Is This The Strangest Automotive Control Ever Produced? 1958-59 Lincoln HVAC Control

Learn more about this super funky control that was offered on 1958-9 Lincolns.

[@tonyelliott7734]

A 1958 Lincoln just left the restoration shop I work at. We went through everything mechanical, complete drivetrain, prepped and painted undercarriage and engine bay. A $50k job. The body and paint was already in great original condition. That's a BIG, complicated car that's difficult to find parts for. And when you do, they're big $$$.

[@michaelbenardo5695]

It is, to me, a gorgeous car and a FAST car as well. I think if the headlights were vertically instead of diagonally stacked, it would have sold better. At least in 59 and 60.

[@YouTooDoTube]

You did well, to preserve this piece of history. 👍

[@tomsmith2331]

They sure are ! There are people who subsidize their retirement by selling Lincoln parts

[@YouTooDoTube]

@@tomsmith2331 To be perfectly honest: i was at US-Car meetings since 1990 here in Germany. My father had an Oldsmobile (1976?) with a V8-Diesel engine which broke, then installed a regular V8… I still…am the biggest fan of such large, enormous vehicles. With that touch of real luxury. Good for me: Never had a chance to own something like this as it is way to expensive over here. But…in the future…my stocks can get better… My interest goes to a Lincoln Continental Town Car (4 doors)…1978 or 1979… During the meantime i am going/driving all-electric with my fabulous Volkswagen e-Up!…🙈🎯🫣🥳🤩

[@tonyelliott7734]

​@@YouTooDoTube My favorite Lincoln's have to be the 1963 and 1969. I love those body styles.

[@jetsons101]

My heart goes out to the pinion gear bearings for the load they saw while that "Near 5,000 pound car was propelled to 60 MPH in a little over 8 seconds." Thanks for posting.....

[@billvose7360]

Ford 9" rear end, very rugged. I had a 1971 Mercury Colony Park wagon, I was able to get it weighed one time, 5500 lbs empty.

[@johnsheetz6639]

@@billvose7360 I grew up in the malaise era. And when I got my license all I had were mailase era cars. This would smoke a 1982 Camaro 0 to 60 that was stock. It's all perspective though ☺️

[@jetsons101]

@@billvose7360 Agree but the load of pushing a 58, 59 or 60 Lincoln that fast from a dead stop is still a load on the pinion bearings. What makes a Ford 9" so great is the pinion bearing. layout, a earing on either end of the pinion gear.

[@davef.2329]

@@johnsheetz6639 Related to the late Vernon from Miami?

[@johnsheetz6639]

@@davef.2329 I can't be sure but I am from Florida, Panama City.

[@The_R-n-I_Guy]

Your channel is just amazing. I love learning about cars. And you're a great teacher. Thanks Adam

[@61rampy65]

My grandfather had a new 58 Continental 2 dr. I was 4 or 5. I was just fascinated with that car, which also had the retractable rear window. Apparently, he had a lot of trouble with that car, so he traded it in on a new 58 Lincoln Capri (the 'base' model). It did not have the cool rear window. Both cars had factory A/C, and I vividly remember those hoses under the hood. I still have some drawings I made of the Continental in 1962, when I was 8. I was a horrible artist (still am) but I did capture lots of details on my drawings. Thanks for the video to bring back wonderful memories!

[@61rampy65]

I can't believe my grandfather didn't kill me. I managed to put lots of cute swirly marks on the plastic lens of the instrument cluster with the cigarette lighter, I scratched the heck out of the painted metal panel between the rear seatback and that retractable window, and was just about to play gas station attendant with the garden hose. Luckily, my mom caught me before I could fill-er-up! My grandpa never said a word about it.

[@michaelbenardo5695]

@@61rampy65 Maybe he was the same type of kid as you!

[@williammaceri8244]

I'm just a year older than you, what a great time to be growing up, especially if you were into cars like I was. I like making drawings of all the Big Three cars. I knew all model years, their names and opinions they had. I was actually a pretty good little artist. I wish I still had them.

[@chuckpeterson3262]

Total Lincoln & Continental production 1958: 29,684 Total Lincoln Continental production 1961: 25,164

[@michaelbenardo5695]

Funny how that is lost on so many people. One thing they forget is the fact that the 58 - 60 Lincolns were too big for most garages. The Cadillac 60 Special didn't sell in the high numbers of the "regular" Cads, the series 62, either. Even among those who could easily afford it.

[@chuckpeterson3262]

@@michaelbenardo5695 Everyone thinks the 61 LC was a sales success and it wasn't at all. It just changed the image of the company and helped move Lincoln forward.

[@steves9905]

As an owner of a '59, I knew exactly which control you were talking about in the teaser! I have not attempted to fix mine...an a/c car...maybe some day. These are both wacky and sublime simultaneously...over the top style but high quality and effortless power

[@DSP1968]

A wonderful description of how this system works, Adam. Thank you!

[@loveisall5520]

I remember that dial because when I was a young boy our next door neighbor had a '58. It was pink/coral with a white top and I thought it was just beautiful. And big! Looking forward to Adam hitting 100K subscribers-

[@davidpancerev9658]

The dashboard design kind of echoes that of the c.1959 Philco "Predicta" TV sets.

[@dayveo]

Love that this comes right after the Ed's Auto Review's Continental video

[@landiahillfarm6590]

These model year Lincolns were "over the top" in just about every respect, but the older I get the more I fall in love with them. That dash has an elegance all it's own and I rank it up in my top 20 favorite dashboards of all time.

[@Ctrl-XYZ]

That weird HVAC control was not "dropped for the 1960 model year" -- 1960 Lincolns and Continentals used the exact same four-quadrant, single-knob control, just in a different location on the redesigned dash. 1958 Edsels equipped with air conditioning had what was basically the same control, but even simpler. Instead of a knob, you turned the bezel of the "Climate Dial" itself, with fan speed controlled by a toggle switch.

[@user-nm5yv6ij8w]

I couldn't have said it better than you did - you saved me the necessity of pointing this out myself.

[@christopherkraft1327]

Hey Adam, "unique" is a very kind description of the 58 to 60 Lincolns & Continentals!!! 🙄

[@rollinwrench6298]

Fantastic detail on your explanation! When you said “York single piston compressor” I knew exactly the unit you where talking about. Subbed!

[@davidpancerev9658]

Nixing the four-barrel carb was a bummer decision. Old Bob Mc Namara didn't know jack-squat about cars.

[@steves9905]

He was the epitome of the bean counter

[@ddhsd]

He didn't know Jack squat about Vietnam either or anything really.

[@saxongreen78]

Confidence overshadowing ability and in a position of influence...could have been PRESIDENT!

[@scooterp7009]

@@saxongreen78 Let’s go Brandon.

[@DanEBoyd]

He was Jack Squat's cousin. Nepotism...

[@jeffsmith846]

OK Adam... you are talking about the really cool HVAC control. Please be advised that it was not vacuum controlled. My knowledge is about the 58 only but perhaps the 59 is similar. Instead of vacuum the control head ran a servo module which was an ELECTRIC motor and gearbox that ran a complex wheel which in turn moved Bowden cables to open-close heat defrost dash vents Also the left and right footwell vent and the heat and ac thermostats. I don't know how long this set up worked properly, but I know that Bowden cables tend to corrode and the inner cables start to stick and bind. I did find a website where a man in Europe was rebuilding his servo system on his 58 but I don't know if the expertise exists in the United States. It is such an obscure system that few know how to troubleshoot and ultimately repair them.

[@alb12345672]

Similar to a blend door on an F150 of even a new lincoln!

[@slicksnewonenow]

Gotta admit that I never really cared for the '59 or '60... But the '58 was MAGNIFICENT. Albeit not too "Continental like". As for the Designers and Engineers of the era... So many of them from the various manufacturers were "MIT Smart"... Just look at this HVAC switch! The Ford retractable... The memory seat in the Eldo Broughams... The pushbutton gear selectors in the Chryslers and the Mercs, Edsels and Packards! The wild transmission designs! Such incredible creativity.

[@geralderdek282]

I purchased a 1960 base model lincoln in 1980. It did not have ac. I installed factory air from junkyard cars which were still easy to find at the time. It was a hugh job but worth the effort living in Florida. Still have the car today. The redesigned instrument panel for 1960 which many consider better looking than the earlier models made it alittle easier too.

[@jeffpurtell5676]

Fascinating cars. This is the best explanation of this system that I've seen. Thanks for posting!

[@georgegonzalez2476]

My dad’s 1958 Edsel had a very similar control. I remember it being confusing. Next to it was an analog clock that rewound itself with a solenoid every 20 minutes. It made a loud CLACK sound when the solenoid fired.

[@markbehr88]

I do like these 58-60 Lincolns. A 59 Convertible I drove once had the best ride of any car I have ever driven.

[@davidmckinney6577]

I'm surprised that they made those big ol cars unibody construction and then went back to full chassis, I never did like a unibody car especially a large car.

[@trudygreer2491]

The Continental of the 1960s was also Unibody.. it didn't revert to body-on -frame until the 1970 redesign..

[@marko7843]

@@trudygreer2491 which to me REALLY made no sense, because of the four-door convertible. That's a long stretch of nothing but floor...

[@MrZdvy]

@@marko7843 With big sections of steel beams/‘frame’ rails welded to it...

[@marko7843]

@@MrZdvy And still necessitating crude, giant weights in the fenders to dampen vibration...

[@MrZdvy]

@@marko7843 I have never seen or heard of giant weights in fenders to dampen vibration🧐

[@califdad4]

I have read the 58 front bumper was changed due to customer complaints, the wings on the bumper was creating wind noise at freeway speed's. A older guy told me that he was living on a airbase not far from me, and the base Commanders wife got a new 58 Lincoln Capri sedan and everytime she crossed RR tracks, all four door's popped open. Lincoln, they local dealership had to contact Lincoln and they sent them baces to attach to the unibody construction and the service department installed them. A lot of the bugs were worked out by 59. As a little kid, our nextdoor neighbors bought a new pink 59 Lincoln Premiere. I was really impressed with this car but today I realize that my then uncle's 58 imperial was likely a better car . Ford lost 60 million dollars on building these cars for 3 years

[@saxongreen78]

That's dreadful! Ford released quite a few bodies like that in that era - they either didn't listen to their engineers, or the engineers were ignorant of torsional stiffness principles (small box = inherent stiffness, big box = more flex, more bracing.) The Falcon disintegrated on Aussie roads in 1960...took 'em over 18 months to fix it - nearly ruined the brand.

[@califdad4]

@@saxongreen78 it was the first year of the unibody construction and this was discovered the first week of having the car, October 1957, so it was a very early model 58, I'm sure there was other similar problems across the country,

[@wizzard5442]

@@saxongreen78 Falcons came back in 1964 as "Certified Gold" meaning all faults fixed and went on to win Car Of The Year in 1965.

[@stevemehan7276]

Majestic car that 58 Lincoln

[@davidpancerev9658]

I believe Edsel used a similar HVAC control in '58.

[@chuckpeterson3262]

The system is very close to this in the 1961 Lincoln also, except it looks like a radio dial, but same basic system. One dial does it all.

[@friendofdorothy9376]

Yes, it was called Dial-A-Temp on the Edsel.

[@johnruschmeyer5769]

I'm slightly scared by the thought of both this HVAC control and the Tele-Touch transmission existing in the same vehicle. Ford had some strange ideas back then.

[@michaelbenardo5695]

@@johnruschmeyer5769 They were trying to out Cadillac the Cad and out Packard the last true Packards.

[@chuckpeterson3262]

@@johnruschmeyer5769 Ford was out of its mind in the late 50s but it sure was fun!!

[@Trapper4265]

This generation Lincoln Continental is, by far, my favorite. I consider these to be the most elegant and most unique looking lincolns, in my opinion. I fell in love with this car when Eva Marie Saint jumps into that '58 Convertible and drives off in the 1959 Albert Hitchcock movie "North by Northwest."

[@KennyNelson545]

The door panel vent you showed is actually a non-air conditioning car, as the factory air conditioning cars had a slightly different vent with a directional control on it. Also air-conditioning cars have two vents in the dash with with control knobs above them.

[@OLDS98]

Strange indeed Adam, but good information and a learning point. You have a way of sharing about things people did not know or did not think about. Your videos are a educational feast. The 1961 could not come fast enough it seems. It is interesting the position Lincoln was in the late 1950's. It is reinventing itself right now in a changing market today. I hope Lincoln finds its way again.

[@mcy1122]

Fascinating. Thanks for the great video Adam!

[@sterlinsilver]

I believe the 1958 Edsel had a similar HVAC control- regardless, the 1960 Lincoln continental is one of my all time favorites!

[@randybock82]

These 59-60 Lincolns were beautiful!

[@TheMaxx111]

What on earth would make Robert McNamara think that anyone would want a 2 bbl carburetor on a Lincoln?

[@saxongreen78]

I don't think he even considered that...his eyes were fixed on two or three columns in the balance sheet and nothing else.

[@MarinCipollina]

Why would he think a US invasion of Viet Nam was a good idea ?

[@michaelbenardo5695]

He thought 4 barrel carbs were "excessive", never mind dual 4s or tri-power. He didn't believe in performance.

[@michaelbenardo5695]

The Lincoln didn't get a 4 barrel again until 63! But never again produced the power of the 58 or even the 59.

[@TheGiggler333]

Robert was a man who only saw cars as a means of transportation to get from point A to point B. He really didn’t believe in the ideas of performance or comfort. Sure ford sold performance/luxury options on cars, but only because Robert realized that it ment more money. Robert was so simplistic that on a trip to Europe in the 50s, he was practically drooling over the cheap, small, and rather boring economy cars in Europe. The cars he saw over there were his main inspiration for the 1960 Ford Falcon

[@arthurn9237]

THANX SIR MOST INTERESTING I'M 70 NOW AND I CAN'T ACTUALLY REMEMBER SEEING ONE OF THESE CARS THOUGH I REMEMBER LOTS OF THE OLD SUICIDE DOOR MODEL'S FUR SHUR

[@arnepianocanada]

Thank you! This kind of detail invites fascination - of features themselves, also delving into car designers' thinking as evident in products created.

[@denniskoppo4259]

There was a rather unique control, I think it was on a 50s era TBird, where there was a pedal on the driver's side floor. When depressed, it would cause the radio to automatically scan the AM band and stop at strong stations.

[@bertspeggly4428]

I didn't know they limited the carbs on those big cars. I had a 1956 Caddy Eldorado Biarritz with two four-barrel carbs. How cool is that!😁😁

[@lostbear53]

I am an ex Mr. Goodwrench, here is some other oddball things... Portable am radio in the glove box and auto dim for headlights on my 1st car, a 59 olds 98... to me the biggest contender for a control is the Push button automatic. And the winner for just plain strange was the center turning headlight on the 48 Tucker. And Chevy has a nod for the 1st above rear window light on the 58 Impala. so does the VW bug and others with the turning Flags indicators on the front fenders. What about the rudder control on the 1st Mercedes? I would say there are a lot more oddities too, like a wife in the passenger seat.. lol

[@msmeyersmd8]

Damn. I miss your channel. )KZbin stopped promoting your videos to me. Honestly, I have missed them. This is a great video. I'll try to keep up up watching your videos. Thanks for your research and presentations.

[@kennixox262]

The HVAC knob looks some reminiscent of a clock timer control on a Fridigaire wall oven from that era.

[@kennixox262]

@Eric Ruud Sure does, if I recall. The Flair ranges were really not very good appliances from a practical point. Lifting heavy pans out of the oven over a hot cooktop is a bad idea. We had a Frigidaire wall over, not a Flair just a regular single oven that used the wire cable and for cleaning the door would drop completely down. No window in the door. Don't know what model but the house was built in 1960. Imagine putting a heavy holiday turkey in/out of one of those ovens over hot pots and pans on the stove?

[@MarinCipollina]

Of course, Frigidaire was owned by General Motors at that time.

[@jerryfacts9749]

I've driven some of these types of cars. They were a great ride. They were not fast like today's cars, but the ride and comfort was great!

[@67marlins]

I know they're baroque in hindsight.....but I love these cars.

[@michaelbenardo5695]

I like "baroque". I never cared for plain.

[@meathead585]

I believe that these also had available power vents, ahead of the front side windows. This option was not available on the 1961. Finally, in late spring of 1962, they became available again on the Lincoln Continental.

[@waynejohnson1304]

There really doesn't appear to be a practical way of making a unibody car that is as well isolated from the road as can be done using a full perimeter frame.

[@AaronSmith-kr5yf]

Ever ridden in a 2003ish Lexus LS430??? That has to be the nicest riding car I've ever been in, its a unibody. It has that magic carpet ride like a big 60's/70's/80's American land barge but it doesn't bob up/down, it doesn't ride boaty. Plus its king tut's tomb silent, no squeaks/rattles/vibrations/wind noise, its surreal how you can be doing 120mph and feel like you are on the Shinkansen. The handling isn't bad either, yeah it pushes to the outside if you push it and does lean over a bit but the steering is fairly quick and it feels safe/secure. Also tracks laser straight, something that always annoyed me about American land barges with a steering box.

[@AaronSmith-kr5yf]

@Eric Ruud Actually my parents bought a 2000 Avalon brand new, that was pretty much a Lexus with a Toyota badge. It had a lot more room in it than a 2000 Lexus ES300, hell a lot more back seat leg room than a Town Car or Grand Marquis. Granted no cool electroluminescent gauges, burled walnut or fine leather like a Lexus but it was $3000 cheaper or so. But it was built just as solid as the Lexus, ride was whisper quiet and smooth as well. Granted the LS430 was on another plane in terms of refinement/ride/quietness/horsepower and just generally better handling/driving dynamics.

[@trudygreer2491]

​@@AaronSmith-kr5yf The Avalon may have bettered the Grand Marquis for rear seat legroom by not quite 2 inches, but it doesn't beat the Town Car's legroom..

[@Paramount531]

@Eric Ruud I had an 06 Avalon Limited, the ride was very, very quiet. I miss that car, it was the most reliable car I have ever owned.

[@michaelbenardo5695]

You are correct, a unit body is like a 20s or older car with a separate frame - solid body mounts that transmit, rather than absorb, vibration and noise.

[@johnpotter8039]

The thing that the Lincoln engineers missed was that the dual air conditioning systems weren't really dual. There were 2 evaporators fed by one compressor, with just a tee fitting on the suction and liquid lines, and one control. No way to adjust the temperature between the front and rear seats. Still cool, of course. My neighbors had a '57 Premiere with turquoise and white upholstery and factory AC, with the trunk-mounted evaporator, the clear supply tubes and the roof-line outlets. The car also had a continental kit and was too long for their garage door to close. I always looked for tubes when I saw cars with the windows up in the summer. We had a 1956 Nash Rambler station wagon with AC, two vents on either side of the top of the dash. My mother's '58 Buick Roadmaster had the fanciest side and center vents and a similar multi-function control knob. Another cool feature was that you could trigger the station-scanning Wonderbar radio from a floor button next to the headlight dimmer switch.

[@PhilRacicot]

Buick had heater controls in the lower part of it's two round dials on 1959 models. They were actuated by levers but also included ventilation controls. Automatic controls which Buick called "auto heat" was also available for 1959 with or without air conditioning, no blower speed control on this one as blower speeds were also controlled automatically. It was the first type of automatic climate control offered in an automobile. Cadillac introduced it's own version only 5 years later.

[@timhinchcliffe5372]

1:06 the '58 model. Wow, looks good.

[@charlesmartino4252]

I can't count the times I ran the battery low playing with the seats and windows in my dad's 58 Lincoln and his 59 Continental. He would leave the keys in the car so I would put the key to accessory and play away. I also love hitting the radio button near the dimmer switch and watch the radio change stations. I have to say years ago I thought the 59 was prettier then the 58, but my opinion has changed. I also believe these cars got overlooked at the time, as the body lines and details are superb. I think my goal if I was to make a collection of Lincoln's would be to have a 1956 Coupe, a 1958 Continental, a 1961, then a 1966 or 67, and a 1969-71 Mark III as a collection. I know I didn't put a 55 or 56 Mark II, but lets face it that car like a 4 door convertibles are now way out of reach

[@telebob5983]

Great story from your youth, and some insightful observations to boot. BTW, the '55 has a special place in my affections, representing the 'road race' era car in it's most handsome and refined state.

[@charlesmartino4252]

@@telebob5983 My dad had a 1955, I think I had the old title for that car for years after he junked it. One of the things I remember about those years was the battery was on the passenger side floor board. My dad and uncle were mechanics, as a kid I seen all kinds of cars, a Studebaker pick up truck, and golden Hawk. He had a customer with a old Hudson Hornet. I remember a 1959 Chevy with a 348 and a 50 Plymouth that was like brand new. Back then he worked on quite a few 58,59,60 T-birds. Such a simple time.

[@kenmartin6776]

Had a friend with a '59. Premier maybe? The HVAC was amazing. The fan was so strong that it would blow your hair around in the back seat! Couldn't keep his foot out of it and kept blowing distributors. That was in the early '80s and parts were hard to come by then! Smooth and fast!

[@paulhettick332]

I'm lucky the hvac system still works perfectly on my 58 Premiere Landau sedan. Theres 7 or 8 bowden cables and an electric motor on the backside. I lubed up the bowden cables. Took me a while to figure out the push/ pull for the fan speed. Apparently the 430 was detuned a few times during the 58 model year. Mine was built November of 57 so it's got the hot engine. Unintentional second gear scratch happens occasionally.

[@michaelbenardo5695]

Not all 58s had 375 horsepower? I know the 59 didn't.

[@paulhettick332]

@@michaelbenardo5695 The camshaft was changed to a milder one early on and the heads were changed to using the Merc 383 heads due to an issue of carbon build up on the valves. also, the block height was increased by .020 to reduce the compression ratio from 10.5 to 10.0 to 1. Not aware of any official annoucement from Lincoln declaring a reduction in horsepower.

[@alexgerrits349]

@@paulhettick332 Equipped with tri-power, the 1958 430 was good for 400 hp.

[@johnnyallen843]

Robert McNamara, the genius that was always correct in all of his pronouncements from automobiles to conducting war.

[@louislepage5111]

These things were the darlings of the Demolition Derby's in the 70's😊

[@johneckert1365]

Some demo derby sanctioning bodies still don't allow unibody Lincolns from this era. Same with full-frame Imperials and sometimes AMC Pacers

[@louislepage5111]

@@johneckert1365 Oh wow, didn't know that about the Lincolns and the Pacers , the Imperials I did , thx for letting me know

[@glasslinger]

Been there done that! All that complicated vacuum crap starts to act up after 5-8 years. By 10 years none of it works and it all has to be re-piped. A massive job!

[@CountryCornerGarage]

All 1958 Edsel's had that except for having a separate swicth for the blower. It was an option on 1959 Edsel's. 1958's were electric and 1959's were vacuum.

[@DavidSmith-sb2ix]

My father had a 1959 DeSoto. It had a button on the floorboard that controlled the radio. Push it down and the radio sought another station. I never saw that in another car.

[@user-pp5hj7ud8c]

The '60 had the same form of control, but instead of small electric servos to actuate the modes, it used vacuum. There were I think, some 14 vacuum tubes coming off the main control behind the dash. Used one year only! I have a '60 convertible and the restoration of the climate system is, uh, challenging.

[@caribman10]

..especially those vacuum windshield wipers, which were more than sluggish at low rpm....

[@davidharris7932]

You should also mention that "58 Edsel and Mercury used this system. Additionally, in 1959, both the Merc and Edsel offered this system with heating only as the AC components moved under dash. A regular lever type system was offered also on these cars.

[@THROTTLEPOWER]

Great vid, really enjoyed!! 👍👍

[@gianmariavolonte4315]

I vaguely remember these HVAC systems when I started at the Ford service in the 1970s. If memory serves right, these were a series of cables and an electric motor that controlled the temperature/mode door. They could get finicky as they aged, but generally held up well. The same could not be said for the coil springs. By the time I started working at Ford, these were just seen as cheap old clunkers that had been ravaged by Midwest winters. Occasionally a pristine, low-mileage example came in that was owned by an elderly person.

[@compu85]

At first this seemed rather odd, but as I understood it now it makes sense... and actually wouldn't be that hard to operate.

[@jsusna1972]

Yes, it wasn't until a bit later that I realized that the knob he was talking about was on the dash, well below the dial. I kept trying to figure out where the knob was, then saw that it was not part of the dial.

[@loumontcalm3500]

Parents had a '58 Premiere 4 door hardtop when I was a kid. I've never thought they were odd. Washed that car as a kid, so I ran my hands over every panel. A good looking car and imposing when they were new. Not bizarre like the '58 Imperial, or unimpressive like the '58 Cadillac (which became in '59 a bizarre overreaction to the '57 Imperial). The Capri and Premiere with traditional rear glass were much better balanced than the Continental.

[@antonfarquar8799]

the '57 - '59 Imperials were beautifully styled and ruggedly built on the other hand the '57 -'60 Lincolns were an overly complex awkwardly styled mish mash - which is why they did not sell. Now to your point in 1960 Chrysler laid a big egg with an ugly design which got even worse the next year - I agree with you - the 1960 Continental was a much more handsome car than the 1960 or 1961 Imperial.

[@jeremymasterson5818]

Lincoln continued to use multi-function controls even in later years. I had a '69 Continental. The wiper control, although for a single purpose - controlling the windshield wipers - did so with a multi-function approach. It featured a mechanical linkage - a control wire to the hydraulic motor that powered the wipers . An electrical switch - to operate the washer pump. And a vacuum switch with a fade out feature that controlled a by-pass actuator operating the same hydraulic motor giving a "mist" feature. All in one small knob on the dash. Rotate the knob from "off" and the mechanical linkage would pull open the valve allowing the hydraulic pressure supplied by the power steering pump to drive the wiper motor. This gave silky smooth - infinitely variable speed control from a turtle's crawl to an almost violently fast wipe speed. Pushing the same knob in to its first detent would open a vacuum switch that released vacuum to an actuator by-passing the mechanical control of the hydraulic valve and engaging the wiper motor. The vacuum was supposed to bleed off in a controlled manner allowing the valve to close after 2 or 3 "mist" wipes. Pushing in to the second detent would start the mist cycle as before while simultaneously actuating the washer pump. My '69 was a few years old when I got it and its complex controls had developed a few foibles with age. One being these wipers. If I pressed the control knob for a mist wipe, they would not turn off. Often this would quickly result in the blades clattering noisily over a dry windshield prompting a further push of the knob to add washer fluid. This of course would reset what ever the trouble was and not turn off the wipers. Soon the windshield would be dry again. You can see the frustrating cycle going on here. Often the only fix was to pull off the road and turn off the car and wait a few minutes. Upon restarting all would be well again. At this point though, another foible could crop up - that of the fact of heat soak affecting the starter motor. Quite often the car would refuse to start with sounds coming from it like a dead battery if I turned the car off and then tried to restart too quickly. It usually preferred 20 - 30 minutes of cooling time before it agreed to start again. It took many hours of effort to trace the various systems involved to try to troubleshoot this problem. Eventually I managed to track it down to a small metal fitting in the vacuum line between the dash switch and the wiper motor. It was well hidden in the scuttle under the wiper blades. The fitting had a small felt cover on it that had become dirty. The felt was supposed to allow the vacuum to bleed off through it thus closing or turning off the wiper motor. Its position in the scuttle meant it was essentially outside the car and exposed to the elements. The fix was to remove the little felt pad and tap the dirt out of it. Replacing the cleaned pad resulted in the wipers assuming normal function once again. There isn't enough room here to get into the Climate Control system. This completely analog system had more wires and vacuum lines running in and out of it than a Borg Queen...

[@Johnnycdrums]

1958 Mercury Highway Cruiser with three carbs on the 430 MEL would have been cooler. Both are an American Art Form in my book.

[@Hemingray1893]

That’s the Super Marauder package. I think it was available on Lincolns, but just like the Mercurys, so extremely rare.

[@Johnnycdrums]

@@Hemingray1893; Yes Lincolns, and the whole Mercury lineup, but no Thundebirds according to "Square Bird" forums. Just the 4 barrel 430 option. I read that the intake alone for the 3 carb set up was going for $2500 online, and this was years ago. The 383 is raciest of all the MELs, potentially, because it's a whole 1.00" oversquare ratio of 4.300" : 3.300". I'm surprised Henry II let McNamara get away with cutting the legs out from under the engineers after 1958.

[@michaelbenardo5695]

@@Johnnycdrums He probably though the detuning of the engines made sense due to the sharp recession of 58. Buyers were suddenly demanding better gas mileage. The automakers even had thought the 6 cylinder engine would soon be a thing of the past, so no sense in designing new 6s, Chrysler thought. The Slant 6 was originally going to be a Valiant only engine.

[@frankmariani1259]

The whole discussion on this set-up is because the use of levers and guide wires was prominent during these years. The one dial design was possible because vacuum rubber tubes were used to open and close plenium doors to direct air into the car cabin. This is all standard use now. Back then, it was novel.

[@geyser3445]

I enjoy this kind of information.

[@damianbowyer2018]

A Huge Car that was probably Impossible To Park and was a Gas- Guzzler, as well. Certainly an Interesting Set of Controls in these Lincolns, Adam 😯🤘

[@damianbowyer2018]

@@greeneyedwarlock882 To Reverse Park one of these Land Yachts, U wud need to practice quite a few times, but not easy 4 sure.....Hope U have one today and can Reverse Park it among all the SUV's, without any difficulties, Green Eyed Warlock.😄👍

[@damianbowyer2018]

@Eric Ruud 🤣😉👍

[@damianbowyer2018]

@@greeneyedwarlock882 Yep, we all drive SUV's these days, but the land yachts of yesteryear were much bigger and difficult to see out of, when reverse parking...Hope U have owned a few land yachts, years ago, but they are much harder to reverse park than a SUV.... I had 2, a Ford and a Chrysler, but glad U r an excellent driver, with no points or tickets and a good sense of size for whatever U drive, Green Eyed Warlock.😄👍....Cheers Fm Damo😊🙌

[@MarinCipollina]

Too bad backup cameras weren't a thing back then.

[@michaelbenardo5695]

@@damianbowyer2018 The Chevy and GMC suburbans, and long-wheelbase-pickups, are as long and wide. My 73 has manual steering and I don't have trouble parking it.

[@RADIUMGLASS]

My father said this Lincoln was ugly and there was no way he liked them when they were new. He said anytime you saw one it was old men driving them, ughhh he said. He said they were ugly and conservative looking. You have to realize when these were new and bought by mature people many of them were born in the 1880s-90s, early 1900s. I saw one in a driveway a few months back and showed it to an 85 year old man and he said "If you had one of those back then you defintely weren't the cool cat". When I was a teen in the 90s, I got to get into a Continental Mark III and I asked the nephew of the owner "Did you find anything cool hidden"? and he replied "My uncle found a wallet that belonged to an old geezer". Personally I like them, liked them as a kid even. True not too many are left and the last time I saw one in Detroit on the road was in 2011. I think it was the one I got into when I was a kid because eventually it was sold and towed out of the garage and ended up parked nearby at a junk lot. If that was the car I hope someone restored it.

[@billvose7360]

My late grandmother had a 1958 Lincoln Premier and her best friend had a 1958 Lincoln Continental convertible, both huge in their day land yachts.

[@williammaceri8244]

Hey Adam, as usual thank you for your review of the 58 through 60 Lincolns. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and I learned a few things I didn't know. For example, the ATC system was very interesting. Leave it to Ford to try something new and let the public decide if it's good or not, Also, Ford is known for their over the top use of engine vacuum to power the function of accessories. I have a 1975 Mercury Marquis, Colony Park 9 passenger wagon. I loved everything about that car, and still do. It was the car I cut my teeth on Ford's vacuum controlled systems. My wagon had hidden headlights with the headlight doors controlled by vacuum. A very complex system. Each door had it's own duel action vacuum motors, the largest vacuum motors I've ever seen. Even the headlight switch on the dash had vacuum running through it. There was a black "coffee can" vacuum storage reservoir mounted to the left front wheel housing under the hood, and there were several vacuum check valves located in the system to lock vacuum in the system when engine vacuum dipped below a certain point. The ATC system worked the same way, although it was even more complicated. As the car aged, some of the vacuum motors under the dash began to leak. Ford designed the system to require 7 inches of vacuum for the system to provide cold air, otherwise it would only provide hot air. I remember troubleshooting both of the systems to understand and fix their problems. Once I did, I spent a couple years searching the country for the right parts. Ford discontinued them 7 years after production. I learned that they continued production longer for the Mark series, once I knew that it was just a matter of learning the Lincoln part numbers. I was even able to crack the code of their part numbers, something many of the parts counter guys never did. I drove parts guys across the country searching for parts for that wagon. But I never gave up until I found all the parts I needed. Most of them were new genuine Ford and Motorcraft parts that had been sitting on dealer shelves, mostly in the east. I learned the cars would rust out back east before they used all the replacement parts, meanwhile here in the west we would drive the wheels off them using up all the replacements. I finally found everything I needed to keep my wagon running and looking brand new. Once I did the ATC worked perfectly, and the headlight doors would stay closed for a couple weeks without opening. I was quite proud of that. Searching the country for replacement woodgrain panels (Ford called them transfers), is another story for another time. So all this is to say I understand the vacuum systems used on the 58 - 60 Lincolns. I never really decided how I feel about those Slant eyed Monsters, but I do find them attractive, I've never driven one but hope to someday. Thanks again Adam, for a great review of a very interesting car.

[@johnwinter9722]

All of those control functions in one knob on the dash in a car that is now 65 years old. What could go wrong? Well, probably everything. Very interesting! I am just glad I got the heater control valve working again in my '65 MGB. That is one valve operated by one cable with one rotary knob. Heater doors are actuated by your index finger under the dash behind the center mounted radio speaker. Older tech.

[@craigm2484]

The top and how operates and taps into the car is really cool Yup I seen it on Lenos garage 👍🏻

[@juliofaustino8953]

Not vacuum assisted, but electric. Got a 58 Claret in my garage, no AC. Cheers for the video

[@timothymiller8294]

Adam, joined your channel at 20K subs and it's so great to see the growth!! On to 100K subs!!I love your wealth of information on the automotive industry.

[@RareClassicCars]

Thx!

[@Altema22]

It's a pretty novel design, and pretty straightforward in operation once you get used to it. The surprising part for me is controlling flow through the heater core, as most systems use a mix door to control how much air goes through the heater core or the bypass duct. Seems like there would be a lot of latency in the temperature change. Might have worked better than some modern cars though. I had a lunch date with my wife today and we used her Honda, and I almost suffocated waiting for the air conditioning to cool things down. I gave up and parked under a tree with the windows open, thankful that my older Chrysler can cool down MUCH more effectively. Thanks for the video!

[@CHEECHMUN]

Loved the Lincoln Look!!!!

[@W1se0ldg33zer]

The Toro and Riv years with that TV screen - my next door neighbor had the Toro. He had that car forever. Never had a problem with the TV screen.

[@Brent-qu3yk]

Most beautiful car ever 1958 continental my dad had one when i was a kid in the middle 60s in Southern California 😍🌟😎👌

[@jimm6386]

My pappy said son you're gonna drive me to drinkin' if you don't stop driving that Hot Rod Lincoln!

[@wilsixone]

Thanks, Adam, for this explanation. I've always been drawn to the different controls and options on a car. I felt like, unless you could see EVERYTHING about a car, including the interior, you didn't really know if the car was any good or not. I would love to get my hands on one of these! Sixone formerly William Meyer

[@StreakingTiger]

One of the oddest controls I ever witnessed was in the 1964 (or '63?) Plymouth Fury with push button controls for the transmission. My dad used to joke about having to learn how to type to drive someone's Fury. It was pretty cool, and definitely different. I liked your video, but even though I worked on cars (my dad was an autobody man), I never worked on many Lincolns or Cadillacs (mostly GM, Ford, And Chrysler models). I don't think I ever saw those controls in a Lincoln, so thanks.

[@i-a-g-r-e-e-----f-----jo--b]

I wonder if the Lincoln family alive now gets any royalties for using that name? Hmmm. I knew a guy who owned a really big 2 door 1970s Lincoln Continental. He couldn't afford it anymore in the 1990s and sold it. Nice car in the video!, thanks for the history.

[@williammaceri8244]

By the way, I've noticed from watching TV reruns from the late 50s, they all seem to feature these Lincolns, they photograph well apparently. Shows like Alfred Hitchcock, and Perry Mason are sure to have them, and many period movies as well. They also have Cadillacs and Imperials, but mostly Lincolns. It may just be that Ford wanted the media exposure to help sell them, but even that didn't work based on production totals.

[@Lousybarber]

I was in grade school in the 1960's. My dad hated unibody cars. He said they were junk. He knew a guy that owned a big unibody I think it was a Mopar. He said when it was jacked up to change a tire there was so much body flex that the doors would not open. It might have been a hard top without the B pillar.

[@michaelbenardo5695]

I don't care for unit construction either. Any rust in the chassis, and they are junk, as it is VERY expensive to fix, as the rocker panels double as frame rails.

[@Gary7even]

There was no "Continental Division" in 1958. The Continental Division lasted from April of 1955 until July of 1956, and produced the 1956 and 1957 Continental Mk II. The 1958 Lincoln Continental Mk III was a Lincoln model.

[@Ctrl-XYZ]

The 1958 and and 1959 cars were marketed as Continentals. 1960 was the first model year for a unibody "Lincoln Continental."

[@Gary7even]

@@Ctrl-XYZ The 58 and 59 Mk IIIs were both unibody. And they were models sold by the Lincoln Division. There was no "Continental Division" at that time. The Continental Division was sunset in July of 1956 and the only model that division produced was the 56 and 57 Mk II. The Mk III had nothing in common with the Mk II other than the Continental name.

[@michaelbenardo5695]

@@Ctrl-XYZ He means that there was no separate Continental division the way there was in 56 and 57, (the Continental Mark II of those years was not a Lincoln, it was a Continental. The 58 - 60, while badged as a Continental, was a gussied-up Lincoln.)

[@robertp8152]

Love the headlights

[@5610winston]

Yeah, weird, but the 1958 Edsel Teletouch shifter takes the cake.

[@loumontcalm3500]

Teletouch - true! How about '55-6 Packard TorsionAir suspension and electronic push button shifter pod?

[@5610winston]

@@loumontcalm3500 TorsionAir was a Chrysler trademark in the early seventies, basically a carry-over of their excellent torsion bar suspension introduced for model year 1957. Packard's Torsion Level ride in '55-'56 was the most advanced suspension you could get at the time, a true self-leveling system that carried both wheels on one side of the car on a single torsion bar which was pre-stressed when the front wheel rode up over a bump, allowing the rear wheel to step over without jolting. The genius was that the rear axle had a compensating motor attached to secondary torsion bars to level the car's ride automatically when the back seat and trunk were loaded. I would say that the Packard Twin Ultramatic electric push-button selector was less weird than Edsel's Teletouch because it was mounted in a pod on the right of the steering column rather than in the center of the steering hub. Note also the complications of rigging the steering hub to remain stationary when the steering wheel turned. Mercury used electric push-buttons on the left side of the dash in model years 1957-'58, probably wired nearly identically to the Edsel's. American Motors '58-'62 Rambler and Ambassador models used mechanical push-buttons similar to Chrysler's.

[@loumontcalm3500]

@@5610winston You are right, I pulled TorsionAir out of memory; I owned a '56 Patrician, and knew better. My car had bypassed the push button selector at some point with a mechanical rod sticking out the trans hump. Packard had problems with them when they were new. BTW- have you ever seen a teletouch disassembled? Not as complicated as I imagined.

[@geraldtrudeau3223]

Okay, I'm going to bore you all with a little story that is a little bit off topic, but I hope somebody likes it. The story is not about the 58 or 59 Lincoln, it was about the 57. It was 1965. I was either just out of high school or preparing to be out of high school, and I had a girlfriend whose dad owned a 57 Lincoln. No it was about 8 years old but it was one of those cars that was very well cared for, and her dad was very proud of owning that car. I remember it was white, and had these tail fins that you could Gore an elephant with and kill it. Well her father, my future father-in-law though I didn't know it, had to take her someplace, but was unable to do it. So I, wanted to impress him with my maturity, stepped up and said "it's all right sir I'll take her". Well he wasn't too crazy about me being his daughter's boyfriend, but he was in a jam. So he thought about it for a few seconds, then guardedly said,..." okay". As the two of us got up to leave, I remember him saying, I believe it was through clenched teeth, or possibly telepathically," you scratch my car, don't come back"! "Not to worry sir", I said in my newly acquired,18 year old, almost, adult voice. So we got in the car and off we went. Now, prior to this, the only other car I had driven was my dad's, 55 stick shift, Chevy station wagon, but I had complete confidence. Well this car was huge. I mean it was a barge of a car. It had leather seats that were broken in enough that as you're driving around corners, you sort of sloshed back and forth on that big, pre seatbelt, bench seat that seats four people, easily. Still, I felt like I had this. This great Behemoth of a car had all the bills and whistles. Power steering that just steered with your pinky finger. Power brakes that, you breathe on them, to stop. Enough levers and buttons on the dashboard to equip a 707 airliner. But I wanted to impress My Best Girl, so I displayed total confidence. So here we are, tooling down the road. I seem to recall it was a four-lane Boulevard, but not in the city. Outside the city. Well, it was a beautiful day. Early summer, sun shining with little intermittent rain clouds here and there, but not enough rain to soak anything. Just enough to put some moisture down on the road. So, like I said, here I am sitting in this monster of a car with one hand casually on the steering wheel, and the other around the shoulder of my favorite girl, basically living the life. I was in hog heaven.,..... Then,... Without warning, the brake lights of the cars ahead of me all started going off at once. The next thing I know, I have both hands on the wheel, my girlfriend was shoved all the way to the other end of that huge bench seat, and my eyeballs are as big as saucers. I stomp on the power brakes. Remember the ones that you just breathe on. Well they worked as advertised and all four wheels locked up. Suddenly I go from the coolest guy in the world driving this huge luxury car down the road, to a terrified kid almost in control of a 4,000 lb sled that is sliding toward the line of cars ahead of me. Furiously, I start pumping the brakes, which kept me, fortunately, from ending up going sideways down the road, and gave me just enough control to ease it over to the shoulder of the road and bring it to a stop half a car length past the rear end of the car in front of me. To say I was having a terror-driven, adrenaline rush, is a gross understatement. The car came to a skidding halt on the gravel shoulder, and I couldn't believe what had just happened. My girlfriend was scared, but a little bit impressed with my driving skill. I, on the other hand, was sure I was going to have to change my underwear. We both agreed to never, ever tell her father about this incident, as he didn't much like me anyway, and it might given him reason for Justified homicide. Well that's my little 57 Lincoln story. I hope somebody enjoyed it. Y'all have a good life. I know I have, because I went on to marry that girl, and 57 years later, we are still hitched. I mean, come on, How do you let go of a girl who has it that together.

[@stevenbartley6088]

My 2010 Ford Ranger has a similar dial for all the heating, cooking, vent, and defrost, with a second one for fan.

[@emjayay]

You are right about the facelift versions. Exactly like the 1961, the first year is the best and then facelifts based on marketing decisions diluted both designs. The 1958 is just amazing. It also had coil spring rear suspension, and then in 1959 they went back to leaf springs, continued on the new 1961 model. I guess there were problems with the coils, but obviously whatever they were could have been fixed instead of going backwards.

[@RareClassicCars]

Went to leaf in 60

[@marko7843]

Adam, thanks for explaining the pull-push part, I always wondered how the blower worked. Also, I'm not sure if this one is the same as the Mark II, but I've always marveled that Lincoln could spend so much style on the exterior and put such a plain-jane dashboard in the car. It looks like it came out of a Cessna...

[@caribman10]

..if Cessna had produced a Space Shuttle....

[@elplata7224]

Not your era, but odd controls for the Edsel too, right?

[@grayrabbit2211]

It practically works just like my shower valve. Rotate left/right for temperature, push pull for volume.

[@Porsche996driver]

Cool nice overview! I like it!

[@gruberstein]

I liked the climate control on my 73 Cadillacs, set the temp, set the mode. Done. Crack the window to let in some fresh air, the fan speed increases and gets the temp back up to what was set. The last one I had was over 40 years old and it still worked perfect.

[@j.cunningham6776]

Didn't Edsel have a dial choice for optional HVAC in '58?

[@billdougan4022]

The aftermarket JC Penny air conditioner in my grandfathers 1961 Buick was so cold, it would spit water.

[@damianbowyer2018]

Just a Suggestion, Adam, but maybe do a Reverse Park in one of these land yachts and Your Subscribers will see what it's like...U r a Gr8 Driver, used to driving them, so it shouldn't be a problem...Here's Hoping U will do one in a future show...Cheers from Damo😊🙏

[@johnguilfoyle3073]

It's not only awkward but inconvenient. If Mom wants a little more hot or cold air, she has to ask Dad to manipulate the controls. The controls are not intuitive. A left-right slider that says hot/cold and another that says Defrost, Heat, etc. along with a fan knob that says 1,2,3,4 are self-explanatory.

[@ferlenarab]

I had a 58 which I loved!

[@ferlenarab]

My heater worked well (Thank goodness)!

[@fhwolthuis]

Have you been watching Ed's Auto Reviews? 😉👍🏻

[@bobcoats2708]

Adam and Ed have done a video together, so probably…

[@alexgerrits349]

I have your HVAC beat for strangest control ever. Mercedes 280 SL with the clutch and brake on the same pedal. I have actually driven one.