1997 Lincoln Mark Series

Coupe Coupe

8 Cylinder 4.6 Liter

Automatic

1LNLM91V0VY614616

Clear

Gasoline

Power Windows

"We bought this Lincoln on E Bay..." in 2009 and drove it home to TX from Staten Island, NY. The car has always been dependable and an excellent daily driver around Austin, TX. Despite our 100 degree+ summers, the car never has overheated or had AC problems. It shifts perfectly and the engine is so quiet you sometimes forget it is already started. "Although we'd always heard..." that the 4.6 liter 32 valve 'InTech' V8 was very good on gas, we had no idea that on our first real experiences driving it out on the open road it would be hitting just under 28 MPG. This is a little better than my Infiniti I30 with a considerably smaller V6. You have to remember, this car is a '97 with older technology that does NOT include features such as 'Engine Cylinder Cut off' like several other Chrysler, Honda, and other makers who are desperate to keep their cars as economical as possible. Honestly, I do not see how it can do it considering the size of the car and the power of the engine, which is quite impressive. "The Good News:" It all works. The On Board computer, Compass, Twin Trip Odometers, Instant and Static Gas Mileage System, Cruise, Power Tilt Wheel, Twin Power Seats, HID Headlamp System, the very impressive rear neon (yes NEON) lighting system and brake lights. Additionally, the Traction Control, Air Suspension and Factory Alarm, Moon Roof tilt/slide all work as well. We traded out the factory cassette player for a factory CD player we bought here on E Bay. The 6 Speaker Concert Sound System works great and sounds awesome. There are two new keys and two new key fobs that are NEW and '97 - '98 Mark VIII specific and about 4X the cost of other FOBS and Keys for Lincoln and Ford models - almost $500, unbelievably. Also notable, the tires are less than a year old and have a lot of life left. They are an upgraded size instead of the ultra low-profile tires that were standard issue so they are not as rough riding as original equipment. We replaced the battery and terminals less than a month ago. "In Other News...:" The Rear Air Suspension or connections are starting to leak over night and have to pump up when you first start the car every other day or so. The front Air Shocks are less than a year old and are fine. Also, the under-hood compressor for the suspension was replaced about 6 months ago. The paint at a distance is pretty good, but upon closer inspection you can tell there are some spots that are mismatched a little (common with Pearlescent Paint repairs) from earlier paint/bodywork done prior to our purchase of the car. There are no other obvious bodywork or sheet-metal or panel problems. The leather is mostly very good with the exception of the driver's seat which although intact is starting to wear thin. The headliner has some staining. Obviously this car has been in an accident but it does not have a salvage title and it seems to drive straight and true.To Summarize...:This car gets lots of nods and looks. It's pretty advanced looking for it's age, and the last of the Mark Luxury Two Doors as sadly, Large Coupes have fallen from favor in the last decade. I would not think twice about driving the car back across the country again. As a matter of fact, we recently took a trip from Austin to Hot Springs AR, and filled up the tank a total of like 4 or 5 times including all of the running around and sight-seeing. As much as I disdain math, the numbers speak volumes. We used around 75 gallons of gas, we drove a total of about 1600 miles total. That ends up being around and just over 21 MPG. Bare in mind, I have a light foot and that was likely 80% highway miles. But still.... Not too shabby. But like 'They' say: Your mileage will vary. Let me also say that we have never used anything but Castrol Syntec Full Synthetic Oil in this and all of our cars, which I think is the REAL secret to keeping an engine young and fit. It's proven over and over to me that it's well worth the extra cost at oil-change time. "Additionally..." ...let me also say that also this car is NOT perfect, it's very VERY good. We try very hard not to pretend it is more than what it is and try hard to present it from both angles very fairly. When I sell a car or ANYTHING I try to represent it to people who are reading these words the way I would like it represented to me. Also, we are not greedy and we have studied extensively the cars out there that are similar, and we feel this one is priced very fairly on both ends - high and low. I am a car enthusiast. I am not a car salesman, but that's probably better, don't you think?!The car is for sale locally and the auction is subject to ending early. Buyer is responsible for shipping although I will help connect the buyer to shippers and try to be present in these cases. PLEASE...: Do NOT bid if you are not FULLY prepared to purchase. This is just a bad behavior that I have run into a couple of times in the past few years and I simply will not tolerate it. This is Important to Me: Please Give to the Susan G Komen Breast Cancer Foundation and 'Race for the Cure'. (Or your favorite Charity). The Susan G Komen Foundation is a non-profit originating in the DFW area that works tirelessly to give hope the breast cancer victims and their families. My auctions always include a 10% donation to the North Texas Chapter of the Susan G Komen for the Cure Foundation in honor of my brother's late wife and my dear friend, Lori... mother of two and an exceptional person - who was taken from us after a sudden and particularly aggressive form of breast cancer a few years ago. I encourage all EBay sellers to give to their favorite or heart-felt causes.