Close



Page 6 of 10 FirstFirst ... 45678 ... LastLast
Results 126 to 150 of 229

Thread: My new Zephyr

  1. #126

    Default

    Great weekend. I went to a swap meet and got an aluminum radiator for 35.00.
    It was dirty, but cleaned up pretty well. I flushed it out and checked for serviceability.
    Installed it and had to readjust everything around it because of the larger capacity, but its in, burped and working.


  2. #127

    Default

    I have always liked the look of the Marchal light covers but at 200 plus dollars they didnt make the cut. So I decided to make my own.
    I started with a set of PIAA light covers for 24.00 and worked them to accept Marchal decals. My wife calls them Hello Kitty stickers.
    They are a perfect fit after you cut out the inside bits. I even use the attachment tabs to keep them on and they are not falling off.
    I painted them the color of the car with some left over hood paint and sprayed clear to protect them. Turned out okay.



  3. #128

    Default

    Lookin' GOOD! I'd love to see that car in person sometime. You don't happen to have plans to come to Street Machine Nationals in St. Paul in July do you? If not, you should. We need more F/Zs!
    Brad

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

  4. #129

    Default

    Sweet Zephyr, hope to have mine that nice in time!
    Matt
    1984 Thunderbird -- 1989 302 HO, GT40 heads w/ Trick Flow springs, E303 cam, Edelbrock Performer 289 intake, Edelbrock 600 4bbl, 85 Mustang dizzy, Jegs o/r h pipe, Dynomax mufflers, Mustang AOD & shifter, Mustang 8.8 w/ 3.73s, Mustang front & rear sway bars, KYB 87-88 TC struts & shocks, and Mustang 11" front brakes.

    1988 Mustang GT hatch -- Explorer intake, GT40 heads with Trick Flow spring kit, Crane 1.7 rrs, E303 cam, 70mm MAF, 70mm throttle body, o/r H pipe, Dynomax mufflers, Kirban Kwik shifter w/ Pro 5.0 Deluxe handle, clutch quadrant & firewall adjuster, and 3.27s
    (86 Mercury Cougar 5.0, 89 Lincoln Mark VII LSC 5 speed, 80 Mercury Zephyr 4 door) sold

  5. #130
    FEP Senior Member
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Location
    warner robins ga
    Posts
    544

    Default

    Awesome pics. Good on the parts.
    Will Rogers" common sense is not as common as you think"

  6. #131

    Default

    After 2 plus years of looking I finally got the remote electric trunk release. NOS part D6LZ-6543200-A.
    The correct one was supposed to come on several cars like full size 80s LTDs, but not foxbody Mustang. The Mustang one attaches differently.
    Being a base model my car barely came with enough wiring to run the car, so I ran the wires under the dash and carpet and up through the trunk lid.
    After an hours work I can now open my glove box and push a button to get in the trunk.

  7. #132
    FEP Power Member 4-barrel Mike's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2010
    Location
    Portland, Oregon
    Posts
    1,953

    Default

    Cool! Be sure to show us the install.

    Mike

  8. #133

    Default

    The install was really simple. I tapped into the power wire for the cigarette lighter. The factory switch mount was in the usual spot. I did use a yellow button that had to have the locking tabs removed to be used in the opening, but they just snap away. They are the triangle looking bits on the switch. A little sanding to remove burrs and it was good.



    The difficult part was getting the right latch. The black one is a mustang one and the other is for a Fairmont.
    Mounting is drastically different and modifying will not work. It looks like you could just remove some bracket material and toss it on but the shape and opening dont line up at all. At least not on my '78 Zephyr. It does make the 38 year old car feel more upscale.


    Last edited by ukravit; 07-09-2016 at 10:12 PM.

  9. #134

    Default

    Sweet! Where'd you find it, and do they have more? I've been wanting to do this to my car for some time, and since i have the Mustang harness, the wiring's all there!
    Brad

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

  10. #135

    Default

    I got it on Ebay
    the ad read:
    1975-78 FORD FAIRMONT MERCURY ZEPHYR ELECTRIC TRUNK LATCH
    ALSO FITS 1976-79 FORD PINTO MERCURY BOBCAT 1975 MUSTANG
    1975-78 MERCURY FULL SIZE 1974-79 FORD THUNDERBIRD
    FITS MANY OTHER MODELS AND YEARS
    PART # D6LZ-6543200-A
    It also came up as being used on 80s Crown Vic LTDs. If you were searching in the salvage yards I would check the latch against the pic I posted.
    Some that I found had a cable that ran from a solenoid to work the latch about 6 inches long. Kind of mix and match.
    I plan on searching the local yards a bit closer now that I know what they came on. Cant hurt to have a spare.

  11. #136

    Default

    Great! Thanks for the info!
    Brad

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

  12. #137
    FEP Power Member 4-barrel Mike's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2010
    Location
    Portland, Oregon
    Posts
    1,953

    Default



    Next is the gas filler door release?

    Mike

  13. #138

    Default

    Actually next up is power windows. I got a universal kit that I plan on using. Maybe power locks while I am in the door.
    But I dont want the switches to be obvious because these options were not found on 78s. Be a week or two, pics when done.

  14. #139

    Default

    double
    Last edited by ukravit; 07-24-2016 at 07:39 PM. Reason: double

  15. #140

    Default

    Dug out the Zephyr and replaced the door to body seals with ones for a 79 mustang.
    From CJ pony parts for 22.49, cut to fit, about 5 inch extra to work with. Money well spent.
    Really made a difference in ride quality, no more creeky sounds. The doors are a little harder to shut , but getting better.
    1978 Mercury Zephyr boxtop 5.0 EFI T5Z 8.8
    1999 Ford Contour 2.5 V6 5 speed
    2016 Ford Focus ST 2.0 Ecoboost 6 speed

  16. #141

    Default

    Nice! Good to know that works!

    Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk
    Brad

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

  17. #142

    Default

    Installed new carpet and replaced the factory sound insulation with hush mat. Took forever to remove the factory stuff, but its much quieter now.
    While I had it tore apart I scrubbed down the floor and everything I could see to get rid of that 40 year old car scent. Job done.
    Stock interiors had the carpet and was very reasonable plus shipped fast.
    1978 Mercury Zephyr boxtop 5.0 EFI T5Z 8.8
    1999 Ford Contour 2.5 V6 5 speed
    2016 Ford Focus ST 2.0 Ecoboost 6 speed

  18. #143

    Default

    Redid the trunk and I think it turned out okay. You cant beat 3M products for quality. Made a pattern and secured the material to a backing board. It lifts up for getting where the spare tire should be. I also used a couple thin coats of 3M undercoating to keep things quiet. New carpet is blue like the original, just nice now.




    Last edited by ukravit; 12-26-2017 at 09:58 PM.
    1978 Mercury Zephyr boxtop 5.0 EFI T5Z 8.8
    1999 Ford Contour 2.5 V6 5 speed
    2016 Ford Focus ST 2.0 Ecoboost 6 speed

  19. #144

    Default

    Nice upgrades! My trunk looks like sh**.
    Brad

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

  20. #145

    Default

    Photobucket bit the dust.

  21. #146

    Default

    Next project. Redoing an old set of Ford Motorsport valve covers for an 80s correct look.
    should only take about 20 hours to get the look right

    1978 Mercury Zephyr boxtop 5.0 EFI T5Z 8.8
    1999 Ford Contour 2.5 V6 5 speed
    2016 Ford Focus ST 2.0 Ecoboost 6 speed

  22. #147

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Jimbo302 View Post
    Photobucket bit the dust.
    It’s a real shame how pics on so many threads have disappeared.

  23. #148
    1978 Mercury Zephyr boxtop 5.0 EFI T5Z 8.8
    1999 Ford Contour 2.5 V6 5 speed
    2016 Ford Focus ST 2.0 Ecoboost 6 speed

  24. #149
    FEP Super Member xctasy's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2012
    Location
    Dunedin 9011, New Zealand, South Pacific
    Posts
    3,961

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by ZephyrEFI View Post
    How did you decide on which ones to get? Did you call them?
    As you found, the SN 95 lever arm is much higher than the F/Z and early M/C's because of the track increase. The shocks have to be a lot softer for a Fox, the Fox 4 and SN suff is too stiff, and also designed for a much heavier car. The spring damper rates on Bilsteins or Konis can be adjusted to suit, although there is a cost in stripping the Bilsteins, or an afternoon testing the Konis. If its Monroe Sensatrac, then it won't be adjustable.

    So your problem is a spring damper rate mismatch, with the rebound and primary settings too stiff. Its noticable as impact harshness and crash through in the front suspension. Foxes have very good impact harshness absorbancy, the K member looks after that. Adding spring tower braces with too stiff shock absorbers creates a nasty high amplitude vibration. Droping down the shocker rate at the front softens it.

    Spring choices are based on what sites right on the free length, and the active coils and thickness of the spring postions the stock right hight at the basic level, then the spring rate in pounds per inch creats the right rate for a smooth ride.

    Generally, soft springs and firm damper rates with moderate to big anti roll bar diameters gives a good ride, but you have to back off on shocker rates for SN95 stuff due to the increased mechanical advantage of the pivot point from the base of the MacPherson strut to the middle of the wheel. Again, the progressive increase from SVO, to LSC, to SN95 to later 99 onwards models alters the stiffness requirments for shocks and springs.

    The track increase from 57" to 61.5 inches on some of the later Fox 4 chassis cars ment Ford went to stiffer shocks

    And the huge wieght gain. The Fox Mustangs and Capris were as heavy as the lightest FOx 105.5" wheel base Box Tops and MZ's and Fairmont derivitives, so your car won't need to carry the extra shocker stiffness the SN95 did.

    Generally, if you find a spring that suits your local roads, then copy it, and then adjust the shocker rating to suit.

    Talk to JH too. The dial in figures will be about the same as the Mustang shocks, but weight transfer on long wheel base Foxes is different as the car has a lot more steel overhang at the front and back and the long wheel base makes the Zephyr ride a lot better than the short wheel base Mustang.

    Soften the shocks.

  25. #150

    Default

    Currently not having ride quality issues with my Zephyr.
    1978 Mercury Zephyr boxtop 5.0 EFI T5Z 8.8
    1999 Ford Contour 2.5 V6 5 speed
    2016 Ford Focus ST 2.0 Ecoboost 6 speed

Page 6 of 10 FirstFirst ... 45678 ... LastLast

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •