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  1. #1

    Default '79 Zephyr ES Build

    My car is finally on the cusp of a pretty major transformation. The first steps were completed the past few years when I finally got all the interior pieces one color, swapped out the AOD for a T-5, and started stiffening the chassis. I've added a strut tower brace and now just recently got the car back with the through-floor subframe connectors installed.









    You can see how high the thing sits. It rides like CRAP. Plans for the next year or so are as follows:

    1) Swap out the Bullitt wheels that never fit right for the SVO wheels I just picked up
    2) coilover suspension front and rear
    3) get the car sitting considerably lower and riding well so I can drive the thing all the time!
    Brad

    '79 Mercury Zephyr ES 5.0L GT40 EFI, T-5
    '17 Ford Focus ST
    '14 Ford Fusion SE Manual

  2. #2
    Earl Ingstad evlgt85's Avatar
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    That interior is lookin' GOOD! Easy to see how much hard work has gone into this car already. It'll be interesting to see how those SVO wheels look. I've never seen them on an F/Z car, I don't think. Keep us posted!

  3. #3
    FEP Power Member EJSVO's Avatar
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    Cockpit looks Terrific .

    Always liked the Classic Look of that Body style

    Does need to be Lower and your Plans for Suspension and Wheel mods sound very well suited to really making your Four Eye stand out and handle, drive and ride as good as it looks
    1986 SVO 7b - Original Owner
    1988 Turbo Coupe - Original Owner
    2015 Fusion Titanium AWD - DD
    2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee - Son's DD

    Past Pony's

    1964 - Mustang - 289 - 225 HP - Dad's - Delivered 4/17/64
    1965 - Mustang - Hi Po GT - Prairie Bronze
    1967 - Shelby GT 350

  4. #4

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    Thanks all! Yeah, I got the car bone stock about 8 years ago and it's been a lot of trial and error since then. Could have saved myself some trouble though if I'd found FEP sooner! I think this latest round of changes will really get things dialed in. I've always wanted this car to be a driver, and it's just not fun as it sits now. I like the stance with the Bullitts, but I've finally faced facts: they don't fit, and no amount of suspension trickery is going to change that. The SVO wheels are an inch smaller in diameter to help the ride, and an inch narrower to help the fit under the fenders. I can't wait!
    Brad

    '79 Mercury Zephyr ES 5.0L GT40 EFI, T-5
    '17 Ford Focus ST
    '14 Ford Fusion SE Manual

  5. #5

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    Add me to the list of people anticipating the addition of those SVO wheels. Your car is awesome both inside and out and I'm a big fan of the svo's, I think it's gonna look great. I love that you were able to put a Mustang interior in that Zephyr. It looks like a ton of work but it paid off. It looks like something done from the factory, rather than a modification, so hats off to you. It would be cool if you could get a custom Mercury emblem to replace the pony on the dash, maybe the letters "ES" or something like that.

    Anyway, can't wait to see the wheels installed. How long before you mount them?
    Cheers!

    Mike (TopGear85)



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  6. #6

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    I put the "Ride Engineered" badge from the original Zephyr dash where the Mustang badge was on the dash. I'll post a pic when I get the chance. It leaves a hole showing, and I may or may not put some kind of Merc badge there too. Can't decide yet, haha.

    When I mount the wheels depends on when I can get the Bullitts sold. I need that money to buy tires for the SVOs.
    Brad

    '79 Mercury Zephyr ES 5.0L GT40 EFI, T-5
    '17 Ford Focus ST
    '14 Ford Fusion SE Manual

  7. #7
    FEP Senior Member FuturaGuy's Avatar
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    You said you have thru-the-floor subframe connectors. What are you doing about the emergency brake cables? Or did you use the lever brake with the aero Mustang interior? I kept the pedal emergency brake in my Futura. The subframe connectors cross the path where the brake cables normally go and one brake cable is about to snap because it's been rubbing against the subframe connector. I'm going to have to drill thru the subframe connectors and put guide tubes for the cables.
    Last edited by FuturaGuy; 08-10-2013 at 03:08 PM.

  8. #8

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by FuturaGuy View Post
    You said you have thru-the-floor subframe connectors. What are you doing about the emergency brake cables? Or did you use the lever brake with the aero Mustang interior? I kept the pedal emergency brake in my Futura. The subframe connectors cross the path where the brake cables normally go and one brake cable is about to snap because it's been rubbing against the subframe connector. I'm going to have to drill thru the subframe connectors and put guide tubes for the cables.
    Haha, well I didn't know the answer to that myself until I looked. Here ya go.





    And here's the Hushmat I just finished installing today! You can kinda see the "Ride Engineered" badge on the dash in this one.

    Brad

    '79 Mercury Zephyr ES 5.0L GT40 EFI, T-5
    '17 Ford Focus ST
    '14 Ford Fusion SE Manual

  9. #9
    FEP Senior Member FuturaGuy's Avatar
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    Man, those pictures are scary. You should go back to whoever installed the subframe connectors and get your money back. Cutting out that chunk to clear the adjustment bracket defeats the whole purpose of having subframe connectors. And that cable wearing against the hole isn't going to last very long either.

    I've got some vacation coming up and expect to spend some quality time under the car. I plan to get a slightly longer cable from the pivot lever to the adjustment, moving it toward the center of the car. And I'm putting guide tubes with flared ends thru the connectors so the cables don't get worn out. Will post pictures when I'm done.

  10. #10

    Default

    The notch is fully boxed and welded, just needs a little paint on the welds, and the holes just need grommets. I'm not too worried about it.
    Brad

    '79 Mercury Zephyr ES 5.0L GT40 EFI, T-5
    '17 Ford Focus ST
    '14 Ford Fusion SE Manual

  11. #11

    Default

    Boxed or no, that ^^^ there is a hinge. At the very least, the rail should be plated on the underside.
    And that e-brake cable will make short work of any rubber grommet you put there.
    Last edited by JACook; 08-14-2013 at 01:42 PM.
    Cheers,
    Jeff Cook

    '85 GT Hatch, 5-speed T-Top, Eibachs, Konis, & ARE 5-Spokes ... '85 GT Vert, CFI/AOD, all factory...
    '79 Fairmont StaWag, 5.0, 62K original miles ... '04 Azure Blue 40th Anny Mach 1, 37K original miles...
    2012 F150 S-Crew 4x4 5.0 "Blue Coyote"... 65 coupe, 289 auto, Pony interior ... '67 coupe 6-cyl 4-speed ...
    '68 Vert, Mexican block 307 4-speed... '71 Datsun 510 ...
    And a 1-of-328 Deep Blue Pearl 2003 Marauder 4.6 DOHC, J-Mod, 4.10s and Lidio tune

  12. #12

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    Quote Originally Posted by JACook View Post
    And that e-brake cable will make short work of any rubber grommet you put there.
    Okay... what then?
    Brad

    '79 Mercury Zephyr ES 5.0L GT40 EFI, T-5
    '17 Ford Focus ST
    '14 Ford Fusion SE Manual

  13. #13

    Default

    Well, if you can get the cable to line up better with the hole, you might not need anything else.
    Otherwise, or in addition, perhaps you could weld in a piece of tubing to act as a guide, and
    spread the cable rub over a larger surface area.
    Cheers,
    Jeff Cook

    '85 GT Hatch, 5-speed T-Top, Eibachs, Konis, & ARE 5-Spokes ... '85 GT Vert, CFI/AOD, all factory...
    '79 Fairmont StaWag, 5.0, 62K original miles ... '04 Azure Blue 40th Anny Mach 1, 37K original miles...
    2012 F150 S-Crew 4x4 5.0 "Blue Coyote"... 65 coupe, 289 auto, Pony interior ... '67 coupe 6-cyl 4-speed ...
    '68 Vert, Mexican block 307 4-speed... '71 Datsun 510 ...
    And a 1-of-328 Deep Blue Pearl 2003 Marauder 4.6 DOHC, J-Mod, 4.10s and Lidio tune

  14. #14

    Default

    Thanks.

    Let me ask you guys this regarding the notch: Is it not still a bazillion times better than no SFCs at all? because it sure feels like it!

    A few points:
    this car is not a race car
    my motor is a pretty much stock '90 5.0L (and likely to stay that way)
    that tubing is 3" tall
    I'd be surprised if the notch is even cut halfway through it. 1/3 at the most.
    The tubing is welded to the floor all the way down, top and bottom, along with the ends
    I took it to a reputable shop where the guy knows what he's doing. It wasn't just some guy.

    I just really can't believe I'd ever have a problem here. Have you guys seen something like this cause problems? On a mild street car? How is this any different than a c-notch cut in a frame for lowering a truck?

    The cable rubbing on the hole, yes, I'll fix that, but the notch I'm talking about.
    Brad

    '79 Mercury Zephyr ES 5.0L GT40 EFI, T-5
    '17 Ford Focus ST
    '14 Ford Fusion SE Manual

  15. #15

    Default

    No, from what you describe, I'm probably not all that worried about the notch. I wasn't seeing
    the whole picture. But I'd still plate it, just 'cause...
    Cheers,
    Jeff Cook

    '85 GT Hatch, 5-speed T-Top, Eibachs, Konis, & ARE 5-Spokes ... '85 GT Vert, CFI/AOD, all factory...
    '79 Fairmont StaWag, 5.0, 62K original miles ... '04 Azure Blue 40th Anny Mach 1, 37K original miles...
    2012 F150 S-Crew 4x4 5.0 "Blue Coyote"... 65 coupe, 289 auto, Pony interior ... '67 coupe 6-cyl 4-speed ...
    '68 Vert, Mexican block 307 4-speed... '71 Datsun 510 ...
    And a 1-of-328 Deep Blue Pearl 2003 Marauder 4.6 DOHC, J-Mod, 4.10s and Lidio tune

  16. #16
    Chris Wood
    Guest

    Thumbs up

    I don't think you will have a problem with it, hell it is all an upgrade! Keep the pics coming.

  17. #17

    Default

    Nice job. I love this car!

  18. #18

    Default

    The interior's back in! It's a quiet place to be indeed thanks to the new insulation! I'm also excited about the addition of a natural black center console replacing the dyed, beat up one that was in there before. It fits SO much better!





    Brad

    '79 Mercury Zephyr ES 5.0L GT40 EFI, T-5
    '17 Ford Focus ST
    '14 Ford Fusion SE Manual

  19. #19

    Default

    Tried to address some minor issues. My fuel tank was spitting the gas back at me when I would try to fill up. I don't know if anyone's run into this before. It's an LTD wagon CFI tank with an '82 Fairmont filler neck. The '82 filler neck is quite a bit longer than my original, and I had a feeling the gas was hitting the far side of the tank and bouncing back. '82 Fairmonts had a more rectangular tank, and mine is shaped to fit around the spare. I cut the '82 filler neck down to the same size as my original, along with trying to reposition the gas tank so it sits as level as possible. It's possible to bolt the straps up with the tank a little crooked, and I thought maybe that was part of my problem with the splash back, resulting in the filler neck being at a funny angle.

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    You can see above, my parking brake cable is rubbing the edge of its hole through the SFC. I tried enlarging the hole on the outside of the rail, which seems to have helped, but on the inside, the cable is sitting hard against the edge of its hole, which is as high as it can be without getting into the floor. I think I need a change of strategy. I need to find a way to make the cable sit lower. Still haven't figured out how to do that yet. I would maybe drill new holes in the cable bracket on the outside of the rail to make it sit lower, but there's a lot of pressure on the cable, especially when the brake is engaged. I don't want to compromise its strength.

    Other than that, the car's been working great! I have a working gas gauge and everything!
    Brad

    '79 Mercury Zephyr ES 5.0L GT40 EFI, T-5
    '17 Ford Focus ST
    '14 Ford Fusion SE Manual

  20. #20
    FEP Power Member horsepowerjunkie's Avatar
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    Love the EFI part of the car. You got any engine pics?
    11 GT Black, A6,Steeda CAI, SCT X4, Circle D 4C
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  21. #21

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    That is a sweet car, man. I always thought the Zephyr's and Fairmont's looked way better than the Malibu's of that time. For some reason the Malibu's are loved by everyone, yet the Ford version is considered a bastard child. Great work!

  22. #22

    Default

    Thanks! Here's an engine pic.



    I've since added c/c plates and swapped the Steeda strut tower brace for a BBK that fit better with the c/cs.
    Brad

    '79 Mercury Zephyr ES 5.0L GT40 EFI, T-5
    '17 Ford Focus ST
    '14 Ford Fusion SE Manual

  23. #23

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    Other than the steel braided fuel line it looks factory. You do really nice work.

    Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk

  24. #24

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    Sold the Bullitts, and decided to put the tireless SVOs on the car since that's as good a place to store them as any. You can use your imagination from here.
    Attached Images Attached Images  
    Brad

    '79 Mercury Zephyr ES 5.0L GT40 EFI, T-5
    '17 Ford Focus ST
    '14 Ford Fusion SE Manual

  25. #25

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    Quote Originally Posted by 5.0 notchback View Post
    Other than the steel braided fuel line it looks factory. You do really nice work.

    Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk
    Thanks! I had hoped I made it look like it belongs.
    Brad

    '79 Mercury Zephyr ES 5.0L GT40 EFI, T-5
    '17 Ford Focus ST
    '14 Ford Fusion SE Manual

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