Lincoln : Mark Series MKIV Luxury Group Designer Series Cartier

1976 Mark IV. Ultra-Rare Black Diamond Model. Low Miles. 460 V8. Leather. Power Glass Moonroof. Low Reserve

Ultra-rare "Black Diamond" Edition. the styling and option/color combination added $1064 to the price. Only available in the second half of 1976. very few of these were produced. The first link below lists the production numbers; 938 Black Diamonds were built with the black leather interior and only 317 were built with the optional moonroof. The combination of the black leather interior and the moonroof on this Black Diamond makes this a incredibly rare Mark IV. If I had to guess how many of these Lincolns are still "among the living" I would put the number between 30 and 40 in the entire world.  This page lists the details and production numbers of the Black Diamond Edition. "Could it be the rarest diamond of them all?" : 

http://automotivemileposts. com/mark41976blackdiamond. html

Here's a list of options available for the 1976 Mark IV. including the costliest single option. the silver tinted power glass moonroof with sliding privacy shade at $885:

http://automotivemileposts. com/mark41976optionalequipment. html

This page on HowStuffWorks. com lists the background of the Black Diamond edition. "Announced at the 1976 Detroit Auto Show. the $1. 64 "Black Diamond" option wore Black Diamond Fire metallic paint that could be set off with optional silver pinstriping and black premium body side moldings. "

http://auto. howstuffworks. com/1972-1976-lincoln-continental-mark-iv5. htm

Every option available for the Mark IV is on this car. It has all the top of the line options including power windows. locks. dual power split bench seats. aluminum sport wheels. am/fm 8-track. power antenna and power trunk release. The rare premium options present on this Mark are power vent windows (an option I thought was only available on the 77-79 Mark V's). nbsp;tinted power glass moonroof with sliding privacy shade. nbsp;Cayman pattern quarter roof with wide chrome moldings ($512) and tilt steering wheel.  

Mechanical: I have done a handful of things to get the Lincoln roadworthy when I first got her. I bought her from an older man who actually got the car used in 1978 with 6000 miles on the odometer. It was running but it had been sitting in his garage for a few years. he had mostly stopped driving. I replaced the radiator. overhauled the brake system (calipers. hoses. master cylinder. rotors. pads/shoes. etc). put in a new gas tank. new battery. full tuneup. new tires and replaced much of the exhaust system (the Lincoln is remarkably quiet considering the size of the engine). I've  done some  minor repairs as well; I got the cruise control working (my mechanic tracked down a loose plug under the hood). fixed the vacuum lines for the headlight doors (which would  open on their own after a few hours. now they stay closed) and replaced the driver's seat switch. The a/c works. it still has some of the original freon. the compressor turns on and it blows at about 50% capacity.  My mechanic told me if I tracked down some of the old freon it just needs to be topped off. no need to retrofit it. The heater works perfectly and the switch to floor. vent and defrost all operate properly as well as the rear defroster.  Window motors and power moonroof work perfectly. the moonroof does not leak at all. even in heavy rain or the car wash. The original Ford 8-track player works perfectly. I am including a couple of tapes (Elvis and Solid Gold Hits of the 50's). the AM/FM works intermittently (you have to switch between AM and FM to get it going sometimes) and the power antenna works. The clock does not work.  No noises from the engine at all. exhaust is clean. nbsp;runs nice and quiet. starts right up with a turn of the key and about 8-10 seconds of cranking even after the car has been sitting for a month or more. the garage floor is always dry when I pull her out.  When you're on the highway with the windows up you can't hear any road noise. it's nice and quiet inside.

Cosmetic: Overall she's in presentable. solid. straight driver condition. The interior is good condition. the leather is original and showing some age cracking in the driver's seat and the top of the back seat has a couple of open seams. Otherwise everything inside is in great shape. the dash has one thin crack in the center. the door panels. carpet. headliner. visors and moonroof shade are close to perfect. The moonroof is huge. almost feels like a convertible when you've got it fully open.  The vinyl on the roof is good. no cracking. tears or bubbling underneath but the seam where the back window section meets the roof section is opening up.  The paint is original and is a "ten footer" but is still very presentable as seen in the pix. The previous owner showed me he had some body repair done in two unusual spots. he had metal welded in at the front lip of the hood and at the bottom lip of the trunk.  The underside. floors. trunk. nbsp;quarters and wheel wells are rock solid. the Lincoln was undercoated when new and has held up very well.  The body is very straight. never hit. the bumpers are very good. no dents. scratches or peeling anywhere. the chrome shines nicely. Some light pitting in spots on the chrome bar that runs from the sides across the top the roof. Everything lines up perfectly on this car. which is great on a car with such straight body lines.

I'm only selling the Lincoln due to financial constraints. I know I'll never find another quite like this one. As recently as a few weeks ago I had appointments to get the Lincoln painted and the upholstery work done. She was scheduled with the body shop. they ordered the correct matching paint and had a opening ready. The body shop still has the paint for the Lincoln and is a good shop. they do great work at a reasonable price and specialize in classic cars. I had brought the Lincoln by a local upholstery shop as well and got a reasonable quote for the  work on the vinyl top and seat leather. I had to cancel both due to sudden expenses. it's only in the last week that I decided I needed to sell the Lincoln. If the winning bidder wants the work done before picking it up we can discuss it. She is a nice driver as is but I had intended on bringing her all the way back to show quality. If a buyer hits the "Buy It Now" I can have the Lincoln painted for an additional $1600 for a total of $9400. I can have the paint. vinyl top and upholstery work done for a total of $9800. I am offering this as a courtesy; I put time and effort into finding the right shops to do the work and I would like to see the Lincoln looking great before going to her new home.

She is a total joy to drive; the 460 V8 puts out loads of torque. shifts smooth and cruises easy at 75 down the highway with no wandering. shaking or vibration. she's a real Road Queen. The 58k on the odometer is the original mileage as far as I know. my mechanic does think it's genuine from the sound of the motor and overall condition.  Cruises nicely on the highway and brakes evenly with the front disc brakes. She starts on the first try even in cold weather. idles perfectly and the suspension is luxurious. Drives overall like an American classic cruiser should.  

Rare. Classic Lincoln which will only appreciate in value! Any questions feel free to call or email. 914-224-3230

Also published at eBay.ca

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