Lincoln Capri or 53-55 Mercury build

even the Mustang 2 kits that are advertised for 49-61 Lincolns can't seem to tell me anything about their kits are the install I am not really sure what this means? Maybe you can proofread it an post again and get a better answer to your questions.

 

A follow-up to my previous post. A Mustang II front end, or a derivative, under a 4,400 lb. car?????

Have to be outa' your mind!! Ball joint suspension was innovated on this car. The front end parts are expensive, but as I previously mentioned, a better solution is converting to Chrysler screw in ball joints. Oval track racers use these all the time. The screw in adapters are readily available, probably from Speedway.

http://www.speedwaymotors.com/Shop/Oval-Track-Ball-Joint-Sleeves/15.html

A bit of fab work and you'll have good stuff for the vehicle weight. Another option might be some big old Impala spindles and disc brakes. The late 70's had 454's and were tanks. Something sized for the job. Maybe even Chevy pickup truck stuff might work. Think some of those 2WD 1/2 tons had 5 lug bolt patterns.

 

Try contacting Lincoln & Continental Owners Club (LCOC) for a list of their member/vendors & look into Hemmings Motor News/ Lincoln section. Also Look up the "Y-Block Lincoln" thread, etc. I haven't needed to rebuild my '52 front end since the early '70s, so I'm not current on the prices, However: these front ends are way too good to "butcher" by replacing them with some "scabbed-in-junk"!!! Although parking was difficult for her, my late wife(4'-11" /105lbs) had no trouble driving the car with standard(non-power) steering. She said that as long as she had it moving it was easy to turn, & a lot of fun on the road, & the non-power brakes worked fine for her as well. I really hate to see a great car get 'cut-up' just because 'I couldn't find the right parts to do it right'!! Yes I get a little 'testy', but "stock" these cars are, even today, but especially for their time, great road cars!

 

I have a1954 Lincoln Capri with a 1978 Dodge Monaco front clip. That gives you disc brakes and torsion bars suspension. Kept the Lincoln steering column mated to the mopar steering box.

 

I had a '53 Capri mor door.........one of the smoothest, quietest, comfortable rides I have ever owned.
Sadly the day after me detailing it.......it got sideswiped from front bumper to rear tail light by an oncoming driver crossing over the divider line.

 

I have two '54 Capri coupes. Both are projects. One on a stock frame and the other on a cut front clipped frame. The frame of choice is the sticker. Ironically, both cars have the exact same paint and trim codes. The body on the clipped frame is nicer than the one on the stock frame. Floor boards and floor supports are rusty. This car has tinted gl***, the clipped one doesn't. So, what to do? Body switch on the frame or repair the rust? In the end, the clipped frame will be unused.

Thanks to HAMB members I located a truck intake that will let me use a Holley dual float carb without using an adapter. Then I bought a NOS Schiefer aluminum flywheel off eBay. All I need now is a Ford Big Job Rated truck bell housing and I'm on my way to a 4-speed Hot Rod Lincoln. All this will go on a 368 cube Lincoln I bought outa' an unmolested '57 Lincoln. "57 was the last and best year for this engine. Highest compression, with the best cylinder heads. Add the spin on oil filter, dual exhaust manifolds, 12v starter and a few other improvements over the '54 317 cube motor will make for a good upgrade. Still collecting parts for this future project.

 

I am getting ready to start a 53 Merc Sun valley project. It is getting a 2001 Lincoln town car ch***is.
Same wheelbase ,same tread width. 4.6 injected motor, aode trans. 4 wheel discs. airbags .
Will start build thread when I start. First I have to finish a couple of paint jobs on non Hamb friendly vehicles and a 57 Chevy shorty wagon.
The Merc will get some mild custom body mods in the transformation.

 

No but I have a spare set of spindles and upper and lower control arms. I keep thinking somehow off of the car it will be easier to come up with a retro-fir solution.

 

That's what racers do, set up a fixture and fabricate their control arms. In your case you'd only have to be concerned that the newly installed ball joints don't go into a bind in compression or extension. A tapered reamer would correct the difference in stud diameters in the spindle.

 

I like the project, but I am not sure that what you're describing is exactly a HAMB friendly car,either.

 

So are the 317 yblocks in these worthwhile? buildable? my 53 came without a drivetrain, and it seems the 317 is tough to find compared to the ford yblocks. I have only seen industrial ones for sale near me. I have an OT motor option, but I'm trying to talk myself out of it. help me out

 

'52-'54 are 317. '55 is 341(?) and '56-'57 are 368.

Everything I read says these are good engines. They can be stroked to over 400 easily. I'd look for the big one. If you find a truck bell housing I'm interested. I'd rather build one of these than a Ford Y-block, just to be different as at you have a true "Hot Rod Lincoln".

 

so the 368 would be basically a bolt in? I like the idea of keeping it all Lincoln if possible

 

Too Many Fords : Please start with the "Y-Block Lincoln" thread, & the Ford Barn, research anything you can on ECU ford motors, check some of Rich Fox's old posts(sorry Rich!), search for any old "Road Race Lincoln " posts/threads, & study the Ford F-8 trucks (& other commercial vehicles) from '52 to '64. The answers you're asking for are there(as well as a lot of new questions! LOL!!) You do have a choice of ways to do transmissions(some easy/ some not so much!!) & keep asking questions("the only dumb question is the one that you didn't ask!!")

 

Yes, it's a bolt in. In '55 Ford started installing their own automatic transmission. Prior to that they used the GM Hydramatic.

 

Still playing with doing something on this car. I travel the Interstate a lot and really want to upgrade. The stock suspension works great so I'm would really like to find a set of control arms and fabricate replacement control arms with new style ball joints. If I can get p*** that hurdle the disk brakes/ power steering install will be simple.
Anyone know of a set of 52' Capri control arms laying around??

 

Get the screw in Chrysler ball joint weld in sleeve adapters from the Speedway Racing Catalog and adapt them to the upper and lower control arms. Might be $10-$15 each. Make sure the tapers match. If not use a reamer to do so. 12" diameter drums are plenty to stop. Get some decent friction material shoes from Porterfield Brakes. A carbon/Kevlar that'll stop you on a dime. I read where an 80's-90's rear drive Lincoln steering box can be adapted with a small frame modification.

Still looking for a Lincoln Y-block manual shift bell housing off a BIG JOB Rated truck engine. I have an NOS aluminum flywheel now and a 4-speed. Need the bell. Knew where one was, got there too late. It got crushed.

 

For a manual shift bellhousing( ask Rich Fox for details on this) Ford FE housing can be made to work.

 

That's good information. I have several FE bells, including a Lakewood.

I ***ume Rich Fox is on this site?

 

Why not subframe it with a late model Lincoln or crown Vic front end. Modern feel with an old car.


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I guess if he wanted the feel of a new Lincoln he'd go buy one. At least that's the way I feel about it.

 

Don't see this Fox guy listed here. How do I contact him?

 

Try the members section for Rich Fox. He's got LOTS!!! of info on all kinds of motors and Bonneville vehicles. He doesn't just think outside the box, he seems to LIVE outside the box!! He's been a source of info for many of us, especially on projects that not many of us have touched! (Thanks for your info, Rich!! I hope you take this "plug" as positive!!)

 

Take a look at Series 1,2, and 3 Jaguars, also any XJS. Comparable car weight (4000 vs 4400), similar track width. Donor cars can be had for $500 or less with a bit of looking, suspension/brake rebuild parts are reasonable, and both front and rear suspensions are on subframes. There's been a couple of swaps done here, on a Buick and an Olds, both '57s. Find and join the 'Jag IFS IRS swap group' in the social forums for more info...
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/social-forums/jaguar-ifs-irs-swap-group.726/

 

I bought the wife a Lincoln MKS AWD, the car is fast and handles great but not really what I want for my 52'...


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We have a MKS and it is a *****en car, but our 55 Lincoln is still our favorite

 

He was contemplating a mustang II swap, he wants something his wife can drive comfortably, and going to do a lot of highway driving. He is asking for our thoughts. I bought a Lincoln Capri at auction about a year ago. Decent car but the steering was frozen. A guy offered $500 more than I paid for it about 10 minutes later because he was late for the auction and really wanted the car. Probably one of the few cars I have ever made money on.


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I know what he said and what he wants. What made you think I didn't? Mustang II under a 4,400+ lb car doesn't make a bunch of sense to me. What do you think? He's already mentioned looking for original control arms. Perhaps to do the modification I mentioned. It's not that the old Lincoln suspension is technically obsolete (FYI, first USA car to have ball joint front suspension), it's that the repair parts are expensive.

 

No subframe for me. If all else fails I'll drop the $1700 on stock parts. My ultimate goal would be modern replacement parts, disc brakes, power steering, and air ride. Might have a set of control arms coming and making my own might be an option and using some 2" dropped spindles. The fabrication doesn't scare me (I'm qualified in MIG/TIG) and also know a high end ch***is shop about three miles from me.


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