Lincoln 1954 Capri coupe questions

fredv

fredv

Member
I'm thinking to purchase a 54 Lincoln Capri coupe, the car is running and seems to be in good condition, power windows and power seat, power brakes have been removed from the car by the previous owner, no power steering.
Hydramatic transmission seems to work fine according to the seller.
Is there any issues or weakness about this car that I should look for, as I'm going to check the car next week?
Thanks for your advice.
 
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Re: Lincoln 1954 Capri coupe

One more thing, here is a picture of the VIN plate of the car, it's not really clear but serial number is 54WA11385H.
Style is BS60A and body specifications are 55-435-A-6-69.



I know that BS60A is Capri 2 door hardtop coupe, but I have no idea regarding body specifications. Any information regarding this point will be appreciated.
Thanks very much.
 
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Thanks for your reply, I already search on the web, but what I can't find is the codes of the body specifications. I suppose that these numbers indicates the colors and options of the car.
Maybe in the shop manual?
 
Yes, the data plate has those codes. There's a good chance the service manual has the information. My Mercury manual covers 1954 and 1955 and has that information.
 
You're welcome. There is at least one other '54 Lincoln owner on this forum. He's in Austria and his name is Dieter. He goes by Ratfink1973 on the forum. I think if you do a member search you'll find him. Also maybe start a new thread specifically looking for others.
 
Thanks for the tip, I sent a PM to Dieter (yes, it's a '53 Capri).
I am quite surprised that there is only one Capri owner here and he is in Austria. I know this place is dedicated mostly to Ford (and Mercury)...
Lincoln is not so appreciated in the US or.... any other reason? :confused:
 
I appreciate Lincoln's and welcome them on the Ford Barn. Still part of the Ford family.

There may be a forum out there just for Lincoln's. I've never looked.

Sal
 
fredv said:
Thanks for the tip, I sent a PM to Dieter (yes, it's a '53 Capri).
I am quite surprised that there is only one Capri owner here and he is in Austria. I know this place is dedicated mostly to Ford (and Mercury)...
Lincoln is not so appreciated in the US or.... any other reason? :confused:
Click to expand...

Older Lincolns are kinda rare birds here. They almost never sell in the numbers Cadillac enjoys possibly because Ford doesn't market them properly. Also, Cadillac has always been Cadillac, even before GM purchased the company. Lincoln was known as Leland before Henry bought the company. Leland was a very high quality car and it's possible Henry cheapened the product somewhat after he changed the name. He only bought the company because Leland owed him money and he wanted a luxury line to compete with Cadillac, Packard, Pierce Arrow, etc. After WWII Ford was in financial trouble and didn't have the money to spend developing a relatively low volume expensive vehicle, so Lincoln fell behind Cadillac even further. That said, I have always liked them, even the ugly '49 - '51 bathtub models. And I really have the hots for the George Jetson-looking '56/'57 Capri. One of the issues with classic Lincolns is parts availability. Almost nothing interchanges with Ford/Mercury. This makes it harder to keep them on the road. So no, it's not that we don't appreciate 'em, it's just that there are so few to appreciate.
 

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Glad to know that Lincolns are welcomed here!
Dobbie Gillis, thanks for your comments, here in France, Lincolns are more than rare birds !
A picture of the car that I intend to purchase:



Any particular issues about the 317.5ci engine?
 
Beautiful car. There are not nearly enough of those around. I suppose a bit costly.

There is a movie called "Moonshine Highway" that features a very similar looking '55 Lincoln. It is a sort of "B" grade movie but very entertaining that you may enjoy. Shows the Lincoln to be very powerful and tough.

The 317 was a great engine in it's day. Ford used them in heavy trucks as well as the Lincolns. The transmission could be a GM Hydromatic 4 speed. This transmission used to be popular in hot rods due to their 4 speeds and ability to be shifted manually. They are quite heavy though.

Enjoy the ride!
 
fredv said:
Glad to know that Lincolns are welcomed here!
Dobbie Gillis, thanks for your comments, here in France, Lincolns are more than rare birds !
A picture of the car that I intend to purchase:



Any particular issues about the 317.5ci engine?
Click to expand...

No particular engine issues I can think of, other than almost no parts interchange between the Lincoln y-block and the Ford/Merc y-block. To my knowledge only the oil pump and the distributor will interchange, and the distributor driven gear may be different in tooth count and/or pitch from the Ford/Merc part. If you ever need to replace the distributor be sure to compare the gears before installing.

This pic brings back memories. My best buddy in high school had a '53 Capri convertible. That car was a beast! I think it weighed 2 tons + and drank gas like there was no tomorrow. It sure did attract the girls, though.

BTW, I love the Simca in your avatar pic. What year is it?
 
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The avatar picture is my 56 sedan, you call it Simca (it is) but in the beginning in september 54, it was a 100% French Ford ;). When Simca purchased Ford France in December 54, they carry on the production.

Yes, transmission of the Lincoln Capri 54 is indeed the GM Dual Range Hydramatic 4 speed. In 55, Fomoco change it to Turbo Drive 3 speed. I will search for this B grade movie...

Weight of the Capri coupe is around 1.850 ton I think, the convertible should be heavier.
Thanks for the info regarding the 317.5 ci engine, I just hope this one will not drink gas same your best friend's car in high school!
 
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fredv said:
The avatar picture is my 56 sedan, you call it Simca (it is) but in the beginning in september 54, it was a 100% French Ford ;). When Simca purchased Ford France in December 54, they carry on the production.

Is it a Vedette (Ford V8-60 flathead)?
Click to expand...
 
Yes, it's a Vedette Simca (previously Ford), but this V8 has not much in common with the V8-60 produced in the US between 1937 and 1940.
Here is a picture on the one I built for my 56 coupe with a 3 speed manual overdrive transmission from a 55 t-bird:



You can see the car here:
http://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=150542&page=7

Anyway, let's go back to Lincoln, I've tried to search more information regarding Lincoln body codes, but no success yet ... I tried Restorecars.com website, it's a mess to search, but I found interesting technical information, but nothing related to body codes...
 
Beautiful car! I was under the impression the Ford and Simca Vedettes had the V8-60. Your engine looks more like an 8BA in a smaller size and with 59A heads. Good job!

I've had no luck finding a data plate decoder online, but I did find this:

http://www.lcoc.org/AboutLCOC.htm

This is the Lincoln and Continental Owners Club and I'll wager someone there will be able to decode your plate.

And this on the 1954 Ford Club website. I suspect all FOMOCO data plates were laid out the same way so you may be able to use it to decode yours.

http://1954ford.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=68
 
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Thanks very much for your search and the links.
I know that BS60A is the body code corresponding to 54 Capri 2 door hardtop, VIN is 54 (year) WA (Wayne assembly plant, BTW where is Wayne?????) 11385 is the serial number (starting at 5001) and H is engine type.
I found this on restorecars.com:

 
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