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Projects 1954 Lincoln Capri.....a car with a small history

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by derthor, Jan 12, 2014.

  1. derthor
    Joined: Oct 17, 2010
    Posts: 74

    derthor
    Member
    from Germany

    Hi my name is Thorsten and I´m from Germany.I´m a photographer and one of the european guys from customikes.com.Last July I bought my first american car, a 1954 Lincoln Capri, from a 67 year old man.

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    The last owner told me that one his friends imported the Lincoln with two other cars from California in 1990. The car came from Redondo Beach,California.
    First thing I did to the Lincoln, I installed white wall rings and moons

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  2. Jalopy Joker
    Joined: Sep 3, 2006
    Posts: 33,508

    Jalopy Joker
    Member

  3. derthor
    Joined: Oct 17, 2010
    Posts: 74

    derthor
    Member
    from Germany

    after checking all the papers that I got with the car I found the original waranty card from 1954

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    the Lincoln was sold 09-01-1954 in Medford Oregon to a women with the name Vetabelle P. Carter.
    After spending some hours at Google I found out that her complete name was Vetabelle Phillips Carter and she was an inventor in the 20th and 30th. She was born in 1889 and had the patent for the illuminated flashing sign that read "STOP ARTERIAL".

    A few weeks ago I got contact to her 83 year old daughter, Paulena Verzeano, a female concert pianist that was better known under the name Paulena Carter. She told me that she drove the car after her mother died in 1978. At the moment I´m waiting for some more contact to her, to more information about the car.
     
    302GMC likes this.
  4. derthor
    Joined: Oct 17, 2010
    Posts: 74

    derthor
    Member
    from Germany

    last October I began the project mild custom after playing a little bit with photoshop. i think that will be the way I want to go with the Lincoln.

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    but I think it will be a long winter with a lot of work :D
     
  5. derthor
    Joined: Oct 17, 2010
    Posts: 74

    derthor
    Member
    from Germany

    in rust we trust :D

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    and the old exhaust ...in parts

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    turning off the front to get mor space for the next steps

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    317.5 cui Y Block :D

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    I´m happy that have enough space in my workshop

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    Ranchero59 and ant79 like this.
  6. derthor
    Joined: Oct 17, 2010
    Posts: 74

    derthor
    Member
    from Germany

    I need new bushings for the front suspension

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  7. woodbutcher
    Joined: Apr 25, 2012
    Posts: 3,309

    woodbutcher
    Member

    :D Looks like a nice score.Keep us posted on progress.
    Good luck.Have fun.Be safe.
    Leo
     
  8. derthor
    Joined: Oct 17, 2010
    Posts: 74

    derthor
    Member
    from Germany

    the wheels

    before ( paintstripped)

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    and after

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    with moons and with trim rings

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    found a 57 Ford 12 Volt alternator on ebay for 25 bucks

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    and it is renewt now....still waiting for it

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    found a company 60 miles from my home that builds springs in every hight you want
    original springs vs new springs....-2,5 inch

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  9. derthor
    Joined: Oct 17, 2010
    Posts: 74

    derthor
    Member
    from Germany

    cutiing the rust

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    the fenders after welding

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    engine mounts old (60years) vs new

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    the parts after paintstripping....now they are ready for the next step.....powdercoating

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    valvecovers are also stripped

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    with basecoat

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    and painted in gold

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    steeringwheel needs to be repaired too

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  10. realdeal32
    Joined: Mar 15, 2012
    Posts: 44

    realdeal32
    Member

    Thorsten,
    Great find! It's like a time machine. Your plans and progress are awesome. What part of Germany are you from. In another life time I spent time in Germany with the US Army. Loved my time there...! Keep posting your progress...
     
  11. Ice man
    Joined: Mar 12, 2008
    Posts: 983

    Ice man
    Member

    Remember that's not an alternator, that's a generator. The charging rate is not the same. Iceman
     
  12. Buddy Palumbo
    Joined: Mar 30, 2008
    Posts: 3,871

    Buddy Palumbo
    Member

    Coming along very nicely . I like your photoshop goal too .
     
  13. Very nice, I'll be following your progress.
     
  14. derthor
    Joined: Oct 17, 2010
    Posts: 74

    derthor
    Member
    from Germany

    parts are back from powdercoating :D

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  15. Buddy Palumbo
    Joined: Mar 30, 2008
    Posts: 3,871

    Buddy Palumbo
    Member

  16. derthor
    Joined: Oct 17, 2010
    Posts: 74

    derthor
    Member
    from Germany

    valvacovers are done :D

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    paint and rust stripping

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    new paint

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    the new rims are deliverd :D

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    the original aircleaner before....

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    and after the paintstripping....

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    and now with basecoat

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    plate is done for the hole of the fuelpump, ´cause he´ll get an electric one

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    inside the fenders

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    with some paint the firewall will look very good

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  17. nice work and nice project! Its cool to find the history of the car like that. I would love to know more about who owned my vehicle prior to me.
     
  18. derthor
    Joined: Oct 17, 2010
    Posts: 74

    derthor
    Member
    from Germany

    Today here in Germany arrived a small package from Ashland/Oregon. Inside some pictures and a small text about Mrs.Vetabelle Phillips Carter the first owner of my 1954 Lincoln. I got this little surprise from Paulena Verzeano, the 83 year old daughter of Mrs. Carter.

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    stanlow69 and 302GMC like this.
  19. derthor
    Joined: Oct 17, 2010
    Posts: 74

    derthor
    Member
    from Germany

    the new "shoes"...no I`m still waiting for the trim rings and spidercaps......and the two inch lowering blocks

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    here´s my small workshop...for the moment

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  20. drtrcrV-8
    Joined: Jan 6, 2013
    Posts: 1,797

    drtrcrV-8
    Member

    For your amusement; Based on the serial number, your Capri was number 3960 of the Lincolns produced in 1954 at the Los Angeles, CA Assembly Plant. Ford started each years production run in that plant with serial #LA(for Los Angeles) 5001(start of sequence) H. If I had access to the style & body specif. sequences I could provide production date,original trim & paint codes, as these are available from service manuals/catalogues for these cars. (I have a 1952 Cosmopolitian, & '52-'54 bodies are very similar.)
     
  21. drtrcrV-8
    Joined: Jan 6, 2013
    Posts: 1,797

    drtrcrV-8
    Member

    VERY HIGH PRAISE ON THE WORK YOU ARE DOING ON THIS CAR!!! When you are through 'fixing' & move on to 'drive/enjoy' you will find this to be one of the best road cars ever, especially for the era, & extremely durable : The engine was from the Ford large commercial truck, the transmission was from GM commercial, the rear axle & brakes were from Ford light truck, the front suspension was a new design; these cars won their class in the Carrera Panamerica(Mexican Road Race) in the early '50s, a very demanding series of races.
     
  22. derthor
    Joined: Oct 17, 2010
    Posts: 74

    derthor
    Member
    from Germany

    Thank you for that information :D...step by step I learn more about my car..
     
  23. derthor
    Joined: Oct 17, 2010
    Posts: 74

    derthor
    Member
    from Germany

    welding is done...

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    and the aircleaner is now paited in gold like the valve covers

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    also my parts arrived and I can start with the assembly,,,thanks to Dollner Classics from Georgia for the support ;-)

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    first thing to do with the arrived part?? checking how the wheels look like with the new trim rings and the spider caps :D

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    in the next few days it´ll get lowerd 2 inches ....

    next step was starting with the exhaust system

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  24. birdman1
    Joined: Dec 6, 2012
    Posts: 1,672

    birdman1
    Member

    i thought the Lincoln capri was a glorified Ford, but a hell of a lot faster!!:):):)
    nICE LOOKING CAR! ( i HAD A '53 Ford)
     
  25. Man, these cars look good even in a more door. Nice job and nice ride.
     
  26. derthor
    Joined: Oct 17, 2010
    Posts: 74

    derthor
    Member
    from Germany

    yesterday I began to complete the front suspension

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    first time on his own wheels since last November

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    two of my three dogs inspecting the workshop :D

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    after I got deliverd a pair of wron lowering blocks I decided to build my own once....
    two inch sqaure tubes...and now the u bolts are to short...the deliverd once have the same sice than the originals.....hope to get some in the next few days

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  27. derthor
    Joined: Oct 17, 2010
    Posts: 74

    derthor
    Member
    from Germany

    little update ....first rollout ....

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    like this view...2inch deeper in the back and 2,5 inch in the front...

    took the valvecovers and the aircleaner onto the engine only to see how it looks like

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    hope the next step will be the wiring
     
  28. Like your Lincoln. Thanks for the pictures to document what you're doing.

    I bought a '54 Capri Coupe a few months ago. I need to do everything you are doing and MORE!!!!!
     
  29. derthor
    Joined: Oct 17, 2010
    Posts: 74

    derthor
    Member
    from Germany

    small update again
    I got the old ´´57 Ford alternator, now we can change to 12 Volts

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    it´s a little bit smaller....but it fits perfect...with a little bit work

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    last week we started the new wiring...THX to my friend Dominque and his buddy Stefan ´cause without their help I have no chance to get the car back ontthe road.....I can install a radio but that´s all of electric work I can do :D

    all old lights will get new cables

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    new cbles for the taillights

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    the instruments will also get new wireing

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    the inner fenders got a little more paint again, ´cause the powdercoating was a little bit to thin

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    found the wright place for the new electric fuel pump :D

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    next step is done...wiring the starter and the alternator is also finished

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    yesterday I mounted the fender to see the stance with the new springs...I like it ´cause with the complete weight of the front and the wright installation I think it will go down again for minimum 5cm extra

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  30. I'm still watching.

    I bought my '54 Capri Coupe and it was less than 2 miles from the house.

    Then I found a complete '57 Lincoln 4-dr within 3 miles of my house. I didn't buy the car, but the complete 368 V-8 and auto trans are now at my place. the '57 engine is the preferred engine to build.

    So far, my total investment is $1,700.
     

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