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Lincoln Continental Convertibles of the 1960's

52 messages,  Last post on Jul 14, 2009 at 4:22 PM

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What is this discussion about? Lincoln Continental, Convertible

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#19 of 52 by speedshift Jul 06, 2002 (1:42 pm)
Speaking of exhaust manifolds, the Lincoln 430 was kind of an odd engine. Like the 348-409 the combustion chamber was contained in the piston crown, not machined into the cylinder head. A good engine by late '50s standards--lots of cubes, big ports and valves--but really heavy. There was a factory three deuce set-up available on the '58 Mercury 410. There was also a 383 version that was standard on the top line Mercs.
#20 of 52 Yeah.... by isellhondas Jul 07, 2002 (8:05 am)
I remember as a kid working in a gas station, we had a customer with a '58 Mercury Wagon that had the three two barrel carbs. I was impressed at the time but the car was a piece of junk that we hated to work on.
#21 of 52 by speedshift Jul 07, 2002 (9:26 am)
I wonder why both GM and Ford went the same route--chamber in the piston, not the head--at the same time. Both the 348 and the 383/410/430 came out for the '58 model year.   Apparently it makes for a really heavy piston. That's probably less of a problem if the engine is intended for low-speed applications, and the 348 was designed for truck use. Maybe Ford thought big-inch engines were just for luxury cars, not racing, although they did have some factory racing parts for the 410.   What's the upside? It's probably makes it easier and cheaper to machine the cylinder head.
#22 of 52 Didn't the 1960 GMC V6 by carnut4 Jul 07, 2002 (11:57 am)
have the same thing-combustion chamber in the block? Can't remember for sure. Now THERE was a truck engine, for sure.
#23 of 52 by speedshift Jul 07, 2002 (8:06 pm)
Could be. I don't know a thing about the Jimmy, although when someone posted a photo of one in another thread I did think it resembled the 348. It's a real mystery engine, one that hardly anyone seems to know anything about.   Here's a great link...   http://www.favorites.com/~jolly/GMCTruck.htm
#25 of 52 roydonahue by roydonahue May 27, 2006 (5:12 am)
I have a '97 Continental with 115,000 miles. Recently the "service engine soon" light came on and the local dealer claimed I needed a new catalytic converter at a total cost of some $2,400! Another mechanic, not affiliated with Ford/Lincoln, ran the same diagnostic program and switched off the warning light and told me to just drive it. So far the problem has not recurred in over 1,000 miles. Anyone out there had a similar experience? Am I just marking time and asking for more trouble down the road? thanks Replies to this message: Mr_Shiftright (May 27, 2006 9:13 am) scootertrash (May 27, 2006 10:12 am)
#26 of 52 Re: roydonahue [roydonahue] by Mr_Shiftright HOST May 27, 2006 (9:13 am)
Replying to: roydonahue (May 27, 2006 5:12 am) Hi, and welcome to the Edmunds forums.   Your post is about modern Lincolns and this topic is specifically about "classics" from the 60s.   I'd like to link you over to our Maintenance & Repair Board, and specifically this topic, which I think you will find helpful:   Check Engine Light Topic thank you   Host Replies to this message: scootertrash (May 27, 2006 10:12 am)
#27 of 52 Re: roydonahue [Mr_Shiftright] by scootertrash May 27, 2006 (10:12 am)
Replying to: Mr_Shiftright (May 27, 2006 9:13 am) Maybe he can cut the top off and weld up some suicide rear door hinges.
#28 of 52 Lincoln Convertibles by douglasr Jul 19, 2006 (5:53 pm)
Having driven them for 32 years, and more than 1Mn miles, I know that most of the comments posted herein are incorrect.   The 61-3 drive very well when properly sorted, and the brakes are redone, with correct 9.50x14 tyres. I drove one 100K and had a great time with it. The convertible top system was the most reliable of the entire decade...being that it DID NOT have the Upper Back Panel Limit Switch used in later cars to cut down the number of relays and switches. All of the convertibles used heavier steel and components to support the added weight and the car drove quite well considering what it was. The 66-67's drive the best and easiest to maintain. The 64-5's are the hardest to maintain, with the 65's being by far the better car.   There is, without doubt, nothing like it on the road. Public acceptance of the car then and now is astounding. Most of them were "driven hard and put away wet" , neglected, abused, and forgotten for many years---thus there problematic reputation, dealers didn't want to fool with them. Ergo many were allowed to rot into dust, and often crushed. Why only 25-33% of these cars have survived of the 15,571 that were made.   Ford Motor's $1.5Mn investment in the system was justified in that it gave Lincoln something that no one else had---a design concept now copied by almost every auto maker today: the automatic retracting convertible top system. I spoke with one of the design engineers for the system, a 22 year old man at the time, at it was all excitement at Lincoln then: "We had a great time doing it...a alot of midnight oil on that."   You forget that without the '61 Lincoln, a car that McNamara threatened to cancel, that Walker & Bordinat saved from the ash-heep of history with the revised E-Studio T-Bird clay in July of 1958, Lincoln would have been history---especially if you have ever seen what they WOULD HAVE built. All you have to do is drive a 60's Lincoln around town to see what people really think.   As for the driving, Lincoln offered disc brakes in '65 before Cadillac and Imperial. A well sorted drum system on the early cars still works OK. A ten year development program yeilded the best results: 65-9 Lincoln brakes being the best of any other car in the world save the 300SEL, and Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow. The system was not "improved" upon until the advent of hydro-boost a decade a later, but then Lincoln used non-Kelsey-Hayes calipers and the car suffered. A good '66-'69 can outdrive many cars, especially the 460 '68-69 Lincoln with almost perfect weight balance owing to the lighter but more powerful engine. No Imperial or Cadillac can keep up.   Quality issues were excellent. Lincoln/Wixom outdid themselves in this department, with each car being driven 15 miles on public roads before being delivered, and the engine plant inspecting every 100th engine. Each car recieved a 189 point inspection program plus an additional 26 point dealer inpsection. Reason being that the 58-60 Lincolns had been a nightmare and nearly killed Lincolnin the market-place.   The four-door convertible, the ultimate "guys" car, with room for a duffle bag and clubs with the top down, personified the era: JFK drove a '63 in Palm Beach. Earle Stanley Gardner, author of the Perry Mason series, having owned many Lincolns including his first Model K in 1933, has his hero driving Lincolns, and thus it came to be that 'Perry Mason' drove a Lincoln. Raymond Burr became a devotee as well, after having the pleasure of Lincoln's company.   For those who think the cars unweildy, wallowing, or what-have-you, you have not driven a good example, and not had the pleasure of the public acclaim driving one. If you can't catch a date driving a Lincoln Continental Four-Door Convertible, then, to paraphrase Winston Churchil, when Lady Astor told him: "Winston you're drunk", and he responded: "I may be drunk, but in the morning, I will be sober, but YOU will still be ugly"; thus it must be so: if you can't catch a date in a Lincoln Continental Convertible, you're still ugly.   DouglasR Replies to this message: Mr_Shiftright (Jul 20, 2006 7:32 am) promethee (Jul 13, 2009 3:17 am)

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