I have a 64 Lincoln convertible that I have been hiding for the past few years in my buddy's garage. I keep it off site for 2 reasons: 1- I only have a carport and this Lincoln really needs a garage. It has 21 motors and solinoids that run the top, it doesn't like moisture. 2- Every time my wife sees the car she immediately says "You gotta sell that thing!" I respond by not responding, endure the uncomfortable silence, and get on to the next subject. With the car offsite, I have to endure fewer of these conversations. The real stinger is, she gave me the car for my 40th birthday. I think that's the reason she really doesn't push the subject.

So I get a call from my friend last week, "I sold the house, you need to move the Lincoln." I hadn't had much time the past year and I never started it in that period. I was worried about the quality of the gas and all sorts of issues. I got some automotive advice from guys about all the hardship I was going to go thru and the things I needed to do.

So I go over to the garage, check my fluids (this is very important because the car really marks its spots. This car is as ungreen as you can get.) I install a new battery (there is a constant voltage leak somewhere, I unhook the battery every time after usage) I contemplate all the issues that I was told to address, promptly trash those ideas, crank on the starter for a good minute and she fires to life! It took a while to get her up to temperature. Its not a car you can just start up and drive away. it has to be in the mood to go.

I brought it to work, had some guys do a quick detail and the beast came out looking pretty good. I have a set of cherry bombs on her which makes it sound like a Mercury outboard motor. I have a new motor to throw in once I get the courage and finances to attack that job.

I got some good news/bad news last night. The deal fell thru which was bad for my friend but good for me, at least temporarily. I can continue to avoid the conversation since the beast still lives offsite.

I took the car out that same night during a full moon. I decided to do some moonlight photography. I had no idea of my results since I screwed up my lcd screen so everything here was a stab in the dark, literally.

I tried playing with long exposures and a little flashlight which gave some interesting results I also installed my cheap tripod in the back seat for some fisheye motion shots which had an interesting effect.

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3- this shot was taken with only moonlight from about 50 yards away using my 2.8 105. It looks like a day time shot but was in reality lit entirely by the moon.

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5- These shoots are what it would look like if you drove your living room around on a full moon night.

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those classic lincolns are awesome cars!!

 

I took a few more of the Lincoln today. Its was a nice, hot convertible day to cruise around.

regards

ken

 

very nice, just a few questions? How is it as a daily driver?, whats the gas mileage? and is it something you can take for a long trip, say a few hundred miles?
thx

 

very clean car

 

I run the car with historic plates. The insurance costs me about $100 a year. There are some restrictions but I've never really pushed it.

I think I could achieve 11-12 mpg with favorable winds. I've never calculated the mileage based on the fact that I don't want to know.

Its a cruising machine. Knock on wood, the car has yet to let me down. But, as a convertible, its a very complex machine. There are 21 motors and solenoids that operate the top. It gets messy to troubleshoot. Every thing is mechanical so it just takes time and patience to troubleshoot. There is a guy that travels the country in a Winnebago that does 60's Lincoln top repair. For 3 grand and one day, he will totally rebuild the entire system.

The car leaches fluids so I mark every spot where she parks. I'm not real concerned about it, as long as I check her fluids on a regular basis. I'm going to yank the motor and get the tranny rebuilt. I already have a new motor to put in. I need to yank the radiator. Until then, I won't take her to Ocean City, for example. But I have driven her a 120 miles in an evening. I got her up to triple digits the other night, floated like a dream.

If I were to get another one, I would look for one that has been restored. Let someone else go thru all the headaches. For 20 to 30 grand you can pick up a very nice example. The hard tops are much less expensive. The convertibles were basically handbuilt on the production line and I believe, sold at a loss. My year, the 64, was 3 inches longer to give more legroom in the back. In 66 they redesigned the front end and made it ugly IMHO. 1965 is the year to look for, they have 2 hydraulic pumps in the back to operate the top and a glass back window.

The car was a brilliant design, breaking away from the tail fins and chromitis that the 50's designers engorged themselves upon. Very clean lines. Its a mile long and draws admiring looks where ever I go.

regards

ken

 

thanks for the info. really nice car and hopefully I would love to get a classic convertible!
have u ever seen the website, www.dreamcarclassicsonline.com ? they have a few of these lincoln convertibles for around the mid 30s.
i probably have seen 2 or 3 on the road.

Kris