My Mark III is Home

[jhkaster]

Howdy All,

I picked up my Mark III from the body shop where it spent the last 19-20 months being worked on for exterior restoration. It's a 68-1/2 Mark III, but I'm customizing it to make it look like a 79 Mark V Bill Blass edition. There are so many of these cars that survive, that they really aren't that rare. Today alone there are 24 Mark III's on ebay up for auction and not a single Versailles. So, that's why I'm having fun with this car and modifying it and keeping my Versailles as close to factory as possible.

Anyway, I'm digressing.. here are pics at my restoration and collection pages:

www.lincolnversailles.com/LCM3/Restorat.htm

www.lincolnversailles.com/collection.htm

Now on to the interior!

[robic58]

JAMES-

JUST ONE WORD-

WOW !!!

Ralph

[Jeff Roblin]

Double WOW!

Very impressed with the Kaster Collection.

[doneaton]

Just to add my thoughts that you have certainly done a fine job .
I respect the attention to detail that all of your restorations show.
Just an excellent job!!!!! Don

[jhkaster]

Thanks guys. I'm having fun with this project. The sad part is that I will have it for less than a month, probably, before I turn it over to an interior shop. The Mark has been out of my possession more than in my possession since I bought it. But, I'm trying to get it ready for Spring and the start up of car shows again.

I snuck out of the house this morning to buy new tires and get an oil change. But I took my laptop and still did my job while waiting. I really wish I could take all week off so I can play with it! It's just killing me that it is sitting in the garage while I work right now.

[jhkaster]

And now for the second homecoming... I retrieved my car from the interior shop on Friday. New carpet, leather, vinyl and headliner were installed. I spent Saturday working on 5 electrical problems (power passenger seat switch, power passenger window switch, reading lamp switch, ignition switch and ignition switch lamp). So, if Bill Blass designed a 68-1/2 Mark III based on what he did for the 79 Mark V, this is what it would look like.





(rest of the restoration pics at... www.lincolnversailles.com/LCM3/Restorat.htm)

I need to take better complete car pictures once I get a nice sunny day by the lake.

After 20 months of exterior and interior restoration, the engine bay is a mess. So I need to detail it again. And while I'm in there I need to find the damage that the exterior shop did to my vacuum hose routings so the headlight doors close properly and the a/c blows through the proper vents. But, overall, I'm excited. It's almost ready for show. The last thing I really need is to find a place to lift the car so we can pressure wash the underside and then paint/protect it. This is probably my last car project for a while. Now I’ll be in a maintenance mode for my 4 old cars and spend this year driving them to shows on weekends.

Thanks for letting me share my stories with y'all!

[Jeff Roblin]

Absolutely Gorgeous!!!

Glad you are happy with the result and I know I look forward to seeing full pictures to see the final restoration in context.

Any chance of you trailering one of your gems to Carlisle??

[jhkaster]

I need to look into travelling there for a show. I drive my cars to shows. Really, I have more fun driving to and from shows than at being at the shows (which I enjoy a lot). When is Carlisle? I'm planning out my annual calendar this month.

[robic58]

James-
What a beauty... Nothing ever came out of Detroit so meticulously done..
You must be extremely pleased, while the rest of us are just e n v i o u s !!!!
Enjoy,
Cheers, Ralph

[hipogranada]

Awesome work, awesome project, James. That's two major color change projects for you that I know of - not easy to do that right.

Hats off and congratulations on a beautiful and one-off Mark III.