I have a chance to get a 1964 Lincoln Continental pretty cheap.
They are really rare cars around here, and I am quite interested, as it looks like I might have to sell my current car (insurance is costing me around US$7000 per annum, and even then it was hard to find a company willing to insurance it).
The only problem, I know nothing about them.

Has anyone here owned one? Your thoughts?
I wouldn't mind setting it up as a daily driver, what do you reckon? (no I am not worried about fuel consumption)

I really like the look of the car (suicide doors are pretty neat).
I know the 64 version is powered by a 430, what engine family is this from?

Is it part of the FE family? or the 385 series? or something else?

How easy is it to increase horsepower on it? - not by much, maybe 350-360 possibly even 400 at the crank.

What are you guys thoughts in general?
I love the looks of it, and I think it has a good chance to appreciate over the next 10years.
I know you shouldn't buy cars as an investment, but my 63 Mini Cooper has gone up in price by around 13times in the last 10 years.

 

If it was me Id say pull the trigger and get it, I've a 64 t-bird myself, and really enjoy restoring it , I've got all the body work and paint done on it , now its the interior and engine,I'm going for the stock appearance on the engine with some mods internally, I've picked up a 315hp cam for it ,and the heads are going to get the exhaust ports polished maybe milled some, for a little extra omph.I'm trying to keep the stock carb but hopefully take from 450cm to maybe about 600+.....I wish i knew more about lincolns to help you out, but there are some good buy's on ebay for used parts although you need to know what there worth before buying. Let me know if you need any help.
Ray

On edit: Ive got 564 e-mails, this is my 2649 post about a 64 lincoln and 64 T-bird and i was born in 64 strange

 

T-birds, are awesome cars - any photos of it?

I really want to get this, the only problem it is an 8 hour drive to go look at it
I want to know what I am looking at before I fly up and have a look at the car.

If I do get it, I want to keep the interior, exterior and mechanicals as close to standard as possible, it is in really good condition to start off with
http://carpoint.ninemsn.com.au/DesktopDefault.aspx?UsedCarID=523552&TabID=3328&Al ias=carpointau
But I would like to have a little more power (I don't want a drag car though), there are no speed limits around here, and being able to cruise at around 120mph+ in a Conti would be fantastic...

 

I can't tell you what family the motor is from (I believe it's an engine all its own, not associated with any other Ford motor), but I can tell you the motor is darn-near indestructible. Smooth, strong, powerful- they run forever.

These are among my favorite cars, as they were among the most carefully-built vehicles to ever come out of Detroit. I have 2 friends that have 3 of these between them ('61, '66 and '67, all convertibles), and they're just amazing. The '66 had 160,000 miles when he bought it, and it had a knock. The guy who owned it before let it set a lot, and would use half a can of starting fluid (ether) to get it going. They say a 3-foot flame would shoot right out of the carburetor barrel! My friend then drove it 600 miles home WITH the knock, opened it up and found one of the pushrods bent at about a 15-degree angle. Now THAT'S a well-built motor!

An absolute 60's classic- if the one you're looking at is in good shape, it should be a good investment. There can be some electrical gremlins, but they're not as bas as some people make them out to be. There are clubs here in the states devoted to this car, and if you ever had a problem their members would be more than happy to help you out. The novelty of helping an Aussie with his "barn-door" (which is how the Lincoln designers referred to the body style, never 'suicide-door') Lincoln will draw a LOT of assistance!

 

If the owner can get you some digital photos, I can forward them to my friend, he knows exactly what to look for. He can even tell you to tell the current owner just what to photograph so he can assess the condition. Rust is a main concern; if the body is solid, anything else can be fixed or replaced. I'm assuming this is a sedan?

 

WoW! that is really sharp, but i Dont know if the color scheme is orginal, but niether was mine when I got it , its now back to the factory color ,petsenine green w/ white landow top.

Check this thread later and i'll post a pic of it , after i find a place to host it.

as far a getting it to cruise at 120mph , no problem even in stock form, my 390 with do that

 

 

Jeff,

It is a sedan, I have no hope of finding a convertible here, and if I did, it would be well out of my current price range, this link has photos:
http://carpoint.ninemsn.com.au/DesktopDefault.aspx?UsedCarID=523552&TabID=3328&Al ias=carpointau
I doubt that colour scheme is standard, does look novel, but I would like to have it painted the original colour, or maybe all black.

I agree with your statement that this was the one of the best cars to ever come out of Detroit.
Prehaps one of the best cars of its era, as I am researching more, I have noticed that few cars came close to the style and oppulance (maybe the likes of a Hispano-Suiza H6, but try finding one around for this price), and only now are cars getting close to the technology that was in this car.

Financially it may not be the greatest decision to purchase it, but I have decided life is to short to worry about that.

 

heres Da Bird
bad link

Let me know if this link works

 

It says I need to log in to check the photos...?

 

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y51...hunderbird.jpg

Maybe this one will work

 

Yep, looks awesome, you will sure have a nice car on your hands when you are finished.
Tks.
BigF350

 

Uh, no, black over WHITE PEARL would not be a "factory color!" (BTW, I had to cut-and-paste that link into another window to get it to work.) Paint the sides black (easy to do on a body style like this), and you've got a great-looking car.

From the photos, the car appears to be in great shape; all the doors and fenders line up nice, which is a good sign. No interior shots? It looks like tan leather, very unusual with black exterior in the mid-60s. There was a very light beige that was popular on this car in '64, often used with the tan leather. FYI, I don't know what exchange rates are, but a comparable '64 could be had here for $5-7,000 US. They're not hard to find, and everyone here wants a convertible, depressing the value of the sedans. My friend just bought his flawlessly-restored '61 convertible (first year) for $15000 US.

One word of warning: if you go to just "look" at the car and test-drive it, you'll wind up an owner. If you've never driven one of these, you will be absolutely AMAZED at the ride. I assure you, you've NEVER ridden in a car that rides like this, not even a Rolls! 18 feet and 5,000 lbs. of Detroit iron will smooth out the worst bumps, everytime!

 

Thanks,
now back to your car, just be sure to inspect the shock towers for any sign of rust down by the frame, very common problem to fords, but maybe their down under you don't have to deal with that issue.

wheel bearing and seals and also the axles need to be checked out, if you consider the age & weight that these cars have , you'll under stand why i'm pointing it out to you. be sure to check on your access to common replacement parts as these are getting harder and harder to come by, stock up on brake pads 2 or 3 sets,and maybe a spare master clyinder, vacum booster (the rubber rots and brake fluid gets into them) and other hardware.

and one other thing to do is if you do decide to have it repainted and it need s any body work, be sure to have some one who knows how to "lead" to use it as a filler, (never bubbles paint) I'm only suggesting these things for future referance in case your going to keep the car long term.

On edit:If you need to find a source for the electric window motors and seat motors , let me know, i know someone that can get 'new' old stock for you.

 

I am requesting some interior photos.
Exchange rates are around US75c = Au$1.
So your cars are a lot cheaper (I may have to mention this to the seller ) however it is already RHD, and it is usually around Au$10000 for a conversion.
So it your cars would end up costing around Au$20000 + import taxes etc. - what I plan on offering on this car, if I plan to purchase...

I might take the clipboard as well, to note and reinforce all the faults, as I garuntee that the car will seduce me, and I don't want to drive away with a dog...

I will keep you in mind F2504by4 if I do decide to get the car.

Thanks guys