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Silly Survivor: 1927 Lincoln Model L

1927 Lincoln Model L

We have been accused of overusing and even diluting the phrase “barn find”. Some people think it should only be used to describe… Well, I’m not really sure what they think it should be reserved for. Personally, I think a barn find is any old car that has been discovered after a long period of dormancy. Normally, they can be had cheap and normally they cost more to get running than the new owner expects. There is a thrill to the whole experience though and we do our best to recreate that feeling everyday for all of you here. Sometimes we do feature cars that aren’t really barn finds. Take this 1927 Lincoln for example. The dealer is trying to sell it as a “survivor”. I’m not sure if it earns any of the titles in question here, but I do know that it is an impressive machine. Find it here on eBay for $26k or best offer.

Wool and wood

As I get deeper into the collector car hobby, I long for older and older machinery. Perhaps my tastes are becoming more refined or maybe I just want what I can’t have? Most pre-war cars worth getting are far outside the budget of the average man. Duesenburgs, Bentleys, and the like would all be nice to have, but the cost of entry is prohibitive. A Model A can be bought and maintained on a budget, but they are still quite common. So, something like this Lincoln (although technically still a Ford) presents a relative bargain if a level of uniqueness and even prestige is desired. Lincoln was built by the same guy who started Cadillac. Caddy went to GM and Ford picked up Lincoln as their luxury division.

384 flat-head V8

Power was provided by a 90 horsepower 384 flat-head V8. That sounds very respectable to me considering that this car is about 88 years old! The seller of this particular example claims that the paint is “quite a few years old” and that the interior is original. I doubt that those assumptions qualify it as a survivor though. I have feeling this is an older restoration instead. Without getting into a huge discussion on the proper use of car terms though, I think this Lincoln could still make a great addition to any collection.

1927 Lincoln trunk

Perhaps the seller shouldn’t have presented as a survivor, but that does seem to be the popular thing to do these days. Obviously, if you are going to spend this much money on a toy, you will want to do your research and be realistic about things. Twenty six grand is a lot to spend on anything, but personally I’d rather have this than just about any new car currently available. Then again, that new Lincoln does look enticing…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcGhLcVqxf0

Matthew McConaughey has appeared in some pretty interesting Lincoln ads lately, so it’s likely he’ll be in another one for their new big luxury car. In the ad above he is talks about how the company is looking back at their heritage to build a better car today. That sounds like a good idea to me. I doubt they gave the old Model L much consideration though and that’s really a shame. I mean, who wouldn’t want a car with a greyhound ornament on the hood?

Well, Jim Carry might want one! Checkout his spoof of Matt’s video above. Perhaps they should hire him for the upcoming Continental ads! Either way, who wouldn’t be proud to own a Lincoln, new or old, after that?

Comments

  1. Avatar Jarod Rose

    Perhaps what makes the Model L most interesting it the engine actually isn’t from a Ford or share parts with a Ford. This engine was designed before Ford bought the company. Therefore the Model L might be the purest Lincoln of them all. That in and of itself makes the Model L a worthy contender for any collection.

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  2. Avatar Dave at OldSchool

    Like you, I think “survivor” is an overused term that is generally incorrectly applied, but if this car has only had one repaint, and general maintenance and replacements of ‘consumables’. like the exhaust, tires, etc, “survivor ” seems applicable .. IF THE INTERIOR IS ALL ORIGINAL……..
    Car seems reasonably priced, if the description is correct……

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  3. Avatar craig

    Seller is a dealer so what can you expect for a description ,,,,, a private citizen owner type person would probably give a better description, but all in all I’d like to call this Lincoln mine,,,, survivor or long ago restored.

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  4. Avatar Sim

    An amazing amount of commentary in the media lately regarding the terms ‘barn find’ and ‘survivor’ and whether those terms are applicable to a certain sale. If the ad is even somewhat true, this car retains it’s original chassis, drivetrain, body/trim, wheels etc all without significant restoration. I mean really …where is the line drawn for having the justification to use the term ‘survivor’ to an 80 year old car? Oil changes, brakes and a battery only? Well okay, maybe tires and a muffler, but that’s it! …It’s kinda like giving an 80 year old man your condolences when he gets out of hip replacement surgery. The car is a survivor.

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  5. Avatar MikeH

    Jesse, if you’re looking for older machinery and you think it’s too expensive, you’re looking in the wrong places. Actually the values of pre 40’s stuff, excluding the big ticket collector cars, has remained steady or gone down in value. I passed up [no space] a running, driving ’29 Hupmobile for 5K. It needed, as far as I could tell, only cosmetic restoration and was perfect as a driver. 20s Hudsons, Nashes, Grahams, etc in good shape but needing restoration will go for around 10K. When you stay away from the Auburns, Cords, Duesenberg, Marmons, etc, there are some good bargains. People tend to want what they grew up with as children or teenagers. The people who remember the cars of the 20s and 30s are largely gone.

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  6. Avatar vern

    This Lincoln keeps calling me back it reminds me of my first car, a 1927 Cadillac 7 pass limo.
    At 14 I paid $20 dollars for it , we charged the six volt battery and my father drove it home.
    There were about six empty lots between us and the next house and thats where I drove it till something in the tranny gave out. I’d been hitchhiking around the county since I was 10 yrs old
    searching for antique cars. Was 14 in 1954.

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  7. Avatar Tim

    Well, whether it is a barn find, survivor, or fake I liked it enough to take it to England ( Old not New ! ) So that is where she will be spending her well earned retirement :-)

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    • Avatar Jesse Staff

      Nice Tim. Please keep us updated!

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    • Avatar mikeH

      Congrats Tim–I think that car is a good bargain even with shipping costs. It should be fun to work on.

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  8. Avatar vern

    Many happy miles Tim.

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    • Avatar Tim ingles

      Thanks Verne ,she seemed too oriiginal to leave alone , only taken 4 months to pluck up courage ! Tim

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      • Avatar Tony

        well Tim…..if I am reading this correctly, its been about a year since you got your 27 Lincoln. How do you like it and how are things going with it ? I ask because I have a 27 Lincoln Judkins bodied Coupe and we love the car. It was restored about 50 years ago and I show it with the LCOC at national shows and drive the car extensively as well. The 60 degree V8 is absolutely the smoothest running engine I have ever driven, and the car has never let me down. Good luck with yours . Tony

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