2003 Mercury Grand Marquis LSE in Portsmouth, New Hampshire For Sale

xxxx Mercury Grand Marquis LSE
The LSE was a rare model as most Grand Marquis buyers wanted 6-passenger seating. As a result, only a few thousand were ever built over several model years. I have only ever seen ONE in real life - this one. I have only seen two others in photos or on the internet.
The LSE was introduced as a sort of Grand Touring model to give a sporty European feel to the full-size sedan buyer. It is almost the same as Ford's Crown Victoria Sport in the area of handling and driving feel, but with the somewhat more luxurious Grand Marquis touch. The equipment that makes up an LSE includes all of the LS standard equipment, PLUS:
sports suspension
dual exhaust (horsepower is up to 239 with this system)
rear air suspension (the factory service manual says it will self-level up to a 700 pound load)
bucket seats with power lumbar support
full leather interior
center console with floor shifter
extended-length overhead storage console
16" "Snowflake" wheel design with dark argent painted inner sections
Chrome mirror caps (Mercury calls them "skullcaps", believe it or not)
Carpeted front floormats embroidered with the LSE logo (the only place you will ever see the LSE logo on these cars)
trunk organizer box with carpeted folding lids (this expensive option optimizes the space of the huge trunk and lets you hide emergency equipment and valuables)
I took the Amtrak train out to Chicago to pick up this car, which was a 24 hour ride non-stop, after finding it on Auto Trader. It is the only one I had ever seen for sale up to that point. I have seen only (2) others pop up on eBay after that, but they were the older-design xxxx model. I owned a xxxx Lincoln Town Car L, and this car actually rides better than the Town Car L of xxxx vintage, even though the L has a 9 inch longer wheelbase than the Grand Marquis**. That is how dramatic the xxxx model year redesign was in terms of handling precision, ride comfort and ability to handle bumps.
The Aspen Green Metallic Clearcoat color is very dark, and under certain lighting conditions it looks like a black metallic. It's a very subtle and classy color, and even people who normally don't like green cars have made positive comments about this color, which is one that you don't see much on Ford Motor Company products. I have only seen 5 cars in this exact shade. Note: the first photo shows the headlamps BEFORE they were polished. They look new now.
Being a xxxx, this car has the same-as-xxxx redesigned frame, brakes, zero offset wheels, revised suspension and aluminum engine & suspension cradle as every last generation Panther platform car, which were sold from xxxx to xxxx. These major changes under the skin make for a HUGE improvement in ride quality, cornering and overall precision feel. A note about the so-called high mileage: these cars are legendary in the taxi and especially the livery industry for their ability to rack up extremely high mileages relative to other brands. It is not uncommon at all for a livery operator to be looking at a used car to add to his young fleet with 300,000 miles or more. The highest-mileage example of a Panther car I have seen without major work was 589,000 miles, when the transmission finally needed to be overhauled.
When I first started out on my drive back to New Hampshire from Chicago, I got a strong impression that it drove like a large version of a Mercedes-Benz E-Class, and having driven many, many cars of all types, I am a pretty fair judge of a car's character. The fact that it had Continental tires on it may have contributed to this feeling, but nonetheless, the entire time I have owned it, it never ceases to give me a well-handling and precise experience without being harsh. I know there are many diehard Panther fans out there, and I know there are many air intake, engine, and suspension upgrades possible on these cars, but I have left it stock. I would like it to go to someone who appreciates the LSE.
This car has a really super-nice window tinting job from Tint King in Billerica, Massachusetts. I chose the most expensive film you can buy. They do all of the local detective cars, so they know how to do a great job on this body style. I have yet to find a better tinting company than Tint King. And I did install a Class III trailer hitch, which I needed for a bike rack. You are also getting a professionally-installed waterproof trailer wiring harness (4-pin), which sits in the trunk until you need it. And you are also getting a 14-piece set of genuine stainless-steel trim for the door handles and B and C pillars, already installed. This is just enough shininess to elevate it above the look of a detective's car without being gaudy. It actually reminds me of how Mercedes-Benz handled some of their S-Class exterior treatments in years past.
It has had a recent overhauled transmission and new torque converter, a new intake manifold, alternator, serpentine belt, (8) ignition coils, front wheel hub, brakes, HVAC controller, LCM (Lighting Control Module), Mass Airflow Sensor, IAC (Idle Air Control) valve, rear air suspension compressor, and a few other routine wear items replaced. Being an FAA-licensed Airframe & Powerplant Mechanic, I do most work myself, and I take good care of my machines. And from the first day I drove it back from Chicago, it has had Mobil 1 full-synthetic oil. I actually stopped at a Mobil 1 oil change franchise just East of Chicago to have this done.
It has also just had a fresh change of the rear differential oil, with a brand-new chrome-plated steel cover (you will be getting the original plain steel cover as well).
The dash now sports an iPhone holder/charger with a more powerful hidden amplifier. This will work with the iPhone from the first-generation up to the new iPhone 6 Plus. I will remove this system if you don't want it. It won't leave any holes, as I cleverly used the clock display area as a mounting point, and I will reinstall the clock if you like.
The other upgrade is an OnStar mirror, which also includes a really good Bluetooth handsfree system for phone calls. You can have the original mirror back as well. It also comes with a brand-new and very hard to find set of matching Mercury front floormats with the LSE logo on them. That was the only place you would ever see the LSE logo. Mercury's designers intentionally left the LS designation on the trunk lid, in homage to the whole "sleeper" concept.
If I were to keep this car, I would repaint the roof at some point, but it's not an urgent task. Everything else is in excellent condition. Of course it is not a concours quality paint job, as it does have the usual nicks and scrapes, but it was just detailed and it looks fabulous. There is NO rust underneath - I periodically get under there with a rust conversion coating and keep it at bay. The vast majority of what you will see underneath is shiny black paint.
It's an excellent winter car too - I installed a really good, OEM quality heated seat system into the driver's seat. The car now has (4) really excellent winter tires on it. They can be studded if you prefer them that way. I have actually passed SUVs on Route 95 in a snowstorm. The tire choice makes a huge difference. There is a group of (4) photos showing my Lincoln wheels on it, which are not included. I was running those for a while to save wear and tear on the standard LSE "snowflake" rims.
Please forgive my wordiness, but this is a special car and it has a story that deserves to be told accurately. Thanks!
NOTE: If you are flying in, we will split the cost of a modest hotel or bed & breakfast for you, and give you a $50 fuel allowance in cash to help you on your way. There is a great B&B within walking distance of here. We will also pick you up at Logan or Manchester Airport (preferably).
**Panther platform cars were made in (4) frame lengths:
* Ford Crown Victoria & Mercury Grand Marquis, wheelbase 114.7 inches (including all station wagons)
* Lincoln Town Car, wheelbase 117.7 inches (3 inches longer)
* Ford Crown Victoria Long Wheelbase, wheelbase 120.7 inches (6 inches longer). This now-rare car was only sold to taxi fleets and to a lesser extent, some police departments. Most of them were sold to New York City taxi companies. As they are taken out of New York service, they are currently being bought by a company that ships them to Chicago to refurbish them, where they will have a second and third life in taxi and sometimes livery service. Unless you have spent a great deal of time in New York City, AND you knew what to look for (the obviously longer rear door glass), you have most likely never seen one of these.
* Lincoln Town Car L, wheelbase 123.7 inches (9 inches longer than the shortest Panther platform car)
In all cases, the rear doors are where you can spot the difference in length. This was all about rear seat legroom.