For Sale: 1966 Lincoln Continental 4dr Sedan - Project - $7,500 OBO - Littleton, CO - Not Mine

[58L-Y8]

For Sale: 1966 Lincoln Continental 4dr Sedan - Project - $7,500 OBO - Littleton, CO

1966 Lincoln Continental for sale by owner - Littleton, CO - craigslist
Seller's Description:

1966 Lincoln Continental 4DR. All original Colorado car. Great builder. Motor runs strong but carb is shot. Will need a hood tune-up. Great for a full restoration or “rat rod” look. Interior is immaculate. Clean title in hand.
Will need tune-up and general maintenance. Brakes do not work plus bad carb so not currently drivable but will start and run.
Contact: No phone listed
Copy and paste in your email: a1a64f0ce071359baea11480999e546d@sale.craigslist.org

I have no personal interest or stake in the eventual sale of this 1966 Lincoln Continental 4dr Sedan - Project.

[EmTee]

Exactly 10x what I paid for my spotless, Northern CA example in 1982.  Drove it cross-country and my wife's description was "like putting your livingroom couch on cruise control"... 

[Steve_Mack_CT]

Cars like this are tough, too nice to part but what is a perfect or even #3 example worth?

 

I would think this one is worth more like half his ask and getting it spotless would be more than 10x that price.

 

 

[58L-Y8]

1 hour ago, Steve_Mack_CT said:

Cars like this are tough, too nice to part but what is a perfect or even #3 example worth?

 

I would think this one is worth more like half his ask and getting it spotless would be more than 10x that price.

 

 

Steve:

When these '60's Lincoln sedans appear for sale, they are almost universally overpriced for their condition. It's the associative effect of the convertible sedans.  This is about as reasonably priced one as any I found lately.  Other than making it safe and reliable to drive, the smart approach would be to 'cut and buff' the paint on the sides, settle for a Maico job on the top surfaces, forget the vinyl top replacement for now.  

 

Oddly enough, if someone wants a luxury car from the mid-'60's for a realistic price, their best gambit is to look for a 1964-'68 Imperial, in spite of how much lower production those were relative to Cadillac and Lincoln, they turn up frequently is nice condition for reasonable money.

Steve

[Gearheadengineer]

4 minutes ago, 58L-Y8 said:

 

Oddly enough, if someone wants a luxury car from the mid-'60's for a realistic price, their best gambit is to look for a 1964-'68 Imperial

And if you wonder why they share certain design aspects with the slab side Lincolns - they were both designed under Elwood Engel, who went from Ford to Chrysler in 1961.

[Steve_Mack_CT]

Engel's Continental was awesome imo, think about the 61 Lincoln Continental vs. 61 Caddy.

 

I heard he was pissed Ford didn't move him into the top design spot.

 

But the 66- 67 Lincolns look more Ford like to me, attractive but not perfect which is what I think of the 61 - 65, esp shorter wheelbase 1st years.

 

I think the bagged and dropped crowd has driven values up on these as well.  A lot have been lost as some of these guys will spend $75k or more on those cars. 

[Gearheadengineer]

1 minute ago, Steve_Mack_CT said:

 

But the 66- 67 Lincolns look more Ford like to me, attractive but not perfect which is what I think of the 61 - 65, esp shorter wheelbase 1st years.

 

Yes, Engel’s intent was diluted as the years progressed. Although I think the grille treatment got better in ‘62. Flat side windows in ‘64 to save a few bucks, the ‘65 front end got busier, and significant changes in ‘66 (more Ford like as you noted) makes them look heavier to me. 
 

I like the longer wheelbase that started in ‘64. More rear seat legroom. 

[58L-Y8]

15 hours ago, Gearheadengineer said:

Yes, Engel’s intent was diluted as the years progressed. Although I think the grille treatment got better in ‘62. Flat side windows in ‘64 to save a few bucks, the ‘65 front end got busier, and significant changes in ‘66 (more Ford like as you noted) makes them look heavier to me. 
 

I like the longer wheelbase that started in ‘64. More rear seat legroom. 

The '66 restyle was under Buzz Grissinger whose directive was to take the design more mainstream with a FoMoCo familial resemblance.  This was in conjunction with the return of the two-door hardtop to counter the Coupe de Ville, still a significant market then.  The '61, as great a design as it is, was too much of a "four-door personal luxury coupe" to be truly competitive with Cadillac and Imperial.  The 3" wheelbase lengthening to 126" for 1964 was in response to buyer complaints about the lack of rear seat legroom, which is a bit scant.   The dramatic 1961-'63 greenhouse tumblehome also elicited buyer complaints as well of a claustrophobic feel inside.  The 1964-'65 flat glass side windows were a retrograde step but cheaper to produce, seemed more consistent with the flat-panel roof surfaces.   After four seasons of minor grille and trim changes, the front of the 1965 got to participate in the revival of Mercury as drawing inspiration from Lincoln rather than the dolled-up Ford it had been since '61.  The nascent 'power-dome' hood and grille appeared on both; Mercury got to advertise "In the Lincoln Continental Tradition".   Impressive length equated with luxury then, the '66 at 220.9" vs the '65 at 216.3"; the public approved: '65: 40,180; '66: 54,755.

Edited November 10, 2023 by 58L-Y8
syntax corrected (see edit history)