You want to build a sleeper that will work in today’s day and age? Good luck. You have two options: find a platform with a ton of aftermarket parts and support, downplay the image, and hope nobody calls you on your bluff, or start with a car that has no real support, no real reputation to speak of, and keep the hood shut. As much as I like seeing what looks like a stock-ish 2000 Camaro sending it’s nose straight into the air thanks to twin turbos on an LS mill, that ain’t a sleeper in my eyes. This 1993 Lincoln Town Car, on the other hand…that’s more like it. The last time a Lincoln of any type was taken seriously as a hot rod from the factory was the late-1980s Mark VII LSC, and it packed, at best, 225 horsepower out of it’s 302. Not bad, but nothing to get that hot and bothered over. The 1990-97 Town Car, by trade, was two leather sofas with a steering wheel and one of two V8s (302 in 1990 and the 4.6L from 1991-on) that are boat anchors in stock form. Comfortable, classically styled, roomy, and frankly, boring…find me one reason to enjoy a stock Town Car from this decade that doesn’t involve me falling asleep on a long road trip, I dare you.
At least one guy out there has discovered a great way to enjoy the capability of the Panther platform that underpins the Town Car: a guy named Zack. Zack’s motivation for the build was simple: the Mustang Cobra that donated the mill was missing the two extra doors that he wanted. From the moment the Lincoln entered the picture, the build became a recipe: 4.6L 4-valve, a 2.9L Whipple supercharger, custom headers, a built 4R70W automatic, the wiring harness of a Mercury Marauder, and a ton of work to put it all together to create one of the most evil sleepers on the planet. Keep it quiet, and it’s another big Lincoln. Mash the throttle, and you’d swear that worlds were colliding. If I were to be nit-picky, I’d ditch the Mustang wheels for a set of Lincoln turbine wheels on drag radials and I’d go hunting. The amount of shattered egos left in the wake of this Lincoln must be a beautiful sight.
If you want to check out the Lincoln’s build thread, CLICK HERE!
(Courtesy: The Brougham Society. Links courtesy of Jalopnik/The Garage)
