This 1938 Lincolin Model K was purchased from Harrah's Auto Museum by Charlie Taylor approximately 28 years ago. The car sat in Charlie's shop for about 24 years with several other cars of interest.
Charlie came to me one day and asked if I would be interested in getting the car running. Basically, he said it needed electrical work. After getting the car to the shop Frank Gage and myself started looking it over. Yep, it needed electrical work but it didn't have any compression on two cylinders.
After a few weeks of research we felt we could come up with enough parts to salvage the engine. To describe all that went on from here would take a whole book, but in a nut shell, one piston was ruined, valves were bad and the worst problems were crankshaft and head problems.
After two weeks of welding on the aluminum heads, it was decided that it would be nice if we could buy "new heads". Guess what.....Ernie Foster in California cast new heads for the Model K! That was a very good move since we had to spend extra time modifying connecting rods to accept bearing inserts from a Ford diesel . Yes , the heads cost a bit but were well worth it.
Innovative Machine in Saint Louis, Missouri, water-jetted shims for the main bearings. Rings, valves, valve guides and gaskets were obtained from Egge's Machine. The wiring problems were solved with new wire looms supplied by a wiring specialty shop in New Jersey. After two years the model K is up and running. It was quite an honor to work on this vintage car.