Comparing Continentals

[krsco]

I am making a final decision about buying a Lincoln Continental. I am considering a a 69 or 70 Mark III, a 76 Mark IV, and a 79 Mark V. Is there anything in your experience that recommends one model over another. I have literally looked all over the US trying to find the best Mark series I can afford and I am left with these choices. Help!

[elcad70]

I like all the Mark III, IV and V Lincolns. In the past I have owned and worked on a 1970 Mark III, a 1973 1974 and 1976 Mark IV and my next door neighbour has a 1978 Mark V which I've spent a lot of time with.
I prefer the 1970 Mark III because it has a belt driven power steer pump over the 69 and doesn't have the high back seats that graced the 71. My favourite Mark IV is the 72 because it doesn't have the front or rear 5mph crash bumpers. The 73 only had the rear original which in my opinion draws more attention to the front and from 1974 on they all had both. The most desirable of the Mark V models are the 460 over the 400 but compared to the power of the 1970 460 they are both noticeably less powerful.

In all honesty there is very little difference between them. Once again, in my opinion they are truly gorgeous cars and no matter which model you decide on, buy what suits YOU and enjoy yourself.

[Dan Szwarc]

My vote is for the 70 Mark III. But buy the car in the best condition.

[LithiumCobalt]

This is my personal opinion based on my own tastes.....I never warmed up to the Mark IV design so I would never consider one.

The Mark V is going to be a little more modern and potentially easier to find some parts for. I could definitely rock one of these, but it would need to have the luxury group interior over the standard one for me to get excited about it. Oh, and turbine aluminum wheels! If you are stuck with only a '79 model year in the Mark V, I would pass. In '79, Ford removed the 460 from the engine lineup. Your only choice in that year is the boat anchor 400.

The Mark III is probably the most exclusive of the bunch. It came with a high compression 460. Anything '72 and later was lower compression. Within the Mark III range, I would never go for a '69. There are a lot of people that love them, but there are so many improvements to the 70-71 over the 69 that choosing a 69 would just be silly. '71 was last year for real wood interior. '72 went to fake as fake could be. Tacky as hell.

All of them will be plagued with expensive parts and sometime unobtainable parts so there is no advantage with going with one over the other in this regard. They all drink gasoline in gulps rather than in sips, but that doesn't deter me.

My two cents...

[Mike]

I agree with Nick ^^
Out of the 3 I prefer the Mark III but you're talking a different price range and parts availability then Mark V. So it all depends on what you want it for.
If that's not an important factor and you can't decide then find all 3 to drive and one will probably stand out more then the others.

[frasern]

I have never owned a roadworthy Mark, but I lean towards the early ones. I think the first ones, built in 68, had seats without headrests, which I like, but that may have just been a trim option. I also prefer the wipers set in a cowl, in '70 the hood just flares up at the back, which looks sloppy to me.
My second choice is the V, I worked at a L/M dealership in '79, loved them then, and still do. Last year, I bought a smashed up '79 from the insurance co. on a foolish whim, just so I could have one.
Something to be aware of is rust, from my experience the III is worse than the later cars in this regard, but they are all old, so check carefully, shiny paint can hide a lot.
Anyway, as others have said, drive them and pick the one thet speaks to you.

[LithiumCobalt]

Discussion on the 400: https://thelincolnforum.net/phpbb3/view ... oat+anchor

[LithiumCobalt]

I have never owned a roadworthy Mark, but I lean towards the early ones. I think the first ones, built in 68, had seats without headrests, which I like, but that may have just been a trim option.

The early production 69's were actually produced without headrests as standard. At some point during the '69 or '70 model year, headrests were mandated so they started equipping all of them after a certain point (or equipping with a high back seat, which I dislike).

[TonyC]

Right; one of the vets (Action, I think) schooled me on when the headrest mandate took effect: January 1st, 1969. Before then, headrests were optional extras and apparently not that commonly ordered; not one of the '68/9 Mark III organ donors in John's Auto Salvage has headrests, nor does any of them look like they were ever fitted. The very high back was done only for the '71 model.

My personal preference is headrests, to the point that I retrofitted a pair to Frankenstein's front seat and intend to do so again with the 'vert the world still owes me. But they must be of '69 design, which had larger padding than later years; after all, I installed those things for a reason other than aesthetics.

---Tony

[LithiumCobalt]

The very high back was done only for the '71 model.

---Tony

Technically, the high backs started with the late 1970 model year and went through mid-1971 production. Very short-lived, and for good reason.

[1Bad55Chevy]

John's Auto Salvage

---Tony

In Seguin Texas?

[frasern]

Yeah, I know headrests are safer, I just prefer the early "look". Also, they got in the way when I was backing up, back when I was more flexible, and cars had no right mirror.
Shoulder straps are safer too, but have you seen that awkward thing they offered on '67 verts? Not a chance I would ever order that, and I don't think anyone else did either.
Here I go again, way off topic!

[frasern]

Right; one of the vets (Action, I think) schooled me on when the headrest mandate took effect: January 1st, 1969. Before then, headrests were optional extras and apparently not that commonly ordered;

---Tony

I think I remember that post, now that you mention it. So now, I'm wondering which headrests were optional, if it were those 2 post ones, like my '68 sedan, that would be a rarity!

[TonyC]

Well, based on that reference date, I'd say both the two-post and one-post designs were optional, until the mandate took effect during the one-post production year.

Considering how relatively-few Lincolns were given headrests in '68 (neither '68 in John's Auto Salvage had them), I'd say that a car fitted with them commands a higher price.

You know, Fraser, I used to think shoulder straps were a critical need myself, until my first collision in Frankenstein. Now I'm in no rush to add them. Sure, they may be safer, but so are lighted bunions in rear windows, supposedly; not that much safer that I felt I had to have them (certainly not enough to warrant fitting in 'verts...yes, I did see how that was done in the shop manual, and I thought it ridiculous). Headrests, on the other hand, yeah, needed. Anal-probes happen, though not to me for 33 years...and, should one happen, at least I'll still have my neck. And, actually, the way I twist when reversing, they really don't interfere with my reverse maneuvering. Plus, they look good; I was so lucky to find a pair of the same color as my upholstery! And people never even notice the anachronism!

In Seguin Texas?

Yes, 1Bad55Chevy, the same. They've known me and have helped me out with parts for years, the last time being in August with trunk torsion bars and a couple other smaller parts I needed. I'll have to visit them again for trunk hinges.

---Tony

[1Bad55Chevy]

In Seguin Texas?

Yes, 1Bad55Chevy, the same. They've known me and have helped me out with parts for years, the last time being in August with trunk torsion bars and a couple other smaller parts I needed. I'll have to visit them again for trunk hinges.

---Tony

I am from Boerne and my parents grew up in New Braunfels. Pretty much my entire childhood was spent out in that yard.. I remember back when there were SS Chevelles/Camaros/Novas ,390 mustangs, and hard top tri fives sitting in those piles of cars. Are you familiar with the horse corral in the front of the yard? The barn there is where my 55 came from back in 2001. My Dad knows John from way back in the day and he talked him into selling it since he was keeping it for himself. Because I was young and he knew my dad he took me all over that yard and into his office above the shop and gave me every piece of trim he could find for a hardtop 55 even though all the trim was on the car.

Depending on when you were in SA we might have been running with the same crowds or at the same spots. It's crazy that when you start digging the classic car world is very small...