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This is a fantastic car. I hate to sell it, but economic realities force it.

Here's the second line that will make most people stop reading: The transmission is toast. It will need rebuilding or replacing.

If you're still reading, stay with me. Yes, it would make a good parts car, or the good ol' Ford V8 could be repurposed for just about anything. But it's really better than that. It's a straight, solid, rust-free, Southern car, and the engine is still good and strong after 200K+ miles. The only high-dollar problem is the transmission -- every other problem the car has, (and they're not many) is nickel-and-dime stuff that is easily tackled bit by bit as you go. If you're looking for a good starter project for a father/son restoration, or have a 2WD ExploRangIneer transmission that needs a home, (Explorer/Ranger/Mountaineer -- they all have the same driveline,) or know just how good these cars are when they're sorted, this is the car for you -- you'll be getting a lot of hardware for a very good price.

You may be asking why don't I fix it myself, and that's a very good question. The truth is, the economy has hit my family very hard, and I just don't have the money it takes to repair the transmission. It makes more economic sense for me to sell it as-is, and re-invest in a smaller car. My loss, your gain.

It will need to be towed to haul it -- she won't move under her own power yet.

There are 45 pictures at my Photobucket link, click here to go to it, so you can get a good look at things, and they're annotated as to just what needs to be fixed.

There's nothing expensive or insurmountable for the shade-tree mechanic: gas struts for the hatch, a power-locking solenoid, a tensioning spring for an exterior handle; stuff like that. If you're slightly more advanced, mechanical items like axle bearings and ball joints are a piece of inexpensive cake. The A/C clutch is broken and the compressor has been bypassed, but the system is still airtight and in place. An A/C tech should replace the compressor and receiver-drier, but on this car it's an easy (read: inexpensive) fix. I have the compressor, receiver-drier, and o-rings for the job: if you want them, I can add my cost for them to the final price.

The reserve? I know that a transmission is a pricey item, so it's low enough that the reserve plus the price of a transmission rebuild is still comfortably below the market value of a '99 Mountaineer. Not as easy as just buying one that's all sorted to begin with, but a considerably better value if you can turn a wrench!

Auto Services in North Carolina

Whitey`s German Automotive ★★★★★

Automobile Parts & Supplies, Machine Shops

Address: 6042 Asheville Hwy, Horseshoe

Phone: (828) 684-0684

Transmission Center ★★★★★

Automobile Parts & Supplies, Auto Transmission

Address: 1309 Cotton Grove Rd Ste D, Salisbury

Phone: (336) 249-8769

Tow-N-Go LLC ★★★★★

Auto Repair & Service, Automotive Roadside Service, Towing

Address: Proctorville

Phone: (910) 286-3745

Terry Labonte Chevrolet ★★★★★

Auto Repair & Service, New Car Dealers, Automobile Parts & Supplies

Address: 1401 Bridford Pkwy, High-Point

Phone: (888) 440-1432

Sun City Automotive ★★★★★

Auto Repair & Service, Brake Repair, Tire Changing Equipment

Address: 409 Featherson Rd, Wesley-Chapel

Phone: (803) 548-3227

Show & Pro Paint & Body ★★★★★

Auto Repair & Service, Automobile Body Repairing & Painting

Address: 1779 Bingham Dr, Pope-Afb

Phone: (910) 423-2963

Auto blog

Ford recalls 1.9m cars and crossovers for defective airbags

Wed, Jun 1 2016

The Basics: Ford is recalling a total of 1,898,728 vehicles to replace defective Takata front passenger-side airbags. This includes the 2007-2010 Ford Edge, 2006-2011 Ford Fusion, 2005-2011 Ford Mustang, 2007-2011 Ford Ranger, 2007-2010 Lincoln MKX and 2006-2011 Lincoln MKZ, Zephyr and Mercury Milan vehicles built in North America. The Problem: The defective airbags have been linked to ruptures that can send metal fragments at the passenger, due to deteriorating propellant. Injuries/Deaths: Ford claims it's not aware of any injuries due to the problem, but rupturing Takata airbags have been linked to a series of serious injuries and deaths. The Fix: Dealers will replace the passenger-side frontal airbag at no charge to the customer. If you own one: Look out for a letter from the manufacturer to arrange service at your local dealer. If you'd like to check if your vehicle is affected, click on the safety recalls link on Ford.com and enter your VIN. Related Video:

Ford Recalling 70k Escape and Mariner Hybrids for cooling issue

Fri, 12 Sep 2014

Ford is recalling about 70,209 examples of the 2005-2008 Ford Escape Hybrid and the 2006-2008 Mercury Mariner Hybrid because the cooling pumps for their hybrid systems could fail.
According to the company's defect notice, it's possible for the original "Motor Electronics Coolant (MEC) Pump" to wear out and fail, which would could cause the hybrid system to overheat. If this happens, the vehicle goes into a safety mode that takes away most or all of its power. However, braking and steering still operate normally. After cooling down, the affected models restart normally. The company says that it's not aware of any accidents or injuries related to this problem.
Ford will begin repairing the vehicles in late October, and dealers will be installing improved, brushless pumps on the affected models at no charge to owners. If drivers had their pumps fail before this recall, they can contact Ford for a possible reimbursement. Scroll down to read the recall announcement from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration or download the full defect notice as a PDF, here.

eBay Find of the Day: Mercury Marauder two-door convertible

Wed, 31 Aug 2011

Never underestimate what you'll see on eBay Motors. Take this unique creation, for example. Near as we can tell, it's the same 2002 Mercury Marauder that was modified into a two-door convertible by Ford for the 2002 Chicago Auto Show. According to the seller, this car still boasts its Eaton supercharger bolted to a 4.6-liter V8 engine, and at the time of its debut, the engine was rated at a lofty 335 horsepower. We have a hard time believing that the extra ponies would do much to offset the weight of the additional frame stiffeners and top mechanism on the car, however.
The vehicle is currently offered for sale by a dealer in Lansdale, Pennsylvania, though the listing is mum on how the convertible managed to make its way from Ford's Windy City show stand into the seller's inventory. If you like what you see, the machine can be yours for the princely sum of $75,000 or best offer. Head over to eBay Motors to take a gander at the listing.

1999 Mercury Mountaineer V8 5.0l -- Great Shape That Needs Transmission Work on 2040-cars

Mercury Mountaineer for Sale