Thinking about maybe buying a 52 Lincoln, are these cars incredibly different from the ford counterparts?
In 1952 yes, they were very different! https://www.xr793.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/1952-Lincoln-.pdf
1952 was the first year of the BIG Y-Block engine, the Fords still used the flathead until 1954 and then it was a small Y-Block and nothing interchanged. The Lincoln used a Hydra Matic in 52, the Fords used a two speed Ford-o-matic. The frame was a much longer wheelbase and much heavier along with the body differences. Pretty much everything was different. I think the Hydra Matic transmission was sourced from GM , there was a fire at the GM plant sometime in the 50's and messed up the supply of transmissions. Someone who is a better historian will need to chime in on this one. Just a side note, there was a movie with Lucile Ball and Desi Arnaz from the early 50's called the long, long, trailer. In the movie they are pulling a huge (for the time) travel trailer cross country. In the beginning of the movie there was a Mercury convertible pulling the trailer but by the end of the movie it had changed to a Lincoln convertible because the flathead in the Mercury didn't have enough power to pull the heavy trailer up the Rockies so they changed cars because the Lincoln had more power and more gears in the transmission. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Long,_Long_Trailer
Okay, I know my 55 was a three speed that started in second gear when in drive but I seemed to remember my 54 239 had a two speed. BUT that was 50 years ago and I slept since then. All my other 54's I have owned were manual transmissions. I don't claim to be an expert, just old!
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