Classic/Antique Car Repair: foggy windshield, heater hoses, lincoln mark

Question
I have a 1977 Lincoln Mark V in almost perfect condition...one problem though, when its cold out, the windows fog up constantly and there is a slight sweet smell. Someone told me this may be a heater core problem. What do you think? is this an expensive repair?

Answer
Well, in this case, "someone" is exactly right, your heater core has failed, and that sweet smell is coolant.

This is a big pain to fix, because it is so hard to get at the heater core on these cars.  The parts alone are not too bad, around $100, but the labor is going to be prohibitive unless you change it yourself.  If you have the factory shop manual for the car, there will be step by step instructions in there to tell you how to do it, otherwise you need to get yourself one from one of the literature dealers.  If you are going to keep the car, it's a good idea to have one anyway.

If you want to get away cheaper, you can disconnect the heater hoses from the engine and run without a heater or defroster, but it will get mighty uncomfortable during the winter months, depending on where you live.

Dick