BF Exclusive: 1947 Lincoln Convertible Coupe Hot Rod

• Seller: Robert P etrauskas (Contact)
• Location: Apollo, Pennsylvania
• Mileage: 73,000 Shown
• Chassis #: 7H152959
• Title Status: Clean
• Engine: 394 cui Oldsmobile V8
• Transmission: 3-Speed Column Shift

Every so often, a genuine long-term discovery surfaces with a history that makes you want to know more. This 1947 Lincoln Convertible certainly qualifies. Offered as a Barn Finds Exclusive in Apollo, Pennsylvania, for $11,500, the seller says this Lincoln sat from 1971 until 2019 and had already been transformed into a hot rod during the 1960s. Rather than erase that chapter of its life, the next owner can revive a fascinating period-built project.

The seller says the Lincoln was fitted with an early Oldsmobile 394 during its hot-rodding days. That engine has since been replaced by a 1963 Starfire 394, which remains in the car today. It’s paired with a three-speed column-shift manual transmission, making for a combination you certainly won’t encounter at every cruise night.

The engine does run, although the seller is refreshingly candid about its current condition. At least one cylinder is described as dead, with the seller suggesting stuck rings as a possible cause after the engine spent years in a salvage yard. That’s a diagnosis the next owner will need to investigate rather than an established fact, but there’s already been some mechanical work completed.

According to the seller, the Lincoln has new rod bearings and a new clutch, while the gas tank has been rebuilt and the brakes are new. They report that the car will drive around the yard and stops fine. It’s still very much a project rather than a road-ready classic, but having basic movement and braking capability is certainly welcome when taking on something of this size and age.

The body also gives the next owner an interesting starting point. The seller reports no rust-through other than in the front floors and notes that reproduction floor panels are available. None of the Lincoln’s hydraulic systems currently function, so those will also need attention as the restoration or recommissioning moves forward.

The odometer shows 73,000 miles, and the Lincoln is offered with a clean title. The seller also says manuals, literature, and additional parts are included, potentially giving the next caretaker some useful material as they get acquainted with the car.

Then there’s the body style itself. According to the seller, only around 300 were made. Regardless of whether the next owner chooses to preserve its 1960s hot rod identity or take the project in another direction, a 1947 Lincoln Convertible Coupe isn’t something you’re likely to park next to another example of very often.

That’s what makes this Barn Finds Exclusive especially appealing. It’s not simply an unfinished old Lincoln; it’s a car the seller says spent decades tucked away after being hot-rodded in an earlier era, and much of that story remains intact.