You're right! I'll have to change my sig. Maybe I'll change my avatar picture too, since I now have two wrecked cars to choose from.

I was offered a little more than what I was expecting from the insurance, and the check should be here by the end of the week. Now I just need to figure out what to buy before they stop paying for the rental. The more I look, the more I realize I'm all over the place and have no clue what I want.

Edited to add quote.

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2003 Lincoln LS V8 Premium Sport
RIP: 2002 Redfire Metallic Grand Prix GT Coupe
One man's treasure became another man's trash.

worry about a good car after you get back just get a low milage cheap car for now that you can sell after you get back

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92 LeBaron Convert: Turbo 3L 97 Grand Prix GT 4dr "Frankenstein": L67 4t65 swap
97 Grand Marquis: Summer DD 99 Grand Prix GTP: Top Swap Beater

What's your price range? I'm sure we can compile quite the list...

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Everything needs more Corsa. No exceptions.

Follow my journey of flight at
http://alwaysastudentpilot.blogspot.com/

just the crazy in me talking , but how about a...... say.... GRAND PRIX... just sayin


dont tell the others, but i think we are bias..

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2001 white gt coupe with enough crap to make it run mid 13's with 3 bad pistons
2002 40th GTP sedan mostly stock

Ah screw that. You can't go from a CL55 AMG to a GP. Stay on the high end. This time, grab a 6 series?

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2012 Ford Focus SE Sport
2012 MINI Cooper Clubman

I have ADHD and drive a Focus. Ironically.
Although gold dust is precious, when it gets in your eyes, it obstructs your vision.

If your being deployed soon I would either stick w/ a rental or buy a DD in the 2k range or so. Seems pointless to buy a pricey car and then having it sit for months/years etc until you get back. Wait and you'll have even more money and way more time to look into what you want instead of impulse buying. Sucks to hear though damn those pricey Benz's

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i think you missed the point we are trying to recomend a cheap beater becuase he is being deployed soon and the car would end up sitting for a wile

he can get the 6 series when he comes back

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92 LeBaron Convert: Turbo 3L 97 Grand Prix GT 4dr "Frankenstein": L67 4t65 swap
97 Grand Marquis: Summer DD 99 Grand Prix GTP: Top Swap Beater

Late 90s Ranger? They're great piles of shit. They're great and shitty. My work truck is such a POS... But it still moves just fine with no ABS, BAD ball joints (going to break soon I assume), the cab has a huge crack in it (the door sill by the rear of the driver door), but it still keeps on trucking...

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2012 Ford Focus SE Sport
2012 MINI Cooper Clubman

I have ADHD and drive a Focus. Ironically.
Although gold dust is precious, when it gets in your eyes, it obstructs your vision.

the shitty best truck that ever was will still be the s-10 pick ups of the late 80's and early 90's

Cast iron blocks and heads that would seep all oil out and continue to run with no lubrication for another 50k+ miles. The body would fall off them and the motor would still ask for more!

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Gt2256v, FMIC, Port & Polish Head, Stage 2 Colt Cam. Rosten Rods, PD150 Pistons, Oil Cooler, Fuel Cooler, Diablo W/M kit, Built 5 speed with LSD
I work on enough GP's to know I don't want to own one =P

the old pinto based I4 in those rangers are tanks. so are the 300 6 based 2.3s. can not kill those things

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92 LeBaron Convert: Turbo 3L 97 Grand Prix GT 4dr "Frankenstein": L67 4t65 swap
97 Grand Marquis: Summer DD 99 Grand Prix GTP: Top Swap Beater

Hell, I love my 94 Ranger (Mazda). The design hardly changed through the years, especially after 93 til mid 2000s, because it was so reliable. Mine has the 4.0 though, so has a good amount of power, the 3.0 is crap though, and a 4cyl in a truck? No thanks. Best thing about em is they run forever, and since the core design stuck around for so long, can find parts virtually anywhere. I will say gas mileage is total crap though, think I only get about 13-17mpg out of mine.

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'96 Black Grand Prix SE 3100
'94 Green Grand Prix SE 3100
'94 Mazda B4000 SE 4x4

Get a 98-03 GP in good shape for cheap and when you get back go with your first instinct and get a Dash Vee.

Done.

Keep the GP for winter and for parking on that street when you visit next...

(Did I just say sacrifice a GP?? Yep)

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2004 GTP Comp G. The Daily Driver.
JULY 2011 GPONA COTM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9uNwgZGrvJ0
1992 GTA Trans Am. The Toy.
2003 VW Jetta. The Spousal Unit.

That's what I said!

Sent from my DROID X using my Thumbs via Tapatalk

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2001 white gt coupe with enough crap to make it run mid 13's with 3 bad pistons
2002 40th GTP sedan mostly stock

I was torn between getting a new (to me) high end vehicle or a beater. I considered the M6 and SL-Class (600 or AMG), but I was really leaning towards the Jaguar XKR. I didn't have a lot of time to travel to look at cars (all rare cars so the chances of finding the perfect one local are pretty slim), and I didn't want to rush into a decision like that, so I decided not to buy a high end car right now.

I started searching for a fairly cheap but luxurious sports sedan or coupe that's large enough to fit me. I've always had a thing for the performance oriented Lincolns. I looked at Mark VIII's, but those are reaching the age where it's very difficult to find one in good shape. Then I started looking at the LS. I like the simple, classic styling (I think most newer cars are over-styled). I found one near me that only had one owner, was dealer serviced its entire life, had all the options and was in great shape. It also cost less to buy than what I spent last year on maintenance for my CL55.

I took a couple of quick pictures in a parking lot near the dealership. The color is somewhere between grey and brown. It looks great in the light, and while I don't think it would work on most cars it really suits the LS well.

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2003 Lincoln LS V8 Premium Sport
RIP: 2002 Redfire Metallic Grand Prix GT Coupe
One man's treasure became another man's trash.

That's a nice car, actually. Are you going to keep it long term, or go for the M6/SL AMG after a few years?

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2012 Ford Focus SE Sport
2012 MINI Cooper Clubman

I have ADHD and drive a Focus. Ironically.
Although gold dust is precious, when it gets in your eyes, it obstructs your vision.

Usually when I hear Lincoln I associate it with someone in their 60s who can't even drive the speed limit, but that doesn't look too terrible actually.

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'96 Black Grand Prix SE 3100
'94 Green Grand Prix SE 3100
'94 Mazda B4000 SE 4x4

The LS isn't a bad car, actually. It moves, and is actually quite agile. Handles extremely well for what you would expect it to be... Then again, it was aimed squarely at Mercedes and BMW.

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2012 Ford Focus SE Sport
2012 MINI Cooper Clubman

I have ADHD and drive a Focus. Ironically.
Although gold dust is precious, when it gets in your eyes, it obstructs your vision.

that car is not even a lincoln it's a Jaguar. every part on it it from a jag same witht eh thunderbird that came out around that time. uses a jag 3.9L v8 and a jag 5 speed auto or manual but only in the v6 and the v6 is also jag sourced

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92 LeBaron Convert: Turbo 3L 97 Grand Prix GT 4dr "Frankenstein": L67 4t65 swap
97 Grand Marquis: Summer DD 99 Grand Prix GTP: Top Swap Beater

Very nice. I like those too. My only real dislike is that they're like 5 or 6 feet tall which to me is a monster truck lol

_________________
Everything needs more Corsa. No exceptions.

Follow my journey of flight at
http://alwaysastudentpilot.blogspot.com/

sorry to hear about this... sucks

Always liked those. Good choice man.

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Thanks for the compliments. It feels significantly lighter and more nimble than the CL, or even the GP. While not the absolute beast of the AMG engine, the V8 is pretty quick and likes to rev. So far I really like the car, and while I don't know how long I'll keep it it'll be at least a couple of years.

I'm not sure if I want to get another high end vehicle any time soon. I knew when I bought the CL55 that it wasn't the most responsible financial decision, but I don't regret it; you've got to splurge on a car at least once. It didn't hurt too badly, but it did cut into how much I put into savings/investments each month (~50% before I bought the CL).

I haven't done a full paint correction and detail yet, but I gave it a good wash and wax this weekend. Even without paint prep, the wax (Dodo Juice Supernatural) really brings out the color. Every time I see it, especially in the light, I like it even more. I can't wait until I have the time to clay and polish it.



I also took it to the track, but I couldn't find anyone to race:



I'm over 6' tall, so I kind of need a large car. It kind of sucks looking for high performance vehicles that I can fit into for an extended period of time. The LS is almost too small (the seats don't go back very far), but there's just enough adjustment for me to find a good seating position. If it didn't have adjustable pedals I probably wouldn't fit comfortably.

_________________
2003 Lincoln LS V8 Premium Sport
RIP: 2002 Redfire Metallic Grand Prix GT Coupe
One man's treasure became another man's trash.