So,

During the weekend I found some "VERY" old rolls of film that I had taken many moons ago with an old Kodak Instamatic camera. On the very first roll were some shots of my very "first" baby...my 1979 Lincoln Town Car in what I thought was two toned baby blue.

My dad bought me that car after inquiring on what I wanted after completing my drivers exam in 1994. At that time it only had 72,000 miles on the clock, and was INCREDIBLY plush and elegant. I was the only kid at Grand Ledge high School to own a car of : 1. This size 2. A Lincoln 3. A luxury car. Even Tara Hanks, who's father ran the local Chevrolet Dealership called Sundance did not have a car quite like mine...She had a late model Corvette...

My baby had the standard 430 cid 5.8 litre. Lincoln Power plant with Three Speed "Select Shift Turbo-Drive". It had power steering, brakes , windows, vents, seats, mirrors and air conditioning. It had the "StereoSonic" 8-track player as well as an AM/FM Stereo radio. It also had a heated rear window defogger defroster amongst other things.

The velour interior was very comfy and yards of that fabric was slathered about, along with s few hints of rich looking Faux-Walnut woodgrain trim. The silver dash background contrasted nicely with the eerie green back lit numerals and letters that spread across the dials.

Unfortunately, my picture taking ability SUCKED back then, and all of them are bad by comparison of what I do now, not to mention some that other people take including Alan.

Here is my baby girl..whom I named Betty Bluebell....

another....

another....

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She's a fine auto. I got an old 75 mk IV myself only it's got the 460 in it and only has 82k on the odometer. They really are a great ride, like driving a giant mattress around. has all the goodies in it, landau top, opera windows, power locks, windows, steering, 8 track, etc.

more.....

more....

As my sisters new 97 explorer is in one of the pictures.... This was the year that I parted company with it...so maybe I was taking them before I sold them. I could have sworn that it was when i got it....
No matter this was what I had....

Was the best of "The Carpenters". I also had some "Diana Ross", a few Flweetwood Mac and many others all kept in a leatherette case in the trunk.

I did many "firsts" in that car...hence why I felt the need to share with you.....

That's one fine automobile. I have a number of dream cars made during that time period, and that's one of them. The '79 is the last year for the big Town Car (and every other big Ford) before the downsizing for 1980. The coupes of that era (Mark IV and V) are also very impressive. Personal luxury at it's best.

I plan on getting my hands on a 1973-1977 Pontiac Grand Prix in the next 5 years or so. I suggest anyone that wants a car of that time period should hurry up before they become unaffordable. Actualy, now that I think about it, gas might actualy be a bigger issue than the price of the car itself with oil the way it is.

Oh, and you can't go wrong with a bit of Fleetwood Mac in the 8 track player. They have a song for every mood, including driving.

I will say that their little known song "Hold Me" was a favorite of mine during periods of automotive intimacy. Even now when I hear Lindsey Buckingham's voice singing that song.. I transport back to those days in BlueBelle making good use of the rear seat, and hating the fact that when sweaty...you DEFINITELY stick to velour like glue..and it will leave heat rash.....LMAO...

I just cant help but to think that because the engine had problems, that I was SO stupid, and daft to sell it...but then again I just got a 1980 LTD Hardtop that was a pile of crap, and was gone after 90 days...then a newer Crown Victoria that was a 1984 and in better condition overall...and was FAR better on gas due to it having a smaller 302 V-8, and four speed AOD transmission. No matter that it started every Thursday at 2 pm when the bells rang..

The Town Car got , usually on the highway around 16-18 and less so in town...around 9-12 depending on my foot. The Crown Victoria got far better.

My total FoMoCo ownership went like this:

1979 Lincoln Town Car 4 door..baby blue. Nickname (BlueBelle), started having engine and body rust problems. Let go only because i was stupid..and well...poor...

1980 Ford Crown Victoria LTD Two door burgundy: Nickname ( no name) This thing had like 60,000 miles but had their VERY problematical "Variable Venturi" two barrel carb, and constantly stalled, once on very busy railroad tracks.

1984 Ford Crown Victoria LTD Four Door white with burgundy half roof. Nickname: ( The Edsel). I had alot of electrical problems with this car. It caught fire on me in a Burger King Drive thru.... the next day I bought....

1990 Mercury Grand Marquis LS Four Door. Nickname (Dyna-Flo) cause it was so smooth.... this was my first LOT purchase car. The motor went to shit just after returning form visiting Jeff Parker the last time I went to Illinois. The motor just let o, and clattered like an ol' jalopy...One of the cylinders went dead due to a compression problem only had 126,00 or so miles too. I had also just made my last car payment just before this happened.

1986 Mercury Grand Marquis LS Four door. Nickname (Marky Blue), was T-boned the second month I owned it..Thanks to stupid driving on the other drivers part, and snowy slick Michigan roads.

1995 Lincoln Town Car Executive Four Door. Nickname: Bertha Grey Whale. Oh yeah..you all know about this one...

2000 Mercury Grand Marquis LS Four door. Nickname ( I haven't settled on one yet)


Yes, I have had me alot of cars. I also owned a 1988 Chevrolet Caprice Classic and a 1997 Oldsmobile 88 LSS in that time frame as well.

Chad

I think that this is the video....

Maybe i got it here.....

I had a light metallic green with white vinyl top and white leather 1978 Contental Mark V. It was 65,000 miles when I bought it, and the dealer said he knew the son of the owner. I don't think the dealer thought it was a bad car, but it was an endless dissapointment. In 1993, my b/f (as seen a previous thread,) bought a ringer for your '79 Lincoln, for $100.00. It was in great shape, needed a little engine work. Long story short, he couldn't use it for long because he died of some blood disease he got years earlier, and congestive heart failure. I think it's in Cincinatti now. I still love those great old Lincolns though.

I'm sorry about that gigantic space, one of the cats stood on the keyboard.

What a nice car and one of my faves as well. I guess I was also an odd ball who rather than wanting a sporty car as a kid always wanted a luxury liner as well. My first car in 74 when I'd moved out west at 18 was a 72 Wildcat. That got traded in late 75 on a new demo 75 Electra 225 coupe I had to have. It was absolutely beautiful, dark metallic blue with the white padded vinyl landau roof, fender skirts and more lights inside/outside than a city. It looked spectacular and I thought even nicer than a similar C'dville especially the rear end. 455 engine drank gas though. I know I have a photo or two of it, pre computer, just don't know where they are.
Oh and my fave 8 track in the multi-speakered Delco was Meatloaf Bat Out of Hell

My dad had a '72 Lincoln Town Car in dark brown which he bought new, and then sold it and bought a '78 Town Car in maroon with a brown landau roof. I remember seeing the sales contract - $14,000 ! That was a lot of money at that time considering that a brand new Chevy Nova was less than $5,000. I thought the Town Car was the cat's meow. I was only 19 at the time but I loved driving it whenever I got the chance which mainly was whenever we went on trips. It was so long that its rear end stuck out of the carport.

Gary

Helen once again caught in the back seat of sombody else's 1967 Lincoln.

Chad, wow, you got 16-18mpg in a towncar of that age. The Mark V coupe was known to have 7mpg on the highway so I figured that the Towncar would be worse. The 302 powered cars were much easier on gas and were ok in terms of responsiveness. Still, there's nothing like telling your friends that you have a 460 under the hood.

My grandmother had a 91 Mercury Grand Marquise with a fuel injected 302. It was the last year for the old style Grand Marquise before the aero redesign. It's too bad the car had a smell that would never come out. It was a nice car and I liked it but it was nothing compared to her '85 Pontiac Parisienne(upscale Chevy Caprice). It had pillowed velour seats and doors with chrome trim everywhere. It was a nice car until the mechanic stated the frame was rusted out. He actualy was able to stick a jack knife through the frame with little effort. She lived on a island at the time and the salt had really messed it up.

I found this Pontiac on ebay. Same color and everything. This is another one of my dream cars but I remember how bad they handle in snow and I could never drive one year round here in Maine. I'll be sticking with my front wheel drive 92 Lesabre which should handle much better.

Oh, and "Hold Me" is really a Christine Mcvie song with lots of backing vocals from Lindsay. I think many people think it's one of Lindsay's songs until they are told otherwise. The video you linked to, like many music videos, is quite strange, but in a good intersting way.

I just had to post a picture of the interior. She had the exact same color interior. This is how nice a Pontiac could be back then. They never had a reputation as a luxury brand but this is an exception.

Very nice Chad!

1986-1997 Lincoln Town Cars are my alltime favorite!

Two more 60's beauties, (the cars), at the Lamba Grand Invitational last year in New Hope, PA.

Wow,

Thanks everyone for the replies. I was just stunned to find those old pictures after all these years. Strangely there are no vacuum cleaner photos as of yet. They are there of course as I took those too.

Erick, my grandfather (paternal) before he had the 1995 Town Car always had a slew of Caprice Classics. When I was born, I was brought home in his brand new 1976 Caprice Sedan in like a pale minty green color. He picked up that one at like a fire sale at the local Chevy dealer trying to unload them. His was the last of the hardtop 4 doors, and he only had it until the fall of 1978 when he traded that one for a "newer" smaller 1978 Caprice Classic.

His next one was a fully loaded Caprice Classic Brougham in 1984. His was two toned brown, and had a dash IDENTICAL to yours above, but the seats of course were not as nice, and the steering wheel was different. He then got one of the last 1989 Caprice calssic Broughams delivered to the local Chevrolet dealer. He had that one until 1995 when Bertha Grey whale followed him home from the local Lincoln-Mercury franchise..he though the newer Caprices were horrid...

And look at all those 1960's Lincolns that Charlie has provided us pictures of. I definitely could see many of you piled into one flying down 80-294 or some such freeway as you were heading downtown for a whirlwind tour thru Marshall Fields, or all those magnificient Chigo junk shops to find new treasures.

And finally I did read up on the origins of that song, and found out that McVie wrote that about her tumultuous relationship with Dennis Wilson. So I was wrong about the Lindsey Bucky thing...but his vocals are there for sure...

Anyway...keep pics coming if you have them....


Chad

I love those luxury Bonnevilles and Parisiennes. And most of the Caprices, the Ninety-Eights of course, and especially Electra 225s.

Here's a before pic of my Impala I'm driving now. Kind of ugly, but it was only $300. I bought it from the original owner's grand-daughter. I had to promise I wouldn't part it out.
I had to put some work into her, but she drives like brand new.
The back door is a little smushed, the toyota that hit it was totaled! Nothing like a big old tank!
I'll have to get a pic of her good side sometime.
Nicholas

Chad darling,

When I do my flying down any highway it will always be in my Imperial!

Forgot to say it's a 79. I call it the U.S.S. Chevrolet. :)

Here's a favorite of mine that the GM full size car lovers might find interesting. It's the full size 1980 Pontiac Bonneville coupe. Has the size of a sedan and configuration of a coupe. I don't think many of these exist today and the whole full size coupe concept has been somewhat forgotten. Once upon a time nearly all full size cars were available as a coupe, like the Cadillac Fleetwood, Buick LeSabre and Electra, Chevy Caprice, and Olds 88 and 98.

That Imperial is absolutely gorgeous. Is that a 1960? Because IIRC the 1960 was the last year before the headlights were mounted in their own little pods...

I have never experienced a Imperial firsthand. My late maternal grandfather had a good friend Julian, whom worked with him at Ford Wixom that had a 1957 DeSoto Adventurer convertible in goldish white and like a bronze color. He let me drive it a few times near his house, and all I can say is "TorsionAire, TorqueFlite, HEMI engine....

The most exciting car today...Is now DeLighting the far high-way...It's DeLovely, It's DyNamic, It's De SO TO!!!!

That car made me feel like Miss Jayne Mansfield when I drove it, and believe me I got a few stares form the hotties when I would drive it around Torch Lake where he had his "vacation house"...not a "cabin" but a dear jesus huge house....

I never told him the time I was showing off, and accidentally stabbed Reverse while going like 15 mph. I almost caused my life to end that day, becasue behind me was a new Ford 250 dually that thankfully was not THAT close. No matter how much you drive one of those PUSHBUTTON Chryslers, you still should look at what your poking at....

Ahhhh good times....

P.S. What kind of luxury liner do you drive?

Chad

In a more perfect world. this is what I would use ALWAYS to go do my shopping in..... And the car tha I would eventually own. In fact when i sat in Jimmy's 1955 Patrician at his wonderful wash in, I was in heaven literally...

My luxiner at the moment is featured in this photo.

But my shared happiness is taken away by the sure loss of our Blue Point Siamese cat, Fred. His time is short.

Thanks for your post. Us our old car folks do love these threads.
Here is my 1965 Olds 98 Town Sedan.

Stunning Charlie....indescribably stunning. I'm sure that when you drive it you get longing stares with that...

My deepest sympathies to you hon on your Fred. I just lost my little boy of 16 years a few months ago my lab, cocker spaniel Tucker, whom I'd named after the car. He was hand picked as he was being birthed, and was the runt. That dog became more to my mom and step father after I'd moved to Ann Arbor.

Sadly after a year of canine Diabetes, and a tumor on his little bladder, he breathed his last August 16th. Thankfully they plan to live at the house their in forever becasue we buried our little person in the back yard next to his favorite tree....

Again my sympathies....

Chad

P.s. heres a picture of my little boy back in June when he was still okay, but not really...:-(

Man I miss him....

about the ginormous picture....

Chad

Three of my roommates cats walked into oblivion, I lost my first one to an unknown occurance, so you have my sympathies. Fred has the best of everything, thankfully, and I hope it will be peaceful. I had a 1963 Imperial, it still had the pod headlights, and the fins had been reduced considerably on that model. My 1966 Chrysler Newport sedan is missing at the moment, I don't know where the repairman has it right now.

Here is our Fred shaved because of his ultrasound. Thanks for your thoughts and kindnesses.

My condolences Charlie, our pets are like our family I know and Fred is lucky to have you, I'm sure, just as you are to have had him. Take care and you are in my thoughts and prayers through what is to come.

Rick

Thanks Rick. Everyone has been absolutely wonderful. I think many of us have had to journey down this road. The support and concern is certainly comforting.

C.

Here's an ad for a car that just went for $400,000.00 on an auction. The blonde girl on the far right in top picture is my roommate, far left on the bottom picture. It was the only ad she ever did, and it is difficult to see. But it's a fun bit of nostalgia.

Its going to be in my Bird-Thunderbird. My 1959.

here's my bird

I love those '58,9, and '60 "squarebirds".

In front of the 59 is a 60 thunderbird as well as another 60 thunderbird off to the right. there are also a s*** load of other cars there in the barn. Belonging to either me or my father.

I like the '64, 5, and 6s too. I like all of them, but the late'50s mid '60s are my faves.