My 1983 Continental Mark VI!

[Mainemantom]

Your Lincoln looks like it is only a couple of years old. SHARP ! The paint is brilliant. Keep up the good work maintaining it.

[gadget73]

I didn't realize there was an aluminum hood prior to the aero panthers. My '88 Grand Marquis had a steel hood. The Mark VI has a ridiculously heavy steel hood. I know my '95 MGM had an aluminum hood and the '02 LSE hood is aluminum. I have no clue about the '01 and '03 Town Cars but I imagine they were aluminum as well.

Specifically a Lincoln thing so far as I know. Towncars from 86-89 were aluminum, and some of the early VI were also aluminum but with one hood strut. I don't know exactly which cars got what or why.


Is the rear deck carpet over cardboard, with the cardboard cut out above the speakers? My Continental is like that.

[mercurygm88]

Nice survivor car you got there Kyle.

Thanks Dave.

[mercurygm88]

That's a sharp looking car.

Thanks. I didn't realize you could get a Mark without rear speakers. Would've thought anything less than fully-optioned would run counter to the intended image for that model, especially for the VI, which was little more than a Town Car with different body panels.

Also interesting is the chrome trim and carpet on the B-pillar piece. It obviously makes sense to continue those materials from the front doors to the back, but I guess that was value engineered out sometime in the mid-'80s. That or it was stripped out of my car only and I haven't been very observant with every other example.

There are rear speakers, they just don't have speaker grills. I believe you had to get the premium sound option for that, I have speakers in the rear deck and dash but no door speakers. If you ever get a chance to look at a 1980-81 Mark VI there are some other differences too, there is an extra woodgrain panel on the doors, the gauge cluster is white instead of black in the case of the analog cluster, and the climate controls and radio are white/silver. Early Mark VI's also came with a factory tool kit and flashlight in the glove compartment, those things were gone by 1983. Some of the early designer edition cars even carried the interior carpet over into the trunk.

[87gtVIC]

Nice survivor car you got there Kyle.

[Lutrova]

That's a sharp looking car.

I didn't realize you could get a Mark without rear speakers. Would've thought anything less than fully-optioned would run counter to the intended image for that model, especially for the VI, which was little more than a Town Car with different body panels.

Also interesting is the chrome trim and carpet on the B-pillar piece. It obviously makes sense to continue those materials from the front doors to the back, but I guess that was value engineered out sometime in the mid-'80s. That or it was stripped out of my car only and I haven't been very observant with every other example.

[mercurygm88]

It was almost 60 degrees out today and sunny so I pulled the Mark VI out of the garage, checked fluids, checked tire pressure, 303'd the vinyl top, cleaned the interior, and cleaned/conditioned the leather. I put about 35 miles on it too, first time it's been driven since early November when I put it away for what I said was the winter. But it was a nice day and they haven't salted the roads yet this season so I figured I could get it out.

I made a little walk around video how I was doing stuff today. That little bit of crap on the trunk lid is the only rust on the car, underbody looks like a southern car. I had trouble getting the cardboard cover to move on the drivers side rear quarter panel in the trunk, but that one is as equally rust free as the passenger side.

It was almost 60 degrees out today and sunny so I pulled the Mark VI out of the garage, checked fluids, checked tire pressure, 303'd the vinyl top, cleaned the interior, and cleaned/conditioned the leather. I put about 35 miles on it too, first time it's been driven since early November when I put it away for what I said was the winter. But it was a nice day and they haven't salted the roads yet this season so I figured I could get it out.

It was almost 60 degrees out today and sunny so I pulled the Mark VI out of the garage, checked fluids, checked tire pressure, 303'd the vinyl top, cleaned the interior, and cleaned/conditioned the leather. I put about 35 miles on it too, first time it's been driven since early November when I put it away for what I said was the winter. But it was a nice day and they haven't salted the roads yet this season so I figured I could get it out.

It was almost 60 degrees out today and sunny so I pulled the Mark VI out of the garage, checked fluids, checked tire pressure, 303'd the vinyl top, cleaned the interior, and cleaned/conditioned the leather. I put about 35 miles on it too, first time it's been driven since early November when I put it away for what I said was the winter. But it was a nice day and they haven't salted the roads yet this season so I figured I could get it out.

[DerekTheGreat]

Warranty returns are pretty easy IMO. I walk into work and do a warranty replace. Even if I don’t work here then they can just look it up by phone number. We’re big on no hassle returns and warranties.

Well, I haven't got access to the same tools you have. But, I think I ordered the struts from Rock Auto, so I'll see if the order is still within their system. Worth a shot before spending more money. I do believe I put struts on for the steel hood even though I've got the ally-oom-inum one.

[Mainemantom]

Yes, it is important to get the proper lift struts for the steel or aluminum hood. Lifetime warranty is a must. I use a broom handle as a prop rod. A high gust of wind caused one hood crash down on me. Very much an OUCH. Learned my lesson.
I would rather change the hinges to the type the 90 CV has with the coil spring. I understand there are mounting differences so without modification, it is not a plug and play.

[mercurygm88]

I put 2 sets on last year, neither of them would hold the hood up. One was brand new, one was new but had been laying around a while. Both were for steel hoods and still wouldn't hold up my aluminum hood. I've seriously considered adapting a prop rod from some cheap car.

I'll try these instead, really don't feel like having to hack things up.

I didn't realize there was an aluminum hood prior to the aero panthers. My '88 Grand Marquis had a steel hood. The Mark VI has a ridiculously heavy steel hood. I know my '95 MGM had an aluminum hood and the '02 LSE hood is aluminum. I have no clue about the '01 and '03 Town Cars but I imagine they were aluminum as well.

[gadget73]

I put 2 sets on last year, neither of them would hold the hood up. One was brand new, one was new but had been laying around a while. Both were for steel hoods and still wouldn't hold up my aluminum hood. I've seriously considered adapting a prop rod from some cheap car.

I'll try these instead, really don't feel like having to hack things up.

[mercurygm88]

Warranty returns are PITA. Probably have the same thing with mine, but who knows what happened to the paperwork.

For reference. the struts I put on the Firebird's hatch have been going strong for some ten years now, same with it's hood struts. Forget what the brand is on those.

Warranty returns are pretty easy IMO. I walk into work and do a warranty replace. Even if I don’t work here then they can just look it up by phone number. We’re big on no hassle returns and warranties.

[DerekTheGreat]

Warranty returns are PITA. Probably have the same thing with mine, but who knows what happened to the paperwork.

For reference. the struts I put on the Firebird's hatch have been going strong for some ten years now, same with it's hood struts. Forget what the brand is on those.

[mercurygm88]

Good luck with those. Believe I put them on my Town Car about six or seven years ago, they went bad last year.

I suppose six years isn't bad considering the quality of most after market parts these days, who knows if I'll even have this car in six years. The old ones were definitely not original and the Stabilus ones were all I could find. They have a lifetime warranty and I got both for the price of one.

[DerekTheGreat]

Good luck with those. Believe I put them on my Town Car about six or seven years ago, they went bad last year.