W_Higgins

I built my wheel spinner from an old engine stand. At first it was powered by a small gear reduction motor, but after it burned up and I needed to use it for a job, I found that I liked it better without. Now I just index it by hand and can start-and-stop it at will. When it was motorized it was just a process of fogging the wheel, which was wasteful of paint, hard to see what was getting good coverage and what was not, and disorienting! Now I manually index to hit every surface, give it a whirl to spray the rim, and when I'm satisfied with the last coat, just stand there and spin it for a few minutes until the paint tacks enough not to run. I cut the upright to kick the spindle back at an angle so the work is facing you naturally when standing there and it's spaced far enough from the upright to reach all the surfaces:

Reminder bump -- the BRAACA swap meet is only a month away. Last I knew, 40-of-49 spaces were sold. It's possible more could be added, if necessary. Don't forget to mark this on your calendar.

I reciprocate by being intolerant of judges! Particularly when it comes to having to compromise proper mechanical function. Springs are intended to be lubricated or, as in later designs, used with anti-friction pads. Shock absorbers are intended to absorb shock, not the spring. A spring is not a spring if a spring can't spring!

I'm an advocate of disassembling, blasting to white metal, painting, and lubricating before reassembly -- priming between the leaves, but not going nuts with it and taking care to only paint the areas that show when assembled. Also, if you don't want to grease your springs, Slip Plate #3 is a good option for something that will stay put and won't ooze: SLIP Plate® No. 3

Realizing this post is two weeks old now, you may have already sorted it out. I almost hate to ask, but do you have the Maintenance Manual for your car? Lincoln manuals from this period are excellent and, for the heavy work you're getting into, they're essential.

For the first time since 2005, the Brandywine Region is going to resurrect the swap meet they diligently organized for so many years. This is a link to the printable version of the registration form / advertisement. Please show your support as a buyer, scrounger, or vendor. There will be on-site parking with the entire meet taking place on an asphalt lot. Concessions and restrooms will be available, in addition to tours of the restoration shop. Access is easy, right off the Toughkenamon exit of the U.S. 1 bypass in Kennett Square, Pa. (New Garden Township). With your support, the Brandywine Region looks forward to once again making this an annual event.

It would take some tooling and effort, but I wonder if in the case of the original post (and the latter) you might be able to make the general shape with your exhaust bender to get the elbow and then finish it with hydroforming to remove the shrinking indents?

The web address for your club is Lincoln-Zephyr Owners Club not .com. Just thought you might like to update your post. The direct link to the event is here: winterswapmeet

Today most everyone converts them to ATF when they restore a car for the reason you mentioned. I've never seen anyone mix the two in a convertible top system, but I have seen someone put ATF in a brake system (said he was out of brake fluid and couldn't get to the store) and it wasn't pretty.

You should have used whatever was in your system before you added to it. If it's still brake fluid, you should have used brake fluid. When people rebuild them now they use ATF, but I think to do the conversion from one to the other you need to replace all the rubber components so they're compatible with the fluid. You'll find out soon. Chances are, if you had to add fluid, a rebuild is in your future, anyway. There's nothing magical about the brakes. Just make sure the booster can for the master cylinder is in good shape. They tend to get pitted and that's where the trouble starts.

I would think the reason is the same as most things that come to dominate the market -- economy and speed. Lead work is time consuming and requires more invasive prep work.

With the first 1959 Lincoln Limousine conversions by Hess and Eisenhardt, they were using "plastic" filler on the roof to smooth out the stamped detail that runs above the rain gutter prior to installing their vinyl tops. That started September of 1958.

Do you have your photos posted online elsewhere, like Fotki or Photobucket? Pulling the code from there for posting in forums is the easiest way (for me, at least). I'm sure someone will come along with the standard instructions that get posted from time-to-time. With regard to your dash lens, yes, Lincoln was aware of the cracking problem and issued a service bulletin. I'll look through mine and see if I can find it and post when I do. It has to do with removing a bracket underneath that they believed stressed the lens. It's possible yours was taken out a long time ago since it hasn't cracked already.

They're prone to do that. You can also try Herb at The Lincoln/Mercury Old Parts Store. Those are more his specialty.

JD is correct, it's the remote trunk release, which can be locked with a key. All '58 - '60 Lincoln's had the ignition switch to the right of the column. Do yourself a huge favor and don't work on the car until you can obtain a factory maintenance manual (they are excellent), and then go buy a lottery ticket -- you're going to need it!

When I placed the order I did not spec one way or the other and was not given an option. Maybe someone else can answer as to whether it makes a difference. The manufacturer is Classic Tube. They have made other sets for me in the past and they are always a very nice fit. The complete set for my '60 Lincoln (all brakes, vacuum, and fuel) fit just like I bought it from the dealer.

For sale I have a brand new stainless brake line set for a '53 Super Convertible Coupe. It was my goof that I wound up with something for the wrong application. There's nothing wrong with the set itself. High quality, armored in all the right places, with stainless fittings (not just the tube itself as with some). Can ship immediately after receiving payment. Have that special Christmas gift your Buick has been begging for! Price: $150 + shipping. Check or cash preferred, +2% if using PayPal. Local pick-up available in 19348. Merry Christmas!

That's interesting. The yellow paint seems so bright.

Is the Cartercar on the right unrestored, or is it a 50 year old paint job, top, and interior that now, because it is so old in appearance, it is deemed a novelty? Much like half of what shows up in HPOF....

I would suspect the closer one gets to satisfying the requirements, the more insurmountable the requirements will become. This tends to be the case with "owners" who keep moving the finish line the closer you get. Just a hunch....

For anyone interested, I recently listed this Packard on Ebay for a customer. All pertinent information contained within listing -- happy bidding!

Great job. No reason that shouldn't provide several more decades of good service.

It's a fluid volume issue. You shouldn't need a return spring or any other assist. If your wheel cylinders are sticking open and the springs on the brake shoes can't can't squeeze them shut after you take your foot off the brake, that can be the issue -- much like the hose acting as a check valve as mentioned in the previous post. There shouldn't be a whole lot of travel if your brake shoe adjusters are set correctly. Do you have normal pedal travel or is your pedal going to the floor each time?

Not quite. For all intents and purposes, Continentals and Lincolns in 1958 were the same car, but at that time they were still marketed just as the Mark II's were. All of the literature for 1958 separately refers to the "Continental Division" / "Continental Mark III" and the "Lincoln Division" to differentiate the trim levels. It wasn't until '59 when they finally blended the two. It's all semantics since they came off the same line, but still an interesting piece of marketing trivia.

Replace the coil. That's almost certainly the issue.