Front crossmember source?

[Rattyblue63]

Hello all,
This is my first post here. Full disclosure, I’m not a Lincoln owner myself, (yet!) but I’m kind of the caretaker/restorer for a good friend’s recent acquisition, a hardtop ‘63 Continental that hasn’t been on the road since 1985.

Sight unseen EBay purchase. Runs, drives and stops all pretty poorly at the time of this writing, although I’ve changed the “runs” from poorly to pretty good. I’ve changed the water pump, and all hoses and flushed the cooling system enough that the heater works and the automatic choke works as well.

Not knowing anything about the history of this car, given the 1985 inspection sticker still on the windshield, my suspicion is this car was driven until it no longer passed inspection because the front crossmember (crossmember #1) had turned to Swiss cheese. The front seat bottom has a velour (faded) cover over the original leather. The infamous door window switches have been swapped so that “essential” windows like driver door are prioritized over dead ones like the rear doors and vent windows.

The rear armrest switches are missing. All low budget “keep her going” moves. Given this, I did a pretty thorough undercarriage inspection with my preferred unibody inspection tool of choice: my Estwing geologist’s hammer. The car is surprisingly solid in the important places like frame rails (sides and bottoms) rocker panels, and spring mounts. But the steering is a sloppy mess and body sway terrible because of the front cross member. I am a pretty decent welder. Not professional by any means, but I have managed to keep many unibody vehicles on the road passing NYS inspection year after year by keeping after the parts that matter. But this crossmember is done. No manner of gusseting or other reinforcement will alter the fact that it requires removal and replacement.

I’ve found extensive sources for crossmember #2, mainly because so many bag and slam these slabs they need to tuck the underbody up as close to old school channeling as possible. No, this isn’t crossmember #2, it’s #1. As I write this now, and I’ve told my friend, we can either fabricate an entirely new member using the old as a template, or find a donor car with an intact member to cut out and use. The donor car option will likely require travel since we’re in western New York, and everything here is a salty rusty mess. I’m not really interested in hauling and storing a parts car just for a front crossmember. But if that’s the way it goes, that’s the way it goes!

I figured asking a forum of enthusiasts would be a good first route just to make sure the parts sourcing options were exhausted before I started going nuclear. Also, if anyone who HAS a donor car they’ve cut up and think is ready for scrapping but it still has a good crossmember #1, I’m definitely interested in buying it. I find it hard to believe that this part is not being made by anyone, especially since it’s got such high exposure being the front element of the unibody for these awesome cars. I’m hopeful there is an easier solution to this than fabrication! Thanks in advance.

Charlie Melonic

[Dan Szwarc]

I have a 67 chassis but you'd have to come and cut the crossmember out of it. I don't know if the 67 crossmember is the same as 1963, but it likely is. I am in SE Michigan.

[Rattyblue63]

Hi Dan,
Thanks for the offer on the front cross member! I might end up taking you up on it. I’ll do some more research to see about compatibility across the years but I’m with you that it probably isn’t different. Maybe an extra hole here or there. I bought a factory service manual for the car and it’s pretty good on detailing the body sections. Of course, it’s very specific in year scope, being only ‘61-‘63. But I can probably find a similar set of drawings for the ‘67 with a little digging. Will be in touch if I feel like taking a road trip to SE Michigan!

[Dan Szwarc]

Two pics:

This subframe has been waiting to save another car.

[bd94s10]

Rattyblue63,

Welcome. If you can't make it to Dan's I'd try calling Lincoln Land Inc. in Clearwater, FL. Speak to George and tell him I sent you. See if they can ship one out. I'm glad you're helping your friend on saving the car!

Jason aka The Lincoln Addict

[TonyC]

Dan,

Not sure if the owner of that other car ever got back with you, but he realized that the job was beyond his abilities. He sold it.

He does, however, have resolve to find another clap-door Lincoln as soon as he can, one with a more intact understructure; at least now he knows what to inspect beforehand. In the meantime, he acquired an example of the other clap-door conveyance of that period, the one that served as the Mark III's foundation.

---Tony

[Lee]

I’ll bet he didn’t have to get into a bidding war over one of those.

[TonyC]

Probably not, considering how quickly he acquired it. I do have to admit, however, that those Thunderbirds are in fact my favorites of that model.

---Tony