Perfect winter car, but personally I would question the reliability of a car that has sat unused for so long. My Probe sat for at least a few months before I got it, and it was very much falling apart when I got rid of it. Even the Contour, when we bought it in early 2001, took advantage of the 30,000 mile warranty several times because it sat for about a year before we got it. (After about 35,000 miles, I think it realized its fate as a daily driver again and has been wicked reliable to us since.
)
That said, that Taurus will make a wonderful beater if it proves itself reliable! You've quite the find there; hopefully you can bring it back to some of its former glory.
