1963 Lincoln Continental | Buyer’s Guide
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- čas přidán 21. 07. 2024
- Hagerty’s Editor-at-Large Sam Smith explores what makes the 1963 Lincoln Continental Convertible such a beloved classic car and details what you need to know about buying, owning, and loving this great classic.
Buying & Selling: www.hagerty.com/media/buying-...
Valuation: www.hagerty.com/apps/valuatio...
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Episode chapters:
0:00 Introduction - 1963 Lincoln Continental
0:32 Sam Smith's driving impressions
2:18 Shop talk - 1963 Lincoln Continental
5:50 Undercarriage inspection and buying tips
8:26 Hagerty Valuation - 1963 Lincoln Continental
9:05 Sam Smith’s final thoughts
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#LincolnContinental #BuyersGuide #NeverStopDriving - Auta a dopravní prostředky
Despite the restoration problems , it is still one of the greatest autos Ford ever built. My dream car.
It has all the class, good taste and elegance every modern car should have. It's wonderful.
I'm lucky to own a '62 Continental convertible - it is so much fun to cruise around in!
Any major problems? Considering buying one in the future
I am considering buying a fully restored 1961.. what should be the most I should pay for it? Thx
Here is a link to our valuation information on the Lincoln Continental.
www.hagerty.com/apps/valuationtools/search/Auto/Lincoln/Continental
It is very hard to say what the maximum value of the car you're looking at should be. Different shops restore cars in different ways, and not all restorations are on the same level of quality. It would be best to find a local appraiser or someone to inspect the car and give you a detailed write-up of the condition.
I used to borrow one as a photo prop for “mid century modern” architecture photo shoots.
Sounds about right
I wouldn't have given it back. 🤣
Thank you Hagerty for giving me a comprehensive, clear, concise, plain english review of this car, and not saying anything about a boat and a land yacht and all the useless, childish, cliched terms that mean nothing. wonderful. Thank you.
I mean, this car earns both the nicknames "boat" and "land yacht" and wears them well. They're not to be taken as insults.
@@jakekaywell5972 I suppose we have differing views on a subject matter. When I take my 79 Mark Vs to any given car Cruise, there are attendees who shout these cliches. More importantly, back in those times, when you saw someone driving these cars, you just knew they were successful in life and they had done well. Not... THAT'S A LAND YACHT. No intelligence there, keep walking.
@@styldsteel1 With the context you added, I can better understand your position. It would be annoying if someone shouted either nickname repeatedly. At the same time, that's what the Continental always was. A no-holds-barred luxury car that was titanic in proportions and had no sporting pretensions whatsoever. Of course, I drive a Studebaker, so what do I know?
@@jakekaywell5972 no worries mate. In fact in one instance, I had a very nice talk with a car owner for quite some time, later once the cruise was breaking up I figured I'd drive by the gent with my 79 Bill Blass. Even before I got to say what I wanted to, his friends barked, HOW MANY ZIP CODES DOES YOUR CAR TAKE UP. He smiled, I think he wanted a response. Oh I responded alright. I closed my windows and drove away
What year is your Studebaker?
@@styldsteel1 Given how every Studebaker is a classic these days, my '62 GT Hawk seems pretty paltry compared to the older ones. I love my GT. How could I not? But the Presidents and Commanders of the 1930s are just grand. That's why money was invented I suppose!
Also, cheers to you for owning a Bill Blass Mark V. While they're not to my liking, I'm glad someone does.
I love land yachts from the "Mad Men" era. I myself drive a 1966 Thunderbird. The Lincoln was the finest.👍
One of the most elegant cars ever built. I love it!!
A beautiful car, I 've always loved this model. The 1964 model was the beginning of the end for these cars, it was the year Lincoln went to flat paned side glass (it had been curved from '61-'63) to save money.
The simple sound of that door closing 60 years after it came off the lot at 5:07 tells you everything you need to know lol. That's one EXTREMELY well-engineered door. And on a convertible no less!
Probably the most beautiful large convertibles ever made. Another reason I’m a Lincoln guy. ❤
I own one of these (also in Black). Have for 25 years. This is the best video commentary about my car I've ever seen. Hagerty once again does an amazing job.
Morticia is a beautiful example, Christopher!
I had read somewhere that when these came out, many of Europe's wealthy families bought these and had them exported to their home countries. It was the car to be seen in on an European holiday back in the 1960s. This car had been supposed to be the new for 1961 Ford Thunderbird but was wisely chosen to become the next Lincoln Continental.
Every now and then one gets to find their way into Street scenes in films in Europe. Far more Ford Galaxie, Chevrolet Bel Air, Impala and Plymouth Fury/Dodge though.
My dad had a 1962 in white absolutely gorgeous.. sold the car a couple of years back and man do I miss it... one of the smoothest cars I've ever ridden in..
That Lincoln is thirsty for a DRY ICE CLEANING underneath !! !! Nice video Hagerty.
Just to give you an idea of how expensive this car was: $6900.00 in 2021 dollars = $58,984. Also, if the internet it to be believed, the average cost of a new home in 1963 was just under $13,000.
Chris S true, tulsa ok 1963, 3br, 1 bath 1car garage brick home 13k all day long
When I bought my 61 Lincoln Continental in 61 it cost me $3200 dollars! A brand new 3 bedroom home cost 13 to14 thousand dollars !! SURE MISS THE GOOD OLD DAYS!
A wonderful car indeed! I was loaned the following model (the post-1964 design), a dark blue 1968 sedan, for a day and just loved it, power vent windows and all. It was huge and immaculate and you felt as rich as Croesus in it. Lincoln went on a long downhill spiral after that but we forget that the Lincolns that came out in the few years before the 1961 redesign were absolutely grotesque.
Can't help but think of the Kennedy assassination whenever I look at these.
What year wAs he killed in
@@shawnl5634 November 22th, 1963
@@katherineelizabeth824 darn
Then just think of or look at pictures of 1963 Lincoln Continentals that are like a wine red or a white color and not the dark blue that President Kennedy was riding in.
Can you do an 03-11 town car?
Nice mix of technical and context about why the car is the way it is. Well done.
Great video. I sure wish car makers would bring back the big four door convertible sedans. They were gorgeous. And Lincoln was the best of them all. I love the Continental.
A good video that makes me miss by 62 that I sold three years ago. Be advised, that the bottom of the car is very strong, made out of 3/16ths plate steel. I saw a 63 convertible in a junk yard that was full of rust, but all the door gaps were perfectly in line. Also, the electrical system is probably the best I've ever seen. Not much to go wrong. The vacuum lines that operate the HVAC and door locks are very critical. If the top works and the HVAC works properly, you've got a good one.
Although not a small car, this generation Lincoln was much smaller than the garish late 50s Lincolns they replaced. A friend of mine many years ago had a nice unrestored '66. He said, "don't park the car on uneven ground... the doors probably won't open. And if they do, they won't close!"
Dad had the 63 Lincoln Continental Convertible. Loved that car. Never knew what happened to it. I think the 63 is the best looking of the bunch from that early to mid 60's era.
$7,000 new in 1963 is about $59,000 of buying power in today's money
In other words, the car has maintained 100% of its value over the last 50 years in terms of "real" dollars. Not too shabby, if you ask me.
Seems to just be the rough going rate for flagship Lincoln sedans it seems. My 2010 Lincoln MKS was $55,110 when it was brand new. That's $66,110 in today's money. Seems they just value their flagship sedans right around there. However the Navigator is on a whole other planet at the moment.
I could be wrong, but the one in the video is a 62. I bought 61 that was six months old at the time!, $3200! A very powerful and beautiful car to drive! There were 32K made that year. It came with a bronze plack with my name engraved on it,that was on the dashboard. Most everything was achuated by vacuum lines, which in a couple of years started to leak. The quality of the the parts was very poor , being mostly modified Ford parts! It needed a complete overhaul at 70 thousand miles! A BEAUTIFUL PILE OF JUNK! I loved it when it was working right, but could never have the quality of the Japanese cars of today! The same thing that of the Mark 5 Lincoln! However I would still like to have one that was restored today! A REAL CLASSIC!
0:14, 0:43, 1:07, 1:35, 2:01, 2:13, 8:58, 9:31. Excellent views 🔥🔥🔥
As a former owner of a 1963 Lincoln I picked up in Atlantic City Car Auction in 1987 with only 50K in Diamond Blue with Med Blue interior A/C and loaded. I was afraid the car would not make it back to Boston Mass area from Atlantic City NJ. The 88 year old original owner told me not to worry. The car ran as good as she looked. I had her cruising at 80 mph with temps and winds averaging Zero degrees with 40-50 mph Gusts. I pulled in at 6pm at my house and had to go out to my favorite eatery and picked up a few friends. That was living lol. Loved that car!
You really did fantastic job explaining the Lincoln.
Woah, big price jump! Nice episode, a good insight into what to expect and look out for.
You did a great job explaining the history of this car. 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
Year of my birth. FANTASTIC!!! I loooooooooove these big american cars!!! Best regards from Brazil.
My ultimate American dream machine from 1963 is still Studebaker's Avanti, but I readily admit that the Continental isn't exactly paltry. Solid review, Hagerty.
My Dad had a '61 T-bird convert, I think we got it in '63; the grill of the '61 Continental and the Bird are very similar.
They were built in the same plant in Wixom, Michigan.
A Masterpiece. I love the understated red interior also.
I’m not here to gloat, I’ve just always been in love with these Lincoln’s. I was born in 62, so pretty much all of my childhood involved one or more of these cars. My grandfather who was a plant manager for Ford had a new Continental lease every year. He tried a 64 1/2 Mustang for about 3 weeks and took it back because nothing equaled the ride of the Lincoln. My aunt had a Continental for a few years, and then drove the 4 door Thunderbird. After the 60’s, my grandfather started driving the Mark series. A beautiful brown Mark III is what he picked me up in when my folks and I flew to California for a summer. They just don’t make them like that anymore.
Thanks for posting this well researched video. To those now thinking "I want one", please have a look at the cost of available parts. Everything is - at least - twice as expensive as run of the mill classic 60s cars. The power steering pump the presenter mentions? $700 excluding a core charge. Also a lot of parts you won't be able to find.
Still... fantastic cars.
That’s weird I only paid 350.00 for mine.
@@darklincoln From Bakers Auto or Lincoln Land?
@@reijerlincoln Lincoln west
I thought this was a very very good video. Well written , well presented. Nice work.
One of my dream cars. I read that it was an award winning design.
Great video! I'm the second owner of an all original 65. Less popular year but still very cool. I love these cars.
1965 has often been said to be the best year. I have the convertible the same year. I love my Continental.
The most beautiful car ever made.
I have always loved this model Lincoln.
We have a 64 in the family and it’s a love/hate relationship with this car
ln 1963 a Coke cost 6 cents....l owned one of these cars in 1965.....Thanks....!
I beg your pardon! I bought a 61 Continental in 61! I can't remember paying less than 10 cents for a Coke! Gas cost 28 to 32 cents a gallon!
I found Season One of "The Fugitive" tv series and seen Lincoln Continental cars on some episodes. This is a beautiful Lincoln Continental especially in black.
I appreciate my lincoln town car even more now!!
Always loved the Continentals, such stylish and classy looking cars. I saw one sitting in a Pick-n-Pull junkyard where it undoubtably got crushed a few years ago, not sure if it was a '63 or '64 but it was the correct color, jet black. I didn't look super close but it didn't even look that rusty, most old iron survives pretty well up here in Oregon. I saw a '59 Continental in a different yard owned by the same company, it had been hit but was repairable, no rust... I was there pulling some parts off a 1968 Wagoneer they had that was probably in better shape than the 1969 I'm restoring. I hate seeing rare cars in metal recycler owned junkyards! 😭
Great info provided! Really appreciate your details
❤️Continental. Hagerty gave me a great rate on my insurance policy. I own a rare Mark VI.
what a pleasant guy to listen to! sam smith and tom from barnfind hunters are just the best of hagerty!
That incarnation of the Lincoln Continental still stands as the cleanest, most elegant, handsomest and classiest American four door automobile in history. Flawless. It has never looked dated.
I didn't think they even rusted. Love it.
Still a stunner Very nice content
Darnit, now I really want one!!
I really like this type of land yacht
Still beautiful and elegant.
This is my all time favorite classic car. But I suspect this is a hero I should never meet (buy) as I suspect I will be living in a world of hurt if I did. For now I'll just stick to my more modern Lincoln and perhaps it'll rise in value as long as I take care of it and crossovers and EV's and self-driving cars become more and more the societal norm. Someday a glimpse at what used to be considered top of the line will be worth something.
Beautiful classic
What a great, informative, interesting video... thank you.
Several comments on how big this car was and that after several years they stretched the wheelbase another three inches. even after that it was still significantly smaller than contemporary Cadillacs and Imperials.
Yep. They stretched it in '64 and again in '66 and yet again in '69, ending up with an overall length of 224.2", or 18' 8.2" (5.695 meters). The '69 Cadillac was still almost an inch longer at 225".
Rolling in style!!!
My best friend had a silver-blue sedan in high school. It would do serious burnouts going up Keenan Hill with a cooler in the back. lol Non-posi smokeshow before YT. Awesome!!
I’m a simple man , I see Continental videos in my feed and a I click .
A friend of mine in high school had a 63 Towncar that trunk was so huge we crammed 12 kids in there every time we went to the drive in.
Hahahahah.... we could drive our Austin Mini and a skinny buddy of mine could fold him up into that little trunk to sneak into the drive in.
They did not have Towncars in 1963. 83? Yes.
When did we imagine a 60 year old car looking so good and timeless.
Very informative. Any videos on the cougar ( in the back ground)?
I heard that Lincoln would do the break-in procedure on the engines and tear them down after running them on a dynometer for instance before reassembling them and sending them off for sale.
Always interesting.
What a coincidence! Today for a half of the day I've been thinking about old Lincolns and ta-da the old 63 Continental! Think materialistically - it'll come true!
It’d pass anything but a gas station
Gorgeous car with or without faults
I love it i wish we had cool cars in the uk .
I grew up with a1963 Lincoln that was white in color. My folks bought the car that was two years years old.
Very Nice
Jay Leno has his 1966 Lincoln Continental Convertible on CZcams.
I prefer the sedan over the convertible, and I like the 62 over the 63. Same car but with the antennae on the rear looks better on these Lincolns.
I will be on the market for one in the next 6 months, but with better brakes, more power, air bags, etc.
My favorite era for Lincoln. This car looks awesome, albeit the front end/nose seems higher than the rear
It is kinda weird that I was talking about this car a few days ago and this video came out...
Oh Gawd! So wonderful to see a Lincoln that looks like a Lincoln should, suicide rear doors and all. I hate those awful looking stubby insipid SUVs that look like they are all from the same cookie-cutter. Those land-yachts were made to travel in comfort for long distances with suspension and tires that soaked up the road bumps so wonderfully, and with a steering wheel that you could turn with one finger. Fine handling? We don't drive on race-tracks.
Agree 😊👍❤️💯🔥🔥🔥
gorgeous car
My mom wanted one really bad. She ended up with a 1964 base [wind up windows, low back seats] Buick Electra.
I saw one in urbana ohio in 2001 loved it
Always loved the look of these however, I did not realize these were uni-bodies. WOW! This seems to be more like a European car the more you explain it.
More like they just welded the frame and body together. It's got side rails like a frame, and the body weighs more than a conventional body on frame design. It's not what you think when someone says "unibody".
@@dlwatib A proverbial hybrid LOL. I Always assumed full frame, just because of the year / size. Still cool car.
An American icon
How do we get ahold of you if we want to purchase one of your cars ?
They are not as troublesome as he infers. I've had mine since 1988, it has only needed the regular maintenance for a car its age, and a good mechanic can figure out the nuances.
It is indeed a boat, or like driving your living room down the lane.
Good piece... But I think you should have compared the 1961-69 Lincoln Continentals to the late late 1950's - '61 Continentals so people can understand what a quantum leap this design was. Like the Jaguar Series I E-Type... the Continentals of the 1960's still look modern.
I was very young when I bought my 61 Lincoln Continental! Funny thing happened though! I was trying to buy a Jaguar series E type but the salesman thought I was just a young punk out for a joy ride and refused to deal with me!!! I went across the street to another dealer and bought a Lincoln Continental instead! Months late I ran across the Jaguar dealer and told him what happened! BOY WAS HE EMBARRASSED!
Every time i see this car it reminds me of JFK's assassination in November of 1963. I was in college at the time.
Yea, me too. It's kinda strange to think cars too, can be typecast. Still a masterpiece..
I was in the 4th grade when they announced it and sent us home.
I feel like that is the sole reason why these early fourth-generation Continentals are so highly in demand. Pretty strange phenomenon if you really think about it, but no one ever said the classic car market made sense.
Most beautiful car Ford ever made besides the Thunderbird.
I've had 2 of these cars. As a professional classic car restorer, I can tell you that the major problems with this car is the electrical connectors and the power accessory switches, that dry out and corrode. Other than that, they are very reliable. Parts are one off, not shared by Ford juniors. Trim is impossible to get and has to be rewelded and finished out by a pro. The ATF comment here is bullshit. Any hydraulic fluid will work fine in this car, if the seals are in good condition. My Lincolns got 10.5, everyday, everyday driven, highway or city. The carburetors; biggest issue, can be replaced with a Carter AFB knockoff with no problems, and get better mileage with a tune-up kit.
I would suggest anyone that reads this comment that mentions any ATF will work in these cars fine… ask the experts. John Cashman, Chris from Lincoln Land, Blair Farmer & others… type F is the into way to go. Don’t trust someone in the comments ☝🏽 claiming to ignore a key items about these cars. Type F is the only way to go.
My 61 had vacuum actuators that early on caused a lot of problems. Did all my own mechanic work as the dealer was to expensive! Most of the parts were regular Ford parts - modified,! It was an expensive looking car with cheap parts! Didn't last very long!
MY DREAM!, CAR!....
RED is a totally uncool color for a premium luxury car. If you retool the upholstery in tan and brown I'd give whatever you asked for it.
Very important
They are wonderful cars, but are also very complex and super expensive to fix if something breaks. I owned a 61 Continental for 10 years, and although I liked the car a lot and enjoyed the time I had with it, they are a PITA to work on especially the wiring system and engine compartment. Parts are extremely hard to find and costly. Rust is a huge issue with these cars. Mine had rust at the rear door hinges that literally ate it away. Trunk lid rust, and the dreaded doglegs. It was going to cost way too much to fix everything on it so I decided to sell it. It’s better to buy one of these cars with everything in working order, with absolutely NO rust because the cost to repair some of the components on these years is stupidly expensive.
Another reason I sold the car was because although they are well constructed cars, they are way too small inside for a luxury car of the 60’s especially in the Sedan form. The A-Pillar curves too far at your face, and the car overall just feels cramped with hardly zero leg room in the rear. Lincoln solved the cramped feeling of the 61-63 Continentals in 64-65 by increasing the wheelbase and length. IMO the 64 was probably the best looking and overall 60’s Continental of the slabsides because of the improvements that were made in 64. Sure the side glass was flattened out, as did the roof line, but that really made the interior much more spacious feeling and eliminated the claustrophobic feeling that many buyers complained about back then from the 61-63’s.
If you were to purchase this era of Lincoln, make sure it’s best one you can find. You will definitely pay a premium for it, but it beats having to do all the repairs yourself. Then you can enjoy the car right away and not worry about having the car at a shop for weeks on end or a body shop for that matter.
I had a 61 Continental for about ten years too! Lots of trouble, especially with the vacuum systems! Most drive line were just modified Ford parts with poor quality! Most mechanics thought I was super rich and tried to gauge me for everything I got! I had to learn to be my own mechanic ! Not a whole lot of them ever got restored because of the complexity of the systems!
I got to get one.
I prefer my old '63 Imperial LeBaron both for looks, ease of maintenance and build quality over the Continental. Only cool thing on the Continental is the rear doors. Rest was not interesting to me. I think of them as being somewhat ugly myself, but that is ofc my opinion. Still a good video.
this is great
My only question is how do you fill this thing up with gas? Where is the gas cap located. Nobody seems to cover this detail. And I'm very curious where it's at?
After owning one for several years, I think I forgot where it was! I believe it was under the license plate!
@@robertchilders8698 It most definitely is. I checked there and found out that the license plate was able to flip open.
P.S. it was just above the license plate!
I hear the Kennedys don't like them...
But the Johnson’s loved ‘em
@@igkoigko9950 LOL
Jackie Kennedy preferred her Chrysler Imperial. JFK was a big fan of Ford cars. Any old photos of him with cars would always be Mercury or Lincoln. He quickly ordered a 1961 Continental convertible to replace the '56 Cadillac parade car that was the presidential limousine. This was the last car he would ride in. LBJ owned Chrysler Imperials until the 60s when he switched to Lincoln convertibles.
@@tracy4good Until the early 1990s Lincoln was the presidential mobile
@@two-face1041 1989 Lincoln Presidential Limousine was the last one. George H.W. Bush used the car and is now on display in his Presidential Library.
My uncle had a 64 and it broke down and we TRIED ti stuff it into my dad's garage too big , it stuck out about the feet. Thing is a tug boat.
So it’s like buying a boat! But elegant! Many problems to look out for and only certain mechanics can fix!
1965 was a great looking year for the Lincoln.