Mercury Sable .... Talk me into it, or out of it.

[Bamfster]

http://denver.craigslist.org/cto/2715341547.html

I went and looked at it. It starts but definitely has head gasket issues. No lower end noises that I could detect. It is a 1 owner car with 45K on it, owner has all records, service receipts, etc.

It turns out the guy selling it for his dad, is someone that is an acquaintance of mine through work .... so he is fairly trustworthy.

The engine is the 3.8 'essex' V6 w/auto trans. I know these had issues w/head gaskets, but what else?

I've found the common probs with this trans, but what else?

I'm pretty sure I can score it for $5-600, and worst case, fix and flip it .... or drive the wheels off of it ....

[BangShift McT]

They also had issues with anything else coolant related. Yours truly has two steam baths under his belt courtesy of that engine. If it's just a head gasket (and at 45K, sounds like it) then it might be worth the time to you. Me personally, I wouldn't.

[SpiderGearsMan]

cam sensor , junk trans and it is a ford

[pdub]

My mom had a Sable....so many years ago.....it was a real turd. Sorry Ford/Lincoln/Mercury, but that car was just wrong. There's your one mistake. Well, one of them. Everybody makes a few. But I guess that was just the time period, when Detroit was pumping out garbage with no regard for the consumer.

[Scott Liggett]

I'm wondering what one is worth without a blown head gasket. If you don't mind the time and effort of fixing it and trying to resell it for a extra buck, go ahead.

Selling a car now really depends on the economy in your area.

[ksj2]

Should have bought the Galaxie.LOL

[VTJUNK]

Common problems, heater cores, trans cooler lines rot out, transmissions go bad, the aforementioned head gaskets, oil pans leak, and cam sensors.

Guess it depends what you want to do with it. I don't think it's a good car to flip, they aren't worth much.

I bought a clean but high mileage '95 Taurus for $500 about 8 years ago that needed a trans, located a used one at a yard that happened to be a reman, bought that for $200, fixed the car and sold it to a relative who drove it for years until NY winters ate the body.

[Bamfster]

Should have bought the Galaxie.LOL

Coulda shoulda woulda .... but never got a call back from the owner. I think it was some sorta scam .... who knows?

[pdub]

Coulda shoulda woulda .... but never got a call back from the owner. I think it was some sorta scam .... who knows?

Better left alone, depending on how far you can push the car. In the dark. When it's cold outside.

[Paul Whalen]

The fact it has 45 k on it is a good thing. but 600 is too much. Also not much fun to work on..

[68 Valiant]

Offer the price of scrap metal which should be around $300.

[pdub]

Offer the price of scrap metal which should be around $300.

That's a generous estimate....

[Mater]

chances are the heads are junk. the head gaskets never just fail either the heads warp or crack and need to be machined or replaced

if the the trans is ok then maybe but nothing over $200 that way you can scrap it out and not be out any thing

[Mater]

That's a generous estimate....

i got $376 for the 95 cutlass it came in at 3500lbs even

[Dan Barlow]

Generally don't the trannies go out around 100,000 miles. And then right after the warranty in 90 days. Thats what mom's did. Also the many little coolant tubes rust out.seemed like there were 20 of them. Probably just 4 though. Motors pointed the wrong way....