Vehicle Description
Stunning early Continental convertible. Paint, interior, chrome all
refinished seven years ago. Loaded with features, including factory
A/C. Convertible top works properly. Very solid, no rust, no
accident damage. Excellent example of a very expensive car to
restore. This Continental is finished in code N Platinum, which
really is light blue, and it emphasizes the car's clean lines quite
well. It was extensively refinished about seven years ago,
including paint, chrome, and upholstery and still shows extremely
well. Starting with an ultra-clean southern car certainly helps,
particularly with these Continentals, which are unit-body cars..
The finish remains in excellent condition, showing some very minor
signs of use but nothing noteworthy, and all four doors still swing
open and closed like a bank vault. Panel gaps are very good, which
is important on a light-colored car, and both the forward-tilting
hood and power deck lid snug down flush. The chrome restoration on
this car cost nearly $30,000, and included both bumpers, all the
trim along the tops of the fenders and doors, headlight rings,
rocker moldings, and the aforementioned panel between the
taillights. The point was not a show car, but rather to buy a good
car and take it up a new notches. The black leather interior was
completely restored with new hides on both seats, new carpets
throughout, and beautifully restored door panels with genuine wood
inserts. There's more real wood on the dashboard, which uses
brushed stainless to great effect, offering gauges that look
futuristic without being gimmicky, and the woodgrained wheel does
warm up the all-black interior. As a top-of-the-line car,
Continentals came loaded with standard features like power windows
(the windows drop down a few inches when the doors are opened to
make a better seal), power steering, power brakes, and an AM radio.
Other features on this car include a power front seat, tilt
steering column, and factory A/C, which is operational but not
terribly effective-there are only those two vents in the center
stack and that's a lot of space to cool! Even the clock works,
ticking away reliably. The convertible top mechanism is descended
from the Ford Skyliner retractable hardtops of the late '50s, so
its operation should look familiar: hit the button and the latches
automatically release themselves from the windshield header. The
trunk lid powers itself open and the top folds away into the
massive trunk compartment. A small trim panel folds up into place
and the whole assembly lowers itself flush so there's no top stack,
no boot, nothing to interrupt the smooth, clean Continental's
lines. With the top up, the trunk offers enough space for a
month-long road trip, as well as a full-sized spare tire and jack
assembly hidden in the driver's quarter panel. The Continental used
Ford's 430 cubic inch V8 rated at 300 horsepower and a towering 465
pounds of torque. It wasn't about speed, but rather effortlessness,
and even with 5200 pounds to pull around, performance is brisk. The
engine starts easily and idles well once it's off the choke, and it
has been neatly finished in traditional Ford Blue with black
accessories. These have proven to be extremely reliable machines
and service is still easy with great parts availability, so feel
free to get in and enjoy the car. On the road, it pulls the big
ragtop up to speed without any drama, and seems to enjoy being
driven hard instead of gently-either way, it's responsive and
torquey. A 3-speed automatic transmission was the only choice, and
it, too, is a reliable traveling partner. The unit-body
construction is quite evident in the nearly flat floors, and the
car relies on heavy box-section rocker panels for its structure, so
it's a relief to see that these are in excellent condition with no
signs of previous rust damage or accident repair. The floors are
solid, protected by a light dusting of undercoating and there's a
new dual exhaust system that's suitably hushed under all
circumstances. 2.89 gears in the monstrous rear end mean this is a
superlative highway cruiser and thanks to recent shocks, the ride
is luxury car plush. Remarkably, this massive car sits on factory
14-inch steel wheels with simple hubcaps, and they carry 225/75/14
whitewall radials with lots of life left in them. Given the cost of
restoration, it always makes sense to buy the very best car you can
afford. This lovely 1962 Continental convertible offers a lot of
high-quality restoration work, a fantastic original color
combination, and, perhaps most importantly, a fully operational
convertible top. Early Continentals seem to enjoy a preference
among collectors for their cleaner, purer design, and it's hard to
argue against it when the results look this good. Call today!
Harwood Motors recommends and welcomes personal or professional
inspections of any vehicle in our inventory prior to purchase.
