1989 MERCURY COUGAR

It was a great trade-in until last night.

Not the most fabulous looking car, but 150K is low milage considering the age of the car. I have never been a fan of the Mercury's, but If that's your style, and the price is right maybe look a bit deeper into the car, test drive with careful listen/feel/look/inspect.

That is a relative question! Compared to what? Not a great car, just a car and depending upon it's history it could be OK or a real piece of junk!

I have a friend with an 87 Thunderbird (same car) with about the same mileage. If it is the same car, it will be a rear wheel drive 3.8L fuel injected car. That car is bullet proof, believe me I have tried to shoot it. I have replaced his ignition switch, and cleaned his wiring harness plugs a few times. Other than that, just basic tune ups and maintenance.

He bought a well maintained car. Any car can be a lemon if not taken car of. Even if taken care of, you could still have a problem. So in conclusion, every car is a good car, and every car is a piece of junk.

Hope that helps..

It's getting close to the design life (mileage) of its major systems. Unless the previous owner can show fairly recent repair of at least some of those systems, you need to accept the fact that you will bear the expense. This is not all bad if you adjust the price appropriately or can do the repairs yourself. Any car can be repaired to safe, reliable condition. The question is what you are willing to deal with.

Ummm. It's a 20 yr old car.... These questions may have been a little more relevant 10~15 yrs ago. Best thing you can do is research the internet.

There are two engines that are common for that vehicle that i remember. The 5.0 V8, and the 3.8 V6. By that mileage both should have had a timing chain replacement already. You should have a mechanic check for that because a failure of this component can lead to a very expensive engine repair.

The ignition system used in this time period was their thick film module. Not great, not bad, but replacement was not expensive nor difficult. Most American cars of this period would occasionally eat a module.

The transmission on the car could have been rebuilt twice by now, or it could still be original. Check the trans fluid for bright red color. The brighter it is, the longer the transmission is likely to last. If the fluid is dark, try to put a $20 bill a week away so you will have a cushion for the inevitable.

Beyond that that series of cars did very well for Ford. It is the same chassis as the Mustang, T-Bird, LTD, Marquis, older Fairmonts and Zephers. What you may face is the power windows and seat motors quitting, and wear to the upholstery.

There was not any real bad components that failed often in the front suspension of these cars.

If you like it, and it drives well, buy it and enjoy it. Because there is a large number of Mustang owners that are still repairing these cars, parts remain plentiful. Good luck.

NO

YES

If you are not mechanically inclined, find an experienced mechanic, one with plenty of grey hair, and pay him a good fee to inspect the car and tell you all the problems he finds. Even if the car has been well cared for, its age will give you many problems: rubber tubes and hoses age and crack, seals leak, electrical connections corrode, etc. Also ask the mechanic to carefully inspect the car for rust, a big problem for cars of this age especially if you live in an area with snow and salt in the winter.

You may find it difficult to find replacement parts because there are few cars of this age still running and the high price of scrap steel in the last five years encouraged many "junk yards" to crush 20 year old cars and sell them for scrap.

Lastly, even if the mechanic thinks the car is in good mechanical condition, it will be expensive to operate. The engine technology is obsolete and auto companies were not interested in fuel economy in the late 1980s.

Look upon this car as an expensive hobby not a means of reliable and fuel efficient transportation.

Dennis Waller

Dude, it is a 20 year old car. How do you expect anyone to be able to answer a question like that without having access to the car? Take it to a mechanic that you trust (not the one that works for the people selling the car) and ask him/her.

Thank you to everyone who helped me out! I Bought the 1989 mercury cougar! It's in excellent shape. I got a excellent price on it to. Thank you for your help again. Summerrory.