1959 Capri Landau

[Dave Rose]

Good work. I hope the steel you used is strong enough to withstand 250-350 lbs of force without bending (or whatever the recommended brake pedal strength is supposed to be).

it would be a shame if it bent when you needed to stop hard.

Why the L-shape? Why didn't you go straighter? The inside of the L is a weak point for fatigue. you could have made a rounder curve on the inside for more strength.

The L-shape was needed to clear the wide portion of the pedal below the attachment point, a straight link would not work. Correct, I could have used a broader radius on the inside curve. As for strength, I'm admittedly not a mechanical engineer with the means to calculate this sort of thing. The two L-shaped links are fabricated from 3/16" plate steel. My gut tells me there is plenty of strength in this application. I suppose I'll hit the brakes really hard at low speed to test it once the car is running.

[Dave Rose]

In the past couple weeks, I got the front suspension done and I replaced all brake lines & hoses, wheel cylinders, power booster and master cylinder. The brake shoes were virtually new condition and the drums very good, no need for turning them. I had never completely replaced a brake system and although I've bled brakes (with the help of my wife) many times, getting the air out of a new and totally dry system proved to be a challenge. The conventional two-person pumping on pedal was not getting the job done. Cracking a bleeder open and leaving it overnight (gravity bleed) did not work. I went to CARQUEST and bought a hand held vacuum pump designed for bleeding brakes. I was getting nowhere fast with that and the cheap Made-In-China POS broke after five minutes use. I then decided to pressurize the system at the master cylinder. I cut a piece of 3/16" plate steel to size to fit the top of the master cylinder. I drilled and tapped two holes to attach air tool hose fittings. I cut a rubber gasket and glued it to the plate with epoxy. I clamped the plate to the master cylinder and hooked up my ten gallon air tank, set at 10 PSI. The results were excellent. All brake lines bled within minutes and without having to bug my wife for her help. I did run into a problem with leaks on the old brass fitting mounted to the fender. A new fitting is on the way so I'll fix that and be good to go with new brakes all around.

I found a used spring compressor at a junk shop for $5. Heavy duty, very well made, likely Made-In-USA. It was a big help in getting the front springs in.

Here's the plate I fabricated for the top of the master cylinder, enabling me to pressurize the system.

With 10 PSI into the master cylinder, bleeding the brakes was so fast and easy.

[Dave Rose]

Hey guys, newbie here!

Dave, just wanted to say keep it up! I've been reading this thread with high hopes of how your car will turn out. Reading your progress has me hyped to start into my Lincoln!

Hi PaulieP and welcome to the forum!

What year & model Lincoln do you have? Look forward to seeing some photos.

[Steve K]

Whew glad to hear from you Dave. I was going into withdrawal on your build. Very creative approach on the brake bleeding.

I put everything on hiatus here. I decided it was time to reorganize my tools and shop area. How does stuff wind up all over the place? I know I ALWAYS put things away as I use them. Now, after three sheets of pegboard and several hours of sorting metric and SAE tools, I am on my way again.

Can't wait to see yours ready for a maiden voyage.

[pauliep13]

What year & model Lincoln do you have? Look forward to seeing some photos.

Dave, I have a 65 convertible. She's in storage right now, but I hope to get her home and start work by the end of the year.

[Dave Rose]

The wheels and tires are back on The Shark! Front & rear suspension rebuild is complete and all the brake work done. It's really nice getting parts off the shelf and onto the car. Still waiting on the engine rebuild.

[Steve K]

Dave, time for another one? Love the interior condition on this one....

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Lincoln-Premier ... 2451674044

[Dave Rose]

Dave, time for another one? Love the interior condition on this one....

Sure looks nice in the photos. W. Pennsylvania area code, a bit far for me to travel. Might be a great car for someone in the Northeast.

[Dave Rose]

Great news, the engine rebuild is complete!

J&B Engines in Cody, Wyoming did the work and total cost came to $4,501.39. Cylinders were bored 0.030" over and custom pistons to match original were made by Ross Racing Pistons. One exception was the rings. Jeff specified ring grooves to accommodate readily available Cadillac rings. The Cadillac rings are thinner as well, offering performance advantage. Reground camshaft, new lifters, valve guides, bearings etc... The original valves were in good shape and Jeff did a 3-angle grind on them (cites better performance/horsepower gain) and engine set up for modern unleaded fuel. The crankshaft was in very good condition and was polished. The engine was also balanced.



Here we are in my driveway, ready to unload the 430 V8. Chico, Trixie and Amiga love the old Lincolns and can hardly wait until they go for a ride in the 59 Capri.

An original piston out of the engine, to be used as reference in manufacturing the custom pistons from Ross Racing Pistons.

Instructions & Technical Data sheet detailing the custom pistons made by Ross Racing Pistons.

Miscellaneous worn parts that were replaced:

[norgale]

Dave I can't tell you how much I have enjoyed reading your "Member Project" thread. It reminds me so much of my own project it isn't funny. Mine was a 60 and I also paid 2k for it and that was with a seized engine. I don't have the car anymore but looking at what your doing is a big trip down memory lane for me. So far you certainly know what your doing with this 59. It will be a beautiful car when you get it running and you'll get many great hours out of driving it around. Driving mine was the most fun I ever had driving any car I've ever owned along with the 58 that was my daily driver back in the sixties.
I would like to suggest that you get a parts interchange book that's made in Las Vegas. It's very inexpensive and will save you many hours of time and tons of money. There are lots of items on the 58,59 and 60 cars that are interchangeable and lots that are not. The book will tell you what can be used for your car and what won't fit. If the part number is different from yours believe me it won't fit. Also parts from 61 on up just forget about them. They are not interchangeable for many reasons. Also save every part that you don't use. The parts for these cars are getting really rare and really expensive. One such part is wheel rims and brake drums that can still be turned.The drums are all but non existent and the wheels are pricey at $400 or so each.
Looks like you now have three cars. The third one is the best one as it's all original. Fix that one up. If the second car runs fix that up too and sell it. Get some of your money back on that one.
I'll be looking forward to seeing how this all plays out for you. Please keep the narration and pictures coming. Pete

[Dave Rose]

Thanks for the comments Pete!

I'm a little frustrated at this point as I'm in the midst of renovating one of the rental houses I own and manage. Trying to get a tenant for August 1st. So, that's top priority. Can't wait to get The Shark on the road!

[Dave Rose]

I pulled the starter apart for inspection, cleaning and lubing. The bushings and brushes looked good.

The brushes in the generator were worn, calling for replacement. All else looked good.

Semigloss black Rustoleum paint to freshen up the generator.

I'm getting close to putting the engine & trans back in.

[mlj427]

It has been awhile since we have had a update. How are those Marks doing?

Mike

[Dave Rose]

We had tons of snow here this past winter but now with good weather I'm driving the 59 Lincoln and starting to attend local car shows. I still have minor mechanical problems to sort out. The vacuum wiper motor has a broken part on the housing. Looks like nearly impossible to fix so I'll do an electric wiper conversion. Not a big issue as we seldom get rain here in Wyoming anyway. The passenger rear power window is not working, need to address that. Heater controls need work. Radio barely works, could use a rebuild. Otherwise, the car is running nicely with rebuilt engine, trans, suspension front & rear and all new brakes with dual master cylinder. I had a local shop do an alignment and I think the car handles just fine with new 9.50 x 14 bias ply tires installed.

As long as many crew cab short box pickups!

Attending the Powell, Wyoming annual Lions Club car show May 27, 2017.

My niece's daughter Tia (blonde) and her friend Avri at the car show.

Information sheet.

The Lincoln attracted a lot of attention from show attendees and many favorable comments. Many folks had never seen a car like this.

That Corvair convertible looked tiny compared to the Lincoln!

My boombox and rockabilly CD's were perfect for the show.

Much to my delight, The Shark got top honors for both "People's Choice" and "Work In Progress."

[Dave Rose]

My plans at this point are to address the interior, with new headliner, seat covering and carpeting. Also remove and replace the cracked windshield. I'm undecided about the exterior. It's all original and exhibits a nice patina. I don't have to worry about rock chips and that sort of thing, I can just get in and drive it anywhere.

Interior is original but rough. Yes, that is duct tape and the front edge of the seat!