I was coming out of work the other day when I noticed this brilliant black-on-black Lincoln Mark VIII, glistening in the hot summer sun. Given the car’s pristine condition, Lord Vader obviously takes excellent care of his Mark VIII. But still, is taking up two spaces in a half-empty parking lot really necessary for a 15+ year old Lincoln?
Related Reading: 1995 Lincoln Mark VIII
Seems like a prime candidate for any of these little notices to be printed and slipped under his windshield wipers!
https://www.google.com/search?q=%27you+park+like+a%22&client=firefox-a&hs=6PZ&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&channel=sb&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=3ty6U7DaA-Lf8AGYlYDIAQ&ved=0CEcQsAQ&biw=1195&bih=1312&dpr=1
Looks like a “no harm, no foul” situation to me. The parking lot isn’t packed, so no one is having issues getting settled, and the owner may have whipped in to get an item from their desk, and back out again after only a few minutes.
One of the issue with the Mark is that the rubstrip is low enough it doesn’t provided the protection of the car’s smooth flanks.
I’d give the guy a break on this. He’s taking a reasonable, non-demanding option that happens to protect his car. And I’ve always thought that this Mark series doesn’t get the full respect it deserves. Owner’s just showing it some lovin…….
I thought this was going to be about a fluid leak of some kind – another way of marking it’s territory. Too many leaky cars in my past, including a ’68 chevy 250 six that didn’t burn oil but needed a quart every 250-300 miles.
If it is late at night or the parking lot is not going to fill up I will park in more than one spot. Only have had a few people chew me out, but whatever.
These Mark VIII Lincolns sure are lovely and it is a shame they stopped making them, but guess personal luxury coupes are not strong sellers since even the Rivera went out of production. Wonder when Lincoln will get out of its slump, I cannot see FoMoCo killing off Lincoln as well.
Given the number of inconsiderate POS’s out there I find this parking job to be just fine.
+1 – agree
+2 – You just know had the Mark been parked normally that the Rav 4 in the background would have parked right up next to it and little Billy, Johnny, Jack and Judy would all be playing tag through the doors next to it.
I find myself sizing up every parking spot before committing to it. Just about 99% of the time, I park with the nose pointed out, much easier to see pedestrians and traffic when it’s time to go. Here’s my order of preference:
* Parking out in the sticks is preferred. I admit to being on the chubby side, and the extra walk isn’t going to kill me. As much as possible, way from any other cars. Try to favor spots that are higher than the surrounding pavement. Errant shopping cars have a hard time rolling uphill.
* An end parking spot. I can edge over my passengerside as far as possible to get me as much room from the next parking space.
* A spot that puts my car on the passengerside of the car parked right next to me. This assumes that most cars only have a single person in it, and the passengerside isn’t being used. If there’s any signs of the passengerside bring used, such as childseats, bag or boxes, this isn’t recommended.
Lastly, I’ve also started parking my car diagonally **WITHIN** the single space I’m using. Think about the cars you are parking next too, and how their doors will swing out when opening. Again assuming you’re parking next to cars with single occupants, the driver’s door swings out and has the maximum wingspan towards the back of the car.
Example: most cars park nose-in, I park nose-out. Therefore, I angle my car so that my D/S quarterpanel is closer to the car next to me, and my D/S fender is father away. This gives both me, and the car to my left a generous amount of room to open each of our driver’s doors.
Bonus points for parting diagonally **WITHIN** a single parking space. This helps to discourage other cars from parking too close and sometimes over the line, as sometimes happens when your car is scooted all the way over to one side of the parking spot.
Now I see where the inspiration for this FoMoCo came from.
Ick. That’s one nasty ass!!!
I rather see its ass than its face…..
Holy crap! And Caddy seems to have copied that unsightly mug…
… as did Lancia…
I’d be very tempted to park my F250 Powerstroke perfectly parallel to and about 6″ from his drivers side door. (c:
I’ve done that before to double space parkers when I was younger. Once when the guy was still in it. If the vehicle is oh so precious then don’t drive it to the mall in the first place.
Somebody parked out in the sticks in an open area is one thing. To do this close up in a crowded lot is quite another.
I thought the poster said the lot at work was half full?
When my mom got her brand new Aerostar and was quite proud of it, she would double-park like that. Until one day she returned to find it keyed from front to back.
Taking two spaces is a stereotype of a fanatical car owner. Usually a guy and not a gearhead, in that he doesn’t know how a car works, or never ‘turns a wrench’. It’s an expression of his ‘personality’, to show off.
Not in my experience. To me it’s a defense mechanism against asshats in minivans, SUVs, and clapped out mid Eighties GM sedans…
Funny thing is I sometimes park my rough around the edges Minivan like this.
Honestly I would park like this more often but it seems like assholes will be assholes no matter what. You park normally and some asshole clumsily fumbles into their own car, dinging my door with their door and smudging their fat ass all over my paint, OR in the event I do take two spaces some asshole(likely just walking by, not even remotely effected by the parking job) will think I’m an asshole and key my car in revenge for possibly inconveniencing nobody.
I just learned to park at the farthest ends of the lots when possible or try and find a space next to a curb and park up as close as possible to it
Ditto. I’ve kept my car ding free for seven years by parking as you describe.
This. So much this.
I used to have a 280CE, that I bought cheap as a commuter beater. But I realized once I had it that the flanks were -utterly- straight. Not a sign of a door ding anywhere. Never been hit or bent, and all the trim was there and straight. At that point, I decided it was a potential restoration candidate. 300k miles and still solid as a rock. Pretty much just needed an interior and a decent paint job. The only damage was missing undercoating and a tiny patch of rust from a tire throwing its tread and flailing one wheel well.
One year at my wife’s work ended that fantasy. Her a-hole cow-orkers had it covered in dimples in under a year. Once there’s ripples in the sheetmetal, there’s really no fixing it. At least, not at the sort of budget the car called for to fix up.
I like these,not as much as the Mk VII but still a nice car.
I have a beautifully restored Ford police pursuit which has no body mouldings or scuff strips, and yes, I have been guilty of parking like that now and then. Being yelled at or getting a dirty look is a small price to pay for not getting a ding or chip on a perfect paint job.
Does anyone want to discuss the actual car?
Good question.
Personally, I really liked the looks of these with the little nod to the continental hump. I never really see them much any more though, unfortunately.
I agree with you. I especially like the 1997 facelift on these Mark VIIIs. This was definitely one of the nicest I’ve seen in a long while.
It is the Lincoln version of the MN12: Ford Thunderbird, Mercury Cougar and Lincoln Mark VIII.
In terms of exterior styling my favorite is the Ford Thunderbird. There is a lot of borrowing of the BMW 635’s profile. The interior is also very driver-centric, BMW style.
The Mark VIII is much more an individual design. I don’t recall another car that this style would have been borrowed from. The interior shines with an electronic instrument panel and leather everywhere. To me it deserves a lot of respect, but it is a little too far out for me, a little to “futuristic”.
It has a 32 valve version of the “modular” V8. It also has air suspension. All that would make it quite expensive as a collectible car if something would go awry. All considered I would opt for the ’97 Thunderbird out of the MN12 vehicles.
Technically, it was designated FN10.
Essentially the same chassis though.
We moved to metro Detroit in summer of 1994. Looking around me on the Southfield I would have sworn that this was the best selling car on the market.
I too love this car and the 1997 facelift–the neon taillamps were utterly brilliant looking and one of the coolest things I had seen up to that point.
I was always a fan of the aero look during the ’80s and ’90s but clearly a lot of those melted shapes haven’t aged well. Yet somehow this one, despite being as aero-round as it gets, has always worked for me and I think a big part of it is due to the straight line chrome rub strip, which really ties the composition together. Without it it would be a big bulbous mess.
I don’t see these often, but a family friend still drives a 1998 in Ivory Pearlescent (the color that’s simultaneously white, tan and pink…never cared for it much) and it’s still looking respectable, 16 years on. I hope he never gets rid of it 😀
Nice car. Not the repair monster it is made out to be. The bags are interchangeable with the Thunderbird SLA, and the HID can be switched for $50. The newest ones are 16 years old. One owner clean units are some of the best performance buys extant.
The actual car is not the issue. Assholes and asshole parking is. See XR7matt’s comment above.
The car itself is a side issue though. After all it is in the picture.
Fan here,see my post above.It was the last Lincoln I wanted until I saw the Touring Sedan in CC a few months ago.
Sure. I think the Lincoln Mark VIII is one of the ugliest cars of all time. I drove one once and was amazed that a 32-valve V8 could feel so dull. The 90s at its worst and the beginning of the end for Lincoln.
Ugly?No way, now the 58 Lincoln that’s ugly!
On the parking: I see no problem with taking two spaces so long as it is in a relatively empty area of the lot and there are plenty of closer spaces. If the lot is crowded? Find another lot or drive another car.
On the car: I think this may have been Lincoln’s last-ever real attempt at a class-leading luxury car. This was no badge-engineered T-Bird, but came with all kinds of unique (and expensive to fix) pieces. Unfortunately, this spare-no-cost-in-features directive makes one of these all but prohibitive for those of us who do not care to make a second career out of owning a 90s car.
JP et al,
Right on, the car is wonderful, but there are items on it (neon taillamp, rear window surround, headlights, etc.) that are either not available or prohibitively expensive. Despite this, there are several great examples in the LCOC and we have a few at every meet. Personally, I thought that the car just looked too zoftig, kind of plump, especially compared to the Lexus coupe that preceded it. Great to drive, though.
Given the circumstances, the parking would seem to be acceptable.
I tend to be an out back and away parker, but generally don’t go the two spot route as it might upset someone.
Given that most parking lots are usually half empty except up close to the entrance door of whatever, I’ve always thought it would be cool and very practical that custom would dictate that people would park in EVERY OTHER SPOT. Then, fill in if needed.
It would save a lot of damage.
It would be nice, but doesn’t seem to be the norm. You can park at the back of the parking lot away from everyone, and invariably someone will park next to you.
My late father’s last car. I enjoyed riding in it with him. He would never park like that though. Small town Iowa boy would not want to draw attention to himself in such a way.
Another case of WRONG year/model wheels put on a car???? My God, 3 times in 1 day. (Unless these Continental rims were offered [show me proof] on the Mark VIII… and I will gladly walk away with my tail between my legs!).
OMG! Somebody mildly modifed their own car in a way I disapprove of! Heretic!
They unbolt. It’s not like he welded a wing on the roof. Get over it.
Just pointing out how ridiculous they look. Don’t like it? Eat your words, “Get over it”.
Silly Mark! Those are Continental wheels!
I did find that odd, though I couldn’t ID where they came from at first. For me, the “octastar” wheels were by far the best ones available on the facelift Marks…but these actually don’t look too bad.
Surprised the offset and bolt pattern match, given that Continental’s FWD platform.
A few years ago, I had the opportunity to buy one for $500. The car ran but was in rough shape. Check Engine Light On, missing interior trim pieces. A few minor dings, but it drove and handled well. Plenty of power and ICE cold AC. I passed in the end since I knew that it would cost me much more than the $500 asking price. I was very tempted however.
Love the last 2 years of the Mark VIII – so much less generic than the ’93-’96 models. I’ll second the comments on the otherworldly impression made by my first night-time encounter with those tail-lamps – did Lincoln tap the Roswell brain trust?
When I see an old Lincoln, I more than ever hope the brand will survive. I’ve driven most of their newer models (MKX, MKS and MKZ) and just hope they can hang on? I know the newly released MKC is hoped to keep the coffers full, as well as a plan to market in China, time will tell.
Lincoln has just about always been the underdog to Cadillac, but a world without them would be a much duller place.
Now, we were talking about parking, hahahahah!
B3
Lincoln seems to be dropping into Mercury’s old spot- just fancier versions of Fords…
Its funny, I think the facelift looks much more generic than the ’93-96 MY. The prefacelift Mark VIII’s design was the way it was originally intended. Its the facelift that (while not ugly) compromised it a bit for me, adding a less sleek appearance to both the front and back end of the car.
I fully agree. The neon tails of the facelift were great and it still kept the full-width look, so I’m fine with those, but they slightly lowered and rounded the “hump” to de-emphasize it. To me that was a big part of the continuity with previous Marks. Up front, I loved the slim lamps of the original, and I think the much larger lamps and much higher grille with accompanying hood bulge definitely compromised the looks. However, having lived with one, I will say the original non-HID lamps did a terrible job of actually producing light…looked great, worked horribly. So I can understand the change there!
Most cars don’t have “keys” anymore…making it difficult to “key” someone parked like this!
Kind of nice, as the guy is respectectul in his use of two spots.
As long as there’s plenty of space in the lot, no biggie to me– as others have said, he’s probably just protecting his car from door dings..
However, I hate it when they pull a similar move in a crowded parking lot. Yes, the blue car is mine, and YES I was there first.
I think that generation of Grand Prix (well, all generations actually) take the title of “mostly likely to be driven by an inconsiderate and aggressive driver”
Tailgating, speeding, tire squealing, bad parking, illegal passing… whenever I picture that behavior a 2006-ish Grand Prix comes to mind. There doesn’t seem to be any demographic patterns either – women, men, young, old, all races.
I normally try to avoid making generalizations about cars and their owners, but if you’re driving a Grand Prix… I’m going to assume you drive like an ass.
Since we don’t have the Lincoln driver’s version of the story here yet, I’d like to give him the benefit of the doubt and offer that this may well be where that black beauty came to rest. As the previous owner of not one but two of these seductive rides, I believe it is certainly possible that the Mark VIII is simply awaiting AAA assistance.
I owned a 1993 Mark VIII, black with saddle interior. It stole my heart while sitting on the front line of the local (and still in business but at a new location) Lincoln dealer’s lot. It was a great looking and nice driving car (IMHO) that garnered lots of compliments every place I went. The wrap around dash was a work of contemporary art and behind the wheel I felt like Kirk in his captain’s chair on the Starship Enterprise. But after the early onset of air suspension failure, I traded it at the same dealership for a 1997 LSC, this one also black but with black leather and all the LSC whistles and bells. It looked like Darth Vader’s ground cruiser and I loved that car. Driving it was like an affair with a beautiful full figure girl, one who was smooth, graceful, a great dancer and a lot of fun to be around. I always had a grin on my face when I was behind the wheel of that ride. But like so many passionate flings, it eventually came to a bittersweet end. After a series of expensive repairs and with an air conditioner on life support, the LSC found someone new to love it and to provide for it’s many needs. Oh, but how those wonderful memories linger………
The marvelous Dinah Washington knew what is was to have loved a Lincoln:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oibs6OfmCTk&list=RDoibs6OfmCTk
The wrap around dash was a work of contemporary art and behind the wheel I felt like Kirk in his captain’s chair on the Starship Enterprise.
Exactly how the Mark VIII’s curvaceous cockpit has always struck me: the bridge of the SS Enterprise.
I’ve never had the pleasure of an VIII, but I’ve MM’d about them on Craigslist from time to time. All that luxe and power for around three or four grand sounds too good to be true… and, based on your account, it probably is. The purchase price would be just a downpayment on future repairs. And the air suspension doesn’t even scare me as much as the headlights do: Sylvania discontinued the High-Intensity Discharge bulbs, requiring an expensive conversion kit.
+1 on that dash, and on almost all of your observations, as a former Mark VIII owner myself. After a string of crappy to mediocre cars through college, once I got a real job and a steady income in 2004, my heart too was stolen by a Mark VIII. 1996 in opal opalescent (basically pearl white, mine didn’t have any pink tinge) with light graphite leather. I had been in love with the cars when they were still in production and this one was a flawless one-owner, local, 48k mile car, for $9000. It presented so nicely that they had it *inside* the showroom rather than on the lot despite its being 8 years old. Once I saw it in person, sat inside it at that expansive, sculpted interior, and took it for a drive, I was done. Sign on the dotted line. I didn’t even negotiate.
Two years and 20k miles later the car was still doing fine. I’d had a few niggling repairs to deal with (the door handle broke off in my hand, the multifunction stalk went out, and I had to replace the ignition switch, all things I was able to repair myself.) Slightly more worryingly the air supsension, official bugaboo of those cars, had developed a slow leak. I’d even bought the parts to fix it and had just spent $500 on some rear brake work I didn’t trust myself to do. Perhaps the start of a pattern of nickel-and-dime but not too much damage over that period of time. And then a green Saturn Vue, directly in my path at about 50 MPH, put an end to that dream. I was fine but the Mark VIII gave its life to protect me. If not for that, I think I’d still have the car today. It was my first “nice” car, nice being subjective, and it was everything I wanted it to be. I still miss it, 10 years later. I’m crazy enough to want another someday, though I knew that when I lost mine I probably needed to go a little newer for a DD, which kept me from seeking out another at the time. And that road led me to the Marauder, which is another story for another day.
The 2nd series VIII were the ones to have when knew, with those huge projector HIDs that remedied the wretchedly small light output from the stylish but impractical slender halogens of the 1st series cars. And the neon tails were extraordinarily cool. Those are, of course, the most difficult points of owning one nowadays. Crappy light output or not, I actually like the styling of the ’93 to ’96 cars better anyway. But any one does have a long list of things that can go wrong. They’re worth it, just start with a good one.
I don’t have a problem with it. He parked way out in the goondocks and the lot isn’t crowded. I don’t blame him, if he loves the car. There are WAY too many idiots out there who don’t give a shit about their own cars let alone anyone else’s.
As a rule, I never ever EVER park next to any of the following:
–crappy old beater: Obviously the owner of a thrashed car could care less if they door ding your ride, theirs is ready for the scrap heap.
— any family sedan, soccer mom SUV or minivan no matter how nice it is: family cars mean kids, and kids rarely give 2 shits about anything besides themselves. Even if the parents instilled some ghost of respect for others, one parent cant monitor 4 kids, and one is likely running a hotwheels right down the side of your fender.
— hybrids: car haters cant be trusted!
Good calls.
When I carried out groceries in the 1980’s, I recall a brand new Grand Marquis coming into the lot. The owner went in, and a faded red Fairmont wagon pulled up next to it. A kid swung open the back door, the rather sharp corner of the door where the wheel cut out starts caught the Grand Marquis very hard. A dent, paint damage, the works. I felt like I needed to find its owner and report it.
How different from a car accident and its associated liability is this? Not much if you ask me.
This isn’t my Chevy, but this is totally something I would have done in the Jeep, or anything else I could comfortably scale a curb with. Otherwise, I will park with my passenger’s door as close to their driver’s door as possible, necessitating they get in on the passenger’s side. Bonus points if they’re already blocked on that side. I’m somewhat of an asshat avenger.
Two wrongs don’t make a right, but sure could make for a flat tire, broken windshield or key job. Not to mention a stupid confrontation over something not really worth getting twisted over.
I tend to fill in the narrower spots created by this type of parking. It’s no problem for my previously scratched and dinged “95 GM pos!”
A little off topic, but this was in the ‘huge ass snowstorm of ’08’ in the Portland area. Big mothereffin snowdrifts taking up all the spots? No problem for a Jeep! Everyone thought Id be screwed once it melted a bit and I started to sink in. They were wrong!
Last month I returned to my (rather) new car to find someone had backed into the driver’s back corner. No note, no lot camera….
$1826. Boo.