QOTD: The $2,000 Question…

Matthew Guy
by Matthew Guy

A game of Monopoly — a family friendly game if there ever was one /sarcasm — over the weekend gives rise to today’s question. There’s one minor adjustment, however: just like a corrupt fat cat CEO, we’re adding a zero to our paycheck.

With an extra $2,000, let’s call it a bank error in your favor — earmarked for purchasing a project car, what would it be? It took all of 21 seconds to select mine from the Craigslist quagmire.

It’s a Lincoln Mark VII, of course. Having sold my own example of Ford Fox-body finery as part of an ill-advised fleet reduction program back in 2009, I’ve been jonesing for another one ever since. The beige champagne Mark to which I held the keys for six excellent years was surely one of the world’s rattiest examples, but it cleaned up nicely and had an exhaust on it that uncorked the 5.0-liter V8 with impunity. If it wasn’t a hot rod Lincoln, it was at least a warm one.

This example, offered at $1,800 by a seller north of Yonkers, is a terrible color but is one of my favorite Mark VII model years. Both 1988 and 1989 combined a just-right set of gauges (I don’t like the font on the ’87s) with a non-lunchbox steering wheel and the tall headrests. The single Craigslist photo doesn’t reveal a helluva lot but the air suspension looks level-ish and there are factory turbine wheels. I even seems to have the stock Marchal fog lights, at least one of ’em anyway.

What’s your pick, given a $2,000 bank credit that must be spent on a new-to-you project car? We know our comments section sucks but if you want to paste a link to your find down below in the interest of conversation, that’d be alright with us.

Now, how much is a flight to New York?

[Image: © 2017 Sajeev Mehta]

Matthew Guy
Matthew Guy

Matthew buys, sells, fixes, & races cars. As a human index of auto & auction knowledge, he is fond of making money and offering loud opinions.

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  • Ponchoman49 Ponchoman49 on Mar 26, 2019

    Most any V8 equipped full frame GM A/G-body coupe would fit the bill for me. Second choices being the GM B-body cars or Fords Panther series cars. Simple, cheap, easy to work on, reliable for the time and I know these things inside and out and know where to get certain parts for them. Getting hard to find rust free versions in the Upstate, NY area so a visit to PA/other southern states is a must.

  • Sheilacorvin298 Sheilacorvin298 on Sep 24, 2021

    Every single word you have written is just awesome and praiseable. You deserve respect and your writing deserve appreciationg.

  • Carson D At 1:24 AM, the voyage data recorder (VDR) stopped recording the vessel’s system data, but it was able to continue taping audio. At 1:26 AM, the VDR resumed recording vessel system data. Three minutes later, the Dali collided with the bridge. Nothing suspicious at all. Let's go get some booster shots!
  • Darren Mertz Where's the heater control? Where's the Radio control? Where the bloody speedometer?? In a menu I suppose. How safe is that??? Volvo....
  • Lorenzo Are they calling it a K4? That's a mountain in the Himalayas! Stick with names!
  • MaintenanceCosts It's going to have to go downmarket a bit not to step on the Land Cruiser's toes.
  • Lorenzo Since EVs don't come in for oil changes, their owners don't have their tires rotated regularly, something the dealers would have done. That's the biggest reason they need to buy a new set of tires sooner, not that EVs wear out tires appreciably faster.
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