1988 Ford Crown Victoria

5.0-Liter V8

Automatic

2FABP79F8JX127155

This 1988 Ford Country Squire with the top-line LX trim is the perfect car for hauling around family, pleasure rides, and the trip to IKEA. Remember sitting in the third-row fold-out seats as a kid? The Country Squire has them, and people will ask you on the street whether their kids could sit in the fold-out seats for a minute. This is the last of the big Ford station wagons. A 150-horsepower, 5-liter V8 engine will get you serious acceleration and a feeling unmatched by the small engines of newer cars. The air conditioning is going strong and will keep you cool during humid Chicago summers. This beauty had but two owners who cherished and cared for her. The spacious engine compartment makes it easy to work on the car should something need fixing. The engine is equipped with computer-controlled electronic fuel injection, giving you great fuel efficiency for a car this size and age, and the computer has the OBD interface to read out electronic trouble codes to make repairs easy. There’s but one catch: The transmission needs some work. (See detailed description below for more info.) My suspicion is that the torque converter is partially stuck. If so, Auto Zone offers a replacement torque converter for $99, giving you a perfect family car for very little money. Equipment and condition Engine 5-liter V8 engine with electronic fuel injection. Going strong. The car is exempt from Illinois emissions testing because of her age, but passed without trouble when she still had to be tested. I never observed any trace of oil in the coolant or of coolant in the oil. Fuel-efficient, too, for a car that size. In suburban traffic I get about 18 mpg. Transmission Hydraulic 4-speed overdrive. There is some problem with the transmission. I strongly suspect that the torque converter is partially stuck, but I haven’t taken out the transmission to check. The car will have trouble starting in ‘Park’ and will go out in ‘Reverse’. It will, however, start in ‘Neutral’ and the car will drive in the ‘Overdrive’ and ‘Drive’ positions, although she has trouble maintaining correct idle speed when stopped. The transmission was replaced two and a half years ago. Body This car is equipped with Ford’s famous Magic Tailgate that can be opened to the side as a door or to the back, pickup-style. The body is in in Spinnaker Blue (almost a light grey)with wood paneling. It has some rust, as one would expect for a Ford this age. There is a small dent in the passenger side rear door and one on the roof. The car is also equipped with a roof rack. Wheels and Tires Beautiful aluminum wheels. The tires are Goodyear Assurance Triple Tread Comfort. These are about the most expensive and safest tires I could find for the car. New and with installation they come to about $500 just for the tires. There’s about 6 mm of tread left on the tires. A spare wheel with tire is included as well. HVAC The air conditioning has been converted to environmentally friendly and affordable R134a. Air conditioning and heat both work great. Equipment Seats for eight people. Rear seat folds down for a spacious cargo compartment matching many pickup trucks. Electric adjustment for driver’s seat. Adjustable steering wheel. Cruise control. Illuminated courtesy mirrors in the sun visors. Blue velvet interior. Power driver’s seat, Power windows, power locks, power steering, power brake. Aftermarket Extras Distance-warning parking aid in the rear. Tachometer. Voltmeter. Terms The car matches the description above at the time of sale. However, on account of the low price, my liability for the sale, under any theory, shall not exceed refund of the purchase price. Extras I will also throw in a Haynes repair manual, an engine diagnostic code reader, an assortment of spare light bulbs, paint matching the body color, fluids, and some other parts and that might come in handy. These parts are as a courtesy to the buyer with no warranty. I reserve the right to cancel the auction for a local buyer.