Lincoln Continental Mark III RestoMod

Luke’s Rules for Car Buying #1: Make a list of your top ten favorite cars.  #2 Be patient and buy from said list.     

Pursuing the List

After my Mark V escapade, I learned my lesson.  Pursue your list.  Well if it isn’t a 60’s Continental, it is a 60’s Mark series.  The Lincoln Mark III is one of the coolest cars ever made, and I have spent my adulthood becoming intimately acquainted with them.  I have owned two 1971 Mark III’s (one I daily drove for several years), but now I am down to one 1969 Mark III.  I will try to go into some of the details between the years throughout the course of this.  Most are cosmetic.  A few are mechanical.  Again, if you are a Ford Thunderbird owner from 68-71, pull up a chair. Most of this applies, and let’s face it, there isn’t a huge following for these cars, so the information isn’t nearly as plentiful as it is for Mustangs, Camaros, or Chargers.  

Challenging Obsession

For all of those new to the Lincoln Continental Mark III world, I’m sorry.  You have entered into a challenging obsession with very little aftermarket and a dwindling number of experts . Let’s face it, I was born 16 years after the first Mark III rolled off the assembly line, and the people alive during its heyday aren’t getting any younger.  The Mark III has a ton of quirks masquerading as innovation.  For the late 60’s, early 70’s it definitely was cutting edge. 

These two door cars (Mark III’s are only offered as a 2-door, whereas there Continentals had both 2 and 4 door options) are big and heavy, with tons of chrome pieces and little intricate details.  You won’t be able to order much out of a catalog (or online), because the aftermarket just isn’t giving us much love.  But in the end, with a little creativity, you will have something truly special… And chances are, you might have the only one at your next car show.

This Will NOT be Easy…Because it Never is

I suppose in many ways I am a glutton for punishment.  Why do something easy, when you can choose something difficult?  That’s probably why I enlisted in the Marine Corps with its hellacious boot camp over the other branches.  My preferred side arms are Heckler and Kochs (H&Ks) because they are ten times harder to work on than a Glock.  But for anyone who has picked up an HK VP9 with its configurable side panels and back straps…anyone who has held a John Wick Chapter 1 P30 and is amazed by the efforts taken to make a handgun comfortably fit…it’s hard to grab a Glock and wonder if their design inspiration was a 2×4.  Such is the same for Lincolns. 

They are a ton of work and a lot of money, but when you are cruising along on a cloud, settled into a driver’s seat that could double as a Lazy-Boy, you’ll wonder why you ever drove anything else.   And after spending enough time in HMMWV’s (Humvey’s to civilians) and MRAP’s in the desert, I appreciate some creature comforts… Like shock absorbers.

Working Harder

Even though I don’t like acknowledging my Bow Tie rivals, I need to give a shout out to the Cadillac owners too.  One of the biggest secrets I’ve learned over twenty years, is that some of us hobbyist wrench turners are putting in a lot more work than others.  If you’ve ever rebuilt a Lincoln or a Cadillac, you have conquered Everest to everyone else’s foothills. 

I don’t mean to disrespect anyone else’s efforts. I love project cars in all shapes and varieties and the people that take them on. But if at this moment you can go online and buy a brand new door panel, a lens cover, or a steering knuckle for your project–then you do not know the struggle of the Lincoln/Cadillac crowd.  So hopefully I can offer some guidance to other fools who didn’t choose a mainstream project and are trying to revive them and make big cars fast(er). 

History of the Continentals

On to the Mark III…

For all you lucky owners the Mark III began its life in 1968 as a 69 offering.  If you’re interested in some of its history, Wikipedia does a decent job with the basics.  The first thing I want to tell you, is we are talking about a 1969-71 Lincoln Continental Mark III (or Ford Thunderbird for the same years).  The last part is probably the most important because a 1969 Lincoln Continental is NOT the same car.  Body panels, aside, their frames and steering setups are different.  There’s probably some overlap. A ’69 Mark III has more in common with a ’69 Thunderbird, than it does with a ’69 Continental.  Kinda confusing, hopefully that was clear.  

Abundant Power from a Big Block Ford

The good news about the Mark III, is up until some of the latest offerings, you have purchased one of the most powerful Lincolns ever produced.  They came with a single engine offering, the underappreciated Big Block Ford 460.  I love Big Blocks because they make gobs of torque off idle. And you’re going to need it because the Mark III rolled off the assembly line weighing anywhere between 4800-5200+ pounds depending on options. 

For anyone who has popped the hood on a Mark III, you’ll notice the plaque advertising 365 hp and the manual says 500 ft/lbs of torque.  I’ve never dynoed a stock version, and Ford had a habit of mislabeling power outputs.  One engine builder believe it unlikely that it reached 365 hp with its cast iron intake manifolds…but one thing is for sure, that torque is no joke.  Even if you have their 2.80 Traction-Lok differentials, you’ll have enough torque on tap to roast the tires.  

Stroker for More Power

Unlike my Lincoln Mark V mistake, you’re starting with a much better platform.  Remember, there is no replacement for displacement, and the 69 Mark is starting out with 60 more cubic inches than its 79 grandson (Mark V had 165hp/315 ft-lb).  Plus, the 460 is a much better engine. And thanks to our Blue Oval 4-wheel drive enthusiasts actually DOES have a decent amount of aftermarket (though don’t expect it to be nearly as plentiful as a Big Block Chevy or GM LS crowd).  What’s better, the 460 is actually one of the best platforms of any manufacturer to stroke for more cubes (even better than a BBC).  

Mine is currently churning 545 cubic inches, but a stock block can even go up to a 557 without much problem.  If you like massive amounts of torque that doesn’t involve rolling coal, the BBF is incredible.  I will admit that the Big Block doesn’t SOUND quite as good as a fat cammed small block. It does tend to exude semi-truck vibes and I’m sure confuses people hearing that sound coming from a luxury coup. That’s the unavoidable of having a big ass engine…

C6 Transmissions

Mated to the 460 is a Ford C6, 3 speed automatic transmission.  It was the only offering for the Mark III, probably because fancy people in suits didn’t want the labor of a third pedal (and because a manual in this car would be too much fun).  It’s a big heavy beast of a transmission that you should try to avoid installing by yourself from a garage floor.  It unfortunately doesn’t have an overdrive, so 1:1 is your final ratio with a lot of space in between.  The parasitic draw is also not great because of all the heavy components. But C6s are stout as hell and can handle a lot of power.  

Oddball 9 3/8s is Not Quite a 9 inch

Rounding out the driveline, you have a Ford 9 ⅜ rear end.  If you take away nothing else from this page, be aware that you do NOT have a Ford 9 inch. That would make too much sense and you drive a Lincoln so it’s complicated.  The 9 ⅜’s is so damn similar to a Ford 9 inch, with a few differences. 

It was originally designed to be “stronger” because they were putting it in big cars and trucks.  If you own a big Ford/Lincoln/Mercury car even though the 70’s, there is a good chance you have a 9 ⅜.  Don’t fret, I’ll get into the differences later on when I discuss a rear brake conversion.  It’s actually not nearly as scary as you might think.  It’s basically a 9 inch with zero aftermarket support. But most 9 inch components will work so long as you change out the third member.  Automotive Obscura is a good reference for more details.

The good things about the 9 ⅜ rear end: you get a 31 spline axle shafts that can handle a lot of power without having to worry about snapping or twisting.  The bad news: chances are you have a 2.80 gear ratio.  Maybe a 3.00.  These are great for cruising, especially with their tall 225.75.15 factory tires.  They are not great for launching at green lights. But again, swap out the third member for some solid nodular 9 inch iron (don’t forget to change the axle shafts too because the lengths are different for a 9 inch). Then you can pick whatever gear ratio the ubiquitous 9 inch has to offer.  

Final Thoughts

The bottom line is, between engine, transmission, and rear end, you have a lot of good potential to make a sleeper (or not so sleepy) Mark III move a lot faster than its advertised 16 second quarter mile time.  If speed isn’t your flavor, you already have a cool cruiser that will still turn heads.