The owner of this 1962 Lincoln Continental Convertible has owned the car since 1970. It is said to be completely original, but it is a car that is going to require a complete restoration. While it may appear to be a giant of a car, it is actually smaller than its predecessor, but still offers an enormous amount of interior space. Located in Poolesville, Maryland, the Lincoln is listed for sale here on eBay. The owner has set a BIN price of $13,500 for the car, and it appears that he is firm on this.
The owner states that the Continental is still wearing its original Platinum paint. The car has been stored indoors for many years, and while the underside of the car is said to be solid, there are a couple of minor spots of rust starting to become visible. This includes a spot in the bottom corner of the passenger side rear door and another right next to it in the quarter panel. The body has a few minor dings, but overall, it looks to be quite straight. It appears as though all of the external trim and chrome is present and in pretty decent condition. The same can’t be said for the soft-top, which is completely shredded. The frame is still present, but it isn’t clear whether the power system for it is operational.
There’s going to be some work to do on the Lincoln’s interior to bring it back to life, but it might not be as much as first glances suggest. The carpet will need to be replaced, along with the leather on the front seat. The sun-visors have been removed, and are sitting on the back seat. Hopefully, the missing ashtray is also back there somewhere. There is some paint peeling on the dash, but the rest of it actually doesn’t look bad. I think that the cover on the rear seat could be revived, the door trims look good, as does the dash and pads. As well as the luxury of leather, the Continental is fitted with power windows, power locks, and a power front seat.
When the 4th Generation Continental was released in 1961, Lincoln was really gunning to not only equal the build quality and sales achieved by Cadillac but to surpass them in both areas. The Continental helped the company to achieve this, and attention to detail and thorough inspection processes were paramount. Each of the 430ci V8 engines that were fitted to the Continental would undergo inspection and bench-testing before it was allowed to be installed into the car. Once the car was completed, testing engineers would put the Continental through a 12-mile test drive to help to identify any potential issues, as Lincoln was striving to deliver the cars to their dealer network in flawless condition. The 430 in this Continental is original and is backed by a 3-speed automatic transmission. You also get power steering and 4-wheel power drum brakes. Those are not designed for hard stopping, as at 5,300lbs, the Continental is no lightweight. The great news is that after its long hibernation, the owner has undertaken a bit of tinkering. He decided to rebuild the carburetor and service the brakes, and now the Continental runs and drives. He has test-driven it around the farm, and it seems to be okay. I’d probably want to do a bit more checking before I hit the open road.
The 1962 Lincoln Continental Convertible is a giant of a car, and although it is significantly smaller than its predecessor, it has a real presence about it. This one will need some restoration work, but if the description in the listing is accurate, none of this work should be too complicated. With nice, original cars starting at around $30,000 today, this looks like it would be worth the effort.
Fender cover is a nice touch. Wouldn’t want to scratch it, you know.
Great looking design.
We always collected pre-war Fords and post war GM cars, so I’m not a post war Ford fan, but we did have a 67 Continental convertible for a few years around 1980. We eventually sold at Hershey, but I still have a soft spot for the Continental convertibles.
Maybe I’m just getting old, but knowing these cars a little, I don’t think I’d ever want to take on one as a project. The Continental’s convertible top is a real Rubik’s Cube. When you lower the top, the trunk lid powers open, and part of it folds over, the rear windows lower partially, and then the top folds down into the trunk. Of course, all of this has to operate correctly for the top to raise again too. To make all of this work, there are a series of relays, powered screws, hoses, motors, etc, and if any of them fail, it can be a nightmare to track down the problem and fix it.
Though this car looks fairly solid and complete, I’d be more inclined to buy a finished car.
The car is an ideal restoration candidate, it appears to be complete however due to the much less than ideal storage conditions and the ravages of time many new parts will need to be sourced. I love the car and it brings back many, many fond memories for me. My Mother had the very same car new which she drove until 1967. It sure speaks of a much better time. I think the car is slightly overpriced however that is most likely an intentional move on the sellers part so they have some negotiating room. I wish the new owner the very best with this beautiful classic.
These cars went from nothing to something in value in a very short time, and then the brakes were applied. They have been flat in price for a while, and now they are increasing in value. Call it a moderate upside. I have a sense you will be North of $60,000 to get it right, and I would not be surprised if the values of the car increase to that point over time. I have a 1966, the gas mileage is terrible, the car is stunning. So I drive it. That’s why I own it. Fix and drive your old cars.
No mention whether the trunk lid backs open to accommodate the top. Probably not.
” none of this work should be too complicated” Really??? Have you ever worked on one of these tops. There are a few guys that know how to fix them, but very few.
Iconic car made famous from Entourage the TV show!! After that all the yuppies wanted to drive around with there buddies in a 4 door Lincoln convertible!! Great car however but to rich for my blood at 30 grand knowing how hard it is to acquire parts for these and realizing every nut and bolt will need to come out before it goes back!! Good luck hope you got deep pockets!!!
A buddy of mine also has a ’62 Continental convertible, Chestnut Metallic with special-order beige top and interior. He was best friends with the original owner, and helped him pick the colors in ’62. He ended up inheriting the car in 1969 when his friend died. He has assiduously maintained the car over the years since. It is a pleasure to ride in. I drool every time I see the car.
There is no better looking or driving car when done!!
That restoration bill is going to be huge.
How much will it be just to re-do the leather seats?
Also whoever buys the car needs to slap the sellers hand for letting get into this condition, as he has had it since 1970.