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Lincoln Carriage Roof flew off. Slick top photos. Moonroof install. Opinions?

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    Lincoln Carriage Roof flew off. Slick top photos. Moonroof install. Opinions?

    1987 Town Car Signature Stars and Stripes edition with the full carriage top. This past weekend after a night of street cruising with some friends, I spotted a 2000 era BMW 5:40 entering the highway on ramp and and the race ensued. This was the first race I've been in. He put a good distance on me through the onramp because my car feels like a spongebath but when I entered the highway I began to keep equal distance as we both accellerated to over 110mph. He slowed down for me to catch up and as I flew by him I heard a loud bang that I intially thought was tire debris. When I got out of my car to my astonishment, my beautiful 25 year old navy blue carriage top was shredded and the roof exposed leaving the fiberglass around the rear window the only thing remaining .

    I almost called it a write off, but I decided to go back and find what was left of the top. I drove 5 miles back to the spot it happened and luckily found the roof section off to the side of the highway in the grass undisturbed. With both sections sheered clean off I've reconstructed it and plan to fiberglass it back together stronger than it was and I am leaning towards giving it a smooth finish coat and a real paintjob and reinstalling it rather than reupholstering it. I have also found a company that supposedly keeps full tops in stock for carriage roof Town Cars and now that I know exactly how this thing comes apart I am considering the cost of a new top.

    Now onto the factory moonroof install. I've located a 83' with a moonroof and I plan to go look at it this weekend. As far as I am aware there are only one size moonroof ever installed on these cars which is thankfully very large. I am going to size up the job, but I am looking for any info that you guys might have about these moonroofs. I figure the track and motor bolt into the bottom of the roof and I cut the hole in the roof, headliner and the carriage top. Measure twice, cut once. I wonder if I'd be better off getting the moonroof assembly out of a 90+ model town car? My roof is warped and wavy and the sheet metal is flimzy as if it has no structural bracing so and I'm wondering if cars that were sent down the line for the carriage top were not prepared with some of the same roof structure as cars that had atleast half of the roof showing. I can tell you that they didn't install rear glass and it wouldn't surprise me if they decided not to care about the roof metal.

    The disassembly and removal of the fiberglass shell/top was very simple. There are only a main bracket holding the front down to the roof, about 6 more clips riveted into the shell that hook under the roofline, and the rear of the shell is riveted around the rear windows and are easily drilled out. Carefully removing the stainless trim around the windows and labeling it for reinstallation first.
    Here are some photos below.
    Last edited by 87stars_stripes; 10-09-2013, 07:26 PM.
    87' Lincoln Town Car Stars + Stripes. Explorer GT40P, Anderson B31 Cam, Shorty Headers, FRPP 1.6 Rockers, A9L, Sn95 T5 Trans, 3:55 Limited Slip, GNX Rear Springs, LSC Turbines, 1.5 wheelspacers, Full Custom Dual 2.5/Flowmasters, 00 P71 Airtube, 19lb calibrated Maf, Summit Alum Radiator, King Cobra Clutch, Short throw Shfter, Energy Susp Trans Mount,
    Mods to come: Big Brake/Poly Front Swap, PI Front Swaybar, Addco 650 Rear Swaybar, Boxed Upper Rear Control Arms, 351/Alum Heads, FRPP Valve Covers,

    #2











    Last edited by 87stars_stripes; 10-09-2013, 07:19 PM.
    87' Lincoln Town Car Stars + Stripes. Explorer GT40P, Anderson B31 Cam, Shorty Headers, FRPP 1.6 Rockers, A9L, Sn95 T5 Trans, 3:55 Limited Slip, GNX Rear Springs, LSC Turbines, 1.5 wheelspacers, Full Custom Dual 2.5/Flowmasters, 00 P71 Airtube, 19lb calibrated Maf, Summit Alum Radiator, King Cobra Clutch, Short throw Shfter, Energy Susp Trans Mount,
    Mods to come: Big Brake/Poly Front Swap, PI Front Swaybar, Addco 650 Rear Swaybar, Boxed Upper Rear Control Arms, 351/Alum Heads, FRPP Valve Covers,

    Comment


      #3
      I'm going to begin fiberglass repair/reinforcement this weekend and go scope out that moonroof.
      87' Lincoln Town Car Stars + Stripes. Explorer GT40P, Anderson B31 Cam, Shorty Headers, FRPP 1.6 Rockers, A9L, Sn95 T5 Trans, 3:55 Limited Slip, GNX Rear Springs, LSC Turbines, 1.5 wheelspacers, Full Custom Dual 2.5/Flowmasters, 00 P71 Airtube, 19lb calibrated Maf, Summit Alum Radiator, King Cobra Clutch, Short throw Shfter, Energy Susp Trans Mount,
      Mods to come: Big Brake/Poly Front Swap, PI Front Swaybar, Addco 650 Rear Swaybar, Boxed Upper Rear Control Arms, 351/Alum Heads, FRPP Valve Covers,

      Comment


        #4
        Never heard of a box giving itself a free slick top conversion before.
        2020 F250 - 7.3 4x4 CCSB STX 3.55's - BAKFlip MX4
        2005 Grand Marquis GS - Marauder sway bars, Marauder exhaust, KYB's
        2003 Marauder - Trilogy # 8, JLT, kooks, 2.5" exhaust, 4.10's/31 spline, widened rear's, metco's, addco's, ridetech's 415hp/381tq
        1987 Colony Park - 03+ frame swap, blown Gen II Coyote, 6R80, ridetechs, stainless works, absolute money pit. WIP

        Comment


          #5
          I wish mine had just blown off like that
          1985 LTD Crown Victoria - Currently restoring after she caught fire! CFI to SEFI to Carb swap, all custom wiring, Duraspark 2 ignition, Motorcraft 2100 Carb, slicktop, Shorty headers dumped before rear axle, 140 Speedo, 3G alt, And currently building an engine for her.

          2000 Lincoln Town Car Signature Series - 165XXX, PI intake swap , 30 MPG Easy on the Highway, All options except dual exhaust. Currently looking for 2 front seats: Heated, Memory, and Light Graphite color!!

          Comment


            #6
            Was/is this a Florida car? Something to do with the constant humidity and heat that these carriage roofs always blew off when I lived in Florida. Mark V '79 Bill Blass'es and any of the '80s TC/Mark VI's so equipped with carriage roofs were often to be found "topless". For some reason, this was never an issue on vinyl tops--not sure if vinyl tops had a shell like the carriage roofs, so maybe that had something to do with it?

            I'm not sure about the roof reinforcement. I can't see why they would *not* reinforce just because of a top treatment. The hood and roof on these TC's always seemed flimsy and prone to warping, so that's the only reason I never let sexy bitches in high heels dance on my cars. . . . The factory moonroof on these was quite large, and a pretty sturdy unit before the '90s came and turned everything to shit and plastic. If you go through with the conversion, please document. Seems like every TC with a moonroof at the yards always has been stripped for this.

            Comment


              #7
              The vinyl glues down to the metal, not to a shell like the cloth tops had. Doesn't look like much held that shell on anyway, just a couple of steel clips basically. Other cars had blobs of glue between the shell and the steel roof to help hold it together.
              86 Lincoln Town Car (Galactica).
              5.0 HO, CompCams XE258,Scorpion 1.72 roller rockers, 3.55 K code rear, tow package, BHPerformance ported E7 heads, Tmoss Explorer intake, 65mm throttle body, Hedman 1 5/8" headers, 2.5" dual exhaust, ASP underdrive pulley

              91 Lincoln Mark VII LSC grandpa spec white and cranberry

              1984 Lincoln Continental TurboDiesel - rolls coal

              Originally posted by phayzer5
              I drive a Lincoln. I can't be bothered to shift like the peasants and rabble rousers

              Comment


                #8
                This was a Tennessee car from 87-06. That is a good guess, but I think speeds of 100+ mph were the major factor.
                87' Lincoln Town Car Stars + Stripes. Explorer GT40P, Anderson B31 Cam, Shorty Headers, FRPP 1.6 Rockers, A9L, Sn95 T5 Trans, 3:55 Limited Slip, GNX Rear Springs, LSC Turbines, 1.5 wheelspacers, Full Custom Dual 2.5/Flowmasters, 00 P71 Airtube, 19lb calibrated Maf, Summit Alum Radiator, King Cobra Clutch, Short throw Shfter, Energy Susp Trans Mount,
                Mods to come: Big Brake/Poly Front Swap, PI Front Swaybar, Addco 650 Rear Swaybar, Boxed Upper Rear Control Arms, 351/Alum Heads, FRPP Valve Covers,

                Comment


                  #9
                  Made in Batavia? Ohio quality!
                  '91 LTD Country Squire LX | '82 Cougar GS wagon |'03 Marauder | ' 18 Flex Limited EB
                  formerly: '02 MGM, '04 MGM, '04 MGM v2.0, '04 MM, '07 P71 w/5-speed, '03 SAP P71, '04 CVLX (now in pantera77's stable), '10 P7B

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Yeah, I definitely don't think it was made for those kind of speeds lol. That's unfortunate man that was a nice carriage top. I can only imagine what was going through the head of the BMW driver.

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Is it possible to get rear window trim so you can leave it as a slicktop?
                      2012 Mazda5 Touring | Finally working on the LTD again!

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Originally posted by 1987cp View Post
                        Is it possible to get rear window trim so you can leave it as a slicktop?
                        That's a good suggestion. I wonder what kind of car I could get the correct trim from? Not sure if the rear windows are different on Town Cars or not. I'm actually starting to like the hardtop look and am leaning towards putting the time money and effort into fixing the needed areas instead of covering it with a fiberglass top that could likely blow off again with the way I like to fly on the highway. Plus I just found a nice 88 Blue/White car with seemingly mint body that I am leaning towards buying so putting money into a top right now isn't priority.
                        87' Lincoln Town Car Stars + Stripes. Explorer GT40P, Anderson B31 Cam, Shorty Headers, FRPP 1.6 Rockers, A9L, Sn95 T5 Trans, 3:55 Limited Slip, GNX Rear Springs, LSC Turbines, 1.5 wheelspacers, Full Custom Dual 2.5/Flowmasters, 00 P71 Airtube, 19lb calibrated Maf, Summit Alum Radiator, King Cobra Clutch, Short throw Shfter, Energy Susp Trans Mount,
                        Mods to come: Big Brake/Poly Front Swap, PI Front Swaybar, Addco 650 Rear Swaybar, Boxed Upper Rear Control Arms, 351/Alum Heads, FRPP Valve Covers,

                        Comment


                          #13
                          You need a base model Towncar with the full rear window glass. They aren't common. I have one, and I can recall seeing exactly 2 more in junkyards over the years. I have the trim from one of those on my car, and no its not for sale

                          The body lines on Lincolns are really whacky without the top. I gave slight consideration to converting mine until the top came off and I saw how ugly it was underneath. The vinyl went back on.
                          86 Lincoln Town Car (Galactica).
                          5.0 HO, CompCams XE258,Scorpion 1.72 roller rockers, 3.55 K code rear, tow package, BHPerformance ported E7 heads, Tmoss Explorer intake, 65mm throttle body, Hedman 1 5/8" headers, 2.5" dual exhaust, ASP underdrive pulley

                          91 Lincoln Mark VII LSC grandpa spec white and cranberry

                          1984 Lincoln Continental TurboDiesel - rolls coal

                          Originally posted by phayzer5
                          I drive a Lincoln. I can't be bothered to shift like the peasants and rabble rousers

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Originally posted by gadget73 View Post
                            You need a base model Towncar with the full rear window glass. They aren't common. I have one, and I can recall seeing exactly 2 more in junkyards over the years. I have the trim from one of those on my car, and no its not for sale

                            The body lines on Lincolns are really whacky without the top. I gave slight consideration to converting mine until the top came off and I saw how ugly it was underneath. The vinyl went back on.
                            Hey Gadget. Did you say you have a moonroof in one of your Town Cars? Any chance you can measure it for me? I measured the one on the 83 in the junkyard today and it's roughly 38.5 x 21.5. I'm still not sure, but I'd like to know if there are different size moonroofs in varying Lincoln Town Cars and Mark VI from 80-89.
                            87' Lincoln Town Car Stars + Stripes. Explorer GT40P, Anderson B31 Cam, Shorty Headers, FRPP 1.6 Rockers, A9L, Sn95 T5 Trans, 3:55 Limited Slip, GNX Rear Springs, LSC Turbines, 1.5 wheelspacers, Full Custom Dual 2.5/Flowmasters, 00 P71 Airtube, 19lb calibrated Maf, Summit Alum Radiator, King Cobra Clutch, Short throw Shfter, Energy Susp Trans Mount,
                            Mods to come: Big Brake/Poly Front Swap, PI Front Swaybar, Addco 650 Rear Swaybar, Boxed Upper Rear Control Arms, 351/Alum Heads, FRPP Valve Covers,

                            Comment


                              #15
                              Only have one, and no moonroof. Closest it came was when part of the A pillar was chopped out for replacement.

                              There may be 2 different ones, the ASC and the factory units. The usual tell, at least with the Mark VII, is the factory ones have the motor access hatch above the back window. The ASC ones did not, and there is also an ASC sticker on the door near the Ford dataplate. I don't know if this is true on the Towncar, but if it is, my suggestion would be to get the headliner with the access hatch so you don't have to drop it if the motor fails.
                              86 Lincoln Town Car (Galactica).
                              5.0 HO, CompCams XE258,Scorpion 1.72 roller rockers, 3.55 K code rear, tow package, BHPerformance ported E7 heads, Tmoss Explorer intake, 65mm throttle body, Hedman 1 5/8" headers, 2.5" dual exhaust, ASP underdrive pulley

                              91 Lincoln Mark VII LSC grandpa spec white and cranberry

                              1984 Lincoln Continental TurboDiesel - rolls coal

                              Originally posted by phayzer5
                              I drive a Lincoln. I can't be bothered to shift like the peasants and rabble rousers

                              Comment

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