My 1990 Cartier (56k warning)

[1990Cartier]

Hi everyone,

I finally was able to get some good pictures of the 1990 Town Car Cartier I'll be driving as soon as I can get around to taking the road test! We got it for $1500 on Craigslist in February, and this will be my car for school and around town.

Here are the exterior shots of the car:













The car's exterior is good except for the rust at the curbside rear wheel well and the doglegs behind each rear door. When we have the cash we'll get around to fixing it. The paint is all original except the area under the bodyside moulding, which should be darker and match the bumpers. Everything else seems original, such as the headlights and taillights. My dad changed the original lace-spoke wheels and tires for the later Cartier wheels and blackwalls.

-1990Cartier

[cason1]

Very nice looking car. I assume your a youngster under or around 18. If so, I like to see young people start with such a fine car. It leads to great things. You'd be amazed how much better you will be treated at places where money is involved and they can see what you drive. About 4 years ago, my ex-lady and I were looking for apartments. There was one we really liked. We went in there with my 94 Towncar dressed in t-shirt and shorts. They were as nice and helpful as could be. We went back a week later as they were into the top two on our list driving her Toyota and dressed nice, polo shirt, black slacks for me and a dress for her. They would hardly give us the time of day. Exact same staff as the week before. We then excluded them from the list and bought a house.

[1990Cartier]

Hi cason,

That's a really interesting example of the impression people get by the kind of car one drives.

I'm 17 right now; I've waited longer to get my license than most of my friends.

I think I can pinpoint my love for luxury cars to one experience. I was in kindergarten or first grade, so probably 1996 or 1997, and my parents owned a dark blue Villager. One day after school my parents drove onto the school lot in an early 90s Town Car (the Villager was being repaired at the dealer). I believe it was white with a burgundy velour interior. I remember getting in and exclaiming, "Is this our new car?" To a kid as small as I was the backseat seemed to be as big as a limousine's; the front seat seemed really far away. I was very disappointed that it was just a loaner, but I loved the ride home.

That's probably why I love Town Cars so much. Plus, we're a Ford family, so I don't like Cadillacs at all (especially the new ones).

Oddly, I have several friends my age who like Town Cars as well. My friend Lora grew up with Town Cars--her mother used to trade in for a new one every few years, starting with a 91 or 92. She drives a small Mazda sedan, though; her parents bought it for her. My friend Claire also grew up with Lincolns. Her dad still owns his first car, a 1972 Continental Mark IV. He bought a black 1989 Town Car new and drove it for about 10 years, until he traded it in for a new 1998 Cartier.

There is a guy at my school (who I do not like; as is the case with the majority of my classmates, he's a jerk) who drives a 93 or 94 Executive series, grey with burgundy leather. He does not take care of it, and had an accident last year that destroyed the grille. He drives it with a jagged, gaping maw showing the radiator. It looks awful.

I was supposed to be driving a 1995 Crown Victoria, but an elderly man in a Saturn crashed into it in February, so we bought this. I really like the Panther platform cars; the difference between the Crown Vic/Grand Marquis and the Town Car amazed me. I feel so much safer in a Town Car than I would in a small Honda; even if the small car's crash tests were good, I still wouldn't feel safe. And I prefer a cushy ride to a rough, "sporty" ride.

-1990Cartier

[1990Cartier]

Here are the interior pics (ignore the mats that need shaking out):











I love the back seat. It's like a big, cushy living room sofa! This is the only car I've sat in where three people can sit comfortably in the back seat without their shoulders jamming into each other.

-1990Cartier

[micke_932]

Is is almost identical to my TC (92), I love that blue color.

[LithiumCobalt]

DO yourself a favor and grab a $5 aerosol of Tannery leather cleaner/conditioner from an Ace Hardware for your seats. They will clean them up, condition and make them look like new again. Nice looking car, especially for a '90.

[megaforcer]

Sweet ride, I love 1990s, best freaking year for a town car
If you ever decide to upgrade that sound system I will take that Head Unit off your hands

[cason1]

People think cause a car did well in crash tests, it is a safe car. The crash tests match it up against objects the same size as the car and the results are compared to cars in the same size/weight class, not all cars so a Towncar that gets 5 stars and a Jetta that gets 5 stars are not created equal. You hit a jetta head on with a Towncar and see who can walk away and get the car fixed pretty cheap and who is going to the hospital and then buying a new car. I don't know that the Jetta got 5 stars, just using it as an example for size difference.

["C"]

Yep, the problem with crash test ratings is they never really address the "true facts" like real world driving. Like you mentioned, if a Jetta went head on with a Town Car does that 5 star rating for the Jetta mean anything?? Nope, because the little thing would be destroyed, while the Town Car would just have slight damage

I remember this one time while at a stop light, I saw this chick driving a 2003 Honda Accord. She was making a left turn, but at slow ass rate of speed, well there was cop behind her and he was hauling ass, and came outta nowhere. At a split sec the cop saw the girls car and slowed down almost to a hault, but the cop for some reason wasn't able to come to a complete stop, so he hit the girls Honda from behind, but barely tap the back bumper, and whole thing fell off! plus the trunk lid was crushed in badly. The girl was crying and couldn't believe what happend. It just shows how shitty the newer cars sheet metal and overall body structure is made.

At least our older Town Cars 90's to be exact, has good steel, not great but good compared to the new garbage. Nothing can compare to an old late 50's and 60's Lincoln Continental bodies. Those beast are solid as a rock. My 61's body feels like a concrete cement wall rolling down the street, and the doors are heavy as hell to open. What do expect for 5,154lb car Now that's quality and safety at it's finest!!

Nice 90 BTW

[gadget73]

Nice car. Those are actually 1996 Cartier wheels if my eyes do not decieve. 16" instead of the stock 15". Just want to make a quick mention, if you have any mechanical issues with the engine or trans, you might want to post them in the 80-89 Towncar section, since those have the same engine. Most of the rest of it is the same as other 91-97 models. 1990 was the only roundy towny with a 5.0.

[cason1]

Good point Gadget but some of us 91+ Towncar guys with the 4.6L also have Mark VII's and some knowledge of the 5.0 in general so it may be worthwhile to post in both. Go to one and if you don't get an answer, go to the other. I know I rarely go into the box Towncar forum.

[Sixlitre]

What beaut !

and what a steal !

Lovin' it !

Sixlitre

p.s./
Does anyone know if TCs ever came with dark blue velour interiors ? Had an extremely dark blue velour interior in several of my Fifth Avenues and loved the color on the seats and upholstery.

[Brian C]

Congrats on the car dude.
Those doglegs seem to be the very first (and sometimes the ONLY) place to show rust. For some reason, it appears to me that they did kinda a sloppy job in that particular area. The tack welds there are very visible, and there appears to be a spot where they maybe split the sheet metal to make a bend inward on the leg. Then maybe tacked over it. It's that EXACT spot, you'll see rust starting on the 90's TC's.

[gadget73]

Originally Posted by Sixlitre

Does anyone know if TCs ever came with dark blue velour interiors ? Had an extremely dark blue velour interior in several of my Fifth Avenues and loved the color on the seats and upholstery.

They did in the 80s at least. I know of an 86 Signature with the dark blue velour seats. It does look quite nice, though with the poor at best interior illumination of an 80s model, the interior is somewhat cave-like at night. Not sure if a 90s model has any better lighting inside.