LIMA – Sometimes it is a little thing that causes a person to pursue a certain classic car.
That was the case for Grant Roush when he went hunting for a 1979 Lincoln Mark V.
“Since I was 5 years old, I liked the hump in the trunk,” the Lima man said.
The car was also big, as in very long.
The Mark V is the largest two-door coupe ever sold by the Ford Motor Company, measuring 19 feet, 2 inches. It also was the best-selling of Lincoln’s luxury Mark line, despite only being sold for three years. In 1980, it was replaced by the Continental Mark VI, which underwent significant downsizing in the interest of fuel economy. Drivers went from paying 36 cents a gallon in 1970 (which is equal to about $1.72 today) to $1.19 per gallon in 1980 (which is equivalent to $2.95 today).
Roush found his 1979 Lincoln Mark V five years ago in Mansfield. It has a 400 engine with dual exhaust. He has detailed the car and lowered it with custom wheels.
“I was looking for the cleanest one I could find. It had to be a 1979 with a sunroof,” Roush said. “When I saw it, I had to have it. It was in nice original condition.”
He did have to replace the glass in the sunroof. He came across someone who sold him the entire roof for $175. “It was quite a deal,” Roush said. “He cut it off another car. Today, you couldn’t touch it for less than a thousand.”
This isn’t the first classic car Roush has owned.
“I had a real nice gold 1969 Buick Riviera,” Roush said. “The Lincoln’s extra special though.”
