Very nice car! Thanks for all the information. I just inherited a 1991 Mark vii LSC from my father who passed away. He inherited it from his father who worked at the Ford motor company all his life and got the car off the line. It has less than 100 000 km on it. I am in the process of getting it safetied. So far I have spent about $2000 Canadian dollars on it. The mechanics tell me they can't believe how good shape the engine is in. However I have already run into so many battery and electronic issues just as you have detailed. Also I have had to take it to different shops for various specialties, you can't just drop it off at one place and have everything taken care of. Plus other little things like the gas cap getting stuck on, etc. It is so much fun to drive but the dilemma I have is that I am NOT a car guy. Like not even a tiny bit of know-how. The fact that this car is difficult to maintain even for enthusiasts scares me. But I want to keep it in honor of my dad.
@@tecmotiondyno I live in southwestern Ontario. I just got it back from the exhaust shop! All I have left to do to get the safety is buff out the headlights. Hopefully I don't have to get completely new ones. Time will tell if I can keep it going without getting too far in over my head. I'm having so much fun driving it. So smooth and comfortable to cruise around in, but the engine also roars!
My phone is listening to me and it led me here. Currently getting a 91 bill bliss edition put back on the road. I'm already falling in love with it, and it's not even running. The video is coming soon.. great comparison spot on analysis
Great video ! Thanks for sharing . I've owned my 91 mk vii since 2011 . Bought it with 110,000 miles on it and rebuilt the suspension in 2019. I now have 177699 miles on it. Love the car. Not a marshmallow ride but sporty smooth. Everything is original. I did rebuild the entire brake system including replacing the brake pump and accumulator. Thanks for your videos , looking forward to more. Dan in california.
Thanks for watching! I think they are great cars, but especially as time goes on, the parts are harder and harder to get. The same can be said for most older cars, especially low production units and those that did not catch the imagination of enthusiasts enough to create a strong aftermarket parts channel.
@@user-vr8bn8po2i I bought the teves pump from pick n pull in vacavill in 2021. They had a 1990 mk vii . That is the same pump set up for all 3 years. 1990 through 1992. I was very lucky yo find it with 110,000 miles on the car.
I really appreciate this video. I’ve had my mark for 3 years. It has been very problematic. Bought the car for $3500 have spent over $3000 on the car since. And now need to spend more as the front air suspension failed. And my starter has gone. Now not only can I not start it but I can’t move it. Hell I can’t even get a jack under the car to replace the starter. I really thank you for these videos you have done. There’s not many videos about the marks and besides yours there’s only one airbag replacement video. If it wasn’t for your video I would not.know how to PROPERLY replace the bags. Thanks and I always enjoy your videos.
Glad it is helping out. They can be fun, but if you go into it with your eyes closed they can be a real nightmare! On balance, I still enjoy mine though.
Yes, AND the rear calipers are pure unobtainium. Parts are starting to get hard enough to come up with that alternative rebuild stuff is in your future if you have failures. For instance, a vacuum brake system from a Mustang, but then you will lose the ABS.
Strutmasters makes a kit to replace the airbags back to coils and shocks this will fix your airbag problem, the parts are about 350 and the local shop charged me about 650 to do the labor. hope this helps good luck
I bought my mark a little over 2 years ago. I saved it out of a field for 1,800, after replacing the fuel pump in that same field and drove it home. I've definitely spent $1000 on new cooling system and starter and fuel pump and def have to spend another couple hundred on other maintenance. However it has 50,000 miles original miles which makes it worth, and I'm hoping I can keep it till I'm an old man.
Good for you! I’m all for these cars myself and I really like mine. They have some serious parts availability problems that you have to contend with for sure, but that shouldn’t stop you from enjoying a good one. I might make taking on a basket case a little tougher though. Thanks for watching!
Omg your video is so well needed! These are so underrated. I wanted a Grand National and one of the local G-body dudes turned me on to these. Could not be happier. I get to go to lowrider cruise nights and get love from the muscle car guys. Best of both worlds.
I sure like mine, but you have to go into one of these with open eyes - The parts are just getting harder to get, and you are more or less on your own to work on it.
I Think it is a good car but a few things to remember when the water pump goes out, most the time the bolts seize in the timing chain cover and break meaning you will have to replace the timing chain cover when replacing the water pump. Also the air suspension usually goes out as well, Strutmasters builds a kit to replace the air bags but a pain in the butt to replace. I love my MARK VII especially because I found one that was in really good shape but I had to do these things to get it reliable. Good luck!!
You are right about the water pump bolts, but when they break you don’t normally damage the timing cover, but you will have to take it off to sort that problem out. There’s a video on this channel on the water pump replacement on a 5.0 Ford if you are interested. I do address the air suspension issues in the video and there are also videos on this channel on how to do the air suspension diagnostics and replace the air springs on a Lincoln Mark VII that you might find helpful. Thanks for watching!
Hey great content!! I have a 1991 LSC SE it was my dads I kept it, very mild mods CAI Shorty Header, H pipe, Flowmaster (of corse)..T5 conversion, and 3:73 gears ver fun drive for sure!! And you are correct a looker at shows!! I love this car, I am working on some body damage minor but can't find trim for it to get it right..
If you're going to get one, look for an '88 and up. The '89 in my opinion is the best one. It still had the original dash which just fit the car better. Many of the electrical/mechanical issues from previous years had been resolved and all came with the 225hp HO. The '90 onwards had lots of things that just looked like they were tacked on (crown vic type dash, 3 point rear seatbelts, painted over chrome trim, cheaper bucket seats, etc.) I've owned several of these over the last 25 years and can 100% tell you that you will run into trouble keeping them on the road. There's a lot of things that can go wrong with these cars. For one, they're all speed density (no good for bolt ons), the air suspension is great until it stops working, then it becomes a giant PITA. My current Mark was converted to springs (previous owner) and without the air suspension it rides like a literal boat. And good luck trying to fix something in the dash, they crack, plastic breaks, screws strip, etc.
I picked up a 115k lsc in october and just drove it to Calgary and back to Winnipeg over the holidays. Runs like a top. I plan on scooting back into Calgary this summer, would love to bring the car by your shop for a visit!
Sounds good. Best to call first. Some summer days are very intense with problem cars on the dyno, so I can’t always make time on zero notice, but I would like to see your car for sure.
Mum raised me better than to show up unannounced, would definitely email or call you ahead of time to see what works for you! Thanks for being so welcoming though!!@@tecmotiondyno
A good buy, for me. I'm a 80's Lincoln guy. Whatever comes up, no matter what it is, I could take care of it. Not so much for some that don't understand the mechanics of this car. I prefer the 91 Bill Blass.
I jumped on it two days ago, I'm taking Ubers to work 😂. I am now balls deep in the Mark VII community. The car is actually a time capsule and still has the plastic floorboard from the dealership, so i plan on getting it to a good healthy daily driver
They're great for people who understand how special they are, and a mistake for people who don't understand how well they were a luxury car first which also merged in "sport" in a way that hadn't made its way into American luxury cars very much yet when these first came out. People sometimes look at these cars almost more from the sport end of the spectrum in more recent years, but they were meant to be luxury cars first. I am not putting these people down, but these are *not* glorified Mustangs, even with the shared parts. That doesn't mean I would not enhance the performance of a Mark VII, as I would...it's just a matter of the approach...enhancing what's there, keeping a smooth running, well mannered one, and not going against what makes it a Lincoln vs turning the Mark into a Mustang as some people (not you) occasionally do. I love both cars, and have a '91 Mustang GT hatchback (Titanium Frost) since new in my family, and in my family had both an '88 (from new, Dark Shadow Blue/Shadow Blue) and '91 (got used) LSC SE (black/black)...I don't have a Mark VII currently, but do want another '88, which I feel are the best Mark VIIs. Oh, and any older radio can have Bluetooth added. If you ever want the original radio back in the car, there is a guy named Paul Protos that restores them properly (many repair people do not like repairing the 1988+ radios in the Mark VIIs). Thank you for keeping the air suspension. It's part of what makes these cars unique and special.
Thoughtful comments. I never got the original radio with this car - I suspect it was blown up because of a voltage regulator problem that was causing a scary over-volt on the system, so I resolved that with a 3G alternator conversion and just put in a modern digital only head unit. That setup works fine and is discreet enough not to ruin the aesthetic of the car. From what I hear, Paul Protos is a good guy to handle a radio restoration and upgrade like you mentioned if that is the way you want to go.
My parents had a black 1988 MK7. It was nice. But I do remember it having issues with the rear suspension and this was probably around 1993-94. So the car wasn’t very old at the time. Yours is a cool car 👍🏻
Thanks! I think I am going to get back to a little Mustang content here shortly. My Mustang fans are probably getting tired of all this mark VII stuff! 😂
Hi Tecmotion, I actually have a good portion of the forum scraped/archived and am working on restoring it. I'll update on the Facebook group as things progress
I had a 92 Mark VII LSC and later a 98 Mark VIII LSC. Great cars with one major problem this gentleman brings up as the first "con." The air bag suspension is great...when it works...mine sometimes didn't...too many times. Right now I've got a 2011 MKS EcoBoost with a nice traditional suspension. It may not be a coupe, but it also has 355 horses neither of those Marks had, and AWD.
Yeah, they take some effort to keep on the road, so really they are a nostalgia fun car rather than regular transportation these days. In fairness, pretty well every air suspension car has the same kind of problems - Guys told me to put bags in my Super Duty, but I opted for traditional leaf overload springs instead, because they are totally reliable and bags are not.
I bought a 91 Vii LSC in 94 with 37,000 miles from a local Mercury dealer. It has 92,000 currently. I take it to local car shows and never see another one. It does get thumbs up from other drivers. It’s not show and it’s the same color as yours. I always liked these cars. It’s almost like people just forgot about them.
I rarely see them either, but I know about a couple of others around Alberta. I think there are pockets of them in Pennsylvania and surrounding states, Florida, and Texas. I actually have a parts car that is exactly like mine too. I do find that it shows better than a Mustang because it is different but it still gets the love from guys who like Foxbodies. I have a nice 93 Mustang but I think I am going to sell it and keep the Mark as my nostalgia cruiser.
I should probably invest in a parts car too. I do worry about the availability of some of the mark vii specific parts. I did buy a factory Lincoln service manual along with the electrical trouble shooting manual.
Hi, I do have a completely stock 89 coupe that I have a bigger exhaust on it full 3 inch off-road with xpipe 30 chamber race muffler dumped and a homemade air intake tube 4 inch would you be able to do programming to the A9l if shipped to you? Just maximize the stock motor to its full capacity?
I'm not sure that it will be economical due to the shortage of chips for these cars. You can give me a call at the shop if you want to chat about it on the phone, which is probably the best way to handle this enquiry.
Great video, dude. Love the nod to John, too. I'm one of the guys that will help in the Club's FB group. 😁What's the info on the wheels and tires? Do you remember the offsets and whatnot? Love the way your car sits.
The wheels are real 02 GT Mustang wheels - 17” Anthracite Bullitts. The adapters are Coyote Products parts and I think I ended up with 3/4”, but I don’t remember off the top of my head. The tires are Cooper Zeon RS3-G1. Pretty sure they are 245-45-17. Speedo correction is done with an Abbott Electronic Ratio adapter. Final drive is 4.10. John used to send me a Christmas card. I was pretty sorry to see him go, and he was some real glue in the Mark VII community. Thanks for watching!
@@tecmotiondyno yeah John was a good man. I was one of the original founders of the club back in the day, too. Appreciate the info on the wheels and tires. 🤘🏻 Kinda like the stock look on mine, kinda like the Bullit look lol
@@theANGRIERone yeah, I have the original BBS wheels, and I had them on the car for a while after I built it, but the car is SO modified and it looked SO stock with those wheels. I wanted something that would at least hint at the modified nature of the car without being over the top and without me having to start it so you can hear the TFS cam and the long tubes and super 44’s, and I had these wheels off an 02 Mustang that I had for a long time, so I tried them on the car and really liked them so they stayed. That car got deep dish bullitts and the Mustang center caps went on the Mustang, so the centers I used on this setup are from the aftermarket deep dish bullitts. They make more sense on the Lincoln than the Mustang centers would have.
@@tecmotiondyno that's my dilemma too. Mine has a TKX, TFS Stage 1, AFR165 and a Holley Terminator X. Everyone thinks it's stock until I start it up to leave the cruise night 😂
@@theANGRIERone lots of people will stop to take a look at my mod sheet when they see it’s me with the car because they know I usually have something special, but sometimes it can just look TOO ordinary. These are real Ford wheels, and the Anthracite finish goes well with the light titanium paint, but they hint at the car being something extra.
My first car was 1990 Mark VII Bill Blass edition, wish I still had it. Drove it from 1992 until 1997, 170,000 plus miles. I have my plates for it somewhere in my basement that said "MY VII". I parked it in the winter to avoid rust and drove an 88 Ford Aerostar during those months. That being said, you should have fired it up. Those 5.0s' sounded good.
You can learn about and hear my modified Mark VII here: Modified Lincoln Mark VII Walkthrough and Discussion ruclips.net/video/YQEzvweLASg/видео.html and here: ruclips.net/user/shorts1WExy7lbYjs?si=cWZwssFBEeQjXDvD
Can you run GT40p heads with the speed density? I haven't tried that yet on my Lincoln. I just don't want to put an engine in and then have to swap back to the E7 heads?
I don’t see any problem with that if you use a stock cam. Where you get into trouble is changing the vacuum profile of the engine because the manifold vacuum is the principal signal used for the fuel calculations.
My mind set would be to install a complete frame and suspension set up , from tires to steering wheel , including a healthy 351 etc . Basically just saving the interior and sheet metal
To make a dependable road car , without having to chase down 35 year old parts , with questionable quality. Thoughts from the peanut gallery . Ps , my last project car which lasted 33 years was a 1963 and 1 / 2 Ford Falcon Sprint , started out a 260 2 speed tranny ( why a 2 speed , why ) became a tricked out 289 4. Speed .
It’s tougher to do that kind of project on a unit body car. In fairness, mine does a pretty good job of being dependable. Case in point - I drove it about 250 miles last weekend. All-custom cars have their own problems with reliability too, so it’s hard to know if your plan would create a more reliable version or not, but I’m all for modifying cars. My own Mark is pretty heavily modified already!
I have had my sitting for 13 years I should of keep starting it but I didn't now i need a new battery and probably have to siphon out the old gas and keep my fingers crossed it will start or i can sell it as is the drivers door is damaged and the window don't roll up or down just don't know what to do have to move it out of the parking spot by june
Try posting your story on the Lincoln Mark VII Club Facebook page. Rejuvenating the powertrain will likely be easier than sorting out the door and glass, but either way your pricing will have to reflect the project status of the car.
Can’t believe no mention of the problematic Teves ABS system and its legendary irreparable nature. At least deserves a warning that if your prospective creampuff has a solid or come and go ABS light buckle up and get ready for MK 7 trouble. When the cars were new you could buy a new or reman ABS pump from ford and the dealership supposedly could program it. Big $ even then. No shortcuts, if you find a donor car with a good unit it still needs to be programmed to your car. I hear that a conversion to vacuum assist is possible with stuff from just the right Mustang but requires rear brake conversion with hand made hard lines and adapted parking brake cables, not something one would do for a customer and assume liability. Air suspension failures are easy fix compared to a dead brake pedal.
Fair enough, that is yet another problematic system on the car. The accumulator ball is one of the most common failures but there are still replacement parts for that. I’m not sure what needs to be programmed on the Teves system during a replacement though.
Wow fast response. The nature of the problem was even then shrouded with lack of or misinformation from the dealers. I went back and looked at the under hood shots of your car and see there is no vacuum booster, so maybe the problem isn’t as pervasive as I thought. I also know that ford wasn’t the only manufacturer that suffered from Teves ABS problems the Buick Reatta was 100% so equipped and those cars are valueless now, maybe because they had no merit even when new. The MK 7 and MK 8 on the other hand are an awesome canvas for reviving into a fast luxury tourer, but not with no brakes.
i really learned something today... wow tilt air bag wheel i wonder if this could be a option in the stangs if one was pulled out of the mark 7 . im not a fan of these cars ive taken a few apart and for the time it was way over engineered and things in them were usually broken and hundreds of dollars to get them back driving again... im glad you enjoy your car but for the average joe they cant afford the parts let along the hours of labor bills these car require. these cars fall into 2 categories you either have money $$$$$ and your just the driver or you do the work yourself and most people have no clue how to turn a wrench. either way the car not right for 85% of the masses!
It stunned me when I realized it had tilt steering and an airbag too. And you are right - these cars really separate the hard core guys from the masses because you have to be a fairly serious guy to keep it going. I don’t even think that money and a shop are much of an option because most shops won’t touch cars like this. On the other hand, there are a surprising number of guys who are keeping these cars alive, and I guess I am one of them!
@@tecmotiondyno if i cant get shops to look at my 87 GT then this mark 7 is a no thanks just turning into the parking lot .. at a junk yard whats the must have parts ive seen a few in the yards but took the normal stuff but any clue whats rare ? im going to take the steering shaft and see if the stang ones are the same ..i know the stangs the shaft slides but mounting points maybe the same ??
@AwakeDude911 everything that isn’t the powertrain is unique. Things like the rear brake calipers, teves ABS, glass, lights, window switches, fuel level sender, trunk pull-down, sunroof assembly, ride height sensors, ABS sensors, and so on are all parts-car-only things.
I'mmmmmm gonna take a guess and sayyyy... HEADACHE! Unless you're the Smithsonian or Jay Leno, don't bother. This era of auto-manufacturing was a mess, especially for domestics; it was all off-the-shelf innovation with a HUGE helping of marketing which resulted in owning something which was nothing like that glossy ad in the National Geographic. Most parts for these cars are god-awful rare, mainly because for nearly 20 years as metal-prices went up the scrap was worth more than the car, even if it was in decent condition. It's actually easier to find parts and machining for vehicles mid-60s and older, basically because many of those cars didn't start to dry-rot as soon as you drove them of the lot, and they weren't a cobbled-together piece of modernity. But hey, passion and common-sense are seldom bosum buddies; I work on old Atari 5200s and fix them up... more 80s crap. So, I dig it.
Great content. I have a question can you tune my a9l for the best factory stock tune with re done e7s better springs and new valves for b cam a 75 mm tb homemade 4 inch powerpipe and 80 mm mass , long tubes 1 5/8 to full off rd 3inch exhaust flow master 40 dumped 410 gear that’s my complete combo I want to run 12s on a stock motor my goal yes car is wieght ruduced and 26 tire with skinnies for track, thank you I live Ontario Canada love your channel your knowledge and experience is very respected.🇨🇦 side-note forgot to mentioned I cnc machined my intake to match my TB 75mm I am a machinist by trade I just wanted to improve incoming air.
That’s the kind of thing I would want to have on the dyno to get as good as possible, but yes. Your combo has too many variables for a mail order style tune, especially when you are trying to squeeze it hard. I have seen one of these cars weigh 2200 lbs and look stock, and with the kind of parts you are talking you are going to need a lot of weight reduction and a low track to see 12’s, though I would not rule it out.
I live right by the lake check out Sparta drag strip last yr I got 13.2 at 103mph best et in the fall car is a coupe lowest options didn’t have bigger tb or power pipe or bigger mass just experimenting I do have another car completely stock except exhaust and gears that car I would like to tune aswell do you do mail tune for that?
First car I ever had was an 84 my dad had a 91, looked just like yours (with stock wheels) was my favorite car to take out on dates or on an occasional night cruise. Thought I was king shit wheeling a luxo 5.0
They are a fun car for sure. I have the stock wheels for mine, but I wanted at least SOME visual cues that the car was modified and I had these 02 Mustang wheels on the shelf, so I tried them, and I kind of like them, so I left them on.
Very nice car! Thanks for all the information. I just inherited a 1991 Mark vii LSC from my father who passed away. He inherited it from his father who worked at the Ford motor company all his life and got the car off the line. It has less than 100 000 km on it. I am in the process of getting it safetied.
So far I have spent about $2000 Canadian dollars on it. The mechanics tell me they can't believe how good shape the engine is in. However I have already run into so many battery and electronic issues just as you have detailed. Also I have had to take it to different shops for various specialties, you can't just drop it off at one place and have everything taken care of. Plus other little things like the gas cap getting stuck on, etc. It is so much fun to drive but the dilemma I have is that I am NOT a car guy. Like not even a tiny bit of know-how. The fact that this car is difficult to maintain even for enthusiasts scares me. But I want to keep it in honor of my dad.
Getting shops to deal with the car can be hard. Specialty and speed shops are probably your best bet to get some help. What part of Canada are you in?
@@tecmotiondyno I live in southwestern Ontario. I just got it back from the exhaust shop! All I have left to do to get the safety is buff out the headlights. Hopefully I don't have to get completely new ones. Time will tell if I can keep it going without getting too far in over my head. I'm having so much fun driving it. So smooth and comfortable to cruise around in, but the engine also roars!
My phone is listening to me and it led me here. Currently getting a 91 bill bliss edition put back on the road. I'm already falling in love with it, and it's not even running. The video is coming soon.. great comparison spot on analysis
It’s still snowing off and on here but I fired mine up the other day just to listen to it! Good luck with yours!
Great video ! Thanks for sharing . I've owned my 91 mk vii since 2011 . Bought it with 110,000 miles on it and rebuilt the suspension in 2019. I now have 177699 miles on it. Love the car. Not a marshmallow ride but sporty smooth. Everything is original. I did rebuild the entire brake system including replacing the brake pump and accumulator. Thanks for your videos , looking forward to more. Dan in california.
Thanks for watching! I think they are great cars, but especially as time goes on, the parts are harder and harder to get. The same can be said for most older cars, especially low production units and those that did not catch the imagination of enthusiasts enough to create a strong aftermarket parts channel.
Where did you get teaves ll hydraulic pump from?
@@user-vr8bn8po2i I bought the teves pump from pick n pull in vacavill in 2021. They had a 1990 mk vii . That is the same pump set up for all 3 years. 1990 through 1992. I was very lucky yo find it with 110,000 miles on the car.
I really appreciate this video. I’ve had my mark for 3 years. It has been very problematic. Bought the car for $3500 have spent over $3000 on the car since. And now need to spend more as the front air suspension failed. And my starter has gone. Now not only can I not start it but I can’t move it. Hell I can’t even get a jack under the car to replace the starter. I really thank you for these videos you have done. There’s not many videos about the marks and besides yours there’s only one airbag replacement video. If it wasn’t for your video I would not.know how to PROPERLY replace the bags. Thanks and I always enjoy your videos.
Glad it is helping out. They can be fun, but if you go into it with your eyes closed they can be a real nightmare! On balance, I still enjoy mine though.
The weird Teves brake system is another pain and dangerous if you have problems. The accumulators go bad.
Yes, AND the rear calipers are pure unobtainium. Parts are starting to get hard enough to come up with that alternative rebuild stuff is in your future if you have failures. For instance, a vacuum brake system from a Mustang, but then you will lose the ABS.
Strutmasters makes a kit to replace the airbags back to coils and shocks this will fix your airbag problem, the parts are about 350 and the local shop charged me about 650 to do the labor. hope this helps good luck
Mark FB has Avery active mark page with a lot of solutions for the air suspension
I bought my mark a little over 2 years ago. I saved it out of a field for 1,800, after replacing the fuel pump in that same field and drove it home. I've definitely spent $1000 on new cooling system and starter and fuel pump and def have to spend another couple hundred on other maintenance. However it has 50,000 miles original miles which makes it worth, and I'm hoping I can keep it till I'm an old man.
Good for you! I’m all for these cars myself and I really like mine. They have some serious parts availability problems that you have to contend with for sure, but that shouldn’t stop you from enjoying a good one. I might make taking on a basket case a little tougher though. Thanks for watching!
Very informative video! I want one! Thanks for sharing.
Omg your video is so well needed! These are so underrated. I wanted a Grand National and one of the local G-body dudes turned me on to these. Could not be happier. I get to go to lowrider cruise nights and get love from the muscle car guys. Best of both worlds.
I sure like mine, but you have to go into one of these with open eyes - The parts are just getting harder to get, and you are more or less on your own to work on it.
Ya my dad wanted a GN but we could not find a clean one and when I saw this with the 5.0 I was like dad you have to get this!
@@ThePSO51 dude y'all lucked out. Idk where you are? but if you ever want another one they are hella undervalued in CA and basically rust free.
@@DocHellidayI got mine in California
I Think it is a good car but a few things to remember when the water pump goes out, most the time the bolts seize in the timing chain cover and break meaning you will have to replace the timing chain cover when replacing the water pump. Also the air suspension usually goes out as well, Strutmasters builds a kit to replace the air bags but a pain in the butt to replace. I love my MARK VII especially because I found one that was in really good shape but I had to do these things to get it reliable. Good luck!!
You are right about the water pump bolts, but when they break you don’t normally damage the timing cover, but you will have to take it off to sort that problem out. There’s a video on this channel on the water pump replacement on a 5.0 Ford if you are interested. I do address the air suspension issues in the video and there are also videos on this channel on how to do the air suspension diagnostics and replace the air springs on a Lincoln Mark VII that you might find helpful. Thanks for watching!
Hey great content!! I have a 1991 LSC SE it was my dads I kept it, very mild mods CAI Shorty Header, H pipe, Flowmaster (of corse)..T5 conversion, and 3:73 gears ver fun drive for sure!! And you are correct a looker at shows!! I love this car, I am working on some body damage minor but can't find trim for it to get it right..
Anything unique for these cars is a big problem, that’s for sure. Thanks for watching!
Awesome find. I've always wanted to do one of these and I may need to start looking....
There are some good ones out there still.
If you're going to get one, look for an '88 and up. The '89 in my opinion is the best one. It still had the original dash which just fit the car better. Many of the electrical/mechanical issues from previous years had been resolved and all came with the 225hp HO. The '90 onwards had lots of things that just looked like they were tacked on (crown vic type dash, 3 point rear seatbelts, painted over chrome trim, cheaper bucket seats, etc.)
I've owned several of these over the last 25 years and can 100% tell you that you will run into trouble keeping them on the road. There's a lot of things that can go wrong with these cars. For one, they're all speed density (no good for bolt ons), the air suspension is great until it stops working, then it becomes a giant PITA. My current Mark was converted to springs (previous owner) and without the air suspension it rides like a literal boat. And good luck trying to fix something in the dash, they crack, plastic breaks, screws strip, etc.
Great cars, not for the faint of heart! Your comments are all spot on.
I picked up a 115k lsc in october and just drove it to Calgary and back to Winnipeg over the holidays. Runs like a top. I plan on scooting back into Calgary this summer, would love to bring the car by your shop for a visit!
Sounds good. Best to call first. Some summer days are very intense with problem cars on the dyno, so I can’t always make time on zero notice, but I would like to see your car for sure.
Mum raised me better than to show up unannounced, would definitely email or call you ahead of time to see what works for you! Thanks for being so welcoming though!!@@tecmotiondyno
See you in the summer!
A good buy, for me. I'm a 80's Lincoln guy. Whatever comes up, no matter what it is, I could take care of it. Not so much for some that don't understand the mechanics of this car. I prefer the 91 Bill Blass.
At least most of the mechanics are still repairable. It’s all the unique stuff that you can’t get parts for. I’m with you though, I love mine.
I jumped on it two days ago, I'm taking Ubers to work 😂. I am now balls deep in the Mark VII community. The car is actually a time capsule and still has the plastic floorboard from the dealership, so i plan on getting it to a good healthy daily driver
They are a great choice if you get a good one and have the resources and skills to keep it going!
They're great for people who understand how special they are, and a mistake for people who don't understand how well they were a luxury car first which also merged in "sport" in a way that hadn't made its way into American luxury cars very much yet when these first came out.
People sometimes look at these cars almost more from the sport end of the spectrum in more recent years, but they were meant to be luxury cars first. I am not putting these people down, but these are *not* glorified Mustangs, even with the shared parts. That doesn't mean I would not enhance the performance of a Mark VII, as I would...it's just a matter of the approach...enhancing what's there, keeping a smooth running, well mannered one, and not going against what makes it a Lincoln vs turning the Mark into a Mustang as some people (not you) occasionally do. I love both cars, and have a '91 Mustang GT hatchback (Titanium Frost) since new in my family, and in my family had both an '88 (from new, Dark Shadow Blue/Shadow Blue) and '91 (got used) LSC SE (black/black)...I don't have a Mark VII currently, but do want another '88, which I feel are the best Mark VIIs.
Oh, and any older radio can have Bluetooth added. If you ever want the original radio back in the car, there is a guy named Paul Protos that restores them properly (many repair people do not like repairing the 1988+ radios in the Mark VIIs).
Thank you for keeping the air suspension. It's part of what makes these cars unique and special.
Thoughtful comments. I never got the original radio with this car - I suspect it was blown up because of a voltage regulator problem that was causing a scary over-volt on the system, so I resolved that with a 3G alternator conversion and just put in a modern digital only head unit. That setup works fine and is discreet enough not to ruin the aesthetic of the car. From what I hear, Paul Protos is a good guy to handle a radio restoration and upgrade like you mentioned if that is the way you want to go.
My parents had a black 1988 MK7. It was nice. But I do remember it having issues with the rear suspension and this was probably around 1993-94. So the car wasn’t very old at the time.
Yours is a cool car 👍🏻
It's not just Fords, every air suspension vehicle ever has problems.
KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!
Thanks! I think I am going to get back to a little Mustang content here shortly. My Mustang fans are probably getting tired of all this mark VII stuff! 😂
Hi Tecmotion, I actually have a good portion of the forum scraped/archived and am working on restoring it. I'll update on the Facebook group as things progress
That’s great news. A lot was lost when the forum went down.
I would love an update as well. I used to lurk on the Lincoln Mark VII forum.
Bought an ‘88 mark and let’s just say I call
It Frankenstein! Hatchetman definitely had a ball with this one
I was in my early 20s when these cars came out. It was love at first sight, but way out of my budget. I'd love to find a nice surviver now.
There are some nice ones around still.
I had a 92 Mark VII LSC and later a 98 Mark VIII LSC. Great cars with one major problem this gentleman brings up as the first "con." The air bag suspension is great...when it works...mine sometimes didn't...too many times. Right now I've got a 2011 MKS EcoBoost with a nice traditional suspension. It may not be a coupe, but it also has 355 horses neither of those Marks had, and AWD.
Yeah, they take some effort to keep on the road, so really they are a nostalgia fun car rather than regular transportation these days. In fairness, pretty well every air suspension car has the same kind of problems - Guys told me to put bags in my Super Duty, but I opted for traditional leaf overload springs instead, because they are totally reliable and bags are not.
I bought a 91 Vii LSC in 94 with 37,000 miles from a local Mercury dealer. It has 92,000 currently. I take it to local car shows and never see another one. It does get thumbs up from other drivers. It’s not show and it’s the same color as yours. I always liked these cars. It’s almost like people just forgot about them.
I rarely see them either, but I know about a couple of others around Alberta. I think there are pockets of them in Pennsylvania and surrounding states, Florida, and Texas. I actually have a parts car that is exactly like mine too. I do find that it shows better than a Mustang because it is different but it still gets the love from guys who like Foxbodies. I have a nice 93 Mustang but I think I am going to sell it and keep the Mark as my nostalgia cruiser.
I should probably invest in a parts car too. I do worry about the availability of some of the mark vii specific parts. I did buy a factory Lincoln service manual along with the electrical trouble shooting manual.
Hi, I do have a completely stock 89 coupe that I have a bigger exhaust on it full 3 inch off-road with xpipe 30 chamber race muffler dumped and a homemade air intake tube 4 inch would you be able to do programming to the A9l if shipped to you? Just maximize the stock motor to its full capacity?
I'm not sure that it will be economical due to the shortage of chips for these cars. You can give me a call at the shop if you want to chat about it on the phone, which is probably the best way to handle this enquiry.
Great video, dude. Love the nod to John, too. I'm one of the guys that will help in the Club's FB group. 😁What's the info on the wheels and tires? Do you remember the offsets and whatnot? Love the way your car sits.
The wheels are real 02 GT Mustang wheels - 17” Anthracite Bullitts. The adapters are Coyote Products parts and I think I ended up with 3/4”, but I don’t remember off the top of my head. The tires are Cooper Zeon RS3-G1. Pretty sure they are 245-45-17. Speedo correction is done with an Abbott Electronic Ratio adapter. Final drive is 4.10. John used to send me a Christmas card. I was pretty sorry to see him go, and he was some real glue in the Mark VII community. Thanks for watching!
@@tecmotiondyno yeah John was a good man. I was one of the original founders of the club back in the day, too. Appreciate the info on the wheels and tires. 🤘🏻 Kinda like the stock look on mine, kinda like the Bullit look lol
@@theANGRIERone yeah, I have the original BBS wheels, and I had them on the car for a while after I built it, but the car is SO modified and it looked SO stock with those wheels. I wanted something that would at least hint at the modified nature of the car without being over the top and without me having to start it so you can hear the TFS cam and the long tubes and super 44’s, and I had these wheels off an 02 Mustang that I had for a long time, so I tried them on the car and really liked them so they stayed. That car got deep dish bullitts and the Mustang center caps went on the Mustang, so the centers I used on this setup are from the aftermarket deep dish bullitts. They make more sense on the Lincoln than the Mustang centers would have.
@@tecmotiondyno that's my dilemma too. Mine has a TKX, TFS Stage 1, AFR165 and a Holley Terminator X. Everyone thinks it's stock until I start it up to leave the cruise night 😂
@@theANGRIERone lots of people will stop to take a look at my mod sheet when they see it’s me with the car because they know I usually have something special, but sometimes it can just look TOO ordinary. These are real Ford wheels, and the Anthracite finish goes well with the light titanium paint, but they hint at the car being something extra.
My first car was 1990 Mark VII Bill Blass edition, wish I still had it. Drove it from 1992 until 1997, 170,000 plus miles. I have my plates for it somewhere in my basement that said "MY VII". I parked it in the winter to avoid rust and drove an 88 Ford Aerostar during those months. That being said, you should have fired it up. Those 5.0s' sounded good.
You can learn about and hear my modified Mark VII here: Modified Lincoln Mark VII Walkthrough and Discussion
ruclips.net/video/YQEzvweLASg/видео.html and here: ruclips.net/user/shorts1WExy7lbYjs?si=cWZwssFBEeQjXDvD
@@tecmotiondyno Thank you.
My uncle had a 1991. It drove like a dream.
Yeah, that’s the real plus of these cars. They are a great cruiser!
Can you run GT40p heads with the speed density? I haven't tried that yet on my Lincoln. I just don't want to put an engine in and then have to swap back to the E7 heads?
I don’t see any problem with that if you use a stock cam. Where you get into trouble is changing the vacuum profile of the engine because the manifold vacuum is the principal signal used for the fuel calculations.
My mind set would be to install a complete frame and suspension set up , from tires to steering wheel , including a healthy 351 etc . Basically just saving the interior and sheet metal
To make a dependable road car , without having to chase down 35 year old parts , with questionable quality. Thoughts from the peanut gallery .
Ps , my last project car which lasted 33 years was a 1963 and 1 / 2 Ford Falcon Sprint , started out a 260 2 speed tranny ( why a 2 speed , why ) became a tricked out 289 4. Speed .
It’s tougher to do that kind of project on a unit body car. In fairness, mine does a pretty good job of being dependable. Case in point - I drove it about 250 miles last weekend. All-custom cars have their own problems with reliability too, so it’s hard to know if your plan would create a more reliable version or not, but I’m all for modifying cars. My own Mark is pretty heavily modified already!
I have had my sitting for 13 years I should of keep starting it but I didn't now i need a new battery and probably have to siphon out the old gas and keep my fingers crossed it will start or i can sell it as is the drivers door is damaged and the window don't roll up or down just don't know what to do have to move it out of the parking spot by june
Try posting your story on the Lincoln Mark VII Club Facebook page. Rejuvenating the powertrain will likely be easier than sorting out the door and glass, but either way your pricing will have to reflect the project status of the car.
@@tecmotiondynothank you for replying appreciate it
Can’t believe no mention of the problematic Teves ABS system and its legendary irreparable nature. At least deserves a warning that if your prospective creampuff has a solid or come and go ABS light buckle up and get ready for MK 7 trouble. When the cars were new you could buy a new or reman ABS pump from ford and the dealership supposedly could program it. Big $ even then. No shortcuts, if you find a donor car with a good unit it still needs to be programmed to your car. I hear that a conversion to vacuum assist is possible with stuff from just the right Mustang but requires rear brake conversion with hand made hard lines and adapted parking brake cables, not something one would do for a customer and assume liability. Air suspension failures are easy fix compared to a dead brake pedal.
Fair enough, that is yet another problematic system on the car. The accumulator ball is one of the most common failures but there are still replacement parts for that. I’m not sure what needs to be programmed on the Teves system during a replacement though.
Wow fast response. The nature of the problem was even then shrouded with lack of or misinformation from the dealers. I went back and looked at the under hood shots of your car and see there is no vacuum booster, so maybe the problem isn’t as pervasive as I thought. I also know that ford wasn’t the only manufacturer that suffered from Teves ABS problems the Buick Reatta was 100% so equipped and those cars are valueless now, maybe because they had no merit even when new. The MK 7 and MK 8 on the other hand are an awesome canvas for reviving into a fast luxury tourer, but not with no brakes.
I'm actually going today get pick up an 89 with 99k miles zero rust garage kept for $1200
Nice deal, even if some of it needs attention.
i really learned something today...
wow tilt air bag wheel i wonder if this could be a option in the stangs if one was pulled out of the mark 7 . im not a fan of these cars ive taken a few apart and for the time it was way over engineered and things in them were usually broken and hundreds of dollars to get them back driving again... im glad you enjoy your car but for the average joe they cant afford the parts let along the hours of labor bills these car require. these cars fall into 2 categories you either have money $$$$$ and your just the driver or you do the work yourself and most people have no clue how to turn a wrench. either way the car not right for 85% of the masses!
It stunned me when I realized it had tilt steering and an airbag too. And you are right - these cars really separate the hard core guys from the masses because you have to be a fairly serious guy to keep it going. I don’t even think that money and a shop are much of an option because most shops won’t touch cars like this. On the other hand, there are a surprising number of guys who are keeping these cars alive, and I guess I am one of them!
P
@@tecmotiondyno if i cant get shops to look at my 87 GT then this mark 7 is a no thanks just turning into the parking lot .. at a junk yard whats the must have parts ive seen a few in the yards but took the normal stuff but any clue whats rare ? im going to take the steering shaft and see if the stang ones are the same ..i know the stangs the shaft slides but mounting points maybe the same ??
@AwakeDude911 everything that isn’t the powertrain is unique. Things like the rear brake calipers, teves ABS, glass, lights, window switches, fuel level sender, trunk pull-down, sunroof assembly, ride height sensors, ABS sensors, and so on are all parts-car-only things.
there is one near me for sale for 413k.It's a '90 LSC with 63k miles on it.Looks good,but I sense it already needs about $7k
No matter what old car is your poison, there’s always something that needs attention!
I'mmmmmm gonna take a guess and sayyyy... HEADACHE!
Unless you're the Smithsonian or Jay Leno, don't bother. This era of auto-manufacturing was a mess, especially for domestics; it was all off-the-shelf innovation with a HUGE helping of marketing which resulted in owning something which was nothing like that glossy ad in the National Geographic.
Most parts for these cars are god-awful rare, mainly because for nearly 20 years as metal-prices went up the scrap was worth more than the car, even if it was in decent condition. It's actually easier to find parts and machining for vehicles mid-60s and older, basically because many of those cars didn't start to dry-rot as soon as you drove them of the lot, and they weren't a cobbled-together piece of modernity.
But hey, passion and common-sense are seldom bosum buddies; I work on old Atari 5200s and fix them up... more 80s crap. So, I dig it.
just got one for 650 bucks... wish me luck!! lol
There are still deals like that out there, but usually not for nice ones. Good luck!
Who wants to buy my arctic white 1990 Mark VII LSC
Me
Missed opportunity. Entire video without showing any of the car features
This is the video you are looking for: Modified Lincoln Mark VII Walkthrough and Discussion
ruclips.net/video/YQEzvweLASg/видео.html
Great content. I have a question can you tune my a9l for the best factory stock tune with re done e7s better springs and new valves for b cam a 75 mm tb homemade 4 inch powerpipe and 80 mm mass , long tubes 1 5/8 to full off rd 3inch exhaust flow master 40 dumped 410 gear that’s my complete combo I want to run 12s on a stock motor my goal yes car is wieght ruduced and 26 tire with skinnies for track, thank you I live Ontario Canada love your channel your knowledge and experience is very respected.🇨🇦 side-note forgot to mentioned I cnc machined my intake to match my TB 75mm I am a machinist by trade I just wanted to improve incoming air.
That’s the kind of thing I would want to have on the dyno to get as good as possible, but yes. Your combo has too many variables for a mail order style tune, especially when you are trying to squeeze it hard. I have seen one of these cars weigh 2200 lbs and look stock, and with the kind of parts you are talking you are going to need a lot of weight reduction and a low track to see 12’s, though I would not rule it out.
I live right by the lake check out Sparta drag strip last yr I got 13.2 at 103mph best et in the fall car is a coupe lowest options didn’t have bigger tb or power pipe or bigger mass just experimenting I do have another car completely stock except exhaust and gears that car I would like to tune aswell do you do mail tune for that?
It sounds like you are really close to the 12's for sure. The best thing to do is call me at the shop and we can discuss your projects.
First car I ever had was an 84 my dad had a 91, looked just like yours (with stock wheels) was my favorite car to take out on dates or on an occasional night cruise. Thought I was king shit wheeling a luxo 5.0
They are a fun car for sure. I have the stock wheels for mine, but I wanted at least SOME visual cues that the car was modified and I had these 02 Mustang wheels on the shelf, so I tried them, and I kind of like them, so I left them on.