He Spent Nearly $500K Turning a 1966 Lincoln Continental Into a Modern Beast — Now He Wants His Money Back

If you’ve got about $500,000 burning a hole in your pocket and a taste for high-end luxury, you’ve got two options. You can stroll into a Rolls-Royce dealership and let a chauffeur handle the driving. Or you can do what one ambitious car lover did—take a 1966 Lincoln Continental and turn it into one of the wildest restomods in recent memory.

The fourth-generation Continental has always been a fan favorite, known for its slab-sided design and iconic suicide doors. Lincoln launched it in the early ’60s to reassert itself against Cadillac and even European luxury marques. Dignified and massive, it was a symbol of quiet American power.

This particular 1966 model started life as a four-door hardtop before being stripped to bare metal and reborn by Divine1 Customs in Henderson, Nevada. Unlike many high-budget restomods, it keeps the original frame—but that’s about the only thing left untouched.

Under the hood? Forget the old MEL V8. Instead, there’s a 6.2-liter LSx V8 built by Koza Automotive in Illinois. Forged internals, a BTR Stage 3 camshaft, twin turbos, and a Harrop supercharger push this beast to 871 horsepower and over 1,000 lb-ft of torque—numbers that make a modern Maybach look tame. Power goes through a 4L80E automatic to a nine-inch rear end.

The car rides on Devious Customs’ air suspension with Baer six-piston brakes up front, giving it modern control without losing its old-school cool. Inside, deep red leather and polished chrome meet digital gauges and billet-steel details—a blend of classic style and modern comfort that wouldn’t feel out of place in a Bentley.

All told, the project reportedly cost around $429,000 in parts and custom work alone. Add years of labor, fuel, and upkeep, and you’re easily in half-million-dollar territory.

Now, the owner is hoping to recoup some of that massive investment. Whether anyone’s willing to pay near-supercar money for a hot-rodded Continental remains to be seen—but one thing’s for sure: this car turns more heads than a brand-new Rolls-Royce ever could.