With its signature suicide doors, the sixties Lincoln Continental offers a distinct look that’s hard not to notice, or get confused with any other make or model. Even more of a standout are those that feature the convertible top, but this option ended after the ’67 run, leaving only the sedan for the last two years of the car’s fourth generation of production. The seller of this 1969 Lincoln Continental here on Craigslist says he has this one to the point where some big decisions need to be made, and I’m taking that to mean how much farther up the ladder to take the car before calling it enough. However high that is, this luxury cruiser seems to be at a good point to take over, and it sounds reasonably priced at $8,500. Head on over to Seattle, Washington, to check this one out in person.
We’d like to thank reader Curvette for sending in the tip here! Something that seems advantageous about this particular Lincoln is how sturdy the body appears to be. The finish is showing wear and fading, plus there’s an area on the passenger side that shines brighter than the rest, so at least one touch-up has likely been done at some point. However, looking under the surface, I’m observing what seems to be straight and solid panels, with no signs of any obvious rust present. With some fresh blue paint along with a nice set of wheels and tires, this Lincoln would be an attention-getting ride, and it doesn’t seem as though too much prep work would be needed to get it ready.
Ford’s new 460 was the only engine available for 1969, and it made a satisfying 365 HP. There’s both good news and bad regarding the motor here, but fortunately, more positives than negatives. It seems the exhaust manifolds are cracked, which are loud and fill the bay with heat, which can make restarting difficult. More importantly, this also allows fumes inside, so it’s time to address this quickly. A set of manifolds from a later 460 is included, but they don’t line up with the factory exhaust system, so take your pick of sourcing the correct parts or a trip to Midas for some new pipes. Fortunately, the V8 only has 67,000 miles, so once the above issue is dealt with, there’s a good possibility it may be ready for action.
Although not perfect, the interior is still in decent condition overall and may be satisfactory if it’s just a driver you’re after. I’m also hoping one of our readers who’s a Lincoln expert can tell us about the component under the ashtray. A couple of sources are calling it a “Stereo Reception Adapter”, but I can’t confirm this, so a thorough explanation would be appreciated! Is this 1969 Lincoln Continental one you’d be interested in taking to a higher level?
The component under the ash tray looks like an aftermarket 8 track player.
Well, it’s really HUGE, but it’s still a LINCOLN! Definitely worth saving. They don’t make em like that anymore. So save it and let it pollute the air and guzzle gas. AND find some gen u ine LINCOLN wheel covers. Happy Halloween to all! Guess it’s time for SMASHING PUMPKINS 🎃
Back in 79 I bought one just like this that ran like a top for hundred bucks. I sure miss those days and those good deals!
Pretty close to the car I took my road test on, I think a ’68. It was a remarkably easy car to drive, despite its size. I’ve said before, not sure what the examiner liked more, the old mans Lincoln or my outstanding driving abilities,,anyway, took a while, but that under dash thing is a Bendix FM Stereo Multiplex adapter and was a Lincoln option, cost unknown. I read, had the old man bought that car new, it would have set him back just over $6grand. Let’s see, I got my license in Jan. ’72, so the car was already 4 years old, and he undoubtedly paid half that. He never bought anything new. You can ask our own Scotty G about these, they are incredibly hard to work on, and of course, its size limits most storage places. I know for a fact, that Lincoln was one the old mans favorite cars.
Kudos to the seller of this car for fantastic images in the ad and honesty throughout the text. Obviously a solid well cared for Lincoln throughout its life. The spreadsheet (SPREADSHEET!) Included in the ad show some heavy lifting by the current owner. Wish I lived closer, I would seriously consider this one to continue the good work of this caretaker and at least get it back to reliable driver status.
The module under the ash tray is a factory 8 track player. While there were a lot of aftermarket am, am/fm, and am/fm/8 track factory, and factory-looking units available on order, this is a Ford item. A lot of folks don’t know that Ford contracted with Bendix, Philco, and Motorola, with a smidgen of ARA units. There are a lot of am/fm factory units that are MONAURAL, which leads me to believe that this car’s radio also had fm search, seek, etc, which was pioneered by Bendix for Lincoln during this time. The tape unit was most likely made by Philco. The knob on the left is volume/track change, right is speaker balance. By the way, the housing was padded.