[zorba]

I'm considering buying an 87 Sable from my mechanic, he's asking $750. It has 93,000mi. on it and seems to be a solid car, it's for my daughter to get around locally. This car has got all the bells & whistles, power everything and it all works. If anyone has had an 87, let me know how you liked it and any problems you had with it. One thing I noticed when I drove it was when it shifts from 1st to 2nd, right after it gets into 2nd, it revs up slightly for a second, almost like the tranny is slipping. I questioned my mechanic about it, he said it has done that for years but has never been a problem (his wife drove it for the past 7 yrs.), he has checked and adjusted the transmission and can find nothing wrong. I trust this guy, I've been bringing my cars to him for 10yrs. and he has always been honest with me. Anyone else have a similar issue?

 

[slider5634]

The next qeustion I'd ask is if the tranny has ever been replaced. If not it's probably about time for a new one. You know how it goes. Budget for a new tranny every 50 - 100K miles. If you take care of it it'll last past 100K. Mine went to 120K before it died. Eitherwise, it sounds like a bargain. Is the body in descent condition?

 

[BMWevo600]

if u take care of the tranny it should last the life of the car. i dont know where people get budget for a tanny every 50-100k those people dont take care of there cars

 

[qwertz9586]

That's not a bad deal. Seeing that it's an '87, it's most likely got the 3.0L Vulcan. That motor has not even hit it's mid-life crisis yet! It'll last almost 200k miles as some say. The tranny might need to be replaced if it seems to be slipping. Might want to invest in a tranny cooler and shift kit to make the new tranny last twice as long. If you take care of that car, it'll last a really long time.

 

[mth676]

Sounds like a real good deal. It has relativly low miles for its age too. Well good luck with it, hope things turn out for the best!

 

[BruiserCruiser]

Get the car and then swap it with the AXOD-E transmission. That is probably an AXOD. The revised tranny, AXOD-E lasted longer than the regular AXOD. That tranny went up to 91 and 92 changed. Slipping is a well known problem for the AXOD and is the main sign of the tranny going on it's way out. Drive it till it dies and go AXOD-E

 

[zorba]

The body has a little rust around the driver side door handles and passenger side rear wheelwell, has one small dent on the drivers side by the rear bumper. The paint is dull. I plan on having the rust, etc. fixed and may paint the whole car if I buy it, which is a no-brainer for $750

What is a "shift kit" and does it cost?

 

[qwertz9586]

A shift kit firms up the shifts and makes it quicker IIRC. Shifting quicker and a little bit harsher would reduce the heat in the tranny which would make it last longer. You should install this with the replacement tranny since you need to put it inside the transaxle. I don't know how much it would be, but maybe another member who has one could tell you.

 

[91MercSable3.8L]

I got my 91 GS with the 3.8L V6 for $600 + new breaks. everything but the cruise works fine. I got a high milage one though, since it had 190K miles on it. now at 210K and still running strong (with the slipping tranny)

 

[Guest]

I remember somebody posted before that you can get a shift kit at Aamco for about $300. Qwertz9586 is right - it firms up shifts, which actually makes it a little faster (probably not an issue for you) and reduces heat and wear on the tranny components. Hope the car works out for you - best of luck and welcome to the club. Always feel free to make a post if you ever have any problems and 99.9% of the time somebody will be able to help you out. There is some very valuable information to be had here.

*edit* - welcome to the Club to you, too, 91MercSable3.8L