How many years will a 1989 Ltd crown Victoria run good?
3 Answers
About as long as you take good care of it.regular oil and filter changes are must! Every 3000 or so miles. With a car that old a transmission fluid and filter would be a good thing to. Did you just get it? Do you know the service history? If the battery or some other component died can you change it or would you need to take it someplace? Labor costs are just as expensive for an old car as they are for a newer one. Alternators and starters are easy to replace if you have the tools and knowledge. And as on any older car these things will go.
3000 mile oil change intervals is a waste of money unless you are driving under severe circumstances (like police or taxi). The beauty of a Crown Vic is it's ability to be rebuilt. A large car on a frame. Sure, components fail but like all things, maintenance and timely repairs make it a worth-while vehicle. We have over 800 Crown Vics in our fleet - the majority are Patrol cars. I've repaired everything from severe accidents to torn out rear ends. They take it and they take it. It's up to you really. How much time and effort do you want to spend in keeping an older car up? Often, a repair or two beats a $400 monthly payment.
Presuming it is in decent shape now and that you take good care of it, it could last decades. I have a 55 Thunderbird with 144k on it and it is in good shape. BUT it has always had routine maintenance to keep it in this condition. So, to answer your question... how good of care do you want to give it?
