Michael Sprague's 1995 Mark VIII

 

Michael Sprague's 1995 Lincoln Mark VIII

Inside the Mark VIII - note the factory look of the tweeter installation


The amps are mounted in the spare tire well, and the tire cover still sits on top, with the supports modified to handle any weight (like my golf clubs :> ) from cargo. The sub enclosure sits under the rear deck and is basically out of the way - just the way I like it. I still have a fully functional trunk, which is what I told my friend Kenny I wanted before he started.

The History of This Mark VIII

1995 Lincoln Mark VIII 4.6L V-8

Performance White (WT) with Ebony (ZJ) interior

VIN#: 1LNLM91 V3SY654457

Production Date: 11/94 (that's all I have)


The story about my Mark VIII is quite interesting. I had been driving my 1990 Honda Civic since I bought it back in March of 1991 with 6.9 miles on it. After paying off the Honda, and riding for about 2-3 years with no car payments, I decided that it was time for a new car. I bought a used 1996 Sebring Convertible. It was a beautiful Maroon with Camel interior and top. After one year of leaky roofs, broken rear defroster connections, transmission shortages, and other electrical mishaps, I sold the car. I decided that I should just use the Honda until I can save up $10,000 or so to put down on a nice new car.

 Well, that idea lasted all of about 6 months. I started looking at late model used luxury cars (Lexus, Acura, and Lincoln). Then, I saw it. It was a 1998 Mark VIII, gunmetal gray (I don't know the actual color, but you get the idea). I stop in for a look-see and a drive. Within 10 seconds of sitting in the car, I knew that I would never be happy with it. It just felt awkward sitting in the cockpit. I took the drive just to see if it really did have the giddey-up that I had heard and read about... oh yeah, it did! But, I still didn't like the feel, so I passed.

 June 14, 2000: I head back out on the car hunt. This time, I hit paydirt. The new Jaguar dealership in my area has a used Mark VIII. It's the earlier body style (that I now know to refer to as the "1St generation") in bright white .... "Damn! I hate white cars", I said to myself. But, after looking the car over, I decided that this is probably the best deal that I will find on a car that I have always wanted to own. (Side note: My senior quote in the 1987 High School yearbook: "Own A Lincoln Town Car" - ahhh, that's close enough, isn't it.) Here is a car that is almost 6 years old in showroom condition with 35,116 miles on it for $14,995! After taking the test drive, I was convinced that this is the car for me. The minute I slid into the cockpit, I was grinning from ear to ear. Black leather interior, with black carpet and black everything!! We settled on $13,750 plus tax & tags; but I would have bitten on $14,500!! I just upgraded from a leaky, trouble-ridden 1996 Chrysler Sebring convertible at $326/month to a 1995 Lincoln Mark VIII at $264/month! I am stylin' once again!

 Excited, I take the new ride to the parent's house so they can drool. I pull up to the house, and tell them the good news. As we are heading out to look at my new car, my parent's neighbors (actually, my old neighbors, as I don't live there anymore) of almost 30 years are walking towards my car. As I go to unlock the car, the neighbors say, "Is this yours?" Proudly (and still unknowing of the situation), I say, "Yep, I just got it". They say to me, "Holman Jaguar, for about $15,000?" "$13,750 to be exact" Then, they drop the bombshell. "Have you seen our new Jaguar Type S?"

 It turns out, that this is my long time neighbor's old Mark VIII. He traded in that and a 1996 Lexus ES300 for a new Type S. I am totally excited now, as the reality of my great deal has gotten that much better. This guy never drove his cars. He and his wife owned 5 cars at one time, so the mileage was always light on all of his cars. Not to mention that he "fleets" all of his cars to his business. Maintenance was top notch, and paid for through his business. He told me that it was the hardest thing he had to do since he put his dog under, trading in that car. He told me everything that I could want to know about the car.
 Since that day, I have now cranked the odometer up another 20,000 + miles. I have also installed an aftermarket high-end stereo system, and a K&N air filter. Now that I have "seen the light" of performance parts and tricks available for my baby, I will be adding to this list in the near future. The details are as follows:

Stereo System

Performance Enhancements

Future Plans

Eventually, I would like to add a supercharger or turbocharger and intercooler, but I'm still in the early stages of this. I belong to a local car club, "Obsessive Habits", that is mostly involved in imports, but stresses quality modifications. They are absolutely excited to see me dressing the Lincoln, as it expands the classes that our club is now going to be competing in next show season.

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