Lincoln Mark VII 1980's Performance, Luxury, & Style

[@djsho2k2]

My first car was my parents 84 LSC, handed down to me as they had acquired an 88 LSC. Still the most favorite car I’ve had in all my years of driving. Even the 84 was ahead of its time. You see auto high beams in cars now and power pull down trunk lids. I say, “yeah I had that in my 84 Mark VII 30 years ago” lol.

[@s2meister]

Had an 86 LSC, from new for 4 years, and of all the cars I wish I still had today that is on the top of the short list. Tip of the day, if you drilled the rivets on the air bag sensors and moved them up 3/4" you effectively lowered the car and made it awesome in the canyons of Malibu.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thanks for sharing!

[@bobuncle8704]

Buddy of mine had a MK7. It was a nice car for sure. Wouldn’t mind having one for myself.

[@JCVACCARO]

In 87 I was 17 living in NJ and I remember what a status symbol the LSC was. If you had one you were money. They were all over the place and they were wicked.

[@yankeetraveler1118]

In 1995 I was working in Virginia Beach and traveling back to Pennsylvania on the weekends. While in Va. Beach the turbo on my 1985 Merkur XR4Ti went out after 150k miles and I needed a car NOW. I looked at a lot in a short period and quickly narrowed it to either a 1992 Mark VII LSC or a 1993 Taurus SHO. I decided on the SHO mostly because of the manual transmission but also because of the glorious engine. The LSC may have gotten the pick if it had a 5 spd. While I have never regretted the choice I have often wondered if the LSC wouldn't have been the better car simply because so many more aftermarket 5.0 and foxbody upgrades were available. Nah...That SHO was a burner.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thanks for sharing your story and we have all had to make a call like that one a few times in life. As long as you feel good about it, it was right call.

[@timgenz2849]

Oh the all Red interior 😎

[@michaeldemarco9950]

I had a 1985 Mustang GT at the time; I always wanted a later-year Mark VII LSC, but they didn’t come with a 5-speed. HOWEVER, a Mustang 5-speed could be dropped in, no problem. Never did it, though 😉.

[@lsrx101]

I did it! 😃 It made a really cool, fun car even better.

[@komradkolonel]

My favorite all time Mark is the 1977 Mark V Diamond Jubilee but I really did and still do love the Mark VII LSC. It had a muscular look to it along with the Mustang GT's H.O. 302 and automatic transmission. You could do some mean burnouts with those. Now I may be in the minority but the only thing that Lincoln didn't offer that I wish they had was an LSC with a five speed manual transmission.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

The 5 speed was never Lincoln's thing. If it were a Mercury sure but not in a Lincoln. :)

[@nissanbrown6144]

The mark viii is beautiful and a head of its time and the fitst to have the 32 valve modular duel overhead cam 4.6 .before mustang cobra got the engine.

[@nissanbrown6144]

I done had so many of these cars

[@richardbrown1553]

And the limited edition GTC you could get a 5-speed manual.

[@mikenb3461]

16-year-old me was in awe of these when they came out in 1983. I still am. The one thing that still baffles me about how I perceive and perceived these cars, because they were no different from anything else on the road, was that the sidewall size of the tires seemed way too much. They looked like truck tires. Even in 1983 and later years, for whatever reason those high sidewalls seemed to detract from the look. Ford might have been better off going with a bigger rim and a lower aspect ratio tire.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

The tires were that way intentionally. They are the first line in absorbing rough conditions.

[@michaelwhite2823]

Please do a video on the hilarious Mark VI

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

One of these days I certainly will.

[@brentvance3958]

Totally disagree with the 1993 Mark VIII. Having had both vehicles the 93 was head and shoulders above the 88 that I had and the 4.6L DOHC V-8 with 280hp really was fire.🔥

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

I know the mark VIII is the better car. I just don't like it's styling. Too round for me. I feel the same way about the 3rd gen Taurus. Just not a fan of the looks of the car.

[@wmalden]

I owned a 1985 LSC. Loved that car!

[@nissanbrown6144]

I have a 92 red special edition mark vii dat i am coyote swapping twin turbo 10speed auto

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Sounds very cool!

[@joeseeking3572]

I've always kind f hankered after one of these - 1990-92 w/the the 225 hp version, airbag and improved dash. They stood out stylistically and marked a change of direction for Lincoln (which sadly was lost , with the LS probably being the last hold out - and with predictible -duh - results). Not a stellar sales success, though after 85 it held its own against the Eldorado. The VII has always appealed to me more than the VIII, though the latter is probably a better car overall, and certainly faster.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

I would agree you on the VII versus VIII. They are better cars overall. I just don't like the look.

[@chuckselvage3157]

140 HP was a lot in early 80s the Malaise era in full swing....nice car though.

[@ramrodson5461]

None of these ever came in manual?

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Not a one. I'm don't think any Lincolns did.

[@petebribble4651]

In 1989 I was fortunate enough to get a large stock option check. We needed a new car, so we went by a Lincoln-Mercury dealer and fell in love with a silver Mark VII LSC. I paid $25,000 cash for it and drove it off the lot. My wife absolutely loved it, more than any car we ever owned. I also had a 1988 Mustang GT with the 5.0 HO engine. My boss at work started calling me "10 Liter"! That Lincoln was a REALLY nice car inside and out.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thanks for watching and for sharing your story!

[@jackroberts6424]

That’s probably the coolest nickname I’ve ever heard. That’s old school cool right there.

[@genericsomething]

I worked at a Lincoln/Mercury dealer in '89 and '90, and I always loved driving the Mark VIIs. It felt like the gentleman's Mustang, like the Cougar was in the late 60s and early 70s. I've seen a few around where I live recently, and I've been seriously thinking about finding a fixer-upper to play with.

[@kellyblack4897]

I owned a Mark VI 1992 LSC. After installing high performance ignition, headers, and an IEEE exhaust from a Corvette, it was a really fun little hotrod.

[@Mustgtcs07]

Just GREAT looking cars, specifically the 90 through 92 years. When the Mark VIII came out, I wasn't exactly enthused, until I saw one in person. Getting rid of my Mark VII a few years earlier, I waited til 98 for the final year of the Mark VIII to get a red LSC with all the options. That Mustang Cobra 32V V8 with 290 HP was a total seller for me. Such a GREAT car to drive and got me 28 MPG on the highway on long trips. LOVED that car.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

I'm going to feature the Mark VIII at some point in time. I never liked the look of that car. Personal preference I guess.

[@Mustgtcs07]

@@TonysFordsandMustangs It didn't have the muscular appearance of the Mark VII.

[@michaelsimko7694]

During the 1989-1990 school year while in second grade, there was a janitor who the girls liked. But when he'd start up and take off with his Mark VII LSC, the boys would turn their heads towards it. Those Mark VII LSC were sick cars. They're my favorite Lincoln of all time. The thick tires and hot rod-style black wired wheels really made it an eye-catcher.

[@victorxavier9977]

I was a fan of the LSC great looking car.

[@semonmor8546]

Awesome car it’s a 5.0 Stang in Disguise

[@Chitwn81]

These were tough back in the day...still are. Look is timeless and they handled great. I never owned one though. I bought two Mark VIII LSC and those things are very quick.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thanks for sharing!

[@darylthomas4676]

My brother had a 87 5.0 and the thing would only do 85 mph max due to the limiter. I'd love to have one now and build it to todays up grades and tune. His had the phone option and i would act like i was talking on it all the time when riding with him.😂Can only imagine how much it would have cost to use it! I lost that brother back in 2016 so thanks once again Tony for bringing back a great memory. Thx Bro!😉👍

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thank you for watching Daryl. Glad it brought back some fond memories. The cost of a cell phone back then was crazy!

[@runoflife87]

Best American PLC for sure, it looked much better than GM E-bodies or godawful Chrysler TC. And it was RWD, just like Merc or BMW. Such a shame LSC never had different front end and a bootlid without spare tire hump.

[@kc0lif]

hot rod lincoln was a 460 was really something. mark 7 were nice.

[@commandertopgun]

FANTASTIC VIDEO REVIEW OF THE LINCOLN MARK VII, I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT, ALWAYS BEEN A FAN OF THIS GORGEOUS ICONIC LINCOLN, ON MY BUCKET LIST FOR 2024

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Glad you enjoyed it! I wish you best in finding one. I have been looking at the market and there some really nice low mileage examples out there around 10K which is much less than a Mustang GT would run you. The air ride and rear calipers is a couple of things thing you should be looking at with these.

[@vegasstang1]

I own a 92 LSC Special Edition in Garnet over black interior. I love it! It's all original with 65k miles and super nice to drive. Thank you for posting the video. These cars are hidden gems!

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thank you for leaving a comment and for watching!

[@sziii8417]

My favourite vehicle of all time is the Lincoln Mark VII LSC! I recall being in the 8th grade in '92, and there was a broad 2yrs. behind me that I absolutely despised, and still do to this very second in 2024! She is the type of person who has a HUGE self-image of herself that she can never be able to back up! One day in '92, she was bragging that her mom's boyfriend gave her his pre-owned Mark VII because he got a pre-owned '90 Eldorado. He was quite many many many more years older than her mother! He owned a tanning salon (1) small one, and she was a part-time waitress raising 2 kids by 3 different fathers. Anyway, I finally got to see that Mark VII, and I was immediately in-love with it! It was burgundy w/ a tan ragtop roof and dark burgundy leather. She most definitely didn't deserve it! She was a pretentious creton w/an awful personality and disposition w/ a knack for spawning bastard children. For some reason one day after school, I was asked to walk him home after he got off of the bus. As I did that, when I got him to the front door her 1/2 brother who was about 7yo started pulling at me and begging for me to stay and play with him. I did stay only because of my love for that Mark VII. It paid off thankfully/finally because she had to go to the store, and the 2 kids (him&I) had to go with her. I got to ride in that Mark VII FINALLY! I never thought that I would based on the mutual loathing of the 1/2 sister and myself. I loved it even more from the inside of that Mark VII!!!! Several years later, I had graduated from HS in '96. I was looking one day through the newspaper, and I was looking at the automobiles for sale. I came across a listing for an '88 Mark VII being sold for $5k even. Not much info, but I decided to look up the phone number listed, and sure as hell, it was MY MARK VII!!! I wasn't able to afford the $5k though😢. Later one day, I was talking to my father and told him about the car and the passion that I had for it. Despite that I was already driving my own '96 Lexus LX450 SUV that I was given for my HS graduation, my father asked me why didn't I just tell him about that Mark VII for sale, he would have gotten it for me anyway! 😮😢

[@sbklvr]

@sziii8417 good shit, I graduated in 96 also. My mom had a rose quartz 88 LSC then traded it in for a 92 emerald green LSC which I eventually ended up with and eventually I traded that in on my first new car, a 99 Cobra.

[@blakedawson2129]

i was in the car biz 89-05. most with flm. the lsc was was fun. handled pretty well for its heft. we would by 7s and lsc's at the auctions to use as demos. the VIII i thaught was fantastic. had the svt motor. for my $ the tbird lx 4.6 was the best driving car of that chassis.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

I think the VIII is a great car I just don’t like the looks of it. I will circle back around at some point and put out a video on that car. Thanks for watching

[@levarnichols5195]

I had a 1990 Lincoln Mark VII awesome vehicle I love that car I owned it for 3 years and traded up for a Town Car that car had guts my brother also had a 92 Lincoln LSC special edition awesome vehicle😊

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thanks for sharing

[@johndrake2729]

I would favor this over the contemporary T-bird, Cougar, and even the Mustang any day of the week.

[@garysuto]

The MARK VIII looks like a certain model Thunderbird with a " hump" on the back

[@jimlubinski4731]

These years were not my favorite of the Mark series, but far better looking than the contemporary Thunderbird and Cougar. I actually preferred the look and shape of the Mark VIII. I have to say, though, that the luxury of Lincoln with the Mustang drivetrain is very attractive.

[@trainglen22]

The Mark VII are beautiful.

[@stephenloy3535]

nice looking,but the electronics are problematic and tedious

[@johndrake2729]

A front wheel drive Eldorado couldn't hold a candle to this beast.

[@Polemic-2525]

My favorite year of this car was 1988.

[@BillShayka]

Nice work on this vehicle but your disdain for the MK8 doesn't hold up, in my experience. The MK8 finishes what the 7 was trying to do: be an American Mercedes or Beamer. Nascar teams would have loved to have the MK 8 body, and would have taken it over the TBird, if Ford allowed it. My MK8 would run rings around any LSC and look like the future arriving.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

I'm glad you like your car but I just don't like the styling. I'm sure it's a nice car but I wouldn't own one. Thanks for watching and understand we can't all be perfect. ;)

[@Egg1456]

An 89 was my first car, paid $100 for it in 2006 it was a turd of a car and got a whole 8mpg and wobbled around like a boat, was so glad to move into a sn95 mustang instead.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

In the turd's defense it sounds like you got your money's worth if you drove it for a couple of weeks. Thanks for watching

[@MustangsTrainsMowers]

Was the 2.4L inline 6 BMW diesel any good? Might be a good swap into a Ranger of that era if it fit. The diesels Ford put in the Rangers in the middle 80’s had about half of the HP my 2009 Ranger 2.3 has.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

I couldn't tell you. I have never seen one in person. It was a BMW engine so I would imagine they were popular in Europe at the time and their media would have a take on the engine.

[@ramcharger154]

The BMW diesel model is intriguing 😂❤.. I always wanted one❤

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

That's are going to be difficult to find. I did see one for sale a few months back. Thanks for watching and best of luck!

[@TwZlr.]

The Lincoln Mark VII was the vehicle that I wanted to buy from my friend. The power of the 5L was too much for him on ice roads and ruined the right rear quarter pannel. I did the same with my dad's Cadillac. Slip and slide until you realize that you shouldn't have let the power take control.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Ice could do that to any car really. Thanks for watching!

[@HarbourStorms]

A fox body Lincoln.... Ew... 😜😂

[@jasperdilincoln2341]

Growing up as kid in the late 80s and early 90s I remember this Generation of the Marks. My Grandparents always drove Cadillac's and my Parents always owned Mercury. Going to the Cadillac's vs Lincoln/Mercury Dealership was different. I was always in love with Cadillac's but something about the Lincoln Mark i always liked better than the Eldorado. I used to pick up Brochures and Lincoln would mention the Mark's Sleek Sculpture. I know he mentioned he wasn't a fan of the last Generation Design. But i loved them they were beautiful. I'm glad i was able to grow up with the Coupe Era. My Mom's '89 Mercury Cougar, My Aunts '90 Chevy Beretta, Grand Dads Cadillac Coupe DeVille, our Neighbor only bought Buick Rivera's etc. Lincoln lost themselves by the Mid 2000s. I like the new Lincoln Aviator and Nautilus. But they still don't have that Classic Lincoln Charm like the Town Car, Continental nor the Mark did.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

I too really miss seeing coupes out on the road. Today it's just the SUV's which is quite boring.

[@jasperdilincoln2341]

@@TonysFordsandMustangs I agree it's starting to get ridiculous

[@michaelwhite2823]

Wow. Sales dropped after the discontinuation of the 8 track

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

I'm not sure that was the exact reason for the decline but you never know. :) Thanks for watching!

[@owlnswan4016]

These cars have aged incredibly well, to the point where they somehow barely even look "old". 1986 got the 200hp engine. '87s did too, but some 225hp engines supposedly made it into '87s as well. The 16" wheels first came in 1988. I would argue, with good reasons, the 1988 was the best Mark VII of all. In either 1989 or '90, the steering was revised, and not for the better. They handled better than what came later, where the car lost a bit of sharpness in the last years. The revised interior in 1990 was not an improvement. The quality of the interior, with its thicker carpets, and the texture of dash and door panels, was superior pre-1990, and the dash layout was better in the original design. They even removed the push button visors in 1989 before the interior got changed. The thigh bolsters were removed with the revised seats in 1990. In LSCs, the regular seats had the leather changed to non-perforated. Then, for whatever reason, some '88s snuck out faster than they should have been. I have no idea what they did with the engine in these, but I can tell you we had an '88 purchased new that probably did around 7 seconds 0-60, or low 7s at the worst vs the 7.9 or so it should have been. When we got a (used) 1991 (in '95) it definitely was not as fast, but seemed more in line with how the car was supposed to perform in that regard. I have heard of a few other people with these faster '88s, so it wasn't just us. Both cars had automatic dimming rearview mirrors, but I swear the '88s motorized one with its distance adjustment that was infinite was better, and cooler to watch it go up and down and hear the motor noise. Both cars had the wonderful JBL stereo...the '91 had the CD radio, and while the format was obviously superior, the system in the '88 was a little better (it had the cassette head unit with the toggle style volume control), with amazingly solid bass from just a pair of 6x9s. They were still both nice cars, but when time comes for me to have a Mark VII again (hopefully another Dark Shadow Blue one with the Shadow Blue full leather interior) I would only buy an '88.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thank you for sharing and for watching the video! I hope someone with as rich a history as you have with these cars enjoyed it. I am not an expert but I think these cars deserve the exposure.

[@owlnswan4016]

@@TonysFordsandMustangs I enjoyed your video, Tony, like always. Yes, these cars deserve the exposure for sure. As a total vehicle, I feel they were the best car produced in the USA during the 1980s of all.

[@appleiphone69]

I don’t think I ever saw an Original Bill Blass or Versace version. The Mark VII and VIII didn’t sell well in my area. BMW and MB dominated the luxury coupe market in the early years then the Lexus and Acuras in the late 80’s and 90’s.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

I had mix but not so much BMW. What area are you from?

[@appleiphone69]

@@TonysFordsandMustangs suburbs of Washington DC. Some affluent areas filled with badge snobs.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

@@appleiphone69 You are not that far from me. I know what you are talking about. There is still a lot posing going on in that area. I'm surprised there wouldn't be a few Lincoln LSC's rolling around 495 back in the day.

[@lcfanyc]

Well worth the wait. Another vídeo on my "Reruns" playlist. And the Mark VIII is to the Mark VII what the 1994 Ford Scorpio was to the 1985 Scorpio...HIDEOUS!

[@MH-fb5kr]

140bhp isn’t a lot

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Everything is relative, back then it wasn't bad, it wasn't good either. Thanks for watching.

[@3wheelmannc860]

I really liked that car. Amazing in its time imo although the next gen. with the 5.0 HO is my favorite.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

I'm not a fan of the next gen but to each their own. Thanks for watching!

[@mumwifeteacher]

Drive it! I love the ad

[@davebodi]

Didn't the Mark 8 have a commercial with Mario Andretti pulling up to a beam too low, then coming at it at speed, the car lowered itself and then it could fit under it ? That was pretty cool.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thanks for watching Dave. I don't remember and I haven't looked into the Mark VIII's. Putting out 52 videos a year I'm sure I will circle back around to it at some point down the road.

[@darylthomas4676]

I'm not sure but i think Nascar band this car from ever competing because of this. The car would lower as it went faster! Had to good of an aero package for Nascar's liking i guess. Mario tested one of these on track back in 96 i believe and that's when Nascar said no way.

[@jimlafreeda43]

Another fabulous story.... as I have mentioned before my mom had a 1988 Mercury Cougar LS with the 4 speed 5.0 engine. What a car, what a sleeper! Wire wheels white walls that could lay rubber like a Mustang. I loved that car probably why I got my first Mustang in 1994 and now my 2nd. The Ford 5.0 motors have always been amazing!

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thank you for the kind words and for watching!