A Lincoln Continental Adventure from California to Texas for a Solar Eclipse

A Lincoln Continental Adventure from California to Texas for a Solar Eclipse

ABOVE:  John Walcek doesn’t shy away from driving his Lincolns cross-country. Here he is at it again, in Fort Stockton Texas, with his two sisters, Rosie and Annie, along with Annie’s son, Will. The giant roadrunner is Paisano Pete.

Originally published in the September-October 2024 Lincoln and Continental Comments magazine (Issue # 380)
(Photos courtesy of John Walcek.)

I’ve always been interested in collecting many things, including collectible older cars, Lincolns being my favorite. I’m also into traveling and attending noteworthy times and events. A rare and noteworthy event – a total eclipse of the sun happened in America, stretching from Texas to New Hampshire last April. I had to go, this being my fourth one (others being Marsabit, Kenya, 1973; Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, 1991; and Oregon, 2017). I took my 94-year-old father to the third eclipse, spent with LCOC members Steve & Becky Ambrosia in Oregon in 2017, a trip I recounted in Comments issue #350.

There’s a lot of hype when many people can view an eclipse, and hotel rooms and flights are booked years in advance. In my family, any excuse is cause for a family reunion, and I have a niece, Alina, and her family live in Pflugerville, north of Austin, and a college friend, Paul, and his wife, Debbie Hafner, who live in south Austin, Texas, under the path of totality. Many of my brothers and sisters came in from around the country.

I live in southern California and decided to drive the nearly 1,000 miles to Texas with my two sisters, Rosie and Annie, and Annie’s son, Will. My 49,000-mile 1997 Lincoln Continental behaved very well with four people and luggage. The comfortable three-day trip hugged the U.S. / Mexico border. We enjoyed the sand dunes at El Centro, California, and the Chiricahua National Monument in Arizona. We crossed the Continental Divide in New Mexico with my Continental!

Continued below.

TOP RIGHT:  Exploring the ruins at the Chiricahua National Monument in Arizona.
LOWER RIGHT:  Photographer John Walcek with one of the guardians of the American Southwest at Arizona’s Saguaro National Park.

ABOVE:  Breathtaking! One of the amazing natural formations at the Chiricahua National Monument.

ABOVE:  The disappointment! Clouds in the Texas sky obscured the eclipse. Could it be they came all that way for nothing?

ABOVE:  John’s niece Alina and her family in Pflugerville, Texas.

ABOVE:  The crowd of eclipse watchers get a glimpse at the show they’ve been waiting to see.

ABOVE:  The payoff- even red solar flares are visible.

ABOVE:  The eclipse chaser with the tools of the trade.

We arrived in Texas to cloudy skies – a major concern for eclipse viewers. The next day was even worse, with the sun only peaking out momentarily between thicker clouds. As the eclipse approached, we were able to view the partially obscured sun in the thinner clouds without solar glasses. A quiet depression fell on everyone. To our delight, the clouds broke, and we were able to view the total eclipse – a black sun surrounded by a whitish, pulsating corona and with some red solar flares clearly visible! A roar, arm-raising, yelling, and hollering went up by everyone there as I watched through my camera’s telephoto lens. Though the totality lasted just under five minutes, it was one of the most ecstatic times I’ve experienced.

I stayed with my college friend Paul and his wife Debbi in south Austin, and clouds completely obscured the eclipsed sun there. The trip back to California was leisurely, and we took three days to enjoy the LBJ Presidential Ranch and the Sonora Caverns in Texas, the White Sands National Park in New Mexico, and Saguaro National Park in Arizona. I guess you can say I’m an Official Eclipse Chaser!

John Walcek is an LCOC member from Placentia, California, and the official photographer of the Club.

Strange Town Cars Turning Up in Florida

Strange Town Cars Turning Up in Florida

ABOVE:  There are eight of these Lincoln Town Car “test vehicles” in the Naples/Collier County area.

Letter to the Editor from John Hunter Dailey

Originally published in the 2nd Quarter 1993 issue of Continental Comments (Issue # 192.)

Dear Editor:

While on vacation in Southwest Florida recently I spotted some interesting Lincoln Town Cars. The first was amazingly a Sheriffs Patrol car in the exclusive Naples area. Chief Kline of the Collier County Sheriff’s Department informed me that there are eight Lincoln Town Car “test vehicles” all on loan from the Ford Motor Company. They are 1991 models fitted with Ford’s new 4.6 litre, four valve engines. All are part of Collier County’s District 7, Everglades Patrol. Each of the eight cars is serviced at different mileage intervals including one with no service at all. At first I thought Naples was living up to its posh image, but Chief Kline emphasized that the Lincolns are simply on loan.

I spotted another interesting Lincoln Town Car on Sanibel Island. This one is the Jack Nicklaus “special edition” Town Car that is Emerald Green in color with a white landau roof. It also sports pseudo opera windows similar to those from the late Seventies, however these are only placed within the vinyl padding. The car is trimmed with a gold pinstripe and has a commemorative plaque on the front fenders with the Golden Bear logo.

John Hunter Dailey
Greenville, North Carolina

ABOVE:  The Jack Nicklaus “special edition” Town Car is most distinctive.

Jack Shea – A Remembrance (1931-2024)

Jack Shea – A Remembrance (1931-2024)

ABOVE: Jack with his prized 1979 Lincoln Continental Convertible in his adopted home state of Florida.

Originally published in the July-August 2024 Lincoln and Continental Comments magazine (Issue # 379)
(Photos courtesy of John Walcek.)

Thoughts by Glenn Kramer

Jack was born in Erie, Pennsylvania in 1931. Raised by his grandmother, he went out on his own at 15, doing odd jobs for support. He served in the U.S. Army and was stationed in West Germany during the Korean War. He eventually went to work at Borg Warner and became manager of operational auditing before his retirement in 1986.

Jack and his wife Ginny, the love of his life, moved to Ft. Myers, Florida, and quickly made it their home. In addition to investing in commercial real estate, Jack was a valued member of many civic and religious organizations, often bringing his unique financial talents to them.

Jack and Ginny have been members of the LCOC for some 30 years, and Jack was our treasurer for 27 years. He also acted as treasurer for the Lincoln Motor Car Heritage Museum for many years. When I was elected LCOC president in 2009, Jack was the first call I made. In short order, he summarized where we stood, best/worst case projections, as well as targets and options for each department’s goals for cutting expenses. At our first board meeting, he was there with all the information we needed to achieve our goals. He was also instrumental in restructuring the board meeting format and worked with the new management to rededicate the club to its members. Jack is a key reason the LCOC enjoys its solid financial footing today.

Jack Shea was a valued member of LCOC’s leadership for nearly three decades. He was also a true gentleman and a delight to be around. “He will be missed” is just not an adequate statement to describe our loss. Our prayers, thanks, and best wishes go out to Ginny.

Glenn Kramer was LCOC president from 2009 to 2013 and lives in Houston, Texas.

ABOVE:  Jack & Ginny with John & Jeanne Talbourdet at the 2022 Western National Meet in Palm Springs, California.

An Obituary for Jack Shea

Jack Everett Shea passed away peacefully at home in Fort Myers, Florida, at the age of 92. He was born in Erie, Pennsylvania, to Everett Shea and Elizabeth (Betty) Steiner and was raised by his maternal grandmother, Anna Steiner Whitney, upon his mother’s death soon after childbirth. Jack had two half-brothers from his father, Robert Shea (deceased), the elder, and Gary Hobbs, the younger.

Jack grew up on his grandmother’s farm, tending rabbits, vegetable garden, and orchard. At age 15, he went to work at a local grocery store to support himself. Jack graduated from Millcreek High School, where he played trumpet in the orchestra and marching band. After graduation, he served as a company clerk in the Pennsylvania Army National Guard. His unit was deployed to Germany during the Korean War. Back at home, he attended college nights at Gannon University while working at American Sterilizer Co. during the day.

After a short courtship, Jack married the love of his life, Virginia Allen. They built a house next to his grandmother’s home,
where they started their family. They purchased their first income property in Erie, Pennsylvania, setting the stage for their working lives.

Jack took a job with Morse Chain (Borg Warner) in 1962 and began a 22-year career there in Ithaca, New York. His professional life extended from computer programming on IBM mainframes and culminated as Manager of Operational Auditing.

Meanwhile, Jack and Ginny purchased, improved, and managed six apartment buildings with 30 units while raising their family of four: Elizabeth, Dean, Allene (deceased), and Scott.

During their 20 years in the Ithaca area, Jack served in the local Lansing Lions Club and as an elder and the treasurer of the First Presbyterian Church of Ithaca. He was an active and faithful member of Westminster Presbyterian Church in Erie, Pennsylvania, where he taught Sunday school. During those years, Jack enjoyed boating on Cayuga Lake in Ithaca.

Jack and Ginny retired in 1986, moving to The Landings in Fort Myers, Florida, where they traded their residential properties for commercial properties. In Fort Myers, he was treasurer of Habitat for Humanity of Lee County and treasurer at Covenant Presbyterian Church.

Jack continued his love of boating on the Caloosahatchee River in Fort Myers, Florida. He was a car guy from early on, owning many convertibles over the years. Later, Jack acquired several Lincoln convertibles, which won many awards. He was treasurer of the Lincoln & Continental Owners Club for 27 years. He also helped raise funds for the Lincoln Motor Car Heritage Museum at the Gilmore Car Museum and later became its treasurer.

Jack and wife Ginny traveled the world in their over 40 years of retirement and enjoyed 65 years of marriage together. Jack is survived by his wife Virginia, daughter Elizabeth (John) Ragosta, Son Dean (LeAnn) Shea, Son Scott Shea, and six grandchildren.

Photo Inset:  Jack & Ginny riding the rails at the Strasburg Rail Road during the 2021 Eastern National Meet.

1955 Lincoln Capri – A Nice, but not too Successful Lincoln

1955 Lincoln Capri – A Nice, but not too Successful Lincoln

By Joe Sherlock

Originally published in the 4th Quarter 1993 issue of Continental Comments (Issue # 194.)

If you look at a 1955 Lincoln Capri today, you’ll see a nice looking car that looks, well, very mid 1950s. But that’s not how it looked to prospective buyers back then. 1955 was the year of all new bodies for most other makes. Chevy, Pontiac, Ford, Mercury and the entire Chrysler line all had a brand new look to compete with their 1955 counterparts. Even Packard had all new outer panels over their 1954 inner body panels. Lincoln still looked much the same as 1954, although a bit longer. Everybody but Lincoln had three tone color combinations and wraparound windshields. Chrysler first introduced “The Forward Look” in 1955. Cadillac, Buick and Oldsmobile got new bodies in 1954; Lincoln had the same old body introduced in 1952 and it was considered stale and stodgy by 1955. Most embarrassing of all, the 1955 Lincoln was underpowered compared to its rivals. The marque which had won the Mexican Road Race in 1954 still had the 341 cubic inch V-8 engine now rated at 225 hp. That was no match for the 236 hp. Buick Century, 250 hp. Chrysler Imperial, 279 hp. Cadillac El Dorado or 275 hp. Packard. 1955 was right in the middle of the styling race and the horsepower race years, and Lincoln wasn’t winning either race.

The 1955 Lincoln did have some nice new features. The automatic transmission was all new—the GM Hydra-Matic was dropped for a beefed up three-speed Ford-OMatic type of unit called Turbodrive. The car did have some new styling elements designed to make it look longer than the 1954 model. In 1955, the Capri series was the top of the line and the coupe shown here was the most popular body style—representing 42% of production. The Lincoln Capri coupe cost a little over $3,900—about 90 cents per pound. The car had a 123” wheelbase and was 63” high—quite tall for a 1955 model. Ads touted “Elegance with Power” and a top speed of 116 mph. was claimed.

1955 was a banner sales year for most makes, but not for Lincoln. Sales dropped 27% to 27,222 units. It’s a shame that the 1955 Lincoln didn’t get more respect in the marketplace. It’s really a pleasant car and it has aged well. Lincoln would have liked to have had its completely new 1956 model ready for 1955, but the changes were so sweeping they could not get it into production that soon. When the ‘56 finally arrived in late September, 1955 it was a powerful and stylish car with all the styling bells and whistles that people wanted in the mid Fifties. All’s well that ends well.

We Get Letters

We Get Letters

ABOVE: Dr. Lukas has owned eight Lincolns in his lifetime, starting with a ’54 Capri.  Two are currently in his inventory.

Originally published in the July-August 2024 Lincoln and Continental Comments magazine (Issue # 379)
(Photos courtesy of Gary Lukas.)

Dear Jeff,

I have enjoyed reading recent editions of the magazine, so I thought I would applaud your efforts. When I received issue #374, the variety of colors on the cover popped and captured my attention. Now, I am looking at the Zephyrs on the cover of issue # 377. Great attention-getter!

My favorites are the 1949 to 1956 Lincolns, but the Zephyrs always grab my attention when one or two appear here south of Houston. Thanks for the articles on the K models since I wasn’t familiar with that era.

I have attached a few photos taken at Wings and Wheels at the Hobby Airport Museum in Houston, Texas. I took these photos to show the contrast between the 1946 Lincoln Continental Cabriolet and Dean Forbes’ 1956 Continental Mark II. The owner of the ’46 recently joined and braved the threat of rain to attend the event. The photos were taken on Dec. 17, 2022. The final photo is of my current classics for sale. Yes, as you can see, I have liked Lincolns since my first car, a 1954 Capri Coupe.

Dr. Gary Lukas

Dr. Gary Lukas is an LCOC member from Richmond, Texas.

ABOVE TWO PHOTOS:  Two interpretations of personal luxury, separate by a decade.