1959 Lincoln Continental

Mark IV Convertible

8 - Cyl.

Automatic

Clear

Gasoline

For sale is a 1959 Continental Mark IV convertible with 40,843 miles showing on the odometer. These miles are believed to be correct without the odometer having rolled over, but the car is being sold mileage exempt due to age. This is an 'as is, where is' sale. This Continental has paint code 97, sapphire iridescent -- a blue-turquoise. It was the first year this color was introduced and was exclusive to the Continental. Lincolns could not use it. The interior is black and white leather. Options on this vehicle: factory air conditioning, directed power differential, automatic headlamp dimmer, dual power antennae. This car does NOT have power door locks or remote trunk release. Some history: It was sold new in Minnesota and was involved in a mild accident which damaged the front left corner of the car. The car was brought to Michigan in the 1980's and stored by a Lincoln collector in the Detroit area. When he passed away, a Lincoln club member purchased the car and replaced the left fender, bumper, and hood. He stated there was no apparent frame damage and drove the car routinely with no problems. The car was driven for an hour at highway speeds to my house when I bought it in May of 2006. It looks like the dickens, but drives very nicely. About the mechanicals: This vehicle's mechanicals are very sound. There are no undue engine noises, no tickings, etc. The power steering fluid and filter have been changed as well as oil, coolant, and transmission fluid. The carburetor has been rebuilt. The battery was replaced 2 years ago. The generator has been rebuilt. All 16 rubber valve seals have been replaced. The gas tank float was replaced with an NOS brass one and the gas gauge, ammeter, and temperature gauge work. The speedometer holds steady with no fluctuation and the odometer works. The brake system has been completely rebuilt or replaced from the pedal and beyond. All new lines, hoses, rebuilt master cylinder, vacuum booster, and silicone fluid. At the moment, the brake pedal travels too far and the system likely needs to be bled. The emergency brake cables have been adjusted. The front drums have been resurfaced. The front wheel bearings have been repacked and given new grease seals. The differential fluid has been changed and given a new seal. What works: All of the windows operate and their tracks have been cleaned and re-greased. Switches cleaned. All instrument cluster gauges. The radio plays well and brings in several AM stations. The headlights and taillights work as well as high beams and turn signals. What doesn't work: The seek feature on the radio doesn't work and the buttons need cleaning and lubrication. The clock is inoperatuve. The 6-way seat was working fine, but now appears to need cleaning and lubrication The rear antennae do not operate. The windshield wipers do not operate. The interior: Everything is there. No trim missing. The seats need reupholstering, but the side panels are very nice -- no tears or anything unsightly about them. The carpet needs to be replaced. The padded dash top has that typical sag and needs replacement. The body: In general, the body is impressively rust-free and what surface rust is there can easily be sandblasted away. The left edge of the hood has a small perforation. The left fender is held in place by sheetmetal screws and needs to be welded. Inside the left fender the a/c fiberglass box was damaged, but a nice replacement unit goes with the car. The floorpan behind the driver's seat (left side rear passenger footwell) is shot due to water coming in through a tear in the cloth top. The Detroit collector improperly stored the car for a time. I have a custom made heavy gauge panel designed for this area ready to be welded in place. I do not believe it affects the structural rigidity of the car, being such a small area. The right rocker has a crease below the door the length of the wheelbase. It did NOT hit the door. A pair of custom made heavy gauge rocker replacement panels come with the car, but you may prefer to have the original metal pulled back out on the passenger side. The top: The convertible top is inoperative. I have not investigated it other than to jumper open the back panel behind the rear glass and it worked fine. The previous owner lowered the top and left it there for years. Once the top mechanism is repaired, you will need to replace the canvas. The top currently on the car is white. The tires: Are very old and do not leak, but you should trailer the car to its new home. All-in-all, this Continental would make a nice project and you'd have a unique, beautiful, and desirable car when finished. On Mar-11-11 at 09:18:13 PST, seller added the following information:To clarify the floorpan damage in the left rear footwell: The Lincoln club fellow who sold me the car said the vehicle was outdoors when he found it at the estate sale and there was a tear in the convertible top such that water dripped behind the driver's seat directly onto the rear floor where it accumulated in the carpet and led to that one bad area. The remainder of the floorpan on this car as well as the trunk are just fine. I have a photo of this area if anyone wants to see it.On Mar-11-11 at 09:29:16 PST, seller added the following information:To my knowledge, there are no trim items missing from this car. I have a right rocker stainless and left fender chrome pieces. One interior photo shows the driver's seatback trim missing, but it has been reinstalled. Left fender inside braces have been collected, as well as a replacement left front splash guard. You won't be searching for parts for this car.On Mar-17-11 at 06:22:23 PDT, seller added the following information:I want to mention two items that came up during phone conversations with prospective bidders. First, the rear bumper has a couple dents in it. Look closely at the 2nd photo in the listing. A large, clear photo of the bumper is available for the asking. Secondly, the hood is slightly out of adjustment and doesn't latch shut. It was closed when I took delivery of the car, but once it was opened it hasn't been closed tightly. The hood itself is not twisted and the arms on it line up nicely with the latch boxes on the firewall.