11th Feb 2011, 17:37

Hi there original reviewer!

I love your devotion for the car you love, however I'm more into real "real" cars, such as the 60's Cadillacs, Impalas, Grand Prixs, Galaxies, and the 70's Rivera's, Cutlass Supremes, Delta 88s and of course, those big a$$ Marks. I'm not hating on you at all! Or your Ford, but yours is still suffering from that bland "new car styling" that you seem to detest. And I don't know if you're completely correct in saying that the frame-on-body cars are any safer than unibody-subframe cars. Of course this is a long standing argument that definitely is not going to be settled here. Both designs have their advantages and disadvantages in a collision. 100 mph kills in a 1978 just as much as a 2011. And in defining safety, are you meaning the persons safety or the cars? Personally, whether or not if I walk away from a 45mph+ accident OK and relatively scrape free or not is my personal definition of safety. Like I said, don't get upset because I'm disagreeing with you, because I'm not trying to bash you, just trying to clear a few misconceptions you seem to have.

I am, by the way, a 28 year old who drives a 1978 Lincoln Mark V. She's White/blue trim and top, and dark and light blue leather interior. I also own two more Marks, a 77 and 79. I love my cars and wouldn't take anything for them, but I know their limitations.

My 78 has a completely rebuilt motor and tranny (no whine that you speak of, in fact none of my cars or the 73 coup DeVille with a turbo 400 has ever exhibited any whine sound from the trans, you might want to get that checked!). My engine is a 7.L 460 cid and my tranny is a C-6 three speed, that indestructible Ford 9" with all four disc brakes. All my suspension is new from front to back, including body mounts (a total pain on a 6000+ lb. car) and my interior has been redone. The only thing left to do is a repaint and a new top.

That said, my car has the best you can get from 2009-11, but still suffers from design flaws of 1978. She still handles horribly next to any new car from today, drinks gas like an AA drunk off the wagon, and the ergonomics of the interior are FAR outdated (can't reach the controls comfortably and no rear space), but I accept this and don't try to make people believe that my car is "better" than new ones. For me? certainly! But not for everyone. Now as far as curb appeal goes... My starship can draw more crowds than any new Benz or BMW on the planet. Happy motoring friend! Restore em, NEVER crush em!!

MOC.

If you'd like to debate this further or would like to see some of my pics, email me at Miketastic1982@yahoo.com

I welcome your input.

13th Feb 2011, 16:19

*Original Author*

Let me clear up the whine in the transmission first. Every Panther platform car, brand new or not, that I have been in, all have that sound in first gear. Just as my friend's 2011 Sierra has, and just as all the B-body cars I have driven have had, so it's normal.

Now cars from the sixties happen to be my favorite decade in automobiles, and my dream car from then to go next to my Crown Victoria in the garage would be a 1959-60 4-door seafoam green Bel Air with a 348.

14th Feb 2011, 17:29

Most previous commentor here...

Oh cool! Yeah those old bat-wing Chevys were cool! But why a four-door? Well I shouldn't ask as the two-doors and coups are a bit more sought after (expensive), and the four-doors are a bit less expensive to obtain. I always dug all the full size platforms from GM and Ford (I never was that big of a Chrysler fan, except for a 58 Plymouth Belvedere of course ;-D) My first car I got when I was 13. It was a rolling chassis of a 1965 Impala true SS car with not much more than a body and wheels. It took me until I was a senior in high school, but when it was finished, man would she move!

I was just curious about that tranny whine, because like I said, I've never encountered it before, except when I had a planetary gear go bad. Not fun on a turbo-400 let me tell ya! I guess I just haven't bought new enough LOL!

My newest vehicle is my Chevy 1500 with a 700r4 tranny, and it doesn't do that either. However, I've got headers with cat-backs on it and a mild cam, so that may be why I don't hear it LOLOL.

Keep on rocking your old schools man, the looks you'll get outweigh any problems you might face. TTYL.

Moc.