HORSEPOWER GAIN

[wwjd]

I HAVE A MINT 87 CONTINENTAL WITH A 5.0 150H.P, 275 TORQUE WHAT HAS TO BE DONE TO CONVERT TO THE MARK VII 225 H.P. OR BETTER.I WOULD LIKE TO GO FLOW MASTER DUAL EXHAUST SYSTEM. WHAT HAS TO BE DONE AND THE COST. THE ENGINE HAS 104000 MILES THANK YOU

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[pro-five-oh]

Allright! Good to hear from ya, wwjd!

I have a 1988 Mercury Cougar that originally came with your 150hp motor, and with a few parts I converted it to the "HO" 225 horse motor from the Mustang/Mark VII.

The things required are listed on a Mercury Cougar website. You need to check this out.

http://coolcats.net/tech/adv/50conv.htm

Here's the only catch: the Lincoln wiring harness for the 5.0 is different from the Fords and Mercurys. You would need a Mark VII computer instead of a Mustang one to keep your cruise control.

Good luck!

[pro-five-oh]

Oh yes, about the exhaust: you will either need to make a custom exhaust from the header all the way back, or get a Mark VII H-pipe and THEN get a custom cat-back exhaust.

The Continentals and Mark VII's have a unique transmission crossmember. You will need a "double hump" crossmember to clear the dual exhaust.

I know that my 1983 Continental has a single-hump crossmember, so this is one problem I forsee in the conversion.

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pro-five-oh
http://www.coolcats.net/photos/88sajx3.jpg

91 Mark VII BB with Cobra rims(sold)
88 Cougar XR-7 5.0 HO
15.0@93mph, 3740lbs
83 Continental 5.0 SLO
My Mark VII Page (http://www.geocities.com/motorcity/street/3545/mark.html)

[Lscman]

The project is substantial. You basically need a 5.0L HO engine swap, complete with electronics. This is because the pistons, heads, cam, timing gears/chain and other basic parts are wrong for big HP. With the miles on your transmission, it probably needs rebuilt to withstand performance use abuse and the rear axle ratio needs changed and chances are it needs a posi swap. What you're talking about is a massive project and big bux. In my opinion, you own the wrong vehicle. It sounds like you're trying to build a ponycar. The Mark VII with it's HO motor is a stretch for such duty. The Continental is for oddball hardcore gearheads willing to spend thousands of hours wrenching, modifying and big dollars to compete with a $1500 stock ponycar. Most people will look at your project in total amazement and say "why". Only you know, but I do understand.

[This message has been edited by Lscman (edited July 20, 2001).]

[pro-five-oh]

Originally posted by Lscman:
The Continental is for oddball hardcore gearheads willing to spend thousands of hours wrenching, modifying and big dollars to compete with a $1500 stock ponycar.

Guilty as charged! http://www.lincolnsonline.com/ubb/biggrin.gif Yes, you truly have to enjoy PAIN to do an HO conversion. It is possible, and the information is out there. Alas, it is not for the faint of heart.

Good luck, whatever you may choose!!!

[This message has been edited by pro-five-oh (edited July 21, 2001).]

[wwjd]

thanks for info concerning h.p. gains ilove this site

[LincoConti87]

Hey wwjd I'm new to the board but I've got an 87 Continental also...mine has only 40,000 miles though. Anyways I'm also in the pursuit of High Output from my 5 liter powerpack lol. I will tell you right away why I would like to do this all on my Continental instead of buying a Mark or a mustang...cus I have no job, my parents refuse to pay sports car insurance...that means mustang and I'm pretty sure the Mark is expensive too cus my Uncle has a Mark 8 and he told me they were charging him for a sports car so the 7 should be the same. I also got this car for free and it only has 40 k miles. Anyhow listen to Pro Five oh cus he knows his stuff. There is a page where a guy dropped ina mustang 5.0 in his 86 Conti and did some other mods. You could probably ask him anything you need to know. http://www.davecompton.com/FR-My%20Cars.htm
I'm planning on doing some exhaust and intake stuff soon so if you are interested in some of that send me an email and we can chat... squeaky81@aol.com

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1987 Lincoln Continental...Last of the Fox Body Conti

[Lscman]

The Mark VII was never rated a sports car by insurance companies and it surely never will be. Your uncle has a screwed up agent or insurance carrier who is providing him bad info. The Mark HO is rated with typical luxury cars, just like your Continental or a Cadillac 300+HP Northstar STS. My 1992 minivan insurance is higher than my HO Mark. Insurance companies are constantly raising the bar they use to identify vehicles as "high risk" sports or pony cars. This is because relative performance is continually improving (Viper, Corvette, Cobra R around 400 HP). Heck, many compacts and minivans are around 200 HP now! The 'ole 3700 lb HO Mark VII is slower in a straight line than a Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.9L SUV and about the same as the average car these days.

>>It is not my intent to criticize owners of Continentals that wish to build a fast car. I'm just trying to clearly outline the effort, cost, expected results and alternatives...so you can make a rational decision. A couple bolt-on's or a HO motor swap will not allow you to run mid 14's like a stock '87 Mustang or Seville STS. Such performance will require about $5K to $8K in mods...about the same price as an '86 Vette that will run high 13's right off the used car lot...forget about comparing handling and braking. Compare the resale value of these two vehicles...a Vette and a hot rodded 4 door luxo ride! You're talking very costly mods from the radiator to the rear axle, even if you start with a 225HP HO Mark VII. The mods necessary to put a 17.5 second Continental in the 14.5 range will cost more than a fleet of $1500, 14.5 sec '87 Mustangs. In some cases, insurance costs can be a factor but as a Corvette owner, I have my doubts that a 10 year old HO Mustang costs thousands more to insure...more like a couple hundred max. Better call your agent. I can see where a new Cobra would cost 2x more or so.

[This message has been edited by Lscman (edited August 11, 2001).]

[LincoConti87]

Well like I said I got the car for free and it only has 40k miles...so that =0$ which is about 4000$ less than a somewhat well kept 5.0 mustang with 80-100k miles on it. With a little hard work and some used HO parts I can have this engine converted over to High Output specs for less than 1000$ with a little labor here and there. I was going to get intake,cam,and heads and injectors all for 75$ off one guy one time except I never went down to pick them up like 4 hours away. It certainly will not cost 5000$ to run mid 14's...i think thats a little bit exaggerated...and even if I payed 5k I still payed a heck of alot less than if I bought a new KIA or a tercel. So its a win win situation.
By the way how old are you? And where do you live? insurance costs alot for me since I'm 20 and I'm quite sure that the insurance companies know the difference between a fast car and a slower car. I bought an 89 Mercedes off of my Uncle and he then bought the Mark 8 and told me they were charging him a good deal more and he is in his 40's. Florida just ain't the best state for insurance. Yes I know the difference won't be 2000$ but its most likely going to be substantial in my case.
Personally I think the best way for me to go would be to have a MarkVII to start with so that the HO engine is already there plus better handling and interchangeability. However since my car has only 40k on it all the airbags and options currently work. I would be hard pressed to get a Mark for like 2-3k with anything under 100,000 miles and God knows what is wrong with airbags and all that jizzjazz. I think I would be throwing away a barely broken in car for one that is rather tired out and would have to get engine worked over anyways.
Anyways LSCMAN I would like to hear about your car...assuming you have an LSC http://www.lincolnsonline.com/ubb/smile.gif what kind of stuff have you done?

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1987 Lincoln Continental...Last of the Fox Body Conti

[Lscman]

Linco...at 43 years old, I've been there done that and try to share my experiences....both positive and negative. In my 20's, I got stuck on a clean, fat hand-me-down 4 dr FE motor Galaxie. My buddies chose used small block ponycars with "slightly higher initial investment" for their projects. Does this sound familiar?? I had to literally double my never-ending mod expenditures and bust my butt to compete. From that point, I respected the virtues of a luxury car versus a ponycar. Since that time, I've never attempted to pour mods into a heavy chassis or gut it to negate the deficit. It's clear you understand "some" of the pro's and con's related to transforming a luxury 4 door into a ponycar. It's also apparent you're dead set on justifying the project. If the car is low mile and cherry, a cost comparison between $0 (your Continental) and $4000 (decent HO Mustang) is not fair. Your car is worth good money, only if kept stock. If it's really that clean, you could unload it for $3K, before hacking it up. You could pick up a clean Mustang for only $1K more. The insurance issue you hang your hat on is still poorly researched, IMHO. There is a premium for an older Mustang HO, but it shouldn't be more than about 25%...no matter what your age, in any state. Your agent can answer those questions with a simple phone call. I'd suggest calling before spending every penny you have on misinformation. As for judging the value of a car based upon mileage, I'd disagree. Most Low mile garage luxo queens suck, having serious, chronic auto transmission gumming problems and cold start engine wear and stuck rings and dried out engine seals. The only plus is shiny paint and interior. Many $1500 Mustangs have 100K-150K highway miles and they are quite healthy. They have the proper chassis and drivetrain components out-of-the-box.
>>As for my LSC modifications, my car has been carefully modified according to the SCCA Solo II rulebook for FS class. This allows me to compete squarely against stockish, late model Cobra and LS1 ponycars in sanctioned SoloII and Pro Solo autocross. I typically place in top 3 positions in races with 10 class entries. In addition, I race on High Speed Road Racing Tracks like your local Sebring in Fla. Up here it's Watkins Glen (NASCAR/SCCA), Mid Ohio (SCCA/CART) and Pocono (NASCAR/POCONO) etc. See the NASCAR race this weekend at the Glen track and CART at Mid Ohio! If you watch the Glen race, watch the long stretch of track between turn 1 and the inner loop. I hold the throttle on the floor through 2 and the esses, all the way to the inner loop. I hit the factory speed limiter at 116 MPH just before the inner loop right hander. This is where I intercept many lesser drivers. My car is built for handling and braking, with minimal "visible" modifications. This allows me to infiltrate BMW and Porche high speed events and give them a serious headache. I substitute nerve & skill & very late braking for horsepower. With minimal powerplant mods, I can run better than midpack with amateur drivers running M3's and Carrera 2's and 4's and such!
>>Your car has another costly weakness that the Mark VII does not have. From what I've heard, all Conti's have the softer spec air springs. I don't know if any were made with the heavy duty trailer towing option. Assuming luxo-soft bags...to achieve decent handling, the 35% firmer Mark VII LSC or Trailer Towing air bags that everyone sells now must be swapped in at a cost of about $550. After that, a fresh set of performance struts, shocks and a '87-'88 only T-Bird 1-5/16" front bar and Addco #415 rear bar and four 7" or better yet, 8" wide wheels will get you Mustang-like handling. Well...there you go, about $2000 just to get your chassis to handle like a hi miler $1500 ponycar. As for your powerplant, have fun!

[This message has been edited by Lscman (edited August 12, 2001).]

[This message has been edited by Lscman (edited August 12, 2001).]

[LincoConti87]

Hey man I did watch the race today actually. Was fun. I think its really funny how Gordon still can't do a good burnout. Harvak layed down rubber a few weeks ago that would blow his crap away. They said he even had to tell Gordon how to do it hahahahahahaha. Sounds like you have alot of fun in your ride. Ok back to the heated arguement.
I don't know if I made it clear or not, but I'm not planning on drag racing or road course racing. I'm planning on having some low buck straight line fun on a student's budget. It is not easy to find a used mustang that is not high mileage and that has not been ripped on by some driver with no respect for his automobile. If I purchased a mustang in fair shape with fair mileage...around 90-100k, I would most likely have to put several tune up items, new tires, brakes, just for simple items. That could be a few hundred bucks right there. God knows how long the transmission will function with a possibly beat on T5 or with a high mileage aod. I have not encountered any of those problems you mentioned on my car which I have owned since late december of 00. It had 34k on it at the time and was sitting in storage for nearly 2 years without being touched and it belonged to old folks who had it meticulously serviced and even had the a/c fixed several times and ended up converting to R134 so that it will be easier to fix in the future if neccessary. I changed the oil and battery and drove it up to Tallahassee from Orlando on half of the full tank of 2 year old gasoline. Not too shabby for a heavy boat! The only thing that makes this car act weird is that its a ford. The engine runs like a ford and the tranny shifts like a ford tranny. But basically it runs smooth and strong and shifts like its supposed to. Bet a shift kit would be fun...no more of that rediculous shifting before it even winds up. I have the column shifter by the way..do you know if I can do the 1-2-1 shift shuffle like on the Marks? I have not tried anything but manually shifting out of 1.
Anyhow I'm actually an avid mustang fan myself. I have wanted a mustang since I started driving but myt parents refuse to let me have one even though I was driving an 89 Mercedes worth between 7-8k which my dad is driving now because I wanted the Lincoln since I'm a ford guy. Ask anyone I know what kind of car I want and they will know. Actually I would be thrilled to get one of those new V6 mustangs with a 5 speed. I test drove one not long ago and that thing hauled! that car would be faster in stock form than my Conti with 5.0 HO conversion and few mods. However being that it costs at lowest about 18k it just ain't gonna happen. I would be sufficiently happy to be competing with the hondas and toyotas and acuras with my boat with 5 passengers and sandbags in the trunk. That galaxie sounds like it would have been really cool even with the weight. I like those. Anyhow what mods did you do to your motor and stuff. Got any pics of your car? Yea I totoally go for the sleeper thing beating on the high profile euro cars and such.

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1987 Lincoln Continental...Last of the Fox Body Conti

[sportinsco]

Any body here aware of the weight of a 3000gt or Dodge Stealth R/T? these "sports" cars weigh in around 3800 lbs and sport a 300 hp twin turbo V-6....

Im positive Mark VII's or '82-'87 Conti's can be a force to be reckoned with, it just depends on the owners will to make their lincoln one of the best!! if you really love that Conti and have the change I say make it the perfect sleeper!!! Not many peeps sup up their Conti's http://www.lincolnsonline.com/ubb/wink.gif

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1986 Mark VII LSC

1982 Continental Signature Series

[Lscman]

The grossly overweight Stealth/3000 Turbos suck. I have driven them on the track and they have a mind of their own with respect to handling. Their excess weight eats tires and $5000 race brakes like candy, so they have no hope of competing with rice like RX7 or german sports cars etc. Turbo power of adequate capacity can produce well over 1000 HP & can propel an object of any girth in a straight line with amazing acceleration, including a 5 ton Kenworth or John Deere...at a cost. Anyway, good points from all parties. I've had too much experience competing with one hand tied behind my back. In many cases, it's rewarding or humorous and in other's...it's just plain frustrating and costly. After things are explained clearly, it is easier to understand your situation. Installing performance parts on a 4 door is a total "flush" of cash. I would make an effort to install parts that can be removed for resale when "sanity prevails" or you gain some freedom from your parents and are allowed to purchase a suitable chassis. Superchargers fit this criteria, since they can be unbolted in a weekend and sold on ebay for top dollar or installed on a Mustang.
>>>You do not want to see pics of my car, since it is a stock lookin'..paint peelin' ugly tool. I had some on-line track pics irritatin' Porsches and such, but they have have been deleted. My engine mods are zero, since I race in stock classes. I have class legal custom cat back 2-1/4" duals.

[Lscman]

Oh...Shift kits. The Transgo and Baumann kits for AOD have a limited ability to raise the full throttle shift points on the 1>2 and 2>3 upshifts. They do not alter the governor calibration, which is the correct method. As for early upshifts at part throttle, they have no effect. An AOD car with 3.73 gears and a shift kit will upshift into drive at about 12 MPH. It is not what you're hoping for. The upside to these kits is you can hold overdrive over 80MPH at wide open throttle. That's not a big benefit with a factory speed limiter at 116 MPH. You can hit that in 3rd or OD with 3.27 gears.

[sotexlscman]

For what it's worth,

I have a '90 LSC and I did not buy it for all out speed. In earlier posts, I have mentioned that over the 25 years I have been driving, I have had 3-1965/1966 Mustangs, and my last toy was a 1965 Galaxie with a 428 torque monster. My Mustangs were fun because I was young and did not have a lot of responsibilites, so I could tinker with them every now and then. They were a blast!! My Galaxie was a 2-door, so it looked pretty cool. It was quick, and it had a lot of TORQUE. I thought I would miss it terribly, but when I bought my LSC, I found a car that was comfortable, luxurious, loaded with gadgets, and not too bad at the stoplights either.

I tell people who do not know much about these LSC's that they are Mustang GT's on steriods!! They are obviously not as fast as a lighter GT, but they don't do too bad.

Maybe you guys that have Conti's that want a little speed, might consider looking for a later LSC. I'll bet the insurance on one of these is not as bad as on a Mustang GT.

I am not an expert on any of the Lincolns, but I have been a Ford guy since sixteen, and this LSC is pretty fun. I am not interested in racing my Mark(YET) like others on this site, but it sounds like these guys have lots of very helpful tips on tweaking the Marks. This site is very helpful and I enjoy it.

That's my 2 cents!!!

Dean

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http://arterrata.com/mk7.jpg

[pro-five-oh]

Trying to convince a Lincoln guy here that modifing his car isn't worth the $$$ is like trying to convince a VTEC guy that adding cold air induction tube with a K&N filter won't give him an extra 20hp. http://www.lincolnsonline.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

That Honda isn't gonna be much faster than stock, and a Hot Rod Lincoln will never run with a real Pony/sport car with the same modifications.

You have to want to be different and have to like a challenge to want to soup up a Lincoln. The word "challenge" can also be replaced with the word "pain."

Do it because you love your car and wouldn't have it any other way. Plain and simple.

[5LiterFiend]

Well I couldnt post a reply to LSCmans whole retort.

I know I am a new guy around here and this may not come well liked, but I dont see how you could post such things on a Lincoln board?

I mean you are trying to get the kid to join the other (myself included) 5 million Mustang owners, when we need to see more variety out there.

Also the 82-83 contis did not have air bag suspension.

The 82-83 also were the pioneers for the SVO control arms up front which is up there as one of the best handling FOX bodies ever produced.

This car is a larger car, but it was still a pioneer. CD player in 1986. SVO control arms. One of the first with ABS.

How BAD can it be?

I know it is portly, but I have seen 4,000 pound town cars run high 11s.

I say go for it kid. Start to mod it and who knows you might end up like this guy

http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Downs/8668/

Im not bagging on anybody at all, but it seemed like LSCman really shot the poor kid down.

I mean what if the M3 and Porsche owners were to bag on the LSC like that?

Also insurance is MORE than 25% higher. I insure a 1987 Thunderbird LX 5.0L AND 3 different late model Mustang 5.0Ls a Lexus, Subaru, 1968 AMC Rebel, 1974 Matador. The thunderbird is 76 dollars a month and the mustangs are 140 each. I get a multiple car discount. I do have one ticket on my record. Iam 25 live in California and I am not married. I pay a total of 670/month on insurance.

So I guess it depends on the situation but in mine the T-bird is much lower than the Mustang 5 point slows.

All cars have full coverage.

Hope that helps.

[Richard J. Parker]

$670 a month car insurance? http://www.lincolnsonline.com/ubb/eek.gif You must have a nice gig going in California to afford all those cars AND their insurance.

[Lscman]

5literfiend,

You are welcome here from post #1, as is your opinion that conforms to most other's here! I am the oddball, but I was not trying to "shoot anyone down" here. I've seen people totally gut a Lincoln, remove air, accessories & make it feel/sound like a rental Pinto or Falcon...in a effort to get it's weight within shouting range of a nicely loaded and streetable 5.0L Mustang. J Bittle performed such a massive transformation to a T-Bird once...so many lightening, welding, cutting, chassis shortening mods it was almost became a real ponycar Mustang! Awesome, not IMHO. I was only providing sound advice...a reality check. If that deflates party balloons, sorry. Such honest recommendation is sometimes prudent in order to decide whether to dive into a project that will absorb 100% of your hard cash. I wish I had 1/10 of the cash I flushed in the past due to lack of advice or info. I like to know the cost and end result of any project. Always have. If you've ever seen the long laundry list of power adders on a '93 Mustang Cobra over it's HO brethren, you realize what it takes to gain about 25 HP and 0.30 seconds in the quarter mile. In comparison, a couple bolt on parts will provide minimal gains. Owners who remove E7 cylinder heads to do hand porting usually have false expectations. A professional porting job will barely approach a set of GT40 heads, barely worth 0.1s (alone). Drivers obsessed with performance should at least "consider" choosing the appropriate tool from ground zero(a sports car). Drivers obsessed with ride and luxury should at least "consider" a luxury car. That is all I suggested...the appropriate vehicle. Fighting physics and defeating a vehicle's primary purpose is costly. From first hand experience, I can say ignorance (lack of knowledge) is not good and I've always believed in sharing accurate info without hype. It is possible to grind a sledgehammer down into a ball peen hammer. However, ignoring or suppressing information about "ball peen hammer availability or clearance sales" is not my style. If you have a good grinder and a free sledge, "go for it". I hope this forum is not about Lincoln enthusasts living in a bubble. I embrace Lincoln's for their inherent capabilities. Perhaps I have excess common sense, I dunno. If it makes you feel better, I am even more vocal toward Corvette owner's who spend every day waxing, afraid to put miles/dust on and proceed to detune their suspension and install $70 all season touring tires in a fruitless attempt to provide Lexus boulevard ride qualities and save a few bux on tires. What is the outcome?? Seville STS handling (or worse), pickup truck ride, speedbump scraping and zero interior space for big bux, a total loser. Many of these owners sit around in lawn chairs eating ribs and stare at their cars that never see 1/2 throttle. They hate my guts too. I'm over it. Insurance costs vary. That's why I suggested to call an agent for precise info. If you'd like a set of '82-'83 forged front control arms, I have a pr for sale for $250 with Global West Bushings. I also have a unique SVO K-member to go with them.

[This message has been edited by Lscman (edited August 23, 2001).]

[5LiterFiend]

I agree on the fact that most people set their expectations too high when it comes to most, if not all, mods.

The facts here are that I consider an 11 second 1/4 mile car fast. So if you have a 5000 pound lincoln to get it to run 115 MPH you need at or around 600HP. This is not unheard of and not hard to do with todays technology, so no gutting is needed here.

It may take alot of cash to make a lincoln run hard, but it is not an impossibility as often thought.

There is not a whole lot a college kid with no job or minimum wage is going to be able to do to ANY car, not just a lincoln. SO yes a 5 point slow mustang may get him a quicker car, but insurance and the impending traffic record will hurt more in the long run than a few simple mods on the lincoln.

With a mere 2800 dollars some extremist such as Mike Sitar have had a 4200 pound Thunderbird (not far off from a lincolns weight) running in the high 12s.

That is with a little hard work and a whole lot of thought, scavenging and patience. All from a broke kid.

I agree that the tire kicking spit polishing car owners need to hang it up beside the bench racers and take their car out and beat on it now and again.

To each their own, however.

Like I said I hate to have my first post seem so negative.

[pro-five-oh]

As with most debates, both of you are right. I love it when people want to do "stuff" to their cars, but everyone needs a reality check.

It hurts to be a wet blanket: try telling your friend that spending 3x more $$$ for splitfire plugs will do absolutely nothing to his 1992 Accord. Or convincing a Mustang guy that a Ram Air kit is pretty fruitless next to removing the air silencer...

On the other hand, fast sporting cars are not cheap. I have yet to see a roadworthy $1500 Mustang 5.0...decent LX's go for more than 3k here in Houston, even with high mileage. I saw pretty nice LX coupe that was BONE STOCK go for 11k...that's insanity! You can get the same condition Mark VII for $2500 and a Continental for even less!

Making a hot-rod lincoln can be done cheaply and effectively but it is not for the faint of heart. I have much of this to my Cougar and Mustangers still ask me, "why not just buy a Mustang if you want to go fast and carve corners?"

Folks, if they have to ask that question they just don't understand. http://www.lincolnsonline.com/ubb/tongue.gif

[5LiterFiend]

You are right my man.

SOME PEOPLE JUST DONT UNDERSTAND.

I am not saying that LSC man is right or wrong I am just saying that I think ANYONE modifying a Lincoln is OK in my book and I am here to help.

Try finding a NICE 87-93 Mustang 5.0 here in the bay area for under 4K. NOT happening http://www.lincolnsonline.com/ubb/smile.gif

[Lscman]

Yes, prices vary widely. Prices for HO Mustangs around here are similar to Mark VII's and ponycars are much more plentiful. Full retail price listed in Blue/Edmund's book value and newspaper asking prices in my area are very close. A low mile, garaged 1987 Mustang with no stone chips does not sell for big bux around here. My friend sold an excellent 1987 GT with 70K miles & every option including T-Tops for $4400. It took 6 mo to sell. Another friend sold his '91 convertible HO 3 years ago for $4100. Heck, an '87 L98 Vette with every option sells for $6K-$8K in Vette dealers in Pennsylvania. Porsche 944 Turbo's sell in that range too. Both cars run high 13's. That is full retail book price. I can't imagine ponycars of that vintage selling for that price!

[LincoConti87]

Well I'm glad to see that so many of you care! Most other places or people I talk to just kinda of do the virtual nod...like yea I hear you saying you want to have some fun with your whatever it is car, thats nice : http://www.lincolnsonline.com/ubb/tongue.gifat pat on the head:: I like it when people actually take the time to think and listen to what I say. Lscman you did seem to be the virtual party pooper at times but I know you were trying to give us the best education on the stuff you could. But also remember that just because I have a slow lincoln doesn't mean that I have not been reading 7 different mustang magazines for 4 years and been an active member in mustang bulletin boards reading and learning something new every day. I appreciate your responses though!
Around here you cannot find a fox body mustang at a car lot. I seem them somewhat regularly in classifieds on campus and stuff but ones that are in ok shape are going for high money...usually like 7-8 for a supposedly fair mileage good shape stock vehicle. I have seen them going for less but that just tells me...it ain't worth getting if its only worth 1500$ to them...by the time I drop in a new motor,tranny,rear end,tires,shocks,battery, interior and whatever else it is thats all messed up on a beat down 10 year old or more car I would be sorely pissed off. If I can simply take my free very low mileage lincoln...which is slow right now...drop a few mustang parts on and notice a nice difference, and be different from all the other people that do all the same crap(just like you doing autocross in a Mark rather than a mustang or a camaro)then I think it could be cool. And it would just be what i can afford by selling stuff or whatever money I can make off the side or save up from b-days and christmas. If I get a job then I can really have some good fun. If my car ran in the mid to high 15's I would be thrilled...to me thats fast. I drove an 01 mustang V6 with a 5 speed and I was thrilled with its massive 190 horsepower! It don't take too much to make me happy. And with a fox body ford the limits are nearly endless.
Bottom line is I cannot have a mustang because my parents won't allow it. I can now switch back to my previous car which dad is driving if I wanted. A 3000 pound Mercedes 190E 2.6...2.6 liter inline six...160 horses, 160ish torque...a nice high revving light, very nice handling, stylin, 130 mph top end better acceleration than my Lincoln. Or I can keep the slightly slower and lesser handling boat...start off with twice the torque and 10 horsepower less, add a few throwaway mustang parts for dirt cheap and have better acceleration and eventually pull the horses to over 200...have a little fun with my favorite engine..yes you guessed it the infamous 5.0 Ford!
by the way since you are really good with handling stuff. What kind of shocks/struts should I get for going over bumpd...and which should I get if I wanted flatter handling on this puppy?

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1987 Lincoln Continental...Last of the Fox Body Conti

[Lscman]

Suspension...same recipe as Mark VII. Front...'87-'88 T-Bird Turbo Coupe or V8 with handling option 1.31" (1-5/16") front swaybar, not to be confused with narrower bars from other years and/or bodies. Rear...Addco #415 7/8" bar to fit original bracketry. As for struts and shocks, the best for handling is Koni or Tokico, both are discontinued. The next best is probably KYB. Same part# as Mark VII also. These will provide Mustang-ish ride and handling, although it will be somewhat softer. Good match for 60 or 50 series tires. With std 70 series, the extra firmness and flatness will not produce much better cornering G's. Tire Rack has killer Firestone SZ summer treads in 225/60ZR-16 size. These are optimal at a $60 price!!

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Rick, Road Track Terror in my '88 Mark VII LSC. See ya at Northeast Events! Pgh, PA

[pro-five-oh]

Originally posted by Lscman:
Front...'87-'88 T-Bird Turbo Coupe or V8 with handling option 1.31" (1-5/16") front swaybar

That reminds me...there is a 87-88 TC in a local junkyard (that is going out of business) and I planned on putting that sway bar on my newly revived Conti.

Since you have a set of the 82-83 forged control arms, do you know if they have unique end links or can I just bolt the Turbo Coupe assembly right in???

[Lscman]

The '82-'83 Conti and '84-'86 SVO Forged arms have the end link hole in the same relative location as the '87-'88 T-Birds and all Mark VII and '84-'87 Conti. These setups all require the same wider bar. The '94-'200x Mustang bars would fit too except Ford decided to move the frame mounts for it to reduce weight and shorten the arms for added resistance.

[LincoConti87]

I actually was looking at 16 inch tires on tirerack cus my friend has some 16's. I noticed the firestones were on a great sale. Too bad I'm stuck with 15's.If someone felt like giving me a set of 16's I'd gladly accept but for now I have my 215 70 firehawk ss20s...I refuse to pay big money for rims. I'm lookin to spend my money on an intake and exhaust parts. After that would be heads and cam and injectors...Might as well have power to handle first. What are prices like on KYB shocks anyways? I'm not lookin to throw all my money into shocks either but I feel the ones I have right now are kinda weak. From records I have of mileage...at 25,600 miles sears replaced them with roadhandler shocks and performance struts. And that mileage was at or before 1994 according to records. A whole 15,000 miles ago =D I feel as if it dives more than it should. Might just be that it has brakes that kick major ass http://www.lincolnsonline.com/ubb/smile.gifI figure on taking curves its gonna be soft anyways because of what it is but I still think they are kinda weak. Hate to go throw 40$ each for more gas shocks and struts. I heard that sears used to have a lifetime warranty on their shocks and struts but I don't know when they stopped or if there was a special added price. Anyone know? I emailed them asking but no response yet. I have the original work slip and I have registrations for the car that show the date with mileages before and after the miles shown on the work slip. How hard would it be to change out shocks and struts on these cars? Require some intermediate mechanical experience?
Are you saying a tc rear sway will bolt up without being modified to a Conti? If so I'd prolly try to find a tc next time I venture to miami or orlando. Yards here suck majorly. One I went to didn't have a single HO motor...only one mustang had a V8 sitting in it...was a crapo one too that did not have it from factory as I could see by wheels. i didn't notice it was an 8 till I payed attention to all the rockers sitting there cus the heads were gone.

[Lscman]

KYB is cheapest you can get with decent quality. They are about same price as Monroe, Sears and Gabriel junk. Since Tokico and Koni were around $500 for four, I'd say the going price of $250 for KYB is a steal. The front bar is same as Turbo Coupe. The rear Mark VII/Conti bar is unique. Only upgrade bar that fits is Addco #415 at about $130.

[LincoConti87]

So then would it be worth it to steal a TC front swaybar out of a junkyard if I found one? I'm really not lookin to blow money for swaybars and stuff but when I can steal parts from other cars It makes it alot more possible and fun.

[pro-five-oh]

@*$#^%!!! Someone beat me to that TC swaybar! There was a 1985 TC there with a large swaybar (much like my Cougar's) but that car was too wrecked to want it.

Linco, buy a swaybar and put it on later. $30 bux well spent because you'll enjoy doing it.

[Lscman]

This really should be discussed in a new thread, eh?...A 1985 TC swaybar is too narrow and identical to a '85-'93 Mustang bar. It can rub and catastrophically puncture the air suspension bags. The correctly shaped swaybar in the bigger 1-5/16" diameter is ONLY found on '87 and '88 Turbo Coupes and '87-'88 V8 Cougars and T-Birds with heavy duty suspension. The '87 T-Bird/Cougar line converted to longer control arms. This correct fit $75 front bar was discontinued by Ford parts around 1997 and an oversize front bar of the proper shape was never sold by the aftermarket. Addco's big front bar is the same size as a stock LSC or '84-'86 SVO Mustang (1-1/8").