1995 Taurus running thread

[TechnoLoGs]

If it runs well and drives well, is a 1995 Taurus a good car? 180k miles?

All it need sis a stupid turn signal lens on driver side. How hard are those to come by?

 

[NHGUY]

I am no fan of the gutless 3.0 OHV engine or Ford's FWD transaxles,but this car would be way better than the later "oval" generation of Taurus/Sable that comes with pre-caved-in bodysides.However body parts for the early Taurus cars are getting scarce.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: TechnoLoGs
All it need sis a stupid turn signal lens on driver side. How hard are those to come by?

If you believe someone is selling an otherwise perfectly running car because it only needs a turn signal lens, you're being naive.

 

[SuperDave456]

Does it have a Solenoid pack or a distributor and distributor shaft?

My family has had 5 of the older Taurus's over the years. My daily driver is a 2002 Taurus, with the gutless 3.0 SOHC Vulcan engine. Those engines aren't powerful, but they run forever.

The Vulcans with distributors that made it to around 150,000 miles started having timing issues due to lubrication issues in the actual shaft of the distributor. The issue starts to show up around 75,000 miles, but really comes to light by 150,000 miles.
The fix was to replace it with a more updated design, it's a known issue, and is a serious undertaking to replace.

Go over that car with a fine tooth comb if you choose to have it. It could be good, or it could be bad.
Like many cars, it all depends on the previous owner.

I'd personally worry about it surviving so many Pa winters and having more rust than steel left in it.

 

[Hermann]

Tauri of that era have A/C problems, heater cores are weak if coolant has not been serviced, tranny problems, and by now I am sure the front end pieces are well worn by now.

If you want a Taurus get a 2000 or later. They are better. My mom's 2000 has had very few issues. But it has truly been driven by a little old lady, she is 90 (no longer driving)

 

[Whimsey]

I had a 1991 Taurus with the Vulcan 6 which I purchased new. It was cared for with a tranny fill at 30,000 miles. The original tranny gave up at 47,000 miles. It was replaced and lived until the car was sold at around 100,000 miles by my sister. The tranny's were noted for early failures. They had an extended warranty for them.

The engine was not powerful but ran good and I good surprisingly good mpg, especially on the the highway. However later in it's life it started pinging real bad. By then my sister was driving it and did nothing about it. She finally sold the car.

Whimsey

 

[TechnoLoGs]

I am still on vacation so this is the ad, going to go swoop it up. Test drive, etc. Passing on that Audi. Probably will take this back to Philly.

http://newjersey.craigslist.org/cto/3833134145.html

IF I can get to Willowbrook mall.

 

[GreeCguy]

One of my daily rides is a 1993 Ford Taurus. I love that car. The motor is the 3.0 V-6 which has served me faithfully as a first ride for all three of my children. They have beaten and abused it to no end and it keeps on ticking. The tranny has given me troubles but I have added the "unholy mixture" of different adds including Lucas tranny fix, seafoam tranny fix and two bottles of Lubegard. I am convinced the Seafoam did the trick as it now shifts perfectly.

The transmission is the weak link on these cars and they run around two grand for a rebuild. The "beginning of the end" indicator on these trannies is when they begin to "leap" into gear. In other words, you start the motor, shift from park to reverse or drive and it feels like it "jumps" into gear. If you take this car for a test drive, watch for this and for it slipping between 3rd and 4th gear.

The Taurus is a good car and they're easy to work on. Check out "TCCA" (Taurus Car Club of America) for tons of good advice. Good luck and keep us posted.

 

[surfstar]

That quart of Redline 0w30 will fix it right up.


WTH happened to the S___-10 ?

Or are you going to buy 3 cars, then return the 2 you don't like? [hmm, new business idea. target customer also rents tires]

 

[GreeCguy]

Originally Posted By: Whimsey
However later in it's life it started pinging real bad. By then my sister was driving it and did nothing about it. She finally sold the car.

Whimsey


Mine is doing the same thing now, especially under hard acceleration. Did you ever figure out what made yours ping?

 

[bdcardinal]

I think a Volvo would be a much better choice.

 

[DrDusty86]

My ranger did that for 390/413k miles it was drive. a 3.0 OHV. I never ever even thought twice about it. I just turned up the radio.

 

[SatinSilver]

Walmart is selling Schwinn bicycles now. Maybe get one of those.

 

[Art_Vandelay]

Just get a Mercury Marquis (any Panther for that matter) instead. That's a solid car. You'll love it and you'll never regret it.

 

[Audios]

the area around willowbrook mall floods often

 

[Merkava_4]

Get a Buick LeSabre. Fantastic cars.

 

[bvance554]

Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Originally Posted By: TechnoLoGs
All it need sis a stupid turn signal lens on driver side. How hard are those to come by?

If you believe someone is selling an otherwise perfectly running car because it only needs a turn signal lens, you're being naive.


Uhh... What? It needs a turn signal. He didn't say they were selling it because it needed a turn signal OR that it ran perfectly. I wish i could ignore stupid comments like this but i can't.

 

[fdcg27]

Yeah, a Taurus 3.0 Vulcan is a solid car.
We still have a few left in the fleet at work and they hold up better than did the three CVPIs I bought ex OSP, at around 90K.
If the car seems to drive right and the slushbox seems to shift right, it's probably okay.
A '95 Taurus with 180K should be beater priced.
Like not too much more than a grand.

 

[yonyon]

It says North Jersey. Assume the front subframe is rusted to the point it may break while driving (causing steering issues) until a visual inspection proves otherwise.

Other than that, it has most of the same issues that the next generation Taurus had except that springs and ball joints last longer on the older generation.

Problems with this older Taurus that the later years didn't have: If you open the door and release it before exiting while parked on level ground, the door will patiently wait for you to put your leg out and then it will bite your leg. Also, the front engine mount tends to break and rip the radiator, but by now that must have been replaced. The EVAP purge hose is made of rubber that cannot tolerate fuel vapors. The fuel filter should be replaced every few years so that it doesn't rust through and leak pressurised fuel.

Also:
Keep in mind that in 95 had a mostly OBD2 computer, which is convenient, but because OBD2 wasn't mandated until 96 it isn't used for emissions testing. Do they have that sort of thing in PA?

 

[itguy08]

Originally Posted By: Audios
the area around willowbrook mall floods often


That's an understatement. I don't know how those people live behind the mall. Seems like every time there is a heavy rain they would flood. It's been that way for many, many years.

That being said, Mom had a 95 Sable. Yes, it was gutless but it gave her few problems. At 100k the tranny needed rebuilt but I don't think they ever changed the fluid. In 2008 the rear brake lines burst and they got rid of it.