Go Big Or Go Home? 1973 Lincoln Continental Town Car

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Do you have a big garage or perhaps an airplane hanger that’s not quite big enough for a firetruck? Are you looking for an inexpensive classic for those weekend drives? Could you stand the color, “light yellow gold”? Think how easy this barge will be to find in parking lots, that is if you can find a spot big enough for it. If this Lincoln is as nice as it looks, it might be what you are looking for. It looks like it was well taken care of before it was parked and forgotten. It’s yet another ad for a car on a trailer with little information and few pictures but at least the $2,500 price tag may not be too crazy. If there really is no rust and there are no serious mechanical issues this would be a nice car. It looks forlorn with its hood not quite closed and its eyes not quite open. Unlike most creatures, this Lincoln opens its eyes when it dies because Ford designed it as a safety feature for when the mechanism fails. Jamie wrote about an almost identical car here awhile back and there’s not much I can add to what he said. This one can be found here on craigslist in Clarksville, Tennesse. 1973 was the year Ford pushed the bumpers out to comply with safety standards adding another five inches to this barge. There’s no information on its mechanical issues or how long it’s been sitting.

The spiders have been busy but the inside still looks really nice. It looks like it really might have only 70,000 miles on it. Those seats look like they would be especially comfortable for a long cruise.

Here’s the 460 V8 engine, reduced to 225 horsepower from 365 hp in order to meet emissions standards and to adapt to unleaded gas. It’s really dusty in there but it looks complete. This Connie could have been parked because it had issues or because it was just an old car that used lots of gas and wasn’t worth much. If the seller got the engine running, even from a gas can, it would be much easier to sell, so I wonder why he doesn’t bother. Hopefully, it’s not because he found a major problem and is just unloading it.

What do you think you’d find if you had a close look? Hopefully, that’s just dirt on the vinyl top. If there are no bubbles under the vinyl top, I’d wander around with a magnet looking for bondo and signs of collision repair then check under the hood for water in the oil, leaks and such underneath the car. If it’s as solid on the underside as the rest of the car appears, then this might be worth the gamble. It will need the usual mechanical repairs and consumables, but otherwise, I wouldn’t change a thing.

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Comments

  1. KSwheatfarmer

    David is right,buying one of these not running is a real crap shoot. I always try to figure out why it was parked in the past for a hint of whats in store.I bought a 73 Mercury Marquis a few years back for a very low price, with the understanding it would fire up and drive home.Lo and behold,new battery and fresh gas got it going. It had been owned by the woman’s father and part of our negotiation involved me agreeing not to destroy it. Sentimental value for her. It’s in the shed. Wife calls it the B B T. big brown turd.

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  2. KSwheatfarmer

    bbt

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    • Donald Canada

      BBT looks NICE:) I love these big boats…

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    • olddavidp

      And a coupe, too. Beautiful

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    • Grumpyboy

      Uncle Buck!

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    • Zapp

      Looks like BBT is a Monterey Custom or Meteor Montcalm, rather than a Marquis. The headlamps aren’t covered, and if it were a Marquis with the covers stuck open, there still wouldn’t be a chrome moulding above the headlamps.

      Whatever it is, I still love it! The ’73 and ’74 are my favourite Mercurys of the 1970s.

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  3. Mike

    We went to a show in downtown Seattle last night. It was dark and raining and at the tail end of the rust hour. Our little KIA was threading the needle in a sea of cars. Now imagine this barge trying to get through without creasing door panels and leaving side mirrors scattered in its wake. How did they manage back then?

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    • David Frank David FrankAuthor

      High beams, little cars like Kias tend to move out of the way, epecially if you’re already showing battle damage. And, a big RWD car is a lot easier to drive in the rain than skittish little FWD cars. (like I drive every day! It has the turning radius of a bus and you can’t see the corners.)

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    • Tiberius1701

      “How did they manage back then?” Answer: Not to be a smart-arse, we could drive. I owned one of these in my senior year of High School in Cleveland back in ’78-’79- I called her Battlecar Galactica-and you learned where this car ended front and rear.

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  4. WildBill63

    One of these donated it’s 460/C6 for my ’64 F250 many years back. Great car, rode and drove like a dream. The pick up not so much!

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  5. Classic Steel

    It’s a perfect car for a homeless person or nomadic person !

    Imagine a car bigger than a studio apt!

    I see a flat screen 📺 on the headliner and a computer work station in front living room (err front seat) 😉😮

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  6. Rex Kahrs Rex KahrsMember

    In ’73 I went to my Junior prom wearing a tuxedo this exact yellow color.

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    • Rodney

      Pics or it didn’t happen ;)

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      • Rex Kahrs Rex KahrsMember

        Rod old boy, you’ll simply have to take my word on this. In those days we didn’t photograph and post every fart.

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  7. Brad

    These old land yachts are actually easier to navigate than your average front-wheel drive econobox. You can see all four corners, and the turn radius isn’t hindered by fwd mechanicals. If you’re short, just use the Lincoln’s hood ornament as a pointer and you’ll do fine.

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  8. TxOldguy62

    Had a 74 in the same color combo but with white leather interior, best hiway,most comfortable car I’ve ever had..until the left front fender got taken out by a Subaru, then oil pump and distributor failed,intake started leaking.. All in a weeks time!! Miss the old banana car as my kids called it

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  9. Gay Car Nut

    My older cousin had a 1973 Lincoln Continental Town Car back in the 1980s. I found it more attractive than either the Chevy Caprice, or the (Chrysler) Imperial.

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  10. Kev

    I have a 1978 Lincoln Town Coupe and its a pleasure to drive. My wife got it for me a few years ago when I was taken off work and placed on disability. I love this old car however I took it around the block last winter and was reminded (very quickly) about how we actually had to drive back then. No ABS, Traction control, or Airbags. You had to slow down on corners and put in neutral to make a sharp corner and had to feather the gas petal (or hand controls in my case) to get it rolling again on ice. Lovin the Lincoln.

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    • Art M.

      Kev, you have a beautiful car and a wonderful wife. You should be proud.

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    • Zapp

      Few people are aware that putting the gear selector in the 2 position will force a second-gear start from rest with Ford three-speed automatics. Very useful for getting the car moving on ice.

      My ’02 Ranger with the five-speed auto also had this feature.

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  11. 70s survivor

    Mr Frank, 1974 models were the ones with the larger 5 mph bumpers, which came out in the fall of 1973, and Unleaded gas was not required until the 1975 models, all makes. 70s survivor.

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  12. Wrong Way

    Call me dumb, but I don’t know what flagged for removal means? Anyways it says it was flagged for removal!

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  13. KSwheatfarmer

    Zapp, you are correct sir,it is indeed a Monterey Custom. Some times I think one thing and type another. Big thanks to all who clicked the like buttons.

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    • Zapp

      This ’74 Monterey Custom is for sale locally. If only I had garage space…

      Like 0
  14. Wrong Way

    LMAO, I didn’t even really look at it! I just read the post! That is a Mercury!

    Like 0

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