I picked this up locally back in late June for a very good price, $1800. It's a base model 1983 Continental Mark VI Sedan with a documented 35,000 original miles, was 32,200 when I bought it. I bought it as a fun summer cruiser that will be stored in winter.

The previous owner bought it from an estate sale and it had been sitting for some time, he was trying to get it road worthy and just gave up. I have service records going all the way back to 1985. It looks like it sat for most of the 2000's. The guy I bought it from did brakes all around with new rotors, drums, wheel cylinders, calipers, lines, the whole deal. New fuel tank, fuel pump, fuel lines, all new coolant hoses, vacuum lines, including the headlight vacuum lines. Plugs, wires, cap, and rotor, new battery.

There's probably other stuff I'm not thinking of, he was getting tired of constantly dumping money into it and had it on facebook marketplace. Looks like he did pretty much all the work for me. When I bought it it had an intermittent no spark issue which turned out to be the Duraspark box/ignition module a $15 fix. I fixed an exhaust leak, put new tires on it, changed the oil, and have put 2500 trouble free miles on it. It doesn't seem to burn any oil or leak any fluids. It's not perfect by any means but it's a clean survivor, and one of only three Mark VI's I've seen in person. I don't know much about it's history other than that it was bought new from Brown Lincoln Mercury in Arlington Virginia and spent all of it's life until last year in the Cleveland Ohio area.

There's some very minor rust on the trunk lid, underbody looks like a Florida car, fuel gauge doesn't work, ice cold air, no heat due to a bad ATC sensor but if I really need heat on a cool day I can unplug the vacuum motor on the blend door behind the glove box. It's going to be garaged in the winter so that doesn't really matter. It unfortunately has a hack wired aftermarket radio with constant power on, I have to pull the faceplate to shut it off.

Whoever installed it chopped out the factory plugs instead of buying an adapter, I hate it when people cobble stuff up. Other than that everything works and it runs and drives like a new car.

It's an oddly optioned base model. No digital dash even though it was standard, no auto lamps, no auto dimming rear view mirror, no premium sound. But I have the signature stainless lower trim, power passenger seat, leather, and keyless entry.

Nice ride!

If you get a chance, can you post the Carlite numbers from the back window? I'm trying to figure out where the Brougham rear window came from. I figure it's Mk VI or LTC (if they're not the same). TIA.

Beautiful Lincoln!

I hated how the rear axle was a bit more narrow (1" on each side) than the front on my '86 Crown Vic.

Hey Stu I didn’t notice a number on the rear window last night when I was cleaning the glass, the numbers on the side windows are pretty worn off. I’ll take another look tonight after work if I remember it. I might need reminding, whereabouts should they be on the window?

Top center, thanks.

Last year for the hidden headlights.. *sniff*

Right. They’re really cool but I dread ever having to work on them, I feel like it’s a real pain. I don’t know how long mine hold vacuum for but I’ve gone up to five days without driving it and they haven’t started creeping open.

Hey Stu, I got this pic of the markings on the rear window.

Hey, thanks! That's not the same window, but you've helped the process of elimination.

Sweet. The old Lincs just look great.

That seat looks like you would be sitting on a cloud. They cheaped out when they hit the later years like mine.

Comparing the boxes to the whales, when you think about all those chrome/stainless/anodized trim pieces (something like 60 per car), and the complex door cards, it's a wonder anybody ever made cars like that.

If it's any comfort, the vacuum system on my '69 holds the headlight doors for months! Actually I don't know how long they'll hold, as I always start the engine before any longer. Once I had a vacuum leak, but it turned out to be the vac. Cut off switch that I was using while installing all new headlights. I was able to find a NOS one, and now they're back to normal.

Interesting tidbit: According to the Ford TSB for 1969, if the doors stayed closed overnight, then they were ok! 🙄

I've always thought the pillow top seats looked really comfortable, and they are but I don't find them any more comfortable than the newer seats, I was perfectly happy with the seats in my '03 Signature Series. Then again there are a few different designs of pillow top seats such as those seen in 70's Lincolns, and the box Town Cars, those may be different. My step dad had a '78 Continental with those when I was in high school but I don't remember any specifics, just that it was very comfortable.

Congratulations . Those old Opera windows look classy.

I made a little walk around video of the Mark VI the other day.

http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_nTt6GGOAs