Considering A 1966 Convertible

Bill,
Great website and blog. I have been in the market for a 66 Continental Convertible for about a year. I have watched your site, eBay, local papers, a few auctions, etc. There are a few I have my eye on but this is my first classic car purchase. I am looking to find one that is “done” or has been restored to a nice condition. I want a driver but something of high quality. Outside of the normal items to consider when purchasing a classic car, is there anything in particular to look for on a 66 convertible that I should pay special attention to?
Many thanks in advance!
Sam
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Hello Sam –
Relating to your “Wants” in a car is kind of easy for me because the Lincolns that I have owned forever are for the most part well maintained presentable drivers (no ground up restorations). One thing that I should be clear on though is that there really is no Daily or Weekend Driver car that is ever “done”. Any car that is lovely in all respects with all systems operative will develop problems and will require repairs sooner or later. I’m sure that you knew that anyway. The Lincoln Continental 4dr. Convertible is a great choice and is a well respected and sought after vehicle among car lovers and collectors. As you know, these cars have options and special appointments that were and still are “unique”. When looking for one, you need to make sure that All of these options and appointments are working as designed or the car will have plenty of “Down” time which I think you do not want. It would certainly help if you knew the car and or the owner but this is usually not too likely. These are unibody cars with the Quarter panels and Fenders welded and leaded in place. Watch for poor workmanship here as well as evidence of a bad crash. The under body should be inspected for excess or poorly patched areas. All areas of these cars such as a/c, upholstery,exhaust, power steering and bright metal mldgs and chrome etc. are somewhat more costly on these cars than ordinary cars. So in order for you not to be dissappointed in your search for the “high quality driver” you may be many dollars ahead to have an expert of these cars inspect any candidate that you may find. I sure didn’t intend to ramble on here but we at Lincoln Land have in the past encountered many new buyers that were somewhat dissappointed when they learned from us that their purchase should have had a much closer inspection. If you follow some of these suggestion, I am confident that you will find the exact car that you are looking for and if you need further assistance please do not hesitate to contact us.
Sincerely,
Bill