Vehicle Description
1965 Lincoln Continental Convertible
The name Lincoln which is a division of Ford started by Edsel Ford
to promote a "personal luxury car", and right from the get go, it
was off and running on this mantra with the Zephyr. It is
associated with Presidents and dignitary vehicles and is a
representation of the pinnacle of power and success. Once the
darling of the collector world with its slab sides, suicide doors,
and first American four door convertible after World War II, the
fourth generation Lincoln Continental frequently garnered six
figures not long ago but have settled into more reasonable numbers
and remain desirable models.
For consignment, a 1965 Lincoln Continental convertible with a
title verified 94,083 actual miles. During our consignor's 12 years
of ownership, every system on the car was rebuilt to factory
standards and it has been repainted, rechromed, recarpeted and
other things to work on bringing this car into show quality
condition. The car will come with restoration invoices and
receipts.
Exterior
Plenty of straight steel grows ever increasingly more beautiful as
you see a horizontal ribbed grille, dual headlights and a lower
massive chromed bumper adorning the corner edges of the front of
the car. The front quarters of the black car sport some Continental
chromed badging and wheel well edge trimmings. A top trim piece
runs along the edge and continues from stem to stern on that top
edge, running through the doors and bumping up to the trunk and
rear quarter edge, but it is the overall lack of vents, fins, and
trim that make these cars unique. A slightly curved front glass
trimmed by a wide edging running the entire surround of the glass.
White walls wrap 15-inch turbine style wheel coverings and add to
the luxurious genre going on. As the car was painted and rechromed
eight years ago, we find very few exterior flaws. There are some
scuffs on the rocker panel trim. Our consignor states the top was
"done" 12 years ago and has rarely seen sun.
Interior
We begin by opening the doors and the barn style configuration
shares a shortened B-pillar and allows easy access to front and
back. The door panels are a handsome arrangement of white pleated
leather, brushed aluminum hardware, chrome handles, and a dark
accent panel and carpeted lower. But it's here we get our first
glimpse of work to be done as the white leather is dirty and
discolored and on the driver's door, loose at the bottom trim. The
split bench seat is well worn with discoloration, showing creases
and a few tears on the driver's side and this condition, to a
lesser degree, is found on all other seat surfaces including the
rear bench. Front and back enjoy a sizable center armrest and ample
leg space. Upfront the dash has a unique design with its horizontal
rolling indicator bar speedo in the center on top, and then four
Lincoln logo shaped gauges below. A modern radio has been installed
and has AM/FM and Bluetooth and Spotify capability while the modest
climate panel is controlled by levers integrated into the ribbed
design of the mid-dash, flanked by air vents and a rectangular
clock in front of the passenger. A smooth glovebox is just below
the clock. Pristine and clean black loop pile carpeting floods the
floors and the trunk was reupholstered at the time of paint and
accompanied the addition of new seals on doors, windows, and the
trunk. The window motors were also recently replaced.
Drivetrain
A front hinged flips up off the long hood and we are greeted with a
driver quality engine bay housing a large rebuilt 430ci V8. Patina
and some surface rust abound, and this bay is begging for cosmetic
restoration! On the back is a rebuilt Borg Warner Lincoln Drive
3-speed automatic transmission, and way back to a Dana 44 with 3.25
convention gears. The wiring harness underneath it all is just two
years old. Power brakes are supplied with discs in front and drums
in the rear.
Undercarriage
The dual exhaust with stock style mufflers and resonators stands
out as shiny and new on an underside that is driver quality.
There's plenty of surface rust underneath and numerous areas of
flaking rust, paint, and undercoating. While active leaks were not
observed, there is a bit of oil drift and grease build up
underneath. For suspension, the car is equipped with coil springs
in front and leaf springs in the rear and there is evidence of some
refurbishing to the suspension components including bushings.
Drive-Ability
The car starts right up and the exhaust system keeps noise to a
minimum, this is a luxury car after all! Despite the patina, the
seats are soft and comfortable and the large, raked windshield
allows good forward visibility over the hood which resembles an
aircraft carrier. Smooth, flat, and with good power, the Lincoln
floats across our test loop with confidence and the 75 series tires
help absorb road imperfections. We note that the A/C is not
working, and the top goes down, but does not go back up. Beyond
these two things, all other functions operate as they should. While
Classic Auto Mall represents that these functions were working at
the time of our test drive, we cannot guarantee these functions
will be working at the time of your purchase.
Having a classic car that you can drive and enjoy while restoring
it is ideal. The paint, chrome, and mechanics on this car have been
done for you. Now it needs a bit of cosmetic TLC to make it a prime
example of this iconic Lincoln platform. Parades, car shows,
Lincoln clubs, and the public await! This square bodied land yacht
with suicide doors remains one of the most collectible Lincolns, a
model which always finds a new buyer when they come to Classic Auto
Mall. Do not hesitate to express interest if you're thinking about
one.
5Y86N402694
5-1965
Y-Wixom, MI Assy Plant
86-Continental Convertible
N-430ci 4bbl 320hp V8
402694-Sequential Unit Number
WARRANTY PLATE
BDY 74A-Continental Convertible
COLOR J-Fiesta Red
TRIM 15-Red Leather
DATE 19H-August 19th
DSO 84-Home Office
AXLE 4-3.25 Conventional
TRANS 4-Twin Range Multidrive Automatic
Classic Auto Mall is home to more than 1,000 classic and
collectible vehicles for sale via consignment in a climate
controlled 336,000-square foot showroom (that's more than 8
acres!). The largest single location consignment dealer of classic
and collectible vehicles in the country is located in Morgantown,
Pennsylvania, just 1-hour west of Philadelphia off Exit 298 of the
I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. For more information visit
www.classicautomall.com or call us at (888) 227-0914. Contact us
anytime for more information or to come see the vehicle in person.
There is no guarantee of mileage. A $299 Dealer Administrative fee
is not included in the advertised price.
With so many great cars, you know we have a lot to talk about, and
we do that each week on the Classic Auto Mall Podcast with host
Stewart Howden. Stewart discusses new inventory as well as trends
in consignments and car prices, while interviewing celebrities and
automotive professionals about amazing cars and their history. Tune
in each week to the Classic Auto Mall Podcast wherever you enjoy
listening. You can also watch on YouTube!