1966 Lincoln Continental 7.6l V8, Pwr Windows & Seats, Disc Brakes, Cruise Cntl on 2040-cars

About the 1966 Lincoln Continental 4DR Sedan

It is in the fourth generation of Continentals (1961-1969). In 1961, the Continental was completely redesigned by Elwood Engel. For the first time, the names Lincoln and Continental would be paired together outside the Mark Series; along with replacing the Continental Mark V, the 1961 Continental replaced the Lincoln Capri and Premiere, consolidating Lincoln into a single product line. Originally intended to be the 1961 Ford Thunderbird, the design was enlarged and slightly altered before being switched to the Lincoln line by Robert McNamara.

The new Continental's most recognized trademark, front-opening rear "suicide doors", was a purely practical decision. The new Continental rode on a wheelbase of 123 inches (3,100 mm), and the doors were hinged from the rear to ease ingress and egress. When the Lincoln engineers were examining the back seats that styling had made up, the engineers kept hitting the rear doors with their feet. Hinging the doors from the rear solved the problem. The doors were to become the best-known feature of the 1960s era Lincolns.

This generation of Continental is favored by collectors and has appeared in many motion pictures, such as The Matrix, The Last Action Hero, Kalifornia and the Inspector Gadget films. It has also appeared in the television series Pushing Daisies, and recently in the opening sequence of the television series Entourage. Ford produced several concept cars which recalled this design.

In 2007, Lincoln's Navigator and MKX SUV lines adopted chrome grilles in the style of these Continentals.

President Kennedy's presidential limousine was a fourth generation Continental.

This so-called "slab-side" design ran from 1961 to 1969 with few changes from year to year. 54,755 1966 models were sold. The 1966 year model was the best-selling of the fourth generation models. Product breakdown for the year consisted of 65% sedans, 29% coupes, and just fewer than 6% for the four-door convertible. 1966 was the first year a tape player was available and a new tilt steering wheel. The 1967 Continental was almost identical to the 1966. The most obvious external difference is that the 1966 model has the Lincoln logo on each front fender, ahead of the front wheel; this does not appear on the 1967 model. 1969 was the last production year with rear-opening "suicide doors."

History of This Car

As can be seen from the included original owner’s manual the car was placed in service on November 11, 1965. It was purchased from the Ken Milburn Ford dealership in Ardmore, OK. The first owner used to drive the car to Arizona for the winters. The car was then sold about 2-3 years later to a gentleman who lived in Tucson, AZ. The second owner drove the car for several years. Unfortunately due to his declining health the car was then stored in a garage by the family and driven only rarely and to maintain the vehicle.

Interesting side story about the second owner and the Cruise Control –he never used it since he considered it a radical new feature. Realizing that he would no longer be driving the car and (perhaps overly) concerned for his family’s safety he insisted that the Cruise Control be disconnected. The owner’s son told me that out of respect for his father’s wishes it was never reconnected. So the assumption is that it works but the cable is not connected to the carburetor linkage (but a great story!). I then purchased the car from the family (who are related to me by marriage –small world).

Current Condition of Vehicle

Since the car had been in storage for a long period I have gone through the car thoroughly. Starting out with replacing the spark plugs, plug wires, filters (fuel, air, oil), replacing the fluids (oil, anti-freeze, transmission, brake) then driving the car for a couple of hundred miles and then replacing the filters and fluids again. I have also installed a new alternator, new factory style A/C compressor (so the A/C blows COLD!), replaced the overflow tank on the radiator and the transmission cooler. The brakes have been gone through including a new master cylinder, brake lines and hoses (as needed), pads and metering unit. The car has the optional front disc brakes. The tires are good obviously with very little use.

Over the years from being in the sun the paint had become dull so in June of this year I had the entire car sanded down, dents and dings repaired, had the chrome removed and had the trunk and engine compartment as well as the door jams and the exterior of the car completely repainted. The shop did a FANTASTIC job as you can tell from the pictures. The car looks amazing and always draws attention.

At one car show a guy and his girlfriend came up to me and the guy says to his friend “I’m telling you that’s how the doors open!”. He then asked me to open the back door to his girlfriend’s complete amazement. She had never seen a car with suicide doors before and didn’t believe her boyfriend was telling her the truth about how they open.

The exhaust manifolds have been removed, machined and reinstalled with new gaskets. The upper and lower radiator and many other hoses have been replaced as needed. The fuel pump has been replaced.

The car has been detailed inside and out with the leather seats being cleaned and conditioned the carpets shampooed and the trunk vacuumed. The wheel cylinders and bearings have been replaced and the differential fluid replaced. The u-joints on the drive shaft have been inspected and OK’d. The front end has been aligned after replacing several steering components (i.e. control arms, drag link and ball-joints) and all four tires have been rotated and spun balanced.

The experience of driving this car down the road is incredible! It is so smooth and so quiet and so solid feeling on the highway. And yet with the big 462 V8 and four-barrel carburetor it has an amazing ability to accelerate. It is a fantastic road car! As you can see in the pictures the car has the famous Lincoln speedometer that looks like a fluid filled tube (high-tech for the 60’s). Another unique feature for an automobile of this vintage is the advanced climate controlled heater/air-conditioning unit. There is a slider control to set the desired temperature and then the heater or A/C automatically cycles on and off as needed to maintain that temperature and it has been restored to operating condition!

Please ask any questions you may have and happy bidding! You’ll be getting a GREAT car!

Terms of Sale

This vehicle is being sold as is, where is with no warranty, expressed written or implied. The seller shall not be responsible for the correct description, authenticity, genuineness, or defects herein, and makes no warranty in connection therewith. No allowance or set aside will be made on account of any incorrectness, imperfection, defect or damage. Any descriptions or representations are for identification purposes only and are not to be construed as a warranty of any type. It is the responsibility of the buyer to have thoroughly inspected the vehicle and to have satisfied himself or herself as to the condition and value and to bid based upon that judgment solely. Seller assumes no responsibility for any repairs regardless of any oral statements or descriptions herein about the vehicle. Please realize that I have made a best effort to describe the vehicle accurately, there will be normal wear and tear for the age and mileage on the vehicle - simply due to the fact that this is a previously owned vehicle. Buyer is responsible for pickup or shipping of this vehicle. If you wish to have it shipped using a service, we will gladly cooperate. At sellers discretion storage fees may apply if the vehicle is not paid for and picked up in a timely manner. If you are not sure about something, please ask before bidding! Do not assume anything not listed is included. We reserve the right to cancel bids for excessive negative feedback. We reserve the right to end the listing if the vehicle is no longer available for sale. Please do not bid on this auction unless you are serious about owning this vehicle. All non-paying high bidders will be reported to eBay, and negative feedback will be posted. The buyer is responsible for the payment of any and all taxes, titles and fees, transportation, storage and related expenses.