable, reliable, spacious, well equipped and reasonably affordable with heap tons of parts still available to maintain them on the road. One with its service records up to date are really worth getting into one.
To me the only ones that look like a grandpa cars are the grand marquis out of all the panthers.
You need to drive one with air suspension. It's not expensive at all and easy to fix. They ride like butter.
I would love to get a big boat vehicle from the 70s or 90s and put a modern V8 engine and transmission inside.
Amazing how modern NA 4 cylinders have as much HP as the near 5.0L V8’s of yore
But nowhere near as smooth and quiet and robust
Amazing how unreliable NA 4 cylinders can be. Amazing how they can't tow a grocery cart. Amazing how a 4.6 V8 will outlive them all. Amazing how stupidly uncomfortable they also are.
Yeah and you gotta ring them out just to make it get out of its own way.. Also even 6s arent as smooth and reliable as v8s..
I'm not that amazed. Sure, you can match this engine's peak hp with around a 2.5 to 2.7 four-pot, but it'll have as many cams and valves as this thing, still a whole lot less torque, and it'll still cost more (!).
@@ImmortanDan NA 4 cylinders were putting out this horsepower two decades ago, the money you would save in gas and repairs / maintenance to a comparable V8, NA 4 would pay for itself many times over
Also I love the Air BNB joke.
This is the definition of American car! Comfort is wrapped in safety measure by size!
I borrowed my uncle's 1990. It was a tank.
we could only be so lucky for the memory of man's striving to be represented to the ages by the lincoln town car.
Looking for a retirement travel car. THis is on my list, Along with a late 90's Buick Park Avenue
Awesome
The steering and strength of that generation far surpassed the current generation I prefer the traditional steering suspension they were made where it drove like a truck it was far more resistant to bumps and pot holes. And it was in my opinion far more comfortable then the my 2010 Lincoln Town Car Executive L.
These cars are wonderful, but I would never have one without wide white tires.
I like Town Cars.
11.6 mpg!
That’s a nice interior for a town car it’s like a brown Carmel
Nice one
Fantastico !
The good ol’ days
Any help I got a 1996 one recently and it was raining when I woke up my odometer went from mph to km how do I change it ?
Got it figured out 🤦🏽♂️I feel so stupid
Digital gauge cluster in 1996… that’s insane
And amazingly, it's still working!
there were digital gauge clusters since the mid-80's. mostly in Japan, some in Europe and a few in the US. C4 corvette had it since '84.
Literally the last good cars Ford made.
Back again.. Zack with the odd balls again...lol keep it up though, I love the different and weird
Please oh please get a Casio G-Shock! So much better than the one you got now.
Why has the world done away with cars like these I love them , big comfy , why do you need to feel the road on your way home from work or need urgent handling when you are doing the school run or the food shopping ? you don't ,its comfortable and forgiving like if you are for instance trying to pick something up off the passenger floor I know in my town car it's not gonna suddenly fly off the road when I accidentally jerk the wheel .
do a 98-02 if you can
I would much rather have a 302 than a 4.6. Just like the simplicity of an ohv engine.
And when they dig it up they’ll throw a new battery in it and it’ll fire right up and run another 500,000 miles! 😂
I, for one, adore the digital gauges. These panthers feel SO much more modern than the first gen.I've owned an '88, a '91, and a '94 hearse version of the Town Car. The second gen were excellent and reliable, but slow enough to be dangerous pulling on to some uphill highway on-ramps. The hearse needed the partition moved back another six inches for leg room, but was one of the best vehicles I've ever owned. Totally regret selling it.
I want the next generations to have them too, but no sedan production in the USA is happening.!
I would love to have this car 🙌🏽
And for $800 you can lol
I disagree that the air suspension is very complicated and expensive to fix. It is not. Been there before.
It’s easy trust I done mine
@@bernardmyers9722 That’s what I said.
Nice 🥰
Lol that watch is embrassing. Get a Seiko man.
Have both. Not going to risk damaging a Seiko going fishing or working at a restaurant. A $14 Timex has no such worries.
Just won one in a raffle already decked out
Look at that ground clearance more than any modern sedan and more than lost of crossovers. That's my biggest problem with modern cars. Just so ridiculously low. No wonder people go for crososvers.
Air suspension on these aren't expensive nor are they faulty
❤
I have a 1988 Lincoln town car
Is that an airbag or a science experiment? Yuck!
15 MPG
4.6 not 4.9
Not the real luxury car, more like a posh taxicab. Aging platform, cheap plastic, noisy inside, etc.
Delusional.
You do realize this is the traditional American luxury car Big 5,000 lb floaty boat thing only recently have they try to copy the Germans and do it worse
At the time this was built it was a luxury car. Wide and thickly padded leather seats, soft suspension, electronic gadgets, and a torquey V8 was American luxury. These are highway cruisers and are actually pretty quiet inside. Euro luxury was sporty but American luxury was comfortable.
@@TwoDollarGararge if this is "traditional" luxury car, I feel sorry for US traditions lol.
@Jonathan A typical "patriotic" moron detected🤦♂️ I had a ride in a '98 TC limo, nowhere close to the W140 S - class or even Lexus speaking of noise insulation and road feel.
I have a 95 and a 96