1973 Lincoln Mark IV review from North America

When I got it, it didn't need too much work. I had to get it tuned up, and find one of the rear seatbelts at a junkyard before it would pass inspection.

I needed to get the ignition system replaced about 6 months after I bought it.

The fuel pump failed. If the gas tank was below 1/2, the engine would start to cough and miss.

The exhaust system had to be replaced last summer, more due to age than anything else.

The passenger door power lock has never worked.

The fan cage was rusty and the motor was burned out. Now that I've fixed those, the a/c still doesn't work. I think some of the doors in the system that control the flow are jammed.

The power steering hose failed, and could only be replaced by a vintage part.

The motor is very hard to start in cold weather. The carb needs constant adjustment. It also sounds terrible until it gets warm.

The engine has plenty of power. I've done 80-90mph for quite a while with no problem. The takeoff is slow. You can burn rubber, but the car doesn't really go anywhere.

The handling is typical of large American cars of the '70s. The steering has way too much play, the brakes try their best, but have too much weight to handle, and the acceleration is mediocre.

Don't miss the point, though. This is not a car to commute to work in. This is a car to get in on a sunny day and cruise around in. It's all about looks with this car.

The interior is like sitting on an expensive leather couch. I have gone long distances in this car and it is a dreamboat to ride in.

It's got a lot of oddball features that make great conversation pieces; auto-dimming headlights, vacuum operated headlight doors, backwards retracting passenger windows, shag carpets, and a horn in the steering wheel rim.

At 19' 2", it's a nightmare to park, or to get around congested areas.

The trunk would be huge, but a full size spare is mounted at an odd angle in it. One medium suitcase is about all that will lie on the floor, but you can put plenty of small bags around it.

I thought having a gas cap behind the license plate was neat at first, but when you have to kneel on filthy pavement and inhale fumes, you change your mind.

The body styling is absolutely beautiful. This car has the look that so many modern cars lack. Others might not like it, but at least it looks like something.