1939 Lincoln Zephyr Base

1939 Lincoln-Zephyr Three-Window Coupe Award-Winning JB Donaldson Co. Restoration • Ed Smith–Built Lincoln V-12 • Exceptional Oregon Car This all-steel example pairs one of America's great prewar designs with an unusually well-documented, thoughtfully updated restoration by JB Donaldson Co. JB Donaldson found the Zephyr roughly 15 years ago on a large ranch in rural Oregon, where it had reportedly stayed with the same family from new. JB arrived expecting a long-stored project that would need to be dragged out. Instead, the Zephyr drove up behind him. It was complete, running, and driving, and it proved to be one of the finest foundations JB had ever encountered. The original steel body needed very little rust repair and no collision repair, and none of the rare major parts or body panels that so often go missing had to be found. Even so, hundreds of hours went into refining an already excellent body. JB then carried out a comprehensive restoration, drawing on his highly regarded specialty craftsmen and vendors throughout. The defining feature is under the hood: a period-correct 1939 Lincoln flathead V-12 built by legendary Arizona engine builder Ed Smith. It wears a custom intake with three Stromberg 97 carburetors and progressive linkage, which gives the engine the look and character of a period multi-carburetor setup. The car was completely rewired and converted to 12 volts. A modern alternator is concealed inside an original-style generator housing. Cooling is supplemented by an concealed electric fan so the engine compartment keeps its period appearance. Power reaches the road through a Ford C4 automatic, rebuilt specifically for this car by transmission specialist Ernie Green. The open driveline is engineered by master rod builder Mark Rentschler. The Ford 9-inch rear axle sports 3.1:1 open gearing. Custom four-wheel disc brakes handle stopping, and the 16-inch Zephyr wheels carry vintage-style radial tires.