This car is one that is still in my corral, and while it needs body work it runs very well and has very deep emotions tied to it.
The year was 1994. My wife was still working at Publix and became good friends with a sweet lady I’ll call Debbie. She was married to a true gentleman that I’ll call Mike.
Debbie had just inherited her mom’s last car, a 1976 Lincoln Mark IV. And Mike wanted to restore it so they could enjoy it. The car had started its life in Maine and had lower rust issues, but was super clean with very low miles.
So Mike, knowing I am a car guy, asked me for some help. The first thing to tackle; the rear bumper had fallen off of one side!
Owning a hardware store came in really handy and I brought over stainless steel bolts, nuts and washers (Which are still in place!) It took two men to hold up the bumper while I turned the wrench.
I knew a customer from the hardware store that I thought did really top notch body work and paint, so I hooked the two up. To start things off, I suggested finding a rust free donor car. And being that we lived in the Fort Lauderdale area, it wasn’t too hard. Mike found a clean 1976 Cartier Edition that just barely ran. We didn’t care; we just wanted to strip it.
This old heap was kept at my house and I took everything possible off of it. Once I was all done, I called a junk man who was happy to pay $50 for the shell since it still held the 460 and transmission. So all those parts ended up costing $400! Score!
Mike had been very direct in his instructions: no Bondo and no body fillers of any kind. And we left the donor fenders, doors, hood, trunk lid, etc. with the body shop.
After a year, it was time to pick up the Lincoln. It was beautiful. Everything seemed to be done to Mike’s specifications. We all went out for a steak dinner in that car. What a great time!
Fast forward to 2015, Mike and Debbie had moved to central Florida and we were looking for a home in that area. So I went to see them and asked about homes in the city. When I got to the driveway, the garage door went up and there sat the Lincoln! I couldn’t believe it! It now had 83,000 miles, up from the 48,000 or so when I’d seen it last.
However, the rust had taken hold. But now, instead of just lower body, it was under the vinyl roof, on the trunk lid and a little under the chrome door pieces. When the rust came back, we found that the original white paint was still underneath, meaning the body shop didn’t use the donor doors, fenders etc.
Mike had decided that he was done, and Debbie agreed. So they were looking to sell it. Mike thought of parting it out, but I knew it was a low production car, and Debbie couldn’t support that idea. I mentioned that I knew a young man back in Fort Lauderdale who I felt sure would bring it back to life. I didn’t have the money to own it, but fully understood the emotions with that car.
While Debbie appreciated that, she said she’d rather I had the car. She knew that I’d give it the attention it needed and it wouldn’t end up in a crusher or a buy here-pay-here lot. So she came up with a fair price: Free! I was honored.
When we were going through all the paperwork, I found the original window sticker, build sheet, sales brochure and a complete shop manual set from Ford. I was thrilled! I don’t know, but I feel having all this paperwork makes a car more valuable. It tells a story.
I started out by installing a new fuel pump, rebuilding the carburetor and my son rebuilt the power window motors. Then, out of the blue, my health went downhill –quickly. I was on short time disability but it wasn’t enough for me to continue working on the Lincoln. There was just no extra spending money.
By 2019, I was fully disabled. It seemed that, after being seen, poked, X-rayed and examined by 30 doctors, that my spinal canal is too small for my spinal cord. So, every movement is a thrill!
Back to the Lincoln…
Cindy and I decided that, since I was not able to work, we would move to Tennessee where we both wanted to retire anyway. I told the realtor that a large garage was a must. And she found it; a home in our price range with a 24×32 foot garage with heat and air conditioning.
The Lincoln, now referred to as Jade, resides in her cocoon! She has 89,526 miles on her.
She is a rare (1 of 4 per Marti report) Jade and white edition, as seen in the photos. I drive her every week or two, and get looks, and lots of questions. As money comes my way, I’m slowly continuing the restoration. About a year ago, I had a “moment of stupid,” and a guy asking if I’d sell the car. I thought about it, but cooler heads showed me that it would be a very dumb thing to do.
I’m keeping it! Mike is not in good health these days and that really makes the car’s value to me priceless.
Jade may be showing her age, but she’s still a beaut! Mike and Debbie couldn’t have picked a better caretaker. When I think Lincoln Continental, this body style is the one that comes to mind. May your future miles together be happy ones! 🙂
Wow! That is a car you’d want to keep! Once the rusty door is fixed it will be ready for antique car shows.
Sounds like that first body shop was a rip-off! You went to all the trouble to find good doors, fenders &c, so what did they do with all that? Instead they just bondo-ed up the car and did a repaint? Outrageous!! So nice that you value the car and the friendships that go with it.
So many shady operators in the auto field. Hard to know who you can trust. It was my experience with a Ford dealer in 1977 that set into process my desire to do all my work and never need a repair shop ever again. Up to then I had only done basic tune ups and oil changes although I did remove one engine and put it back. After 1977 I did everything except upholstery.
The 76 Mark reminded me of one I saw awhile back that was also white. Decent condition since even here, in California, they tend to have the beater look. I talking to the owner, who wasn’t born when the car was made, I could tell that he was going to take care of the car.
You’re a devoted man, and Jade is lucky to be in your hands.
I remember when the LIncoln Mark IV was the “it” car! They remind me of the great Classics of the 1930’s and ’40’s. Unfortunately, only a limited number have survived long enough for people to begin to appreciate them again. Nice car, Chip. I bet it likes living in Tennessee.
It is a beautiful car, wish I had one like it.
I so wanted one of these in my Brougham Years during high school, but had to settle for the lowly wannabe version, my ‘73 LTD two-door hardtop. After high school when I entered the working world in 1978, and it was time (1979) to replace the old LTD as my daily, I considered a used one of these, but my Dad talked me out of it saying, “Never buy a used luxury car.” His philosophy was that it would be a money pit and get terrible gas mileage. Since the second gas crisis was about to get going, I settled for a Fairmont Futura, going for the exterior accent group to brougham it up as best I could.
While feeding that 460 at the time would have been difficult at my young age and starting salary, I sometimes wonder what it would’ve been like to ride in this level of style.
Jade is a beautiful car! I really wish that body man would have done the right thing and swapped in the good doors though. Hopefully you can get those fixed, although rust on all these seventies Ford Motor Company cars is period accurate. A certain kind of authenticity there.
“So, every movement is a thrill!” That’s accurate but not -quite- how I’d describe it .
I hate it when body shops fail to follow instructions and the written estimate, this is part of why I drive beaters here in So. Cal. ~ I know *exactly* how much if any rust they have and I can hand polish the old faded paint .
Agreed on the paper work and manuals .
Opps, gotta go, they’re closing the coffee house an hour early tonight
-Nate
When you supply parts to a body shop, mark them and ask for the old parts back. The body shop mentioned sold those parts for an extra profit. Shame on them. Scumbags!
Nice car you have there! I always liked the 1972-1976 Mark IV’s. Especially the 1975 and ’76 Designer Editions. All are elegant cars!
Thank you for a very nice story in life. I turned 69 in March of this year. I have been an American car Gearhead all my life, I love American cars from the mid-50s to the 1990s. You really did a great job of reviewing the life of this fantastic car. In 1966 my oldest brother bought a new black with black vinyl interior. Under hood was the Ford Motor Company wonderful 289 cubic inch V8, with a 4 barrel modified for Ford Holly carburetor fantastic engine. Behind the the 289, was manual 4 speed transmission, The shifter was floor mounted, chrome, with a black knob with the gear pattern on top of it. and floor mounted between the front seats. There was a very cool “T” handle that slid upward to shift into reverse. That 66 Mustang was so cool both inside and out. There was a new in 66 instrument cluster with full gauges, and with the lights on, was back lit in the aqua blue color that Ford used on all Fords and trucks from 1963 to 1967. All the cool things about this 66 Mustang made me a Ford Motor Company fan to this day. As I got older, I moved up scale to Lincolns and Mercurys. The Mark IVs beginning in 1974 through 1976, are one of my all-time favorite cars. The lines were very Lincolnesck with the gorgeous front turn indicators and running lights to the wrap around rear taillights that are placed perfectly above the 5 mph bumpers. In my opinion those extended bumpers front and rear give the car a more substantial Lincoln look. In the 70s, my entire family only drove Ford Motor Company vehicles. We had Pintos, Mustangs, Sables, Explorers, F-series trucks and of course Town Cars and Marks. We had Thunderbirds, and a wonderful 75 Mercury Marquis Colony Park 9 passenger wagon. We even had a 33 foot Southwind motorhome built on a F450 Super Duty chassis. We loved them all, they were part of the family. But we never had any Mark IVs, but to this day I want one. Have you ever seen these model years black with black leather? They are magnificent. We had a 76,and a 1990 Mark Vll LSC. The 1974 through 1976 Marks and Thunderbirds were built on the same platform. The interiors are identical, except for the instrumentation, the Marks had square gauges and the Thunderbirds were round. Today I only have a 2008 Explorer XLT 4 door with the 4.0 V6. My first non- V8 engine. I love this Explorer, but I always have my eyes wide open for a black on black Mark lV. I hope to find one. Again, I think you really reached me with you Mark lV story. You really made it a human experience, and I like that. I look forward to your next review. I hope it will be about another great Ford Motor Company vehicle.it
Well, a follow up.
So I took Jade out today since the weather was beautiful.
Drove it out on the freeway and had forgotten just how smooth the ride really is.
However, I had neglected to change the fuel filter, so she bogged down.
I get that taken care of in the morning!
Awesome article! I have a barn find 1976 Cartier with grey cloth interior, moon roof. It has quite a bit of rust. Runs great, drives great.
I also have a 1975 regular Mk IV, decent body, moon roof, automatic headlights. Runs okay,
needs carb work. Red seats are leather and are worn out. Both have aluminum wheels and vent windows. I can use parts from either to fix the other. Which one would you restore? I like that the ’75 still has power rear passenger windows that slide back an inch or so. That feature was dropped for 1976 but I bet I could add it to my Cartier, along with the automatic headlights. What would you pick? Glad you kept your ’76! Best wishes to you!