The Phoenix

[83zephyr4.6]

So as everyone knows my car met an unfortunate end this last Saturday. Well in order to try and take my mind off it I found a new one to take its place. Decided to call the build "The Phoenix" as it is technically the product of a fire.

The car I ended up with is an 1986 Mercury Marquis wagon. The car is a bit rough around the edges and need some attention. All around it is a pretty solid start though.

Here are some pics,

[83zephyr4.6]

The unfortunate part is the front end damage is severe enough it is going to require a pull on the frame rack then half of the core support at least. My question here is would Mustang be the same as this car as far as inner structure is concerned? I know Fairmont/ Zephyr is different.



The interior is going to clean up real nice (even the carpet is able to be saved) with the exception of the rear quarter panel pieces. They are so oxidized I don't know if I can save them.



In the garage





Damaged sheet metal removed

[83zephyr4.6]

The extent of the front end damage. I should be able to repair the frame rail but I will replace at least half of the core support.



The only rust that isn't surface in the whole car that I can find. Shouldn't be too bad to repair

[83zephyr4.6]

The damage to the hatch I'm going to try and repair it but may just look for another hatch. I will at least need the plate/ reverse light bracket.



The roof has two dents in it that will have to be shrunk out. The two strips that are missing off of the roof were in the back of the car.





These are the last major body issues but probably the easiest to fix. That is it for now.

[83zephyr4.6]

Oh yeah almost forgot to mention how much I picked it up for..........$280. That's why I can afford to spend some time on body work.

[4-barrel Mike]

Wow!

Long drive to Medford and back.

Looks like a battery-powered sawzall is in order for your trip to the Vancouver PnP.

What was the interior color on the burnt Zephyr (all your early pics in the first thread have been snarfled by this site)?

Mike

[83zephyr4.6]

It was tan. Extra emphasis on the was as absolutely nothing is left. I found a yard parting out a 2001 Cobra up by Seattle that has a locked up motor in it (ran out of oil). They are asking $850 for the engine but they have had it for almost 6 months now. I think I'm going to call and try to negotiate a deal as all I really want is the top end. I plan on taking the saw with me to PNP this weekend and getting from the middle of the shock tower forward and the middle of the core support over.

[Fearnot]

Dude, you waste no time! Love the wagon.

[83zephyr4.6]

Haha, yeah I know. I just want to know the extent of the damage so I knew how much to get at the wrecking yard.

[grabbergreen84]

Ugh, thought this thread would be about a Pontiac! JK...

Nice old bump-side Crew-Cab next to it!

[83zephyr4.6]

Haha. Thanks. The truck is extremely rusty. Im currently keeping an eye out for a replacement that isn't way over priced

Well made more progress on the car. I also think I've decided to throw it on the rotisserie and steam clean the underside and give it a nice coat of paint.











Well the plan for tomorrow is to finish stripping everything else from the engine bay, remove the rear bumper, and pull the seats and carpets out of the car. Then I need to catch a couple side jobs up and its time to start body work.

[Fearnot]

Hey, what's that chair for? I know you don't sit down - ever! Did you drop that whole assembly like we see it? I didn't know that could be done without taking the coil springs out first.

[JTurbo]

Sorry to see what happened the former project. Based on what you did with that one, the new one in this thread will be stellar....

Look forward to your updates.

JT

[83zephyr4.6]

Fearnot, the chair is for the other half and yep dropped it coils and all. The damn AC compressor and the alternator hung me up though. Didn't realize they sat out so wide.

JTurbo, Thanks. I hope this one come out good. Im not trying to build a show car, just clean it up and give it some new exterior paint. The other thing I did notice though is, I haven't seen any other mod powered wagons. Is there any?

As another little tidbit found out I need both passenger and drivers side front door hinges. I really hope they are the same as mustang. I suppose I could bust out the old interchange book but it would would much easier if somebody on here could enlighten me.

[83zephyr4.6]

So got a little carried away tonight and didn't even get what I really wanted to get do done. I ended up pulling the seat then went to pull the carpet but the dash hung me up. So I pulled that as well then the carpet. Im not too fond of the dash anyways and am debating on finding a new fox mustang dash in red and black to put back in. My biggest issue with the factory one is the price that houses the heater controls, radio, and ash tray looks out of place to me. Kinda like it was an afterthought. Plus the dash looks way to luxurious for what im doing.

Other than that the floors look like brand new other than the passenger rear footwell having so damage from what looks like a big ass rock. Should be able to straighten it out ok. The plan for tomorrow is finish stripping the engine bay (what I intended to do tonight) as well as the rest of the back seat rear carpet and panel off the hatch so I can get in to the dent. Then I need to pull the headliner and roof rack.

Here is some pics, no rest for the wicked....









Im not pulling the rest of the door panels as there is no need. The only reason the drivers one is off is because the window doesn't work nor does the inside door handle. I do have to pull the heater box tobget at the AC bit and I want to pull the wiring so I can eliminate everything that doesn't have to do with chassis or interior.

[83zephyr4.6]

Normally people my age are out partying on Friday nights and doing stupid stuff......I do this. Haha ^^^^^

[4eyes]

Fearnot, the chair is for the other half and yep dropped it coils and all. The damn AC compressor and the alternator hung me up though. Didn't realize they sat out so wide.

JTurbo, Thanks. I hope this one come out good. Im not trying to build a show car, just clean it up and give it some new exterior paint. The other thing I did notice though is, I haven't seen any other mod powered wagons. Is there any?

As another little tidbit found out I need both passenger and drivers side front door hinges. I really hope they are the same as mustang. I suppose I could bust out the old interchange book but it would would much easier if somebody on here could enlighten me.

Major bummer about the previous project, glad you can use the drive train in this project. Wagons are cooler IMO anyway.

Regarding the door hinges, I don't think they're interchangeable. In my parts book it even shows a different "Type" hinge for the Marquis. Both sides use a Type 3 upper hinge, E9TZ 1522800-A with lowers being Type 6 (driver's) E8TZ 1522811-A and (passenger) E8TZ 1522810-A. Mustang/Capri hinges are all Type 9 with E4ZZ 6122820-A (upper) -B(lower).

Wish I could give you better news on the hinges, any chance you could use the hinges off the scorched coupe?

[83zephyr4.6]

Bummer. I found a pin kit on rockauto for roughly $7 per side. I might order one and try it. Can't make them any worsee. I think they are still good enough to make a pin kit work.

[FuturaGuy]

[=83zephyr4.6;1753177]The other thing I did notice though is, I haven't seen any other mod powered wagons. Is there any?[/QUOTE]

There was one FEP member in New York who was building a wagon a 2-valve Modular from a Crown Vic but he hasn't posting anything about it for a couple of years. I hope he's not one of those guys who talks the talk about all the great cars he's going to build and then never finishes any of them.

[conmech]

With that 2001 Cobra in the yard, gut it!!!! Check on the front & rear diff/suspension, trans and 4Vmodular. IRS in wagon FTW

[83zephyr4.6]

I'd love to put IRS in the car, but, the cobra that I was talking is already pretty stripped and the motor is blown up. They are still want $850 for a junk motor. I can't justify paying that for some reason when I can buy a whole car at auction for a little more.

[conmech]

Future planning for the Cobra conversion maybe?

Not the first one....


http://vb.foureyedpride.com/showthre...ight=IRS+wagon

[83zephyr4.6]

Ok, yeah I have seen that theead before iy was before I started working on my zephyr. I do plan on a IRS swap but not till after the car has been drove for a while. I do also plan on a 03-04 top end but not for quite a while unless I stumble on a whole car for cheap. For now im ok with B heads and a older cobra intake.

[83zephyr4.6]

Got to pick n pull to find iut they pulled that car yesterday

[4-barrel Mike]

What?!? It hadn't been there very long.

Now what?

Mike