Matt455

Any opinions on her? I was told the seller is about to put her on auction, soon. So i have to decide which way to go... Any comments are highly appreciated. Thanks!

Hi all, it's been a while that I last visited this forum - after I got my 1970 Mark III I fully focused on that car. Great one, really love it. Anyway, the V12 virus was never cured and I just recently stumbled over an offer at Mesa, AZ. Its a 41 Coupe that seems to be in decent shape and reasonably priced. Currently I'm planning a short trip to California and consider using that stay to inspect the car. My questions are - does anyone know that car? My assumption is that a car like this should be known to enthusiasts and maybe someone knows the (previous) owner. Or maybe someone has previously inspected it and wants to share his impressions? Second, is someone located nearby who might be willing to join me inspecting her? My own experience in old cars and my gut feeling have proven to be reliable however I never had a chance to touch a car like this. New challenge! Thats the link on ebay https://www.ebay.com/itm/1941-Lincoln-Continental/274077247675 Any thoughts are welcome, to me this looks like the one I'm looking for... Thanks and happy Thanksgiving to all of you Matt

Hm, a real beauty! I just bought that MK III. Let me think about it. Where is the car currently located?

Hi all, I know it's a bad habit that people ask questions and then never get back... I'm trying to be different here. Currently there is little chance for me to get a V-12 Lincoln that fits my expectations and my bank account. So I decided to look into different directions and finally ended up with a 1970 Lincoln Mark III in pristine all original condition. It's an unmolested car that very likely even still has it's original color. Also there are no cracks or tears in the interior. It's not quiet a V-12 but being a pre-emissions 460 V8 it is only slightly less spectacular to me. It's my first Lincoln so hopefully it convinces me of the advantages of this fine brand Now I need to move over to the Continental people as I need some urgend replacement (e.g. wheather stripping) but don't know where to get a proper quality replacement... Thanks for your support which was very helpful to me. There WILL be a V-12 Continental for me, it's just a matter of time! Best Matthias

All, Thank you very much for you helpful replies. So I understand this car hast been restored once and someone took the freedom to adjust interior and exterior to his (or her) personal liking. Thats okay so far but also means there is little justification to preserve the paint which I thought to be original. Do you think the ivory base color is 46? Pete, great car. Black is the color of choice for those cars! Guess mine would be black, too. One day... In terms of valuation in which range would a car like this sell in the US on a good average? 5, 10 or 15 thousand $? What do you think? Matthias

Thanks for the fast replies. John, this know is not original but I have no idea what it acutally does. It's a two step switch, not a choke. But as said, no clue what's it there for... Both, thanks for the information about the carb. I'm only familiar with Rochester where you can see the number of barrels easily from above. So it was a misunderstanding on my side. Thanks for enlighting me. For the time being I'm fine to know that the carb is at least similar to the stock one and not a modification. Attached find one more pic of the car showing the hood.

Hi all, I've actually started writing in th AACA forums looking for a early 40's Lincoln Continental V12. However as finding one I like for a price I'm willing to pay turns out to be a tough cookie I recently went back to my roots: Buick. Out of various Buicks I had my oldest was a 72 Riviera Boattail. Time to go further back in time. I was offered a 1946 Model 76-S, a Roadmaster Sedanette. I have some questions about this car which even after many nights out in the Internet I could not answer myself. Hope you can help. Seems to be a very rare car... My questions mainly aim to evaluate the originality of the car. 1) The VIN is 14432026 engine # 4598469. To what I found both indicate a (rather late) 46 model plus it's likely to be the engine that came with the car. Can anyone confirm? 2) The interiour seems to be refurbished to a certain extend with tan carpets and tan vinyl seats. Though it nicely matches the exterior (a sort of ivory w/tan roof/hood/decklid) I don't think vinyl was a factory option as I only found cloth seats. I don't currently have the trim code. What do you think? Genuine or aftermarket? 3) The hood as one "Super" handle and also does not feature the bombsight ornament. It however looks okay to me and seems to fit properly. Maybe a 41 hood with a wrong latch? If so, are there any differences between 41 and 46 to be considered? 4) There are some more serious rust issues in the trunk (as described below). Is there a source of repair panels (trunk floor and side walls in particular)? 5) Take a look at the carb (picture below). I read that 46 Roadmasters came with one double barrel carb however this one seems to be a single barrel Stromberg. But I may be wrong here. However, is this the factory carb? 6) Also I read that 46 320's had an early PCV system that evacuates gases through a thin tube installed at the valve cover to the air filter. This is not equipped here. So what's wrong? My information or the valve cover? 6) Most important: I tried to value the car but it seems impossible to find relevant offers. I should mention that I'm in Germany so my google by far does not provide proper search results from the US or Canada due to my IP adress... Here a brief description - I'd highly appreciate your (rough) estimation - Engine: seems to be rebuild as it's blue instead of torquise and also doesn't have correct stickers attached to the valve cover. However at least this paint job was done well, no spraycan work, all gaskets were installed after painting. It seems to be an unmolested 320.2 with a very nice overall appearance. The spark plug latch is missing, rest of engine compartment looks complete and original. Seller says it starts & runs well and comsumes very little oil. Couldn't however test drive it as the starter is currently brocken. Let's assume it works as advertised... Air filter assembly is not installed but comes with the car. It runs still on original 6V system. - Interior: very nice, complete and only little damage. Everything seems original and unmolested except carpets and seat covers/door panels. Needs to be cleaned but is physically okay. Steering wheel should be re-casted and maybe the radio needs an overhaul. - Exterior: paint and chrome are rather bad. Let's call it patina - if you like a car that looks 70 years old it's good to go. It may be the original color as it's faded, chipped, scratched and worn. However there are no dents, the car is very straight. I frankly would preserve it as it is. Fender skirts and two hubcaps are missing. Lenses and emblems are bad but can easily be replaced. Hood may not be original but fits. Glass is good however rear window has plenty of scratches and might be replaced at a time. - Sheet metal: here's the issue. There is some minor cancer at driver side rocker panel and floor pan (size of the palm of a hand). Frame and rest of underbody look really solid. However there's a bigger issues in the trunk. Theres a minor hole at the edge between rear right fender and the body however this gave way for loads of water. So cancer eat up some of the structure underneath the c-pillar and also destroyed some parts of the trunk floor and sheet metal at the right inner wall of the trunk. No big holes though however instead of repairing one of the former owners molested the entire (!!!) trunk with load of undercoat. - Maintenance: car needs a complete brake job, new tires, engine oil and some more minor maintenance to be performed. Dont know what else to say - car seems to be in a very fair condition and can be heavily improved by cleaning and replacing some minor parts. Not a show winner but a solid driver. I consider buing it when there are not too many alterations as I always prefer a bad but 100% original car over a glossy resto-mod ;). I attached some pictures. Please have a look and share your thoughts. Moreover is there any further advice and hints you can give? Lincoln V-12 would be awesome, however a straight 8 can definitely keep up and I love the way this particular cars tells history. Thanks for your support! Matt Some more interior:

Thanks. I remember having seen his post from early last year - was way out of my budget. But apparently there are some updates. May be worth a try! Have a good day (mine is just about to end) Matt

Hi all, sorry for the silence. I had a stomach flu (or however this thing is called) and was happy not to use my tablet for some days... Tom (both), thank you very much for you engagement and digging out this listing. In fact this looks like an interesting car to me. Budget wise it's more at the top end of what I could do as I will have to add plenty of cost to ship it, tax it and make it road legal in my country. I'd prefer to get one over here that's already been on the road so I just need to add my licence plate and will be good to go. I'm currently driving some calculation models, one now being based on the car above. However your comments give me a valuable direction in terms of potential value. Also I need to drive my LZOC membership. No matter if I will eventually succeed or cancel my intentions it seems to be a good idea to give some support to you guys as you are supporting me. ScarredKnightfan: thanks for nice comment. Honour is always appreciate. Allow me to return this for your CCB. What a great condition. I never thought any Caprice would have survived like this. Luckily I was wrong! Matt

Dear all, my Ocee Ritch book has arrived today. What a treasure. Thanks for that hint. I only merely browsed over the pages but it already underlines my intentions. It's fantastic source of information. Even my wifes loves it!! However there is one thing in mind that takes my sleep (it's 4:45 a.m. here while I type this post - so I literally mean it ): today's value. I know that this might be a sensitive topic however I reckon that this forum by far is the most competent source for information. I highly appreciate your opinions as I totally lack any market insight. I've found two very interesting listings on ebay (I hope I may share the links here, otherwise tell me I will remove them): - 41 Continental #1 - 41 Continental #2 To my limited knowledge and experience both cars are looking stunning, in particular the #2 really drives me crazy. Well I do understand that ebay may not reflect the same level of pricing as traditional car auctions however it often shows a certain price the market is willing to pay for things. What do you think about the "winning" bids? Wrong time or realistic bid price? Moreover, coming from your vast experience and market insight (which I both don't have) - where do you see today's realistic market prices for 1941 Continentals depending on overall condition? I'm neither looking for trailer queens nor basket cases. - are there any options, trims, colors, combinations etc. that particularely in-/decrease the price? - coming from the 1941 as a basis how do other model year compared to it? Usually I use common internet platforms to investigate on the above questions but in this case I havn't found any solid base so far. Second question would be about the current liquidity of the market. While browsing this forum I realized that there are a couple of offers from members that have lasted for quiet a while - months or even years. How hard is it to sell a V-12 Continental today? There are very few cars offered over here but watching them leaves the impression there is no turnover at all. Okay, they may be heavily overpriced leading potential buyers to import cars from the US on there own - which leads me back to the first question. I hope my question don't offend any of you. Cars first and foremost are a matter of heart. However from my position it's nearly impossible to assess and decide whether a potential car is a good offer or if the seller tries to rip me off. If I let my heart decide I'll be bancrupt in days... And short and mid term realizing that I heavily overpaid would for sure lower my level of enjoyment. Thanks in advance for your opinions! Matt

Glenn, thanks for this. I'm not so much in the later design, yet there are some color combinations I find are really tantalizing. My Ocee Ritch book will arrive tomorrow and for sure I'll immediately soak it up. For sure this will also help me to make up my mind. I'll drop you a PM with my email adress. Curious to see your car and hear her history! Matt

Thanks all for you replies. Sounds all challenging but also controllable. I will definitly not go for a basket case. It has to be a running car in a stable working condition. In fact I'm ready to go the next step and care for such an old and exotic car. However my prime intention is to drive in it. As I supposingly will have to order every bit and piece from the US any interruption will take ages until I can fix it. Therefore I will try to follow your suggestion to buy the best car I can afford. As fas as my Caprice is concerned I currently only have one picture on hand but happy to share... Even though it's a bit off topic - sorry for that Picture was taken a while ago in German Alps not too far away from Munich. It's a Brougham model with nearly all options except sports suspension package an leather seats. It's a US model that was taken to Germany when new. This car is truly a beauty and, rare enough when it comes to a Chevrolet Caprice, 100% original. Everything from engine to radio is 100% factory and every piece is acutally working(!!). Took me some time to restore what former owners have messed up (crank case ventilation, radio, carb, etc.) or simply didn't fix (headliner, remote outside mirrors) but today it's as if it just was taken from the dealer. Interior is plush cabernet cloth by the way. I enjoy this ride on about 3000 to 5000 miles a year and never had any issues that were standing out of avarage for a 29 year old car. Love it, too! But now back to V-12 Matt

Hi Tom, thanks for your valuable reply. I instantly ordered the book you recommend - there was one available on german ebay. I assume this will give plenty of answers. Also I further read through this forum which is packed with good information. I definitely consider joining the LZOC but my intention was to wait until there is a realistic chance to become an owner. Maybe I'll join earlier On my way I need to learn more about the cars and the technology used as well as defintitely get a feeling of realistitic car prices. That's gonna take some time but is already part of my personal enjoyment. Yesterday I discovered a thread about original engines and apparently it is rather common that V-12 were replaced over the years. This is an interesting information as for my recent cars there was also this "matching numbers" discussion. However. My Ocee Ritch book should fly in next week and I'll soak it up. Maybe one thing to ask about spare parts - is sheet metal and glass available new/NOS or as repro or does it all come from scrap cars? What are the most hard to find / most expensive things? Just to get a feeling what should definitely be okay on a potential car. Thanks! Matthias

Hi all, allow me to briefly introduce myself. I’m Matt, writing from ice cold Munich/Germany and have been in US cars for nearly 15 years now. My experience includes various GM cars with a 1972 Buick Riviera has highlight. My current ride is a like new 1989 Caprice Brougham. I've always wanted to have a Lincoln Mark V Bill Blass unless I discovered the Zephyr years ago. Having adored V12 Lincolns for years I’m now about to act. Unfortunately they can hardly be found over here which naturally limits the available information and expertise. Therefore I deeply hope that you will share your vast experience. My target would be a 1941 Continental coupe but any model year would work (coupe prefered). I'm well experienced with maintenance and repair of classic cars but to buy one I need knowledge about the Zephyr V12 models to avoid Pandora's box... If there is a general buying guide please share - with my German IP adress google will not show plenty of useful search results in US and Canada. If not - what are the most critical issues? Any special testing to detect engine problems during a test drive? How can I tell a 267 from a 292 and what are the key differences. I don't wanna end up with a car that has a wrong engine. Is there any clear preference of one engine over the other and if so, why? Is bore warpage really that common and can the block be rebuild though? Will the aluminum heads work or are there similar warpage issues as with the late Cadillac 250CUI V8? Any general recomendations to a Zephyr newbie? What are the most expensive spots in case of damage? I know it's a big step from a "modern" Chevy V8 to an antique V12. But it's about time.... I love these beauties and I'm fully aware that they need special care and may sometimes may drive me crazy. But I'm sure it pays out! As said - I don't want to waste your time but searching from Europe is limited. So if you recommend me sources let me know! Thank you very, very much in advance. Any helpful information is highly appreciated, including web sources for further reading! Matt