1976 Lincoln Continental

Town Car Sedan

8 - Cyl.

Automatic

Gasoline

1976 Lincoln Continental Town Car - Starts at $500, No Reserve! Up for sale is a 1976 Lincoln Town Car. The auction starts at $500, and there is no reserve. I purchased the car about 5 months ago. The car is registered as an operating vehicle and passed California Smog just two months ago. I drive the car about 10-20 miles every weekend. I'd like to sell the car, as I just purchased a home and would prefer to spend my money on that. Please read the description below carefully. I have tried to provide a thorough and honest description of the car. If you have any questions after reading the information and looking at the pictures, please let me know. Engine The car has a 460CI V-8 and a Motorcraft 4350 carburetor. The engine idles very well, does not smoke, and does not burn oil. I attached a vacuum gauge to the engine and it runs with a steady needle in the "Normal" zone. The needle on the vacuum gauge moved appropriately when the engine was revved. The car passed California Smog with flying colors. The engine accelerates without hesitation or flat spots, and doesn't knock or ping. The engine does not overheat: the temperature gauge moves steadily to the middle range, and then drops down to about the 1/4 range when the thermostat opens. The gauge moves between the 1/4 and the 1/3 range during driving, depending on weather and driving conditions. I replaced the air filter, crankcase air filter, PCV valve, thermostat, plugs, plug wires, distributor cap, rotor, power steering pump/reservoir, power steering pump high pressure hose, all belts, heater core, all coolant hoses, and the valve cover gaskets. I've changed the oil twice. I've flushed the radiator and the block and replaced the coolant. I've also cleaned up the engine bay. It won't score 100 points at your next Continental Owner's Club meet, but it looks pretty decent. That said, I don't think the electric spring in the choke is working properly, as the engine starts at normal idle, even when cold. You can get it to move up to fast idle by manually moving the fast idle cam, but it will not drop back down unless you manually back off the fast idle cam. Not a big deal, but if you haven't started it in a week or so, it will idle a little rough for about the first 30 seconds. When the engine starts, a drop or two of fuel will drip from the area where the fuel line meets the carburetor. I haven't replaced the fuel filter or fixed the leak because I was planning on having the carburetor rebuilt. I have a new set of heater hose tubes (the metal piece that runs along the right side of the engine) in Ford blue that will go with the car. Transmission The transmission is Ford's C-6 three-speed automatic. It shifts smoothly without banging or clunking. I replaced the transmission fluid, filter, and pan gasket. The transmission drips slightly from the front of the bell housing (out of the bottom of the flywheel inspection plate). It is probably the front seal. I keep the fluid level topped up and it hasn't affected the operation of the transmission. I cleaned off the transmission and there don't appear to be any other leaks. Brakes The brakes stop well without pulling or pulsating. This car has the four-wheel-disc option and the "Sure Track" anti-lock braking system. There are no leaks or other problems with the brakes, master cylinder, or other parts. The parking brake works well: it is vacuum operated and releases automatically when the car is put in gear. Other Mechanical The emissions system appears to be intact and operational. The power steering works well. The alternator appears to be working normally. The starter works well. The exhaust system is all there, but one portion from the "Y" pipe back to the muffler will probably need to be replaced, as it's rusted. The muffler will need to be replaced. The car has two catalytic converters: both are intact and rust-free. I replaced all four shocks. The tires are in good shape, and have a good amount of tread left. Body The body is straight and free of any serious dents. The paint is in decent shape, though it won't win any awards: there are the usual scratches and nicks. All of the trim is there and intact, but the rubstrip on the rear part of the passenger side is bent/loose as a result of the previous owner's encounter with an immovable object. Some of the chrome trim is faded or pitted. The bumpers are in good shape, and the chrome is pretty decent. The front turn signal lenses and cornering-light lenses are in good shape. One of the taillight lenses has a small crack, but it's not missing any pieces. The rear taillight panel is in decent shape, but the little "Lincoln" symbols are faded. The underbody and frame are free of rust: much of the undercoating is still intact. This car has spent its whole life in southern California, so there is no rust in the wheelwells or the lower parts of the body. That said, there are some small rust spots on the top of the front fenders where they meet the hood. There are rust spots on the rear lip of the trunk lid. There is also rust along the roof. I can't see the rust, but the vinyl roof has bubbling and there is a crunchy sound when you press on several places on the roof. Typical problem with vinyl roof cars. There are also rust holes near where the rear of the vinyl roof meets the rear deck. You won't be able to tell how bad the rust is until the vinyl roof is removed. It doesn't appear to have affected the A, B, or C pillars, though, just the flat part of the roof. The glass is in decent shape, but there is a crack in the windshield leading from the rearview mirror mount to the A pillar on the driver's side. It doesn't block your vision when driving. The gas tank is in good shape. This car has the optional 8-gallon auxiliary tank in the trunk: it appears to work fine. Interior This car has the Jade Green interior. The driver's side front seat and armrest are pretty torn up, as you can see from the pictures. The passenger side is a little better, but will still need to be reupholstered. The dashpad is badly sun faded and cracked and will need to be replaced. The carpet in the front and back is in decent shape, though it's a bit worn in the driver's side. The rear seat is in better condition, though the top of the rear seat has cracked from sun exposure. The rear parcel shelf is also faded. The headliner is in very good condition. The sun visors are in good condition, but the vanity mirrors/lights are not. A good pair of sun visors with vanity mirrors and lights will go with the car, but they are red and will need to be dyed green to match the car. Some of the metal interior trim is pitted. The dome/map light assembly is pitted, but a shiny NOS one will go with the car, along with a box of interior odds and ends. The door panels are in good condition in front, and very good condition in back. The trunk carpeting and trim are in decent condition. The car has the original spare tire and jack. It is very difficult to lock the front door with the key, but the passenger door lock works fine. The trunk latch works fine, as does the interior electric trunk release. The glove box lock and light work fine, as does the front map light. The exterior mirrors are "remote" and operated interior knobs connected to the mirror by cables. They work, but not well. The exterior mirrors are slightly loose. Electrical This car has a whole host of electrical doodads. The power windows and switches work all around, but the vent window on the passenger side has become separated from the main glass (a common problem), so the vent window doesn't roll up. The power door locks work, but the only switch that works is on the passenger side. The interior lights and trunk light all work with the headlight switch, but do not come on when you open the doors or the trunk. The car has the AM/FM Quadraphonic 8-Track, but the radio doesn't turn on. The car has a multi-way power front bench seat, but it doesn't work. The speedometer and temperature gauge work, but the ammeter and fuel gauge do not. The fuel gauge moves slightly when the car is started, so it might be a stuck or rusted sending unit. The Cartier clock doesn't work. The automatic temperature control seems to work, as it turns on the blower fan and directs air to the correct vents. The heat works, but there is no cold air from the A/C. All exterior lights work (I replaced most of the bulbs). The car has automatic headlamps with an auto-dimming feature: I don't know if these work. The wipers are variable intermittent and work fine, but the driver's side wiper blade is missing (the arm is there: you just need to purchase the blade assembly). The car also has the factory security system with the locking interior hood release. It's supposed to turn on when you lock the front door with the key, but it didn't seem to work when I followed the test procedure in the owner's manual. Other Stuff In addition to the parts I already mentioned, the car will come with a full set of factory service manuals, wiring and vacuum diagrams, and the owner's manual. I have a car cover that will go with the car too: it's a bit small (the car is 19.5 feet long, after all), but it works OK. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. Good luck!