Photos by Image Werx
Cruiser. Gangster. Thug. The sight of an all-black 1964 Lincoln Continental immediately conjures images of The Godfather and big gold jewelry. This Lincoln plays right into that theme. Known as the "H8R," this build is replete with a gangster-themed design. So, sits yourself back and reads a bit wit us, won’t cha?
Gangsters are known to play both sides of the law. Working with the cops when it suits them and, well, doing what they have to when it doesn’t. This Lincoln shares a similar split personality when it comes to the design of the audio system – high-end gear and a clean installation, but with a few secrets hidden up its proverbial sleeves.
The heart of any audio system is the source unit and, frankly, the Clarion HX-D3 is one of the best. No frills, no cheap tricks, no bells and no whistles – it’s just a CD receiver that sounds amazing. The installation team at 360 Fabrication in Abbotsford, BC built a custom leather-wrapped pod for the HX-D3 under the dash, and audio is sent rearward to a quartet of Clarion amplifiers. A pair of XH5410 four-channel amps produces 90 watts per channel to the mids and highs while two XH7110 amps each provide 850 watts to four Clarion 10-inch subwoofers.
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360 Fabrication has created custom H8R logos and tastefully blended them into the install, which features stitched leather upholstery and hydro-dipped trim panels with a tortoise shell print to keep a stock look. The front stage speakers are an ultra-rare three-way component set from Clarion. The SRD1701S set is installed in custom pods in each of the front doors. The midrange and tweeter are located just ahead of the door pull while the 6.5-inch woofer is integrated into a new custom armrest. For rear fill, a set of equally rare Clarion SRD1700S 6.5-inch two-way components are installed on the rear deck.
The real artwork takes place in the massive trunk of the 18-foot Lincoln. 360 started with a pair of custom fiberglass enclosures on each side of the car. The enclosures each house two Clarion WQ2510D 500-watt subwoofers. The sealed design ensures tight, controlled bass and plenty of low frequency output. The enclosures are molded into custom trim panels that adorn the rest of the trunk and all are wrapped in dark gray vinyl with neat and tidy stitching on the seams.
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In the center of the trunk is what looks like a spare tire cover, but this is the first of several hidden gems in this beauty. Slipping the tire back and opening the bottom cover reveals a set of handcuffs, a pair of brass knuckles and home for a pair of pistols – all trimmed in purple velour. The ‘spare tire’ arsenal can be removed from the trunk quickly and easily in the event a road trip is planned.
That, my friends, is far from the end of the story in the trunk where yet another hidden compartment can be found by those with keen detective skills. On the back wall of the trunk is another leather-trimmed, H8R logo-adorned panel. But, if you pull it down and slide the drawer out, you will find yourself a bottle of Crown Royal and a quartet of tumblers – perfect to celebrate an afternoon’s hard work... at the bank, perhaps?
The floor of the trunk is finished in black wool carpet and has a Lexan window that exposes the four Clarion amplifiers installed under the floor. The amps are fed by Wirez Signature Series power wire and distribution blocks while audio signals are passed by Wirez Signature interconnects and speaker wire. There are two Wirez two-farad stiffening caps to ensure the instantaneous current demand from the nearly 2,500 Wrms of amplifier power is readily available. Further power comes from two Kinetik KHC1800 power cells.
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The mighty Lincoln has received a lot more than just an amazing audio install from the gang at 360 Fabrication. The body of the car was cleaned up, sanded perfectly smooth and coated with three layers of BASF black and three coats of clear, each one hand-sanded to a mirror finish. The bumpers along with the front grill have been re-chromed to ensure the exterior look is on par with the recreated and reupholstered interior.
Overall, more than $75,000 has gone into the H8R project by its Chilliwack, BC-based owner. He’s a big fan of Lincolns, and also owns a ’63 Lincoln Roadster and ’64 Lincoln convertible along with a ’57 Chevy and ’65 AC Cobra, to name a few. But, the H8R turned into a fun and unique project. It’s subtle and understated, but leaves a lasting impression on anyone that sees it. And, with its amazing audio system and its original 400-horsepower big block V8 under the hood, it’s undoubtedly the perfect ride to cruise the financial district with.
ESSENTIALS
Vehicle: 1964 Lincoln Continental
Built by: 360 Fabrication
Engine: 1963 Lincoln 430 ci V8 (numbers-matching)
Horsepower: 400 hp (est.)
EXTERIOR
- Re-chromed grille and bumpers
- BASF water-based paint (3 coats wet-sanded and polished)
- HID headlight upgrade
INTERIOR
- New carpet and upholstery, custom door panels, H8R emblems with Lincoln logo integration, radio pod, embroidered floor mats
AUDIO / MOBILE ELECTRONICS
- Clarion (HX-D3 head unit, HX5410 4-ch. amplifiers x2, XH7110 subwoofer amplifiers x2, SRD1701S 3-way component set, SRD1700S 2-way component set, WQ2510D 10" subwoofers x4)
- Wirez (14AWG Signature Series speaker wire, 0AWF Signature Series power wire, PDS-4 distribution blocks x2,CAPDPD-2F 2-farad stiffening caps x2, RCASBK-17 Signature Series interconnects x4, 350 sq-ft Wirez premium sound deadening)
- Kinetik KHC1800 power cells x2
- Rear/trunk install (fibreglass sub enclosures, floating floor amp rack, custom fake spare tire/tray, custom slide-out bar)
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