No sooner did we (Elayne Bendel and Jim Ayres) get back from the annual Mike Cunningham Wine Country Picnic in Sonoma on October 13th than we were off again on another long-distance road trip to Albuquerque, New Mexico for the LCOC (Lincoln and Continental Owners Club) Western National Meet.
Leaving the usual sunny and warm weather of Southern California we began our trip on Tuesday October 16th by heading eastward to interim stop Flagstaff, Arizona. There we intended to meet Western Region board member Jim Higgs and his wife Carol at the Hilton Garden Inn Hotel.
As we hummed along effortlessly in Jim Ayres’ new-to-him 1988 Mark Vll we encountered little traffic leaving town. The route was fairly simple once we got past Interstate 15 and merged onto the I-40 toward Flagstaff.
“Wouldn’t it be something if we ran into the Higgs?”, Jim asked. Not long thereafter, that came to pass. We overtook Jim and Carol and the two Jims traveled together in their black Mark VIIs until both cars stopped for gas at Newberry Springs, California. They had time for a brief meet and greet and some picture taking at the gas pumps before each car went on its way.
Driving long distances to meets is old hat for Jim Higgs but a leap of faith this year for Jim Ayres, since he only purchased his vehicle a few short weeks prior to the meet. Ayres couldn’t help hoping for the best but planning for the worst throughout the journey. Nevertheless, his car cruised along sweetly, averaging over 20 miles to the gallon on the way to Flagstaff while climbing up and over some steep grades.
We passed a lot of interesting desert landscapes on our journey and found the scenery much more exciting than driving through the central valley of California on the way to and from Sonoma.
As we approached Flagstaff things got a bit more interesting than we had planned. Temperatures plummeted as we rode along in our light California duds. We ran into rain and then snow along the route. The temperature read 33 degrees in Flagstaff. Brrrrrrrrrrrr. Nevertheless, both we and the car arrived safely at our hotel where we joined up once again with Jim and Carol and had a great and well deserved dinner at the nearby Coco’s restaurant.
The next morning after a pleasant breakfast we filled our tanks and were off and running again. The weather improved slightly but we were still under a canopy of foreboding clouds. However, the beautiful Southwest scenery made this part of the trip very enjoyable. A target of opportunity popped up as we drove, which was the world-famous Meteor Crater. When we discovered that it was only 6 miles off the main road we couldn’t resist the chance to stop and have a look. It was well worth the detour and we spent a fascinating hour touring the visitor center and looking down into this enormous artifact caused by a meteor hurtling toward our planet some 50,000 years ago at a speed of 26,000 miles an hour! The meteor exploded before hitting the ground but the concussion caused the huge crater to form. The fragment in the photo with me is one of the largest pieces of the meteor that was found. I’m sure glad I wasn’t around when this visitor arrived!
Another potential detour popped up as we continued down the I-40 and that was the Petrified Forest where trees from a bygone era had turned to stone. John Walcek who stopped there said it made for some great photo opportunities, but we were anxious to get to Albuquerque so we kept on moving.
Entering New Mexico fantastic red rock plateaus appeared on both sides of the road and we marveled at the strata exposed and speculated about their geologic history. Then directly in front of us a huge mountain stood tall and disappeared in the clouds. We were approaching Albuquerque so we guessed that the city had to be nearby. The low clouds and erratic sun patterns made for a very surreal sight as you can see from the photo below. We later learned that this mountain is called Sandia which means watermelon in Spanish because the rocks often turn pink in the sun. As we got closer, we realized that the City of Albuquerque lay at its base. We got to inspect this mountain via the tram at close range the following day but that is the subject of another story.
At around 6:15 p.m. we arrived at the headquarters hotel for the meet, the Crowne Plaza, Albuquerque, and were greeted by something as fabulous as the scenery. Parked directly in front of the hotel like the queen she is was a gorgeous black 1956 Continental Mark II owned by Dan and Jacki Flanagan of Prescott, Arizona. Immediately our cameras were clicking and you see the results below. What a way to begin the meet!
To be continued…
The Museum Homecoming was a success with a great line up of Zephyrs and Continentals arriving after their exploration of the Elkhart, Indiana area earlier in the week. Thanks to the LZOC for hosting this year’s event. Plan for next year when the Homecoming will be hosted by the Road Race Lincoln Registry, who will be inviting all marques produced by FoMoCo to participate and share in the fun. It should be a new and different event and provide the opportunity to see other Ford and Mercury vehicles. Do you have your reservations for the Western National Meet in Albuquerque, New Mexico October 17-21? A fun time is in store for everybody.
Summer appears to be waning in New England, almost like the switch was turned off. The summer was hot and sunny which is a test of both automobiles and passengers as one traverses the roads to exercise and enjoy our Lincolns. As this is written it is in the 60s, but a few short days ago the weather was hot and steamy, at least for the Boston area. This is the time to use the more reasonable temperatures to enjoy your Lincoln and provide another benefit. We collect automobiles for the love of the vehicle and what it represented when it was manufactured. They reflect society at the time, and Lincoln provided the benchmark for automotive design and engineering. The early Lincolns provided quiet, stylish and reliable transportation in the day of the later Model Ts. The art deco period of the ‘30s saw the introduction of light weight unibody construction surrounded by wonderfully shaped metal. The ‘50s continued with advances to improve drivability, with ball joint suspension, power steering and brakes to make driving these larger automobiles more enjoyable for everyone. The large late’ 50s land yachts reflected the exuberance of the day. The ‘60s brought about a “smaller” design that was very sleek and soon to be copied by other manufacturers. The ‘70s were a challenging time with an increase in fuel prices that changed the landscape forever, leaving Lincoln the last holdout of the large vehicles. The ‘80s saw a universal downsizing where the goal was to improve fuel economy while retaining the comfort associated with the larger cars of the ‘70s. The changes in the ‘90s and beyond were subtler, with more refined engineering and hi-tech electronics aimed at producing cars that were comfortable, reliable and economical to operate.
Why the history lesson of Lincolns through the decades? It has to do with the need to show off all your hard work to the public. Jeanne and I attend a few local car shows each year to both allow people to see our Lincolns and to enjoy the drive to the event. The people who attend car shows come to see the impressive workmanship and styling of all the automobiles that are proudly displayed. They come with the specific intention of viewing automobiles. What about all the people you pass on the way to and from the event? This is where you provide the public an unexpected glimpse of your Lincoln “in action” as it was intended by the designers. Think about all the smiles, thumbs-up and horn toots received while driving. What about the person who stops working on their lawn to take a look as you motor by and calls out to the children to stop and look? How about the person who remembers these cars when they were driving the roads on a regular basis and has an unexpected encounter to reminisce about the Lincoln that a favorite uncle owned? You are providing not only the visual impact but the sounds, or lack of noise that radiates when starting from a stop, shifting gears or just cruising along the road. A toot of your horn will further elicit a wave or a longer pause to savor the moment.
Let’s get out and show off our Lincolns to brighten someone’s day and rekindle a memory of days gone by.
Until next time
John
https://youtu.be/tI5PsqgOFWE
The transfer of Bill Green’s 1978 Lincoln Continental to its new owner went off without a hitch. OK, technically there was a hitch between the truck and the trailer, but that was the only one. Tim Moore brought his trailer to Bill’s farm in upstate New York on Saturday, Sept. 8 to pick up this beauty and take it to its new home. He was delighted to have Bill and his wife share lots of information on the car. “It’s a great car with an interesting story,” Tim commented. They happily documented this transition in the photos here.
By the following Monday, title was transferred at the DMV and the car had taken up residence in the Garage Mahal on Tim’s property in Richmondville, NY.
Tim Moore of Richmondville, NY was selected as the applicant with the “Best New Home” for the 1978 Lincoln Continental featured in our LCOC website Classified Ads promotion. The goal of the current owner, William Green, was to find the best home possible for the vehicle, and he entrusted that task to the LCOC.
Tim became hooked on Lincolns as a teen while mowing lawns for a local businessman, Richard Falzarano, in a small town in upstate New York. After Tim’s work was done each week, Richard would give him a ride home in his 1978 Lincoln Continental sedan. It was gray with light blue interior, and riding in it made Tim feel like a million bucks. While he hoped to one day own one, he had to settle for a 1972 Buick Electra as his first car. However, that vehicle allowed him to appreciate American iron from an era where luxury and performance had an entirely different meaning than it has in most cars driven today.
Tim’s love of Lincolns continued to grow over time. Earlier this year he built a new 10-car building that his family affectionately calls the “Garage Mahal.” Once it was completed, he finally had the type of shop/garage he dreamed about for years. It enabled him to purchase his first classic, a 1967 Lincoln Continental convertible in Spanish Moss with a Dark Ivy Gold interior. It has given him great pleasure to give the car the attention it deserves, and he plans to repaint it during the winter. For him, the car is not only an engineering marvel, but also a work of art.
That venture has also brought a surprising benefit: Tim’s 23 year old son, Nick, has been bitten by the Lincoln bug, too. They have spent quite a few hours working on the ’67 which his son admires “because it’s so classy and well built.” He now loves attending shows with Tim and is making plans to have their current Lincoln in two parades next year. Because it seems as though many young people do not have much interest for older cars, Tim feels fortunate that his son has found a passion that provides such a positive influence on him. He is excited about the prospect of them having two Lincolns in shows next year.
The Moores are delighted to provide a home for the 1978 Lincoln. It will have a place of honor in the Garage Mahal. Having the tools and expertise to handle most repairs and preservation, they will immediately undertake a complete servicing: replacing all fluids; checking out/rebuilding the carburetor; draining and cleaning the gas tank; changing the filters; changing the valve cover gaskets and others as needed; and assessing the underside of the car.
Tim is very familiar with this particular car model, and believes that the 82,000 mile engine and the “bullet-proof” C-6 transmission should be okay for the short term. Tim’s basic plan is to make this car a beautiful, fully-functioning original. He believes that the original condition of this car is worth maintaining. He plans to take the car to shows, use it in several upcoming family weddings, and just drive and show the world what original American Iron really is like.
Although intrigued by those who specialize in customization, Tim cannot find any justification for taking wonderful original cars and significantly changing them. Tim shares, “Owning older cars allows me and others to step back to a different place and time when driving meant something very special. It would not be responsible to take that away from future generations by altering cars.” William Green’s 1978 Lincoln Continental has definitely found a terrific home with Tim Moore and his son that insures its legacy will be shared for years to come.
Tim Moore of Richmondville, NY was selected as the applicant with the “Best New Home” for the 1978 Lincoln Continental featured in our LCOC website Classified Ads promotion. The goal of the current owner, William Green, was to find the best home possible for the vehicle, and he entrusted that task to the LCOC.. The Free-To-A-Good-Home promotion was designed to introduce the new live Classified Ads section of the LCOC website and draw visits to the website and that section. The promotion worked as intended: the traffic to the LCOC website increased by a factor of 5!
There were over 40 applications. Unfortunately, there was only one car. The selection committee culled the applications down to 5 finalists, and then narrowed the field down to 2 top contenders who had phone interviews. Most of the applications were extremely compelling and the decision process to narrow the submissions down to one winning entry was very difficult. We could have easily and happily awarded a dozen cars if we had them!!
Learn about the new owner and his passion for Lincolns in the upcoming Story of the Month on our home page.
