Originally published in the September-October 2019 (# 350) issue of Lincoln & Continental Comments magazine.

By George Masters

For those of you that are veterans and remember the old smoke break term, “If you got ’em, light ’em up”, I now refer to our classic  cars, and the emphasis here is “cars,” plural.

We recently took in a car that has been in this guy’s garage since 1998. He hasn’t started it nor has he driven this car since the bodywork, wiring, and paint were completed back then. It just sat in his garage needing the finishing touches done. I’d ask him every year or so, “How’s the car coming along?” He’d always shake his head and smile. Well, last April, I asked him that question, and surprisingly, he told me that he was ready to move onto the next step, which was getting the interior done. To secure the deal, I told him I would need $1,000 down, and then I could get it into the upholsterer’s schedule. Sure enough, the deal was struck and  scheduled for late summer 2019. I insisted that it be ready and running. “No problem,” he said. “I’ll have some of my buddies get it running.” Well, long story short, when we went to pick up the car, it would not start, so I got the truck and trailer and hauled it to my shop. Since it was not running, we took the bowl off the carburetor and guess what? There was sludge and gunk in the bowl. This was just the beginning. We wound up pulling the fuel tank, replacing the sending unit, cleaning out the fuel line, replacing the fuel pump, changing the fuel filter, and even buying a new carburetor. Then it was running!

My point is, why do we have these cars? Why do we have one, or two or more cars? Is it the prestige of being able to tell our friends which cars we own? Is it for the investment? Are we saving them for our children or grandchildren?

I have another story. My buddy had a beautiful car which he babied, washed often, waxed regularly, and generally treated it like a king would. He decided to buy a newer one and took his “Pride and Joy” to the dealer where he traded it. After we unloaded it, the car sat outside on the lot for three weeks exposed to the elements. Did he enjoy his ownership? Well, I’m sure he did, but for whom did he save it? I know another fellow who also has a beautiful car, and it just sits. He doesn’t take it out but maybe once a year. If there are clouds in the sky, it stays in.

So, in summary, I’m asking you to think about why you own one or more collectible cars. They were made to be driven, so think about your beauties and, “if you got ’em, drive ’em’!”

George Masters is a member from Minot, N.D.

ABOVE: Dated August 9, 2940, this 1941 Lincoln V-12 engine is illustrative of the powerplant in the author’s Continental Coupe.  (Photo courtesy of Continental Comments # 95, Winter 1969.)

by Dr. Charles Burton
Submitted by Richard Koop

Originally published in the May-June 2020 issue of Continental Comments (Issue # 354.)

Recently I had a near-catastrophic occurrence with my 1948 Mercury Convertible’s fuel system, which is very similar to my 1941 Lincoln Continental fuel system. One afternoon, I drove my car hard up the mile-long road to our home and parked it in the garage attached to the house. The next morning, my son come over for coffee, and after raising the garage door and coming into the kitchen, he said: “there is gasoline on the floor in the garage.” My reply was that “all old cars smelled after being driven.” He said, “no,” I went and looked, and there was a large puddle of gasoline that had flowed from the engine area out from under the car. There was a large freezer less than four feet from the pool. I opened the other garage door and turned on a fan to blow the fumes out of the garage. I then used paper towels to absorb the gas that was not under the car. Looking under the car, I did not see any gas dripping. I called my expert old car mechanic, and we agreed a carburetor leak would not have produced such a large amount of gas overnight. Looking in the engine compartment, there did not seem to be any evidence of a leak.

Because of the pooled gas under the car, the Mercury had to be moved outside. Using a heavy rope attached to my truck, I pulled it out into the driveway. Since the driveway is up a hill out of the garage and with the front of the car pointed downhill, gas started dripping from around the engine oil pan onto the pavement. I put a container under the engine and cleaned up the garage puddle. Inspection under the car revealed gas coming from the oil pan, where the oil tube attached. The gas was floating on top of the oil in the pan. The Mercury’s fuel pump is attached to the oil filler tube. It was clear that the rubber diaphragm inside the pump developed a tear. The auxiliary electric fuel pump had helped force gas into the oil filler tube and then into the engine. I have used non-ethanol gasoline since I’ve owned the car, but the previous owner had used ethanol gas, which is destructive to older rubber products. Our Lincoln’s stock V-12s don’t have an oil stick, and gasoline in the crankcase cannot leak out. However, some owners have converted their cars to Ford V-8s, so this is a genuine possibility for them.

My expert mechanic had an engine explode and burn. A similar scenario that caused that disaster had also happened in my Mercury. A new mechanical fuel pump should be rebuilt with ethanol-resistant components. You may reduce your chances of a catastrophe by using only the electric fuel pump and bypassing the original one. If you continue to use the mechanical pump, replace it if you have used ethanol gasoline. Turn off the auxiliary electric fuel pump when not needed, and pray this will not happen to you and your car. I am blessed I did not lose two vehicles and my home.

ABOVE: A 1947 Mercury Convertible Coupe, similar to the author’s 1948 model.  (From The Old Car Manual Project.)

Dr. Burton is a retired 83-year-old surgeon from Macon, Ga. who practiced for 40 years. The 1941 Lincoln Continental was his dream and he purchased it in the 1970s from the original owner’s family.

by Charles Clark

Originally published in the May-June 2020 issue of Continental Comments (Issue # 354.)

Among old car aficionados who do restorations, there is a tug-of-war that goes on. Pulling in one direction are the purists who strive to make the car exactly as it came out of the factory. They obsess not only over “matching numbers”, but also over inspection paint marks on the frame. Those details have nothing to do with how the car runs. Instead, it has to do with the compulsive nature of the restorer. They insist on a level of perfection, which, in a lot of cases, never existed. Corvette restorers perhaps epitomize that approach. On the opposite end of the spectrum are those who seek to “upgrade” the car by modernizing various systems, such as engine carburetion and brakes. At the far end of this spectrum, we have the “restomod” where only the body is saved, and almost everything else is replaced with modern systems.

Our local LCOC region has members of each type, but the emphasis seems to be more on preserving and driving the car while having some personal enjoyment with it. I have engaged in both aspects of the hobby. With my 1940 Lincoln-Zephyr Continental Cabriolet (whew), I strived to do an exact restoration. Why else would I pay $500 for an air cleaner or $300 for an original taillight, and let’s not even talk about the NOS steering wheel? My goal was to make the car just like it came off the showroom floor. But this is 2020, not 1940 and things have changed. Thanks to our beloved “corn gas” and its ten percent alcohol content, if you want to drive the car
here in the Centennial State on a hot day at this altitude, it is essential that you have either an auxiliary electric fuel pump or good hiking shoes when the car vapor locks. Unless the car is to be a permanent resident at the Forney Transportation Museum in Denver, Colo, it must have the electric pump. Otherwise, the Lincoln is as close as I can make it to factory original.

The Continental is, therefore, in line with the stated purpose of the LCOC, which is to preserve the various Lincoln and Continental models. The emphasis is on exact restoration with judging and awards that foster this end. I am proud to say I have received some of those awards, even though I had to take some liberties by making modifications for the sake of practicality.

My 1940 Ford Coupe is at the other end of the spectrum. It looks original, but it has a modern overhead-valve, fuel-injected engine, power disk brakes, independent front suspension and a nine-inch rear-end, plus air conditioning. It is not quite a “restomod,” but it certainly is a “hot rod.” It required special skills beyond my ability to build each car. Machining the engines, painting and upholstery are tasks that require craftsmen regardless of your objective for the final restoration.

I have become heavily involved with carburetion in both “restored” and “upgraded” cars. I use the word “carburetion” in its most basic definition, which is the mixture of air and fuel to provide an optimally combustible vapor. Once the mechanics of the engine have been established, such as bore and stroke, camshaft profile and valve train, there is only ignition timing and carburetion left to determine the ultimate performance of the engine. The design approach to carburetion will have a significant effect on the performance of a car. It took me many years to study and to practice how to carburete an engine optimally. I am still learning.

The “old school” way to carburete a car is to use what we commonly call a “carburetor,” or just carb for short. The “new school” way is to use electronically controlled fuel injection (FI). What may not be obvious is while they both do the same thing, they do it by different methods. A “throttle body” style of FI presents an appearance very similar to a carb.

Why the change? To make the carb engine run at high altitudes here in Colorado, you need to change jets and metering rods. This requires mechanical assembly and some trial and error with replacement parts to get the car to run optimally. You also have to set a fussy thermostatic spring choke to get it to start and run when cold. There is also a power pump and fuel bowl needle valves, which need attention. Fuel starvation due to vapor lock is a common problem.

With FI, you have to make changes to the fuel pump and plug in some new sensors to measure engine performance. Once that is done, a computer takes over and provides the exact amount of fuel the engine requires based on what the sensors measure. There is nothing to change or to adjust with temperature or altitude.

For a judged show car, you want to keep the carbs. For a more regular driver, there is a good argument to convert to fuel injection. The issue then is not so much old school versus new school, but rather what your expectations are for the driving experience with the car and how dedicated you are to the exactness of restoration. That said, be prepared for controversy as “old school” aficionados do not give in to “new school” easily. In fact, they never give in!