Ford’s premier luxury liner has carried the Lincoln name for many decades and the post-war 1947 Lincoln Continental was a stylish flag ship for the Blue Oval boys.
There was no mistaking a 1947 Lincoln on the road because these cars were large and in charge.
A typical Lincoln owner was an upscale customer and was not particularly worried about the sticker price on these luxury cars.
The most important part of the equation was the elegance of the car for a Lincoln owner.
A 1947 Lincoln answered the bell in a big way for its upscale client base and was able to provide all the creature comforts for its owners.
Dennis Mockford has always been a fan of the Lincoln marque and owns models from both the pre and post war era. He typically leans toward the stock versions of the cars, but his 1947 Lincoln Continental has softened his stance on the resto-mod philosophy.
The original V-12 in his Lincoln Continental has stepped aside for a modern replacement in the form of a modern 4.6 liter Ford small block mounted up to a four speed overdrive transmission. The result is a smooth-running car that can hit 30 mpg on the highway, according to Dennis.
The car can handle modern highway speeds but Dennis tries to avoid pushing the limits too far on his Lincoln. However, he did add that the car runs effortlessly down the highway and he has found himself travelling a little faster than his chosen speeds.
The Lincoln underwent many of its modifications before Dennis became its owner, but he changed one custom feature fairly quickly by raising the front end up to a more acceptable ride height. The Lincoln was almost scraping the pavement and Dennis was not fond of the lowered front end.
The interior was redone in new leather and the former owner added head rests to the original front seats. The former owner’s wife was a chiropractor who had treated people for whiplash after an automobile accident and knew the value of a proper headrest in a collision.
The car also has front disc brakes which will help slow down the big Lincoln in an emergency situation. All of the mods to the car have made Dennis comfortable with the idea of a resto-mod 1947 Lincoln Continental as part of his collection.
The Lincoln Continental has factory power windows-a creature comfort not found on most North American automobiles 69 years ago. It also has a factory pull-out arm rest in the front seat that Dennis finds very comfortable on trips.
Dennis moved the license plate holder from the Continental kit to the bumper and intends to remove the bumperettes from the front and back bumpers to give the car a cleaner look. Dennis was quick to point out that his bumper alterations can be changed back to the original look.
Another part of the cleaner look is the custom cover over the radiator. Dennis said there is a lot of space between the radiator and front grille of the Lincoln, so the cover makes the car look more complete.
Dennis has become a big fan of his upgraded 1947 Lincoln Continental and is no longer opposed to the resto-mod philosophy.
He may even upgrade one of his other cars in the future.