Jack and Diego, the masterminds behind the YouTube channel BuildItYourself have a soft spot for Lincoln vehicles, and a penchant for making them go faster than they probably should. They swapped a V-10 engine into a trashed Lincoln Continental with sights set on exceeding 700 horsepower. Diego got his hands on another Lincoln, and now, his goal is to turn the underwhelming coupe into a sleeper machine.
Diego says he chose the Lincoln Mark VIII because it’s got the bones of a good track car and a solid 4.6L V8 engine. The first thing he did was swap out the automatic transmission with a manual transmission lifted from a Ford Mustang. He also dropped the rear suspension and replaced everything with coil overs, and fitted it with a limited slip differential taken from a Ford Explorer, making it “ready to lay down some 11s.”
Start to finish, the build took a little over two years. Diego details the personal touches he applies to the Lincoln Mark VIII, including metallic purple brake calipers. He also shows off the wheels and tires – which he describes as the “quintessential eBay wheel and tire package.” The Eccelera tires are said to have good grip, and the Aodhan FF7 wheels are finished in bronze.
All put together, the Lincoln Mark VIII looks pretty slick – although Diego does leave the fading paint intact because he likes it character. He explains that he hasn’t modified the engine at all, but does plan to install a turbocharger at some point. But after two years, he can’t wait to take it on the road.
“It actually feels ok,” Diego says, explaining that he was a little nervous about how the suspension would handle. He does, however, express disappointment with the sound the engine makes, and mentions modifying the exhaust to get a throatier note out of it. All said and done, though, Diego is thrilled with the build and can’t wait to take the unassuming Lincoln Mark VIII to the track to race Jack and his Mark VIII… but that matchup will have to wait for another video.
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