Questions and Answers

Turbo BMW-Lincoln

Q. I have been left a 1984 Lincoln MarkVII in pristine condition from a recently deceased uncle in Montana. I live in California and the lawyer has asked me to come and pick it up.

It has of all things a turbo-charged 2.4Liter BMW motor which John told me was legitimate as Lincoln experimented with some motors back then.

My question is two-fold. First is it worth the effort for I do not know if it would have the acceleration power needed on I-5 during heavy times which is about all 24 hours.

Secondly is there a manual that would educate me on the car itself and the motor? My uncle was a smart man God bless him but lived in open flat country.

I am sure you know what I am attempting to convey. Are you able to help please?

Peace
Jean

A. That engine was used in the Continental and the Mark VII only that one year. It is a 2.4 liter 6 cylinder turbo-diesel engine. I don't know the reason it was dropped by Ford, but I suspect it was not a problem with the engine. I suspect it was just the fact that it was a diesel engine.

GM also experimented with diesel engines, but it was a total failure due to the fact they tried to convert gas engines to diesel. it was doomed to failure from the start because gas engines just can't handle the stress of diesel operations. If they had designed a real diesel engine from the beginning, they would have had more success.

Volvo, Volkswagen, BMW, SAAB, Peugeot and Mercedes Benz have all used diesel engines with great success.

Diesel engines never really caught on in passenger cars. While they are more fuel efficient (my Mercedes Benz turbo diesel gets 48 mpg) they are more noisy, vibrate, smell "funny", were more expensive and tend to be heavier than a gas engine. Also diesel fuel, back then, was harder to find. The two big advantages of a diesel engine is it's fuel economy and longer engine life, up to five times as long as a gas engine.

A diesel engine is not known for quick acceleration, although the turbo diesels are much quicker than a non-turbo diesel. Because of the higher compression ratios ( 21 to 1 in a diesel versus 8 to 1 in a gas engine ) a diesel puts out less horsepower but more torque than a gas engine.

Is this car with this engine right for you? That is something only you can answer. Will it have the power you need to drive California freeways? It should. I have had no problems with my turbo diesel getting out into traffic and climbing hills. Diesels take getting used to, you will need to change your driving habits somewhat. The best thing to do is try it out. If you feel it is for you and it performs as you need it to, keep it. If not, there is a market for them, They are sought after by Lincoln enthusiasts all over the country and you would have little problem selling it at a good price.