Our '77 Town Car's first Concours

[MRVW00]

I never noticed before, but that's me, clearly framed in the rear window.

Part-time ninja?

[barry2952]

Sorry, man. It's pretty well known here and I just assumed you would have run into it.



Thanks for posting that. Yes Barry, it ws a meme and a pretty standard joke for a while. Someone posted a pic similar to this and some other wag dubbed it "Lincolnmeter". I think there was some line about developing 1.21 Lincolns or some such.

Never saw it. Must have had a short life span, or was pre-2007.

[barry2952]

Part-time ninja?

Full time.

People always point out the ninja in this picture.

[barry2952]

Found another interior picture.

[BRealistic]

Later this summer the '77 Town Car will be in it's first Concours as it's now 35 years old.

I had new tires put on it yesterday as I no longer trusted the original Michelin X tires. The car is being picked up today to be taken to a friend's fledgling shop where he will take it from near-perfect to perfect.

At 35 years old it's really in remarkable shape with the only rust from the crown molding clips creeping out from under the trim. The gas gauge has ceased to function as has the electric antenna. He'll fix both all those items, returning it to its former glory.

He'll deliver the car right to the show, prepped for showing. I'll just have to drive it onto the show field. I've invited the widow of the guy that owned it to ride with us in the Pass in Review, and be introduced to the crowd. One of our features this year are cars that belong to original owners. Should fit right in.



The two guys that put tires on it were younger than the car and had never worked on one with fender skirts.

NICE!

Had next apartment door neighbor with a really nice dark brown one 20 years ago.

IIRC- the vent windows were power operated.

[barry2952]

IIRC- the vent windows were power operated.

Oddly, they slide down into the door rather than flip outward like standard vent windows. The operate on the same switch as the window. To put the big window down the vent has to be full retracted.

You could order with or without that feature.

[MagicBus]

Trunk interior with 35 year-old spare that's never been on the ground.

My '72 Mercedes 220D still had what I believe to be the original, unused Nixon-era spare tire in the trunk when I sold the car back in December.

Unfortunately, it was the only thing on that car that hadn't aged poorly.


Thanks for sharing, Barry. Always enjoy your threads.

[BRealistic]

Oddly, they slide down into the door rather than flip outward like standard vent windows. The operate on the same switch as the window. To put the big window down the vent has to be full retracted.

You could order with or without that feature.

The vent window is one "old school" thing I wish modern vehicles still had.

This car's power down vent window design alleviates the big negative about the traditional vent window- the fact that you could use pliers to break the hinge off quickly and easily get into the vehicle.

[MRVW00]

Barry,

Your wife is a looker!

[barry2952]

Barry,

Your wife is a looker!

I take that as high praise.

A keeper, too. Coming up on 40 years. We were married 5 years when this car was new.

[kenny301]

Dammit Barry. Now I have something else to look for on CL.

[veedublvr]

Was there a different body panel for the "porthole" window delete or is there a filler piece that covers up the hole ? Im curious whats under the vinyl roof / interior trim .

[barry2952]

They did have naked-top cars, so I think they probably had two different sail panels.

[Mike!]

I never knew a Town Car as late as '77 could be so stunning. Beautiful car Barry

[VDub2625]

Oddly, they slide down into the door rather than flip outward like standard vent windows. The operate on the same switch as the window. To put the big window down the vent has to be full retracted.

You could order with or without that feature.

So, when you put the main window down, the separate vent window also goes down? Or, the vent has to go first, then the main window?

[The J]

Barely.

How'd you get out?

[barry2952]

Vent fully retracts and then the main window goes down. Kind of a PITA, but does provide better security.

Sure liked vent windows when I was a smoker.

[barry2952]

How'd you get out?

It was winched in. You simply tip the front of the trailer up and pay it out on the winch as gravity moves it out of the trailer.

[MRVW00]

I take that as high praise.

A keeper, too. Coming up on 40 years. We were married 5 years when this car was new.

Good! it was meant as praise! She looks great for 29

[barry2952]

Is your math really that bad? She loves you for it. She was 53 in that picture. Old enough to be your momma. I used to like older women. Now I'm older than they were.

[MRVW00]

Is your math really that bad? She loves you for it. She was 53 in that picture. Old enough to be your momma. I used to like older women. Now I'm older than they were.

Gay men lover older women!

They can party, they have stories, and they aren't full of drama. Plus they look better than today's women...Look at Snooki for example vs. Jackie O or Audrey Hepburn.

Is she could be my momma, can I borrow the car?

[barry2952]

Is she could be my momma, can I borrow the car?

You keep offering yourself up for adoption. Maybe we'll take you up on it when we can't drive at night, anymore. That's why my wife wanted the limo. I'm building it so I can be driven up to the door at Cobo Hall for the black-tie event at NAIAS.

[MRVW00]

I don't want to drive the slow Porsche, I want to drive the big Lincoln...Convertible.

Mark my words.

YOU FINISH THE LIMO, AND I'LL DRIVE YOU BOTH TO COBO. You're only 5 hours away from me anyway. I'll bring the bourbon.

[barry2952]

I don't want to drive the slow Porsche, I want to drive the big Lincoln...Convertible.

Mark my words.

YOU FINISH THE LIMO, AND I'LL DRIVE YOU BOTH TO COBO. You're only 5 hours away from me anyway. I'll bring the bourbon.

You're on!

[MRVW00]

Now get to work!

[KahviVW]

Now get to work!

Great car Barry as usual.

[KeiCar]

Being such a large and probably heavy car going on 35 years old, how well is the suspension? I think I read that everything is original except for the tires and (guessing) fluids...bulbs...ect. The car doesn't look to have any typical old-car sag like a lot of these cars got. Is it still holding up that well?

If so thats amazing. If or when parts need replacing (like the suspension) do you go 100% stock or oem+ to possibly improve on an aspect of the car? Not saying you want to make it handle like its on rails, but if a strut needed to be replaced, would you get one that would improve on the original (better comfort, better ride...ect)???

[barry2952]

You have to understand that the Lincoln of that era has the weight-carrying capacity of an F-250. There are no spindly parts. Sag often comes from use, not from time. This car only has 21,000 miles on it.

I'm not totally sure, but many parts on this car are the same as the recently-retired Panther platform. It's new enough so that most OEM, or equivalent, parts are still readily available.

[barry2952]

OK, first problem solved. For some reason the brass float cracked and filled with gas, making it sink to the bottom of the tank, triggering the low fuel circuit and providing no output for the fuel gauge. $5 part, $200 labor.

Power antenna has been pulled and sent to a repair person.

Next step, pull the trim and fix the rust.

[Dawg Dee-Lux]

Let me just slip this one in there

[barry2952]

[VR6GURU]

Barry

My dad bought a car just like this one for my mom, when I was born. Oct 1977. I guess he was so excited that he finally had a boy that he went to the dealer and picked one of these up but in white.

I hope to have a 77 one day