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Thanks Mitch. I'll give Jake a call and get the details on how to get it there. I hear many good things about him from the other members of LZOC. I think I met him once some years ago at a GOF.

Mitch, I have a 41 Lincoln radio to repair and I'm looking for people to do it. How did the radio that Jake worked on for you turn out?

George, I decided to rebuild a used 06H LZ script carb that I bought a few years ago and I started thinking again about this thread. Did you ever get any resolution to your problem? I have the same ordeal with my car and was hoping maybe a freshly rebuilt carb might help. Matt

For those of you who are interested in these things....I was watching the 1948 movie "Sitting Pretty" with Maureen O'Hara and Robert Young this morning and he was driving a 1941 Lincoln Zephyr Sedan in the movie. I only caught it in the part where he pulls up in his driveway. It may be in other scenes as well but I had to get to work so I didn't see much more. Matt

Much has been made in recent articles here and in the Way of the Zephyr about inner tubes and the need or lack of need for them. I'm about ready to purchase new tires for a 40 Zephyr and would like to get the concensus on where all this has landed. I thought I read at one point where someone said you didn't need the tubes. By the way, I'm going to purchase the original Bias Ply type for originality.

I want to add as well that it was a nice meet over at Gilmore this summer. It was a beautiful day and there were so many nice cars on the field both in terms of the Zephyrs and the other Classics being judged that day. Thanks to all who are posting pictures of the meet!

This is a somewhat general question about tires but it has relevance to Lincoln Zephyr's because of what happened to mine. I was driving my 40 sedan about two months ago when I had a tread separation on the back right tire. The tread literally peeled off the tire carcass and made the most horrible racket when it flew up in the fender well. I was driving about 45 mph at the time and I thought the back end of the car had fallen off. Well, it didn't thank goodness but I soon realized that the nearly 20 year old generic brand wide whites that are on the car were well past their useful life. I think the previous owner put them on in the early 80's. Luckily, I was able to limp home albeit with a nerveracking ricketey thumping from that side. At any rate, I need new tires and I'm mustering resources for that. This brings me to my question. When you all have ordered tires for your cars, how do you do it? Do you get them yourself from a Coker or Lucas and then take the tires and the car to your nearest Belle Tire or Discount Tire (for those of us in Michigan!)? Do you look for a special kind of shop that has experience in being a little more careful with the vehicle as opposed to your nearest tire chain store? Matt

I have cast iron heads on my 40 sedan. I think they have a 26H number on them but I can't remember for sure. Matt Michigan

I bought a 1940 Zephyr Sedan about six years ago and I can tell you a few things to look out for. My car originated in California (shipped to a large dealer out there from the factory) and then ended up in Kentucky where I bought it. The only rust I found was on the floor pan under the carpet on the driver's side and on the metal pan that lies underneath the radiator. I know all the seals leak on my car as they appear to be the original so if it has been outside for awhile, you may find some rust in the interior like that. As far as other things, the wiring should be looked at, as with any old car. Mine had the original when I bought it and it was all disintegrating. I replaced all the wiring with new from Naraganssett Reproductions. I would look to see if the original components are still with the car in the engine bay such as the carb, fuel pump, generator etc. if you are concerned with that type of thing. Mine had a postwar fuel pump from a later Lincoln. They had also changed out the original aluminum heads at some point and put on the later cast iron type. I don't know how dedicated the current owner was to originality when he rebuilt the engine. Other than that, I guess if you know about cars and can check for the general stuff like smoking and knocking and brakes all that, then I think you should be set. Of course, I the car would have to be running to know if it is a smoker or if it stops. There are still parts out there for the 40's but as the other poster here said, some people want to ask too much for them. I really like mine and although it is not the most valuable and sought after of that year's Zephyr, it still has nice lines. Matt

I will be going to the meet, heading over from Canton, Michigan. I plan to take some pictures too so if anyone wants to see something in detail, let me know. I'm looking forward to it. I was over there last year for a Buick club show and had a pleasant afternoon wandering around the cars and the barns. It's a nice museum for those that have not been there. It's kind of out of the way unless you're heading across Michigan on 94 but it is worth taking a slight detour over there to see it. Matt Rall

I forgot to add that I haven't changed anything but the welting on the skirts. They didn't fit all that great before I tried to change the welting, in fact they were kind of loose. The thing I have noticed is that at some points along the edge between the skirt and the fender, it fits fine or is fairly close and at others there is a bigger than normal gap (with the old welting). This fact, along with new, thicker welting probably means that the points that were already pretty close are going to be binding.

The welting I am using is from Naragansett. I don't have the thickness measurement here with me but I know from looking at it that it is thicker than what was there originally. You know, your bring up a good point about whether or not those are the original skirts. I assumed they were as most everything else on the car is original and they came with it. I've had it about six years now and I just recently started working on some of these things so I didn't notice it before. I did see a part number when I had the left skirt off but I didn't look at it very closely. It should start with an 06H shouldn't it? Mine is a 40 sedan.

Wondered if there is anybody out there who is an authority on fender skirts. I tried to put new welting on my 40 Zephyr skirts and spent a lot of time on just the driver's side trying to get the skirt to fit back in the opening. I never even made it to the other side. The old material may have been the original but I don't know for sure. I do know that it is much thinner than what I got from Naragansett. Upon closer inspection, I've noticed that the skirts don't fit the openings real well. At some points the new welting was pinched tight between the skirt and the fender and at other points there was a pretty good gap. It doesn't appear any body work has ever been done so I was wondering if they were just like that from the factory. At this point, the skirt is so tight with the new welting that I can't crank the skirt lock all the way over to fully lock it in place. It's turned about 3/4 of the way now but if I physically pull down on the skirt, I can pull it right off. I imagine a fairly good jolt going down the road could send it flying. That's not good. Any insight is much appreciated. matt

I noticed some other posts here on the "orange" wheel color which I guess is really referring to Dante Red. I have a 49 sedan that I think came with plain black rims but I wouldn't mind repainting them in the Dante Red color as I think it sets off the car which was (and still is) black. I'm not too concerned with judging because I don't plan on it being a show car but I do want to restore it to a respectable driver. Is there a specific supplier for the red paint or is it best done by getting a paint chip and working with a supplier to match it? Matt

Thanks for the advice. I called Ed at Color-ite and ordered some accent paint from him. I'll try your method and see if I can make it look presentable. Matt

Are the ignition block resistors in the same place for all Zephyr's of the period? I'd like to investigate this issue on my 40.

Forgive my ignorance but on a 40, are these the condensors that are screwed to the back of the coil (little round things a couple of inches long)? I've never tried cleaning the contact points on these. What exactly do they do anyway? Matt

I'll look forward to seeing if you get results from this fix. I would love to fix this nagging problem on my car because it has been bugging me for so long. The weather is not much better here in Michigan either for working on these things so I understand your plight in the northeast.

I am very interested in this discussion regarding the "bogging down" issue when accelerating. I have had the same problem with my 40 Zephyr since I purchased it six years ago. My car would do a very similar thing to what was described here. It was usually fine after you first started driving it at low speeds. After awhile, if you tried to drive continuously at a higher speed (40 or higher), it would start chugging. Like the gentleman here mentioned, I would flip on the add on electric fuel pump and it would come out of it. I tried cleaning and sealing the gas tank, rebuilding the fuel pump, having the coil tested by Jake Fleming, having the generator rebuilt, new wiring, new voltage regulator, new plugs etc. At one point, I thought that perhaps the add on electric pump was causing more restriction in the fuel line than what was originally designed into the car. I figured it either had to be a fuel issue or a spark issue but I've done a lot of the small things I could do to eliminate possible causes but nothing has worked. If it is an issue of the fuel pump push rod wearing, how easy is it to remedy? I know I can fix the fuel pump actuator but the mating pushrod on the engine side is my question.

Thanks Rolf. I'll check with Ed. I think I may also try your method with trying to get close with a similar color. I can experiment on a spare hubcap I have. If it doesn't look too good, I can always do it again. It wouldn't be the end of the world! I appreciate the insight and direction. Matt

I've often wondered but have never seen much written about the reddish/orange accent paint that was used on the Lincoln Zephyr's. I don't know which years it was used but I know that my 40 sedan has it/ It was used on the Hubcap script, the trunk latch, the V12 hood emblem, headlight trim, bumper guards etc. For those of you have restored your cars with this detail, what did you use? Is there somebody that has mixed this up and sells it to match the correct original color or do most people just try to get it close on their own. If I was to do it on my own, what kind of paint is best suited to adhere to chrome?

Rolf, It looks like this car has a lot of potential. I wish I lived closer to check it out but Michigan to California is a little too far. Sorry to hear you are having health issues. I hope things improve for you. I've read many of your posts on this forum and you have a lot of knowledge to offer.

Interesting. You wonder whether they destroyed some potentially valuable cars doing those races but we'll never know. Growing up in the state of Ohio, USA, we had a thing called the demolition derby. It was usually held at the county fair in the autumn every year. As a child, I loved that event. It was at that time mostly large 70's sedans that were pretty well relieved of their interior, glass and everything else that wasn't necessary. The object of the game was to crash into each other during each session and the last car running and moving went on to the next session until their was an ultimate winner. The area they would compete in was just a section of mud fenced off, not a track. That was entertainment in small town midwest!

Thanks for the quiick replies guys. I've heard of Apple Hydraulics too so I'll check them out in more detail. I agree with you that it is better to send them out of it involves that much work. I wouldn't attempt that. Matt, if you are sending them out, it must be a good idea based on what you are capable of according to your website! I haven't checked the other side yet but I figure it is the same. May as well do both at the same time.

I'm doing a front end rebuild on a 49 Roadmaster and I am to the point where I need to deal with the front shocks. When I bought the car, the seller told me the front passenger side had a problem and when you got up to speed, it would start bouncing up and down. When I took the spindle off and the upper support pin, I could move the shock arm up and down with no resistance. I would think that there should be resistance in this. My guess is the seal has blown in the shock and there is no fluid in there to offer resistance. However, I don't know too much about it other than looking at the cutaways in the shop manual. I'm assuming this is the cause of the bounce the seller described although the springs are probably in need of replacment as well. Can I rebuild the shock myself? Does anyone have any experience with this? Matt in Michigan