Lincoln: Continental Mark II Hardtop Sport Coupe

OVERVIEW:
This auction is for a low production 1956 Continental Mark II Hardtop Sport Coupe. The Continental Mark II was a limited production model which made its debut at the Paris Auto Show on October 6. 1955. It was Ford's elite sport model and was an instant classic.
Ford's goal with the Mark II was to create America's most luxurious and carefully crafted production car. It's hefty price tag near $10. 00. accentuating how special it was.
Tremendous attention was given. with much hand pre-assembly. testing. and inspection to ensure proper fit and finish in all areas.

Sourcing of high quality materials ranged from hand selecting sheet metal to importing leather hides from Scotland.
Higher quality chrome with greater durability resulted from improved plating processes.
The model only ran 2 years. with only 2550 of this example built in 1956. and 444 in 1957.
It is recognized as a Certified Milestone Car by the Milestone Car Society.

a 285 horsepower 368 cubic inch V8. and fueled by a Carter four-barrel carb it put out 402-lb. ft. of torque.
All units were rigorously road tested prior to delivery.
Mark II's standard power equipment included steering and brakes. front seat. door and vent windows. The only option was A/C. which was not ordered on this example.

The choice of high profile and well-to-do individuals of the day. nbsp;their understated elegance represented the pinnacle of Ford's offerings.
To avoid tarnishing any aspect of the sleek exterior. Mark II's were shipped in a fleece-lined cloth cover. wrapped in a plastic bag.

Door hinge pillar tag provides the following information :
Serial No. C56J3356
Body Specif. 56C-234-J23-3
Style II-60A
A small firewall tag carries the number 1076.

Apart from an original color repaint in the early 70's. this car is very original. complete. unrestored and unmolested with 59. 41 original miles.
It was purchased new by the owner of the Lincoln dealership in Edmonton. Alberta. and has been an Alberta car all its life.
In the care of its present owner for many years. it has been a reliable occasional driver with regular maintenance and routine mechanical work performed as required.

Overall the car shows light wear & tear of its original miles. and remains a decent looking car in roadworthy condition.
This car could be maintained and enjoyed as the survivor that it is. with minor detailing and freshening along the way. or. it would make an excellent restoration candidate given its completeness. unmolested state. and overall solid condition.

This listing provides many more details as you scroll thru. followed by a link to a photo album of over 200 pics.

DRIVETRAIN:
Drivetrain components on the Mark II cars were machined to high tolerances.
The 368 ci. V8 engine is rated at 285 hp. and is dressed with original aluminum valve covers. The car starts in neutral gear. It starts easily and is in good running condition with good oil pressure and no blue smoke or notable leaks. A bit of lifter noise is detected during cold start-up.
The 4 bbl. carb has been rebuilt. but on highway road testing upon hard acceleration there was some hesitation and bogging down. possibly due to stale fuel or further carb adjustment required.

All other mechanical components on and around the engine appear and function in good condition. The engine compartment is very complete and original looking. and is relatively clean and tidy. Inner fenders are clean with no rust issues.
Wire for underhood light has been cut.

Torque is transferred to pavement through the rebuilt Turbo-Drive 3-speed automatic transmission to a 3. 07 geared Hothkiss differential.
All 3 u-joints are new.
There are no major leaks noted from the engine. rad. transmission or differential. and just the usual ‘sweating' off the steering box.

CHASSIS:
The Mark II has a 126” wheelbase. overall length of 218. 5 inches. and weighs 4. 25 lbs.
Ford tuned and tested each chassis before mounting the body.
All suspension. steering and brake system components are original without modifications.

The frame was of a “cowbelly” design. allowing the recessed floor to drop down between the rails.
It is quite evident that Ford was generous in its application of undercoating. and it remains intact over the majority of areas applied to. As such the floor pans. trunk pan. and body mounts all appear very solid.
The frame and suspension mounting points are overall very solid. straight. showing no signs of collision damage or serious rust problems.

Only one area on the frame shows a rust out requiring a small patch. located on the lower side of the cross rail. behind the left front wheel.

There is some minor rust out of the inner quarter drop down panels behind the rear wheels.

Independent front suspension has unequal-length control arms. coil springs. ball joints and anti-roll bar.
The rear leaf springs still maintain a positive arch.
Power brake system is Treadle-Vac with 12” drums.
The complete dual exhaust system is new. and there is no rust out at the rear bumper exit ports.
No dents in the gas tank. and the filler is accessed via a swing away left tail light.

The tires are a matched set of Remington ‘Cushion Aire' L78-15 tubeless 4 ply bias. with 3” wide whites and good tread remaining.
They are mounted on original rims with correct wheel covers. on which each fin was hand fitted.

BODY & PAINT:
Continental MK II bodies also reflected the high degree of fit and finish allotted to the rest of the car. Up to 60 hours of metal finishing efforts were allocated to each one. with pre-assembly to check for proper fit. and then disassembled. with parts identified to be mated back to their respective host. and painted as a group. Baking and hand sanding of each coat took place prior to subsequent coats being applied.

There is no evidence of any major collision damage or severe rust out on this car.
The only body and paint work done to the car was over 40 years ago. Overall. the body and sheet metal on this car are quite straight.

A few blemishes and faults have surfaced on the exterior.
A skim of filler below the left head lamp is evident by a couple of cracks that have appeared.
There are some scrapes along the back of the right front fender and door. and various paint chips here and there over the years since repaint.
Small areas of rust blisters have shown up as shown in the pics.
Apart from these few minor issues there do not appear to be any major problems.

There is no rust swelling of the flanged lips either at the door or trunk lid bottom edges.

There are no dents in the roof or trunk lid. and tops of the fenders. doors and quarters are good. A couple of small pings are noted on the hood.
The hood to cowl fit and the rear edge of the hood is poor. likely due to weak hood hinge springs.

It's a presentable car. but with some minor body work. proper prep and paint this car would be outstanding.

INTERIOR:
The quality of the fit and finish in the interior is of a level you do not see in any other American built car from the 50's. it's truly exceptional.

The lavish leather interior is totally original in very nice condition. Ford imported leather from Bridge of Weir in Scotland.
There are only a few signs of light wear and age. as can be expected. Primarily they are a couple of rub spots on the front seat. The only tear is on the button on driver side of the cushion.
Very stylish and attractive dash. the pad is great. no cracks or problems.

All door and side panels are in really nice condition. as are the arm rests. headliner. and sun visors.
Rear seat passengers are kept warm via heating ducts in the lower side cowls. feeding air thru a door plenum and exiting thru vents at the rear of the door panel into the rear compartment.
The original rear package shelf has one enlarged hole for some unknown reason.

All the interior chrome and stainless trim is very nice.
The dash fascia panel. instrument faces. and chrome items are all in decent condition. A bit of staining on a couple of the instrument bezels. and some minor cracks on the clear plastic fascia around the knobs are the only issues.
The steering wheel has some cracks. but a nice pit free horn ring with original button.

The original sill step plates are very good. as are the stainless panels that are fitted over the rear vertical door jambs and latch posts.
The high quality original carpets are still in excellent condition. as is the heavy underlay. and the windlacing.
The brake and gas pedal pads match the carpet heel pad. and all are in good shape.
The forward cabin below dash is wonderfully trimmed and finished. nbsp;rarely seen in a car from this period.  
Speaks to the quality of a Mark II.

The windshield and all other window glass is in good condition.
All weather-strips are original. still soft. pliable. and in good serviceable condition.
The same high quality carpet used in the interior is found throughout the trunk. and also remains in excellent condition.
The car has its original jack.

ELECTRICAL:
Wiring on the car is original and in good serviceable condition. Cut-off switch on the battery.
The gauges are in nice condition. and all in working order.
The clock runs but does not keep proper time.
The Town & Country radio works along with its signal seeking feature. as does the heater fan.

All power windows. including the power vents windows. are in good working condition.
The 4-way power seat works for the up/down. but does not move forward/rearward. problem not investigated.
The vacuum windshield wipers work.

The left front park light lens has a small crack. right side is good.
Tail light and back-up lamp lenses are good. with only a bit of minor crazing on the left tail light lens.
At time of inspection the left front turn signal and left tail light were not working.

BRIGHTWORK:
Mark II chrome trim was treated to improved plating techniques. resulting in a more durable finish and shine. The condition of the original brightwork on this car is a testimonial to that.
All external chrome and stainless trim is on the car and in overall very good condition. with nothing missing except for the emblem off the right front fender. but a new one is included to replace it.

Both bumpers in very good original condition. great shine. nbsp;show no rust and only a couple of very minor dings. barely noticeable.
The front bumper has a bit of a stain topside to the right of the right upper guard. and only that one guard does show some pot metal corrosion.
The rear bumper is very nice with no rust at all around the exhaust ports.

The original grille and surround are outstanding. very nice. great shine. no damage. no pitting.
Likewise for other chrome plated pot metal. like the hood and trunk ornaments and letters. head lamp and tail lamp bezels. outside door handles. and windshield wiper bases.
About the only pot metal item with any pitting is the exterior door mirror. but minor.

All chrome window frames are very nice.
Beltline and window surround stainless trim is also in very good condition. with just one joiner clip having minor dings.
The stainless moldings along the lower rockers and lower rear quarters do have some minor pings and light scratches. all of which can be repaired and polished out. They have no screws or holes in them.

All wheel covers are excellent. only one has one very minor. very small. soft dent. in an easily repaired spot. The fins on these covers were all individually hand fitted.

SUMMARY:
If you are looking to drive a mid-1950's luxury classic with distinctive styling and limited production rarity. this could be it! Continental Mark II's have long been known for their quality engineering and long lasting mechanical aspects.
As Ford's luxury flagship they have a growing appreciation among enthusiasts. It is a Certified Milestone Car and has all the markings of a rare collectible and investment vehicle.

If you are considering a collectible driver to enjoy right away. something to tinker with. or a nice 50's land yacht to restore. this is it!
You won't be spending years or tons of money trying to find missing parts. or performing major extensive rust repairs. and your investment will be secured by the never ending interest in and admiration of this special collectible.

This car has been enjoyed by its owner and his family for many years. With the progression of years and a desire to downsize the collection the owner has decided to make this special car available to its next caretaker.
It is being offered with a very reasonable reserve. well below the asking price of current comparables.

PAYMENT TERMS:

This classic Continental is being listed on behalf of the owner. Please email ‘carsgoneby@telus. net' or phone Rick at (403)534-2222 for additional honest and accurate information from a professional auto restorer. All information listed has been gathered from discussions with the owner. and a test drive and visual inspection. Over 200 pics are available for viewing at www. carsgoneby. com/PhotoAlbumsPro/56MKII . Additional specific pictures are available upon request. No warranties expressed or implied. Successful bidder to make a minimum payment of 50% of closing bid amount (US funds) within 5 days of auction closing. with the balance payable upon vehicle pick up within 21 days (international) or 14 days (US/Canada).
Payment must be in certifiable form such as cash or bank wire transfer to Cars Gone By. Other forms of payment only acceptable with time allowance for instrument to clear bank prior to vehicle being released. Any deviation from. or changes to the preceding terms must be reasonable. and should be requested. discussed. and agreed to prior to bidding and auction closing.

IMPORTANT OTHER:

Please submit all inquiries prior to bidding. and please only bid if you are able and willing to conclude the transaction should you be the winning bidder.
This vehicle is being sold with a clear Alberta vehicle registration (title) document and bill of sale.
The car is located in Mossleigh. Alberta. Canada. about 3 hours north of the Montana border. Please be aware of your shipping costs before bidding. quotes can be provided upon request if necessary. We can help make this a smooth. hassle free experience by arranging all inclusive international transportation and brokerage for you. References relating to similar transactions are available. Cars Gone By has sold and shipped numerous collector vehicles to the USA and worldwide. the majority through Ebay transactions.
Please do not ask us to disclose the reserve price. In fairness to all bidders we will not do so and request that you simply place a bid that is comfortable for you.
Thanks for looking!

NOTICE REGARDING BID RETRACTIONS:

Placing a bid to simply uncover the reserve price. or how high another buyer has bid. and then retracting or cancelling the bid is not allowed as it violates Ebay's Invalid Bid Retraction Policy.
Such bids are considered as ‘Unwelcome and Malicious Bidding' as they contravene the seller requirements stipulated above. that you only bid with the intent to buy. and that you do not bid without the intent of concluding the transaction.
Such bids are not in the spirit of a reserve auction. They ruin the experience for serious buyers and sellers. can cast doubt on the process and subject vehicle. and are a nuisance to the seller in general.

Ebay rules stipulate. if you retract a bid for reason of ‘entered wrong amount'. you must re-enter your correct bid amount right away. and that changing your mind does not qualify as entering wrong amount.
If you retract your bid as ‘wrong amount' and fail to re-enter your correct amount. your bid will be considered ‘unwelcome and malicious' and it will be immediately reported to Ebay. and they will investigate. and you will be placed on a blocked bidders list.  

Also published at eBay.ca

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