[CarolM]

Howdy from Texas. I found your forum by mistake looking up WHEELS. Anywho, I need the experts advice on this car. OH, and I saw that noone knows how many were made or still around, and I could tell ya if it wasnt too late to call - but its either 3,5?? or 3,8?? made. Not too many.

I have read quite a bit of your description of this vehicle and it doesnt sound exactly like what I have here, but maybe some of this was optional soooooooooo here goes.

Its an 87 LS Monochrome with #1, White Basketweave wheel (dont know the material). Its 6 cyl with transaxle that has been nothing but worked on (dont know which sizes and its dark so Im not going to look now). It doesnt have leather seats, they are wonderfully soft, warm velour like material. It also has a keyless entry pad where you punch in a code that I dont see on the others.

The body is PERFECT - not a dimple on it. The tranny went out about 5 (or more) years ago and I couldnt refinance my home for the price they wanted to replace it. So it was running great and the tranny just started not doing this then not doing that, then would only go in reverse which was quite fun, then I parked it and it has just been there all this time.

My neighbor decided to steal one of the wheels and left front parking and head lamps but other than that I think most is intact. I found evidence of some little mice making a nest in the glove box so its possible there might be some wiring chewed up

SO the million dollar question is - WHAT DO I DO WITH THIS CAR?? Mom wants it restored. I would too but we are not mechanics and it would be a fortune to have one fix it up. We both love that car more than any car we have owned or driven. SMOOTHHHHHHHHH, took the Hill Country curves like a small car, the stereo sounded like you were at a concert, I LOVED the coded door opener and the lights that turned themselves off how you preset them. I miss the luxury it felt like.

What I am asking you, as professionals and experts at these cars :

1: Is this a saleable item as it is? Is there any demand for this extremely limited edition? If so,
where would be the place to advertise.
2: Would there be any benefit to trying to part it out (with so few out there would be a tough market)
and if so, WHERE?
3: What would be a reasonable average price for this car (guesses are ok too).

I took a couple pics today but the sun was in the wrong place to get the front. I am going to take a chance that if I go to file attachment it will post as pic as I dont see a buttom to add a pic.

Thanks in advance for any info/help you can give me. Just tell me someone will pay $5,000 or so and pick it up tomorrow and I will be happy. hehehehehhehehe

Never mind the pic. I got it when I got the film developed and one pic is 1.5m. Good Grief what are you supposed to do with that????????? Guess I will see if I can reduce it or something if anyone wants to see it.

 

[firespirit]

Welcome to the TCCA first of all.

Unfortunately we don't have a lot of demand for these cars. They're everywhere and can be bought (even in good shape) for dirt cheap. I would be weary of the mouse house you've got inside your glovebox, but other than that, I'd just get a junk yard transmission and throw it into the car.

You don't need to be a mechanic to work on your car, by the way. I know several of us on here are computer geeks, college students, and general laborers... I've seen *maybe* 4-5 actual ASE certified Mechanics roaming around.

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[zeptoplix]

With a shop manual or CD rom, you will be surprised how much of the work you can do yourself. If I can remove and re-install my transmission without the proper tools, I am sure you could do it with the right ones Fix it up and drive it already! The resale is not going to be good at all, soyou might as well fix it and enjoy the drive!

 

[CarolM]

[attachmentid=27833] Heres the pretty girl. Her name is Spirit. Well heck I thought it would show on the post

WELL! Thats not what I wanted to hear. First, I was wrong; there were 8,200-8,400 made and mom thinks this was the first car to have the key pad door lock and lighted vanity mirror on the passenger visor. A new mechanic she just found to work on her Taurus said it would be another 10 years before it would be worth something to a collector.

You may be able to find the basic Sable all over but not this limited edition. Anyhow that doesnt matter.

I see in the manual this is possibly Defective torque converter - how do you test that but replacing it?
Or defective vacuum, linkage, shift cable, or last, but not least, band failure. Would be nice if it was a matter of linkage and cables but I am not thinking so.

Tranny expert needed here. Auto type axod-eec-1V? It starts not shifting through all the gears smoothly. Then after a while I had to manually shift to get it to change gears, then it would only go into reverse. Very nicely in reverse. Thats when I parked it cuz they dont like me driving in reverse through town. Cops said if they let me then everyone would want to do it .

Does this sound like a vacuum, linkage or cable problem, which wouldnt require taking the whole front end off the car? Again, the torque converter - all i know is you replace that when you replace the tranny - never had one go OUT before. Or, does this sound like band failure?

I saw that special tool you need to mess with this junk. Geesh - without a lift this is more than I can handle myself, tho I am an excellent parts changer, especially with a manual.

There is a guy here who rebuilds trannys - seems like that could be less costly in the long run, than taking the chance on buying one from a junk yard when these guys are famous for tranny problems. At least this one has been. Another guy told me a couple years back that he could R&R for $400 and it would take him a day. I would like to see that.

I am moving so it has to be MOVED and nowhere to store the darned thing. If it was something easy like adjustment/vacuum things that is one thing, but I have no idea what shape all the electrical stuff is in after sitting out and we are lost at me doing anything electrical!

Any of you wise guys live close to Austin you can come out to the country and fix this up for me
hahahahaha

Thanks for your advise and help.

Carol

 

[DaveX 3.0]

The problem with selling a Taurus or Sable is, no matter what condition it's in, and no matter what kind of "limited edition" it is, everyone just looks at it and says, "it's just a Taurus."

Most don't care if it is a Monochrome, or SHO, or MT5, they just see "Taurus" or "Sable" and don't think much of it. So, you wouldn't get much more for it than a regular Sable.

On top of that, tranny issues, mouse nest, missing wheel and headlamp will make it almost worthless. You'd be better off fixing it up for yourself than selling it IMO.

 

[sable_punk02]

well since ur in TX i recomend talking to the guys in the South Chapter...depending on where your at you could possibly take to to NTP and let Tony take a look at it. plus those guys are a crazy bunch. Just talk to Rudy(rudedog) and he'll hook you to a link for another Bull site that is primarrily SHO guys and all in TX..and its not SHO forum but yea Tony may be able to help you with re assembly...or if your in Houston I bet Rudy would