In this Fan Car Friday post we will be taking a look at a truly unique 1959 Lincoln Continental to give you a slight taste for what will be to come on an upcoming FantomWorks episode. Fan Car Friday is a segment where we want to share with the world the automobiles that our fans restored. These cars are not for sale and we have absolutely no affiliation/relationship with the cars, the build or the owners, we saw the photos and felt they should be shared with the world to inspire others on their build. Or, simply put, its great eye candy for those of us who can’t make it to car shows or meetups as often as we would like. All posts are made with written consent of the owners.
The owner of this build is all about getting the car out and on the road for the public to see and enjoy. Getting to talk to people about the car, getting to share it with others and the hobby itself are all part of the fun. Even more fun is stepping into this car, your sense of urgency just washes away from you. You could be late to your wedding, but suddenly that doesn’t matter anymore and you will just slowly cruise along enjoying life and everything this world has to offer. Simply put, this car is big, it is excessive and it is overflowing and exuding with luxury; you sit down in it and you feel like the most important person in the world. But the drive isn’t about your destination; it’s about the path getting there. It’s about seeing everything, feeling everything and appreciating it all for what it is. And hey, for having the total costs of this car be just a few grand less than a used Prius, Brian has the best bang for his buck you could ask for. Especially when you consider that everything is numbers matching and original. Except for the convertible top that is, plus the car had only recently passed 30,000 original miles.
If you’re like me you’re wondering how on earth something survives for almost 70 years only being driven less than 500 miles a year. Well, the original owner was going through a divorce and his neighbor “she may take my house, but she will never take my damn car!” which is something any of us could probably see themselves saying if we were in the same situation. So the original owner took it to his neighbor’s dentistry practice in Chicago in 1961 and gave him an offer too good to refuse. After driving it for a short two years the dentist parked it citing “its too damn expensive to drive” and that’s when gas was $.35 a gallon. So the car sat being taken out on special occasions and the 4th of July only putting about 50 miles on it every outing. After doing this for a few years the owner passed away and his neighbor purchased this for a whopping $6 even from the wife. He could have purchased a large combo meal at a fast food joint instead, but we think the car was a much better option. 
After the newest owner got the car running he had no idea what to do with it. He didn’t have space for a 22 foot behemoth (That’s about 5 feet of car per passenger) so it sat in a dark and dusty room fora good number of years. One day Brian caught a glimpse of this beauty. He constantly begged the owner not to buy it, but simply get it up and running again at his own expense. For years this continued, Brian would ask to be allowed to fix it and he would be dismissed out of hand. Until one morning the neighbor went too Brian offering to sell it, by now Brian was used to this old song and dance of the owner throwing out a ridiculous number or immediately saying “never mind” and walking away, but this time was different. The owner was going to lose his job and never having any kids of his own, saw Brian as the child he never wanted. Brian was getting first rights to buying the car! You can see its condition at the time below.
It didn’t drive but it had 7 working power windows, power roof, heater etc. that were all working. After some fresh gas, an oil change and new plugs it fired right up! The car is only on its second set of tires, though the original spare is in the trunk and still holds air. At 5,200 pounds this is the true definition of a land yacht. It truly defines this after Brian did some magic to it as seen below.
Bryan truly enjoys driving this car and understanding “The way it was”. Especially when it comes to the luxury aspect of the car. Today most luxury cars are mostly defined by their technology or engine. But for this vehicle luxury is defined as build quality: engaging buttons that don’t wear away on you, an incredibly smooth ride and the overall satisfying feeling you get from doing anything in the car. Whether that is closing the behemoths of doors, everything being made of solid metal or being completely surrounded by real leather this vehicle doesn’t simply scream luxury, it instead politely informs you of it.
