85k Original Miles: 1960 Lincoln Continental Mark V Convertible
I consider my automotive taste to be eclectic and feel that every classic deserves respect. However, when one survives for over six decades in rock-solid form, those feelings are heightened. Such is the case with this 1960 Lincoln Continental Mark V Convertible. It has a few mechanical needs, but returning it to a roadworthy state should be straightforward and relatively inexpensive. The seller raises the possibility of it becoming a restomod project, but with only 2,044 of these cars rolling off the line in 1960, many potential buyers will favor preservation.
The seller is candid about this Lincoln’s history and condition, confirming that it has undergone two repaints. The current shade of Blue Crystal is a close match to the original Platinum that is identified on the Trim Tag. The overall presentation is acceptable if considered purely as a survivor-grade classic. There are marks and imperfections, but none justify a total restoration. This gem retains all of its factory steel, with no evidence of accident or rust repairs. It is described as 95% rust-free, suggesting there may be minor issues requiring attention. The White power top requires assistance to raise and lower, although lubricating the moving parts will often reduce that problem. There is one small tear, and a perfectionist might splash some cash on a replacement to protect the interior from the weather. The rear bumper sports a minor ding, the remaining trim looks good, and the tinted glass is excellent.
The interior is one of this car’s highlights because there is little to criticize. It appears something may have been attached to the gauge module on the right side because there are visible screw holes and scuffs. Otherwise, it is extremely tidy for its age. The Blue leather trim is said to be original and is free from wear and other issues. The carpet is excellent, but the kick panels show deterioration. The dash looks impressive beyond that minor noted fault, and the bright trim sparkles nicely. It is a luxury car, so this Convertible isn’t short on creature comforts. The new owner receives air conditioning, power windows, a six-way power front seat, a power trunk release, an Autronic eye, and an AM radio.
There was a subtle horsepower race developing between luxury car manufacturers during the 1950s and 1960s, which is reflected in this Convertible’s specifications. Its engine bay houses a 430ci V8, producing 314hp and 465 ft/lbs of torque. Shifting duties fall to a three-speed automatic transmission, while power assistance for the steering and brakes was standard equipment. The Mark V was a land yacht that tipped the scales at 5,170 lbs. However, it could still perform admirably if the driver was heavy with the right boot. The seller indicates that this classic runs and drives, and that they have recently spent over $1,100 on mechanical work. There are still tasks for the buyer to tackle, including a power steering leak, a couple of exhaust leaks, and tackling the non-functioning brake booster. The parts are readily available, and returning the vehicle to a roadworthy state shouldn’t cost a fortune. The listing shows a claimed odometer reading of 85,000 genuine miles, but not whether there is verifying evidence.
The seller listed this 1960 Lincoln Continental Mark V Convertible here on eBay in Fruita, Colorado. Twenty-one bids have pushed the price beyond the reserve to $9,200, with plenty of time remaining in the auction. Its mechanical needs are minor, and hitting the road behind the wheel is a realistic expectation before the winter weather hits. The big question is whether our readers would opt for a restomod approach over preservation. It will be fascinating to gauge your feedback and to see if anyone is willing to pursue this classic further.
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Comments
Had a ’59 Premier 4-door hardtop for a short time while in highschool. And
while it was a really nice car, its propensity to vapor lock on hot days was a real turn off. Picture it. You’re
out on a date with your best girl and
boom! The car just quits! Since I’ve
been legally blind my whole life, the
young lady was driving my car when
this happened and man was it embarrassing! Needless to say, she
never called me again and took up with some jock with a Dart 440 GTS
ragtop. Sold the Lincoln for $500 the
first chance I got. About that same time, I saw a movie called Wings Of
Fire with Suzanne Pleshette and I noticed she was driving one of these
in the film! And since she was rather
short (5 feet tall) and petite, it made me wonder what Universal Studios
had to do to modify the car so that she could comfortably drive it. Boy,
did my teenage self have fantasies
about her driving the Premiere I’d just
sold! Not long after that, I bought a
’66 Cadillac Calais 4-door hardtop. Much better car than the Lincoln
was, and it NEVER vapor locked!
I can tell that the brakes have been tampered with; the two-tub master cylinder of unknown original application (possibly Cadillac?) gives that away. Dual hydraulics for brakes did not exist until ’62, and then not on any Lincoln until ’67. I’m guessing the booster issue has to have been a a side-effect of trying to retrofit a dual master, which is a good idea but must be done properly to work on a car not originally designed with such a system.
I agree with veering away from restomods. The MEL in there has enough power to propel this monster past the highest posted speed limits in the country without breaking a sweat. Thinking about putting in a commoner Chevy engine for more speed is frivolous; even if it could be done without the inevitable chain-reaction mods, which is impossible, where would one use more speed?! And about those over-clichéd balloon suspension conversions–I mean, come on! Yes, it could be done with relative ease on a ’58 or ’59 model, but the ’60 underwent a total change to the rear suspension making such a mod impractical, though possible with extensive cost. Why did they change? Because of problems with the earlier suspensions, which were developed to accommodate a factory balloon suspension option offered in those two years. They learned the Hotchkiss leaf-spring setup was more reliable. New owner should accept that.
Now THAT’S a true LAND YACHT and Bon Marche! Angel and Frog, get on board of this glorious Love Boat 🚢. Though frequently maligned, this is Truly a LINCOLN, what a Luxury car should be. The next generation LINCOLN Continental was a total disappointment for me. But it sold well, so some must have liked it. Then again, LINCOLN slowly grew back to larger size in the 70s. Final 79 Town Cars were the last LINCOLN OTT magnificent Monsters. My current 2007 Town Car Signature Limited is the last gasp of traditional American Luxury sedans. Now even LINCOLN has turned to glorified trucks masquerading as Luxury vehicles. At my age, this 60 is not a wise choice, but it still has my check book itching 😅
@Rick W
I was going to post that this is a true Land yacht. It’s actually more of a Land Barge! For some reason these did not sell well. People thought they were too big. Which is probably why the 1961 was so well received.
These yachts are coming out of the wood work and coming down in price. Wish I had money. LOL. Gonna have to get married again. 😆🤯
Angel, get on board the LOVE ❤ BOAT! Love may be waiting for you. But beware! Make sure some Gigolo isn’t after you for your Divalicious looks and or YOUR money! Hey how’s that Marine? 😉.
Gotta love a Lincoln!!!! This is one sweet beautiful car I have always loved the looks of this model Lincoln. I would keep it just the way it is other than making the necessary repairs to get it drivable. I sure would like to own it. But being a senior citizen keeps those thoughts just thoughts. To the seller GLWTA and to the buyer these cars were ment to drive so drive it often and enjoy it.
I think a mild restomod would be cool, provided the changes are reversible and the original parts are retained. Lower it an inch in front, add a set of American Racing Torq Thrust M wheels, convert it to disc brakes, drop in a modern drivetrain (Coyote 5.0, anyone?), and leave everything else alone.
Reminds me of the car Eva Marie Saint drove in “North by Northwest”. The only car to ever make a 59 Cadillac look small.
That dual master cylinder makes it look like someone attempted a disc brake conversion. Maybe that’s the problem?
I have a ‘60 Lincoln Continental convertible in medium green and a two tone interior. She’s in little used condition. Oh, I didn’t mention that it’s a Marx friction car I received for Christmas in ‘59. My brother had the car in white but his is long gone. I vote no on a restomod….
Any Car Guy that wouldn’t like this car or have a hidden desire to own it better check the definition of “Car Guy”. If you look at the last picture of it sitting in the sun and you don’t want to jump in it and drive away, You need to find another hobby. Of course I will admit there is a challenge to owning a car that requires a zip code with the licence plate.
IDK. Every time I see one of these I think of the Batmobile. They used one as the base for that car I think. From the side it looks graceful but that front fascia, “shivers.” It might look better with two angry LED headlights instead of four round ones.
The 1966 TV Batmobile was based on the 1955 Lincoln Futura concept car. It was modified and turned into the Batmobile by George Barris.
In my pile of old magazines I have an issue of “Collectible Automobile” containing an in-depth article about how these huge Lincoln Continental unibodies were engineered. Supposedly Ford had problems with the prototypes buckling on the test track and they bought a Nash Ambassador as an example to study. Ford wound up having to add so much bracing that the usual weight savings of unit construction went out the window.
AMC guy, you are right. First family car I remember was a 50 Nash AMBASSADOR. Charlie Nash and George Mason knew how to build great cars. LINCOLN was wise to study that Nash.
I am an avid and devoted Cadillac owner. The only thing that comes close to them would be a luxury-liner such as this land yacht! No matter who makes em they are American at it’s finest! Good luck seller.
@Rick W
I’m still trying to come up with $1500 by the 28th of this month to get him on leave. He’s been deployed for over a year. His daughter is 11 and on base at Baltimore and hasn’t seen him in all that time. If I can’t get him on leave now I don’t know how long it will be before we can get approval again. It took 6 months to this approval.
I’m living on disability and can’t swing it.
I tried “GofundMe” but they took too long for approval. So many people are afraid because all this is taking place in the middle east and think its a scam. I’ve been talking to him for 2 years. He has had money sent to me before. It’s no scam.
But I’m still trying.
God Bless you for your efforts! Wish I could help financially, but like you, I have Champagne tastes on a beer budget. Please KNOW that my thoughts and prayers 🙏 are with you in your quest! LOL always!
Perry Mason would say Hey you’re low balling me.
Hang in there ACD, things usually have a habit of sorting themselves out in the end. And as for living on
disability, still there, doing that. Used
to have a little money in my pockets
after the bills were paid, but not any more! The apartment complex I live in raised our rent by $300 this year and they’ll be wanting to do it next year too. My girls (niece SIL) and I are really considering leaving Florida
due to sky high rent and other expenses. Haven’t decided where we
wanna resettle, so we’re kicking that
around some right now. If it weren’t
for all of us having part time jobs,
we’d really be screwed. But we survive somehow. Sis and I Door Dash 7 days a week and my niece and
I work at MacDonald’s. Hope this helps. Gotta hit the sack and help open my store in the morning after closing it down tonight.
@Kenneth Carney
I completely understand. Since everyone moved out of California to Vegas, rents and housing prices skyrocketed. It USED to be affordable to live here. Not anymore.
I too had to get a p/t job. I drive for Hertz Rent-A-Car at the airport. I basically just schuvell cars around, one parking lot to the other or taking the returns to the car wash. It’s super easy and I get to drive brand new cars from Kia’s to Maserati’s.
Good God cars have gotten ridiculous. Hundreds of buttons. They do everything for you except kiss you goodnight.
I absolutely hate EVs. We have Tesla and
Polestar, some Kia and some Chevies.
Oops! Almost forgot! How do I sell my auto art prints on BF?
@the Barn Finds Staff
How does Kenneth sell his auto art prints on Barn Finds? Is that possible?
So, is the breezeway window supposed to go down like the ones did on the sedans? The top mechanism on this model seems to be slightly less complex than the ’61 and later ones. It would have been nice to see how much help it needs to go up and down. If I had the money, I would be bidding on this one, but I stay plenty busy with my ’93 GEO convertible, which would likely fit in the trunk of this car.
Sounds like the engine is knocking in the video and/or there’s an exhaust leak.
@MLG
93 GEO? Careful, Michael, words like that could get you drummed out of the GALYS!
😆 j/k. But seriously……. a 93 Geo?
I guess they are part of history too, thus deemed saving, but a ’93 Geo?
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 🤯
You’re right ACD, new cars are getting
waaay too technical. The girls talked
me into buying a ’21 K-5 last year. It’s
comfortable for a modern car, but oh
my God the tech! The girls took to it like ducks to water, but me, not so much. You gotta have a college degree just to turn the damned thing
on! And if you get a flat, forget about
changing it yourself. You gotta go to an app, scan the VIN into it. This in turn programs the tire iron to correspond to the QR codes on the lug nuts. If you do it right, you change
the tire, if not, better call AAA. it really
bites when you have to buy a modern
car because your family doesn’t like
older cars. Give me a ’66 Caddy any
day! At least I understand how things
work and I can repair it myself using
a good set of Craftsman hand tools
That I used to carry iny trunk. And if
I had my ’66 back, I’d have no shortage of young ladies wanting to
drive it! As for my art prints, I can make almost anything from brassmobiles to around 1990. That’s
when everything started looking alike.
But I will do later model stuff if the
buyer insists. Last one I sold was a
’51 Buick Special 2-door hardtop with
a Connie kit on the back and Kelsey
Hayes wire wheels. I use markers and colored pencils because my eye
condition doesn’t allow me to use brushes. Been drawing since I was
5 or 6 years old. Used to try and draw
like Van and Fitz or any other of the
auto illustrators I saw in magazines
back then. I find it to be very relaxing
when I can do it.
Yes, a ’93 GEO convertible, tricked out, of course. I still love working on cars, and I enjoy the simplicity of a GEO 3-banger. I drive Fluffy all over the country to meets and host one here, too. I still love luxury cars with all the doodads.
@MLG
OK, put it in the trunk of one of your luxury land yachts as a spare and take a trip to Vegas!
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
A/C vents in the doors?!
Just watched an old FantomWorks episode where they restored one of these but it was a four door. Lots of difficulty obtaining parts as it was a one year model. They also had problems with a power steering leak. Pump is mounted to the front of the engine and difficult to repair. Multiple attempts on their part to get the correct seal to fix the problem. Cool car but won’t be easy or inexpensive to finish up the loose ends.
Saw that episode. They got the breezeway window to work.
Used to watch all those classic car shows all the time in the 2010s. Fantom works, Desert Car Kings, Junkyard Empire, seen ’em all. Don’t
have time to do it now. My job at McD’s expanded from a few hours a week to about 30. So between Door Dash and that, I’m pretty much worn out at the end of the day. Come home, sit in my recliner, and before too long, it’s off to nappy land! I tell
myself I’ll do some work in my workshop, but I never make it there.
As for the AC vents in the doors, my
’59 Premier had ’em too. It had so many features on it that Lincoln almost out teched themselves into
oblivion. That’s why they didn’t sell that many of them after folks found out that half those fancy gadgets didn’t work as advertised. Had a ’63
ragtop that was like that too. Lucky
for me the only thing it needed was
a pair of mufflers!
Wow!!! I don’t know how I missed this gem. My father had a 60 Mark 4-door white with blue leather. I recall it having power vent windows and a switch on the floor to change the radio station. It too had a problem with power steering and my father cut the belt off and would drive it with no effort. At 7-8 years old I couldn’t even budge the wheel past it normal play. I still have a penchant for these.