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  Sept. 12, 2008 10:20 a.m. neon4891 Dork

  Maybe Cornell is good for something after all. They are currently selling off 2 P71s. I dont know anything on year, mileage, or price so I'm gonna go check them out for the hell of it. What I do know is that 99% of the miles on these things are city, FWIW.
  

  Down side is I'm JUST looking as money is tight and I have an up coming gas bill and insurance to pay. I figured it can't hurt to look and it will give me a base line of what to look for when I can buy, as they almost always have a p71 for sale.

  More info after work.

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  Sept. 12, 2008 10:31 a.m. Robert Bowen

  neon4891 wrote:

  I figured it can't hurt to look. . .

  Famous last words!

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  Sept. 12, 2008 11:17 a.m. belteshazzar Dork

  A lot of sitting around idling, a lot of city miles, and a lot of being driven hard. Non of that sounds like something you want in a used car.

  yet somehow, my own p71 isn't any worse for wear. It looks like new under the valvecover. The oil stays clean, it doesn't burn or leak any. The mechanical noises and responses all feel like a perfectly healthy motor.

  It's the best DD I've ever had. I'd buy another one in a heartbeat. Just remember to be picky. There's plenty of them out there to choose from.

  I paid up to have one with no holes in it, in a solid black color, with under 100k. But it was worth it.

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  Sept. 12, 2008 12:56 p.m. P71 Reader

  All I did was "look" too!

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  Sept. 12, 2008 3:21 p.m. CarKid1989 New Reader

  i want one but i need real world driving MPG figures. i do about 200 miles a week and it 50/50 city highway.

  Is it worth it?

  Is maintenance expensive?

  I mean the car is a boat and i will have one or two people in in half the time which seems like a smallish waste but its looks like sooooo much fun

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  Sept. 12, 2008 3:47 p.m. belteshazzar Dork

  Intentially driving like a butt hole for a whole gas tank and giving NO regard for fuel economy netted me 15.5mpg Driving regularly, I got 18. Making an attempt to drive efficiently in town, =19.5

  On the highway, with no regard for anything I got 22.5. Driving regularly I got 23.8. Making an attempt to be efficient while not going slower than 65 = 25.5

  That was a completely stock 2002 with 3.27 gears.

  Maintenance is cheap. 4.6's are plenty reliable. That transmission is commonly available used for under $300. It's the same motor as a Mustang GT or a F-150 or a Van or whatever. Ford made 8000000000 of them. The panther chassis dates back to 1979, they had plenty of time to sort out the design.

  What else compares for so little money? For twice the money? Even at three times the value, there aren't a ton of better performing cars that are also reliable and this new. That difference will buy a lot of gas.

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  Sept. 12, 2008 4:49 p.m. problemaddict New Reader

  my best piece of advice would be to get under the car. Not down on your knees next to it... UNDER.

  Look up in all the nooks and crannies. Look for rust and botched repairs. Mine had a rusted out frame under the AC Condeser area. The oil pan is also a known rust spot. Mine was repaired w/ JB Weld slathered all over the pan and then painted. The majority of the underside of the car looked fine from kneeling next to it and looking, but once it was up on a lift, whoa, lotsa problems!

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  Sept. 12, 2008 9:36 p.m. neon4891 Dork

  So I looked at them, both '05s

  car 1, 65k starting bid 2500, issues with the transmision and alternater

  car 2 75k, starting bid 3100, no known problems

  down side, all bids in by yesterday

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  Sept. 13, 2008 9:27 a.m. belteshazzar Dork

  so the 65k mile one needed $500 worth of work? Like I said, what other car can you get so much for so little.

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  Sept. 13, 2008 12:23 p.m. CarKid1989 New Reader

  more info on P71? Thanks

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  Sept. 13, 2008 1:21 p.m. belteshazzar Dork

  what do you know already?

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  Sept. 13, 2008 2:13 p.m. CarKid1989 New Reader

  The cars are boats. Lotsa room. SUV weight in a car. simple motor and just very old fashioned tech. The 2.73 is ideal for MPG (my hope to get) motor isnt great for

  Mid 20 highway MPG 20 City mpg.

  Ummm heard that front brakes have a tendancy to pulsate and there is a fairly cheap upgrade.

  comfy cars and just look out for rust.

  i emailed the guy that sold PATGIZZ his P71 so we'll where that goes....

  I dunno what else.

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  Sept. 13, 2008 4:02 p.m. belteshazzar Dork

  2.73 would be no fun. my 3.27's are goin bye-bye mon. for some 3.73's. P71's have 3.27's or 3.55's stock. LSD isn't standard, but more common than not.

  rotors warp? hadn't heard that was chronic. what's the "upgrade"?

  they weigh around 4000lbs. Depends on the SUV you were referring to I guess.

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  Sept. 13, 2008 11:28 p.m. CarKid1989 New Reader

  2.73 are no fun? how so?

  ill find the website about the rotors warping.

  4000 isnt that terrible but small suv range

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  Sept. 14, 2008 12:06 a.m. neon4891 Dork

  4000 sounds about right. maybe next time cornell is off loading some i might be serious in looking at one. But the best part is that these are only '05s. I think as far as p71s go, these are a steal. only 3-4 years old, relativly low miles. Granted tese are alomst all city miles but the campus cop car at an Ivy league school arent as beaten on as a 150k mile highway patrol car thats usually 2 years older.

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  Sept. 14, 2008 10:00 a.m. P71 Reader

  My 128K ex-Oregon State Police P71 wasn't beaten until I got it Since then it's been drag racing, autocrossing, and track days galore!

  The Cornell ones sound like a sweet deal.

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  Sept. 14, 2008 12:24 p.m. patgizz Dork

  look for rust on the frame next to the converters and rust on the rockers under the black cladding.
  

  the guy i bought mine from www.emergencyremarketing.com is very reputable, i talked to him the other day. he called me saying he heard from one of the local guys that got his car there as well that my intake is cracked and tranny is slipping in OD, and offered me an intake manifold and transmission free of charge. intake i knew was cracked when i bought it and tranny i expected to have to do and knew the car was priced right even expecting possible trans work from having 64k all city miles.. when i wear this one out he will be my first call.

  mine is in the very final stages of bodywork and prep.

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  Sept. 14, 2008 2:04 p.m. daytonaer New Reader

  I would imagine there rusted pretty bad underneath, Ithaca is hard on steel.

  On the other hand, the "rent a cops" that patrol universities would treat these cars nice, they wouldn't want to get fired for hot-rodding around, whereas police have less concern for their driving styles. Although they have probably been idling since '05, maybe they would have severe carbon build up from never being tach'ed up? Doubt that would be too big of a concern however.

  How do you find out about the university auctioning stuff off? I'm only about an hour away from Ithaca.

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  Sept. 14, 2008 2:10 p.m. neon4891 Dork

  i drive past the campus vehicle maintanance facility and they have the for sale cars sitting out front. I'm preety sure they dont post any listings

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  Sept. 15, 2008 10:39 a.m. belteshazzar Dork

  CarKid1989 wrote:

  2.73 are no fun? how so?

  ill find the website about the rotors warping.

  4000 isnt that terrible but small suv range

  overdrive is .70 anyway so imo 2.73's are unnecessary. Your rpms would not even be 1800rpm at 75mph. I would expect some downshifting and lugging. Comparatively, the 3.27's they come with run at 2150rpms at 75, and would make the car feel a solid 500lbs ligher.

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