Bob Hartman
11-29-2009, 06:58 PM
Dear fellow Mark II enthusiasts:
I can remember setting in the car at the grocery store waiting for my mom to get finished with her shopping. As a child it seemed like it was taking her forever! Suddenly, a car pulled in and parked next to us and I was no longer interested in going home. It was the first time I had ever seen a new Mark II Continental. I still remember that car. It was white with a red and white interior. It was flawless and from that point on I wanted to own a car like that. This would have been 1956 and I had a number of years ahead of me before I would even be able to drive.
To this day I still think the Mark II is one of the most beautifully designed cars ever built. I finally purchased one several years ago. It is a dark Silver and according to the production number one of the final ones built in May 1957. If I am wrong about that please correct me. It has dark grey and light grey interior with the AC option.
My car sat in a garage for many years. When I purchased it I had it taken to a restoration shop in San Diego. I have spent many dollars getting it in running condition (supposedly). I have put in a rebuilt transmission, the brakes have all been rebuilt, new exhaust, rebuilt radiator,etc,etc. and dollars later. The restoration shop went bankrupt so I had to get it away from them and pay money to do it.
I have driven the car only about 3 times and each time it has over-heated. I guess maybe the shop did not do the work on the radiator that I paid for. Who knows at this point? The car now sits at a body shop to have some minor rust worked on and some other minor work done. The hood is not aligned correctly and I have had the bumpers re-chromed. So, you can see that more is to be done on this car.
I saw the advertisement in the Hagerty News for this Mark II Forum. So, over this Thanksgiving Weekend, I signed up. I look forward to getting some good advice from some of you who have had these cars for years. Maybe you can point me in the right direction when I find something else that has gone wrong! Thanks in advance for your help.
Bob Hartman
1957 MK II
C56S3912
I can remember setting in the car at the grocery store waiting for my mom to get finished with her shopping. As a child it seemed like it was taking her forever! Suddenly, a car pulled in and parked next to us and I was no longer interested in going home. It was the first time I had ever seen a new Mark II Continental. I still remember that car. It was white with a red and white interior. It was flawless and from that point on I wanted to own a car like that. This would have been 1956 and I had a number of years ahead of me before I would even be able to drive.
To this day I still think the Mark II is one of the most beautifully designed cars ever built. I finally purchased one several years ago. It is a dark Silver and according to the production number one of the final ones built in May 1957. If I am wrong about that please correct me. It has dark grey and light grey interior with the AC option.
My car sat in a garage for many years. When I purchased it I had it taken to a restoration shop in San Diego. I have spent many dollars getting it in running condition (supposedly). I have put in a rebuilt transmission, the brakes have all been rebuilt, new exhaust, rebuilt radiator,etc,etc. and dollars later. The restoration shop went bankrupt so I had to get it away from them and pay money to do it.
I have driven the car only about 3 times and each time it has over-heated. I guess maybe the shop did not do the work on the radiator that I paid for. Who knows at this point? The car now sits at a body shop to have some minor rust worked on and some other minor work done. The hood is not aligned correctly and I have had the bumpers re-chromed. So, you can see that more is to be done on this car.
I saw the advertisement in the Hagerty News for this Mark II Forum. So, over this Thanksgiving Weekend, I signed up. I look forward to getting some good advice from some of you who have had these cars for years. Maybe you can point me in the right direction when I find something else that has gone wrong! Thanks in advance for your help.
Bob Hartman
1957 MK II
C56S3912