Altered Kustoms Creates a More-Door 1962 Continental Custom with Coyote Power
Alex Short has a reputation for the diversity of the high-profile vehicles he’s had built through the years: A ’58 Ford pickup, ’68 C10 pickup, ’69 Camaro, and a ’58 Thunderbird, just to name a few. You get the picture – Alex is someone who likes variety. His latest creation – a custom 1962 Lincoln Continental convertible – pushes the envelope even further.
While these massive land yachts of the ’60s are gaining in popularity, you just don’t routinely find a good project car on Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace. It takes a lot of hunting and often a bit of luck. Alex’s convertible, for example, was a low production offering that year. Of the approximately 31,000 1962 Lincolns produced, only 3,212 were four-door convertibles.
Alex found his Lincoln in an old military depot in Tooele, Utah. He says the car was in fairly good shape; it ran when it was discovered. The two-year build began with the goal of keeping the classic look of the Continental while making the car operate with modern power and passenger comforts and some contemporary custom flair.
Working with the team at Altered Kustoms in South Jordan, Utah, the car’s stock chassis was upgraded with front and rear suspension systems from Choppin’ Block Chassis Products, AccuAir air springs, and Wilwood disc brakes. Things got rolling with a set of 22-inch Raceline wheels hosting Diamondback whitewall tires.
Power to move the 5,200-pound beast down the road comes from a Gen III Coyote 5.0-liter V8 that produces 750 horsepower with the help of a Whipple Supercharger, headers from Little Shop Manufacturing, and a custom stainless steel exhaust system. The engine has been extensively detailed and is connected to a 10R80 10-speed transmission.
The subtle but extensive body work on Alex’s 1962 Lincoln includes a hand-made hood and custom engine bay and undercar panels. Look closely and you’ll see a raised center section on the hood that carries through to the rear package tray and deck lid. Other body lines were sharpened, and countless hours were spent smoothing the massive sections of sheet metal before Altered Kustoms applied the PPG Altered White finish with Painthouse Viking Blood Red accents on the engine.
The leather-wrapped dash houses Dakota Digital gauges, while seats from a ’65 Lincoln were modified and covered in two-tone Hydes leather by Seams Impossible Custom Interiors. The Restomod air-conditioning system includes custom ductwork that directs the cool air to the seats. Custom machine work produced floating emblems on the steering wheel, sill plates, valve cover emblems, door strikers and hinges, and speaker grills.
Alex says the two years of work building his 1962 Lincoln were worth the effort, especially to see the custom Continental he envisioned at the beginning come together in metal.
Photos: John Jackson
