Senbotsu Posted June 7, 2022 Posted June 7, 2022 I have recently acquired this beautiful specimen of a 2 window model K that still has its original nearly pristine interior. However I did have one important question that the seller did not know the answer to, and I can't find in the paperwork. Did this 414 V12 use flat or roller tappets? I know rollers have been around since 1930, and I would expect a high end luxury car like the K to use the more expensive rollers and not flat tappets, but I wanted to make sure so that I can follow the proper maintenance to keep it running great. 4
AB-Buff Posted June 8, 2022 Posted June 8, 2022 You might want to get a hold of Ray Theriault. I had talk to him about this car. He knows some history about it. If you do not have Ray’s contact information please send me a PM and I will give it to you. I hope you enjoy that beautiful Lincoln! Lynn
Senbotsu Posted June 9, 2022 Author Posted June 9, 2022 On 6/7/2022 at 7:43 PM, AB-Buff said: You might want to get a hold of Ray Theriault. I had talk to him about this car. He knows some history about it. If you do not have Ray’s contact information please send me a PM and I will give it to you. I hope you enjoy that beautiful Lincoln! Lynn It's a beautiful car, but a little hard to drive. At 6'6" it has even less legroom than my '39 buick roadmaster. I would kill to be able to move the front seat back about 4 inches, but I don't think that's an option.
AB-Buff Posted June 9, 2022 Posted June 9, 2022 Matt Harwood has the same model as yours. I’m not sure how tall Matt is, I think that’s interesting I have a 35 LeBaron coupe and I have the seat all the way forward and I wish I could move it a couple of inches further forward. I am 5 foot 10. You would think they would have the same amount of room in each one. Lynn
Senbotsu Posted June 10, 2022 Author Posted June 10, 2022 3 hours ago, AB-Buff said: Matt Harwood has the same model as yours. I’m not sure how tall Matt is, I think that’s interesting I have a 35 LeBaron coupe and I have the seat all the way forward and I wish I could move it a couple of inches further forward. I am 5 foot 10. You would think they would have the same amount of room in each one. Lynn I've noticed that pre-war cars vary wildly in leg & head room. The few Pierce Arrow's I have sat in were comfortably roomy for the driver. I tried sitting in a Ford Model A once. Forget about it, there's about as much room in those as a tiny little austin healey, lol. 1
charlespetty Posted June 10, 2022 Posted June 10, 2022 I owned this very car from 1996-2000. The original interior is spectacular with a padded bolster in matching material that snaps on to the back of the driver's seat for the original short driver. The front seat is definitely adjustable. I am 5'10" and I fit very comfortably and the seat wasn't even adjusted all the way back. 1
charlespetty Posted June 10, 2022 Posted June 10, 2022 Interior photos. Only the original front carpet was damaged when I owned it by the battery acid fumes from the battery compartment under the front passenger seat floor. 2
charlespetty Posted June 10, 2022 Posted June 10, 2022 Here is what it looked like when I bought it in 1996. A very original car with the original paint at that time. 3
Senbotsu Posted June 11, 2022 Author Posted June 11, 2022 (edited) Interior still looks the same, hehe. I'm fairly certain that I've got the seat all the way back (it's back about an inch past the fixed edge. But between my size 18 feet and long legs it's a challenge to get into and drive. This is as far back as I can get the seat to go: Edited June 11, 2022 by Senbotsu (see edit history)
charlespetty Posted June 11, 2022 Posted June 11, 2022 6'6" is a challenge with old cars. Enjoy, I had a great time with this car. Freewheeling was especially thrilling.
AB-Buff Posted June 11, 2022 Posted June 11, 2022 Well a size 13 shoe could be an issue. Mine are like tens. The hardest thing is between the corner of the seat and the post. They all seem to be pretty small on space. I’m hoping you can maybe move that seat back another inch or two possibly just move the seat rails back a little bit? I don’t know what that one looks like with the seat out you’ll have to play with it. Once again Matt Harwood has the same car he may have some info but I don’t. In fact I’m sure he has more info than I do. Lol Lynn
Matt Harwood Posted June 12, 2022 Posted June 12, 2022 Well, I, too, am 5'10" so I can't offer much. I should also point out that it's been three years since I've been behind the wheel of my car and I really only drove it once. However, I had no problems getting comfortable behind the wheel. But 6'6" is a different question and I can't be much help there. In 1935, someone 6'6" tall would have been a distinct outlier, I think. Most people were smaller back then and I find that the cars are commensurately smaller. Even sedans with plenty of space rarely have enough seat travel to accommodate truly tall people. Perhaps your upholsterer could offer some options?
Senbotsu Posted June 13, 2022 Author Posted June 13, 2022 On 6/11/2022 at 5:03 PM, Matt Harwood said: Perhaps your upholsterer could offer some options? It may come to that, but that would be a last resort as the interior is the original interior from 1935. It would be a shame to mess with it if I can avoid it, but it would also be a shame to not be able to safely drive it, too.
trimacar Posted June 13, 2022 Posted June 13, 2022 One thing that would help is removing some of the padding from the backrest. If done carefully the original fabric could be saved. Another option is to block up the cushion a couple of inches, if there’s headroom. Interesting how that changes things for some people…
Matt Harwood Posted June 13, 2022 Posted June 13, 2022 28 minutes ago, trimacar said: Another option is to block up the cushion a couple of inches, if there’s headroom. Interesting how that changes things for some people… Excellent idea. I sit on a 4-inch thick boat cushion in my 1941 Buick limousine because there's not a lot of room up front. It isn't to sit higher but rather to change the geometry of my legs around the steering wheel and pedals, and it really makes a difference. It goes from being slightly claustrophobic for my legs to being all-day comfortable.
Bloo Posted June 13, 2022 Posted June 13, 2022 On 6/11/2022 at 3:16 PM, AB-Buff said: Well a size 13 shoe could be an issue. Mine are like tens. The hardest thing is between the corner of the seat and the post. I don't drive a Lincoln, but I have encountered this. I am size 13, 6'3", and the distance you describe is shorter than one of my shoes by quite a bit. Much to my amazement, the problem sorted itself. My ankle learned to twist at exactly the right time after the first week or two. I don't even realize I am doing it now. It's automatic.
Senbotsu Posted June 24, 2022 Author Posted June 24, 2022 Well with herculean effort I managed to get the driver's seat to slide back another inch or so into the back frame, so It can be driven with some level of safety, yay! It's also been registered and DMV has no problem with the original 1935 plates. The number was clear On the down side, the gas gauge apparently doesn't work. I can see a little amber fluid in the very bottom of the glass tube but it's not registering the level. My buick and packards all have float and needle gauges, so I have no clue how to go about fixing this fluid style. Any suggestions?
charlespetty Posted June 24, 2022 Posted June 24, 2022 The infamous King-Seeley Telegauge. It didn't work when I owned this car either. I can send you an article about rebuilding these units. PM me. 1
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now