Lincoln electrics

The upkeep of these cars is phenomenal. You cant |just junk them for these sort of problems. |

Lincolns have never been designed for longevity or technical excellence.

I suspect they are built for "WoW" factor. To lure people with too much money who purchase a new car every 2 or 3 years.

I don't know what they were engineered for. But they do last at least

I have been in several older ones. If they are taken care of, they last a long, long time.

In New York City, there are literally thosuands of them. When I first started to work in NYC (Times Square), I noticed that there were a lot of black and gray Lincoln Continentals. And then I noticed their license plates. The all had T & L C (Taxi and Limo Commission) on them. That's when I realized that they were mostly limos. When I started to work in Northern Manhattan (Harlem), I noticed they are frequently there, but mostly acting as Taxi cabs (the difference is that Limos are not legally allowed to pick up fares while Taxis are allowed).

I think taxis have to be replaced after 5 years of service (mostly Crown Vics), except I think it is longer, like seven years, for hybrid and maybe other special cabs.

Jeff

I tend to disagree...

I've seen one at my dealer's with about 400,000 miles on it tonight (TownCar)

Those are built on the same platform as Police Interceptors (Crown Vics) and Grand Marquis. Those things are body-on-frame, '60s tech (reliable and sturdy) and are really, really tough... (Honda Civic killed itself rear-ending mine, I might have to replace the bumper cover because of a really nasty scratch and one of the backup-light covers has a little crack in it). The jerk was talking on his cellphone, about serves him right :)

We are talking about cars that used a steering box until recently (as in trucks, my '99 has the old steering stuff, not the fancy Rack & Pinion), and wishbone front suspension (as in trucks). Engine is the sturdy modular 4.6 V8 (crossplane design, love that exhaust burble :)

My friend's 1978 Continental is still on the road, with only minor rust spots (in Canada) (god I love to drive that thing... big (21 feet unless I'm mistaking, a little bigger than my Grand Marquis LS), bigger engine (460), comfy as an old pair of shoes too :)

Reminds me of my first car, a 10-year old 1979 Heritage Edition Tbird (351). Contis and Tbirds were the same platforms in that era...

A/C stills works, even the *mechanical* clock...

I think the WOW factor is pretty honest. While the other opinion is a little prejudiced, mind you I'd find myself overwhelmed myself if I owned one. But this one left me in the middle of the big city, outside a large theatre waiting for an hour in the rain for a VIP, which was a KEY of all things. And my party was pretty sozzled by the time we got them home. They waited in a food plus drink place....

El Bandito wrote:

I reckon I mighta told him that. But vehicle locks on other major car manufacturers woud be better than this. I have a 21 year old Honda and its got no problems,and they feel solid. Not the Ford Lincoln. Its real crap. The electric windows winders and the other electrics are also troublesome.

Tom wrote:

Most NYC taxis fleets, as do most corporate fleet keep car in service for five years because if federal corporate depreciation tax laws. In addition many of the Gipsy cabs in NYC are refurbished cop cars with zillion of mile on the clock. We sold many used police cars at auction to buyers that converted them into Gipsy Taxis, over the ten years I owned my fleet service..

mike