My 1983 Continental Mark VI!

[Lutrova]

I removed mine by hand with an L-shaped torx wrench, but it was tough going even on a rust-free car. As you've found, the angle and the geometry of the floor there doesn't make it very easy. But the threads can't be too deep and you can get at both sides if you get under the car, so there should be room to get some WD-40 or some heat directed at the problem if necessary.

[mercurygm88]

Has anyone here ever successfully removed rear seat belt bolts? Some previous owner removed the back of the rear seat by pulling on it until the hooks that hold it in place bent. I’d like to remove the seat back, bend the tabs back, and properly reinstall the seat back.

I have a nice Ingersoll-Rand 1/2” air impact from back when they were American made, but I am currently without an air compressor. I even have impact torx bits. I tried a breaker bar and couldn’t get them to budge, then again the breaker bar puts you in an awkward position to get any leverage.

This is one of the last two small projects I’d like to take care of on the car before I consider it “good enough” for myself.

[mercurygm88]

I seem to remember "fixing" one on a friend's '88 CV years ago. The "repair" included zip ties, praying and several phrases not normally heard during Sunday School!

That sounds about right.

[friskyfrankie]

I seem to remember "fixing" one on a friend's '88 CV years ago. The "repair" included zip ties, praying and several phrases not normally heard during Sunday School!

[Mainemantom]

I have done a few through the years. Not very hard. Hose clamp will work however I choose to just replace it with a nos Ford part.
E0LY7E363A Ebay has a few listed now.

[aharonLTC]

I got to the collar from below, take out the lower dash covers and look up. I'm still a young'un so it wasn't too painful to fit a hose clamp over the original collar. I honestly don't see why a hose clamp couldn't completely sub for the collar.

[mercurygm88]

This makes me wonder. For those who are into 3D printing, could this collar for the shift indicator be 3D printed? Sly or anyone else into 3D printing.

don't see why it couldn't be. the trick would be dealing with the cable. Its pretty much molded into the stock part, so you'd have to get it apart or come up with an alternative cable. Ideally a 3 piece arrangement could be made, a cable, the column clamp, and the appropriate end for whatever cluster you have. They're all different of course. Need examples of Ford, Mercury, and both digital and analog Lincoln pieces to model. Another part that would be good to print is the little hook that the cable attaches to on the column end. Those get brittle and its not at all hard to snap them trying to mess with that cable.

Yeah I'm sure they could be printed if someone who does CAD/CAM had an example of each part to get measurements from to make a 3D model. I have two 3D printers but don't design anything beyond the most basic of designs, that stuff is way beyond my ability or interest. My dad is a CAD/CAM engineer, he's tried to get me into it but it's just vastly more mental work than I want or need to deal with. That's a big part of why I got out of CNC machining it was easy work physically but after 4 years the emotional/mental stress was just too much.

My shift indicator is only off by a small amount, maybe 1/8". Even if it was completely broken I don't know that I want to deal with trying to get in there to fix it. I can easily figure out what gear I'm in, I had the cluster out as far as I could get it without breaking the cable and still didn't have access to where the cable meets the column. I know Gabegt90 and I had the cluster out of my '88 MGM at ScottFest 2011 but I didn't feel comfortable tearing that far into the dash/steering column by myself.

[gadget73]

don't see why it couldn't be. the trick would be dealing with the cable. Its pretty much molded into the stock part, so you'd have to get it apart or come up with an alternative cable. Ideally a 3 piece arrangement could be made, a cable, the column clamp, and the appropriate end for whatever cluster you have. They're all different of course. Need examples of Ford, Mercury, and both digital and analog Lincoln pieces to model. Another part that would be good to print is the little hook that the cable attaches to on the column end. Those get brittle and its not at all hard to snap them trying to mess with that cable.

[VicCrownVic]

This makes me wonder. For those who are into 3D printing, could this collar for the shift indicator be 3D printed? Sly or anyone else into 3D printing.

[aharonLTC]

My gear indicator was off on my 88 when I got it, because its holder onto the column was broken, it's a round C shaped plastic piece with two tabs through which a fastener secures the holder to the column, however one of the tabs had broken. I think the previous owner had put rubber bands on the holder to hold it to the column but it had slipped. I first tried KwikWelding at the break but that didn't hold up. What worked was putting a hose clamp around the holder, it's still working to this day.

The holder rotates around the column to calibrate the indicator.

[mercurygm88]

I used warm white LED on mine. Stock color but a little brighter.

and yeah the speedo cable is a bastard.

Yeah I noticed they still aren't terribly bright but at least I can see what's going on now.

[gadget73]

I used warm white LED on mine. Stock color but a little brighter.

and yeah the speedo cable is a bastard.

[mercurygm88]

Three or four of the bulbs including the high beam indicator in the instrument cluster of the Mark VI have been burnt out since I got it. So yesterday I decided to replace them, 9 #194 bulbs in the cluster and one behind the antenna switch to illuminate the word "Antenna." The worst part was disconnecting and connecting the speedometer cable since I could barely get my big hand behind the cluster. I even managed not to break the gear indicator cable, it's been a little bit off since I bought the car but I couldn't get far enough in there to mess with it so it can stay that way.

It's nice to be able to see the speedometer at night now.

[mercurygm88]

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

Thanks Tom I plan to, there are actually a lot of little paint imperfections when you look closely. The bumper fillers and roof are a little faded but overall it’s pretty good. I’m going to give it a good coat is paste wax come spring. I thought about don’t the clay bar but don’t know if I have the ambition to do so.

[mercurygm88]

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.

Yes rear deck is carpet over cardboard with cutouts above the speakers. I believe either the ‘01 or ‘03 Town Car was the same. I don’t recall which one probably the ‘01 as it was an Executive, the ‘03 was a Signature.