'99 Lincoln Continental Refurbishment

[Svets96]

I may pick one up just to have it. It will do 2 things: increase the airflow through the radiator by creating more negative pressure behind it, and perhaps help highway MPG by reducing the amount of air going under the car.

I asked about the cap only because you replaced yours. That's an odd service item so I thought maybe yours had been leaking too.

My bad, I should have read your comment more carefully about the power steering. Mine wasn't leaking, the tether piece snapped off or someone cut it at those oil change places! New one had been put on. If you go through Tasca parts they have the best prices for the air deflector: their number is 1-800-598-1484

Your going to need 3 body bolts which you can buy at O'reilly Auto parts I'll post a link to this item:

http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/d...=Search_N0271_1356139_4819&pt=N0271&ppt=C0142

Might be a little expensive, only 2 come in a package 3 are needed. Maybe someplace else could be cheaper but I have looked around too so far nothing. I am going to replace mine to the ones which are on the car even though I wire brushed and re-undercoated them they still look dull.

 

[Svets96]

Nice work.
my 1997 has the air dam.
Your motor does not have the plastic cover.

Thank you very much!!! Correct mine does not have the plastic cover, the '98 model year discontinued that.

 

[lincolnelite]

Nice conti, I have a 98 continental which is about close to 129k miles now. When I decided to sell one of my cars this winter (bought a jeep) to free up space in the garage, the 98 continental stays and 02 LS has to go. I loved the LS but I prefer the Continental, it has more use than my LS and less maintenance. Several of the things I'm planning on this spring/summer is my front suspension, they started to squeak and lithium grease on the bushing and shocks seems to quite them down this winter. I'm also monitoring the transmission cooler line leak in my radiator I might end up replacing it. Am also thinking of replacing the radio with a bluetooth one since my iphone 6+ is just way too big to fit in my holder.

keep on the updates.

 

[Svets96]

Nice conti, I have a 98 continental which is about close to 129k miles now. When I decided to sell one of my cars this winter (bought a jeep) to free up space in the garage, the 98 continental stays and 02 LS has to go. I loved the LS but I prefer the Continental, it has more use than my LS and less maintenance. Several of the things I'm planning on this spring/summer is my front suspension, they started to squeak and lithium grease on the bushing and shocks seems to quite them down this winter. I'm also monitoring the transmission cooler line leak in my radiator I might end up replacing it. Am also thinking of replacing the radio with a bluetooth one since my iphone 6+ is just way too big to fit in my holder.

keep on the updates.

Hey thanks man!! I know what you mean about the decision to sell one of your toys I went through the same thing when I had my Mustangs. Glad you kept the Continental, its an amazing car. I saw your Facebook page on diy Continental many times already! Very good info and descriptions. Keep up the great work on your page.

You know I was throwing around the idea of making a page/website that is dedicated to a data source info on DIY and restoration types of things for these Continentals and other Lincolns like the Mark VIII, LS, Town Car, would be the sections. Members/users would click on the link and direct them to show how the procedures are done. These would include videos of this like a Youtube channel linked to a site. Don't know what it could be called maybe something like Lincoln Vehicle Resource..? Members would also post their procedures/videos to the site along with having administrators and the like. I am not trying to copy LVC or any other Lincoln website for that matter, this Lincoln Vehicle Resource would clear up some basic things that are not found out there and such. I would like for you to be apart of it too. What do you think of something like this?

Thanks again.

 

[Svets96]

I need everyone's point of view:

Later this summer I am getting a custom mandrel bent exhaust installed on the Continental.

I am thinking of getting Magnaflow XL3 mufflers, or Magnaflow performance mufflers, or Borla Pro XS...

Which mufflers should I get based on no drone in cabin??? I will be deleting the resonator.

 

[Svets96]

I had gone to the Cleveland Auto Show, and low and behold I found a banner that I have been looking for, for sometime now:

Showing my Lincoln Motor Company pride. Amen

 

[Svets96]

The other day was around 60 degrees, so I started to clean and paint the rear bumper support. I had used Rustoleum High Performance Enamel for extra added protection.

I'll show pictures from the front, back, and the inside where both pieces of rebar are joined together. I gave it 2 coats, 15 min. dry time between coats.

Results:

Once the weather turns for the better, it will get installed. I plan on grinding down the energy absorbers and coating them with POR-15. Along with getting new bolts/nuts to install this new piece.

 

[jcgriff2]

I have an air deflector on my 1999 Continental (bought new).

Or should I say "what's left of the deflector..." -- after 16 years of scraping it against parking bars and curbs!

Awesome job you're doing on your '99.

 

[Svets96]

I have an air deflector on my 1999 Continental (bought new).

Or should I say "what's left of the deflector..." -- after 16 years of scraping it against parking bars and curbs!

Awesome job you're doing on your '99. View attachment 828472304

Lol might be time for a new deflector!

Thank you for your comments!


I had read your post on The Tech Forum, I will keep this in mind. The only thing with these Continentals they make no Haynes/Chilton manual for them. At least not anymore. The best thing to do in which I had found out through asking others, is to go to your local library for help. They will have schematics of a lot of makes from every year. These manuals are like almost 20 ft. long! I assume you got your problem fixed as of late? Keep in touch with what goes on with your car. PM me for anything I'll help as much as I can.

 

[Svets96]

Well I finally got the car out of storage. Hooked it up to the Deltran Battery Tender for a day. Fired right up!

Bought new body fastener screws. These are stainless steel. Along with new screws for my air deflector, they were just to corroded for my tastes. I had used license plate bolts for the screws on the deflector worked perfectly.

Old bumper fasteners:

New bumper fasteners:

New deflector bolts:

Here are the part numbers and sizes for these bolts:

 

[Svets96]

I took the car for a cruise Friday night. It was good to drive it again! Got on the highway and dropped the hammer, these Intech's really get up and go love it!

 

[Svets96]

I was going through the manuals and files in the black leather Lincoln case in my glove box. It has all the original brochures and a tag that hung on the glove box door. I couldn't believe that I had this:

 

[Svets96]

Earlier today I started to attempt to take off the rear bumper. What I had done was take out all of the bolts and push in fasteners. Tomorrow I am going to buy a air grinder to sand down minor rust on the energy absorber brackets and POR-15 them. I will also sand down and POR-15 the lower bumper metal that has minor rust. I'll be buying some new black push in fasteners for a cleaner look. Here is the procedure that I had done, while looking at a bumper that was off a parts car on ebay to get an idea so that I wouldn't break anything. I also bagged and tagged all the pieces.

Here are the steps I took:
Pop black trim piece off, there are 2 push pins that you need to take off. I used a trim tool for this.

Take off 2 push pins at the lower part of trunk lining, and unscrew black tabs 1 on each side of trunk lining:

2 screw type tabs on each side take off:

There will be 2 tabs 1 on each side of the trunk near the hinge pull them out:

Top piece of trunk lining overlaps just pull up and out, this will give you access to the inner 4 nuts to take bumper off. There will also be 4 nuts 2 on each side of passenger and drivers taillight that needs to be taken out:

 

[Svets96]

There are 2 nuts on each drivers side and passenger side that need to be taken out. They are located by pulling back trunk lining on the side where the gas cap pull cord is and the air suspension shut-off switch are, in the pic it is the screw sticking out and the 2nd one is where the larger hole is to the left: Drivers side is the same thing:

There are a total of 6 black push in fasteners 3 on each side, drivers side and passenger side. Take these out using a trim tool and a rag so no scuffs appear on the bumper and metal piece. As you can see there is some minor rust issues I'll be sanding this down and POR-15 these spots:

There is one last black push pin fastener it is in the center of the bumper. Take this out, take out 2 screws 1 on each side of bumper behind rear tire, bumper should come off:

Here is a pic of everything that came off the car. I placed it in order of disassembly to reinstall easier:

 

[Svets96]

Yesterday I started to do rust removal body work. Here is a picture of the absorber foam on the car along with the rivets that hold it in place. **Note that you have to drill out the rivets to take off foam absorber** :

Foam Rivets:

Original Factory Impact Bar very corroded:

Some minor rust on the rear passenger side bottom quarter:

Minor rust on the drivers side bottom quarter:

 

[Svets96]

I have a Porter Cable 135 PSI compressor with my new air grinder with multi disks. I started to grind down the rust to this consistency, photo is of passenger side:

Passenger side lower rear quarter, got more rust off than what the picture shows:

Drivers side rear bottom quarter, got more rust off than what picture shows:

Energy Absorber got a lot more rust off of this than what picture shows:

Bottom of trunk reinforcement:

 

[Svets96]

Next I washed and dried the area, let it dry for about 5 minutes or so. Started to POR-15 all the areas I had grinded. Took my time to get in all the areas.

Drivers side rear bottom quarter, Note * I had rust proof paint that I sprayed from where the two pieces of metal overlap all the way to the end. I did this on both sides. Sorry I didn't take a picture..

Bottom trunk brace, energy absorbers painted both front and back, including the extensions, and some screw holes on top where bumper mounts to. Had a tiny bit of rust nothing big or major:

Passenger side rear quarter POR-15, also sprayed rust proof paint on bottom of overlap metal. Didn't have a pic of this. Also wiped away the rust water residue in this photo:

Next I had to figure out how to place the foam absorber onto the new metal impact bar. What I did was I had saved the heads from the rivets, placed zip ties through them so that it sits flush and against the metal bar. Then got another zip tie and zipped the part onto the metal bar. I wish I had black zips instead of white, I was considering painting these but oh well. I trimmed the excess from the zip ties so they are flush:

New Impact Bar installed: Looks so much better, I am glad I did this. Even though you wont see it.

I had washed and cleaned the absorber foam and installed it with zips I tried my best to make it look "good" :

I then waxed the bottom rear quarters, and trunk areas where its painted Ivory White. Cleaned behind the rear bumper, polished my exhaust tips. I didn't take a picture of the bumper reinstalled I will at a later time. Total time it took me was around 6 hours or so. Was not in a hurry and I enjoyed doing this task.

 

[Svets96]

Up next I will be changing the coolant by myself. I searched and found a write up on this with the crossover situation. Also next week the car will be taken in to get a couple quotes on custom mandrel bent exhaust. So far I got an guesstimate of $300.00 I think I'll be getting the Magnaflow XL3 mufflers because I will be deleting the resonator. Another thing I am thinking of doing is the y pipe over the rear axle is 2 in. I might change it to 2.25 in. then the car will have a full 2.25 in exhaust system. We'll see what happens I'll keep you dudes updated.

 

[teal9550]

very nice car

 

[jcgriff2]

Very nice car indeed.

How can you be sure that very expensive parts like the catalytic converters are in good shape?

Any way to test them?

 

[Svets96]

very nice car

Thank you very much !! I appreciate it a lot!

 

[Svets96]

Very nice car indeed.

How can you be sure that very expensive parts like the catalytic converters are in good shape?

Any way to test them?

Thank You!!

What I would do, about converter concerns take it in to an exhaust shop or if you have a heat gun (degrees) the exhaust shop should be able to do this for you. They can measure the output the cats are reading. If its way to hot over a certain degree you need new converters. I think some on here might have magnaflow cats, their good, but you have to look at all the views they sometimes burn out. Catco and Walker Dynomax also supplies converters for Continental. If you do need new cats you might want to change both upstream and downstream O2 sensors while your at it. These take a beating. I hope this helps!

 

[Svets96]

Dudes I bought factory dealer workshop manuals Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 for '99 Continental. These are the same ones the dealership techs use to repair the car. Found it on ebay for $30.00 shipped. They should be at my door this Wed.

As you can see in my previous thread about the Chilton Ford book I did some research and found that this book would not get the job done. I needed more of a detailed approach. I'll post a pic when I receive them.

If any of you ever need diagrams or procedures please feel free to pm me or whatever. These shop books are the holy grail to these cars.

 

[Svets96]

Well dudes, after about 2 months since the last update I have finally gotten my workshop manuals here they are:

These manuals are the cleanest that I have ever seen! Minor soiling, all the pages are there. Let me know if any of you need any info I'll post it up.

Yes I disinfected them with Lysol. I'm crazy I can't help it.

 

[Svets96]

So I had gone to Summit Racing today to get my front and rear brake rotors and pads. The rear rotors are on back order. So once I get them I'll post pics of the parts. I will provide part #s for those who want. I chose Power-Stop ceramic pads I read all kinds of reviews and everyone stated they are very good, no dust, and brake like they should.

Part #s and descriptions:

1. Front Bendix rotors: BEN-PRT5050

2. Rear Bendix rotors: BEN-PRT1893

3. Front Power Stop brake pads: PWR-Z23-598

4. Rear Power Stop brake pads: PWR-Z23-610