My next sad little automotive odyssey

[Sad, little man]

If all goes well I plan on being the owner of this by Monday. 1968.

Elise, camper van, classic suicide Continental, yeah, I'd say my collection is getting pretty eclectic.

It's not in perfect shape, but that's why it was only $12,500. And there's no rust.

Probably gonna cruise around blasting Dancing Queen, as one does in a such a sinister car like this, getting 8mpg the whole way.

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[George]

Ooh, I like it! Congratulations. :up:

[Leon]

Looks like an excellently bad plan!

[Crazed_Insanity]

Whoa!

If you're gonna restore that to a good condition, may be a great business opportunity/investment!

[Rare White Ape]

This is fantastic!

[Cam]

Excellent.

[Random]

Bag it!

[CudaMan]

Very cool! Any plans for it?

That stuff around the windshield isn't rust?

[Sad, little man]

Very cool! Any plans for it?

That stuff around the windshield isn't rust?
There's *a little* rust. But nothing that I've seen beyond superficial stuff. I found a decal on the inside of the trunk from a dealer in Texas, so its rust-free past is beginning to come into focus.

I just want to have fun with it. There's a part of me that just wants to not get too attached, not put a whole lot of money into it, and just enjoy it for as long as I can as long as there aren't too many breakdowns. But there's another part of me that wants to throw some money at it to get it nice and reliable. What I don't ever foresee myself doing is spending endless time and money getting it cosmetically perfect. The Lotus is close to that, and all I do is worry about it when I drive/park it anywhere. It sucks a lot of the fun out of it.

[Sad, little man]

Preliminary measurements indicate this barge might just fit in my garage if basically all of the clutter is removed. I could shuffle some things around and keep my '96 Miata garaged at my mom's house. It will take so much work to clean and organize everything, but just the thought of a garage with a '68 Continental on one side and an Elise on the other side is worth it I think.

The car is now home. Seeing it in the dark last night, which I think is really this car's natural habitat, I do kind of dig it.

It's so sinister though. I don't know if that level of evil fits me. Maybe I can manage to fit on a set of these to soften it up a little?

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[Crazed_Insanity]

:lol:

[Random]

Get a comparison shot with the Miata, for posterity and hilarity.

Here's Justin's Caddy with my Miata. :D
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[Sad, little man]

I charged up the battery and once I get a new starter solenoid put in, it should start reliably. I'm starting to try to figure out what it will take to get a few of the non-functional electrical gizmos working. Top priority is the power windows because summer is coming.

I have to say, and maybe this goes with any new car, but I find myself walking out of the house just to look at it. I'm into it. Just the sheer presence of it. It didn't ask permission to be in my driveway, and it's not apologizing for the space it takes up.

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[Crazed_Insanity]

I remembered riding in a relative's giant Cadillac, which was similarly sized as yours, back in the early 80s. It had the plushest interior cushions and softest suspensions I've ever felt. I don't think any other cars matched that level of comfort. Not sure if your Lincoln feels the same, but seeing your "new" car reminded me of that childhood memory.

I think that was my only memory of riding in a giant American boat sized car... I wonder why such sheer size quickly disappeared? Maybe automakers had began to create decent compromise between these giant cars and the cheap econo-boxes, and so the rest became history?

Anyway, I have to agree your Lincoln looks good and does have this commanding presence. :up:

[George]

I wonder why such sheer size quickly disappeared?

The 1973 Oil Crisis (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1973_oil_crisis) was a major reason muscle cars and huge sedans became less desirable to most Americans.

Other factors:

Government-mandated emissions controls starting in about 1974 robbed power from those huge engines. Now they were both expensive to drive and less powerful than just a couple years before.

Fuel-efficient Volkswagens had been around for many years in the USA, but the mid-1970s saw increasing numbers of quality Japanese imports: Toyotas, Datsuns, Hondas, Subarus, and Mitsubishis (many of the latter were sold with Dodge and Plymouth badges).

Detroit quality was at an all-time low. And their new, smaller cars weren't any better than the old behemoths. Two examples: the exploding Ford Pinto (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Pinto#Fuel_system_fires,_recalls,_and_litigat ion) and the good-looking but awful Chevy Vega (https://www.motortrend.com/vehicle-genres/chevrolet-vega-terrible-cars-that-shouldnt-have-been-terrible/) that were said to rust in the dealers' showrooms, among other problems.

The mid- through late-1970s were a time of financial uncertainty. There was inflation and soaring interest rates (double-digit mortgage rates!) into the early 1980s.

Just some thoughts on the subject. I remember a lot of this from my childhood.

[Sad, little man]

I just discovered that the Lincoln is exactly 6 feet longer to the inch than the Lotus it will (hopefully) be sharing the garage with. So that's fun.

[Sad, little man]

Guys we need to spend a minute talking about the *lines* on this car. :o

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[Sad, little man]

All driveway pics until I get a few things fixed and get it registered.

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[Phil_SS]

My dad has owned a 1965 Bonneville Convertible since I was born and there is nothing like just putting on some good music and cruising. The smell of the leather, a hood that extends out a city block, the slight rumble of the exhaust, the way it just oozes over bumps, bench seats.

So classic. Love the big boulevard cruisers.

[Rare White Ape]

Guys we need to spend a minute talking about the *lines* on this car. :o

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It’s beautiful 😍

[George]

bench seats

:up:

[samoht]

Awesome, loving the photos :)

[Sad, little man]

What an odd situation I have going on in my driveway now...

Removed the hood of the Lincoln in preparation for some serious work. It needs a few things, mechanically, but nothing too insane.

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