1961 Lincoln Continental Convertible Sedan, 4 door conv., True Barn Find

1961 Lincoln Continental Description

This 1961 Lincoln is true barn find. I bought it last year after being stored in a barn/garage for 25-30 years. Thus is has only 84,200 original miles. I was able to get the engine running and it now runs beautifully. However, it does need some attention. When not initially starting, I learned that these 430 engines were made with new nylon timing gears and the Continental website strongly advised that if they have never been changed, do so IMMEDIATELY! The nylon teeth were known to chip off and jam up the oil pump. It turned out not to be the case on this car and they were still in good shape, but the timing chain was stretched. So with a new chain and steel gears, the engine now runs nice. But, from the years of storage, the valve guide seals are shot and the engine smokes. Also, it obviously never had hardened valve seats installed for modern unleaded gas, so these will need attention.
The exhaust is intact, but needs some work; but the manifolds are good. The fuel tank is immaculate inside but feeds from an electric fuel pump. I made new gas tank straps from aluminum barstock so the new ones will not rust. These cars came with a 2 barrel carb on the 430 (Lincoln did this to reduce the HP from 365 to 315 for some reason!). I currently have a4barrel on it, but will include the original manifold and 2 barrel
The car does drive; I drove it today and took it up to 60 MPH. But it is not roadworthy yet, it has a coolant leak that I have not been able to identify yet. I did not let it overheat, but it cannot be trusted as a driver yet. The brakes work and it stops, but it also needs the power booster rebuilt (another symptom of long-term dry storage, the diaphragm dried out and tore).
The top mechanism partially works from the top switch; the trunk lid unlocks, the deck lid raises and the flipper panel comes up. The next step in the progression is the top hydraulics and they're disconnected. Troubleshooting from a partially working system is half the battle on these cars! The top fabric wasshot so it was removed to prevent it from holding moisture and rot. The car had 15 inch wheels on it when I got it and I kept them instead of returning it to the original 14's. I put on new-ish Goodyear radial whitewalls, but not brand new and not white-sidewalls.
The bode is decent on it. It look like it was repainted once over it's lifetime (and not well or recent), but the body seems solid under the paint, with only minimal filler. It does need repair in the rear quarters, primarily behind the rear wheels. The floors are not as bad as you would expect from a Wisconsin car, but need some attention. There is a very heavy-gauge repair panel on the driver's side floor, but not due to rust. My best guess is that something on the road got run over when the car was relatively new and it was repaired that way.
This is the time of year that you're going to want to but your winter project. It's even early enough that you might be able to enjoy it a little more this fall. I may be able to assist some with transport if within a weekend's round trip. If you want to discuss delivery, you must do so before the end of the auction. Also, I can assist with loading and he car does drive onto your trailer or hauler. I will be happy to answer any questions. I will be advertising this locally, so I reserve the right to end the auction early . But I will not stop the auction once the reserve has been met or within the last 24 hours of the auction. So bid with the knowledge that I am not one of those people playing those games.

On Aug-29-16 at 16:11:09 PDT, seller added the following information:

I will also consider AMERICAN trades, the older the better. And I have a strong preference for Ford products. If you want to propose a partial trade, please contact me. I will respond to all offers/inquiries. If you want to discuss personally, email me for my phone number and I'll be happy to provide it.

On Sep-01-16 at 16:59:28 PDT, seller added the following information:

At the request of a bidder, I've added some more pix. The carpet is not fitted, but it's what came with the car when I got it. I believe it's from a mid-70's Lincoln and is usable until the correct one can be purchased. In the second-to-last photo, the floor damage mentioned in the original narrative can be seen. It's a much heavier gauge of steel than necessary and looks like it's been there for a long time. The passenger front floor will also need some attention, but you can see that it's not completely rotted out like most Wisconsin cars.