May
 May 27, 2010
1960-1980 Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury VIN Explanation Ford included an 11-digit code on all vehicles it built that identify
the year, assembly plant, body serial code, engine, and consecutive unit
number of the vehicle. Here we break it down so you can identify what each
digit means. This information is important to collectors and helps to authenticate
the vehicle. Similar identification was provided prior to 1960, as well
as after 1980, but the format changed in both circumstances, and we will
provide pages that explain each in the future.
May 25, 2010
 Ford Styling came up with the 1964 Ford Thunderbird Golden Palomino Show Car to appear at shows and in dealer showrooms in 1964. Unlike the Lincoln
show cars of the era, the Golden Palomino was fully functional and safe
to drive on the road.
The main feature was the "flipper" roof panels over the front
bucket seats. These panels were hinged toward the middle of the car, and
opened to provide additional space when entering or exiting the car. Never
seriously considered for production due to cost, the flipper panels were
a running joke in Ford Styling, appearing on many drawings, proposals,
and prototypes in the late fifties and early sixties.
Being able to see a car like the Golden Palomino in person was one of the
best reasons to attend an auto show at the time. You never knew if what
you were looking at would wind up in showrooms in a year or two, or not.
The flipper roof panels never made it to production, but in less than a
decade removable glass panels over the front seat would be offered on some
cars. They were called T-Tops, and even the Ford Thunderbird offered a
T-Roof Convertible in 1978 and 1979.
May 24, 2010
 1965 Lincoln Continental Town Brougham Show Car Lincoln updated the 1964 show car externally to match the appearance of
the production 1965 Lincolns. This included new front fenders, front bumper,
and grille. A double rocker panel molding was added as well.
The car was cobbled, and designed to be used as a display vehicle only,
which meant it wasn't certified as safe to be driven on roads. Therefore,
special Town Brougham Handling and Care Instructions were provided to anyone who might be moving, cleaning, or making repairs
to the car. It did have a production engine and transmission, and could
move under its own power, however the instruments weren't connected and
other items required to be road worthy were missing. An interesting story!
May 23, 2010
 1964 Lincoln Continental Town Brougham Show Car Lincoln followed the 1963 Lido Show Car with a spectacular new vehicle
updated to reflect changes made between 1963 and 1964. But this time, the
revisions would be more than cosmetic. The wheelbase and overall length
were both extended beyond that of the production models, and the roof section
over the front seat was removed, creating a formal town car look with an
open chauffeur compartment in front. A center division with power window
separated the open front compartment from the closed rear compartment.
This was a beautiful styling exercise, but there were some special handling
and care considerations that required special attention.
May 22, 2010
 1963 Lincoln Continental Lido Show Car For the first time in years, Lincoln created a special car for the auto
shows. Designed to gauge public response to new features being considered
for Lincolns in the near future, the Lido was more of a trim package than
anything else, as it didn't have any unique body panels or mechanical components.
The Lido was featured in a metallic lilac shade called Persian Sand. The
interior was upholstered in matching metallic leather, and held a couple
of surprises to show attendees. To top if off, a black vinyl roof was also
fitted. The Lido was a popular stop at the auto shows, and many of its
test features were seen on production Lincolns the following year.
 The 1969 Lincoln Continental would represent the end of the line in many ways. Certainly not the end
of the Lincoln line, but '69 would be the final opportunity to purchase
a new Lincoln Continental with unit body construction, originally introduced
back in 1958.
Center-opening rear doors became a Lincoln styling staple in 1961, and
would make their final appearance in 1969. Lincoln was focusing on "conquest
sales" which were former Cadillac customers purchasing a Lincoln for
the first time, and some of them complained that entering and exiting from
front and rear seats at the same time was not convenient. Since this was
an objection that could be addressed easily enough, and since it was time
for a major change for the line, 1969 would be the last time for the distinctive
"suicide doors."
The new 1970 Lincolns would be larger, with increased dimensions in just
about every area. (The 1969 Mercury Marquis was a bit longer than the 1969
Lincoln, and since they often shared the same showroom, it was time for
Lincoln to grow again.)
We hope you enjoy this step back in time to a magical year when we put
a man on the Moon, went to a free concert at Woodstock, and when Paul Newman
and Robert Redford first teamed up in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid at the movies.
May 14, 2010
AUTO BREVITY
The Difference Between EquaLok and TractionLok Rear Axles We've had more than one person ask us about the differences in Ford's
limited slip rear differential, so we thought we'd publish it for anyone
who might be interested.
May 9, 2010
Classic Car Clubs and Events We're a bit behind schedule this year, but we've finally updated our events
page which includes national classic car meets and conventions of interest
to our viewers. We will be adding to this page over the next week or so
as well. Our apologies for the late publication.
May 2, 2010
AUTO BREVITY
One-Way Drain Valves play an important role on your classic car. These small rubber parts used
on Ford, Mercury, and Lincoln vehicles for many years allow water to drain
out while preventing dust and dirt from entering. Several are usually located
along the bottom edge of doors, and can also be found in rocker panels
and rear quarters as well. We often see these damaged or missing on old
cars, and wanted to highlight the important role they play on your classic
car.
May 1, 2010
 HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE CADILLAC SEVILLE: 35 YEARS OLD TODAY!
The Cadillac Seville is 35 years old today! Announced in April 1975, the new "international
sized" 1976 Cadillac Seville appeared in dealer showrooms on May 1st.
The smallest Cadillac at the time, the Seville had the highest price tag,
some $2,000 more than a Fleetwood Brougham! Designed to compete with luxury
imports such as Mercedes, BMW, and Jaguar, the Seville was a big hit with
16,355 built before the end of the 1975 model year.
The Seville had modest beginnings as it was based on the Chevrolet Nova
platform. But the relationship with that vehicle ended there. Unique body
panels outside, and an especially elegant interior inside prevented any
further comparison. Powered by a 350 CID V-8 sourced from Oldsmobile Division,
Cadillac modified each with electronic fuel injection.
Almost everything one could imagine was standard, but a few options were
available to tailor the car to an individual customer's preferences. Automotive
Mileposts has the 1976-1979 Cadillac Seville scheduled for publication
as part of Phase Three, but we are publishing this place holder page today,
in recognition of Seville's 35th Birthday. Happy Birthday, Seville!
 Lincoln stylists took a couple of steps back when it came to styling refinements
for the 1968 Lincoln Continental. Front parking and turn signal assemblies were moved to the leading edges
of the front fenders, just above the bumper, and wrapped around so they
could be seen from the side. In the rear, the taillamps moved from the
rear bumper into the trailing edges of the rear fenders, also above the
bumper, wrapping around so they too could be seen from the side. Having
these light fixtures visible from the sides met new safety standards for
side markers that went into effect for 1968, but the overall look was very
much remininscent of the 1965 Lincolns.
Production and sales dropped for the second year in a row, and more safety
features were made standard. Several interesting new options were introduced
as well, including the Rear Defogger with Environmental Control and the
FM stereo multiplex adapter for the AM/FM radio.
Lincoln built its one millionth car in March 1968, and was looking forward
to the April 1968 introduction of its new personal luxury car, the Continental
Mark III.
April
April 25, 2010
 Perhaps the most recognized and sought after trim option offered, the 1976 Ford Thunderbird Creme and Gold Luxury Group was a distinctive combination of soft Creme-colored paint on the hood,
roof, and deck lid combined with Gold Starfire on the bodysides. A Creme-colored
Wide Vinyl Bodyside Molding provided an additional color accent on the
sides, as did unique tape stripes at the belt line that separated the two
colors. The exterior was finished off with Gold Opera Window Insignias
and Deep-Dish Aluminum Wheels.
Inside, luxurious Gold Media Velour or optional Creme Leather Seating Surfaces
with Gold seat borders and components. A unique Gold Instrument Panel Applique
was unique to the Creme and Gold Luxury Group cars. Any of the Luxury Groups
offered in 1976 was a fitting send off to the beloved full sized Thunderbird,
loved by the automotive press and the public alike. A quieter, smoother,
more luxurious ride just isn't possible.
 Vibrant. Daring. Flashy. Is there really one word that adequately describes
the 1976 Ford Thunderbird Lipstick Luxury Group? We don't think so. 1976 was the T-bird's final year as a full sized luxury
car, and it was about to set new sales records as a popular mid-size. But
before that would happen, Ford designers came up with three new Luxury
Group options to cap off the 1972-1976 full size era. Finished in Lipstick
Red paint with a matching Bright Red vinyl roof, this trim package was
especially attention grabbing.
Who could resist a bright red T-bird, after all? The White interior in
Super-Soft Vinyl or optional Leather Seating Surfaces with Bright Red components
was the perfect compliment to the exterior color. It was the perfect way
to celebrate America's bicentennial!
April 24, 2010
 1976 Ford Thunderbird Bordeaux Luxury Group One of three extra cost Luxury Group options for 1976, the Bordeaux Luxury
Group is based on a rich, deep red shade Ford called Bordeaux Starfire.
It was paired with a matching half-vinyl roof and interior upholstered
in either leather or Media Velour. Body side and hood paint stripes were
Silver.
If more contrast was desired, a Silver vinyl roof and wide vinyl body side
moldings could be specified instead of the dark red shade. This trim package
included Wire Wheel Covers, and was a distinctive way to make sure your
1976 Thunderbird was unique in all the world.
 1966 Lincoln Continental Coronation Coupe Show Car To emphasize Lincoln's all-new styling for 1966, which was the first completely
new look for the line since 1961, Lincoln Division stylists worked with
Chicago-based Lehmann-Peterson to create the Coronation Coupe, based on
a production Coupé pulled off the assembly line in Wixom, Michigan.
Lehmann-Peterson was converting standard production Lincolns into Executive
Limousines at the time, so they were perhaps the obvious choice to do this
conversion as well. The rear quarter windows were removed and the roof
line was moved forward to meet the front door glass, giving the Coronation
Coupe an elegant town car look. Walnut veneer panels were added to the
lower body sides, and a custom interior was created with white silk brocade,
white pearl leather, and white mouton fur carpeting.
The Coronation Coupe was elegant and understated, but caught attention
like nothing else at the show, which was exactly what Lincoln wanted.
April 23, 2010
 1967 Lincoln Continental invites you to come live the Continental life '67 style. You have your
choice of Coupé, Sedan, or the world's only four door Convertible—available
for the last time in 1967. The Continental life is one of country homes
and country clubs, sailing down the highway in total Lincoln luxury and
sailing your yacht on the open sea.
1967 was a wonderful year to live the Continental life, although fewer
chose to do so as 1967 was the first year since 1961 that Continental production
failed to show an increase over the previous year. Safety was key for the
year, and many new safety items were provided on every Continental.
A new reclining passenger seat option with power headrest was optional
for bench or individual front seats, and the Stereo-Sonic Tape System could
now be ordered either as part of the radio, located in the instrument panel,
or separately mounted on the transmission tunnel. This flexibility allowed
the fitting of either an AM or AM-FM radio in the car, along with the tape
system.
Wouldn't you like to live the Continental life '67 style?
April 8, 2010
 AUTO BREVITY
There may be nothing like a ride in a classic convertible, all shiny and
restored, cruising down the boulevard with its top down, oldies tunes playing
on the AM radio, right? What's that, you say? It's a pain in the neck to
put the top down on old cars? The new convertibles from Mercedes-Benz,
Lexus, and Volvo are much better because it's not as much work when you
want to go for a top down ride? Well, that might depend on which classic
convertible you're talking about!
Did you know that as far back as the fifties Fully Automatic Convertible Tops existed? It's true! One was a hardtop that lowered into the luggage compartment
with the driver doing nothing more than pulling out a control switch under
the instrument panel! There was even one model that was able to sense moisture,
and automatically raise the top and side windows without anyone even being
around! It just doesn't get more automatic than that. We identify which
classic models are the best when it comes to automated tops.
April 7, 2010
 AUTO BREVITY
Tilt Steering Wheel AUTO BREVITY looks at the history of adjustable steering wheels on classic
cars. Beginning with the telescopic steering wheel of the 1955 Thunderbird,
to the later Swing-Away and Tilt-Away steering wheels.
GM's Saginaw Steering Gear Division developed a Tilt Wheel for 1963, which
led to the Tilt and Telescope steering wheel introduced exclusively on
the 1965 Cadillac. By 1966, Tilt and Telescope was offered on many GM models.
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards were updated for 1968 models, which
limited the amount of rearward movement a steering column could have in
a collision, which resulted in the addition of collapsible steering columns,
necessitating the redesign of earlier movable steering columns.
April 6, 2010
 The 1966 Lincoln Continental was the first complete restyle of the the new Lincoln look established
in 1961. And while everything was new, the design retained all of the traditional
styling traits people identified with Lincoln at the time. The square,
crisp lines. The center-opening rear doors on 4-door models. Everything
was there.
But the look was totally new, and completely contemporary. The 1966 cars
had evolved from the earlier design, maintaining their styling integrity
while doing so.
A new Continental Coupé model was introduced that broadened Lincoln's
invitation to ownership. A 2-door model had not been a part of the Lincoln
line since 1960, and most of the sales increase for 1966 can be attributed
to this new model. Continental's new styling looked especially good on
the Coupé, which featured a slender rear roof design with a decidedly
sporty flair.
The largest motorcar engine installed in a production vehicle to date rested
under the hood of the 1966 Lincolns. With a displacement of 462 cubic inches,
the advertised horsepower was 340, and its performance was inspiring. Lots
of new options were added for 1966 as well. Could the 1966 Continental
life be for you?
March
March 29, 2010
Classic Car Parts Auctions We have updated our live auction pages to improve functionality and make
it easier for you to find the classic car parts you need. You can search
by make, model, and year, often utilizing several search terms all on on
page. We have grouped like years together so you can pinpoint specific
vehicles where parts are interchangeable. We have eliminated the need to
scroll sideways to view all of the listings, too.
In future weeks and months, we will be adding more pages for even more
specific search terms, as well as updating our Classic Car Keyword Search
page and bringing it back online.
By request, we've also added new pages for the 1975 Cadillac Seville, 1976 Cadillac Seville, 1977 Cadillac Seville, 1978 Cadillac Seville, and 1979 Cadillac Seville. This model is among one of the most requested for addition to the site,
and they are scheduled to be included as part of Phase Three.
March 15, 2010
 1959 Ford Design Award | AUTO BREVITY Here's the deal: that award that Ford received for exceptional design
for its 1959 cars was...well, it was more of an advertising campaign than
anything else. Of course, most press releases and film strips of the time
were done with promotion in mind, so there's nothing unusual there. The
award was basically a staged promotional event at the 1959 Brussels World's
Fair.
So, we decided to issue our own award for exceptional styling. We did this
because we feel the 1959 Fords were rather restrained that year when compared
to other makes with rocket ship tail fins, gobs of chrome slathered everywhere,
and strange appendages erupting out of sheet metal that didn't really seem
to have any purpose. Yes, in a world of stylists gone mad, the group at
Ford let sanity prevail. So, we're a bit late (just five decades), but
as they say, better late than never!
March 13, 2010
Automotive Magazines | Classic Car Magazines
Truck/SUV Magazines | Motorcycle/ATV Magazines
Do you subscribe to magazines? If you do, you may be interested to know
that Automotive Mileposts has just completed a major update of our magazine
section. Now expanded from one page to four, it allows you to search for
exactly what you want. We've partnered with Amazon for fulfillment, and
we're compensated by Amazon for your subscriptions and renewals. Your support
is very much appreciated, and allows us to continue developing the site.
March 5, 2010
 The Oldsmobile Starfire was General Motors first response to the Ford Thunderbird. As GM and Oldsmobile's
first personal luxury model, the Starfire was loaded with extras in its
standard form, and was the most expensive Oldsmobile offered at the time.
A high performance Rocket V-8 engine offered slightly more horsepower and
torque than other Rocket V-8s, and the list of standard equipment included
front bucket seats upholstered in top grain leather, a center console with
stick shift, power windows, power seat, white sidewall tires, a tachometer,
power steering, power brakes, and more.
A two door Holiday Hardtop joined the line for 1962. The Starfire always
featured unique interior and exterior trim to set it apart from the other
Oldsmobile models, even though it followed the rest of the line with current
styling.
The Starfire was discontinued after 1966, as the Toronado had taken over
the top spot in the Olds line as the new personal luxury star. A later
hatchback bore the name from 1975-1980, but it was an economy model and
only had the name in common with the originals. Interesting car, interesting
story, and a popular collectible among Oldsmobile fans.
The 1961-1966 Oldsmobile Starfire is scheduled to be published as part
of Phase Four of site development.
March 4, 2010
 Many believe that the 1977-1980 Lincoln Versailles was not Lincoln's finest hour. That may be true. However, we don't believe
the car deserves the bad reputation so many have given it. The Versailles
introduced a great many new innovations and processes during its short
life span, and credit must be given for that.
The Versailles was never a bad car. It just looked a little bit too much
like the cars from which its platform was sourced. And when the car in
question is the most expensive model offered by a top luxury make, and
the car it came from isn't...well, that invites some rather obvious comparisons.
Was the Versailles worth what it cost? Perhaps.
The car the Versailles was built to compete with—the Cadillac Seville—also
had rather modest beginnings as a Chevrolet Nova. Cadillac just did a better
job of hiding its origins. In any case, it's an interesting story from
the era many point to as the time the American car makers lost their way,
and allowed the imports to gain access to the North American automobile
market.
The Lincoln Versailles is scheduled to be published in Phase Three of Automotive
Mileposts, and this contents page will serve as a place holder until the
individual Versailles pages are published.
March 3, 2010
 1974 Lincoln Continental This was the year of the (in)famous Seat Belt/Starter Interlock System,
the gas crisis and resultant gas shortage, mandatory energy-absorbing rear
bumpers, and a very quiet Lincoln Continental. Lincoln had been conducting
tests for several years, and discovered that Cadillac (they didn't actually
mention the make of the car at this point...that would come later) owners
actually found the Lincolns to be more comfortable and easier to drive.
1974 saw a considerable styling shift toward the popular Continental Mark
IV, especially up front. In short order, all Lincolns would bear the honor
of displaying the classic Mark IV grille, and this was the first step toward
prepping the public for that reality. Rear styling was updated as well,
which gave the rear of the car a trimmer appearance despite the new rear
bumper protruding from the end of the car.
The gas crisis had a severe impact on sales of the Lincolns in 1974, but
they would recover quickly the following year. A major upper body restyle
would give the Continentals a much changed look for 1975, and we actually
find the 1970-1974 cars to be a bit more contemporary, due to the more
treaditional roofline. In 1974, Lincoln challenged luxury car buyers to
judge your car by our car. Many did, and many were switching to Lincoln.
February
February 27, 2010
 Our new 1973 Lincoln Continental section, a part of our Phase Two roll out, is now online. 1973 was a significant
year for Lincoln in a couple of ways. A new Town Coupé was introduced
as a companion to the formal Town Car, giving Lincoln a new model to compete
with.
1973 was a record sales and production year for Lincoln, as well as for
the U.S. automobile industry as a whole. No one could know what would lie
ahead—a gas crisis—just as the 1974 model introductions had
been made. The 1973 model year would be the year everyone in the auto industry
would remember and long for again.
In 1973, America was watching All In the Family, Sanford and Son, Hawaii Five-O, Maude, and Bridget Loves Bernie on television. We were being terrified at the movies by The Exorcist, falling in love with Paul Newman and Robert Redford as con men in The Sting, and remembering the carefree summer of 1962 in American Graffiti. A simpler, slower time when large American luxury cars were the envy of
all, and there was nothing more impressive than the 1973 Lincoln Continental.
February 23, 2010
AutomotiveMileposts.com is now faster! Last night, our technicians made changes to our server that allows compressed
data to be sent to site visitor's computers. This means the size of files
on our site has in some cases been cut by more than 75 percent! For you,
pages will load much faster and should result in a better experience while
viewing our site.
Most newer browsers are set up to automatically request compressed data
from Web sites, and most of the popular sites send compressed data, and
have for some time. If you're using an older browser, it will most likely
not request compressed data, and our server will not attempt to send compressed
data unless it is requested.
Those of you on cable or broadband connections will likely not notice much
difference unless you really pay attention, but for folks on dial up connections,
the difference should be very apparent to you.
We appreciate the time you spend at AM, and hope this change will make
the site more enjoyable for everyone.
February 22, 2010
 1972 Lincoln Continental On the radio, you were listening to Brandy by The Looking Glass, Garden Party by Rick Nelson, or perhaps Helen Reddy's latest hit, I Am Woman. The year was 1972. President Richard Nixon was running for re-election
against George McGovern, and that campaign would dominate much of the news
in 1972—as well as for years to come with the discovery of a break
in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters in the Watergate building.
As hectic as things in the nation may have been that year, inside the 1972
Lincoln it was quiet. This was the smoothest, steadiest, quietest Lincoln
built to date. The Town Car became a full production model, and exterior
styling was nicely updated. Sales increased significantly for the year,
due in part to the new styling, but a drop in the base price might have
had an impact as well. Ah...1972...the beginning of disco music, and memories
of fashion trends like bell bottom pants and platform shoes...and Three
Dog Night performing Black and White on the radio in a 1972 Lincoln Continental. We'll take a Town Car in Red
Moondust Metallic, please.
February 21, 2010
 1974 Ford Thunderbird White and Gold Luxury Group The second of two new Special Editions announced at mid-year for the 1974
T-bird, the White and Gold Luxury Group is a spectacular two tone trim
package combining Polar White paint for the body with Gold Fire on the
lower bodysides below the wide vinyl bodyside moldings. Topped with a Gold
Levant grain vinyl roof, which matches the bodyside moldings, Gold accent
stripes and color-keyed Deluxe Wheel Covers also accent the exterior.
But the real appeal is in the dazzling interior of two tone White leather
seating surfaces and Gold Flare vinyl seat sides, instrument panel, carpeting,
and side trim panels. A White padded vinyl insert appears on the side panels
as well. Dramatic, and not for the faint of heart!
 1974 Ford Thunderbird Burgundy Luxury Group One of two Special Edition models offered for the Thunderbird line in
1974 after an absence of a special model for 9 years. Ford had built special
edition T-birds in 1963 and 1965, both of which were successful, but from
1966-1973 hadn't released any special models, except for the 1967 Thunderbird Apollo, which wasn't offered to the public.
These special models usually had a specific color combination not offered
on other cars, and sometimes came with unique ornamentation to indicate
their prestige status. The 1974 Burgundy Luxury Group followed in the steps
of the 1973 Continental Mark III Silver Luxury Group in offering a color combination that was distinctive and not available
otherwise. The Burgundy shade also seems to have been one of Ford's favorites
for special editions in the Thunderbird line as well.
February 16, 2010
 1972 Lincoln Continental Town Car Introduced in 1969 as a luxurious interior trim option for the Lincoln
Sedan, the Town Car model honored Lincoln's 50th Year in 1971 as a limited
edition Golden Anniversary Town Car. By 1972, the Town Car was a full production
model added to the Lincoln line, which would expand in 1973 to include
a Lincoln Town Coupé as well.
For 1972, the Town Car was only available on the Sedan, and could be ordered
with any exterior finish, vinyl roof color, or interior trim color. Choices
would be more limited the following year, so 1972 was an excellent year
to enjoy Lincoln's finest, smoothest, quietest vehicle ever.
February 15, 2010
 1961 Lincoln Continental Paint Colors and Interior Trim Codes Due to special requests from several loyal Automotive Mileposts site visitors,
we have decided to try something a bit new for a change. These visitors
are considering purchasing one of the first Lincolns of the 1960s, and
wanted information about what paint finish colors were originally offered,
as well as interior trim availability and trim codes to verify authenticity.
Since we are so far behind our original publication schedule, we decided
to publish the information they asked for on one page for now, so they
will have it available to them, and we will expand that information when
we do get around to publishing the full 1961 Lincoln Continental section,
which is part of Phase Three, scheduled to be published later this year.
So, here's a quick peek at the 1961 Lincolns, we hope you enjoy it, and
we might do this again from time to time if people find it helpful.
February 13, 2010
 Elegance in action for 1968: Cadillac! The 1968 Cadillac joins the Automotive Mileposts' family of luxury classics. Sporting a
powerful new 472 V-8 engine, it was the largest engine ever installed in
a production motorcar at the time. Designed to provide more reserve power
to operate accessories while providing adequate performance at highway
speeds, the engine would be modified for even larger displacement in future
years.
1968 represents the first year power windows were standard on all Cadillac
models, and important safety features such as side marker lights and parking
lights that remained illuminated with the headlamps were provided for the
first time. Cadillac of 1968 was elegance in action, and the division was
shattering sales records at the time, too. Travel back with us to the tumultuous
and historic year of 1968, where the world inside a Cadillac was more peaceful
than the world outside.
February 6, 2010
 Rear Window Defogger Installation Part of our Technical Articles series, this article walks you through
the steps to install a factory Rear Window Defogger in your 1968-1971 Thunderbird or 1969-1971 Continental Mark III. Complete instructions, including a list of parts needed as well as part
numbers. We've even included links to our Classic Car Parts Auctions pages
to help you find everything!
This option not only clears the rear window of fog, it also helps to defrost
or deice your rear window, as well as provide improved air circulation
in the rear seat area during warmer months. It helps your air conditioner
by circulating the hot air in the rear part of the car, which improves
overall interior cooling.
If you didn't know you needed this option on your car, you do now. It only
takes a couple of hours to install...and it's plug and play! The wiring is already in your car!
February 5, 2010
 1967 Cadillac Cadillac set new sales records again for 1967, maintaining its lead as
the Standard of the World. All-new styling attracted customers like never
before, and they chose from the biggest selection of models in the luxury
field, 16 standard and five Firemist exterior colors, new interior colors
and fabrics, and more luxuries than ever before. It was an exciting time
for those with the means to purchase a new Cadillac. Take a journey back
to the Surprisingly New, Superbly Cadillac for 1967!
January 2010
January 12, 2010
 1966 Ford Thunderbird Highway Pilot Speed Control Option For 1966, Ford placed automatic speed control at the fingertips of Thunderbird
drivers. A first for the option, moving the controls to the spokes of the
steering wheel made piloting a T-bird at flight speeds easier than ever.
But as simple as the device may have been to use, the under the hood mechanics
of the system could be confounding if something wasn't working properly.
Priced at $128.72, Highway Pilot was one of the more expensive options
offered for 1966, and while not exactly rare, it is more usual to find
Birds of this vintage without the option. The system worked very well,
and contributed to the T-bird's image of trendy gadgets that in some cases,
added a lot of value for customers.
January 11, 2010
 1966-1967 Ford Thunderbird Contoured Headliner Repair AM takes you step by step through the process of removing the headliner
panels, repairing the boards, applying new vinyl material to them, and
installing them back into the car.
This design called attention to the ceiling of the car like never before,
but became a maintenance challenge over the years as the original vinyl
came unglued and began to sag. Various steps have been taken over the years
to repair this, some more effective than others. We help you restore the
original appearance as closely as possible with this article.
January 2, 2010
 1966 Ford Thunderbird Body Styles Confused about the various body styles for 1966? Don't worry, there's
a great deal of misinformation about them. For instance, Ford introduced
two new models in 1966 that were one year only models. Another model was
technically retired for just one year, but returned for 1967. One of the
new models introduced would never return again, and the other one would
reappear mid-year 1977. We'll sort it out for you, just click the link.
January 1, 2010
Thank you and Happy New Year from Automotive Mileposts! Due to your support, unique visitors to the site was up 146% in 2009 over
2008. This is the 3rd year in a row that AM has experienced strong traffic
growth in this important measurement of site popularity and reach. We know
that we owe it all to you. So many of you have been so loyal for so long
during periods of time when we were working on things in the background
that you couldn't see.
This year, we completed the initial publication of Phase One, and Phase
Two is now being published, with the 1977-1979 Thunderbirds, 1969-1970
Cadillacs, and 1970-1971 Lincoln Continentals already online. Work continues
on all of the cars already published as well, as we expand and update information
all the time. In fact, Phase One, despite having the basic information
completed, is still only about 75% of where it will be when we've added
everything we intend to add to those pages. (Just yesterday, an update
to the 1970 Continental Mark III Production page was published, a page
that has been online since 2000.)
We have lots of exciting classic cars coming for 2010. Thank you so much
for your support. When you buy something using one of the links on our
site, we are paid a commission for your purchase, and that helps to pay
the bills and keep the site online. Have a safe, happy, and prosperous
2010, and know that we very much appreciate the time you spend at Automotive
Mileposts.
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