1976 Lincoln Town Car

Description

One of the more active segments of the hobby right now are the big American luxury cars of the 1970s. Machines like this 1976 Lincoln Town Car were the pinnacle of luxury and it's a sure bet that massive cars like this will never roam the highways again. If you've got a nostalgic streak in you and grew up with these cars, this Town Car is an affordable way to get a fantastic heavy cruiser for your collection.

If you're going to own a 1970s luxo-barge, you need one with period-perfect colors like the light green on this Lincoln. It's code 7B Light Jade Metallic and somehow it makes this car seem even bigger than it already is. None of the upright styling is affected, of course, and the paint appears to be entirely original with just a few touch-ups on the nose, which is to be expected. There's a soft shine that's typical of mid-70s enamels and Lincoln's build quality was better than Brand X over at GM, so all four doors close with a reassuringly solid sound and feel. The chrome and stainless trim, and there is a lot of it, remains excellent as well, from the relatively modest chrome grille to the massive bumpers to the delicate trim around the opera windows. And the half-padded roof remains excellent with no fading or cracking and certainly no signs of problems underneath.

There's a sea of green inside, starting with those pillow-tufted green velour seats. If you're going back to the '70s, do it right! The upholstery is in excellent condition, showing minimal wear and none of the usual threadbare-looking areas that come with neglected velour upholstery. The carpets are a slightly darker shade of green and feel plus and there's no question that there's a TON of sound deadening materials built into this car, because once you're behind the wheel and the doors are closed, it's like a tomb. Just about everything was standard equipment, and the A/C blows cold, the power windows zip up and down, and even the original AM/FM radio works properly. There's massive legroom front and rear, so road trips are painless affairs where you can just guide this massive car with a fingertip on the wheel. The back seat shows almost zero signs of wear and even the trunk gets in on the act with bright green carpets and what appears to be the original spare tire.

Mechanically, this brute uses Ford's biggest V8, a 460 cubic inch unit with a 4-barrel carburetor. It's not all about screaming horsepower, but rather usable torque, and this big car feels surprisingly sprightly moving from rest and wafts along effortlessly at highway speeds. It's silent and smooth, and there may be times that you stop at a red light and think that it's stalled; that's how smooth it really is. It's not detailed for show, but many of the original factory markings are intact and all the original equipment is still fully operational. The C6 3-speed automatic transmission is robust enough that it'll outlive us all and the 9-inch rear end has 2.46 gears inside, so it's a magnificent highway cruiser, as you'd expect. The single exhaust system is muted and the undercarriage is in good order, indicative of a car that hasn't been out in the winter weather. Simple Lincoln hubcaps are the perfect touch and sit inside 235/75/15 whitewall radials with a lot of life left in them.

Big, fun cars like this are a great way to get into the hobby and if you're going to go back to the '70s, you may as well do it in high fashion. Call today!