There is plenty more on the way as I get time to organize and assemble it all. This has been in progress for several years
And now for something very special...
Presented below with permission from Senator Boyce are pictures of his NOS Lincoln air breather. There have been a few high dollar sales of Super Marauder equipment over the last decade, and this is one of them although prices seem to have softened in the last few years due to the economy.
As Mr. Boyce explained to me, he found it through a Lincoln freak in New Jersey who tipped him off that the NOS air breather was in the possession of an old gear head in Los Angeles who wanted to get rid of it. It took about six weeks to get the deal done but he did. The old gear head was named Herman Eugster who was also known as "The Duke." The air breather accompanied an original SM intake manifold, bill of sale is attached. Not sure how "The Duke" got ahold of this rare in-the-box piece of history, but my research indicates that Duke passed away almost exactly 4 months after selling it which is probably why he agreed to let it out of his possession. We will never know the full story, but this is a significant missing link in the record for several reasons I explain below.
Note the polished aluminum finish. Highly-polished but not to the point of looking like a chrome job.
Note the box flap with Lincoln part number 5751514.
This numbering convention was implemented sometime in 1957 and carried into 1959. Prior to 1957, the convention was usually a three letter alpha such as BAK, and by early 1959 it had switched to the B9ME convention which is continued today. The box suggests that Ford was intending to produce a SM400 setup for the Lincoln although there is scant reference to this setup in the parts books as ever existing for the Lincoln.
Original box padding is provided via Los Angeles Times newspaper dated Tuesday November 12, 1957. This is consistent with when and where the air breathers would have been manufactured. Lynn Wineland designed the air breathers in the Summer of 1957 and Dean Moon likely cast them in the Summer/Fall of 1957 in Los Angeles.
Note the NOS wingnuts and carburetor studs supplied in the linen pouch.
The carburetor studs are interesting in that one of them is identified as specifically for the rear carburetor mounting. I can only surmise that that stud must be slightly longer or shorter to accommodate a difference in thickness of the air cleaner from the front mount to the rear mount.
The air breather is held down by 3 large bulbous nuts, as I say with a pair of devil's horns, that screw onto a 2½" long ¼" diameter stud that is threaded on both ends. The studs are then screwed into the center of each carburetor. Thread pitch has been reported at ¼" x 20 (coarse) but has also been found in some instances to be ¼" x 28 (fine), although all carbs in the set would be tapped the same pitch. This means that some tripower sets may have studs that are ¼" coarse on both ends whereas other sets may have studs that are ¼" fine on the longer threaded ends that screw into the carbs.
This NOS air breather is simply beautiful, and I promised to recognize the young and cute Sarah Boyce who also appears in the photos. Senator was intending to add tripower to his pink 1959 Continental convertible, but after much consideration had a change of heart. The history on this air breather is told in Senator's 2004 Ebay description which I have reprinted below. It ended up selling for $7,500 to another collector who was restoring a 1958 Continental convertible which I believe is now a beautiful show car in Southern California.
Ladies & Gentlemen:
What you see is the only one of its kind. With only a handful ever made, probably less than 100, I can say with a reasonable certainty that this is the only one in the world. You are looking at a New Old Stock (NOS) Lincoln Tripower Air Cleaner that was made for 1958 Lincoln Continentals as a dealer installed option. Lincoln Part Number 5751514.
Lincoln lovers all know the story of this fuel system, so there is no need to revisit that here. This item came to me through a tip over the internet. After I physically verified its authenticity, it took several months to extract it from its original owner. It was recently delivered to me here in Denver, and I have spent a good bit of time admiring it, and deciding what I want to do with it. Because of the rarity of this item, however, I feel compelled to offer it to the marketplace for sale at a very high reserve.
It's rarity is further enhanced by the fact that it includes the original filter element, most likely the only one in existence as well. In addition, it includes the 3 wing nuts, 3 carburetor studs & tag, and 3 rubber carburetor gaskets. All of the hex head nuts holding the two halves of the air cleaner together are there.
It is in the same condition as the day it was built. There are no defects other than the ones it was built with. There is a touch of cosmolene from its original packing on one end, but I am not going to remove it. That should be left for its owner to enjoy.
I have the original box, although it is in rough shape. Intact however, is the important part the box end flap with the part number on it. It also includes the newspaper in which it was wrapped in the fall of 1957, the Los Angeles Times no less.
Terms are cash, ACH, or certified funds, only. Buyer pays for shipping and insurance. This item must be insured upon shipment. I will not be responsible for potential damages in shipping. This item cannot be replaced.
Do not bid unless you are ready to buy. Good Luck!