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We'll see what they look like, but I was actually planning on running the tires out to 10 years. Since the thing has spent all of it's time indoors, there really shouldn't be an UV degradation of the rubber, but we'll see.
On my short list of maintenance I would do as soon as I got it back to Texas:
* Battery -- assuming that it's still the factory unit.
* Fuel filter.
* Coolant flush and fill.
* Brake fluid flush and fill.
* Wiper blades.
Other than these items, I'm thinking it should pretty much be good to go, but I'll have to do some more digging into this model and find out what the "weak links" of the platform are. From what I've read so far it seems like a pretty solid vehicle, with the majority of complaints involving "non-power train" stuff like the heated seats going out prematurely.
If this thing really is as clean as it appears, my biggest hurdle will probably be resisting the urge to place it into my rotation of low-mileage collector cars -- the only problem being that it would mean I would have to give up one of the other vehicles. At the end of the day, no matter how long you keep a low-mileage Taurus it would never likely be seen as anything more than an oddity.
A few years, they had continuously variable transmissions. I don't know the years. I don't think they were very popular. Something to check.
Yes -- those were on the 500's, but this one has got the 6-speed transmission in it. The 500's were also grossly under-powered, but by the time the 2008's rolled around this was addressed as well. I think the 3.5 in this era put out around 260 HP, which combined with the 6-speed should make for pretty decent performance.
Yes -- I've given the guy a $300.00 dollar deposit to hold it and have a flight booked to go look at it outside of Charlottesville the week of June 6. If everything looks in order I will hand him a cashier's check for the balance and arrange to have it shipped back to Texas.....
the question that all married men are thinking but don't want to ask?
Does the wife like the vehicle?
Ok -- why does everybody ask me that question?!! I mean, it's a nice car that's fully loaded with almost no miles! It's not like I'm rolling up in my '97 Cavalier and going, "Here's your new car, Honey!"
The longer answer -- in a world where money was no option, she would much prefer getting a new Edge or Escape. However, getting one of those vehicles would probably cost at least $15,000 more than what we'll have in this car over the course of 3-4 years. So even my wife (who is pretty much a financial idiot) would much prefer this car and have an extra 15-grand to spend on other things.....
Beautiful country up there...we've been to both Jefferson's home and also Madison's which is also close by. Wife's sister lives in Maryland and when we head back we stay in Virginia or Tennessee on the way back and do some sightseeing. This weekend we may be dong some sightseeing around League City!!
I like Monticello just because of who lived there and is buried there. One thing the tour guide didn't talk about when we went was the dinosaur skull on the wall in the lobby. I had to ask. I was told that when Lewis and Clark came back from their tour of the Louisiana Purchase, they told of stories of the dinosaur bones in Montana and Thomas Jefferson paid Clark $200 to go back and bring him that skull. Inflation!!!
