Barn Find Project: 1962 Lincoln Continental Convertible
To try and pick a favorite Lincoln Continental body style would be a daunting task for me, but a couple of features that stand out for the fourth-generation line-up make this one a strong contender, for my tastes anyway. The Continental got a redesign for the 1961 model, which featured those way-cool suicide doors not seen on a Lincoln for a decade, and since no 2-door was offered it was sort of a fun way to compensate for buyers who may have preferred a coupe. Equally impressive was droptop availability, so if you’ve been in the market for an early sixties luxurious project, this 1962 Lincoln Continental might be worth considering. T.J., thanks for your great tip here!
The convertible option could be had for most of the fourth-gen cars, finally being axed at the end of the 1967 run, but not before earning that one the honor of being the last 4-door ragtop produced in the post-World War II era. The seller tells us his Continental is a barn find, which had previously been sitting for more than 20 years before he acquired it from an estate in South Dakota.
It’s not being kept a secret here that this one needs a complete restoration, which will include some rust to be dealt with. While the panel fit appears to be pretty good for the most part, there are a few spots on the exterior sheet metal that seem a bit rough, but looking at this side shot the inner doors look pretty good as does the rocker panel, at least from the top view.
No explanation is provided as to why the column is missing the turn signal stalk and gear selector, and being a convertible is rougher on an interior than a sedan, especially when the canvas is completely gone as is the case here. At a bare minimum, both seats will need recovering and a new carpet installed, but if the next owner is going for more than just a driver, there’s likely considerably more inside that will require attention.
A 430 cubic-inch V8 was the only engine available, but this one’s not running and the seller doesn’t mention whether or not the crank will still turn. It seems like the best news here is that the car is mostly complete, but with work needed on the body, interior, and drivetrain, I can see the bills racking up quickly here. However, if you’ve got skills in all of these areas, this could be a beauty once these issues are dealt with. The car is presently in Scottsdale, Arizona, and can be found here on Craigslist, where the seller has set his asking price at $19,500. Is this 1962 Lincoln Continental convertible a worthwhile project?
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Comments
So many issues! Such a high price! IMO the 61 Continental was a disappointment, although it may have saved Lincoln. Often referred to as the Kennedy Lincolns for unfortunate reasons, by the early 70s Lincoln had grown substantially in size and OTT chromed luxury.👍 LINCOLN, what a Luxury CAR should be and once was. Now Lincoln concentrates on SUVS and crossovers. 🤮. The last generation of Town Cars are the last gasp of traditional American Luxury sedans.
This car & engine present a substantial challenge, especially if you have to overhaul the engine. It will cost a fair amount and cannot be a half baked effort.
What a shame. I love these cars but this is a $70K-$100K restoration, easy.
Just getting the top to operate could cost $15K-$20K.
Restoration of these can easily approach $200k. At a $20k entry fee the buyer will be quickly under water. Not for the feignt of heart or wallet.
Doesn’t anyone do any work themselves these days. In my earlier days, I bought many Cadillacs (60,s 70,s)that did not run, some for 20 years. Most I got running and drove home. The others I towed with my 65 Caddy and a tow bar.
The Suicide doors were funny, especially if two right handed people wanted to get in on the same side at the same time.
Cadillac had them before Lincoln(of course) but deemed them unsafe and cared more about their customers than profit. Naturally, Lincoln copied them.
Yep….we’ve had 4 converts in the yard for years….couldn’t sell them whole. Quite a few converts running around Dallas – no wonder…..good luck to the buyer !
While web surfing one day came across pages of Lincoln Conti’s like this one that had the custom treatment. Please what ever the buyer does, don’t slam the suspension or put on 22 inch wheels. Seeing what a complete restoration would cost however, this would be a good candidate for a restomod. I could see a matte finish paint job on it and a 5.0 engine swap. Leave the top off and you got a good summer day driver.