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Ford's upscale push in Europe draws skeptics

Maybe the WORST of them was the '67 Eldorado, a car capable of +/- 130 MPH speeds. Drums were all you could get on 'em the 1st year, discs WERE at least "Optional" in '68, & I think STANDARD in '69. The more I read & study about cars of the Fifties, Sixties, & Seventies, w/their thunderous powerplants, primitive suspensions & lousy brakes, the more AMAZED I am that we survived 'em..
 
My biggest problem with newer cars is the cookie cutter approach to visual design. Basically, you've seen one, you've seen them all. Aerodynamics don't leave many options for differentiation.

Example ... the latest Buick commercials.

"That's a Buick?"
"Which one's the Buick"?

Like they're proud of a design that's mediocre enough to blend in with most anything else out there.
 
They did have some problems with the Convertible top systems in the 60's connies that's true there was usually one guy at a L/M dealership who knew how to fix those and the convertible hardtops !

The Suspension was pretty beefy it would easily support at least a half ton truck the bushings were too soft though and not as durable as more modern formulations.


ofc the electrical/hydraulic and vacuum systems were legendary in their complexity and headaches . The crankshaft mounted power steering pumps on the 462's were a PITA. as well . nice cars though .
 
Brian said:
With maybe only a couple of exceptions all cars had this issue. At that time we just installed metal impregnated shoes that while requiring new drums sooner had far less fade and replace those silly rubber brake hoses with flexible high strength steel sheathed high pressure nonexpanding hoses. Add racing rated master and brake cylinders and you were good to good. The result was as good as those early discount brake systems. Cost was about double the oem component prices.
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That's for sure actually the Lincolns had pretty good size brake shoes IIRC 3" wide either 11 or 12" and a finned aluminum /steel composite drum brake option so did Buick and Pontiac and ofc Corvettes though .

Other than the sintered metallic linings the premium Bendix EDS linings were about the best out there for asbestos shoes .

The early disc systems weren't the greatest they liked to warp rotors I liked the GM DM1 single piston disc brake though that wasn't bad .
thier single piston rear discs sucked though.
The only decent disc brakes Ford made until the mid 90's were the older 2 Piston truck brakes on the late 60's -70's F 250 + trucks .
 
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frankxbe said:
They did have some problems with the Convertible top systems in the 60's connies that's true there was usually one guy at a L/M dealership who knew how to fix those and the convertible hardtops !

The Suspension was pretty beefy it would easily support at least a half ton truck the bushings were too soft though and not as durable as more modern formulations.


ofc the electrical/hydraulic and vacuum systems were legendary in their complexity and headaches . The crankshaft mounted power steering pumps on the 462's were a PITA. as well . nice cars though .
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Yeah, my convertible has bad bushings/tie rod ends.. it kinda "Hunts" all over the road.. A bit of a bother in town, Fun, Fun, fun at hiway speeds.. BIG fun once when I had it out one Sunday morning & let the big 462 strut its stuff... 100 MPH-No problem.. It even smoother out then, felt like it could do that 4EVER.. And then, my Nervous Nellie side kicked in & whispered in my ear-You're in a 30 yr old car w/loosey goosey front end, questionable Brakes, no top, & you're goin' 100 MPH... What's WRONG w/this pitcher ?!? So I slowed down to a mere 70, as if that woulda made a helluva lot of difference.. I never have seen what it would top out at.
 
I found a cream puff 1993 Mark VIII for one of the boys and that was just a fun car and faster than any Lincoln should be. 27 per at 75-80mph wasn't bad either. I would like another Mark VIII.
 
I came within a hair's breath of buying a near mint VIII LSC but then started to price and source a couple of needed items such as the headlight bulbs and suspension. Decided I had better things to spend money on such as boat if I just wanted to throw money away.
 
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