Thinking of driving across the country in my 9o

Asked by Momma90 Sep 20, 2017 at 03:38 PM about the 1999 Mercury Mountaineer AWD

Question type: General

So I'm thinking of bringing my 99 mercury
mountaineer (rusty red) from Baltimore, MD to Las
Vegas, Nv. It's almost winter and doesn't matter
that the ac doesn't work. It's got about 150,000
miles on it. I'm thinking I'd camp out to avoid
lodging costs. Is there a chance my baby will make
it? I'd rather have this car than no car. The move to
the west coast will likely be permanent, heading to
Oregon after staying in las Vegas for a few
months. Thank you all!

3 Answers

103,435

Hos does it run? How well was it maintained? Original timing chain? Head gaskets? When was the cooling system last serviced? An older car with 150k on the odo is a gamble for a cross-country trip.

You can drive the Mercury to Vegas. Mechanic must check hoses, change fluids, fix "any issues"; need very good tires. Your success depends on maintenance history, some prayers and some luck! I just drove 1989 Toyota Camry "no frills" with more than 230k mi to N.Jersey this June. It took me 4 days tops, but that was because I was alone and could decide when to and where to sleep. The first day -- excitedly -- I drove 14 hrs before I realized I could use some sleep; the next three days I drove about 11 hours a day. Arizona: was the only obstacle I encountered in the hills; forced to reduce speed due to a traffic jam caused by a burning truck. The reduced speed forced the transmission to constantly shift gears resulting in temporary overheating, but after about 45 minutes, was good to do. My Camry runs like a champ in Jeresey and turns heads with Calif plates. Good luck on your trip!

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