'96 Crown Vic as winter beater?

[NewCar]

I'm supposed to pick up a 118k mi 1996 Crown Vic this weekend. Supposedly mechanically sound. The ball joints have been done this year, but still has the stock plastic intake.

Aside from obvious used car stuff, anything specific to these cars that I should focus on when I go to pick it up?

[Sully008]

Well, you already know about the intake so I can't say there's really anything else specific you need to look at. Check for rust @ the rocker panels, wheel wells, etc.

I have a '96 Crown Vic w/310,000kms. on it that I've winter driven for the last 4 years. Original engine and tranny. The only thing wrong with it is a leaky radiator that I top up every once in a while. Other than that it's been a tank through our crazy winters.

[RF Overlord]

'96 and earlier have issues with the valve seals. See if you can take it for a ride where you can coast for a while from 40-50 MPH down as slow as you can then accelerate. Check for blue smoke.

[fireandice9008]

If the steering is the same as my 2000 was, check the idler arm (I think that's the correct term). It's bolted to the passenger side inner frame rail. They wear out, and sometimes will crack the frame.

[massacre]

+1 on the valve seals in the early 2v, a lot of times taking off from a red light you will puff blue smoke. I have had some success with using oil additive to keep that in check, it's fine if it's just a winter beater.
A lot of times the rear swaybar endlinks will break, or one of their mounting brackets will break off the frame that's kinda common. Control arm bushings and swaybar bushings are real important on the early suspension cars. A triangulated 4-link, no watts link and inboard mounted shocks in rear means greater side loads on the rear suspension at different angles than the later chassis. The early cars are basically a gigantic Fox body rear suspension, with the rear springs riding on the rearend housing instead of the lower control arms.

[Zack]

I replaced all valve seals in my old 96 lincoln. Took 8 hours but was worth it