[MikeNoun]

Originally Posted by Lightfoot

I don't think I'd trust my life to whatever is holding that up (chain hoist?) but it would sure be a handy way to undercoat/rustproof your car.

There's a steel beam up there, so I think it's safe, but it's a weird way to perform maintenance on a car. Maybe this was before the widespread use of hydraulic lifts in service bays?

Perhaps a Lincoln-Mercury person can chime in here, but I seem to recall this era (1955-1956) of Mercs and Lincolns had a self-lubricating system under the car. The driver could push a button on the dash, and a series of tubes located under the car would grease all the necessary joints and bushings. Back then it was all about automation, and performing a lube job from the drivers' seat was something pretty cool.

Not sure if that's what they're servicing here, but I had these other pics that seemed to focus on the self-lubrication system.