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Is a low mileage '95 3.8 a risky buy?

3K views 21 replies 11 participants last post by  Gator417 
#1 ·
Hi All,

So unfortunately my current '95 3.0 wagon's transmission has eaten dirt (confirmed by 3 different shops, at least 2 of which are definitely honest), and the replacement options are pretty pricy, ranging from gambling on a cheap but unknown condition junkyard tranny to a $2,500-$3k full rebuild or replacement with a remanufactured unit. I love the car, but I'm not sure if potentially wasting $1k on installing a bad tranny or dropping $3k into a 20 year old, 100k+ mi car is such a great idea.

Today I became aware of a seemingly well maintained '95 wagon near me for sale. it is listed for $1800, I could probably haggle down to $1500. It has very low miles, about 47,000. However, it has what seems to be the achilles heel of this gen, the 3.8 essex. From what I've read that means this engine is 10-30k miles away from a potential blowup. Also it will need any necessary maintenance for an under used car. I prefer the old body style and the amount of space it has, but if it's a bad idea I understand.

What do you all think?
-Gamble on a mystery transmission, potentially get bit?
-Drop a ton of cash on a good trans, but far outspend the value of the car?
-Buy the cheap low mile car that may be a ticking time bomb?
-Say screw this 20 year old car business and find something newer but more expensive upfront?

Thanks in advance, any advice is appreciated!
 
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#3 ·
The 3.8 might not be so bad, I think the main issue with it was head gasket leaks, and you can test for those easily (either bring it to your mechanic or buy a cheap testing kit). Can't comment on the asking price because I know it can vary a lot by state (or country, in my case).

With regards to just buying a newer more reliable car, I think it boils down to how much you'll depend on this car. If it's your only form of transportation and you don't have any other way to get to school/work/whatever I wouldn't invest in an old car, especially not an Essex.

My 93 has held up pretty well so far, but I am prepared to deal with a sudden major breakdown should it happen. So I feel comfortable driving a car that I love despite the inherent risks of it being an old car, because I know I won't be fired / expelled / etc if my AX4S suddenly quits on me.
 
#4 ·
Doesn't matter the generation, the Achilles heel of all of them is the trans. Plenty of folks put serious miles on 3.8's. The Essex is a solid motor, just unforgiving when it comes to overheats. Maintaining the cooling system at peak efficiency is the key. 30k or 2 year coolant flush/change with a quality 50/50 mix, Motorcraft thermostats and 5/50 on the water pump. That said, better the devil you know than the one you don't. If I lived in a no rust area I would be looking for a low mile replacement trans.
 
#5 ·
How many miles does your car have on it? If it is low and you can find a used trans that you trust, then that is a viable option. Spending 2500 on a rebuilt doesn't make a ton of sense based on the age of the car. However, if you find a person who likes to fix things like that, you might sell it to them and let them fix it and you could get this other one.
The car you are looking at is certainly low miles, thats amazing. I don't know anything about the 3.8 engine, other than I used to rent cars with those engines in them and they ran really good. I was pleased with their performance but can't speak of their reliability. I think you need to check this car out carefully to make sure there are no issues currently. Like the above poster said, make sure the cooling system is up to par to avoid any overheats. Possibly look at a cooler thermostat to help keep things cool, if it won't mess with your computer.

Good Luck
 
#6 ·
The Essex is prone to head gasket failures after the 60,000 mile mark, sooner if the car pulled a load or was driven short distances. The AX4S transmission, from what I read, is undersized for the 3.8L and may develop cracked forward/reverse clutch pistons due to it's toque, though I never had an issue with that on my old 1998 Windstar, also a 3.8 with an AX4S.

But I do agree with the other comments. If you can keep the engine running cool, do regular coolant flushes and maintenance, the head gaskets should hold up fairly well. Pull off the road and shut the car off should the temp gauge move past the center and towards the hot marker. If the engine does overheat, be prepared to replace the head gaskets.
 
#7 ·
Hi All,

So unfortunately my current '95 3.0 wagon's transmission has eaten dirt (confirmed by 3 different shops, at least 2 of which are definitely honest), and the replacement options are pretty pricy, ranging from gambling on a cheap but unknown condition junkyard tranny to a $2,500-$3k full rebuild or replacement with a remanufactured unit. I love the car, but I'm not sure if potentially wasting $1k on installing a bad tranny or dropping $3k into a 20 year old, 100k+ mi car is such a great idea.

Today I became aware of a seemingly well maintained '95 wagon near me for sale. it is listed for $1800, I could probably haggle down to $1500. It has very low miles, about 47,000. However, it has what seems to be the achilles heel of this gen, the 3.8 essex. From what I've read that means this engine is 10-30k miles away from a potential blowup. Also it will need any necessary maintenance for an under used car. I prefer the old body style and the amount of space it has, but if it's a bad idea I understand.

What do you all think?
-Gamble on a mystery transmission, potentially get bit?
-Drop a ton of cash on a good trans, but far outspend the value of the car?
-Buy the cheap low mile car that may be a ticking time bomb?
-Say screw this 20 year old car business and find something newer but more expensive upfront?

Thanks in advance, any advice is appreciated!
My '92 Essex blew the head gasket at ~160K. My '95 Essex wagon had the gasket replaced ~70K with a recall. It too ended ~160K when the idler pulley fell off and my daughter drove it with no belt. Both cars had been used towing U-Haul trailers loaded long trips. Can't complain.

The head gaskets give you some notice and they can be fixed. Not like a sudden fail thing.

-chart-
 
#8 ·
Trans in my 91 3.8 went around 90k and the headgasket about 140k
 
#9 ·
Keep in mind the insurance value of old cars if someone runs into you and totals it.
I'd take a chance on the new one if you really need it and send the old one to the JY
$1500 is nothing for a good looking / running car that will pass inspection nowadays.
 
#11 ·
Thanks for the replies everyone! The Taurus I have now has been great, and honestly the biggest perk of buying the new one is I can re use a lot of the things that I bought for my current one. New wiper blades and tires can go right on the new one, I think even the new radiator I put in a few months ago could be pulled and saved. It currently has 118k on the clock and is the 3.0 vulcan, so I have reason to believe that if I put a new trans in then it would go for a good bit longer.

That being said, realistically speaking buying a lower mileage car might involve less other maintenance that a high mileage car would need.

My current taurus is a former garage queen, completely rust free. I believe the other one is a southern car, from an inspection of the photos it looks very clean, but I would definitely give it a thorough look over to make sure.

I've thought about putting in a low mileage used trans into my current one, I don't need the car very much and it still has enough low gears to get around in slow neighborhood speed limits. I honestly don't know where to get one, the only junkyards near me are pull it yourself, and I don't have the knowledge or manpower to get a trans out of a junkyard car myself. if anyone has good resources for used taurus transmissions in the mid atlantic I'd love to hear about it!

Also if anyone on the east coast needs a gen 2 wagon parts car or wants to take on a transmission swap I'd give it up cheap and just get the other one, I'd much rather do that then send her to a junkyard being so clean.
 
#13 ·
Ok, update! Thanks very much to henrysel for the parts resource, I was searching car-part.com and found a low mile used transmission(a bit over 50k, probably as good as I'm going to get) within an hours drive for a very reasonable price. They gave it a grade "A", they say it's tested and working correctly and they offer a 100 day warranty on it. It came from another 1995 3.0 GL, it was even the same color.

There's a shop near me that will put it in for 700, all together I should have right around a grand into it once all is said and done. A used transmission is a risk for sure, but this one seems like a good candidate. I know my car and have fixed a lot of it's problems, the devil you know as someone said.

Any advice on getting a used transmission installed? Are there any extra steps I should take or things I should ask the shop to do? I was thinking I should ask them to do a filter change and flush while they're in there, but if anyone has any recommendations I'd love to hear them.
 
#14 ·
Ok, update! Thanks very much to henrysel for the parts resource, I was searching car-part.com and found a low mile used transmission(a bit over 50k, probably as good as I'm going to get) within an hours drive for a very reasonable price. They gave it a grade "A", they say it's tested and working correctly and they offer a 100 day warranty on it. It came from another 1995 3.0 GL, it was even the same color.

There's a shop near me that will put it in for 700, all together I should have right around a grand into it once all is said and done. A used transmission is a risk for sure, but this one seems like a good candidate. I know my car and have fixed a lot of it's problems, the devil you know as someone said.

Any advice on getting a used transmission installed? Are there any extra steps I should take or things I should ask the shop to do? I was thinking I should ask them to do a filter change and flush while they're in there, but if anyone has any recommendations I'd love to hear them.
If it were mine I would replace the TQ, pull the pan and replace the filter and check the pan for condition. Small project with it out of the car. New TQ means clean of old fluid, and the only issue I have had with my Essex was leaking seal in the TQ. They can blow the old fluid out of the tran cooler.

Best of luck.

-chart-
 
#17 ·
ok, that's what I thought. I have very little knowledge of automatic transmissions, I don't think the filter will be too bad but I'd be a little nervous about doing the torque converter. Is that a hard job for someone who is unfamiliar with trans work?
 
#18 ·
When the tranny is out of the car, the TQ is just pull it off and push the new one on. About half the fluid is in the TQ. Used tranny will have the old fluid in the TQ. If the tranny is put in and the old TQ leaks, have to pull the tran to do the TQ. Absolute minimum job with the tranny out of the car. Others might chime in here.

-chart-
 
#19 ·
2x Whenever a trans is out of the car front seal should be replaced no matter if it's leaking or not. Cheap insurance.
 
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#21 ·
Thanks for the input everyone. Bought a new filter and pan gasket, a Dacco torque converter and a front seal, once I pick up the new transmission next week and everything gets delivered I'll put it all together, then off to the shop it'll go to put in the upgraded trans. Hopefully with this much preventative care and a low mile trans I should be good!
 
#22 ·
I'm sure you've completed your tranny swap & hopefully are happy with the results. One more thing to consider for your "new" tranny is an aux cooler. There is no downside to adding one of these, other than it will cost a few bucks and add a couple more joints for potential leaks to develope. Well worth it though, especially knowing these cars like to smoke trannys. You also might want to replace the heat shield that goes between the "Y pipe" and tranny if yours is missing.
Gator
 
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