We’ve been walking past this boxadelic Town Car for a few years now, on our most common route into the big city center. I’ve never given it a second glance, as there are all-too many of these littered on the streets hereabouts. The crappy plastic WalMart hubcaps haven’t exactly done much to persuade me to actually stop and shoot it. But then a For Sale signed appeared.
It looks fundamentally pretty sound, at least the body; although the front turn signals seem to have gone missing. Although that does rather add a bit of “interest” to the front end. If you’re going to be stylistically busy and fussy, why not a bit more so?
The interior doesn’t look too bad either; actually, pretty decent. Just needs a bit of cleaning, and you’ll be riding in style. And listening to period-correct music from that 8-track player. I’m sure the owner will throw in the tapes. Zooming in on two of those tapes reveals the musical tastes of the current owner: “Grateful Dead – The Best Of”, and “Eric Clapton and the Yard Birds”. Maybe not so period-correct after all. Actually, I’m a bit surprised about the 8 track; I though it was pretty much gone by 1984 or sooner. The last 8 track release was “Fleetwood macs Greatest Hits” in late 1988. Maybe that’s the third tape I can’t make out.
This is the place to be in one of these; these are not exactly a driver’s car. One needs a chauffeur to make the Town Car experience complete. And after spending a mere $700 for the car, you’ll be able to afford one. How much is a chauffeur these days anyway? Wouldn’t having one be quite the snob status symbol? Forget that; it would just be practical; think of all the work you could get done.I bet one could find a nice retired person for pretty cheap, until self-driving cars come along. Think they’ll make after-market self-drive kits, like cruise control?
What kind of shape is it in mechanically? Beats me. I do know that it was sitting on the other side of the street quite recently, so it appears to run. At least across the street.
You’ll have to call the seller and get more details yourself. And why am I passing on it? With the CC Heartland Meet-Up coming up, I do need an appropriate set of wheels to point Eastward, but I’ve found something a bit more my style. Stay tuned…
Hint: it’s green.
Hehehe. You’ve brought the 72 LTD back into the country.
Something even better 🙂
He found a dark green downsized 1986 Eldorado Biarritz with electroluminescent opera lamps and wire wheel covers. I have my spies everywhere, ah hah hah ha! 🙂
Definitely not the LTD. Stay tuned!
Fleetwood Talisman? 😉
My aunt Betty drove one of these the summer I worked for her courier service, which is going on 30 years ago. Whenever one of the vans would break down she’d come in the Town Car and I’d end up getting a ride back to the barn in it while the van got towed. I never liked that car. And it looked like a lot of work to drive it. I never understood why it appealed to her.
$700? Is that a fair price these days for something like this? I feel out of touch.
That’s a screaming deal in fly over country given its condition. Not that I’m clamoring to go get it. Klockau could add it to his Lincoln fleet.
The 8 Track doesn’t make sense to me. 1984 was well past that era, very much into the cassette era…..
By God, Grandpa wasn’t about to buy cassette replacements for the complete works of Lawrence Welk collection.
“Good Night, Sleep Tight, and pleasant dreams to you…” Yup, my Pappa liked his Sunday night Lawrence Welk show too! I think it came on right before the Walt Disney show if memory serves.
–some of those blond singers and dancers were kinda cute, who could blame Pappa?
My mother was not tremendously happy when her 85 Crown Vic came with a cassette player, forcing her to give up on her collection of 8 tracks. Had the 8 track been readily available as an option, she might have chosen one for her new car.
I hate designed obsolescence too! I have vinyl records and the stylus for the player will cost more than an Apple I-pod.
How many pictures have I lost because of crashing computers.
My wife listens to cassette tapes. I will have to save the radio when we get rid of that car.
My research indicates 1982 was the final year for FoMoCo 8-tracks, which were of the “Quadrasonic” variety. It wouldn’t have been hard to retrofit an earlier radio, though.
Zooming on the unit, it does appear to be an 8 track, and as you said, undoubtedly an older unit retrofitted.
An original FoMoCo 8 track might have been a cheap and easy find and retrofit for a failed radio/cassette in one of these. Quite a few were probably yanked out of dashes and replaced back in the 80s, ending up in someone’s garage.
When the radio/CD player in my 94 Club Wagon died in the early 2000s, I took the lazy man’s approach and tried to find an exact duplicate on the Bay of E. The CD radios were nonexistant, but cassette units were easily found and were cheap, too. Bought one and it plugged right in.
you could order an factory 8 track player in 1984 (stereo only)
I guess Ford stopped making Quad players in 1982 then?
http://www.lov2xlr8.no/brochures/lincoln/84_26.html
The fine print does say that the 8 track is available while supples last and supplies are limited.
hI roger628- I think the last year for Ford produced 8 tracks is 1983.
there were two in 1983 -E3AF-19A059-BA
E3AF-19A059-AA
The last quad was in 1981 – E1AF-19A189-AA
I think there was probably some given out in 1984 as well as to get rid of them – might have been labelled as 1984
here is an ebay listing for a ‘1983’ unfortunately can’t see the date http://www.ebay.com/itm/NOS-1983-FORD-MUSTANG-THUNDERBIRD-LTD-8-TRACK-8-TRACK-T-/200492667970?pt=Motors_Manuals_Literature&hash=item2eae4b5442&vxp=mtr
Actually according to my Ford Standard catalog 1903-1990, you could still get a 8 track player in the Lincolns in 1984. It was the last year for them.
Interesting was in 1983 you could get an 8 track in almost any ford including an Escort.
The last year for the Quadrasonic was indeed 1982.
Could have been sitting on the dealer parts shelf and they were eager to get rid of it!
The green ’69 beetle you found lately? It’s ready for such an adventure!
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/blog/cc-outtake-1969-vw-beetle-vw-dubs/
Someone put the trunk keyhole cover back into place! This is an irritating feature of such cars, one more thing for owners to overlook.
My dad had no problem finding a buyer when he wanted to replace his Town Yacht like this with a newer one. Now, his neighbor across the street has it.
Among my son’s circle of friends, the keyhole cover on his 89 Grand Marquis was a favorite feature. To me, it was just a stupid PITA keyhole cover. To them (who have grown up pushing a button on a remote to open the trunk) it was a hyper-cool old school luxury feature.
My first car was a ’91 Grand Marquis (in 2008); that flip-out logo cover thing was one of my favorite features but my dad, born in 1957 and having lived through prime Brougham era, kept asking “Why won’t you rip it off like I did on my stupid old Ninety-Eight?” He saw it as a such a pain while juggling paper grocery bags in a parking lot, I never cared because it was part of the charm.
It’s easier for Gen Y to appreciate that stuff because it’s foreign and we were never forced to live with it on the daily. Objectively, it’s stupid, but it’s so old-fashioned and charming, just like Broughams in general.
One winter, my keyhole cover on my 78 Caprice got encased in thick ice so it took awhile to get the trunk open again (no remote trunk release)
I am secretly hoping you turned around and took pictures of the Buick wagon I see reflected in the window of the “For Sale” photo.
What Buick wagon? That’s an Explorer or something……knowing Oregon, it could be a Navajo.
Actually it looks like a Ranger with a light blue truck cap.
It’s most definitely a mid-90’s Ranger with a non-coordinating “topper” (as we call them here in flyover country). It looks so elongated and Buickish because of the stretch effect of a curved window reflection.
I don’t know, this may be the perfect vintage car for a Midwest highway cruise. Until a few years ago, getting on a stretch of I-80 meant that you’d see a Box Panther or RWD B C GM car every few minutes. A lot of Midwesterners reserved these for road trips, there may still be a secret stash of these in Atlantic, IA. It still isn’t that hard to come across one of these on I-80, just not quite as crazy so as in 2004.
I’m all for the creation of strategic B & C body reserves…..
We must protect our national resources! Sadly, peak Brougham was reached in 1987.
There is still much untapped Brougham yet to be discovered.
The 8 track is odd, but 1984 is around the year it disappeared, the other interesting feature is that this Town Car also has a full vinyl top, opposed to the half-top landau that most Town Cars seem to have.
I salute the owner’s taste in music rather than his taste in cars!
Wal-Mart hubcaps, ugh. No faster way to make a car look trashy–I’d rather even see plain steelies. Other than that and the missing front signal lenses (not likely hard to find) this looks pretty dang straight for $700. Vinyl on the roof looks intact. And that leather is in great shape!
I also like that it still has the vertical tail panel, instead of the slanted one cribbed from the defunct Mark VI. While the slanted one probably fit the style of the vehicle better, you don’t see these vertical ones anymore.
It’s a good thing this isn’t near me. Otherwise I might have to call and see what kind of shape the mechanicals are in.
Agree, those wheel covers are terrible. Find some Turbine alloys and fit them to this car, stat! And don’t forget the whitewalls.
I was thinking the same, there is a set for $350 on the electronic bay, this car with some good detailing and the alloy wheels could fetch a bit more depending on the miles, turbines wound change the attitude, or at least a good set of wires, there is a set of wire caps for $225.
Or if you really want the Brewmaster Smith look, go find a set of the base hubcaps.
The Elsinore Brewery had good taste in company cars. (from imcdb.org)
A black Lincoln, even downsized, did still have a semi sinister look.
$700!?!??!!??? That to me is a giveaway price for a car in that condition. A Number One condition Lincoln Town Car of similar age could be sold for at least ten grand.
really 10k? I don’t think so
While the ’85-’89 versions, like Mr. Tactful’s, are still seen semi-frequently around here in the Northeast, I can’t recall the last ’80-’84 I’ve seen (other than on CC).
I actually prefer them to the ’85-’89, if you’re going to go boxy, go all the way. I like the sharp edges.
I wonder if the transmission has crapped out on this one.
I actually saw a maroon Mark VI sedan recently.
Hey Paul, can you just buy it for me and bring the AOD tranny when you come out? You can keep the rest of the car. Use it for a patio or something.
Sure; if you’re willing to pay the excess baggage airline fees 🙂 I don’t think I can pass it off as a carry-on luggage. And it might be a bit hard to get through security.
Looks like the exclusive “Frigidaire Edition”.
I prefer the sharp corner fenders on these 84 and earlier Town Cars rather than the blunted ones that came the next year. I’ve driven an 84 and 87 Town Car Signature and the carpet in the 84 seemed thicker and softer than in the later one. I also like the full vinyl roof on this one, the half roof spoils the lines of the car. The The Mark VI also had the half vinyl roof along with every tacky 70s styling cue including the opera windows, fake tire hump, hidden headlamps, Rolls Royce grill, fender “vents” and I love it helplessly.
The price of chauffeurs: the real questions is, are they cheaper than the Google car will be? (And will the Google car get them all fired?)
I wouldn’t buy a car for less than $1,000. To me anything less than $1,000 has to be a pile of junk, not worth buying. I’d rather buy for between $1k and $10k, depending on the condition. It doesn’t have to be perfect in terms of cosmetics, but it does have to be running, everything on the car has to be working the way it should, all the lights have to light up when you turn the headlamp light on, and it’s safe to drive. That’s the most important thing.
I’ll bet this guy would take $1000 for it.
hah!
Jason, while I agree with your comment about not buying a car under $1,000, my first thought was, “I have my standards!”. Especially true when considering a well used luxury car. You wouldn’t want anyone to know your Lincoln could be had for so little.
The Wal-Mart hubcaps mean that they haven’t spent a dime on any maintenance. They put the 8 Track in as an ironic hipster statement. At $700 you can be sure it has multiple mechanical and electrical issues and wouldn’t be worth fixing up. The prices of these in good condition has been creeping up lately. A few ads call it the “Lincoln Lawyer” car so maybe that’s had an effect on prices.
anyone who purposely put in an 8-track player would not have kept these hubcaps
it was an option in 1984 so is probably original equipment
http://www.lov2xlr8.no/brochures/lincoln/84_26.html
Hmmm Paul is going to drive something green all the way from Eugene to the Heartland, and it’s better than a 72 LTD? Sounds interesting!
It’s hard to say what annoyed me more on these early Panthers, those indented side windows or the new Ford-family steering wheel and tilt system.
I wonder to this day if they wanted the windows to look like that or if flusher is always better but that was the best they could do. In either case a huge fail.
Same thing on the steering wheel. They used that horrible 4-spoke design with the square “luxury” center on nearly everything including the sporty versions of the Mustang. And how about the extreme angle of the tilt when you moved it up or down like in the pic? You had to pull the release lever with your left hand while using your right around the rim to put it in position, by twisting your wrist! The spring-loaded GM system (which was ancient) let you “pop” it up by simply pulling back on the lever. To move it down you rested your right hand on top of the wheel and pulled the lever with your left. Easy and elegant. The pivot point on the Ford tilt was too far back and there was no telescopic feature.
I will say that the seats look magnificent in this car.
By the way, how do you call one of these ? Aftermarket basket ? Cupholders ?
‘Cause I’d like to have one in my Caprice but I live in France and Ebay USA is my one and only way to find one.
And truth is I haven’t found the right keywords so far.
Constantini I don’t know what that is called either but I have one, it came with the car when I bought it. Mine has a cupholder and storage tray, and also a removable trash box with pen holder. Brand name on the bottom is Rubber Queen.
Rubber Queen would be an awesome name for a stripper.
I once saw bathroom graffiti in a hipster bar that said “Who is this Rubber Maid and how can I meet her?”
Aftermarket floor console
http://www.amazon.com/Hopkins-SC-BLA-Console-Black/dp/B000FGEF6Y/ref=sr_1_3?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1408649314&sr=1-3
On yours you would be looking for one that has “legs” which fit over the transmission hump
At that price, I bet the first derby guy that sees the car will probably buy it.
Memories fade but I cannot see the difference between this and my 85. Probably 302 with tbi and to me that means it will run a lot longer. Would have to see it run but it’s hard to imagine it being worth less than asking price.
Did this car have an air suspension? If not, it needs front springs.
Ana one ana two….
I’m guessing Paul is riding the Green Tortoise bus to the Midwest. You heard it here first.
Great front AND back seats, perhaps the high water mark for Lincoln upholstery. I had an ’88 and loved sitting in it—but when going down the road I thought it handled like a Chris-Craft.
Speaking of being tempted by Lincolns… I’ve been tempted to go evaluate the ’88 Town Car in our area (below). Just judging from the pictures, (Craig’s List, DFW ’88 Lincoln) and the 88K on the clock, it appears (underscore) to be worth the $5,400 ballpark (reduced -it’s been for sale for months). There are more pictures in the ad that support giving it a look. But the rear air suspension is a concern. Seller says it’s the Cartier edition, which was more expensive than the Signature Series. But did the Cartier get a bigger engine? (anyone know?)
Because supposedly the 302 was capable of 280 lb/feet of torque (new) meaning the can accelerate, but the 150 bhp supposedly means it’s out of torque at 50mph.
But that’s not why we buy these, is it?
No special engine. These got the same LoPo 5.0/AOD powertrain that any other late box Panther got.
That looks good, if you’re going to go with one of these Signature or Cartier is the way to go, the engines were all the same though, the Sig and Cartier do have the better seats, really soft and supple leather.
This one, Paul? https://www.curbsideclassic.com/blog/cohort-sighting-1970-toyota-corona-mark-ii-heritage-for-sale/
Same model as the uted one I saw locally I\d buy it for $700 its worth an easy 10k in NZ if it runs and drives.
We had a silver ’85 in the family with the Elvis Coffin red velvet interior. My grandfather loved that car. In 2003 the oil pump gave up the ghost. He bought a Grand Marquis, which is ok, but he’s 95 and misses the power-everything.
A guy from West Virginia driving around in a tow truck (this happens) bought it, even though it was just sitting in the driveway without a for sale sign.
I took a lot of road trips in it and eventually drove it around Fairfax a little bit. It was interesting to drive because it didn’t feel big to me until I tried to park it. So many right angles!