I'll be keeping my 94 but I'm considering buying a 97 CV from a private owner.It has 93,000 miles on the clock and seems to be in great condition.Can someone tell me the good and bad about 97's?

Good is you more than likely will not need to do the valve seals.

Bad may be the plastic intake manifold.

93,000 miles will run a long time.

Spend another ~$500 and you won't have to worry about the intake. I would rather spend the extra $500 and know I still have a pretty solid car, than buy some POS FWD instead...

Someone posted here recently that underdrives and Water Wetter helps guard against this possible failure. A Cobra water pump is also said to help. I had a '96 P71 with underdrives, and drove the CRAP out of it. I also maintained it quite well. Never had a problem.

They say that the crossover is most likely to fail under hard accelleration. So if you keep your foot out of it (and especially if you run underdrives and Water Wetter), you should be good to go.

I have a feeling that a 180 degree thermostat might also help lower the chance of failure.

I have had a '96 and two '97s. I think the tuning is a bit better on the '97s. Also, that is the first year of the new-style steering gearbox.

VMM

From what I have seen on the forum, if it hasn't been abused by wide open throttle a lot, it probably will last a long time.

If you look closely at the block, there is not a web across the front of the valley between the cylinders so when the engine is put under a lot of stress, it can have slight movement between the cylinder banks.

If it has the aluminum manifold like the first ones, or the replacemtent that has the aluminum water tube in the front, the engine is more ridged.

Town Cars and privately owned GM and Vics do not have the reputation of failure so much because they are not normally stressed so much by wide open throttle.

It becomes a judgement call as to how it will affect a certain car or how you intend to drive it.

I have read on the forum that there are after market replacements becoming available, so take that into account.

I really think '97 was one of Ford's best Model Years.