Lincoln Zephyr Rod Project

This particular vehicle has its roots in "Scrape", the '39 Lincoln Zephyr-based custom that wowed the US hot rod scene in the mid-1990s. Originally created by Ramsey Mosher from an idea by Terry Cook, the success of the original design has seen the custom Zephyr fibreglass bodies offered commercially by Florida company, Deco Rides (www.decorides.com) since 1998. To date, dozens of these quality bodies - in coupe, fastback, convertible and, most recently, sedan delivery form - have been built up in the US.

"I've always been a fan of 'fat fender' style cars," Andrew said in describing why he was drawn to this particular machine. "I did have a '40 Pontiac custom previously. I just fell in love with (the Lincoln's) body, so I had to sell my Pontiac to organise buying that body. The whole 'fluid' shape of it is the appeal for me."

The first example of Deco Rides' handiwork to grace the show scene locally was Ben Gatt's "Dumped", which has done just about every major custom event since its debut in 2003. Andrew brought his Deco Rides coupe body from the US in 2008. While Gatt's car used a Ford Customline chassis and late model Ford running gear, Andrew chose a bit of a different tack, sitting his Deco Rides body over a modified '39 Ford chassis, then using a mix of Ford, Chrysler and GM components to bring the project to fruition.

"I have access to a lot of different bits and pieces through my business, so I chose to use those bits and pieces that seemed to work best." Andrew said of the mix 'n' match nature of the running gear. "I bought a wrecked VZ Commodore SS ute, and stripped that apart. The motor had only done 30,000 kms, so it was nearly a new motor. Then I just sold off the parts from the wrecked ute that I didn't need, so the running gear ended up owing me very little."

Aside from the 5.7 litre LS1 V8, the Commodore also provided the Turbo 700 auto trans for the project. A nice touch, and one that brings a smile to Andrew's face, are the faux 'Lincoln V Eight' engine cover panels, made and painted in-house with custom stickers. "That was just to keep people guessing," Andrew laughed. "People look in, and you see them staring at it, asking 'What is it?' It throws them a bit, which was the whole intention."

At the front, the Lincoln keeps the mix 'n' match theme going with Ford Mustang II independent front suspension and Camaro disc front brakes, while the power-assisted rack & pinion steering came courtesy of a Dodge Omni. At the back, the 8-inch Ford diff is matched up to Ford disc brakes. Air Ride Suspension has been used all round, which presented a challenge in how to route the 2.5-inch exhaust system, as Andrew explained.
"Because the car's on air ride suspension, with the rear set up and location of the fuel tank, I struggled to get the exhaust to come straight through the middle of the car. So, what we ended up doing was building custom extractors that fed out over the chassis rails and running the exhaust under the running boards, and then it goes right up and over the top of the rear wheels, and then kicks back in and comes out through the back. That was a little bit of a hassle, but the rest of the build hasn't been too much of a drama."

The VZ which provided the engine and trans & also supplied a wiring loom. While certainly not traditional, Andrew found that running two separate looms was the best and most practical way to wire the car.
"Our very knowledgeable mechanic at Auto Transformers, Michael, pulled the wiring loom apart from the VZ Commodore - strand by strand - to work out what we did need to keep and what we didn't," Andrew said. "The car runs two wiring looms. It runs one standard loom around the whole car for lights, horn, gauges etc. Then it runs an engine harness loom for the motor through to the computer."

The car was completed to driving standard in October 2011. For its first shakedown run, Andrew took it for a 300 km trip to a car show in Port Augusta - in the rain and at night! - which shows the faith he had in what he'd put together. Despite this, it was still a little nerve wracking, as Andrew explained. "Obviously, the drive (to Port Augusta) with no proper interior was a bit rattly, but I just put ear plugs in and went for it! Halfway there, I began to think 'Oh, it's going to make it', I had a big smile on my face for the second half of the trip, (but) for the first half, I will admit I was a little bit nervous!"

Making the car drivable was a big factor in the build process. This car was definitely not going to be a trailer queen, so smooth performance, good steering and handling were key factors in the build from the outset. "The motor just purrs along," Andrew said. "It runs so nice - the rpm sits around 1500 when you're cruising along at 110 without missing a beat. And that was a big part of the intention. I wanted to build a car that I can drive regularly - all the time - without having to worry about anything." The only negative, and one that's no stranger to owners of custom rods like this, is a lack of visibility. "There are some big blind spots, that's for sure!," Andrew admitted, but it's a small price to pay for such a visually stunning machine.

While it looks amazing in its present form, this car is very much a work in progress. Andrew plans to finish his Lincoln to a much higher, more jaw-dropping standard, but with restorations, repairs and rebuilds of customer cars being his #1 focus at Auto Transformers, time to work on the car is scarce.
"The nice idea would be to pull it down over Winter this year, and give it its final good paint job and its final build up with all the right nuts and bolts, then really detail it up," Andrew said. "So that's our hope - to have it done for next Summer. But, yeah, it is a 'hope' at the moment!"

'Stage II' of the Lincoln project will include a full custom interior fitout in a combination of what Andrew describes as "new and old styling". This will comprise front bucket seats with a '2+2' style occasional rear seat, full air conditioning, power windows, high end sound system with touch-screen controls, and more. The retro look of the exterior will be continued on the inside, with 1940s-inspired styling touches used to balance the old and new. A set of original Lincoln Zephyr badges have been sourced, and will be used throughout the interior, while the seats, headlining, door cards and centre console (which runs the full length of the interior and sweeps up to the rear window) will be upholstered in '40s-style two-tone tan material. Modern billet parts will be sparingly added throughout the cabin, in conjunction with the Dolphin gauges and Billet Specialties steering wheel and column the car currently uses.

Before that shakedown run to Port Augusta, the Lincoln was painted by Andrew and his crew at Auto Transformers, using a custom purple mix with some pearl and a satin clear top coat. Subtle pinstriping (by TIKI in SA) was the final touch before the Lincoln first hit the road. If all goes according to plan, that satin purple will be replaced by a deep, rich Candy Apple Purple this Winter, with some ghost flames to be confirmed. "I like the idea of ghost flames," Andrew said. "But I haven't definitely said yes to that yet."
Repaint aside, the plan is to leave the exterior untouched, with the 16-inch Billet Specialties 'GS 47' wheels and whitewall tyres kept as is.

While the Lincoln looks good now (especially with the stunning Alicia on board!), we're sure that 'Phase II' of Andrew's Lincoln project will be even better! Further details on the build will be chronicled upon completion at www.autotransformers.com.au


Andrew would like to thank his team at Auto Transformers, especially Michael, for their work on the Lincoln so far, and his very tolerant wife, Hayley. Thanks also to TIKI for the pinstriping, and Naomi Bassham for some top photos of the car with local pinup model, Alicia.



Andrew's 1939 Lincoln Zephyr - basic specs

Body: Deco Rides fibreglass Lincoln Zephyr coupe
Chassis: Modified 1939 Ford
Engine: 2005-spec Chevrolet 5.7lt LS1 V8
Transmission: GM Turbo 700 automatic
Extractors: Custom-built by D & T Exhaust
Exhaust: Custom-built 2.5-inch stainless by D & T Exhaust
Front Suspension: Air Ride w/Ford Mustang II IFS
Rear Suspension: Air Ride
Diff: 8-inch Ford Disc Brake
Front Brakes: Camaro
Steering: Dodge Omni Power Rack & Pinion
Wheels: 16-inch Billet Specialties 'GS 47' front & rear
Tyres: Wildcat Radial whitewalls