'94 Thunderbird

Michael,

I owned the same model '94 Bird for 7 years and sold it a year ago with 92K miles on it. The well documented problems with this car are as follows:

Brakes inadequate, front rotors too small, continually warp from heat. Transmission, torque converter, Manual Lever Position Sensor (MLPS). Electrical problems, but not as serious as the above.

A good source of information on T-Brids:

Desertguy

Hi Desert Guy (nice rime :),

Mmmm, I looked around on the internet and the things you discribe seem to be the main problems indeed. Are these expensive repairs? Cause if they are then a different car would seem a better choice...

"Desert Guy" schreef in bericht news: snipped-for-privacy@posting.google.com...

Michael,

Whether you decide to buy the car or not will depend on several factors. Assuming that it is for sale without any kind of warranty, you need to be concerned about major expenses. The condition of the transmission is your biggest risk since the repair costs could run from several hundred to as much as a couple thousand bucks. To spend this much on a 10 year old car is very questionable.

You can lessen the risk somewhat if the seller can document that the tranny has been overhauled or at least that the torque converter has been replaced by a qualified shop.

If you are mechanically inclined, the brake problems can be solved with minimal cost. Even a good independent shop should not be too expensive.

So, it boils down to the tranny condition. You would have to feel comfortable with that or it would be better to pass it up and look for another car.

I sold my '94 T-Bird a year ago for $4,000. What is the asking price on this one?

Desert Guy

My '93 Cougar is almost at 100k with very minor problems. I love the way it drives and sticks to the road. Ride is amazing for a car this low and flat. Mine has the v-6 and auto. I think there were some changes for the '94 year but I can't tell you what. My other car is a '95 Crown Vic with the 4.6 and it is at 106k right now and more fun than ever. It did have a hint of the tranny shudder when I got it at 60k but the dealer did a flush/filter/refill and it's been perfect since. I often thought the Cougar would have been more fun with the 4.6 or 5.0

Have an independant mechanic or a Ford dealer go over it if you are worried. They are fun cars.

I hope this helps - Paul in Dayton

They are asking 3750 euros for this one, so that's approx. $3600.

Yeah, I know that the tranny is the thing to look out for. I had some serious problems on my regal, which was under warranty fortunately!

I gotta '94 Thunderbird 4.6L with 57k. Others can probably help even more ...

Watch for bad oil leak at rear-main seal. Pain in the arse to repair. Very expensive at a shop.

Be careful of the transmission. It was the first year for electronically controlled trannies for Tbird. Beware sporadic problems that are hard to spot on a test drive.

I doubt I'd buy one with that many miles.

Good Luck, Puddin'