What's a 2000+ Crown Victoria / Grand Marquis Worth Now?

[SwampSurvivor]

I've been shopping for a CV or GM to replace my Subaru as DD duty. I don't want to run too many miles up on the Leaseon and my two vehicles are pretty close to the end of their life.

Had to make a high speed emergency trip up to my parents yesterday and of course all I could smell in the truck was burning oil. 3rd gear synchro grinds now. Tires that aren't round, etc. Plus the 13 MPG isnt the greatest. Don't want to replace it, yet, so running that truck this winter isn't an option.

Looking at these cars. Always wanted one. Figured I'd buy one now. It seems that anything decent is $4000. That's more than I want to spend, but for a low rust panther platform car with around 100K miles it doesn't seem terrible. I know I'll be able to get a few years out of it.

I don't want air ride, digital dash or leather. I prefer the steering box setup, but I guess the rack and pinion is better. There is currently a decent one for sale, no rust 80K miles, 2001 for sale. But it's a Grand Marquis LS - so it has all that. And apparently the exploding intake manifold. But it's $4k. I found a 2007 with 117K with moderate rust, but it's a GS and checks all the boxes otherwise.

We've also determined that one won't fit on my car trailer, so will have to rent or borrow something flatter to get it home. Distance isn't really an option, because then I'm renting a truck and paying mileage.

 

[bullwinkle]

They're around, in the $3K-$5K range, but I would be looking south, like at least SC/GA, to avoid the rust issue. I got lucky on my '03, it had spent most of it's life in Nashville, TN, so it had ZERO rust when I bought it for $3100 and 113K, 6 years ago.

 

[bullwinkle]

Also, book value is low to non-existent, so you'll either need antique car insurance, or roll the dice with liability only (and, in my case, a HEALTHY amount of uninsured motorist property damage!).

 

[supton]

I'd go south.

Also, my reading on the subject was that the air ride woes were overblown: lots of people nickle and dime theses cars, and the air ride isn't that bad/hard to work on. The digital dash, I guess it's an o-ring that goes out on the HVAC, and again not that bad? but I get it, avoid the options if possible.

Did you figure out what era you want? I forget the generations, there's a bit of debate over best year, although you might not care too much.

As always, go south...

 

[Lubener]

As an owner of a GM, they are a dime a dozen. They are everywhere. Instead of asking here, use NADA, KBB, EDMUNDS, CARFAX etc. to get an actual value. Your question is too vague for anyone to give an accurate appraisal.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

I'd go south.

Also, my reading on the subject was that the air ride woes were overblown: lots of people nickle and dime theses cars, and the air ride isn't that bad/hard to work on. The digital dash, I guess it's an o-ring that goes out on the HVAC, and again not that bad? but I get it, avoid the options if possible.

Did you figure out what era you want? I forget the generations, there's a bit of debate over best year, although you might not care too much.

As always, go south...

I'd love to be able to go south but there is just not any time for that. I have friends throughout NC and SC who can find me clean ones all day every day.

Also, book value is low to non-existent, so you'll either need antique car insurance, or roll the dice with liability only (and, in my case, a HEALTHY amount of uninsured motorist property damage!).

Insurance would be the same as my other two twenty year old vehicles: liability (with good coverage) only. It's a twenty year old DD. If it gets hail damage, so be it. If it gets a dent in a parking lot, no biggie. My insurance company won't even offer liability or comp on any of them.

When I bought the Jeep 11 years ago I never put comprehensive or collision on it. I've now saved more than the purchase price of the vehicle.

 

[Tahoe4Life]

You might find a well maintained 1 driver take home CVPI or better yet a administrator CVPI. They are still some in service in my neck of the woods. Sometimes crownvic.net has some listed in their craigslist section. With that said I put 300K miles on a 2005 with no major issues.

 

[BigCahuna]

A 2000 model year car is 21 years old. How can that alone, not make it a less than $1,000 car?. If the trans or motor goes in it, you would spend more than it's worth to fix it. Not to mention all the nickel and dime things that WILL start going on it. A set of good tires is worth half its value. You can do alot better for $3500-$5 k.,,,

 

[SwampSurvivor]

I don't know if you've checked used car prices lately ...

 

[BigCahuna]

I don't know if you've checked used car prices lately ...

Yes I have. And I also have a calendar, and 21 years is still 21 years. That's a long time for metal and rubber parts to be exposed to the environment. You know anything that old is going to need alot of work, after you already paid a lot of money for it. Things like tire's, radiators, air conditioning, power windows, brake lines, electrical gremlins, are always showing up on old vehicles. How much are you willing to spend on a car that will be a give away in a short amount of time?.,,

 

[SwampSurvivor]

Yes I have. And I also have a calendar, and 21 years is still 21 years. That's a long time for metal and rubber parts to be exposed to the environment. You know anything that old is going to need alot of work, after you already paid a lot of money for it. Things like tire's, radiators, air conditioning, power windows, brake lines, electrical gremlins, are always showing up on old vehicles. How much are you willing to spend on a car that will be a give away in a short amount of time?.,,

Then I'll just keep driving my 21 year old pickup which is at risk of breaking in half?

I don't understand your logic. The market is not good, correct. But I'm also in a situation where I need a vehicle. $4000 for something with no rust is worth it to me.

 

[Nick1994]

Yes I have. And I also have a calendar, and 21 years is still 21 years. That's a long time for metal and rubber parts to be exposed to the environment. You know anything that old is going to need alot of work, after you already paid a lot of money for it. Things like tire's, radiators, air conditioning, power windows, brake lines, electrical gremlins, are always showing up on old vehicles. How much are you willing to spend on a car that will be a give away in a short amount of time?.,,

Just because a car is 21 years doesn't mean it's worthless. It all depends on the market. People are selling junk for $4k, it sells, unfortunately for us consumers it's worth that. My Camry is totaled, and I could probably sell it for $1,500+

 

[SwampSurvivor]

Just because a car is 21 years doesn't mean it's worthless. It all depends on the market. People are selling junk for $4k, it sells, unfortunately for us consumers it's worth that. My Camry is totaled, and I could probably sell it for $1,500+

My truck is rough and rusty, but it's in better shape than a lot of similar age trucks that are selling for $6000 right now.

 

[RAR]

Having one of these nearly done cosmetically (2010), and another I’m cobbling together as basic cheap transportation, they are durable. But they are breakable too. Take care of it and it will last.

Don’t discount the Grand Marquis.. it has a nicer ride and look than the Crown Vic that, even in its best civilian trim, still makes people assume you have “an old cop car”.

My own preference is for the 2006+ models simply for the rack and pinion, updated interior, and on later models, flex fuel (readily available here, but maybe not so much for you). They are easy to maintain, parts are relatively cheap, and no one is going to really bother it or try and steal it. But there are exceptions.

Agreed on look down South - I’m grinding off the surface rust on my 2010.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

Having one of these nearly done cosmetically (2010), and another I’m cobbling together as basic cheap transportation, they are durable. But they are breakable too. Take care of it and it will last.

Don’t discount the Grand Marquis.. it has a nicer ride and look than the Crown Vic that, even in its best civilian trim, still makes people assume you have “an old cop car”.

I'm focusing more on the Grand Marquis GS - I don't want air ride, digi dash or even leather. I know it's possible to swap the air ride for coils pretty easily, though.

As long as it holds up to 2 years of 20K mile service that's really all I need out of it. It *will* pull my small 4x8 trailer at some point. But that's not really heavy and doesn't have much load capacity.

The snow tires that I had on the Subaru (215/70-16) should fit. Snow tires and 80-100 pounds in the trunk and it will go just fine in the snow!

 

[Lubener]

You would investigate sales in Florida. From my visits there, I never seen more GM's and Town Cars all in one spot. A lot of retirees there who want that trunk space for their golf clubs...

 

[slacktide_bitog]

Get the least-rusty example you can afford

 

[SwampSurvivor]

Get the least-rusty example you can afford

There's a few no rust , under 100K miles right at $4000 locally.

 

[andyd]

Please put the car up on a lift and check out the brake lines. Look really close where the line is clipped to the frame or body. You really don't want to blow a brake line on your DD. Goes double for the F 350

 

[SwampSurvivor]

Please put the car up on a lift and check out the brake lines. Look really close where the line is clipped to the frame or body. You really don't want to blow a brake line on your DD. Goes double for the F 350

Luckily about a year before I got it, a brake line blew and it had "everything but the pedal" replaced. All new soft and hard lines as of 2016!