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70's for sure as parts were still heavy duty and lasted longer, the wheelbases were the longest too that adds to the smooth comfortable ride. The Lincolns IMO had better quality in the 70's compared to Cadillacs, especially when it comes to the exterior body panels, trimming and interior quality.
The 77 Cadillac Broughams improved on it's quality compared to the previous years where the dash and door panels would all have major cracks in them and the fittings were garbage.
My 78 Continental has the best ride quality, best overall quality, looks the best, and has a massive interior that no other car can match. It doesn't ride like a boat either, but it's soft and feels like you are gliding down the road.
The whole boat ride argument is way overblown. Soft and smooth is a better explanation because none of my cars bounce or sway down the freeway like a "boat" persay.
Where on a Cadillac, the grills were cheap plastic chrome that faded and cracked over time, the Lincolns were chrome metal with a higher level of finish.
The biggest worrisome issues that you will have on any of the big car from the 70's are the smog equipment. A vacuum hose here, a vacuum hose their, and other air polluting devices that can cause drivability problems if not fixed, is a real PITA to diagnose. Some of the cars straight from the factory didn't even run right because the exhaust system being so choked off made the engines run like crap. I had to replace some vac leaks on my car which helped, but I still occasionally get a bog down from the engine when I push the accel pedal to quickly.
Well the secret is I already had a 84 marquis...when I was 17( 5 years ago) i spent $1500 on it...the guy tricked me...I was semi clueless when it came to cars and he gave me the wrong VIN and his was scratched..car came with a myriad of problems including non working brakes (I ended up spending over $1900 in repairs on that and other crap it had)
The dealer also made ME pay for a license transfer (which i later learned he was supposed to pay for license transfer). The dealership said it had 45k miles when it actually had 132k including a rolled odometer and non working brakes..I didnt want to go to court since it would cost me more at that point ...in the end I am trying to sell the PoS(its currently rotting in my backyard since it gave out once again on a highway) for $470.
tl;dr after that experience ..I want to stay away from Ford/Marquis(especially Grand Marquis!!)/Lincoln and forget everything about that car.
Last edited by opticalillusion; 11-12-2015 at 06:32 PM..
Lincoln or Caddy if I was doing such project. Try to get a 460 ford or 500 Caddy motor.
If he wants a 500 Cadillac engine, he will have to choose 1976 or earlier. The 1977 had a 425 engine.
Which is what I would recommend... a 1976 or earlier Cadillac, before the downsizing began or a 1979 or earlier Lincoln... 1975-'77 Lincoln would be preferred because of the 460 engine.
If he wants a 500 Cadillac engine, he will have to choose 1976 or earlier. The 1977 had a 425 engine.
Which is what I would recommend... a 1976 or earlier Cadillac, before the downsizing began or a 1979 or earlier Lincoln... 1975-'77 Lincoln would be preferred because of the 460 engine.
Too bad by 76 it was strangled to 200 hp. Considering at one time it was rated at 400hp/550 ft/tq. Not sure if OP knows but I believe it was configured as a front drive car.
I would go for the Connie. The hoods on those things could double as a deck for a aircraft carrier. And how can you not like the small opera windows. And the 460 is easy to find if there is a need to repower.
Quote:
Originally Posted by opticalillusion
Which is basically why I made this thread to ask some folks who are more knowledgeable about this stuff than I am
Because back then I asked someone and they said Grand Marquis but as you can see I had a terrible experience with one.
Also..with a late 70s-early 80s car what are the most common problems I will have? Like...carburetor n stuff?
Your most common problem is gonna be the car. It's a 35-40 year old car do expect problems like rusty body parts, worn interior, most systems may or may not work but pretty much. Everything wil need dome attention. Even a well maintained model unless completely restored then you're paying top dollar
Are you buying it as a daily driver or project!? If a daily I strongly urge you not to.
If a project then once you tear the car apart and completely rebuild/update it it can be a solid car that you can drive. Expect to put 20-30k (to make it a restore) in it if you don't have major rust issues. You will most likely be replacing and refurbishing a lot of components.
Last edited by Electrician4you; 11-12-2015 at 08:02 PM..
Too bad by 76 it was strangled to 200 hp. Considering at one time it was rated at 400hp/550 ft/tq.
You are comparing net with gross horsepower. A '76 500-cu-in engine made about 310-320 gross horsepower. Fortunately, the '76 had a good torque output (360 ft-lbs net).
Your most common problem is gonna be the car. It's a 35-40 year old car do expect problems like rusty body parts, worn interior, most systems may or may not work but pretty much. Everything wil need dome attention. Even a well maintained model unless completely restored then you're paying top dollar
Are you buying it as a daily driver or project!? If a daily I strongly urge you not to.
If a project then once you tear the car apart and completely rebuild/update it it can be a solid car that you can drive. Expect to put 20-30k (to make it a restore) in it if you don't have major rust issues. You will most likely be replacing and refurbishing a lot of components.
Well I wanted to kind of buy it as a project car..and use the car as something like a hands on experience so I can learn more about cars, how they function ,etc.
I only have about $4500 max to spend tho...dont got 20k . Will I be able to get an OK'ish car for that much or will they all basically be trash? I see most of them are around $700-5k range.
Lincoln or Caddy if I was doing such project. Try to get a 460 ford or 500 Caddy motor.
You won't get the 500 (or any "real" Caddy engine) in a '77-up. If you want a real Caddy, got to go back one year ('76) or more. That's what I would do. And you'd have to forget about gas mileage (12, at best), except in comparison to any of the even worse mileage big-block Fords...
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