'87 Lincoln Mark VII LSC

pres589 wrote: Cool! Could you tuck the front bumper in a bit? I like the stance & ride height. What's next on the to-do list, anything?

I've been looking into tucking the front bumper. Apparently two different designs of bumper shocks were used on the Mark VII and it looks like, if I have the right kind, it will be as simple as drilling a hole in the shock, compressing the shock and either running a bolt through it or welding it into position.

I found the source of the vibration. All four of the drive shaft flange bolts were loose. I picked up some red loctite and applied it to all of the bolts then torqued them down.

Holy E36 M3 that would have sucked ass if it had come loose!

Yes it would.

Also: Love the new avatar.

There's a Stincoln under there...

Old haggard steering wheel that leaks some kind of tarry goo:

Old, but less haggard steering wheel I was given by a fella named Tommy who works at a small repair shop in Peoria. He has a couple of 4-cylinder Mustangs he's building for roundy-round racing and this was just taking up space:

Here it is, no puller needed!

Woody wrote: Yes it would. Also: Love the new avatar.

Me too! Courtesy of the hotlink thread!

I was able to rotate the front springs about 30 degrees or so in their pockets and gain about an inch of height in the front. Now the a-arms are parallel to the ground at rest. Still not ideal for my plans, but it's better.

The driver's side front wheel had a bit of play so I checked, re-packed and re-torqued the bearings.

I had assumed I was given the wrong brake line for the passenger side front by rockauto a while back so I sent it back. I ordered a new one from the 'zone and had the same issue. Apparently at some point the hard line on the passenger side was replaced and now it has a larger-than-stock fitting. Time to take some measurements...

Looks like the total spent so far (not including $200 for title transfer and plates) is: $866

I'm still undecided as far as paint goes. Lately I've been considering black trim, black from the bumpers down and matte white for the rest of the body. If the engine bay, trunk and interior get repainted they will definitely be white.

I dropped and patched the fuel tank today. No pics because it was NASTY under there and I got all sorts of dirty. Took the car out for a nice cruise today...I could get a ton of tickets with this thing!

The kids helped me wipe down the interior yesterday, I think it looks quite a bit better. Especially the steering wheel!

I had pulled the door cards a while back so today I put the kids to work wiping them down. Next I'll buy a bunch of the "christmas tree" push tab things and re-hang them.

Bare panel, ready for a vigorous cleaning:

Carnage from a previous owner who apparently had some window motor issues:

Not a bad looking beater:

Looks good!

I kept looking at the chipped paint on the plastic insert in the front bumper and decided to try something.

I kind of dig it but I'm not 100% sure.

It'll probably look better once everything else is painted too.

Took it for another cruise today. During the hottest part of the day I tried the A/C and it blew VERY cold. Later, during my drive, I was in a 40mph zone and, on a whim, I tried the cruise control and it worked!

The cruise control berkeleying works!

Now I'm having second thoughts about beating on it. I may clean it up, fix a few more things, and sell it or trade for something haggard that I can flog with a clear conscience. The horn works too.

I snagged one of the non-booster car seats that are usually fastened into the Burban and installed it in the Lincoln. The straps needed adjusted anyway and that requires removal so why not?

My son was thrilled that he would finally get to ride to school in the Lincoln. (he goes in the afternoon.) It seems the more I drive it the better things work. I assume it sat for a while before I took ownership.

I put the shifter in "D" and held it in drive and ran it up to 60 mph. The rear tires are 225/55R16s and drive in an AOD is 1:1. With the converter locked I was turning roughly 3000 rpm, just a hair under.

Unless I'm wrong, and there's every chance in the world I could be, the Lincoln has 4:10 gears! No wonder the berkeleyer is so "peppy"!

Edit : They are 3.73. I made a mistake when inputting the tire diameter; instead of 25.74" apparently I typed 27.54"

4:10s !!!!!!!

SNOOGANS!!

"Yo lunchbox! Them gears is 3.73, dumbass!"

Shrug

first jay and silent bob reference i have seen on GRM. i am definately home.....

and 4:10's are cool too.

I also painted the rear bumper the same color as the front. Then I leaned over to reprimand my son who was going apeE36 M3 with the power mirror control and promptly brushed the knee of my favorite jeans against the wet bumper.

Much like racing a car you're not willing to wad up and walk away from, I suppose I shouldn't paint in half-decent clothing.

Every time I read this thread I end up on Craigslist for an hour. Even here in Michigan there seems to be several available that aren't rust buckets. Must have belonged to some old guys that didn't drive much, too. I found a couple that were under 60K miles. Now, if I put a 5 speed from a Mustang in one.........................

I'll just leave this here.....

I suggest pulling the trigger. Marks have everything a Fox body has, plus it's likely that it has not been driven in anger. They seem to be much more robustly built and they have a strong cult following. They don't seem to rust quite as quickly as a comparable Mustang either.

Apparently if you swap in a T5 or C4 you need to lengthen the driveshaft by 1.5"...or set the engine and trans back 1.5".

I found a wrecked '95 GT so, hopefully, I'll be updating with more parts acquisitions! First order of business is the booster and master cylinder. The brakes have potential but I think the TEVES system is holding them back.

The Lincoln is now just a little bit faster.

Always loved these cars... wicked project