Two-Door Fords With Toupées: 1988 Lincoln Mark VII vs 1974 Ford Mustang II

Sbsd 8 22 2023
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Good morning! I seem to have inadvertently stumbled on a theme for this week, in the form of two cars from the same corporate family with something weird about the tops. I’ll show you what I mean in a minute. First, there is the small matter of yesterday’s GM convertibles to attend to:

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The garage-find Oldsmobile takes the win. Not often that a running car gets beaten by a non-running one, but I agree with the majority – the rust on that Metro scares me. I’d rather wrench than Bondo, and I don’t know how to weld, so for me it’s an easy decision.

Speaking of questionable bodywork, how do we all feel about vinyl tops? Or worse, fake convertible “carriage tops”? Personally, I can’t stand them; I did once own a Cadillac Coupe DeVille with a fake convertible top that I thought I could live with. Once I decided it had to go, I researched how much work it would be to remove it – and elected to sell the car instead. It was too bad, because I really liked that car, but that roof just made me angry every time I looked at it. I’ve tried to remove vinyl landau tops in the past, and that hasn’t gone well either.

So the question is: If you found an otherwise nice, good-running car that was saddled with one of these automotive toupées, could you bring yourself to buy it? Would you try to remove it, or just embrace the cheesiness? We’ve got two examples to look at, both from the Ford Motor Company.

1988 Lincoln Mark VII LSC – $3,500

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Engine/drivetrain: 5.0 liter overhead valve V8, four-speed automatic, RWD

Location: Goshen, IN

Odometer reading: 120,000 miles

Runs/drives? Yep

I didn’t think much of the Lincoln Mark VII when it was new. But then, I was a kid when this car came out, not exactly the target demographic. I couldn’t understand why anyone would choose it over a Mustang, or even a Thunderbird. I hated the big upright grille, the silly fake-spare-tire lump in the trunk lid, and all that chrome. But now, with a lot more miles on my own odometer, I look at that cushy interior, and I think about the pillowy-soft ride from that air suspension, and I get it.

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The Mark VII underwent a lot of changes and improvements over its eight-year run. This 1988 model is towards the end of the run, with the full-on high-output 302 V8 from the Mustang GT. It’s also the LSC model, which offered a modicum of handling to go with the marshmallow ride. It goes without saying that it has power everything, and all the other luxury toys befitting a vehicle of its stature in the late ’80s. [Editor’s Note: It was also the first car in America with composite, shaped headlamps! – JT]

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It also has a sunroof, which makes that horrible carriage top even worse. The little caps on the tops of the door sills are bad enough; the sunroof just adds insult to injury. Worse even that that, someone somewhere along the way tinted the windows with some awful reddish tint. No accounting for taste, I suppose. I’ve heard of looking at the world through rose-colored glasses, but I think maroon-tinted windows would just give you a headache.

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Mechanically, it sounds like this car is in fine shape. The ad consists almost entirely of a list of recently-replaced parts, and it’s everything you could hope for in a used car. It appears to be rust-free, and the paint is shiny, and a great color. But that top… ugh.

1974 Ford Mustang II – $3,995

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Engine/drivetrain: 2.8 liter overhead valve V6, three-speed automatic, RWD

Location: Cincinnati, OH

Odometer reading: 86,000 miles

Runs/drives? Great, the seller says

A lot has already been said about the Mustang II, and it’s almost a cliché to pick on the poor thing, or defend it, these days. The simple fact is that the Mustang got too big, around the same time there was a gas crunch, so they made it smaller. And it worked: Ford sold more than a million of these things.

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In 1974, the first year of the new fun-size Mustang, there was no V8 option. The biggest engine available was the one you see here: a 2.8 liter “Cologne” V6, equipped with a two-barrel carburetor, putting out a sad 105 horsepower through a three-speed automatic. Acceleration is not its strong suit. But the seller sings the praises of how this one runs, proclaiming that you could “Drive to California today.” Personally, I wouldn’t; it’s August, and the air conditioning is non-operational, but it’s good to hear that the seller has that kind of confidence in it.

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It’s rust-free, and the interior is certainly better than most Mustang IIs I’ve seen recently, but much like the Oldsmobile from yesterday, the seller seems to think this car is in a lot better condition than it is. The carpet is badly faded, there’s a huge crack in the dash, and the paint is chalky and not all the same shade of red. If it’s the old single-stage paint, you might be able to polish it up, but as it sits, it’s pretty scruffy.

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It’s probably easier to find a Mustang II with a vinyl roof than one without it. This one’s full roof is slightly less offensive than the landau top seen on the Ghia models, but it’s not pretty. But then, the only really good-looking Mustang IIs were the Cobra hatchbacks anyway.

I try really hard to be impartial and just present the cars for you to choose, but let’s be honest: between these two, the Lincoln really is the better car. It’s a decade and a half newer, has more than double the power, and it’s in nicer condition. But it has that stupid top on it, it’s not something you can remove yourself, and paying a body shop to get rid of it and repaint the roof would probably cost more than the car is worth. So can you tolerate the toupée, or would you rather take the baby Mustang with a mere vinyl top?

(Image credits: Craigslist sellers)

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73 thoughts on “Two-Door Fords With Toupées: 1988 Lincoln Mark VII vs 1974 Ford Mustang II

  1. I like that Lincoln. The tint is an easy fix. I would promise myself that I would get rid of the fake top and after a bit I wouldn’t even think about it.

  2. Easiest vote ever for me, I’m taking the hot rod Lincoln. And hot rod is the operative phrase here: it’s a 5.0 after all, and all the usual power-upping tricks from the still expansive catalog will work, you can manual swap it, etc. Hell I might even keep the vinyl top for shits and giggles, but that horrible tint and stupid sticker would be gone the first weekend.

    I actually like the Mustang II, but I’d rather spend more money and get a decent Cobra II as my starting point because the hatchback style is actually good looking.

    1. Exactly where I’m coming from. The Mustang II’s roof looks less ridiculous and it’s in good shape if one of those is what you want, but the Lincoln’s a lot more car for the money, with better bones, and I wouldn’t be able to see the ugly top while bombing down the highway in comfort. The tint and sticker are god-awful, but easy enough to remove.

      Also like you, I’ve always perversely liked the hatchback Mustang II as well, and the Cobra II’s my kind of silly. This notchback, on the other hand, is a good starting point for someone else.

      Edit: It helps that I’ve always coveted a Mark VII and that I like the burgundy paint and interior… I could live with the ugly toupee.

      1. I want to restomod a Cobra II. 300 hp or so would cure a lot of the ills of the Mustang II. Big brakes, upgrade the suspension, and you’ve got a unique backroad bomber.

  3. I like these Lincolns too (which weirdly feel snugger inside than the corresponding Thunderbirds of the same generation), but Cambria cloth is always going to be a hard no.

    Everyone loves to hate on Mustang II but we’d very likely not have Mustangs today without the massive sales numbers those puppies pulled in for Ford. Plus one of the cleverest ad headlines of all time:

    Mustang: II Boredom: 0

  4. I just cant stop driving the hot rod lincoln. The top is really only seen by a pedestrian you run into that flies over the car. So while i agree its hideous you do not see it from the drivers. However that mustang, Ford had the Mustang and the Pinto. For some god awful reason, i am guessing Ford family inbreeding, they took the good selling Mustang name and applied it to the cheap fugging POS Pinto and decided best of both worlds. Thank god the Japanese started importing cars that were all around better than big 3 pant loads.

  5. The Lincoln is an easy pick. It’s easily fixable and was a nice car from the start. That Mustang II will always be a heap of shit no matter what.

  6. I had a ’74 Mustang II with the 2.3l 4, and the 4-MT. The manual transmission didn’t really make a difference in accelerating, but it was more fun to row-yer-own. Note the location of the gas cap. WIth it being below the character crease in the rear fender, it’s a real PITA with the fuel station nozzle. You basically have to hold the lever at about 50% or it constantly shuts off.

    1. Yep, same spec as mine was. Turns out for 75 they moved it above the line, which was the single greatest improvement this side of, yknow, the 5.0

  7. I’m voting Lincoln. It is the better car, and the better buy. I, too lusted after one, but my broke ass could only afford a T-bird (83, which I still have). But, for today’s theme, the Mustang II wears the toupee much better! And, the seller looks like he’d be a cool guy to talk to, judging by it’s garage mates.

  8. I drove two Mustang IIs back in the day. Is that a Mustang IV. Math, ugh!

    Anyway, I had a 74 with the 4banger. After I tried to move a guardrail with that one, I bought a 78 with the 302 V8. You can see, even if my youthful ignorance, I knew enough to avoid that V6.

    Anyway, gimme the Lincoln.

  9. Gonna be contrarian today with the pint-size Mustang. It wears the fake top better. It can also be hopped up fairly easily. An Ecoboost 2.3 is already driving the correct wheels. There are undoubtedly crashed Mustangs with the front end completely fine from one too many donuts. There also appears to be a fine tradition of swapping SVO 2.3 turbo engines into Mustang II’s. This would update it with something more reliable. 310 hp is plenty for this size car.

  10. I am one of those who long ago swore that never, even under threat of death, torture, or forced attendance at a timeshare seminar involving a free steak at Applebees, would I possess a Mustang II. Therefore, I am required to go with the Lincoln despite it’s creatively hideous top.

  11. I’ve actually been jonesing for a Mark after reading TTAC’s excellent 50-part series on the Continental/Mark line. The Mark VII/VIII LSCs are my personal favorite since they correspond with my youth, so this is an easy decision. This one looks straight enough that it would be worth a trip to the body shop to have the vinyl removed and the car repainted. Make it silver and pretend to be James Bond from License to Kill. That and new (or no) tint, and you’ve got a comfortable cruiser ready for Cars & Coffee.

  12. I think Ford pushed the vinyl tops on the Mustang II so it would look different from the Pinto.

    I’d rather sit in those leather seats listening to a V8 while considering my life choices, instead of the Mustang II. I’ve been there (in a Mustang II), it’s not a lot to write home about. I also hear that the V6 was the worst engine of the Mustang II family.

    The top is ridiculous, but put me in the Continental.

  13. Ill be in the minority and take the II. A slicktop lincoln would be a winner. Or the legit convertible conversion. Or even one of the rare BMW I-6 diesel mark 7s. But not that.

  14. I have to go Lincoln here. Remove that Godawful roof and make it right, then look inside: it’s a Fox body under the gilding, and many, many aftermarket parts are available that would make it more interesting.

  15. The Lincoln. It’s a very comfortable $3500 beater with everything already fixed and working a/c and the big complaint is the top’s not pretty enough? A rusty old geo, a Cutlass that’s been sitting so long the keys have been lost and a Pinto are what you get for that kind of money, not air conditioned comfort. You can’t see the top from inside anyway and tint is easy to remove. Function is what’s important in a beater, vanity is for people with nice car money.

    1. Agreed. The Lincoln is just the better beater. For the price, the Mustang II should be a little more notable, instead, it’s just an old undesirable car. Nevermind the looks, you’ll get $3500 out of the Lincoln.

  16. Making a choice here is a like buying a lotto ticket, just a license to dream. On that basis, I’ll take the ‘Stang since it’s pre-smog so I can abuse the V6 with questionable performance upgrades before I stuff an EcoBoost and a stickshift in.
    Maybe it’ll handle sorta OK? I’m not a competent enough driver to tell anyways.

  17. The Mark VII is a glorious grand touring car as long as nobody monkeyed with the air suspension. It’s easy to maintain, the parts are cheap and they work fabulously.

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