For more than 80 years, the Continental was a major fixture in the Lincoln lineup. For the fifth generation that ran from 1970 to 1979, they were bigger than ever, sharing their platform with the Mercury Marquis and Ford LTD. Sedans were more popular than coupes, yet more than 21,000 2-door hardtops were built in 1975 (during the first U.S. oil crisis). This one has been sitting for a decade, and rust and general neglect have set in. Located in Minocqua, Wisconsin, this non-running project is available here on craigslist for $2,000.
Lincoln was on a roll in 1970 after launching the successful Mark III the year before. The Continental switched back to body-on-frame construction (last used in 1957). Four-wheel disc brakes would become an option for the first time on a Lincoln. These cars were powered by FOMOCO’s biggest engine, a 460 cubic inch V8, paired with a C6 automatic transmission. Despite the rising price of gasoline in 1975, the Continental continued to sell well, so I guess the “rich and famous” weren’t bothered.
For unknown reasons, this car was running when it was parked around 2016. It may not have moved since, given the flat tires and accumulating rust in a few places. One corner of the rear bumper has become disconnected and is dragging on the ground. The odometer read 90,000+ miles when it last served its owners.
This fixer-upper has a decent interior compared to the exterior. The seller can’t locate the title, so you’ll have to be happy with a bill of sale to do battle with your local DMV. This certainly is a set of cheap wheels, but restoring this vehicle can be a challenge because of all the electric gizmos that have been idle for 10 years. Do you need a donor for another Lincoln project? Credit goes to Barn Finder Zen for the tip.
Hey! I’m glad to see the “Good Bye or Goodbye” title come back! I took some heat for that a few years ago, hopefully it goes over better this time. I should have trademarked that, ha.
I think it sums up some of the vehicles we see here on Barnfinds rather well. This Lincoln actually looks like a great candidate if bought for the right price and doesn’t have any rust issues underneath.
Kind of up there with Chicken Coupe, or Chicken Coop.
When I read the title, I thought it was one of your write ups Scotty 😆😂😆
If the “bummer” is down in one corner, I would imagine that’s because the mount or cylinder that was holding it to the car rusted away. Does not bode well for the rest of it.
Goodbye. You can’t save everything. It’s a cool body design, but how many people that like it are willing to pay $2,000 for a non-running project with a missing title that has rust? It’s easy to fall into the good buy side of the ledger if you have no intention of buying it. It’s been on the market for two weeks at a low price, good deals don’t last, if potential buyers in the area saw the value it would have sold.
Steve R
I have seen a lot worse here on Barn Finds and a well crafted patch was the answer. The underside is a concern naturally and there’s no pictures of that but I’m seeing only one crusty patch on the passenger side quarter. No doubt this dreadnought class vehicle would be impressive once finished.
I had the 1977 Town Car version of this vehicle in copper with the same interior. A fabulous ride. Got about 16mpg on the highway out of that smooth 460-4V and maybe 6mpg in town. For some reason, in this generation, rust was an issue in the rear quarters and lower C-Pillars but seemingly not so much so for the Marquis or LTD of the same era. No problem with mine as i kept it garaged and well maintained. Sold it to a friend who rolled the odometer (5 digit) twice before sending it out to its final resting place at near 250K miles. If this vehicle has been sitting for 10+ years, it may well be a “Goodbye” (hopefully could save that die-hard 460).
Almost bought one like this in the
mid 2000s from an old friend of mine who wanted to sell it to help
get him one of those Russian mail order brides you heard so much about back then. Anyhoo,
his was the Town Coupe version
that decked out to the nines and
was a dual fuel car as it ran on either propane or gasoline. It was a custom build for the owner
of the Sure Gas Company in Auburndale, Florida. Sure Gas supplied folks in Polk County with
propane or LP gas for cooking or
hearing your house if you lived in the country. His car was silver with a blue leather and cloth interior. It ran great, and it still had the setup to run it on propane too. I thought better about buying it from him after calling my Dad who told me that when the engine is using natural gas, it runs hotter and could melt
the plugs as the operating temps
are well above what you’re used to. My friend lowered the price to
$500 but I still had to pass on it.
In the end, my wife said no because it was too big for her to
drive easily. And my friend Timmy? He finally did get his mail order bride from the Ukraine
not long after that. I met her once and it seemed as though they were happy together. Saw my friend a couple of years later
and boy, did he look a sight! Turns out that she was extremely
bipolar and used him for a punching bag! The DAs office had her deported back to the Ukraine. And the Lincoln? A friend of mine bought it and to my knowledge, he still has it today. And why not? It ain’t every
day you can buy a car that you can run off your own natural gas
LOL!
Don’t say this very often but definitely “goodbye.” Not worth restoring and would take way too much to even get her seaworthy. Bon voyage to this former beauty queen !
bumper down on 1 side says it rotted off the frame which means there more frame rot in other places. 2k good for parts. motors worth that. real shame. looked good when new and a 2dr coupe as well.
The seller has to get title from his state or state last registered. Then sell using that title. If rodents haven’t damaged wires shouldn’t be a problem
The seller has to get title from his state or state last registered. Then sell using that title. If rodents haven’t damaged wires shouldn’t be a problem
Minocqua is a quaint Northwoods Hamlet nestled among hundreds of scenic lakes, a magnet for summer people in days of yore. Well-to-do city dwellers from Chicago and Milwaukee built homes on the lakes and sent their wives and children “up north” for the summer to escape the urban heat. Similar to the Poconos in Pennsylvania and the Catskills in New York.
Great area for the vacationers but not so much for the locals who had a short window of opportunity to make enough to get through the severe winters. Cars like this Lincoln made their way north with the original owners who held onto them until they went to that great garage in the sky. Well-maintained until the owner’s demise they were sold off in estate sales and the townies would snag them for a song. And then drive them into the ground on those salty winter roads.
The Cottage People referred to them as ‘Flambeau Flyers’ – a reference to the indigenous peoples of the Lac du Flambeau Reservation who, like many of America’s indigenous peoples were somewhat economically disadvantaged. That is until they started opening casinos, which has helped to level the playing field.
For this car in particular it’s reminiscent of the Woods Trucks of northern Michigan – used solely to haul firewood out of the forests for home heating. But that’s a whole other story.
Maybe it won’t run because the air cleaner has an oil filter stuck on the intake