We
tend to see quite a few large, luxurious Lincolns from the sixties,
seventies and eighties on Barn Finds, but not so many of the early
fifties versions that are famous for their victories in the Mexican Road
Races of 1952-54. These are great looking cars that in their day were
strong performers and good handling cars, as well.
1953
Lincoln Capri’s, like the one pictured here, had a curb weight of 4340
pounds, were powered by the Lincoln specific four barrel, 317 cubic
engine Y-block producing 205 horsepower, and drove through GM sourced
hydramatic transmissions. For their day, they were quick cars that
really handled well – the Lincoln engine that year produced more power
per cubic inch than any other American made motor. In fact, the 1952-55
Lincolns were actually smaller than their predecessors, and all the
Lincolns that came after them, and they look quite svelte compared to so
many later cars that make us think of Lincolns as boat-like cruisers.
I
am not sure what caused Lincoln to name its new top of the line model
the “Capri” in 1952. Capri is an Italian island that was becoming known,
more in Europe than in America then, as a tourist destination. It had
been popular among artists and writers in the late 19th century, so
maybe Lincoln product planners thought the exoticism of the name would
be appealing to buyers.
It
may not have been the name that did it, but the high end Capri handily
outsold its lesser sibling Cosmopolitan model for all four years of this
generation of Lincolns. In 1953, Lincoln sold 26,640 Capris, which were
offered as four door sedans, two door “coupes” and convertibles,
compared to just 14,062 of the less expensive Cosmopolitan line (sedans
and coupes only).
The
1955 model year was the last for the 1952 design cycle, with few
changes in design; the engine for that year was larger at 341 cubic
inches, making 225 hp, and that year, Lincoln finally got its own
automatic transmission. Annual sales declined to 27,222 units, of which
23,673 were Capris.
With only 12,916 two door “coupes” made in 1953, the black and red example shown in this Craigslist ad
in Selkirk, New York, is quite rare now, and seems like it would be a
desirable car for any Lincoln fan. This car is said to have been stored
since 1964, so it is going to need a complete going over. While the
seller claims it is “100% rust free” and “100% complete” with low
mileage, a prospective buyer will need to check it out pretty
thoroughly. Any missing parts will be difficult to source, and these
cars are prone to rust; since it was on the road for more than ten
years, it would be more than amazing if it turned out to be truly rust
free.
The
seller does not say much else other than that the “motor turns” and
claims it will be a “super easy restoration,” but that seems quite
optimistic to me. There are no pictures or mention of the interior. I’d
expect some work will need to be done there, and given that it has power
windows and seats, it’s likely electrical or hydraulic work may be
needed. The seller admits the bumpers need re-chroming, and the pictures
just don’t show enough to be able to tell what else will be required to
get this car back on the road. The $9,800 asking price seems steep to
me; Hagerty says that would be the price for a daily driving example in
“fair” condition. Even if you have good mechanical skills and a well
equipped shop, this car will require a considerable amount of work, is
certainly worth the effort, just not “super easy.” 1953 Capri “Canyon Runner” – photo courtesy of Jalopy JournalAt
least for me, this 1953 Capri is a great example of a true “barn find.”
It’s a car we don’t see that often, it looks great, and will be a fine
driver, once the work it needs is done. It appears complete and
restorable, and must have a pretty good story to go with it, but as with
so many cars we see these days, the high prices of cars in better
condition seem to make barn find owners overvalue their cars (it has
been on CL for two months now). So, dear readers, what do you all think
of this one? Are any of you Road Race Lincoln fans making plans for a
trip to the Albany area to make a deal for this car right now? Source: barnfinds.com
The seller says that this 1958 Lincoln Premier was “untouched for 50 years” and it sure looks great! The car is in Rancho Cucamonga, California and is listed on eBay
with a price of $9,000 and no bids. These cars will sell for several
times that amount in perfect condition and two-door hardtop cars like
this one can be even more valuable, monetarily. This is a 19-foot long,
5,000-pound car so you’ll need a heavy-duty trailer to get this one
home. This car is too nice to turn into a pickup, you’ll want to keep this one intact, hopefully.
The
Lincoln Premiere was sold from 1956 to 1960 and this is a
second-generation car made from 1958 to 1960. The body on this car looks
absolutely solid and almost perfect. The charges from the chrome
shop will not be inexpensive, and this car will need a little
polishing, or maybe more if you’re going to restore it. It’s nice enough
where I’d just make sure the mechanical parts were perfect and drive it
as it looks here. The “Suede” color looks great on this car, in my opinion. Maybe a little light color-sanding and polishing and a few coats of wax and you’d be in business.
This
is the only interior photo, unfortunately. I’m not sure why that would
possibly be the case in 2016, but it is. And, it seems odd to me that a
car that was parked for 50 years has a dash-top note pad. I’m kidding,
but it does look like there’s a packet of Post-It notes in
there. The Premiere was Lincoln’s mid-level sedan and was replaced in
1960 by the Continental. These interiors are stunning when they’re in perfect condition.
This
is a 430 V8 with a very impressive 375 hp and 490 ft-lb of torque! Just
think how this car would have performed if it could have somehow shed a
ton of weight. Lincoln, and Mercury, offered a “Super Marauder” version
of the 430 engine in 1958 with two four-barrels and 400 hp, the first
production car to reach that pinnacle of power. This whole car looks
like it would be up and on the street again with a little overdue (by
five decades) maintenance; changing all fluids, all rubber parts, etc.
It has brand new tires so you can check that off the list, and luckily
they aren’t 22″ dubs with spinners! Would you restore this car
or just get it working and then slowly tinker with detailing and
cleaning it up as you drove it? Source: barnfinds.com
image: http://barnfinds.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/052416-Barn-Finds-1958-Lincoln-Premier-3-630x473.jpg
