Up On Blocks: 1973 Lincoln Continental Mark IV
Whenever I see one of these land yachts, I think of the TV show Cannon where William Conrad tooled around in one of these things as a private investigator. The Continental Mark IV was big on everything: big on size, big on power, and big creature comforts. This one from 1973 was used for its first 20 years, then put up on blocks and covered for years after that. It doesn’t run and will need cosmetic assistance, too, but if you like big cars, this car might be right up your alley. Located in Arkdale, Wisconsin, the Lincoln is available here on eBay where the starting bid is $2,100 (no takers yet) and the Buy Now Price is $8,547. That’s big, too!
The Mark IV replaced the Mark III, which was produced between 1968-71. They were a product of the Lincoln Division of FOMOCO and built from 1972-76. They were larger cars than their predecessors (a common trend in the 1970s) and were even bigger than the Cadillac Eldorado, their closest competitor. The Mark IV shared its chassis with the Ford Thunderbird, though it had different sheet metal from the windows down and looked every bit like a Lincoln. Nearly 70,000 of them were built before the OPEC oil embargo came along which would cut deeply into big car sales the following year.
This car originated in Arizona and ended up in Wisconsin, as we’re told. As such, it was never driven during the winter months on salty roads, but that may have changed when it went north. As we so often hear, this Lincoln ran when it was parked. The Mark IV was put up on blocks with a tarp over it and there it sat for some undetermined amount of time which began in 1993. The silver paint and matching vinyl top may have held up and it would be interesting to see if any rubbing compound would bring it back to life, especially the hood which might have surface rust brewing.
The interior may be in passable condition once you went after it with a steam cleaner. There’s the color red everywhere you look inside, and the seats are made of that velour stuff that you practically sank into when you were driving. The contents and condition of the trunk area are unknown as the key latch is stuck closed. The bigger mystery is the mechanical shape of the automobile as its 460 cubic inch V8 may not have been started in 28 years and will the transmission still go through any of the gears.
A restoration on these big Lincolns can be a challenge because everything was electric. If some woodland creatures have managed to find their way into the wiring and nibbled some, a big headache will await the next owner. Both Hagerty and NADA agree that in top-notch condition, these are $25-30,000 cars at best. Is the spread between the seller’s asking price and restored value enough to tackle restoring this Lincoln?
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Comments
I saw a pristine one of these driving down the road last week – talk about presence in the day of the jellybean car and generic SUV.
Awful things to drive.
Not on the freeway..they could gobble the miles while they gobbled gas, but all in creature comfort.
I’m thinking $8500 is pretty optimistic. These land yachts turn up fairly often at least here in the fly over country. Hard to beat the comfortable ride in these behemoths. Turning and stopping is another story. Lol
Ford products never had a good turning radius, I don’t know why? But OTOH Ford was known to have the best brakes of cars built in Detroit. (According to the car mags during those years.) I’ll vouch for them too, in my ’69 Merc.
In real life, Wm Conrad was driving an Eldorado when he and his son came in so that the son could test drive a Jensen Healey. But that’s another story for another time.
Opening bid of $1700 is about right for this project.
Dead right
Conrad needed a BIG car for that humpty dumpty shape he carried around !
That was a loonng time ago !
Claudio – in my short conversations with him he was always down to earth and personable. Let’s not forget his role in that most epic contribution to 1970s American culture – The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show!!
He was in a 50’s epic with Charlton Heston about man eating ants in Africa – can’t recall the title.
You should see what the ’57 Plymouth police cruiser had to go through when Broderick Crawford poured himself into it, in “Highway Patrol”. You could see the car sag and almost hear the springs groan.
My best friends mother & father had a 73 Mark IV with reddish brown and a tan top. They later on got a later 70’s Mark V. I think that was a 78.
Used to ride around in these as a kid. When we were teens my friend parents found a mint 67 Lincoln with the 462 V8. It was all turquoise inside and out not to mention mint. They paid 3200 in Spring 85. Naturally my friend ran into the ground and it’s amazing we did not get killed because my friend would drive at 125.
At about this time my friend parents totally cosmetically redid the 73 with new paint and top plus whatever mechanical stuff it needed. They then took it out and about a year later a neighbors horse hopped the fence as they sped by and it landed on the windshield messing up the roof.
When my best friend’s gf saved some money she went out and bought can u guess a black 71 Mark III and she driver that her senior year. That had the first anti lock brake system which was all mechanical servo unit and when that finally crapped out we had to bypass it.
Goes to show you Ford’s superiority to the other car makers back then.
My turn. I bought a midnight blue with white vinyl top and moon roof with white leather interior in 1980. It was a 75 model, I loved that car, always liked the mark 1V better than either the 111 or v models. It was a nice cruiser but did float a bit and loved gas.
God bless America
I had a pool liner blue 75, and yes I grew up watching Cannon, loved that car, but as pristine as it was, it was a money pit, lots i on f electric and vacuum gremlins
I wasn’t interested in watching Cannon back then when I was a kid. I was a Starsky & Hutch and Baretta guy. However I now watch Cannon overnights on MeTV. He drove a really nice Mark IV, One thing about Cannon, he loved good food and big luxury cars.
These have been fetching pretty decent prices as of late, when clean and preserved well – which this one us definitely not.
It amuses me that what we called velour (often seemingly with disdain) back in the day is now referred to as Alcantara, and desired. Basically the same stuff. People are goofy.