1988 Mark VII Convertible

Originally published in the November-December 2004 (# 261) issue of Lincoln & Continental Comments magazine.
This was a letter mailed in to the Editor by Steven Erler of Pasadena, California.

Being an avid Lincoln lover and collector, and a member of LCOC since 1974,1 am pleased to share my latest acquisition, and ask for the club’s assistance.

Last month, I was fortunate enough to purchase a 1988 Mark VII LSC convertible converted by Couch Builders, Ltd. in Florida. I have tried several avenues to secure information on the number of these cars produced, however, the company, itself, although pleasant, is rather vague on the actual production figures.

I have learned from other sources that there were between 120 and 150 Mark VII conversions done between 1984 and 1992. However, I do not have the exact breakdown of how many were made each year, or how many were LSC editions. If there is a member who can provide assistance with this issue, I would be appreciative.

For your viewing pleasure I have enclosed photos of the car. At the point of purchase and since I have have given the car “fine tuning”. The car originally spent most of its life in Coral Gables, Florida. When the original owner passed away in the late ’90s, the car was sent back to Oak Park, Illinois, to be stored at the family compound. It was then sold to a family friend, a young Chicago attorney, who used the car during the sunny season, and stored it the rest of the time. The new owner’s passion, however, was for Corvettes, so the car did not receive the attention it so rightfully deserved. Wanting to purchase another exotic car, the attorney put the car up for sale. Lucky me!

The car was put on Collector Cars.com about the time I was looking for a summer hobby and another unique Lincoln to add to my stable. I flew back to Chicago in June to look at the car, and realized it was just that, a unique and beautiful Lincoln looking for a good home and someone to appreciate her. I made an offer that was accepted, and the car was delivered to me in Pasadena, California, one week later.

The car is Raven Black with a maroon leather interior, and is fully loaded. The overall condition is outstanding, once a good cleaning, leather treatment, and a coat of polish have been applied. She has just 62,000 miles, and has checked out very well mechanically. I replaced the original Titanium LSC rims with the later, and brighter BBS rims, to give the car the “pop” it really needed. Having the lower trim removed to add the ground effects package during conversion, the car lacked a sparkle that the BBS rims added. In addition, I added a double red pin stripe. The LSC logo and Lincoln Star had originally been placed on fabric and stitched to the convertible top, However, the years have made them look somewhat tired and discolored. I decided to remove the fabric logos from the top, and added the LSC metal script directly under where the original had been. This, too, added a little dazzle to the car.