Neglected Restoration: 1989 Lincoln Town Car

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Lincoln sold the Town Car as a luxury sedan for more than 30 years (from 1981 to 2011). The nameplate had previously been part of the Lincoln Continental Series. This 1989 version was once a running project that supposedly only needed cosmetic work. According to the seller, the body shop he gave the car to for all the work neglected it and ran off with some of its parts, including the wheels. With a practically new crate engine, this once fancy automobile lapsed into parts car territory and the seller is letting it go for $1,000 here on craigslist. You’ll find it in its current sad state in Oakland, California.

The Town Car got its name from the general understanding that limousines and the like were often referred to as such. With Cadillac and Chrysler as the primary competition, Lincoln built three generations of the Town Car throughout the 1980s, 1990s, and the new century. Except for a bit in 1981, the Town Car only came as a 4-door sedan, looking like a vehicle a chauffeur might be driving. They turned out to be very popular for fleet and limo services. It was the longest car in Ford’s North American suite during the second half of its run.

Buyers scooped up these expensive cars like there was no tomorrow, 128,500 in 1989 when the seller’s black buggy was built. As the seller’s story goes, this was a good running car with a crate motor (we assume a 302 V8) under the hood when he tendered it to have some bodywork done and new paint applied. The vehicle already had nearly 150,000 miles, so a lot of refreshing seemed to be needed. We understand this Lincoln sat for about a year without much happening and the worker ended up leaving the country with parts of it going with him.

The seller has collected a lot of parts over time, and they will go with the sale. That sweetens the pot if you plan to use the Lincoln as a donor car. But if your intention is to restore it, most folks would agree that you have a long road ahead to travel. But the nearly new engine alone might make this a tempting proposition. Thanks for the tip, Barn Finder Henry Reining.

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Comments

  1. Kendra KendraMember

    When you don’t tip the valet.

    Like 3
  2. Cam W.

    I can almost guarantee this will be a Demolition Derby car. Selling the leftover parts will likely mean the buyer will end up with a “free” car, and maybe some extra profit.

    Like 0
  3. RICK W

    Thank God it’s black! At first glance I thought maybe it was MY blue 89 Town Car Signature Series. I hated to sell it, being one of my favorites. But with clear coat paint blistering and 120,000 miles and a pristine vintage 89 Fleetwood Brougham deElegance available, I made the decision. Then back to Grand Marquis and TOWN CARS. This poor rack and roll baby looks like it got run over like Grandma 👵. Has anyone noticed low flying reindeer?

    Like 0

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