NOTE: This car is being re-listed due to non-payment by the previous auction's winning bidder. It's unfortunate when such things happen, but if you missed it last time, here's another opportunity. Please, bid only if you are willing and able to complete the purchase if you win the auction!
This is a very solid car that was parked outdoors in the very dry climate of Arizona and hasn’t moved during the last 15 years or so. It is an original V-12 car with the 3-speed manual transmission. The engine is a 292 cu. in.V-12 rated at 120 HP.
This car is being sold at NO RESERVE and will be sold AS-IS, WHERE IS, with no warranty whatsoever, nor any warranty of fitness for any specific use or purpose. LOCAL PICKUP ONLY in a Phoenix-suburb of Arizona. This vehicle will be sold with a clean, clear Arizona title free of any liens or encumbrances. Actual mileage is unknown.
Much of the car's history is unknown, however I’m including the details I’m currently aware of. I recently purchased this car exactly as it is shown in the photos. It came as part of a collection which bought it approximately 15 years ago, then parked it at its current spot. It has not been started or driven since to my knowledge. It was among a large number of other vehicles purchased and unused for a similar period of time.
I have documentation that the collector bought it as a restored vehicle that was in excellent running and visual condition at that time. The engine had been completely rebuilt and was said to be barely audible when idling. The seating areas were also restored and the body was repainted as part of the restoration. According to the documentation I received, during that restoration, the door panels and headliner were original and retained as they were in good condition at that time. I have a few photos of it taken just prior to the collector purchasing the vehicle, and it was truly beautiful in and out.
It is still extremely original and very complete and has very minimal surface rust in very few areas, and most areas showing no rust at all. The sheet metal is also very straight, and the car appears to have no prior collision damage. Even all of the chrome/brightwork is in good or very restorable condition. The right rear fender skirt was removed due to the right rear tire having gone flat, but the skirt is with the car on the floor in front of the back seat, visible in at least one of the photos.
The front windshield lamination is separating, probably from the years of exposure in the Arizona sun, but otherwise the glass is good. I believe the car sat outside, and for a portion of that time, with one or more of its windows down, and/or one or more doors left open because there’s a tremendous amount of dust inside from the dirt lot it’s been sitting in. Also, for the same reason, I would assume some areas were exposed to rain water, though it rarely rains in that area. While the interior fabric is still intact, and possible to clean to some extent, it would be best to assume the interior upholstery, carpet, headliner, and any other fabric-covered pieces would need to have the surface fabrics/materials and possibly the seat support and cushion materials replaced in order to make the car very nice again.
Despite having been stored outdoors, and not having been operated for many years, this car would be a very good base for a restoration. It is worthy of restoring as it is a rare and desirable classic. While manufactured by the Lincoln Division of Ford Motor Company, and visually quite similar to the 1941 Ford, the Lincoln Zephyrs have many unique mechanical features and advancements that the Fords did not. For example, besides being far more luxurious inside, the Lincoln Zephyrs had the V-12 and hydraulic brakes, neither of which were available on the Fords.
Without making any promises or guarantees, based on the many restorations I’ve done over the years, I believe this car would be among the easier ones to restore as it’s quite complete, very solid, and the engine had been rebuilt just prior to the car being stored. Again, no promises, but I would not be surprised if after draining the gas, cleaning the inside of the gas tank, fuel lines, and carburetor, replacing the fuel pump, fuel filter(s) and all rubber portions of the fuel lines (which may be cracked& dry from the heat & age), and adding a new battery and having all powertrain fluids flushed and changed, that the engine would run again. I verified that the engine still turns freely by rotating it a few degrees hand. It seemed to have the proper amount of resistance and rotated as a healthy engine would. Keep in mind, the entire car was exposed to a lot of dust as the photos show, so a competent mechanic should assume the dust would have entered many of the engine components, such as the intake tract, filters, crankcase, breathers, etc., and plan to thoroughly clean those areas and components, and well as pre-lubricating the engine internals, prior to attempting to start the engine again.
More photos are available upon request. As previously stated, I don't know much more about the car other than what's included here, but I'm happy to answer any questions the best I can. We sincerely care about our buyer's satisfaction and buying experience and make every effort to fully disclose as much factual and accurate information as possible in our listings for the vehicles and items we sell. We strongly encourage potential buyers to ask any questions and conduct as much research as possible about the item BEFORE BIDDING.