1979 Lincoln Mark V - Collector's Series With Low Miles & One Family Owned on 2040-cars

1979

Lincoln Mark V

“Collectors Series”

One Family Owned from New

Under 97,000 actual miles

VIN: 9Y89S748454

So, where else are you buying your clean, low-mileage, collectable Lincolns anyway?  Reluctantly, this car was turned over to us by the grandson of the original owner a short time ago.  Considering the over-all condition it’s apparent this Mark V has been lovingly cared for its entire life.  The odometer now reads 96,967 and, based on the owner’s history recitation, are considered the original miles.  Think about it, this boulevard cruiser has averaged less than 2,800 miles per year since new!  According to the grandson, it seems Mrs. Hassman (the wife of the original owner) wanted him to consider buying a next generation 1980 Mark VI as they had just begun arriving in showrooms.  Mr. Hassman regretted not grabbing a Diamond Jubilee Model the previous year and stuck to his guns, driving off the lot with this much more desirable Mark V “Collectors Series” (essentially a continuation of the 50^th anniversary cars that added $8,000 to the list price).  As always, please contact me at (206)914-1173 with questions or to discuss a sale. My name is Mark Thompson.

If you follow my Ebay auctions regularly you know I’ve been able to ferret out and offer a number of clean, unique Lincolns here the past ten years.  We’ve sold all four versions of the Mark V Designer Coupe and a few very sharp Mark III & IV’s as well.  Finding a rare, well-kept Collector’s Series is a real treat!  The car was purchased new at the Everett, Washington Lincoln-Mercury dealership during the fall of 1979 and it has always been local to the north Puget Sound area.

For those not familiar with the Lincoln Mark V series here’s a little background info gleaned from several sources:

The final opportunity to purchase a full-sized American luxury car came in 1977 with the introduction of the Mark V.  Never again would automobiles be so large, or demonstrate such a sheer presence based on size alone.  For many years Lincoln had trailed Cadillac in sales, but during the sixties and seventies Lincoln finally established a look it could claim as its own, and finally started to challenge Cadillac for the top spot.  In fact, the Mark series often outsold its competitor, the Eldorado.  The 1977 - 79 Mark V was Lincoln's supreme achievement, the pinnacle of American luxury car design that has its roots buried in the age when bigger was better, style was based on grand visions, and a powerful engine under the hood provided status and became part of the American dream.

Since Cadillac had down-sized its sedans in 1977 and, two years later, the Eldorado, the Continentals were the final full-sized, full-fledged American luxury cars.  In the late summer of 1979 Lincoln put its customers on notice that this model year would be their last opportunity, and they'd best not put it off for long if they wanted a new traditional luxury car.

CONDITION

Ever spent an afternoon driving a classy, vintage Lincoln? What fun!  Smooth is the word for sure.  Smooth powerful acceleration.  Smooth handling in the curves or on the highway.  Comfort, styling, and versatility all in one gorgeous ride.  For my money, these decked out Collector’s Series Coupes are the best value for the overall driving experience that Lincoln had to offer.  Look over my photos and I’m sure you’ll agree what a find this is.  In many ways “time capsule” is a good adjective to use when describing this car.  I know you’ll admire its overall provenance.  All the glass is fine.  Though I’m no expert, the exterior appears to still be wearing the original factory white paint and hand-painted pinstripes.  The landau heavy vinyl top is the nicest original you’re going to find; NO cracks, fading or UV-induced “tiger claw” splits.  Collector Series cars did not have the oval opera window on the rear sail panel and can also be identified by their gold grille bars, a unique crystal-like insert hood ornament and the padded “spare tire” hump on the rear deck that matches the landau top. 

Climb over, under and throughout - I know you’ll come up smiling!  You’re NOT going to find body rust in the typical areas where it appears on vehicles from other parts of the country.  Yes, the Puget Sound region is famous for rain, but our winter roads are rarely salted.  At most we’ll have one or two days of light snow.  Everyone panics and just stays home.

Mechanically the car seems quite strong.  Even after sitting in my warehouse for a few days at a time it never fails to start right up with the first few cranks.  You just can’t beat the great 400 CID motors in these ‘79 coupes!  Pump the gas a few times, turn the key and it starts right up, even when cold.  The C-6 automatic three-speed transmission shifts great and we all know how good these Ford/Lincoln rear differentials are!   The brakes feel just fine to me, too.  All four original factory-optioned turbine-style alloy wheels are straight & true.  Each is wrapped with very nice touring radials and have at least 90% remaining tread.

Because the Mark V had been in dry storage when we acquired it, our mechanic gave it a good going-over after being trailered to our Auburn warehouse.  We replaced the fuel tank & sending unit, flushed the fuel lines and rebuilt the carburetor.  Fresh sparkplugs were also added before startup.  I’ve spent several days both cruising the freeway and inching through rush hour traffic and can’t find fault with the way this now Lincoln runs or drives out.
 
My interior photos clearly show the great original midnight blue fabric upholstery front and back. There aren’t any wear spots in the usual places and these plush buckets (unique to the Collector Series) hold your bum comfortably for hours!  I’m quite impressed with the condition of the dash gauges, too.  They’re as clear and bright as the day this rig left the Wixom plant on an August afternoon nearly 35 years ago!  The ashtray’s never seen a cigarette!  The carpets are clean and un-faded (the original blue floor mats were in place and will be included).  The headliner is great.  Though I’ve only found a few things, I always try to point out any observed negatives as well.  While the heater will keep you toasty warm, plan on having the AC system serviced/recharged to blow cold.  Looks like all the R-12 refrigerant leaked out.  The extra-large glass moonroof is great, but doesn’t slid open when pressing the power switch in the headliner.  Both the small passenger’s wind-wing window and the main glass go up and down just fine.  The power driver’s seat moves in all directions and angles except up/down.  The original Ford Quadrasonic AM-FM/8-track stereo is still in place and works well.  I came across quite a few eight-track tape cartridges still stored in the center console left by the late Mr. Hassman back in the 1970’s (as you might expect, they’re all big-band artists and even a Polka player).  You’ll appreciate the high-tech miles-to-empty gauge, it works great as does the Cartier clock.  There are NO cracks in the padded dash and the unique ebony-toned faux woodgrain inserts look great!

  
Often I’ll encourage bidders to do what many of our previous buyers from as far away as Alaska, California, the east coast, Canada and even the Mexican Baja have done – fly in here to the Seattle-Tacoma International just a few miles from my vehicle storage warehouse in Auburn.  I’m happy to meet you there at the airport and you can begin the drive home the same day!

TERMS OF SALE:

Please check the photos over closely and call me with any questions BEFORE you place a bid!  Come by my Auburn, WA warehouse and drive the Lincoln if you’re in the area.  DEALERS ARE ALWAYS WELCOME TO BID AS WELL!  Additionally, I reserve the right to end the auction early if the car is no longer for sale or an acceptable offer has been agreed upon. 

Please BID WITH CONFIDENCE and know that you are purchasing a nice vehicle from a respected Ebay seller.  I want you to be happy with your purchase (and with me) and that’s the main goal!   Please don’t be upset if I miss some flaws or you are required to spend a small amount on an unforeseen problem!  No used car is ever perfect.  While it is being sold AS-IS, I have every reason to feel this vehicle can be driven cross-country immediately.  

A nonrefundable $500 deposit is due within 48 hours of the auction’s conclusion with the balance to be paid within seven business days unless prior arrangements have been made with me.  I can accept PAYPAL, but if you plan to pay any more than the deposit through them I’ll first need to invoice you and ask that you cover the 3.5% fee PayPal charges.  Please remember you are bidding to buy and I fully expect the winning bidder to fulfill their Ebay contract!  You’re not bidding to hold or then come inspect and test-drive the vehicle later -- You’re more than welcome to do this before the auction ends.

SHIPPING THE CAR:

If you decide to have the Lincoln transported I’d suggest getting a quote from Dependable Auto Shippers (DAS) at (800)830-1787.  They’re the biggest in the business and are partnered with Ebay.  Give the operator my affiliate number (2362642).  They can then pull up all our information for a station-to-station or even door-to-door quote.  Alternatively, you may also want to get shipping bids from the U-ship website.  You’ll be able to choose a transport broker from multiple offers.  The zip code for pick-up on my end is 98002 (Auburn, WA).  As always, the transport of the car and company chosen are the responsibility of the BUYER and I’ll be happy to work with whoever you choose.  You may keep the Lincoln stored at my warehouse for up to two weeks after the auction closes assuming full payment has been received.  After this period I charge $20/day storage.