1963 Lincoln Continental, Gorgeous Condition, Lots Of Custom Upgrades on 2040-cars

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Junkyard Gem: 1979 Lincoln Versailles

Sometimes a car manufacturer creates a chassis design that continues to make money for decade after decade, and that's just the jackpot that the Ford Motor Company hit when it built the 1960 Ford Falcon. While that car itself stayed in production in Argentina all the way through 1991, the real payoff for Dearborn came with the many vehicles that ended up being built on modified versions of that platform. There was the original Mustang, of course (and its Mercury Cougar sibling), but also the Ford Maverick/Mercury Comet and its successors, the Ford Granada, Mercury Monarch and Lincoln Versailles. That last car is one of the rarest of all the 1960 Falcon descendants, and I've managed to find a nice example in a boneyard in Sparks, Nevada. The Lincoln Versailles wasn't the first Ford product to be named after Louis XIV's pad in France. That honor went to the mid-1950s Ford Vedette Versailles, a flathead V8-powered sibling to the Simca Vedette and Chambord. The Lincoln Versailles was built from the 1977 through 1980 model years. The idea was that it would compete with the very successful Cadillac Seville, a Chevy Nova-based luxury sedan that debuted for the 1976 model year. These cars were not big sellers, with just over 50,000 produced during their four model years. This one is the first junkyard example I've seen for at least 20 years. The Versailles came with a sturdy 9-inch rear axle assembly and was equipped with disc brakes all the way around. Since it bolts straight into a 1964-1973 Mustang (and many other related Fords), a Versailles rear is always the first thing purchased when one of these cars hits the junkyard. This one probably got yanked by the very first junkyard customer who recognized what it was. The interior is still very, very nice. The front seats appear to be the "Flight Bench" split-bucket type, done up in turqouise "Champagne Dorchester" cloth. You wouldn't see an interior this luxurious in a Granada! And I would know, since I took my first driver's test in my family's 1979 Granada. A factory AM/FM/8-track radio came as standard equipment in this car. For an extra $321 ($1,395 in 2022 dollars), you could have a factory CB radio as well. The aftermarket also provided trunk-mount CBs. A Cartier-badged mechanical-digital clock was also standard equipment. This is essentially the same clock that went into much cheaper Fords of the decade. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences.

Amazon can now deliver packages to some Ford and Lincoln vehicles

Nothing succeeds without complications popping up along the way. Sure, Amazon's Prime delivery services have made shopping more convenient than brushing your teeth, but leaving millions of packages on doorsteps comes with an inherent danger: Thieves might swipe them without anybody knowing. Amazon's solution is called Amazon Key, which allows delivery men and women to enter a customer's house or car to drop off a package. This week, Ford and Lincoln announced they would be partnering with Amazon to integrate the service into some of their vehicles. Ford is following in the footsteps of Volvo and General Motors, as both companies announced their participation about a year ago. That includes Cadillac, Chevrolet, Buick, and GMC. Key will be made available for 2017-and-newer Fords equipped with FordPass Connect, and 2018-and-later Lincolns with Lincoln Connect. Key is not available everywhere, but it can be used in dozens of city throughout the U.S., and the network is expanding. To look for compatibility for your car and city, check on Amazon's dedicated Key website. Like every other tech invention these days, Key requires a smart device application, which requires a one-time setup. The service is available on the Key app or the FordPass and Lincoln Way apps. While ordering on Amazon, customers will then select in-car delivery during checkout. Input a public delivery address, and park the car within two blocks of that address. While the order is in transit, Amazon will provide status updates, another feature that takes away some of the anxiety of waiting for a package to be delivered. The package will be put into the car within a four-hour window, and users will get notifications that the exchange is complete, and the car is again securely locked. Should customers change their minds, they can always cancel the delivery method, and the car will remain locked. In that case, the delivery could go to the building where the car is parked, or be rescheduled. Ford imagines this as the beginning of numerous car-based services in the near future that can be scheduled while the owner is not there, such as car washes.

Most reliable cars and trucks of 2022

Related: Least reliable cars and trucks of 2022   For years now, Consumer Reports has been one of the most prolific sources of vehicle reliability data around. The organization tests a number of vehicles each year and surveys its members on various automotive topics, including reliability. The results of its 2022 annual auto survey are in, and the list of most reliable vehicles has been revealed. Unsurprisingly, Toyota and Lexus dominated the list of most reliable vehicles, but BMW and Mini snuck into the top 10 as well. The list includes: Toyota Corolla Hybrid: 93 Lexus GX: 91 Mini Cooper: 89 Toyota Prius: 89 Mazda MX-5 Miata: 85 Lincoln Corsair: 82 Toyota Corolla: 81 Subaru Crosstrek: 80 BMW 3 Series: 80 Toyota Prius Prime: 77 In terms of the most reliable vehicle type, Consumer Reports says that sedans remain the best choice. Their average score is 58, which is notably better than SUVs’ average score of 51. Minivans and pickup trucks are lower, at 44 and 39, respectively. As Consumer Reports notes, many sedans are older models that have allowed their manufacturers to iron out the wrinkles, making them more reliable. Domestic automakers' SUVs and trucks performed better in the survey than their imported counterparts, with scores of 45 and 41, respectively. The study also showed that hybrids and plug-in hybrids are becoming more reliable, and have climbed the score ladder to the tops of their segments in many cases.  Consumer Reports says its study includes 17 trouble areas, including small stuff like creaks and rattles and much larger problems like drivetrain failures. The organization states that it weights each issue based on its severity to create its predicted reliability scores, with 100 being the best. A car must be in production for at least two model years to be considered for the list. Related video: Green BMW Lexus Lincoln Mazda MINI Subaru Toyota Car Buying Maintenance Ownership Convertible Coupe Crossover Hatchback SUV Hybrid Sedan Consumer Reports reliability