This seller found these 3 Continentals at a relative’s house during Easter. The owner intended to restore the black convertible but there is a very nice looking sedan included in the sale that looks like a viable car to make into a driver once more. Also a parts convertible is included, but has seen better days. These iconic cars are getting harder to find in solid condition, and there appear to be two fairly solid cars here to work with. With a buy it now price of $6,500 this small but “large” collection looks like a worthwhile venture to someone with time and space. Check them out here on ebay out of Hustonville, Kentucky.
The interior of the convertible is going to need a lot of help as it resembles a storage space more than a seating area. Depending on your taste in flavor, perhaps much of the sedan interior could be put into this convertible? Getting past the vacant interior, the exterior of this convertible looks excellent. Straight with no evidence of rust, the owner has made a wise decision of storing it indoors. Although this auction shows 3 cars, the seller eludes that there are many rare parts, and that there may be a possible parts pile included with these Continentals.
The sedan looks like a very worthwhile project, but front fenders are bent. There is some rot in the passenger side rear wheel arch, but otherwise rust looks to be a minor concern with this car. Even for a minimalist, this car could be washed up and likely put on the road pending any major concerns.
The interior of the sedan is very reasonable with only age creases showing on the seat. The dash is remarkably clean, appearing without fault. The seller has described this sedan a “parts car” so I am curious as to the title status of this car, and if there is any hidden or severe rust. There is no mention of drive-train or condition with any of the 3 cars, but this sedan looks like it could be revived and enjoyed without too much fuss.
This convertible on the other hand is quite pitiful and waiting to be put out of its misery. This parts car is rough and looks to have little in the way of body panels to offer. But there is glass, trim, and perhaps a drive train in this car so it may be worth the hassle to drag it home to pull it apart. Although vague with details and information, this small collection of Lincolns looks like a worthwhile venture to all of the Continental fans out there. Would you jump on this suicide door collection?
That works out to about 42 cents per pound. Hopefully they don’t end up as “death mobile” clones ala Animal House.
Nah, the “Death Mobile” from Animal House was a ’64. Any purist would immediately notice the difference as the 1966 Lincoln was a whole new body style from the Elwood Engel styled 1961-1965 models. The ’66 was 5″ longer and about an inch wider than the earlier models.
Cool but you’d have to really love them to want to restore them. They are HEAVY and underpowered. I have worked on a few of these (62-66) and they have miles of vacuum lines, goo-gags and accessories. I would much rather have a simpler Fairlane or my ’64 Galaxie, for example.
me i’d take a imperial any day over these barges! way better car and a lot less electrial headaches that lincons were known to have!
Rather have a 61-63…Had a ’63 in 1975………..white with blue interior…leather.beautiful car. Paid 250 bucks for it drove it across the US. Craig 8 track on the hump!
One of the most attractive cars Ford ever made, I have always wanted one. I learned to love them in the latter models that McGarrett drove on TV when I was a kid. I would love the sedan.
The cars on Hawaii 5-O were Mercury Park Lanes, Mercury Grands Marquis or Ford LTD’s.
http://www.hawaiifive0.org/cars.shtml
Owned one for a few years. Nice car. But the electro/mechanical/vacum gizmos that control the top and trunk mechanism can be worked on by about 3 guys if you want it to actually work correctly.
I am asking because I don’t know; is that the start of a roll cage in the front of the one convertible where the dash used to be?
It could be a brace ,maybe !
McGarrett? Mercury
Having made a similar deal in the 80’s (1- 63 convertible, one hardtop, and a 62 hardtop) all AZ rust free, I really enjoyed these cars. However, my last foray into the suicide door Lincolns was a ’69 that was almost perfect. A super nice driver that ran extremely well. Gonna need a bigger garage (barn) comes to mind with these…
If these were 61s I’d be hooking up the trailer. 62-63 I’d be thinking about it. After that, no thanks. If you read what FoMoCo did to ensure the success of the 61 Continental (quality-wise) you’ll be absolutely floored.
If you ever have a chance to look up under the 4 fenders of a ’61 to ’67 Continental convertible, you will find in each fender cavity a heavy cast iron weight inside a large cylinder, the weight suspended on a coil spring, all of it bolted to the bumper mounting brackets. Because these cars were 4-door convertibles with a unitbody [no separate frame], they were found to have a problem with body flexing & vibration. Adding the weights suspended at the 4 corners of the car helped absorb the flexing and vibrations.
I’ve included a photo of the assemblies, because I’ve had guys who simply can’t believe FoMoCo would do something like that! It does work, I bought a 1966 convertible that was missing the weights, and the car would vibrate terribly on rough roads. Replacing the weights made a drastic difference!
The Brits did a similar thing with the old pre war Alvis, SS Jags, MG saloons etc. by fitting weights to the outer extremities of the bumpers in order to counteract the vibrations and that was on cars that had a chassis/frame!
The idea of those heavy cast iron weights followed Lincoln Continental designer Elwood Engle to Chrysler Corp; he was hired as vice-president of design in 1962.
Engle’s debut Imperial design was the Lincoln-esque 1964-66 models. The convertibles featured heavy weights on all for corners, like the Lincoln converts.
It was said to eliminate oscillation at speed, not because of unitized construction (Imperials were framed cars through 1966), but because of the structural rigidity disadvantages inherent in convertibles (no roof).
Here is a photo of the weights
nothing says prestige than a Lincoln covert. like this one on Green Acers , and, Jesse, any reason why this arrived 23 hrs late???
acres
Hi Bryan. That may be correct as far as the American convertibles were concerned, but the Brits had them on several makes of large saloons as well as their roadsters.