“Vice” Read cruising his Lincoln Continental Mark III through one of many covered bridges on the driving tour portion of the 2021 Eastern National Meet.  Photo courtesy of John Walcek.

Originally published in the May/June 2024 Lincoln and Continental Comments magazine (Issue # 378)

My fascination with cars started as a child. My story began with a Matchbox & Hot Wheels collection and continued with participating in model car competitions, bumper cars, and go-kart racing. I attended the D.C. Amory World of Wheels show in the early 1960s with my father, where I entered the model car competition. I built The Little Red Wagon with cotton glued around the wheels and thread for the spark plugs. I had no directions and no parts left over. The judges were impressed, and I won 2nd place in my division. I was hooked for life. That was the beginning of dreaming of having a winning show car one day.

My passion for cars continued in my teenage years. As a rite of passage, you had to get a car and fix it up to get the girls. I started out as a Mopar man, for the performance. My mother gifted me her 1963 Dodge Dart Convertible, and my first car was a 1969 Charger R/T. In total, I have owned eight Mopar vehicles. As an adult, I was Assistant Director for Goodwill Industries Car Department, which accepted donations and conducted auctions. Most donated cars, if not all, were in pretty bad condition.

This is how I became the owner of my 1970 Lincoln Continental Mark III named “STINKN LINKN.” It came in with the  original owner, who stated he couldn’t drive the car anymore and that his kids didn’t want it. The owner said it was luxurious. I was impressed with its appearance. The body was amazingly straight. There was nothing wrong with it except for the rear quarter panel damage he’d caused by putting it in his garage, where it sat for a year. I was a little reluctant because, at the time, my father and I were Cadillac men. Nevertheless, I offered him $300, and the rest is history.

In 2008, I became the owner of this Lincoln and started my journey. I had no idea what I had gotten myself into. I received my first local car show award for Best Work in Progress and was gifted my first LCOC magazine at that show. I was working on the body, so primer was its color. Thereafter, I started the Continental Cruisers in 2010 with two members, and now we are an impressive 50-strong. We received numerous awards and have been featured in every medium: radio, television, videos, movies, and magazines. Joining the LCOC was definitely the highlight ownership of six Lincolns. Currently, I have three, including my daily driver, a 2016 MKT. My wife has a rare 1989 Lincoln Mark VII Convertible.

This journey has been an incredible ride. The friends I’ve met, the cars I’ve seen, and the places I’ve been have made the dreams of a kid at the World of Wheels with a model car come true. The fellowship and camaraderie of Lincoln enthusiasts and owners and the preservation of these beautiful, historic pieces of art make it all worth the money, time, and effort of owning Classic Lincolns. I am looking forward to what the future brings.

Long live the Lincoln, LCOC, and Continental Cruisers!

Ivan “Vice” Read is an LCOC member from Temple Hills, Maryland and the founder and president of the Continental Cruisers 
continentalcruiserscarclub.org

ABOVE:  The Stinkn 1970 Mark III sure looked sweet on the indoor show field inside the Classic Auto Mall in Morgantown, Pennsylvania.  The man himself and head honcho of the Continental Cruisers, Ivan “Vice” Read.

ABOVE:  “Vice” and his Mark III at the Strasburg Rail Road during the 2021 Eastern National Meet.

BELOW:  The Continental Cruisers, led by Mr. Read were out in force at the 2021 ENM.

By John Walcek

Originally published in the March/April 2024 Lincoln and Continental Comments magazine (Issue # 377)

On Friday, Feb. 2, I paid a visit to Merv Adkin’s yard in Pomona, California. He told me about the 74th Annual O’Reilly Auto Parts Grand National Roadster Show at the Pomona Fairgrounds, featuring many customized and stock Lincoln Zephyrs from the 1930s. Merv said he probably sold parts for every car there and encouraged me to check it out. It’s a big city yearly event, now costing $18 to park and $30 to get in. Though hesitant, I bought a ticket.

Because a big rainstorm was coming in later on Saturday and it would surely be pouring rain on Sunday, I decided to go to the show on Saturday. Mike and Chris, my friends from H & H Flatheads, were there displaying all their goodies, including a supercharged V-12! They recently completed the rebuilding of a second V-12 engine for my pre-war Continentals.

I found the Zephyrs in one of nine buildings, which were all full of different groupings of cars. The 20 or so customized Zephyrs totally entranced me. The original “Scrape,” now painted black, was there, along with other candy-apple red Zephyrs and an even more stunning black and yellow one. There were fine stock original Zephyrs, too.

I talked with people from the “California Zephyrs Club.” My friend Merv Adkins was there, as was Todd Calder, another old car parts guy who was out from the East Coast for the show. Three gals dressed in ‘30s pinup outfits wandered by, and I posed them around the Zephyrs!

I checked out the cars in the other eight buildings that evening. Talk about overload! How about a gasser-type dragster with an engine with two blowers and a Mustang with three, yes three, superchargers (blowers) on top of an engine sticking out of the hood?

The rain came that evening and was heavier on Sunday. I’m sure glad things went so well for a variety-filled winter car day here in California.

John Walcek is the official LCOC photographer and lives in Placentia, California.

Compiled by Dick Koop

Originally published in the November/December 2023 Lincoln and Continental Comments magazine (Issue # 375)

This is our twelfth installment of tech tips and ideas to keep that Lincoln running and looking great. Remember, these tips, repair ideas, parts sources, etc., come from members, so they may or may not fit your specific situation. Please review each one as it applies to you. If you have a tech tip or found a parts source for a particular make or model or just a repair technique that you found to be helpful, please send it to me, Richard Koop, at rjkoop13@yahoo.com or call me at 608-239-2840. Let’s share what you know with your fellow LCOC members.

Help Needed with Authenticity Manuals

This is a call out to all members who have been asking for Authenticity Manuals for Mark III, Mark IV, and Mark VIII. We have a group of volunteers who have generously offered to work on these authenticity projects, but we could use even more volunteers. We are seeking three things.

1. People who have a passion for one or more of these models.
2. Owners of a low mileage, all original examples of the Mark III, Mark IV, and Mark VIII.
3. Anyone who may have been involved with the design and manufacture of these cars. No contribution is too small; if you have something to contribute, contact one of the volunteers listed below. Here are the teams who have signed up so far:

1993-1998 Mark VIII

Wayne Sparks
Arizona
928-468-2130

Our goal is to begin these authenticity projects on Jan. 1, 2024. Word documents explaining how to compile and format these authenticity manuals are available from LCOC President John Talbourdet when you are ready to start your project. We need YOU, so please consider joining one of these three teams.

Dick Koop, director of technical services, is an LCOC member from Weldon Springs, Missouri.

By Jeff Shively

Originally published in the November/December 2023 Lincoln and Continental Comments magazine (Issue # 375)

Many of us lament that nothing is being done to get younger people interested in the old car hobby. “Young people don’t want to work with their hands,” we say. “Where do I find somebody to work on my old Lincoln?” we ask. In despair, we resign ourselves to the inevitability that our cars will someday become, at best, immobile museum pieces. What if there was something we could do to change all that?

LCOC member Gene Epstein recently used his charity, the Gene & Marlene Epstein Humanitarian Fund, to sponsor a scholarship program at Bucks County Community College in Pennsylvania. To do this, he sold off part of his remarkable car collection, including an all-original 1969 Mercedes Benz Limousine that belonged to Elvis Presley and a 1972 Mercedes-Benz once owned by Roy Orbison.

While it is true that many of us don’t have our own personal philanthropic organization, we can still help. There is probably an auto mechanics program at a high school or community college near you. Because these aren’t “glamour” programs, you can bet your bottom dollar that they aren’t well-funded. Make an appointment to talk to the department head. Find out what the needs are, big or small. If you can help financially, do it. Even a small gift of $500 or $1,000 will go further than you think. If you are handy with a wrench, see if they need an instructor. As a former community college professor, I can tell you that you’ll get as much out of the experience as the students will. Do you have a shop in your area that does a great job for you? Odds are, they are short on good mechanics and can’t find them. Serve as an intermediary to see if the school can funnel students to that shop once they complete their training. What student wouldn’t want a job waiting for him when he graduates? These are but a few suggestions, but the possibilities are limitless.

Mr. Epstein still has a stable of wonderful cars, including the legendary “Rhapsody in Blue,” a gorgeous 1940 Lincoln-Zephyr Continental Cabriolet. You might have seen this remarkable first-year Continental at Hershey this year or gracing the cover of the September-October 2023 issue of The Way of the Zephyr. Regarding the sale of his celebrity-owned Mercedes-Benz limousines, Gene noted, “As much as I loved the cars, it didn’t change anyone’s life. But the proceeds have and will continue to make a difference.” That is a great attitude. Gene always closes his emails with a great quote: “Never worry that you are doing too much to help others. You are doing too little if you can do more.”

Jeff Shively, Lincoln and Continental Comments Editor, lives in Kokomo, Indiana.

Our members write…

Originally published in the January/February 2024 Lincoln and Continental Comments magazine (Issue # 376)

To the editor:

I read with interest Jeff Shively’s article in the November-December issue of the Lincoln and Continental Comments, “Putting our Money Where Our Mouths Are.” This concerned providing scholarships to students who are studying in the automobile field. Thank you, Gene and Marlene Epstein!

Most of you are aware of McPherson College, which has a four-year degree program in auto restoration. One of the other car clubs I belong to is The H.H. Franklin Club. To ensure our club’s future and encourage interest in collecting and maintaining air-cooled Franklins, the club has a scholarship program.

We invite students to our annual Franklin Trek gathering at no cost to them. We also fund scholarships for auto restoration courses and contribute to McPherson College. Many of our young members who attended the Trek now have Franklins of their own. The H.H. Franklin Club has a presence at The Gilmore, as does The Lincoln Motor Car Heritage Museum.

John Harris is the proud owner of a recently purchased 1939 Lincoln Zephyr Town Limousine and a 1941 Lincoln Continental Cabriolet.

Photos provided by Neil Goeppinger

Originally published in the November/December 2023 Lincoln and Continental Comments magazine (Issue # 375)

In honor of the Lincoln & Continental Owners Club’s 70th anniversary, it is important to remember our roots. Neil Goeppinger sent a series of pictures that were made from slides shot by his father, Walter. The following collection of photographs taken at the very first LCOC national meet, held in October 1954 in Dearborn, Michigan. Enjoy!- Ed.

ABOVE:  The site of the show, Greenfield Village.  This appears to be the 1831-vintage Eagle Tavern.

ABOVE: In the early days of the LCOC, Lincoln Continentals were, at best, late-model used cars. Sometimes the interiors were modified to meet the needs of the current driver.

BELOW: The engines were upgraded too.

ABOVE:  Walt Goeppinger’s 1947 Continental was one of many great Lincolns in that long-ago parade in Dearborn.

BELOW: Modern engine swaps were not uncommon.

ABOVE: Linda Lipper’s Continental.  The car came from Boone, Iowa.

BELOW:  Who doesn’t love a parade?  And who wouldn’t love to see a parade of early Continentals?

By Sean Houck

Originally published in the November/December 2023 Lincoln and Continental Comments magazine (Issue # 375)

ABOVE: The apple of the author’s eye from a young age, perfectly restored. Photo courtesy of the author.

My love for Lincoln started when I was very young. When I was growing up, my dad owned a 1976 Lincoln Continental Mark IV Pucci Edition similar to my current one. The only difference is that the first car didn’t have a sunroof, which was one option that he always wanted on it. I looked for years, trying to find another one for him. Finally, in 2012, I found the Mark IV that I have now. When he bought it, I was 13 years old and instantly fell in love with the car. I’d wash it and help him work on it in our shop. In 2017, the engine failed. At the time, I was 18 and working in his shop and learning about cars from him. Knowing how much I loved this Lincoln, he told me that if I paid for the parts to rebuild the engine, it would be mine.

Of course, I took that deal, and together, we rebuilt the original engine from the bare block. I’ll never forget the feeling I had when we started it for the first time. Sharing that moment with my dad was priceless. Even though, mechanically, it was sound, the exterior began to show its age. Rust was evident under the edges of the vinyl top and around the trunk. The car was stored under cover in our shop for about three years as we tried to keep the rust from getting worse.

TOP: The brochure that was the fuel of many luxury car owners’ dreams in the 1970s.  Photo courtesy of Ford Motor Co.

TOP RIGHT: The Designer Series Mark IVs for 1976.  The Pucci is on the left.  Photo courtesy of Ford Motor Co.

TOP:  The passage of four decades had not been kind to the Mark IV, as seen by the condition of the vinyl top.

LEFT:  The extensive rear quarter work was completed and them primed.  The front fenders were off, revealing the massive 460 CID V-8.  The rot went very deep in the rear quarters of the Mark IV, necessitating serious metal working.   Photos courtesy of the author.

In the summer of 2019, my dad told me he’d help me restore the car. That’s another moment I’ll never forget. My biggest fear every time I’d look at my car was that he wouldn’t be around to see it when I could afford to have it restored. Working with my father to restore this Mark IV was a dream come true. After three years of searching for extremely rare parts and lots of hard work, the restoration was finally completed in October 2022. I’m truly blessed to have a car like this at age 24. Not only do I have a dad who gave me the car that he always wanted, but he helped restore it because he knows how much it means to me. As much as I enjoy going to shows with him, a small part of me would love to go back in time to when it all started. Back to being a kid riding with my dad, listening to his 8-track tapes. Back to seeing how happy he was when I showed him the car he always wanted, which then turned into the car I always wanted. This car taught me to enjoy not only the outcome but the journey.