'69-'71 Mark III

[Ray K]

Hi Folks,
After selling my ’66 convertible a few years back I find that I have once again been bitten by the Lincoln bug! This time around though I’m going to look for a ’69-’71 Mark III. I’ve always admired the styling, appointments and overall class that these cars exhibited.

I’ve begun my research and the more research I do into the background of the Mark III’s the more intrigued I become, but my question to the group is should I become overly concerned about recurring problems, especially with my most favorite year the ’69 models, both mid-’68 intros and full model year ‘69’s. I’ve read some interesting takes here on the forum that has raised an eyebrow or two about repairs and reliability of the Mark III’s. Now let me also say that I’m not new to the collector car hobby and have been active for about 25 years collecting luxury cars of the 50’s and 60’s. As such I know there will be times the various systems will need attention, that’s just life in the world of collector car hobby.

So with that said, to all those with a Mark III how has your experience been and how has your car performed? What problem issues have you encountered and what should I be looking for when separating the wheat from the chaff ?

Lastly, anybody have any recommendations for a good mechanic knowledgeable in 60’s era Lincolns in the southern NJ area? I’m in Ocean County.

I look forward to hearing from the group,

Regards to all,
Ray

[LithiumCobalt]

Hi Ray,

Just my opinion, but I'd go for a 70 or 71. There are numerous improvements in these over the '69. If you must have the '69 style wheel covers, that can be done easy enough. As for the drivetrain, it's the same as the comparable year Continental so not much issue there. Where the Mark III is weak is in other areas.

[Steve K]

I agree. The 70-71 years had worked out some bugs and made some improvements you may as well take advantage of since there is not a huge difference in the appearance. One little change that makes a lot of difference to me is the hidden wipers on the later years. For some, it is the little things so perhaps there are little things that have you focused on the first year model. As for known bugs, I've never owned one so I can't comment much. I will say that my 70 T-Bird, which I drove from the time it was 1 year old for 22 years, was one of the most problem free naturally aspirated cars I have ever owned.

[LithiumCobalt]

Agree on the hidden wipers. Looks much nicer. 70-71 had belt driven power steering pumps rather than the persnickety crank mounted pump used on '69. 70-71 has real wood veneer on the interior, '69 does not. In either 1970 or 71 the gas tank was redesigned replacing the trouble prone '69 version. They were known to rust out due to where the tank seam was located. The lettering on the trunk in 69 was glued on. 70+ was fastened on. The high back seats of the 69 are less than desirable. There's tons of other little details that I am forgetting.

[gradyjacoway]

Look under the car for any frame rust out issues around behind
front tires on both sides. If the car frame is rusted out, walk away from it.

No telling what it will cost to get any non working A/C back to working
condition.

Replace Vinyl top to remove any rusted areas on top of car. Repaint the top and put
new vinyl top back in place. If the car has been garaged all its life, I would not
worry about replacing the vinyl top.

Grady

[TonyC]

All I can offer is that the Mark III had better quality control overall than later Marks.

Three things I know of that will need attention:

1. The timing components will need attention; they used the nylon practice in 460s as well.

2. Make sure you aren't missing a shaped steel plate behind the water pump. There's a reason why all 460 water pump gasket sets have two identical gaskets in them, and I've done a write-up explaining why.

3. Invest in a complete set of new rubber parts for the rear suspension. Either Ron Baker or Steve Ouellette once wrote about that, calling the Mark III Lincoln's unplanned venture into rear-wheel steering; there was a reason.

---Tony

[Ray K]

Thanks to all for your input into my search for a Mark III. The more I read from your replies it does make sense to search for a later year model and take advantage of the systems improvements on the ’70-’71 model years although I might be tempted to look at a well documented ’69 if it has been well cared for by a fellow collector.

The appeal for me for the ’69 model year really has to do with the interior appointments, the steering wheel style (either early or later releases), the dash mounted ignition vs. the more modern looking column mounted ignition interlock system and naturally those gorgeous wheel covers and naturally the wheel covers can easily be swapped to a later model.

Again my thanks for your responses and as other questions arise I will be sure to post them. I’ll keep you all posted on my search progress. If there are any other Mark III owners out there please let hear about your experiences with the car.

Regards to all,
Ray

[jeffsf2002]

adding my two cents here:
1. window and seat switches are a pain to rebuild
2. vinyl top is very expensive to replace (if you can't do it yourself)
3. you really need to replace the timing gear/chain because of the nylon/instant engine death issue
4. vacuum system sucks, lol
on the plus side:
1. 460 engine almost bullet proof (however, see #3 above)
2. c6 transmission is bullet proof
3. interior much nicer than same year Eldorado
4. very handsome car, can't go anywhere without a thumbs up

[TonyC]

I, too, like the look of '69 the most, although the rear bumper of '70/1 looks better with the reflectors in it (easy retro-swap, though). I also like the exposed wipers--I know I'm in the minority with that. But I really like the design of the head rests in '69, which I discovered was the same on all full-size Fords in that year. They look more practical than the vestigial-looking head rests of '70.

One thing I learned about the C-6, it isn't quite bulletproof. It has a design flaw in it that causes it to shred its clutch pack after about 150k to 200k miles, due to inadequate splash lubrication (that may work for trucks on rough terrain, but not a luxury car on paved roads). But my last rebuilder pointed that out and did something about it, so now it is nearly bulletproof.

---Tony

[gradyjacoway]

Ray,

Have you found a Mark III yet ?

[Ray K]

Sorry, I've been off line for a while, no still looking although one car in particular has caught my attention..........We'll see where that goes.

[gkramer47]

Ray,

If you are still looking, I have one I need to find a new home for...need the space. It's a '70, all dark blue with leather, great shape. If you are interested, email me at "gkramer@netsecuritysvcs.com".

[Ray K]

Hi Fellow Lincoln Owners,
I am pleased to report that I have just purchased a car! A 1970 Mark III, black over black, dark red cloth interior. Lots of options including 6-way power seats, Tilt Wheel, Speed Control, Power Trunk, Auto Temp A/C, AM/FM Stereo, Power Antenna, Automatic Headlamp Dimmer, Tinted Glass, Appearance Protection Group, Traction-Lok Differential and Power Door Locks. Original miles are sitting just under 30K and lots of documentation including delivery documents. Everything works with the exception of the power trunk release, A/C is fully functional and blowing cold. If I can figure out how to attach a photo or two I'll include with this post. She should be arriving sometime around the end of the month.

My thanks to all for your help, your commentary was very useful to me when evaluating cars. I chose this '70 because of the improvements made, particularly with the power steering system over the '69 model years. Best of both worlds my '70 wears '69 hubcaps, the originals come with the car but I will keep that earlier model year look.

My thanks again and I look forward to becoming a regular poster on the Forum.

Ray

[gkramer47]

Ray,

Congratulations, it looks great! If you are not already a member, you might consider joining the Lincoln and Continental Owners Club (LCOC). The Philadelphia region has a bunch of MK III lovers and you will really benefit from their local expertise.

[TonyC]

What about sun roof? You didn't mention a sun roof.



Seriously, though, congratulations! It looks really pretty. Now, to take care of the inherent problems (assuming the prior owner hadn't already)...

---Tony