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-   -   Bought my first car this week! (http://www.videokarma.org/showthread.php?t=262901)

Electronic M 10-25-2014 03:37 PM

Bought my first car this week!
 
My internship this summer proved fairly lucrative so I decided to put the bulk of my earnings in to finally getting a car of my own. My radio silence for the last ~month was my way of squeezing enough time out of the busy schedule my college classes demand to do some car shopping.

While I'd have preferred to buy something from the 40's or 50's the only options in my budget would have either been complete basket cases or would have left me with no gas/insurance money. So I went with (to me) the most appealing available car in my budget a 1978 Lincoln Continental Mark V.

http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/...psbcc0aebc.jpg

http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/...ps0d98161d.jpg

http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/...ps53919e9f.jpg

http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/...psf210e1ce.jpg

http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/...pse6889c4b.jpg

http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/...psb10967bd.jpg

With just under 58K on the clock of the 460ci(7.5L) V8 it runs quite well, and the interior is in good shape. It is quite interesting getting the hang of driving such a large car. It has a lot of nice options: sun roof, heated side mirrors, full power seats, vanity mirrors in the sun flaps, digital miles to empty gauge (a historically interesting feature), auto dimming brights (the last two could use some work). One option it does not have that I wish it did was the optional Quardasonic 8 track radio option....Although in researching it I found that a stereo 8 track car radio without any makers marks I have had kicking around for several years was actually one of the factory options for the next model year:thmbsp:, and now I'm seriously considering installing it (if I don't buy one of the quad units). If I keep it more than a year I'm probably going to have the vinyl top replaced and the body repainted as the paint is a bit worn in places and there is some surface rust forming at the bottom edge of the vinyl (which is especially bad on the passenger side).

It was built in October of 1977 so there is a 1/21 chance it was built exactly 14 years before I was born (assuming a 5 day work week).

There is something about late 70's Lincolns I've always liked. They have a sort of anachronistic opulence that in the case of the Mark V mixes with muscle car and pimp mobile vibes in ways no other car could pull off half as well.

Adam 10-25-2014 04:31 PM

Those are nice cars, 78 was the for last year the big Lincoln with the 460. I have two of the 8-track radios that fit that car, one of them says its the quad, they probably need work, but you can have them if you want them.

Electronic M 10-25-2014 05:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adam (Post 3117987)
Those are nice cars, 78 was the for last year the big Lincoln with the 460. I have two of the 8-track radios that fit that car, one of them says its the quad, they probably need work, but you can have them if you want them.

Sweet!
Can you give me a price/shipping quote on the quad unit? My zip is 53072.
I'd almost ask for the stereo unit as well, but then I would have two, and that lingering crazy idea I had about equipping the riding lawnmower with a car radio might start keeping me up at night again.:D

I have a healthy collection 8-tracks (including a few quad cartridges), and some cassette to 8-track adapters...And I've been pondering what else I could potentially play if a popped a 1/8" phone jack to cassette adapter into one of those cassette to 8 track adapters.:scratch2:....I seem to recall a 70's sony reel to reel with a 12V power input laying around in the basement.

Username1 10-25-2014 06:01 PM

HA HA HA ! ! ! You can imagine me reading your description and reasonings for chosing
that car with a really big smile ! ! ! It sure does say " You've arrived ! ! "

Under the dash near the radio it looks like 2 red toggle switches...... They
don't by chance raise and lower the suspension....?..?...???

A shovel in the trunk ??? WOW So when we gunna go crusin in dat ??

.

sampson159 10-25-2014 06:49 PM

i cut my teeth on lincolns.smoothest ride,unlimited power and well engineered.i saw an episode of fast and loud that had a 72 mark.the alleged"master mechanic" cut and bagged it for a "better ride and nasty stance".idiot!how could you change anything on a lincoln?nothing needed,an almost perfect piece of
american engineering and manufacture.beautiful car!

Electronic M 10-25-2014 07:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Username1 (Post 3117995)
HA HA HA ! ! ! You can imagine me reading your description and reasonings for chosing
that car with a really big smile ! ! ! It sure does say " You've arrived ! ! "

Under the dash near the radio it looks like 2 red toggle switches...... They
don't by chance raise and lower the suspension....?..?...???

A shovel in the trunk ??? WOW So when we gunna go crusin in dat ??

.

Glad I brought a smile to ya. Them red things are wire nuts...I gather that whenever one of the previous owners accidently cut a wire they repaired it by using two wire nuts to splice another short piece of wire in. There is another repair like that in the trunk on the wire that moves with the lid hinge...Otherwise' ignoring a newer looking horn, the electrical looks unmolested.

As much as I can see someone else installing a hydraulic/pneumatic suspension on one of these, It is not really my thing...I like most cars better stock. About the only cosmetic changes I could see my self doing are to maybe repaint it a different factory color and change it's wheels to the factory optional turbine rims (that I think look better).

No shovel in the trunk since I ain't been asked to "whack" nobody in ages...Though if business picks up I suppose I could transport two or three at once in that trunk...:smoke:

As fo dat cruise, I probably won't be visiting nu yak or texazz anytime soon since I'm wanted there (okay time to turn off the fake mafia accent (though I'm part Italian so it ought to be convincing)), rather I'm scared of ElectronicBola...If it comes to Milwaukee EVERYONE at my college will get it as no one stays home sick if they can still move and come close to rational thought.

EDIT: One extra witicisim to make ya laugh. I've concluded given that the 460 continued to be deployed in pickups and 12,000Lb RVs into the 90's, it weighs 4600Lb (according to what I've read), it's nearly 20' long (a good portion of that being hood), and it's black...It all adds up to a simple realization: That Lincoln is basically a pickup truck in a tux!

Chip Chester 10-25-2014 08:01 PM

Make sure you get the application for your own zip code sent in right away.

:)
Chip

Jon A. 10-25-2014 08:23 PM

That car is totally you.

I would keep an older car stock as well. The 8-track stereo on the right I believe is 1973 only, the first year for AM-FM 8-track. I have six (!) Ford AM-FM 8-track stereos, none of them quad though. I'm picky about what they look like and always liked those with AM - FM - STEREO - TAPE on the tape door. Manufacturing of Ford AM-FM 8-track stereos changed hands a couple of times and they were made simultaneously by different companies depending on the model.

jstout66 10-25-2014 08:34 PM

Love it!
I had a 78 Town Car which I miss to this day.
However... and not sure if it was MY car specifically.. but it was the WORSE handling car in the snow. I nicknamed mine "the spinning car of death". I wasn't worried about me.. but the look of horror I'd see on the other drivers faces if it went into a spin and was heading their way. I was lucky and never crashed it tho. Yours hopefully will get better gas mileage than mine did. Mine was a bit underpowered as it had a 400. Mine got 7mpg in town and about 11mpg on the highway.

Paul Knaack 10-25-2014 09:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sampson159 (Post 3117998)
smoothest ride,unlimited power and well engineered.i saw an episode of fast and loud that had a 72 mark.the alleged"master mechanic" cut and bagged it for a "better ride and nasty stance".idiot!how could use change anything on a lincoln?nothing needed,an almost perfect piece of
american engineering and manufacture.beautiful car!

I agree completely, Those cars were smooth and quiet. Great choice. If you don't push that 460 too hard the gas milage wouldn't be horrible. Does it have the Holly carb or the Autolite?
http://thumbs1.ebaystatic.com/d/l225...syazGx5S3A.jpg

Kamakiri 10-26-2014 04:40 AM

2 Attachment(s)
This was the '79 Continental 4 door I had back in 2004. It was a Sunday cruiser, used to take the family out to Cracker Barrel for breakfast, and everyone would almost fall asleep on the way home with full tummies :) .

Mine had a 400 2 barrel, which was I guess Lincoln's temporary answer to the high gas prices until the smaller 1980 models came out. The one thing I loved about the car were the brakes. Instead of working off engine vacuum, they worked off the hydraulic power steering system (hydroboost). They had such a cool yet luxurious feel to them. It was definitely in a class of its own.

Ended up giving the car to a friend in Ohio who hit hard times, his engine blew in his car and he'd just started a new job. Only problem those cars had en masse (around here) was rear frame rot. Lots of Lincolns around missing their rear bumpers....

Sandy G 10-26-2014 09:51 AM

"Its Evidental, I LOVE my Continental"... Altho I prefer the ones w/the funny doors, the LAST series of Jumbotron Lincolns had a certain charm to them, as well. "Pickups w/Tuxedos"... Very apt description. My '67 Pervertable Sedan, the suspension components on it CERTAINLY would NOT look out of place on a modern F-350 tonne Super Duty... There's enuff metal in the HOODS of these things to hammer out a couple, maybe 3, Smart Cars.. Modern motors really don't impress too much-Sure, they're getting 2, 3X the horsepower that these emissions strangled 400s & 460s put out.... But they have to run RPMs that sound like they're SCREAMING to do it, & one suspects the old mastodons were HIGHLY underrated-You want MORE power, Jasper ? No problem, just stomp on the "Loud" pedal a little harder.... We'll handle the rest..

Username1 10-26-2014 11:56 AM

It sure sounds like a newer smaller engine is screaming when it is putting out it's top
power, But you gotta remember they are aluminum, thinner walls, Sound penetrates
the walls much easier, tuned intake and less flow restricted exhaust, and often
multi-valves per cylinder. Many of those older engines had a top rpm limited
by the moving mass of the parts, and poor breathing capability of the intake and
exhaust. A lot of the older engines made a lot of noise, very cool sounding noise,
but from the factory, poor performers compared to today...

And I think 4 valves per cylinder was the biggest thing.... Can you imagine the old
302 v8 with 4 valves per cylinder...HOT ! ! !

.

Jon A. 10-26-2014 12:33 PM

I love the loud noises the old 1.6 Liter Mercury Lynx engine makes. There isn't much low-end torque, but whatever.

It's more fun to drive a slow car fast than a fast car slow.

The Aussie Falcon in my avatar, 351 Clevo powered.

Username1 10-26-2014 12:46 PM

My first buggie, 73 mustang with 351C was much louder once I put on a 7200VV from
Ford, but with lower top speed.... The noise did not represent any kind of power....
It was just intake noise....

Anyway EM Good luck with the yacht.... It sure is a beauty.....
Whoever had it took good care of it for ya-
Like those Audi commercials "I'm gunna own that car after you."
Someone put in a good word for the second owner of your car...

By the way.... Keep those old hub caps if you get the others you want. I did not care
too much for stock '89 Prelude hub caps when I got my second car, but now that I have
seen a few in "original" shape, with the factory covers, they are more sharp looking
now in that "retro" rear view mirror..... Again good luck, and happy boating....

.


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