For Sale: 1963 Lincoln Continental Convertible - Project - $12,000 - Oakham, MA - Not Mine

[58L-Y8]

For Sale: 1963 Lincoln Continental Convertible - Project - $12,000 - Oakham, MA

1963 lincoln continental for sale by owner - Oakham, MA - craigslist
Seller's Description:

1963 Lincoln Convertible. Great car for restoration, rare with suicide doors. All original, interior in good shape, could be driven with a little work or good candidate for a full restoration. Asking 12k or best offer can deliver if needed.
Contact: Call or text (774) twenty-0-ten-6-2.
Copy and paste in your email: a6dbfdeea18334eb9c64d4633e7bcfa4@sale.craigslist.org

I have no personal interest or stake in the eventual sale of this 1963 Lincoln Continental Convertible - Project.
The Standard Catalog of American Cars, 1946-1975, edited by John Gunnell states 3,138 1963 Lincoln Continental Convertibles built.

[alsancle]

Steve,  did you say the 63 has the most desirable styling?   I can't think of a more expensive 60s car to work on.

Edited April 23 by alsancle (see edit history)

[58L-Y8]

42 minutes ago, alsancle said:

Steve,  did you say the 63 has the most desirable styling?   I can't think of a more expensive 60s car to work on.

A.J.:

It's a matter of taste, though the consensus seems to weigh toward the 1963 with its elegant grille textures and squared-off trunk lid.  The 1963 models finally got the 4-barrel carburetor again after that absurd foray into 'economy' 1960-'62 430's beset with 2-barrel carburetors.  The '61 'potted headlights' front grille is more visually interesting but a bit heavy-looking for such a clean design.  

 

Yes, these are among the most expensive, complicated 1960's cars to work on and restore.  Worst, in my view, Ford skimped on many aspects of these cars for their initially high prices: poor rust protection and body drainage, an electrical system no better than any of their other products, interior materials that did not wear or age well, needlessly complicated features such as the hydraulic-powered windshield wiper system.  The unibody was very solid but excessively heavy and even minor collision damage condemned many of these early to the junkyard because the cost to repair that all-welded front clip. 

 

I followed these as new and used cars in the 1960's-1970's, loved them from the first 1961's I saw pre-introduction in November 1960.  The survival rate for the convertibles is high for such a low production car.  They were beginning to be collected in the early 1970's even as worn out, rusty, rundown used cars.  The causes for their popularity now are as cultural nostalgia touchstones of the JFK "Camelot" era.

Steve  

Edited April 23 by 58L-Y8
syntax corrected (see edit history)

[DFeeney]

I would be surprised if this car spent its life in "New England"

[Sal Hepatica]

Styling wise, the '61 original is the most attractive by far imho. The grilles got too busy afterwards. It's a matter of taste, but rarely does an annual restyle look better than the original.

 

[Milburn Drysdale]

My favorite by far is the 66 Continental   I prefer the front grill and the dash especially the air vents   It is the cleanest most refined of the models.  

[Sal Hepatica]

32 minutes ago, Milburn Drysdale said:

My favorite by far is the 66 Continental   I prefer the front grill and the dash especially the air vents   It is the cleanest most refined of the models.  

Mr. Drysdale -I thought you drove nothing but Chrysler products!😉

I owned a '67 Continental coupe in metallic turquoise. It was gorgeous.

[ericmac]

Over the years I have owned 12 of these cars but I do not have one now. I find this car highly appealing but probably would spend more restoring the chrome on this one than I would spend on a better car that could be used now.