new winter beater - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

davestlouis · #1 11-12-2009, 02:53 PM

I needed a cheap winter beater, so I got a 1985 Continental...and I learned some trivia too...85 is the only year it doesn't say "Lincoln" anywhere on it. This basic style was built from 82-87, most have the 302 V8 with the AOD transmission, as does mine. All have 4 wheel airride, mine works great and has new bags on all 4 corners. I traded a set of Snap On wrenches and a set of SO screwdrivers for the car. This is a smallish 4 door, shares the Fox platform with everything from the Fairmont, to Mustang and Thunderbird, along with the Lincoln Mark VII. It's a medium slate blue with navy leather, and it's FILTHY. I'd load pics but I can't make it work....

kerry · #2 11-12-2009, 03:10 PM

Didn't that year Lincoln have a BMW diesel option? Same diesel as the Vixen motorhome?

Mistress · #3 11-12-2009, 04:02 PM

Dave congrats- but where are the pix?????

davestlouis · #4 11-12-2009, 07:09 PM

There were 2 years of production with the BMW-Steyr M21 turbodiesel, I think 84 and 85. The only time I ever recall seeing one was when my next door neighbor bought one new in 84, to go along with the Cadillac Seville diesel he had bought for his wife...both cars were two tone, both kind of magohany brownish and copper...pretty.

I have never gotten pics to attach on this particular forum so I have given up.

Jim B. · #5 11-12-2009, 08:00 PM

davestlouis · #6 11-12-2009, 09:47 PM

It sure is...real wire wheels, c-o-n-t-i-n-e-n-t-a-l spelled out in individual letters around the faux-spare tire bulge on the decklid, real walnut veneer on the doors and dash that delaminates and peels off in sheets, deep pile carpet, digital dash with an indecipherable row of buttons on the dash and warning lights galore. The leather is pretty nice, thank god it wasn't "mousefur" velour. Nicely trimmed trunk too, with thick carpet, 150HP and 275 Lbs of torque...

davestlouis · #7 11-12-2009, 09:53 PM

It also has little vent windows in the front doors, for smokers. The window button operates the little glass, and big glass...the little vent glass goes down 1st, then the main door glass goes down. Power trunk pull down too...the trunk moves a smidge laterally as the pull down closes, it must be a screw drive of some sort.

It's going to need tires one of these days, I'm thinking about putting whitewalls on it...I don't like the way the blackwalls look on it, with the wires. If Vogues weren't so crazy expensive, I'd think about a set, just to pimp it up a little.

pawoSD · #8 11-12-2009, 10:26 PM

I remember seeing a lot of those around when I was little....now I can't even recall the last time I saw one. They probably all rusted away a long time ago.

davestlouis · #9 11-12-2009, 10:27 PM

I haven't seen one in years either...and this one is rust-free as far as I can tell, 150xxx miles. I have been looking for a late 70s Seville, the little Nova-based boxy one, and haven't found one of those either.

jplinville · #10 11-13-2009, 10:00 AM

nice find...Gotta love the Lincoln.

I have a '92 MK VII Bill Blass edition with the 302 H.O. and AOD tranny. That's the same engine that came in the Mustang GT.

So far, I've changed the heads to GT40, and the intake to a Cobra. I've also changed the cams...basically I took what was left from my buddy's old Mustang engine and put it in the Lincoln. It has the air bag suspension, but I want to swap it for the normal spring set up due to lack of responsiveness.

The interior is spotless in a light gray velour with pillow cushions, premium sound package and premium alloy wheels.

I only paid $500 for mine, and it's nearly perfect. I'm planning on driving it to Ohio and back this December.

davestlouis · #11 11-14-2009, 10:30 PM

I thought Mark VII's were the coolest thing going when they were new...not many of those around anymore either. Looked like a beefed-up T-Bird. It seems like old Town Cars are all over the place around here for next to nothing, might snag one of those too.

There's also a 1980 Cadillac Coupe deVille for sale locally for very little money, that would be a neat addition to the fleet. I think the 1980 model still had a big block motor in it, not one of the wimpy 4.1 liters they used in the mid-80s.

Carleton Hughes · #12 11-14-2009, 10:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by davestlouis

I thought Mark VII's were the coolest thing going when they were new...not many of those around anymore either. Looked like a beefed-up T-Bird. It seems like old Town Cars are all over the place for sale locally for very little money, that would be a neat addition to the fleet. I think the 1980 model still had a big block motor in it, not one of the wimpy 4.1 liters they used in the mid-80s.

c

Them 4100 motors had bad heads and flat cams...If you changed the oil more frequently than recommended they were OK but most owners did not.

I had a BMW 524 Turbo Diesel,same motor as mentioned. Great acceleration and low end torque but I always worried about that damned rubber gilmer belt driving the cams, too close for comfort.

Skippy · #13 11-15-2009, 05:20 PM

The '80 Cadillac came with your choice of 6.0 (368) gasser or 5.7 (350) diesel. The diesels were generally acknowledged to be junk that year. The 368 was a one year only non-modulated displacement unit that was replaced the next year with the V-8-6-4 modulated displacement motor that never worked right. It was the last descendant of the 472/500 big block Caddy. My dad had an '80 368 and he put 212,000 miles on it before a rebuild that he probably could have put off for several years. The car had over 240,000 miles when he finally got tired of it and sold it. I don't think the full size Caddys had a decent engine again until they started using the 307 Olds around 1987 or so.

davestlouis · #14 11-15-2009, 06:57 PM

Looks like the Caddie is a no-go...some young urban kid bought it to make a lowrider out of it...but the master cylinder crapped out and he's balking at having it towed home, so there's still hope.

I never even got to look at it, but it's burgundy, burgundy leather, 1/2 vinyl top that was originally white, was dyed black years ago, per the seller.

The Clk Man · #15 11-15-2009, 07:05 PM

Is it one of these? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MS9fk1u6kA