Story: Alex Bernstein

Photography: Costas Stergiou

When it comes to kickin’ it old school, the ’65 Lincoln Continental speaks clearly about the era; the straight lines, giant body and simple design work in spades. Terry Holly believes this too, and that’s why he built one. “The Continental has always been my dream car,” he explains. “It’s just those suicide doors—they’re my favorite.”

Suicide doors do hold a certain appeal. You don’t see them often, and if they’re aftermarket, it seems awkward. But this is where they fit just right. The Continental was a badass of its time. Unfortunately, though, transforming a car of the ’60s into a showstopper isn’t exactly a bolt-on-and-go process.

“It was a real rust bucket when I got it. It was in terrible shape,” Terry admits. “We didn’t even know if we’d be able to save the car,” he laughs. In this rare scenario, however, the mixture of quality shops, boatloads of dedication and a pinch of optimism resulted in a truly perfect Continental. The proof is in the pudding.

Seafoam green is a color that is seldom pulled off in the custom whip game—or anywhere, for that matter—but if you look at the big picture and see the overload of loud hues and candy coating, you realize that when applied correctly, Seafoam is an ideal match. “I came up with the paint scheme myself, and it turned out exactly how I wanted it to,” he says. And it seems everyone else is down with it too.

At every show this Conti ’vert attends, Terry is awarded either best in show or best in class. “I’ve won pretty much every show I’ve been to,” he states proudly. And if the exterior doesn’t quite do it for you, the custom fiberglass console and wild Audiobahn ICE will, pleasing your eardrums—or destroying them—with the available 3,000 watts of amperage in the trunk.

With all the boom and bling on tap, you might expect this American old-school to shred its rear rubber right through the pavement, but Terry chose to take the simple approach by simply updating the stock 430 V8. When your show car is a project of love and restoration dating back almost 50 years, it’s obvious that a crate motor isn’t needed to truly revive an old beast, and we can live with that.

Spec The Technique:

Performance: Factory 430 engine with cam upgrade; K&N intake

Interior: Custom dash and console with Dakota Digital gauges by Kingpin Custom Radio; Dakota Digital air monitoring system; 7-inch monitor in dash; console with all windows and bag controls; rear door air actuators; push-button start; custom door panels; billet door handles; BMW 745 carpet; two 2200 Kentick batteries in trunk

Exterior: Shaved door handles and antenna; air actuator–controlled rear doors

Ice: Three 800-watt Audiobahn Sub amps, 600-watt Highs amp, three 12-inch subwoofers, two sets of 6.5 components; JVC head unit

Wheels/Tires: 22-inch Bonspeed Palisades; Falken tires, 255/30/22 front, 295/25/22 rear