THIS CUSTOM 1939 LINCOLN ZEPHYR WAS BUILT BY PAUL TEUTUL, JR.

Those old enough to remember the dark ages of television will recall only a handful of over the air channels in black and white, which was then followed by the introduction of color. That milestone and the advancement of technology eventually led to the birth of cable television, which came to life in the early 1970s. As consumer appetites grew for an ever-expanding menu of content, by the mid 1980s the advent of channels that had a narrower focus in their programming began to appear. Countless boutique series started to blossom on these channels, and by the turn of the century the genre of “reality TV” started to regularly stream into people’s living rooms. It was a format that embraced a variety of different topics – some competition based, while others gave viewers what they thought was an authentic close-up look at day-to-day situations in several different realms. The Discovery Channel was instrumental in bringing reality TV to the automotive realm with shows like American Chopper. From 2000 on, audiences were treated to the Teutul clan and their often-chaotic intra-family squabbles while running their custom bike shop, Orange County Choppers (OCC). Every cast member brought a little something to the table on the show with Paul Teutul, Jr. as the unquestionable creative force behind the choppers that were being built. The show bounced between The Discovery Channel and TLC, and for almost two decades we had a variety of slightly different iterations that gave us a window into their world of building custom themed bikes. They were one of the early pioneers in that specific genre which has spawned countless programs over the years that to some degree owe them a debt of gratitude for paving the way.

During that run Paul, Jr. went his own way and started Paul Jr. Designs (PJD) to continue to create themed bikes for a variety of different clients. That was a recipe that migrated over from the OCC days, and it was something that the viewers of the shows embraced and were familiar with. Paul explains, “I’m still actively building bikes for corporations – that’s what I do. I’m the only in the world who does, which is kind of unique, and it’s a very niche business. Every bike we build is a one-of-a-kind creation. That’s why these large corporations come to me; because a motorcycle is my canvas, and I am essentially storytelling. In the way of two wheels, that’s the way I would describe it and why it works so well is because it speaks to everyone, not motorcyclists per say, it speaks to everyone because of the themes.” That is the side that Paul, Jr. has shared with the world and to some degree what many folks have come to expect from him, and in many ways is a very small window into part of his world, however, what many don’t know is that in the automotive realm, he is in a very different space. “When it comes to personal stuff and collectibles, I am a big history guy,” he states. “I love automotive history and I love automobiles, especially the Art Deco style of the 1930s. Those are pretty much my favorite era of cars.” Having that specific taste was an important component when he was approached by Paul Choi, the president of American Collectors Insurance (ACI) about building a car that reflected the company’s values and would also resonate with their client base. Choosing the right car for this collaboration, he had one in mind that has been near and dear to him: the Lincoln Zephyr. (He’s owned at least a half dozen.)

With one still in his possession, Paul points out, “I‘ve been immersed in this whole Zephyr world of buying and selling them, and this was my last one. When they came to me, I was like, ‘Man, I’ve been looking at these cars forever, and if I ever had a chance to do something, I already had the car built in my head.’” As the deal was sealed, there was one stipulation that Paul has always had with his clients – one that is built on trust. He explains, “On anything we’ve ever built we never let a client see it until the day of the unveil, which is honestly one of my favorite parts of what I do. We take very seriously what we hear the client tell us, but all through the project, there is no one telling you what to do, or requests. We shut it all down and don’t let anyone in and we just get to work, so it’s all very organic. The way that we operate, I think in and of itself is unique and it breeds these spectacular designs because we’re not handcuffed to some sort of drawing that we’ve committed to. We’re able to make our twists and turns with the trust that I bring but ultimately, I’m responsible for all of it – it’s something that I really value because it’s not about meeting expectations. For me, it’s about exceeding expectations.”

The approach that Paul takes when a project like this starts is different than the path that most shops travel when they kick off a build. In most instances they handle the bulk of the process from start to finish performing most of the work. Paul on the other hand has a different approach – one that he has used in the bike building world. “I find my approach to building a car is not one of a car builder,” he clarifies. “I’m there for the whole process. I’m hands on working through it, sometimes changing the creative as it goes and tweaking things – it’s that way with the bike builds. It’s the total expression of my creative ideas, but I use other people’s skillsets. In the past, at one point, I had 10 people in my shop but through the years I’ve found that I don’t necessarily need all that to still achieve great things, so I can bring the right people in when I need them.”

The first step in defining the project’s parameters was mapped out at the start. Much of that was influenced by his values and what he was working with. When it came to the Zephyr, he explains, “I just thought ‘Man, if I was a coach builder in 1939, what would I do?’ I wanted to respect the original design but bring it to the next level. My vision was what they should have done but maybe didn’t because it didn’t make sense from a production standpoint. I didn’t want to see anything that couldn’t have been there in 1939.”

As the build gained momentum, the first task was getting the metal work done on the car. The first group that he contracted to perform this initial step was the crew at Speakeasy Motors in Wallkill, New York. When Paul rolled the car into their shop the fabrication was set in motion. The body was fresh from the media blasters and the canvas they had to work with was incredibly solid. Paul’s vision for the work to be performed drew inspiration from the Delahayes of the mid-1930s with their graceful flowing lines that visually linked the front and rear of each vehicle, which he wanted to emulate on the Zephyr. As the new metal took shape, he realized that the design he envisioned wouldn’t work with the existing door layout. The fix was a suicide door conversion. The other touch that was done was more subtle. Paul explains, “We put an eyebrow on the windows. It’s very subtle and was in my original thought process. We just squeezed it down and it gives the windows a little bit of eyebrow by changing the profile in the doors around the top half of the window. It almost gave us a chop without having to chop the roof because you don’t need to chop the roof on that car. It has the perfect height and proportions.” The other visual element that he felt would further accentuate the flowing lines of the car was the addition of a centrally mounted speed fin behind the rear window.

While they were sorting the metal work, the car was also getting some mechanical attention with the installation of a RideTech Air Ride Suspension system. Paul worked with the crew at the shop for a few months as they shaped the metal to get it ready for its appointment with the next shop in the chain, which was Brain Bucket Specialty Paint in Clintondale, New York. They were tasked with getting all the bodywork done and the car to the finish line with paint. At that point a color choice was still not set in stone, but Paul was leaning towards a solid blue that bordered on black, so he had Chris Brown, the shop owner spray several samples of different shades. After looking at them all, a Mercedes color called Dunkelblau really caught his eye and that is what he decided on. It took the shop a few months to get the body to the point they were ready to apply the PPG basecoat/clearcoat and get it ready for its trip back to Speakeasy Motors for the reassembly. While all of this was moving along, the effects of the shutdowns due to the Covid pandemic were still being felt and progress was at times impacted.

Part of the build also involved an engine makeover. When Paul acquired the Zephyr, it was sporting a flathead V-8, which was not correct for the car. Waiting in the wings was a fresh flathead V-12 that had been rebuilt prior to any other work was done. Part of the makeover included the addition of a triple-carburetor setup.

As things moved along, a wildcard appeared in the mix of this build. The agreement cut by Paul and ACI was that the car was to be unveiled at the 2023 Fall Carlisle show and a few weeks out of that looming deadline the Zephyr was still a rolling chassis that required assembly with the last big piece still missing: the interior. Fish Brothers Upholstery in Hillburn, New York was handed the baton under tight deadlines to execute Paul’s vision. Initially that called for a bright red interior with a slightly more muted red for the carpet. It seemed like a good idea, but when those choices were placed next to the blue on the exterior, which was also in the interior, the call was made to change it. Paul’s wife, Rachael ended up making the decision to go with a blue carpet and a Cognac leather which he admits just made more sense.

The bulk of the interior was a makeover of the existing one, but it also needed Paul’s personal stamp on it. He went knocking on Jason Pohl’s door for some custom machined pieces. Jason and Paul go back to the old OCC days, so he knew that what he needed would be top shelf in quality. Jason machined some art deco inspired trays that were fitted to the top and bottom of the doors. On the top trays Paul added the number 7, which is very personal to him as it is his son’s middle name. Jason also machined the PJD logos for the lower door panels. Because this car was a promotional effort with ACI their branding also needed to be in place and integrated into the elegant design of the Zephyr. “I didn’t want to go too crazy on the branding and make it gaudy,” Paul explains. “I wanted the car to speak for itself.” That was accomplished with the installation of machined ACI logos with brushed copper inserts on the sides in front of the doors.

The entire reassembly process came down to the wire, with parts arriving daily, and it was all finished the day it was scheduled to leave for Carlisle. Taking a page out of the old OCC days, the unveiling took place in front of a large crowd on Saturday, and it was the first time that Choi had the opportunity to set eyes on the car. The goal was achieved as it was universally well received and accomplished the initial mission to educate and grow the collector car community by increasing the appreciation for vintage automobiles among enthusiasts and what they define as “The Spirit of an American Collector.”

You can view the eight-part YouTube series that Paul has put together showing the build of the Lincoln on his YouTube channel.

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