Is a Lincoln Mark VII a Good Buy or a Mistake?
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- Опубліковано 5 лют 2025
- Matthew talks about the Lincoln Mark VII, the pros and cons of owning one, the prospects for value appreciation, and compares these cars to the Foxbody Mustang. If you think you might be interested in either a Fox Mustang or a Lincoln Mark VII, this video is likely to give you some perspective.
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Quit my job in 2002. Flew into San Francisco from Europe with my girlfriend. Bought a 1988 Mk 7 LSC and drove for 3 months all across the US. 10,000 miles. Pacific Highway, Yosemite, Death Valley, Las Vegas, Monument Valley, New Orleans, New York, Gettysburg, Cape Cod...a total bucket list of sights. Got married in the Little White Chapel drive thru. The Mk7 was a pleasure to drive. Will always have the best memories of that car.
@@elzorro7of9 GREAT story! Thanks for sharing!
What happened to it
@@KingsleyEjike-z9s Parked it up in 2002 in Boston , left it for a friend to sell. The story goes that is was impounded but he probably sold it cheap and just told me that. No matter, it cost me 2000 dollars at the time and has the best adventure of my life. The reg plate was 2ru 105. John Webber owned the car before me. He is since dead. He lived on a house boat in Marin County. Coming from Ireland with that dream of a road trip it was perfect for it.
That sounds like a lot of fun. I need to do the same with my current Mark VII before it dies. I've lived in the U.S. my entire life and have never been east of Omaha. Lived in Fresno for 3 years and never once saw Yosemite or Death Valley. I did take my red Mark VII around the rim of Crater Lake before it got wrecked and those will always be my best memories of that car.
@@jessemedina4482 We drove through or around Fresno and got lost. hehe. It was before sat nav. In fairness to the US, it is made for road trips in a V8 car with a new destination each day. For all its current problems it is a stunningly beautiful country in places. Even did a bit of route 66 with it. 4 corners in the desert, monument valley will forever live in my memories.
I really appreciate this video. I’ve had my mark for 3 years. It has been very problematic. Bought the car for $3500 have spent over $3000 on the car since. And now need to spend more as the front air suspension failed. And my starter has gone. Now not only can I not start it but I can’t move it. Hell I can’t even get a jack under the car to replace the starter. I really thank you for these videos you have done. There’s not many videos about the marks and besides yours there’s only one airbag replacement video. If it wasn’t for your video I would not.know how to PROPERLY replace the bags. Thanks and I always enjoy your videos.
Glad it is helping out. They can be fun, but if you go into it with your eyes closed they can be a real nightmare! On balance, I still enjoy mine though.
The weird Teves brake system is another pain and dangerous if you have problems. The accumulators go bad.
Yes, AND the rear calipers are pure unobtainium. Parts are starting to get hard enough to come up with that alternative rebuild stuff is in your future if you have failures. For instance, a vacuum brake system from a Mustang, but then you will lose the ABS.
Strutmasters makes a kit to replace the airbags back to coils and shocks this will fix your airbag problem, the parts are about 350 and the local shop charged me about 650 to do the labor. hope this helps good luck
Mark FB has Avery active mark page with a lot of solutions for the air suspension
Great video ! Thanks for sharing . I've owned my 91 mk vii since 2011 . Bought it with 110,000 miles on it and rebuilt the suspension in 2019. I now have 177699 miles on it. Love the car. Not a marshmallow ride but sporty smooth. Everything is original. I did rebuild the entire brake system including replacing the brake pump and accumulator. Thanks for your videos , looking forward to more. Dan in california.
Thanks for watching! I think they are great cars, but especially as time goes on, the parts are harder and harder to get. The same can be said for most older cars, especially low production units and those that did not catch the imagination of enthusiasts enough to create a strong aftermarket parts channel.
Where did you get teaves ll hydraulic pump from?
@@1Sigma-h7i I bought the teves pump from pick n pull in vacavill in 2021. They had a 1990 mk vii . That is the same pump set up for all 3 years. 1990 through 1992. I was very lucky yo find it with 110,000 miles on the car.
My phone is listening to me and it led me here. Currently getting a 91 bill bliss edition put back on the road. I'm already falling in love with it, and it's not even running. The video is coming soon.. great comparison spot on analysis
It’s still snowing off and on here but I fired mine up the other day just to listen to it! Good luck with yours!
I bought a 1986 Mk VII in 1988. My Mom's Honda Prelude was getting ugly, though it ran great! Anyway, I gave her the Mk. Years later, sadly, it's mine again. The car now has 136,000 + plus miles. I drove it yesterday. I spent a bit of money on the air ride, as you mentioned, that's something to keep in mind. I replaced the power antenna, multiple fog light bulbs, and a couple of engine sensors over the years. This is a fantastic auto. The features for the day are amazing! It's running great! Thanks for your video. On the spot recommendations! I agree, I need a donor car!
I really enjoy mine though it has its moments of frustration for sure. I have a few technical videos on here specific to the Mark that might help you, and lots of Foxbody stuff, much of which crosses over. Thanks for watching!
Omg your video is so well needed! These are so underrated. I wanted a Grand National and one of the local G-body dudes turned me on to these. Could not be happier. I get to go to lowrider cruise nights and get love from the muscle car guys. Best of both worlds.
I sure like mine, but you have to go into one of these with open eyes - The parts are just getting harder to get, and you are more or less on your own to work on it.
Ya my dad wanted a GN but we could not find a clean one and when I saw this with the 5.0 I was like dad you have to get this!
@@ThePSO51 dude y'all lucked out. Idk where you are? but if you ever want another one they are hella undervalued in CA and basically rust free.
@@DocHellidayI got mine in California
If you're going to get one, look for an '88 and up. The '89 in my opinion is the best one. It still had the original dash which just fit the car better. Many of the electrical/mechanical issues from previous years had been resolved and all came with the 225hp HO. The '90 onwards had lots of things that just looked like they were tacked on (crown vic type dash, 3 point rear seatbelts, painted over chrome trim, cheaper bucket seats, etc.)
I've owned several of these over the last 25 years and can 100% tell you that you will run into trouble keeping them on the road. There's a lot of things that can go wrong with these cars. For one, they're all speed density (no good for bolt ons), the air suspension is great until it stops working, then it becomes a giant PITA. My current Mark was converted to springs (previous owner) and without the air suspension it rides like a literal boat. And good luck trying to fix something in the dash, they crack, plastic breaks, screws strip, etc.
Great cars, not for the faint of heart! Your comments are all spot on.
'89 is the sweet spot. Agree the '90+ dash is shoehorned into a decidedly different design. My issue was the Teves ABS, but which, like the air suspension, is great until it's not.
@@postmodernrecycler Totally agree! I was unable to use my Mark for 18 months once because I couldn't source a functional Teves booster. And to make matters worse, there are slight variations between years. I also once had an '88 that burned down due to a short at the brake fluid reservoir. Yeah, Teves is a PITA.
I bought my mark a little over 2 years ago. I saved it out of a field for 1,800, after replacing the fuel pump in that same field and drove it home. I've definitely spent $1000 on new cooling system and starter and fuel pump and def have to spend another couple hundred on other maintenance. However it has 50,000 miles original miles which makes it worth, and I'm hoping I can keep it till I'm an old man.
Good for you! I’m all for these cars myself and I really like mine. They have some serious parts availability problems that you have to contend with for sure, but that shouldn’t stop you from enjoying a good one. I might make taking on a basket case a little tougher though. Thanks for watching!
I have an '89 LSC daily driver with the same paint job. Drove a red "90 LSC from 2018 to 2022 when it got wrecked. These are die hard vehicles with style and certainly rarity. My red Mark VII will live on as a parts donor to my gray Mark VII and I will keep it on the road for as long as I possibly can. I never had much love for the foxbody Mustangs but the Ford Co. super coupes have a special place in my heart.
Yeah, I built my own Mark VII because as much as I love the Foxbody Mustang, I really wanted something a little different. The Mark has that Foxbody powertrain feel and sound, but is much more refined and easier to carry stuff in for road trips with my wife. It IS more of a problem to keep on the road though!
I picked up a 115k lsc in october and just drove it to Calgary and back to Winnipeg over the holidays. Runs like a top. I plan on scooting back into Calgary this summer, would love to bring the car by your shop for a visit!
Sounds good. Best to call first. Some summer days are very intense with problem cars on the dyno, so I can’t always make time on zero notice, but I would like to see your car for sure.
Mum raised me better than to show up unannounced, would definitely email or call you ahead of time to see what works for you! Thanks for being so welcoming though!!@@tecmotiondyno
See you in the summer!
Thanks so much for the awesome video! I purchased an all original 1988 Mark VII LSC last summer. I LOVE having the Ford 5.0 engine. The only thing I've had to do is change the water pump and just recently added an aftermarket water temp gauge and recharged the AC which still works beautifully in the Oklahoma heat! I'm hoping to eventually change the exhaust system just to get a little more sound from the 5.0. But overall love this car as a daily driver. The attention I get is mostly from older folk who probably had one back in the day. Thanks again- learned a lot from your videos!
Hey great content!! I have a 1991 LSC SE it was my dads I kept it, very mild mods CAI Shorty Header, H pipe, Flowmaster (of corse)..T5 conversion, and 3:73 gears ver fun drive for sure!! And you are correct a looker at shows!! I love this car, I am working on some body damage minor but can't find trim for it to get it right..
Anything unique for these cars is a big problem, that’s for sure. Thanks for watching!
I Think it is a good car but a few things to remember when the water pump goes out, most the time the bolts seize in the timing chain cover and break meaning you will have to replace the timing chain cover when replacing the water pump. Also the air suspension usually goes out as well, Strutmasters builds a kit to replace the air bags but a pain in the butt to replace. I love my MARK VII especially because I found one that was in really good shape but I had to do these things to get it reliable. Good luck!!
You are right about the water pump bolts, but when they break you don’t normally damage the timing cover, but you will have to take it off to sort that problem out. There’s a video on this channel on the water pump replacement on a 5.0 Ford if you are interested. I do address the air suspension issues in the video and there are also videos on this channel on how to do the air suspension diagnostics and replace the air springs on a Lincoln Mark VII that you might find helpful. Thanks for watching!
My Mark VII has a new Gates water pump and one missing bolt. I nearly had a stroke trying to dig and chew out all the other snapped bolts so I left the worst one alone. Stole the healthy bolts from my other Mark VII and thank god the pump doesn’t leak.
Had an 89 LSC and had to sell it when the kids were born. I loved that car wish I never sold it.
Fast , awesome car that looks very nice!
Even though it can be a pain in the butt, I really like mine. I have it at the High River car show today as a matter of fact!
I bought a 1990 LSC in red from a disabled guy for 2000 about a month ago It was sitting for 7 years and has a registration sticker from 2012. It didn’t run without starting fluid, the front seats are ripped and are faded by the sun (not awful but in need of a reupholster.) it needs a new fuel pump, a tuneup, all 4 tires, a thermostat, a new brake line and new calipers, rotors and pads, A really good cleaning, and it has 3 or 4 rust spots about 1 inch by 0.5 inch (repairable-no holes.) plus some faded paint and some clearcoat issues, but overall ok. Did I get a good deal on this car? Btw that’s a very clean Mkvii! Will definitely be coming back for more videos. Funny enough, my other choice was a 90-93 GT hatchback
The rear brake calipers are basically unobtainium. The rest of that stuff can be bought from a supplier like Rockauto. There are apparently some options for switching up the rear brakes with parts from a Taurus, and of course anything is possible when you get into the aftermarket and customization. I'd say you paid more or less parts car price for it though, so I don't think you got a bad deal.
Very informative video! I want one! Thanks for sharing.
Beautiful!! I love the sound of it too. Just has that purr. I worked at a Ford plant in Lansdale PA when these came out, and every so often, I got to take one out a number of times when needing a company car. I had bought my '84 Mustang GT brand new, so I know what you're talking about with the difference. I totally forgot the Mark VII was a Fox body. And yes, those air suspensions - great in theory, bad in practice. My parents had a Mark VIII that I remember by the mid 00's it's hugging the ground.
Great story! Thanks for sharing it. It sure feels a lot more contemporary than driving a Fox Mustang because of all the advanced features that are common today, but especially with a heads/cam/intake build like mine it has that raw 80’s Foxbody Mustang sound and feel. It’s a great nostalgia cruiser in my view!
I have owned two LSC’s one was the blacked out edition. Both were great cars. They ran great. The two problems that both had were the air bags and the power window switches.
Those power window switches are specific to the Lincoln too, so increasingly hard to replace.
@@tecmotiondyno yeah, when I had the last one that I owned, I bought a couple of extra pairs of nos switches because they were getting a little more difficult to find and that’s been 15 years now.
Hi Tecmotion, I actually have a good portion of the forum scraped/archived and am working on restoring it. I'll update on the Facebook group as things progress
That’s great news. A lot was lost when the forum went down.
I would love an update as well. I used to lurk on the Lincoln Mark VII forum.
Can you run GT40p heads with the speed density? I haven't tried that yet on my Lincoln. I just don't want to put an engine in and then have to swap back to the E7 heads?
I don’t see any problem with that if you use a stock cam. Where you get into trouble is changing the vacuum profile of the engine because the manifold vacuum is the principal signal used for the fuel calculations.
Excellent Excellent video, great info and well and honestly presented. 😊.
My first car was 1990 Mark VII Bill Blass edition, wish I still had it. Drove it from 1992 until 1997, 170,000 plus miles. I have my plates for it somewhere in my basement that said "MY VII". I parked it in the winter to avoid rust and drove an 88 Ford Aerostar during those months. That being said, you should have fired it up. Those 5.0s' sounded good.
You can learn about and hear my modified Mark VII here: Modified Lincoln Mark VII Walkthrough and Discussion
ua-cam.com/video/YQEzvweLASg/v-deo.html and here: ua-cam.com/users/shorts1WExy7lbYjs?si=cWZwssFBEeQjXDvD
@@tecmotiondyno Thank you.
I jumped on it two days ago, I'm taking Ubers to work 😂. I am now balls deep in the Mark VII community. The car is actually a time capsule and still has the plastic floorboard from the dealership, so i plan on getting it to a good healthy daily driver
They are a great choice if you get a good one and have the resources and skills to keep it going!
Awesome find. I've always wanted to do one of these and I may need to start looking....
There are some good ones out there still.
Hi, I do have a completely stock 89 coupe that I have a bigger exhaust on it full 3 inch off-road with xpipe 30 chamber race muffler dumped and a homemade air intake tube 4 inch would you be able to do programming to the A9l if shipped to you? Just maximize the stock motor to its full capacity?
I'm not sure that it will be economical due to the shortage of chips for these cars. You can give me a call at the shop if you want to chat about it on the phone, which is probably the best way to handle this enquiry.
I love my Lncoln mark vii's. I have 3. An 1986,89,90. The 89 has the t-5 conversation, ( a 5 speed manual transmission), and is a fun car to drive. I have bought and sold Mark vii's for about 10 years off and on. I have found that here in Southern Arizona the summer heat does takes it's toll on the leather and plastic parts and not to mention the clear coat gets burned by the sun. I have found that here you can find ether low mile great condition or the well used beater. I also sold Mark vii parts for many years, and I sold many quarter panels, doors, and fenders to people out in the east. I still have a lot of smaller parts at a decent price for those interested. Mark vii's were very under rated and are slowly going up in price after they hit the 25 year mark. in my onion these are very nice cars with the last of the classic Lincoln lines with great almost bullet proof 5.0's along with rack and pinion steering, 4 wheel anti lock brakes and a host of other feathers that makes it a safe, the doors weigh 100 pounds), and a great driving car. Plus, Mark vii's were the next to the last of the hot rod Lincoln coupes. The last one being the Mark viii. That is a true gentleman's hot rod. After the Mark viii Lincoln produced no more coupes.
Great comment and an interesting story. Alberta is Canada’s least corrosive environment so there are lots of good survivors here regardless of your brand preference, but it is unusual to see a Mark VII on the street. Funny thing is though, on my way home from the Remembrance Day Ceremony on the 11th (Veterans Day in the U.S.) I saw a blue one just driving around. Clearly it was somebody’s driver, but it looked clean.
I had a 92 Mark VII LSC and later a 98 Mark VIII LSC. Great cars with one major problem this gentleman brings up as the first "con." The air bag suspension is great...when it works...mine sometimes didn't...too many times. Right now I've got a 2011 MKS EcoBoost with a nice traditional suspension. It may not be a coupe, but it also has 355 horses neither of those Marks had, and AWD.
Yeah, they take some effort to keep on the road, so really they are a nostalgia fun car rather than regular transportation these days. In fairness, pretty well every air suspension car has the same kind of problems - Guys told me to put bags in my Super Duty, but I opted for traditional leaf overload springs instead, because they are totally reliable and bags are not.
They're great for people who understand how special they are, and a mistake for people who don't understand how well they were a luxury car first which also merged in "sport" in a way that hadn't made its way into American luxury cars very much yet when these first came out.
People sometimes look at these cars almost more from the sport end of the spectrum in more recent years, but they were meant to be luxury cars first. I am not putting these people down, but these are *not* glorified Mustangs, even with the shared parts. That doesn't mean I would not enhance the performance of a Mark VII, as I would...it's just a matter of the approach...enhancing what's there, keeping a smooth running, well mannered one, and not going against what makes it a Lincoln vs turning the Mark into a Mustang as some people (not you) occasionally do. I love both cars, and have a '91 Mustang GT hatchback (Titanium Frost) since new in my family, and in my family had both an '88 (from new, Dark Shadow Blue/Shadow Blue) and '91 (got used) LSC SE (black/black)...I don't have a Mark VII currently, but do want another '88, which I feel are the best Mark VIIs.
Oh, and any older radio can have Bluetooth added. If you ever want the original radio back in the car, there is a guy named Paul Protos that restores them properly (many repair people do not like repairing the 1988+ radios in the Mark VIIs).
Thank you for keeping the air suspension. It's part of what makes these cars unique and special.
Thoughtful comments. I never got the original radio with this car - I suspect it was blown up because of a voltage regulator problem that was causing a scary over-volt on the system, so I resolved that with a 3G alternator conversion and just put in a modern digital only head unit. That setup works fine and is discreet enough not to ruin the aesthetic of the car. From what I hear, Paul Protos is a good guy to handle a radio restoration and upgrade like you mentioned if that is the way you want to go.
The only problem I had with mine was that air ride suspension?We took it all out and put Thunderbirds.Suspension up underneath
They made a great car with the right engine. They used the windsor 302 V8. They would have been better off had the come with regular coil springs instead of air bags, but with time it is worthwhile to have that dealt with. One major draw back I saw, was the stupid electronic brake booster instead of a vacuum booster. But the thickness of the sheet metal on them and reliable engines, they were in a way you got a great car if you bought the 84 on up to the 92 year model. My most preferred, based on the tires/wheels and throttle body fuel injection with regular air cleaner are the 84-86 models
Those features like air suspension and ABS are great when they work, and a pain in the butt when they don’t. That Teves ABS system is more or less unheard of today too, so finding parts or someone to work on it is no fun, but you can convert to a vacuum booster to keep it on the road. In spite of these things, I do like cruising in mine!
@@tecmotiondyno On those air bags today, the coil springs would probably be easy to install on those cars. I changed my 2005 town car to coil springs and its easy to do and cheap, and the ride is just as good. Being able to get and modify to a vacuum brake booster would be an absolute on the mark 7s. I remember those mark 7s I rented from Hertz back in the mid 80s that still had the round air cleaner on them. The 84 to 86 models with that round air cleaner had so much power I remember a crazy person could have literally sat still and burned those rear tires down to the rims. I really never saw the gain in the eight coils and eight injectors of today at all. I dont see any advantage at all to the modular V8s. Ford should have continued the 302 windsor even up to todays 2025 models
So this is not a good choice for an engine swap(different engine into this car)?
Guys do 351W swaps in them. You can make anything work with enough determination but the path of least resistance for one of these is to upgrade the 5.0 it comes with.
Hello. I have two problems recently on my Mark VII LSC 1986. If any one has tips that would be amazing.
My ABS light turns on randomly and the pedal goes hard. I hear a little click right before the abs light is about to turn on. Anyone had this problem ?
Second problem . I have a digital dashboard. The speed and fuel gauge was working and odometer was saying error . Recently the speedometer and fuel gauge turns on and off . How can I fix that ? Thanks a lot for your help in advance !!
You should probably ask these questions on the Lincoln Mark VII Club Facebook group. Your brake problem is likely either with the Teves unit itself or the accumulator ball.
@@tecmotiondyno Thanks. I changed the accumulator so that was not the problem I suspected more of a relay problem.
But in the end I bought a whole Teves anyway it will be useful and will change it this week
I bought a 91 Vii LSC in 94 with 37,000 miles from a local Mercury dealer. It has 92,000 currently. I take it to local car shows and never see another one. It does get thumbs up from other drivers. It’s not show and it’s the same color as yours. I always liked these cars. It’s almost like people just forgot about them.
I rarely see them either, but I know about a couple of others around Alberta. I think there are pockets of them in Pennsylvania and surrounding states, Florida, and Texas. I actually have a parts car that is exactly like mine too. I do find that it shows better than a Mustang because it is different but it still gets the love from guys who like Foxbodies. I have a nice 93 Mustang but I think I am going to sell it and keep the Mark as my nostalgia cruiser.
I should probably invest in a parts car too. I do worry about the availability of some of the mark vii specific parts. I did buy a factory Lincoln service manual along with the electrical trouble shooting manual.
Great video, dude. Love the nod to John, too. I'm one of the guys that will help in the Club's FB group. 😁What's the info on the wheels and tires? Do you remember the offsets and whatnot? Love the way your car sits.
The wheels are real 02 GT Mustang wheels - 17” Anthracite Bullitts. The adapters are Coyote Products parts and I think I ended up with 3/4”, but I don’t remember off the top of my head. The tires are Cooper Zeon RS3-G1. Pretty sure they are 245-45-17. Speedo correction is done with an Abbott Electronic Ratio adapter. Final drive is 4.10. John used to send me a Christmas card. I was pretty sorry to see him go, and he was some real glue in the Mark VII community. Thanks for watching!
@@tecmotiondyno yeah John was a good man. I was one of the original founders of the club back in the day, too. Appreciate the info on the wheels and tires. 🤘🏻 Kinda like the stock look on mine, kinda like the Bullit look lol
@@theANGRIERone yeah, I have the original BBS wheels, and I had them on the car for a while after I built it, but the car is SO modified and it looked SO stock with those wheels. I wanted something that would at least hint at the modified nature of the car without being over the top and without me having to start it so you can hear the TFS cam and the long tubes and super 44’s, and I had these wheels off an 02 Mustang that I had for a long time, so I tried them on the car and really liked them so they stayed. That car got deep dish bullitts and the Mustang center caps went on the Mustang, so the centers I used on this setup are from the aftermarket deep dish bullitts. They make more sense on the Lincoln than the Mustang centers would have.
@@tecmotiondyno that's my dilemma too. Mine has a TKX, TFS Stage 1, AFR165 and a Holley Terminator X. Everyone thinks it's stock until I start it up to leave the cruise night 😂
@@theANGRIERone lots of people will stop to take a look at my mod sheet when they see it’s me with the car because they know I usually have something special, but sometimes it can just look TOO ordinary. These are real Ford wheels, and the Anthracite finish goes well with the light titanium paint, but they hint at the car being something extra.
I had a 1987 LSC I believe it had a V8 engine in it. I leased it new. At the time this was an awesome driving car. I loved that car.
I was about to reply to your comment before you edited it. In 1984 and 1985 Lincoln offered the BMW Diesel in the Mark VII, but by 1986 they were all Ford 5.0 V8's.
@@tecmotiondyno I didnot have a diesel so I corrected it.👌
KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!
Thanks! I think I am going to get back to a little Mustang content here shortly. My Mustang fans are probably getting tired of all this mark VII stuff! 😂
My uncle had a 1991. It drove like a dream.
Yeah, that’s the real plus of these cars. They are a great cruiser!
Bought an ‘88 mark and let’s just say I call
It Frankenstein! Hatchetman definitely had a ball with this one
I have had my sitting for 13 years I should of keep starting it but I didn't now i need a new battery and probably have to siphon out the old gas and keep my fingers crossed it will start or i can sell it as is the drivers door is damaged and the window don't roll up or down just don't know what to do have to move it out of the parking spot by june
Try posting your story on the Lincoln Mark VII Club Facebook page. Rejuvenating the powertrain will likely be easier than sorting out the door and glass, but either way your pricing will have to reflect the project status of the car.
@@tecmotiondynothank you for replying appreciate it
I was in my early 20s when these cars came out. It was love at first sight, but way out of my budget. I'd love to find a nice surviver now.
There are some nice ones around still.
My mind set would be to install a complete frame and suspension set up , from tires to steering wheel , including a healthy 351 etc . Basically just saving the interior and sheet metal
To make a dependable road car , without having to chase down 35 year old parts , with questionable quality. Thoughts from the peanut gallery .
Ps , my last project car which lasted 33 years was a 1963 and 1 / 2 Ford Falcon Sprint , started out a 260 2 speed tranny ( why a 2 speed , why ) became a tricked out 289 4. Speed .
It’s tougher to do that kind of project on a unit body car. In fairness, mine does a pretty good job of being dependable. Case in point - I drove it about 250 miles last weekend. All-custom cars have their own problems with reliability too, so it’s hard to know if your plan would create a more reliable version or not, but I’m all for modifying cars. My own Mark is pretty heavily modified already!
I’ve owned 2 of these, the fuseable links made them both electronic nightmares.
T bird/ cougar gives you independent rear suspension.
No arguing with that! The solid axle has always been stronger in a drag race situation though.
@@tecmotiondyno that's true and IRS handles better.
First car I ever had was an 84 my dad had a 91, looked just like yours (with stock wheels) was my favorite car to take out on dates or on an occasional night cruise. Thought I was king shit wheeling a luxo 5.0
They are a fun car for sure. I have the stock wheels for mine, but I wanted at least SOME visual cues that the car was modified and I had these 02 Mustang wheels on the shelf, so I tried them, and I kind of like them, so I left them on.
i really learned something today...
wow tilt air bag wheel i wonder if this could be a option in the stangs if one was pulled out of the mark 7 . im not a fan of these cars ive taken a few apart and for the time it was way over engineered and things in them were usually broken and hundreds of dollars to get them back driving again... im glad you enjoy your car but for the average joe they cant afford the parts let along the hours of labor bills these car require. these cars fall into 2 categories you either have money $$$$$ and your just the driver or you do the work yourself and most people have no clue how to turn a wrench. either way the car not right for 85% of the masses!
It stunned me when I realized it had tilt steering and an airbag too. And you are right - these cars really separate the hard core guys from the masses because you have to be a fairly serious guy to keep it going. I don’t even think that money and a shop are much of an option because most shops won’t touch cars like this. On the other hand, there are a surprising number of guys who are keeping these cars alive, and I guess I am one of them!
P
@@tecmotiondyno if i cant get shops to look at my 87 GT then this mark 7 is a no thanks just turning into the parking lot .. at a junk yard whats the must have parts ive seen a few in the yards but took the normal stuff but any clue whats rare ? im going to take the steering shaft and see if the stang ones are the same ..i know the stangs the shaft slides but mounting points maybe the same ??
@AwakeDude911 everything that isn’t the powertrain is unique. Things like the rear brake calipers, teves ABS, glass, lights, window switches, fuel level sender, trunk pull-down, sunroof assembly, ride height sensors, ABS sensors, and so on are all parts-car-only things.
But can you stuff a 460 in one?
Anything is possible - it’s about the same underhood space as a Foxbody and I have seen guys get a 460 in them.
there is one near me for sale for 413k.It's a '90 LSC with 63k miles on it.Looks good,but I sense it already needs about $7k
No matter what old car is your poison, there’s always something that needs attention!
Can anyone chime in? Can tall people fit in these im 6'6 and want one
So rare to see a LSC. I'd love to have one.
Take mine lol
I'm actually going today get pick up an 89 with 99k miles zero rust garage kept for $1200
Nice deal, even if some of it needs attention.
Can’t believe no mention of the problematic Teves ABS system and its legendary irreparable nature. At least deserves a warning that if your prospective creampuff has a solid or come and go ABS light buckle up and get ready for MK 7 trouble. When the cars were new you could buy a new or reman ABS pump from ford and the dealership supposedly could program it. Big $ even then. No shortcuts, if you find a donor car with a good unit it still needs to be programmed to your car. I hear that a conversion to vacuum assist is possible with stuff from just the right Mustang but requires rear brake conversion with hand made hard lines and adapted parking brake cables, not something one would do for a customer and assume liability. Air suspension failures are easy fix compared to a dead brake pedal.
Fair enough, that is yet another problematic system on the car. The accumulator ball is one of the most common failures but there are still replacement parts for that. I’m not sure what needs to be programmed on the Teves system during a replacement though.
Wow fast response. The nature of the problem was even then shrouded with lack of or misinformation from the dealers. I went back and looked at the under hood shots of your car and see there is no vacuum booster, so maybe the problem isn’t as pervasive as I thought. I also know that ford wasn’t the only manufacturer that suffered from Teves ABS problems the Buick Reatta was 100% so equipped and those cars are valueless now, maybe because they had no merit even when new. The MK 7 and MK 8 on the other hand are an awesome canvas for reviving into a fast luxury tourer, but not with no brakes.
Mkviii’s have the same problem with body parts availability. And every little piece you find is over $100
I’d say that at least the Mark VII has the benefit of the Foxbody Mustang aftermarket for the drivetrain. The Mark VIII has nothing like that and is a pure orphan. I don’t even understand these guys who put a mark viii drivetrain in a classic pickup - it’s so hard to support that it’s not even funny.
@ the markviii is basically a mustang cobra/mercury marauder same motor same transmission same rear end. My mark viii will smoke any stock 2 or three valve mustang and I have no problem finding drivetrain upgrades or parts it’s the light housings body parts and interior parts that are the most difficult to find at least in my location. Anyways I’ve always been a Lincoln guy I’ve had five town cars two mkviii’s and am looking forward to possibly owning a mkvii in the future. I appreciate your video your insight was helpful and interesting
Thanks for watching!
I'mmmmmm gonna take a guess and sayyyy... HEADACHE!
Unless you're the Smithsonian or Jay Leno, don't bother. This era of auto-manufacturing was a mess, especially for domestics; it was all off-the-shelf innovation with a HUGE helping of marketing which resulted in owning something which was nothing like that glossy ad in the National Geographic.
Most parts for these cars are god-awful rare, mainly because for nearly 20 years as metal-prices went up the scrap was worth more than the car, even if it was in decent condition. It's actually easier to find parts and machining for vehicles mid-60s and older, basically because many of those cars didn't start to dry-rot as soon as you drove them of the lot, and they weren't a cobbled-together piece of modernity.
But hey, passion and common-sense are seldom bosum buddies; I work on old Atari 5200s and fix them up... more 80s crap. So, I dig it.
So sad I sold my arctic white 1990 Mark VII
Take a shot every time he says fox body mustang lol
I think you have it made when you have a drinking game about you!
Mustangs were junk when new whereas the Lincoln and TBirds now are the better value these days FoxMustangs are overpriced folks buying with emotion when they could pay way less and get a top of the line Lincoln
@@danlove4270 I will say that the reason the Mustang has lasted 60 years is because for most of that time they have been a generally good car, not junk. Obviously the T-bird and Mark VII are more upscale, and the Lincoln was so upscale that even today it has a feature mix that seems semi-contemporary. It is kind of funny to see pricing on these cars turned completely upside down -stripper Fox Mustang coupes are worth a fortune while sometimes a good Mark VII sells for $1000. A factor that is hard to ignore in that equation is that virtually every part of a Fox Mustang can be replaced with new or reproduction parts while virtually none of the Lincoln specific parts are available except from wreckers. As a small producer of aftermarket parts myself, I make some Lincoln parts primarily for my own benefit and sentimentality, but Mustang parts outsell the Lincoln parts 1000:1. If I didn’t love these cars and personally drive one, I would never make parts for them, and that’s why no one else does either.
Missed opportunity. Entire video without showing any of the car features
This is the video you are looking for: Modified Lincoln Mark VII Walkthrough and Discussion
ua-cam.com/video/YQEzvweLASg/v-deo.html
just got one for 650 bucks... wish me luck!! lol
There are still deals like that out there, but usually not for nice ones. Good luck!
Is a a Good
Who wants to buy my arctic white 1990 Mark VII LSC
Me
Sorry I sold it @@rryan81
Great content. I have a question can you tune my a9l for the best factory stock tune with re done e7s better springs and new valves for b cam a 75 mm tb homemade 4 inch powerpipe and 80 mm mass , long tubes 1 5/8 to full off rd 3inch exhaust flow master 40 dumped 410 gear that’s my complete combo I want to run 12s on a stock motor my goal yes car is wieght ruduced and 26 tire with skinnies for track, thank you I live Ontario Canada love your channel your knowledge and experience is very respected.🇨🇦 side-note forgot to mentioned I cnc machined my intake to match my TB 75mm I am a machinist by trade I just wanted to improve incoming air.
That’s the kind of thing I would want to have on the dyno to get as good as possible, but yes. Your combo has too many variables for a mail order style tune, especially when you are trying to squeeze it hard. I have seen one of these cars weigh 2200 lbs and look stock, and with the kind of parts you are talking you are going to need a lot of weight reduction and a low track to see 12’s, though I would not rule it out.
I live right by the lake check out Sparta drag strip last yr I got 13.2 at 103mph best et in the fall car is a coupe lowest options didn’t have bigger tb or power pipe or bigger mass just experimenting I do have another car completely stock except exhaust and gears that car I would like to tune aswell do you do mail tune for that?
It sounds like you are really close to the 12's for sure. The best thing to do is call me at the shop and we can discuss your projects.