Will Jay Leno ever stop expanding his collection of amazing cars? Probably not.
One of the world’s best-known car buffs recently made room for the latest addition: a 1966 Lincoln Continental convertible.
What’s so special about this particular Continental is that it’s completely unrestored and all-original. As Leno pointed out, only a couple bumps and scrapes kept the car from being in immaculate condition.
So the story goes, an elderly woman contacted Leno about the car, and he realized she only lived three miles from his home. The woman had owned the car since 1966 and claimed to have once been Marilyn Monroe’s roommate, according to Leno.
The car is also one of 21,347 Continental convertibles ever made, and Leno’s model features a white exterior over a white interior motif. Under the hood sits a 462-cubic inch V8 engine married to a 3-speed automatic transmission.
Naturally, it sports suicide doors, too. The beloved trait might be making a comeback for our modern-day Continental.
Leno talked extensively with John Cashman, a Lincoln expert specializing in Continentals, and the two went over a few of the car’s quirks. One fun fact is the fuel pump, which Cashman advised Leno to change immediately.
Since ethanol is more prominent in today’s gasoline, vapor lock is more likely. Without the right fuel pump, Continentals are known for dying on hot days since the pump sits near the warmest part of the engine and it won’t turn back over.
We had a 1969 Lincoln, it was a fantastic car, it had the 460 engine, 385 series. It got great gas mileage. One time we drove from Santa Fe, NM to Juarez, Mexico with my parents and 5 kids, and a full trunk of luggage, about 350 miles, with a return trip. It averaged 18 mpg.
I MUST get to Jay Lenos garage before I die. I mean his real garage with all his classic cars. A MUST Bucket list for me . I am a car nut and have been since 1950! I have a perfect 1962 Corvette now in my 70s but also had one when 18 years old! I wonder what I have to do to complete my bucket list and have Jay allow me to fly down there and drop in for a look at those amazing cars?