Hello everyone! Our names are Ren and Kara.
This is our inaugural post on LVC and we're happy to join you! We always look forward to visiting LVC and enjoy reading everyones experience with your projects. My wife and I are car nuts like most of you here. She is the speed demon and I am the car show enthusiast. We own two Mark VIII and a Crossfire. Call us crazy but our cars have nicknames.
We've been an avid visitor to LVC since 2004, a year after we purchased our 1994 Deep Jewel Green Mark with a moonroof and Saddle interior. We nicknamed her Magnatude. We are the second owners at 88K on the odometer. Today, she ticks like a fine watch and she clocks is at 150K miles on the clock. Had all the common problems associated with an aging Mark but are able to address alot of those issues thanks much to the great information here at LVC. Magnatude has garnered three first places and one second place in four Usaci and Iasca autosound SQ competitions using much of the modified factory JBL system.
Wifes DD is an '04 Crossfire, sister to MBZ SLK320, nicknamed Scarlet for its metallic Blaze Red exterior complimented by the Black leather interior. Scarlet has been on two legs of the Hot Rod Power Tour, been part of the Tail of the Dragon cruise in Tennessee, and attended a few GTs. Wife has had a number of kills with Scarlet.
Our most recent purchase is a 1997 LSC Opal Opalescent with a moonroof and Ebony interior. We nicknamed her: Octane. We are the third owner. Car was originally sold new in Alabama in '97. Second owner got her in '98 with 20K miles on the odometer. We got her with 114K miles in 2010. This car is going to be our project vehicle as she has gone through a very rough history.
The second owner bought the car for his wife but she declided and preferred to drive one of their other Lincolns. Keys were haded over to their 19yo daughter who then allowed her BF to drive the car hauling two large dogs in the back seat. Needless to say, he abused the car and one day as they were driving, the car shut down with no power in the middle of an intersection.
Two independent shops and a dealer was unable to get it running again so the owners let it sat at a wooded field for two years rotting away, collecting dust. It still had collapsed suspension and over time, weeds were growing through the engine bay and through the octastar wheels. I came upon it when a co-worker told me about it. Went to talk to the owner, negotiated a price and he offered it to me at way below Blue Book value. It was necessary for me to get an afidavit of non-operational vehicle with title to get it registered in my state. I am no mechanic but with enough information from the conversations with the previous owner, I have enough confidence in my abilities to get this car back to its glory.
Octanes original condition when purchased was poor. There were a number of dents and scratches. The biggest dent was the size of a fist. it suffered from broken door handles, oxidized headlight lens, lasagna rear window trim, ripped door weather seals, crushed chrome exhaust tip from careless flatbed tow operators, front and rear bumper spider cracks in the paint, although overall, the clearcoat is in great condition.
The interior was in worse shape. There were missing door trim, missing buttons, broken lower seat trim, dirty, sticky carpet from spilled drinks, beach sand in the cabin and trunk, dog hair everywhere. Floormats so worn not worth saving, backseat leather torn ripped scratched may need total interior replacement. moonroof and third neon trunk light inoperable.
But I see a gem in this car. It will take me a while with a few weekends here and there to get it all accomplished. Future mod and fix includes: chassis stiffening, upper and lower CA, strutrod bushing, inner outer tierod, links, drilled silencers, 1-2 accumulators, JMOD, M-5, 255-45/18 front, 295-40/18 rear, Speedstars, 12" DS rear rotors, 13" DS front rotors, Cobra calipers, SS Brakelines, Addco 1-1/4 antisway bar, Viair, Grover 1510 emergency horns, Kenne and Norm filters, Kenne Bell supercharger, Walbro 255 with larger fuel injectors, SCT-3, freeflowing cats, 3rd cat delete, X-pipe, 2-1/2" exhaust, Magnaflow 'stinger' mufflers, 3" suspension drop, fiberoptic Alpine/Focal/DLS, Streetwires, bright 3W LED reverse lights, LED interior and license lights, custom front bumper facia, rear spoiler and repaint.
From time to time , I will post a progress report for all of you to enjoy reading as you join me go through the joys and pitfalls of restoring and upgrading my '97 Mark, nicknamed ..............Octane.
This is our inaugural post on LVC and we're happy to join you! We always look forward to visiting LVC and enjoy reading everyones experience with your projects. My wife and I are car nuts like most of you here. She is the speed demon and I am the car show enthusiast. We own two Mark VIII and a Crossfire. Call us crazy but our cars have nicknames.
We've been an avid visitor to LVC since 2004, a year after we purchased our 1994 Deep Jewel Green Mark with a moonroof and Saddle interior. We nicknamed her Magnatude. We are the second owners at 88K on the odometer. Today, she ticks like a fine watch and she clocks is at 150K miles on the clock. Had all the common problems associated with an aging Mark but are able to address alot of those issues thanks much to the great information here at LVC. Magnatude has garnered three first places and one second place in four Usaci and Iasca autosound SQ competitions using much of the modified factory JBL system.
Wifes DD is an '04 Crossfire, sister to MBZ SLK320, nicknamed Scarlet for its metallic Blaze Red exterior complimented by the Black leather interior. Scarlet has been on two legs of the Hot Rod Power Tour, been part of the Tail of the Dragon cruise in Tennessee, and attended a few GTs. Wife has had a number of kills with Scarlet.
Our most recent purchase is a 1997 LSC Opal Opalescent with a moonroof and Ebony interior. We nicknamed her: Octane. We are the third owner. Car was originally sold new in Alabama in '97. Second owner got her in '98 with 20K miles on the odometer. We got her with 114K miles in 2010. This car is going to be our project vehicle as she has gone through a very rough history.
The second owner bought the car for his wife but she declided and preferred to drive one of their other Lincolns. Keys were haded over to their 19yo daughter who then allowed her BF to drive the car hauling two large dogs in the back seat. Needless to say, he abused the car and one day as they were driving, the car shut down with no power in the middle of an intersection.
Two independent shops and a dealer was unable to get it running again so the owners let it sat at a wooded field for two years rotting away, collecting dust. It still had collapsed suspension and over time, weeds were growing through the engine bay and through the octastar wheels. I came upon it when a co-worker told me about it. Went to talk to the owner, negotiated a price and he offered it to me at way below Blue Book value. It was necessary for me to get an afidavit of non-operational vehicle with title to get it registered in my state. I am no mechanic but with enough information from the conversations with the previous owner, I have enough confidence in my abilities to get this car back to its glory.
Octanes original condition when purchased was poor. There were a number of dents and scratches. The biggest dent was the size of a fist. it suffered from broken door handles, oxidized headlight lens, lasagna rear window trim, ripped door weather seals, crushed chrome exhaust tip from careless flatbed tow operators, front and rear bumper spider cracks in the paint, although overall, the clearcoat is in great condition.
The interior was in worse shape. There were missing door trim, missing buttons, broken lower seat trim, dirty, sticky carpet from spilled drinks, beach sand in the cabin and trunk, dog hair everywhere. Floormats so worn not worth saving, backseat leather torn ripped scratched may need total interior replacement. moonroof and third neon trunk light inoperable.
But I see a gem in this car. It will take me a while with a few weekends here and there to get it all accomplished. Future mod and fix includes: chassis stiffening, upper and lower CA, strutrod bushing, inner outer tierod, links, drilled silencers, 1-2 accumulators, JMOD, M-5, 255-45/18 front, 295-40/18 rear, Speedstars, 12" DS rear rotors, 13" DS front rotors, Cobra calipers, SS Brakelines, Addco 1-1/4 antisway bar, Viair, Grover 1510 emergency horns, Kenne and Norm filters, Kenne Bell supercharger, Walbro 255 with larger fuel injectors, SCT-3, freeflowing cats, 3rd cat delete, X-pipe, 2-1/2" exhaust, Magnaflow 'stinger' mufflers, 3" suspension drop, fiberoptic Alpine/Focal/DLS, Streetwires, bright 3W LED reverse lights, LED interior and license lights, custom front bumper facia, rear spoiler and repaint.
From time to time , I will post a progress report for all of you to enjoy reading as you join me go through the joys and pitfalls of restoring and upgrading my '97 Mark, nicknamed ..............Octane.
