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Lincoln Town Car

1804 messages,  Last post on Aug 23, 2012 at 8:48 PM

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What is this discussion about? Lincoln Town Car, Heating / Cooling, Sedan

Messages Page 62 of 182

#602 of 1804 jerry by audia8q

Jun 17, 2002 (2:36 pm)

The older generation of buyers just don't seem to want anything but a true six passenger seating arrangement.
 
All the time I have been with Lincoln I have never had anyone even ask for a floor shifter version. except a couple on edmunds...
remember the T/C is primarily built because of fleet not because of retail buyers... This is why fleet/livery dictate so much of the cars build. Almost every change for 2003 was in response to livery and fleet buyers requests.

#603 of 1804 by rea98d

Jun 17, 2002 (7:07 pm)

Fleet buyers must really like hood ornaments!
 
Really, unless you have a manual transmission and need to have the floor shifter there, I don't see a point to a floor shifter. I've owned both kinds, and prefer to have it on the steering column. Floor shifters and bucket seats just serve to isolate you from pretty female passengers...Um, oops. I didn't say that, you just thought I did. To me, it's like ground effects or a 3 foot tall spoiler. Something designed to make the car "look" fast, but has zero impact on performance. Maybe confuse a few non-car types into thinking you have a manual when you don't. Having the shifter on the column just seems more out of the way than sticking up from the floorboard.

#604 of 1804 responce by jerrym3

Jun 18, 2002 (5:42 am)

audia8q: my post was the next generation of TC buyers, not the present one. (Remember, us gearheads are getting older.)
 
kinley: I don't think the LS fits the niche. There's a lot of buyers out there that don't want a sports sedan but still want to drive something a little bit different from the regular model. Case in point: CV LX Sport/GM LSE/Marauder (cars that are "sportier" than the base models) and the key foreign manufacturers (BMW, Lexus, Jaguar, Infiniti, Acura) offering sports sedans and luxury sedans that can still perform.
 
rea98d: you're absolutely correct; nobody needs buckets.
 
But then, who needs cars that can exceed 120 mph and take a 20 mph curve at 50, or SUV's to carry one/two occupants 95% of the time?
 
If you think about it, most of your time spent with your car is IN the car. An interior that suits your needs reinforces your purchase.
 
I couldn't even imagine my 94 Thunderbird with bench seats; in fact, it was the new dash that came out in 94 that pushed me over the edge. I still think that the mid 90's TBirds have one of the nicest dashes ever made. Instrument area blends into the console in one fluid design, and the console instruments are slightly canted towards the driver.
 
Very well done.

#605 of 1804 Interesting thing happened... by jerrym3

Jun 18, 2002 (6:21 am)

... at a restaurant last Saturday.
 
Four couples (myself and three brothers-in-law with wives) went to dinner at a fairly high class restaurant.
 
We all drove separately (02 Explorer, 98 Explorer, 02 Lexus LS, and my 89 TownCar-just washed that day, white/black Signature).
 
When I gave the keys to the parking attendant, he said I wouldn't need a ticket, just ask for the white Lincoln.
 
During dinner, I asked if anybody else got a parking receipt. They all did!
 
Sure enough, when we left, they all had to present receipts, while I just said (like the old commercial), "the white Lincoln TownCar, please".
 
Amongst all the newer domestic and foreign cars, they all remembered the white Lincoln.
 
There is a point where driving a clean, older car in excellent shape gets the same, or more, attention than newer models.
 
(Naturally, I had to needle by brother-in-law with the brand new Lexus for spending over 50K on such a "common" vehicle.)

#606 of 1804 jerry by audia8q

Jun 18, 2002 (8:52 am)

I'm not surprised...your 89 T/C has some styling to it....the big Lexus is rather generic and lacks any personality.
When we get the mid to late 80's T/C in trade there is always people in line to buy. We took in a 89 with 75K last night and the engine had not even cooled down before it got re-sold.

#607 of 1804 Our '80 Lincoln Continental with Towncar Option by kinley

Jun 18, 2002 (2:34 pm)

had the 351 engine & that was the last year for that. '81 through '90 have the little 302 and those are sad in comparison to the 351 or the OHC 4.6 from '91 until now. It's too bad the Mark VIII engine could never have been an option on the TC.

#608 of 1804 Jerry... by rea98d

Jun 18, 2002 (3:41 pm)

I know the T-Bird interior you're talking about, I have a '95 Thunderbird. But I also have a '78 Grand Marquis with the "split bench" seats and shifter on the steering column, and I must say I like that arrangement much better. I've just never understood why a floor shifter is considered a requirement on "sporty" cars. Column shifter is one of the biggest complaints about 94 & 95 Impalla SS's. "It's supposed to be a performance car, why does it have the shifter on the steering column?" I've never understood that argument, as the car will not go any faster with a auto trans with the shifter on the floor, than one with the same transmission and the shifter on the column. Bucket seats as a "performance" option I can understand, however, because bucket seats are supposed to help keep you butt planted better during hard cornering. If it's personal preference to have the shifter in the floor, I can't argue with that. But to put it there only because it's supposed to be a "performance" car.....Somewhere, my sense of logic fails to make that leap.

#609 of 1804 buckets/console/floor shift by jerrym3

Jun 19, 2002 (6:24 am)

Let's call it "personal preference".
 
My 58 TBird probably has the first factory bucket seat/console setup/shift on the column) in a four seat passenger car. (I believe the 58 Bonneville came with buckets, but no console).
 
Maybe it's a male "marking your space" territorial thing (this side of the console belongs to ME; that side is yours).
 
I converted my 64 Galaxie 500 convert to a 500XL with buckets/console. I've also owned the following bucket seat cars: 65 vette, 66 Cyclone, 68 Cyclone GT; 85 Turbocoupe; and (present) 94 TBird.
 
Of course, when you're young, the last thing you want is a car with bucket seats, so many's the time that friends of mine got to use my 65 Vette on Saturday nights while I used their non bucket seat cars.
 
Floor shifts were "out" on Saturday nights as well (first, second, third, and excuse me.)
 
Mostly an appearance thing, because, as we all know, buckets/console do not transform a car into a performance car.
 
Got the 2003 TC catalog yesterday. Car looks better and better each time I see it, and that "silver birch" color is a winner.
 
Now, if it only had buckets..........

#610 of 1804 price by phkck

Jun 25, 2002 (8:43 pm)

The 2002's had $7,000 off and more locally. When do you expect the 2003's to have big incentives. Jan, next summer? (I think car is a great value at $7,000 off!)

#611 of 1804 phkck: Dealers around Portland, OR were advertising by kinley

Jun 25, 2002 (9:35 pm)

brand new 2002 Executives for $29,995. After seeing the 2003 I'm waiting for them to go on sale next Spring for less than 30 grand as well.
The 2003 Executive has everything and more than what's on our 94 Signature. Are you going to trade your 02 Excursion for the Towncar?

Messages Page 62 of 182

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