1927 Lincoln Dietrich Convertible Coupe

[alsancle]

This is very very cool.  Steve Snyder has it for sale. 

https://www.vaultcars.com/1927-lincoln-dietrich-convertible-coupe/

 

This is an authentic Dietrich custom body Lincoln, one of only a handful in existence.  It shows the Dietrich brilliance in styling, with a low accent line and rakish windshield and convertible top. The visual effect continues with a rearmounted spare, which accents the fender line and makes the car look lower still.  Extensive use of aluminum for the body was very advanced for the time, and the design stands the test of time.    The Dietrich seat tag and cowl tags are present, and overall it’s an authentic, real example of this rare body style.

1927 was a year of technical improvement for the Lincoln “L” – most importantly the addition of front brakes, which this car has! The wheels are 21” demountable rims on wood “artillery” wheels.

It has the L-head Lincoln V-8, which has had some recent repair and service by a Lincoln expert.  The original updraft carburetor and accessories are included, but the car runs on a downdraft Holley 2 barrel now.  The top mechanism is complete and works, the doors open and close nicely, and the windows operate properly.

Overall this is a good, mostly complete and solid car.  It could be improved and enjoyed, or given a more thorough restoration.   It has the look of a car that had some restoration done in the early days of the hobby, and would be a worthy candidate for further restoration and re-commissioning, which would be necessary to bring it to full operability.  I note the rear spare demountable rim is absent, the car will need to be re-wired – it starts & runs, but lights, charging, etc are not functional.  The rumble seat lid was done in fiberglass, and the rumble seat cushions are missing. The tires are very old and should be replaced.

The California title is Clean, and the ’27 Lincoln Dietrich is ready for it’s new owner!

 

 

[Terry Y]

The awesome wood artillery  wheels, the Dietrich body and the super Lincoln V-8 harmonize fantastically.  To my eye, even the "patina" of the interior is perfect.

This is an opportunity for a skilled hobbyist, It will be very dear to pay someone $125 to $225/ hour to fix the sellers punch list.  Heck, the seller doesn't even want to do it, and that's with all of the resources he has at his disposal. 

AJ, what is this worth, at a well sorted CCCA quality touring car level  (NOT Pebble quality fresh restoration) ? 

[alsancle]

10 minutes ago, Terry Y said:

The awesome wood artillery  wheels, the Dietrich body and the super Lincoln V-8 harmonize fantastically.  To my eye, even the "patina" of the interior is perfect.

This is an opportunity for a skilled hobbyist, It will be very dear to pay someone $125 to $225/ hour to fix the sellers punch list.  Heck, the seller doesn't even want to do it, and that's with all of the resources he has at his disposal. 

AJ, what is this worth, at a well sorted CCCA quality touring car level  (NOT Pebble quality fresh restoration) ? 

I thought I saw Steve quote a price somewhere but I can't find it.  I don't want to guess as he is a member on the forum.   Nothing is ever worth what you put in to it but I really think this is something worthwhile.

[Jeff Perkins / Mn]

It is offered at $39,500 on their website.

 

[alsancle]

8 hours ago, Jeff Perkins / Mn said:

It is offered at $39,500 on their website.

 

Thanks.  I love the car.    I would toss the white walls, powder coat the wheels & drums black and put the double rear spare back on.   It would be fantastic!

[John Bloom]

This car checks a lot of boxes for me.......The electrical issues and the Holley carb are not what you want to hear.  But there is a price point where you could live with it and resolve it in the future.  Poor timing for me.  I've wanted a roadster of this era with a long WB.   The rake of a roadster windshield really pulls hard at me, but this car with the Dietrich bloodline and 136 inch WB could make me live with the upright nature of the windshield.  

 

[Leif in Calif]

What a beauty! I love the color!

I imagine the driving experience would be very nice.

I know the parked in front of your house experience would be! 

[alsancle]

From 1995.  Probably not the same car.  But very close. 

 

[Steve_Mack_CT]

Fiberglass deck lid seems like a bigger thing to me.  I know a skilled fabricator like Wray AJ could build one, but at what cost?   I guess is the challenge for folks with custom or semi custom bodied cars.

 

Would be a cool car sorted for sure.

[Gearheadengineer]

I really like this. Great styling and would be a fun project to make the improvements it deserves. I know someone who could probably do the deck lid without much trouble. It looks like the rumble wood is usable as a guide.  The color isn’t my favorite but it’s OK. No room in my garage or I might be on the phone with the seller. Probably for the best based on my current obligations and projects. 

[Leif in Calif]

"It has the look of a car that had some restoration done in the early days of the hobby" 

I had a book on restoration I bought in the 70's that said something like "if there is a problem with upper sheet metal, just remove it and make a fair weather tourer" Restoration clearly had a different meaning to many people in those days. 

[ramair]

On 4/20/2024 at 3:19 PM, Terry Y said:

The awesome wood artillery  wheels, the Dietrich body and the super Lincoln V-8 harmonize fantastically.  To my eye, even the "patina" of the interior is perfect.

This is an opportunity for a skilled hobbyist, It will be very dear to pay someone $125 to $225/ hour to fix the sellers punch list.  Heck, the seller doesn't even want to do it, and that's with all of the resources he has at his disposal. 

AJ, what is this worth, at a well sorted CCCA quality touring car level  (NOT Pebble quality fresh restoration) ? 

Recent experience has taught me that even when you buy a prewar classic that has no fatal flaws you can spend a lot of time and money not only on all the deferred maintenance but trying to find unobtainable steering, brake, suspension and tuneup parts. As some of you have heard me talk about my latest buy, a 1939 Packard twelve, a low mile original rust free car with a older paint job that has held up nice, near perfect chrome, a engine that started instantly, did not leak (by prewar standards), did not overheat, great brakes and a velvet smooth  clutch.  I am now approaching 500 hours along with $7,500 in parts and this is without finding any ugly surprises. Could I have spent less time and money, probably, but do I want to take the grandkids out in a 6,000 pound car at 60 mph with brakes that probably have not been apart since the Kennedy administration.  The good news is that I still love the car, probably because when it came apart all major systems were not screwed up with a sabotage hack job. Knock on wood the classic car gods have been kind to me, this time!

most of us followed Matt’s Lincoln twelve story which is a reminder that the “Improved Murphys Law” works like this, if there is a 50/50 chance of something going wrong, nine times out ten it will!

Edited April 23 by ramair (see edit history)

[alsancle]

Michael, your packard deserves its own thread.

[TAKerry]

I really like this era of auto, and maybe someday I will own one. This looks like a really nice car but I suppose I will say the emperor has no clothes! The upright windshield looks off to me, as well as the doors look too stubby for the proportions of the car. To me it looks like a model A on steroids. Dont get me wrong, I would take ownership in a heartbeat if the opportunity was there. 

[ramair]

7 hours ago, alsancle said:

Michael, your packard deserves its own thread.

A.J, I may create a thread over in “My Restoration” like I did for my 36 GMC, even though it’s not officially a restoration.

  I responded to this thread not to be a “Debbie Downer”, only to caution a would be new owner that the “slippery slope is not only treacherous it is now deadly. Eddie has been cautioning us for some time now that after you buy a prewar classic car, you can spend an additional $30,000 to $50,000 to get it right, of course I thought I would be exempt as I would buy a car with no running , driving or cosmetic issues.  Some would say that I am trying to scare would be collectors from undertaking a great project and I say that my fear is that someone will buy a nice car and think they can fix it and drive it for $5,000.00. Afterwards when serious issues come up and they do not have the talent, equipment or money, then we have another disassembled project car on Craigslist. Full disclosure, I have one project car that I will never complete because the slippery slope became a free fall into a bottomless pit, ultimately I put it in permanent time out for misbehavior.  I now hate that car and realize that I would always think of how it betrayed me.

 Now you could luck out and not have hidden Gremlins  and it is possible for someone to do all the work themselves as we have all seen a lot of amateur restoration work that is every bit as good as the professional shops.  
    A.J you are probably saying, there he goes again with ”do as I say , don’t do as I do”! Hey it’s an illness we should form the CCA, Classic Cars Anonymous. When it comes down to it we are all over 21!

[K8096]

Let me guess.  The rubber in the inner  bushings on the Safety Flex suspension were never replaced and when the rubber crumbled it caused the front wheels to be out of alignment with excessive tire wear.   Don’t ask me how I know.  

[Terry Y]

17 hours ago, ramair said:

Recent experience has taught me that even when you buy a prewar classic that has no fatal flaws you can spend a lot of time and money not only on all the deferred maintenance but trying to find unobtainable steering, brake, suspension and tuneup parts. As some of you have heard me talk about my latest buy, a 1939 Packard twelve, a low mile original rust free car with a older paint job that has held up nice, near perfect chrome, a engine that started instantly, did not leak (by prewar standards), did not overheat, great brakes and a velvet smooth  clutch.  I am now approaching 500 hours along with $7,500 in parts and this is without finding any ugly surprises. Could I have spent less time and money, probably, but do I want to take the grandkids out in a 6,000 pound car at 60 mph with brakes that probably have not been apart since the Kennedy administration.  The good news is that I still love the car, probably because when it came apart all major systems were not screwed up with a sabotage hack job. Knock on wood the classic car gods have been kind to me, this time!

most of us followed Matt’s Lincoln twelve story which is a reminder that the “Improved Murphys Law” works like this, if there is a 50/50 chance of something going wrong, nine times out ten it will!

 

  My reply to your reply: 

1) I hope I did not come off as Pollyannaish. I did say skilled hobbyist, and did make mention that even the seller, with ALL his contacts, chooses to NOT make the listed repairs. As you point out there is always MORE to do on an antique car then you think.

2) You have a Very nice Packard

3) You have an excellent garage/shop

4) I wonder if the wheel I see is for a IH High Wheeler,or a horse drawn carriage ? 

5) You have a Very nice Packard

6) I advise anyone who wants an old car to start with a model A. Lots of club support, lots of inexpensive and available parts and ease of repair

7) After a model A I suggest a 1951 to 1954 Packard with a 288 or 327 8 cylinder and stick shift, no power steering or brakes. Very easy to sort out, relatively speaking.

😎 My guess on the repair on the packard was bushings and kingpins.

9) Your handle @ramair fooled me, I would have guessed you were a GTO or 442 man

10) Mmm that's a nice Packard in a nice garage/shop

11) I wonder what the dis-assembled brass car in the back round is ? 

12) Now that I type #11 I wonder if the brass car is the one you describe as a bottomless pit. I hope not.

13)  I have a spot at Hershey. If that in anyway could help you with the car that has " bit you" let me know. By that I mean if some one was to bring you parts to Hershey,or you were bringing something heavy to Hershey to be picked up for a specialty repair ETC. 

14) Thank you for sharing your knowledge  with me/us 

[ramair]

3 hours ago, K8096 said:

Let me guess.  The rubber in the inner  bushings on the Safety Flex suspension were never replaced and when the rubber crumbled it caused the front wheels to be out of alignment with excessive tire wear.   Don’t ask me how I know.  

Well it did not start out that way.  When I test drove it I felt it handled pretty good, 25 year old tires with 90% tread and no side wear, we were able to put it up on a rack and we had a lot of king pin wear especially on the drivers side. Once I took delivery came the tear down, that’s when we saw the decomposing rubber. We decided to take care of all , luckily I had some of the rubber in stock, however when I added up front and rear rubber for stabilizers, shocks, engine mounts it all lists for $3,000.00, we are just lucky that it is available but still it do add up

[John Bloom]

19 hours ago, ramair said:

Recent experience has taught me that even when you buy a prewar classic that has no fatal flaws you can spend a lot of time and money not only on all the deferred maintenance but trying to find unobtainable steering, brake, suspension and tuneup parts. As some of you have heard me talk about my latest buy, a 1939 Packard twelve, a low mile original rust free car with a older paint job that has held up nice, near perfect chrome, a engine that started instantly, did not leak (by prewar standards), did not overheat, great brakes and a velvet smooth  clutch.  I am now approaching 500 hours along with $7,500 in parts and this is without finding any ugly surprises. Could I have spent less time and money, probably, but do I want to take the grandkids out in a 6,000 pound car at 60 mph with brakes that probably have not been apart since the Kennedy administration.  The good news is that I still love the car, probably because when it came apart all major systems were not screwed up with a sabotage hack job. Knock on wood the classic car gods have been kind to me, this time!

most of us followed Matt’s Lincoln twelve story which is a reminder that the “Improved Murphys Law” works like this, if there is a 50/50 chance of something going wrong, nine times out ten it will!

I don’t come to this site for reality and sobriety. I come for fantasy and dreams.  You’re wrecking me. 
 

that Packard is worth it. Gorgeous. 

[Tph479]

21 hours ago, ramair said:

Recent experience has taught me that even when you buy a prewar classic that has no fatal flaws you can spend a lot of time and money not only on all the deferred maintenance but trying to find unobtainable steering, brake, suspension and tuneup parts. As some of you have heard me talk about my latest buy, a 1939 Packard twelve, a low mile original rust free car with a older paint job that has held up nice, near perfect chrome, a engine that started instantly, did not leak (by prewar standards), did not overheat, great brakes and a velvet smooth  clutch.  I am now approaching 500 hours along with $7,500 in parts and this is without finding any ugly surprises. Could I have spent less time and money, probably, but do I want to take the grandkids out in a 6,000 pound car at 60 mph with brakes that probably have not been apart since the Kennedy administration.  The good news is that I still love the car, probably because when it came apart all major systems were not screwed up with a sabotage hack job. Knock on wood the classic car gods have been kind to me, this time!

most of us followed Matt’s Lincoln twelve story which is a reminder that the “Improved Murphys Law” works like this, if there is a 50/50 chance of something going wrong, nine times out ten it will!

Having the brake pedal go to the floor on a car similar to yours early on a Sunday morning is not the greatest feeling in the world….

[Tph479]

On 4/20/2024 at 4:44 PM, alsancle said:

This is very very cool.  Steve Snyder has it for sale. 

https://www.vaultcars.com/1927-lincoln-dietrich-convertible-coupe/

 

This is an authentic Dietrich custom body Lincoln, one of only a handful in existence.  It shows the Dietrich brilliance in styling, with a low accent line and rakish windshield and convertible top. The visual effect continues with a rearmounted spare, which accents the fender line and makes the car look lower still.  Extensive use of aluminum for the body was very advanced for the time, and the design stands the test of time.    The Dietrich seat tag and cowl tags are present, and overall it’s an authentic, real example of this rare body style.

1927 was a year of technical improvement for the Lincoln “L” – most importantly the addition of front brakes, which this car has! The wheels are 21” demountable rims on wood “artillery” wheels.

It has the L-head Lincoln V-8, which has had some recent repair and service by a Lincoln expert.  The original updraft carburetor and accessories are included, but the car runs on a downdraft Holley 2 barrel now.  The top mechanism is complete and works, the doors open and close nicely, and the windows operate properly.

Overall this is a good, mostly complete and solid car.  It could be improved and enjoyed, or given a more thorough restoration.   It has the look of a car that had some restoration done in the early days of the hobby, and would be a worthy candidate for further restoration and re-commissioning, which would be necessary to bring it to full operability.  I note the rear spare demountable rim is absent, the car will need to be re-wired – it starts & runs, but lights, charging, etc are not functional.  The rumble seat lid was done in fiberglass, and the rumble seat cushions are missing. The tires are very old and should be replaced.

The California title is Clean, and the ’27 Lincoln Dietrich is ready for it’s new owner!

 

 

I like the look of the blackwall tire on the rear of the car. I think if the brake drums were painted black, the wheel hubs painted black, the belt lines on the body painted black with a thin pin stripe that matched the body of the car and the car sporting blackwalls would do wonders for the appearance of this Lincoln. My opinion is adding those touches would both lengthen and lower the look of the car.

[ramair]

7 hours ago, Terry Y said:

 

  My reply to your reply: 

1) I hope I did not come off as Pollyannaish. I did say skilled hobbyist, and did make mention that even the seller, with ALL his contacts, chooses to NOT make the listed repairs. As you point out there is always MORE to do on an antique car then you think.

2) You have a Very nice Packard

3) You have an excellent garage/shop

4) I wonder if the wheel I see is for a IH High Wheeler,or a horse drawn carriage ? 

5) You have a Very nice Packard

6) I advise anyone who wants an old car to start with a model A. Lots of club support, lots of inexpensive and available parts and ease of repair

7) After a model A I suggest a 1951 to 1954 Packard with a 288 or 327 8 cylinder and stick shift, no power steering or brakes. Very easy to sort out, relatively speaking.

😎 My guess on the repair on the packard was bushings and kingpins.

9) Your handle @ramair fooled me, I would have guessed you were a GTO or 442 man

10) Mmm that's a nice Packard in a nice garage/shop

11) I wonder what the dis-assembled brass car in the back round is ? 

12) Now that I type #11 I wonder if the brass car is the one you describe as a bottomless pit. I hope not.

13)  I have a spot at Hershey. If that in anyway could help you with the car that has " bit you" let me know. By that I mean if some one was to bring you parts to Hershey,or you were bringing something heavy to Hershey to be picked up for a specialty repair ETC. 

14) Thank you for sharing your knowledge  with me/us 

Terry Y,

1. Not at all.  I try to choose my words wisely, but sometimes after🍷all bets are off.  I usually read and reread my posts so that I do not sound like a know it all, if I do I am depending on the team to call me on it.

2. Thank you 

3. actually my shop burned down a little over a year ago and we are putting the finishing touches on the final plans now.  The shop you see belongs to a close friend who happens to specialize on Prewar classic cars.  I am lucky as I can help with the restoration, more in the capacity of research librarian and parts procurement, not to mention problem solving or is that problem maker!

4. a early Holsman, not mine

5. thank you again (blush, blush)

6. Right on

7. I like the way you think, kind of like if you want to boil a frog you turn the heat up a little at a time or else it jumps out.

8. It started out as a king pin problem and escalated from there.  I will start a thread in restoration section 

9. I have a 1968 Oldsmobile Toronado with the factory W-34 package, Olds called it forced air induction, after I explain it to most people they say Oh it has Ramair!

10. thank you again

11. I am sorry I can’t divulge anything about the other cars in the shop as they are not mine, only thing I can say is even Eddie would be impressed, think big brass and big cubes.

12. The bottomless pit was another Twelve, a true artist prepared the car for me to buy it, just remember you can put lipstick on a pig

but it is still a pig! I will talk more about this one at a latter date

13. this question tells me a lot about you and others in this hobby.  We really have a generous and helpful group of people.

14. Thank you.

[alsancle]

New price:  $32,500.