Please, for the love of Mike, one of you buy this so it doesn’t end up with 22″ spinners and flat black paint! This beauty is a 1966 Lincoln Continental Coupe and it looks like the real deal. Any time that a craigslist seller lists the VIN (!) and has posted almost two dozen photos (!!), that’s a good sign in my world. Did I mention that this gorgeous car is only $5,900? The price of rebuilding the V6 engine in your ’08 Malibu. That’s not a lot of money for this much car. It’s located in Whitehouse Station, New Jersey. Thanks to Barn Finds reader Bill Walters for this submission!
In 1966, Lincoln brought back a two-door model again and if all was right with the world this would be in my garage already, what an elegant car. The seller mentions just one thing that’s missing from this entire car, the letter “E” on the front script on the hood. That’s it. I can hardly look at this thing it’s so perfect! Well, it’s not perfect, but it’s very cool, and semi-inexpensive. This beauty has been stored since 1981 so there’s very little rust, and there has never been much rust. The seller mentioned one spot on the bottom of the LF fender that was fixed when the car was repainted over three decades ago, and there’s a small spot in front of the RR wheel. The vinyl top looks almost perfect. It looks like there are a couple of “soft dents” (I just made that term up) on the passenger side. Hopefully an experienced body shop could massage those out without breaking the “Empress, Mariner Turquoise Poly” paint.
And, speaking of paint, the seller says that this car was stored for 36 years and it has a few “old man touch ups” on the paint from nicks and scratches. I don’t know if I’d even worry about that, I like this car the way it is, nicks, scratches, touch-ups, and all. This car weighs a touch over 5,100 pounds but even after 51 years it looks even and level and not like it’s sagging or swaying in one direction or the other; unlike me. This car is just plain gorgeous; again, unlike me.
The gorgeousity (just made that up, too) doesn’t stop at the exterior – no, sir. The interior is about as perfect looking as a five-decade old car could ever hope to be. There is some wear and a split seam on the driver’s side arm rest, but the dash is perfect and that “Parchment” leather looks fantastic (dare I say, gorgeous?), front and rear. The headliner looks great, too. How’s the trunk lookin’, Scotty G? It’s funny that you should ask, I was just about to say that it’s gorgeous, believe it or not, complete with its original, rarely-seen factory script spare tire cover. This car has “A/C, AM 8 track, power vents, power windows, power brakes, power steering, power seat, tilt wheel, power trunk release, power antenna.”
You could hardly fit a #10 envelope in this engine compartment; it’s packed in there! And, it’s packed with mmm mmmm goodness. This Godzilla-like thing is a 462 cubic-inch V8 with 340 hp and a whopping 485 ft-lb of torque! I can only imagine how smooth and powerful this engine was, or is, and hopefully will be again with some regular maintenance. There is a slight exhaust leak at the flange gasket where the exhaust comes into the manifold, and it needs a master cylinder, but it sounds like that’s about it. This car has more horsepower and style than pretty much every vehicle that I currently own, or have ever owned, combined. Hagerty lists a #4 fair-condition car as being valued at $9,600 so this one is a no-brainer if it’s even remotely as nice as it looks in these photos. Gorgeous, just gorgeous.
Worth every penny if she’s solid
It’s already off of Craigslist so maybe someone already picked it up.
Would love to have this for an every day driver!!
Posting is deleted!
Sorry about that, I could not resist – I grabbed it!
Did you really Scotty? Good for you and congratulation! One of the most elegant big hardtops ever.
I did, Rich; thanks much!
Here’s the original CL ad for anyone who wanted to see the pics:
http://www.craigslistadsaver.com/view.php?name=CraigslistAdSaver849
The seller really seemed like a heck of a nice guy.
Great for you. I grew up 20 minutes from Whitehouse Station.
Are you going to attempt to drive it home, wherever home is?
A couple of years ago at Fabulous Fords Forever! one was parked next to a Mark III. As much as I like the Mark III, I liked the 1967 Continental two-door hardtop even more, overall a much more elegant design.
That would be a heck of an adventure, but I’m in the upper-Midwest and AAA would ban me for life if I called for a 1,500-mile tow. I can’t wait to see it, it’s 5+ feet longer than my other cars are!
I was seconds from getting it! Nice buy!
Awesome car and great buy! Keep everyone posted with any work you do…leather cleanup/dye job. Are the wheel covers correct?
Drive and enjoy, at least for a year, otherwise you face the wrath from BF followers as “fluff and buff flipper.”
Again…great purchase!
I don’t know you, but I’m really excited for you! Enjoy!
Way to go, Scotty. Congrats!!!
The 4 doors are nice with the suicide doors but as usual the 2 doors are way better looking if Scotty didn’t grab it it wouldn’t have lasted long
Congrats!
Thanks, JimmyJ!
A Jersey car? And 15 years in the salt? Sorry, just the skeptic in me. Will you let us know if it’s a bondo buggy? Couldn’t tell for sure, looked like bondo was so thick in front of the right rear wheel it cracked.
@scottymac: will do. The seller mentioned that spot was fixed 40 years ago as was one on the bottom of the left front fender, and then it was painted.
I have a 15-year old car that has never had a snowflake on it and has ever been driven in the winter, hopefully this Lincoln wasn’t a year-round daily driver.
I got married in 1974 in a 64 four door. Lived in California down the road from this car. Drove it on honeymoon to D.C. For a flight to Europe where I rented s VW camper and toured a few weeks. Appreciated the power, cruise and a/c when I got home. Then after a few enjoyable moths I chipped a flywheel tooth. It alway landed there when turned off. Crawling under car to move flywheel under cover plate got old fast. Saw the car a few years after I sold it. Heart twanged.
I had same with manual transmission lighter car. Just stuck foot out the door and rocked it like a skateboard.
I can’t help but wonder if this car came out of my grandmother’s neighbors garage on old rt 22
Congrats Scotty and thanks for posting the CL ad so the rest of us could see the fabulous ’66 Lincoln you scored.
Non original wheel covers on this. They belong on a early 70;s Lincoln Mk 3 or Mk 4. They make the car look awesome though. My friend had a 67 4 door which was an awesome car until he messed it up on a guardrail.
Hi Royal, how’d the guard rail fare in that? :)
Great job Scotty! Your moniker will have to be changed to Mr. Drysdale!. I confess though I am a 2 door hardtop guy, in the Lincoln I like the 4 door! Go figure. Consistency is the hobgoblin of small minds, I think Roman Hruska, late Senator from Nebraska once said.
In any event what a ride home you will have!
Hi WM, Milburn Drysdale never drove a Lincoln. He was an Imperial man for the entire duration of the show.
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gKQL3aBfwWQ/TaOz5KE0C7I/AAAAAAAAA4U/GD_8fxn2BKA/s1600/RickImperial03big.jpg
Yo Ho…… My memory may be failing me but I think at the end he had a 63 Lincoln convertible?
Yo Ho…. Mea culpa mea culpa mea maxima culpa
http://www.curbsideclassic.com/blog/cc-television-the-cars-of-the-beverly-hillbillies/
I should avail myself of the Internet more often!
You might be thinking of Green Acres. Oliver Wendell Douglas drove a gold Lincoln convertible at first, then a big gold Mercury convertible.
Unbelievable find! I’m in love! I’m glad Scotty got it! But I would’ve been just as happy if any BarnFinds reader brought that car into safe hands!
I was going to send Scotty another link to a 4WD Nissan Sentra wagon, but I suppose he needs to mix it up every once in a while….;-)
Ha, (doing the Dracula-fingers-into-a-cross-shape thing)..
I’m hoping that parts will be easier to get for this car than for the Stanza, Jeff. I love that oddball car, though. It’d be a much better winter car than this Lincoln would be.
Great buy Scotty, I’m jealous. Just don’t flip it, OK?
Beautiful car there, enjoy it.
Scotty: Is the placement of the radio antenna correct? It seems to be a little odd; I would have thought that it would be on the front passenger fender and/or passenger quarter panel, not at the base of the back window. :-)
THE radio antenna is on the driver’s side front fender. You can see it in the photos. That antenna on the back is for some kind of communications radio from the era.
Quick, somebody shake Scotty up, he’s clearly gone mad with Barn Finds power,,,,again, just when you think you know somebody pretty well ( we talk daily) they go and do a 180, and buys this. So out of character. Just awesome car. ( 5148 lbs, without driver, to be exact, not that Scotty would add much to that number) My old man had a ’68, 4 door that I took my road test on. The examiner freaked out, “this is what you bring for your road test???” It actually drives like a smaller car, and aced the test, no problem. I hope he has a “no-limit” BP card, as these typically got around 7/city, 10/ highway. That may take a bit of getting used to. Now, my advice on this car, take the air cleaner cover off, and turn it upside down. Me and my brother did that to the old man’s. It doesn’t go any faster, but sure sounds like it. Just what Lincoln drivers want to hear, WAHHHHHH.
Great score Scotty ! I think it was the Lost Planet Airmen who sang Hot Rod Lincoln. I’ll be humming that tune all day now. Man, what a ride.
Great to hear one of the BF community snagged this beauty! You are truly the ‘Master of Gorgeousity’ with this car.
Thanks, folks! I sure hope that it looks, and is, as good in person as it looked in the pics, and in talking with the seller. I’ve already cleared a couple of in-process minibike restorations out of the way so this thing will fit in the garage, just barely, unless there’s dust on the ends of the bumpers..
Just for the record, I still want a Subaru 360 Young S, a CitiCar / Comuta-Car, and a bunch of other tiny oddball cars. But, that doesn’t mean that I don’t love humongous, V8, 7 mpg monsters. I love them all, from the weird to the normal and everything in-between. Have a great weekend!
NOW THAT’S A CAR
How many cars do you have dooode?
The death mobile from Animal House Two door version. always loved those classy 1960 Lincolns
I only ever got to ride in one of these once, back in ’68 or ’69. Someone was trying to sell my grandfather one, and loaned him a 4-door to test drive. But, he was a Cadillac man and didn’t buy it, sadly.
Scotty, some Rocket Ignitor wheels ( with a wider offset) black wàlls and dynomax turbo mufflèrs….
You’re a bonafide G.
Well slap me with a rubber Bison and dip it in tar Scotty!! I was goning to buy this beauty and ship it to New Zealand where we keep all the best examples of automotive art. I have been watching your posts for years, and you clap on about wanting to own a fair few of the cars featured. Finally one I really want to buy and you go and whip it out from under everybodies noses! Well if you every decide to part with this GORGEOUS (your words not mine but I do concur!) machine be sure to email me first! Haere ra from NZ. (Thats well wishes)
Now what am I supposed to do with these 22″ spinners and all this flat black paint? !!!!!!!!!
If you get 7 city 10 highway, there’s something seriously wrong with the car. People always delight in quoting horrific numbers like that for the old luxobarges of the 60s and 70s, but it isn’t true. I’ve had a lot of them, then and now.
Unless you drive like the guy with the nitrous-equipped Super Bee, you’ll get roughly 50% better than that. Not great, but ……
Congrats on the buy. There’s some oddball things about the 462 engine, but it’s a good motor. Keep the cooling system serviced.
Hi cyclemikey, sorry, I know what I’m talking about. My old man had many of these gas hogs. It’s absolutely true, these got dismal mileage. It’s not so much “Leadfoot Larry”, it’s just, it takes a lot of energy to move a 5100lb. vehicle ( plus another 1000 for people and gear,) and all you got was 10 mpg , AT BEST. Plus, this car is not new, depending on engine condition, it may get even less. I think, with all the fuel efficient vehicles we’re all used to now, we tend to forget how much gas these cars actually used.
http://www.automobile-catalog.com/make/lincoln/continental_lincoln_2gen/continental_lincoln_2gen_coupe/1966.html
Hi Howard – We can agree on that. 10mpg is about what you could get around town, and it’s nearly 50% more than the 7mpg you quoted. Out on the highway at an easy 60mph cruise, 14mpg or so is attainable without too much effort.
I don’t base this on my recollections of “my old man’s” cars. I’ve actually owned and driven a number of Lincolns and Imperials of this vintage, including a 462-equipped 4-door version of this car. Whether or not this car can achieve those results will depend, as you say, on what condition the engine is in.
And btw, your “sorry but I know what I’m talking about” comment is pretty condescending, dontcha think? Just sayin’.
Hi cm, I apologize. Sometimes, I get a little frustrated, when people call me out on things I do know about. I’ve been tinkering with machines, since some of you were in diapers. So many things I don’t know about ( but learn something every day, with this innernet thing) Computers slay me, I’m probably not the best brain surgeon, but when it comes to bikes, cars, trucks, lawn mowers, skid steers, tractors ( takes another breath), backhoes ( are there front hoes?) , fork lifts, construction equipment, you name it , I’ve had at least some experience with just about every machine made. The other thing here, have the valves been worked on? Might not do so well on unleaded. ( even UAF premium) I suppose teens are possible, but come on, you have a car like this, and going to putt along at 53 mph behind a Kia? I’d think temptation would be too great, and WHOOSH! Goodbye Kia, ( as the gas gauge just dropped 1/4 tank) :)
Yo Ho…I got yer back…I had a ’63 Lincoln 4 door and could never get more than 10 mpg.downhill in neutral with a tailwind! :)
Of course I was a 20 yr old leadfoot driving in the City……and gas was .35 a gallon! Couldnt afford to fill it up! Imagine!……………..all the people….
Wish I could have grabbed her..She looks fine to me..Cleaner than my white 1967 Lincoln coupe..Can the new owner call or eme if you need any parts..I have a warehouse full..A G The Lincoln Nut……****** http://www.andysaircare.com