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  1. #1
    FEP Senior Member waggin's Avatar
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    Default Finally living up to my name...with a Zephyr wagon!

    Just picked this little gem up recently. It barely runs, and the suspension makes all sorts of scary noises, but thankfully, the body is pretty straight. It sure is optioned strangely with the 4 cylinder, 4-speed manual, power brakes, manual steering, no passenger mirror, rear defroster, and the smooth rear bumper. What really surprised me was seeing the console and the tach. Were these offered in Zephyrs, or were these swapped from a Mustang?


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    '78 Fairmont Box Top w/Straight 6/3-spd Manual Everything
    '81 Zephyr Wagon 4/4-spd
    '84 Mustang SVO 5.0 Swapped semi-junker (I didn't do it!)
    MAF, GT-40, BBK Shorties

  2. #2

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    Love it!
    Mike
    1986 Mustang convertible ---> BUILD THREAD
    Past Fox-chassis "four eyes":
    1983 Mercury Cougar LS
    1986 Ford Thunderbird ELAN
    1980 Capri RS Turbo

    Work in progress website ---> http://carb-rebuilds-plus.boards.net/

  3. #3

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    Wow a wagon with 4 cyl 4 speed console and full instrumentation that is neat, congrats!
    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

  4. #4
    FEP Power Member 4-barrel Mike's Avatar
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    Was that on C/L?

    Great find.

    If the console doesn't have a slot for the Mustang style hand brake, then it's a Zephyr & REALLY rare.

    Mike

  5. #5
    FEP Power Member Fearnot's Avatar
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    Very nice! I likey this one.
    88 Turbo Coupe auto
    88 Turbo Coupe 5spd
    79 Fairmont Futura 4.6
    79 Capri RS - 2.3/5spd restomod
    80 Capri 5.0/5spd project
    79 Zephyr Z7 factory 5.0 sunroof
    79 Pace Car 5.0/5spd project
    85 LTD LX factory 5spd?(not documented)
    86 GT conv 5.0/5spd
    79 Pace Car 2.3/4spd - needs new home

  6. #6
    FEP Senior Member waggin's Avatar
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    Thanks, everyone! I need another car like another hole in the head, but this was too interesting to pass up.

    Quote Originally Posted by 4-barrel Mike View Post
    Was that on C/L?

    Great find.

    If the console doesn't have a slot for the Mustang style hand brake, then it's a Zephyr & REALLY rare.

    Mike
    Yup, it was a CL find. Looks like no handbrake slot. Huh, I didn't realize that the F/Z cars came with the instrumentation and console; sort of thought it was Mustang stuff.

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    '78 Fairmont Box Top w/Straight 6/3-spd Manual Everything
    '81 Zephyr Wagon 4/4-spd
    '84 Mustang SVO 5.0 Swapped semi-junker (I didn't do it!)
    MAF, GT-40, BBK Shorties

  7. #7

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    Yep, console and sport instrumentation were optional. I certainly would not have expected them on yours though, given what else it has! Looks like a sweet wagon though, congrats!
    Brad

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

  8. #8
    FEP Senior Member Greywolf's Avatar
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    I had a 1980 Fairmont wagon (green, where there was still paint); it had the full instrumentation but not the console. It had no other options; so pretty similar to this one. It didn't have the happy face on the dash, either. It DID had a Ford (dealer option, not factory) tow hitch on it...talk about wishful thinking!
    This one is much nicer!

  9. #9
    FEP Senior Member waggin's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Greywolf View Post
    I had a 1980 Fairmont wagon (green, where there was still paint); it had the full instrumentation but not the console. It had no other options; so pretty similar to this one. It didn't have the happy face on the dash, either. It DID had a Ford (dealer option, not factory) tow hitch on it...talk about wishful thinking!
    This one is much nicer!
    Came complete with smiley face and small, plush kitty-kat on the dash top; that's probably good for some extra horsepower! The tow hitch option is hilarious, although the guy I bought this from had a 2" receiver hitch bolted to the bottom of the bumper and actually used it to tow small sailboats. We're only talking a few hundred pounds, though. PO said he replaced timing belt and did tune up, but it never ran right after that, even though he swears the timing marks lined up perfectly. Going to pull the timing belt guard to look, and I'll put a timing light on it to see how the distributor lines up, just in case that got bumped. Just for kicks, I am going to try to get it to run right before I swap a 302 into it.

    Pictures make it look nicer and straighter than it is; there's a tweak at the back of the driver's door; roof rack cross bars are bent; there's some missing trim; tailgate latch area is slightly tweaked, and rear interior plastics are toast. Only area of rust concern is at hood hinge plates, but I didn't find any cancer yet. I drove it about 14 miles after buying it, with 5 of those on a rough, bumpy road, and the clunking from underneath made me worry about what might come apart!
    '78 Fairmont Box Top w/Straight 6/3-spd Manual Everything
    '81 Zephyr Wagon 4/4-spd
    '84 Mustang SVO 5.0 Swapped semi-junker (I didn't do it!)
    MAF, GT-40, BBK Shorties

  10. #10
    FEP Power Member 4-barrel Mike's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by waggin View Post
    PO said he replaced timing belt and did tune up, but it never ran right after that, even though he swears the timing marks lined up perfectly. Going to pull the timing belt guard to look,
    It DOES sound like it may be a tooth off (been there, done that )

    Mike

  11. #11

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    Damn, that's cool!

  12. #12
    FEP Senior Member
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    That is absolutely cool. I've only seen one other wagon with a console. It was a Fairmont and it had a V8 and 4 spd.

  13. #13
    FEP Senior Member waggin's Avatar
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    After three trips to Pick & Pull, I now have a roof rack with straight cross bars plus roof strips, replacement rear side window trim, windshield trim set, a cowl vent for my Fairmont, a set of wagon tail lights, a smooth rear bumper, a set of fender extensions, an Aerostar chin spoiler, a rear wagon hatch with wiper (needed one trim piece, but figured I'd buy the whole hatch,) a 2-eye Fairmont grille and headlight surround set, and a better set of blue seatbelts for my Fairmont. Phew!

    If anyone wants any info. on what's left of the 1980 Fairmont wagon at the Arlington P&P, let me know. Kind of funny, but on my first trip to the yard, I ran into someone I know pulling out the dashboard face; what are the odds?
    Last edited by waggin; 09-03-2016 at 11:14 PM.
    '78 Fairmont Box Top w/Straight 6/3-spd Manual Everything
    '81 Zephyr Wagon 4/4-spd
    '84 Mustang SVO 5.0 Swapped semi-junker (I didn't do it!)
    MAF, GT-40, BBK Shorties

  14. #14

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    Nice! Gotta love a successful junkyard run (or series of runs)! I just don't get time to go anymore...
    Brad

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

  15. #15
    FEP Senior Member waggin's Avatar
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    Randomly ended up on Ebay and saw the wagon reverse lights from seller "micasmexlm" and was wondering what people think of them. For $12.53, they sound very attractive, especially since my existing ones are horrifically yellow. On a side note, can mine be cleaned up at all? Seller does mention that they are new, reproduction, and driver quality, but if someone wants show quality, they'll be disappointed. Anyone have experience or thumbs up or down?

    Went back to the yard and scavenged some more trim from the Fairmont, the rubber hood bumpers, one of the fender marker lights, plus the front armrests and visors. I'm done now...maybe. Figure this stuff is hard to come by, so grab the extra parts while I can in case I need some of it later.
    '78 Fairmont Box Top w/Straight 6/3-spd Manual Everything
    '81 Zephyr Wagon 4/4-spd
    '84 Mustang SVO 5.0 Swapped semi-junker (I didn't do it!)
    MAF, GT-40, BBK Shorties

  16. #16

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    I think those are the ones I bought for my wagon. They worked fine. I couldn't find the old order on eBay so I can't say for sure that's the same guy. But how many people could possibly be selling those? I had the most trouble getting one of the old ones out and ended up having to glue the new one in. Even with that it has been in there for several years about 35k miles. Still looks and works fine.
    - 81 Fairmont Wagon
    - 82 Futura -- SOLD
    - 89 LX 5.0 Convertible

  17. #17
    FEP Senior Member waggin's Avatar
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    Received the backup light lenses, and I'd say they're definitely worth the $12.53 I spent on them, especially if compared to the yellowed and hairline-cracked existing ones. Have to give the seller props for being honest and describing them as driver quality. They even comment that these aren't show quality, and if that's what you want, you'll be disappointed. Most people won't go to those lengths to accurately describe their product, so again, massive respect to "micasmexlm" on E-bay. I'd call them 10-footers, which is plenty good enough for me.

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    Minor swirl/distortion marks on surface radiating from parting point.

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    Divot and distorted edge obvious at parting point where I assume mold is filled. I'll likely do a little sanding to soften the edge here.

    Again, I'm happy with the parts, but I'm pointing out what you get, as this may help someone else make the decision if these work or not for their car.
    '78 Fairmont Box Top w/Straight 6/3-spd Manual Everything
    '81 Zephyr Wagon 4/4-spd
    '84 Mustang SVO 5.0 Swapped semi-junker (I didn't do it!)
    MAF, GT-40, BBK Shorties

  18. #18
    FEP Power Member uglybox's Avatar
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    I have always loved the wagons. That's the only thing that would have made my yard sale find better!

  19. #19

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    Love the options on this one. It's ready for a 302.

  20. #20
    FEP Senior Member waggin's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jimbo302 View Post
    Love the options on this one. It's ready for a 302.
    One 302, coming up! (hopefully this winter)
    '78 Fairmont Box Top w/Straight 6/3-spd Manual Everything
    '81 Zephyr Wagon 4/4-spd
    '84 Mustang SVO 5.0 Swapped semi-junker (I didn't do it!)
    MAF, GT-40, BBK Shorties

  21. #21
    FEP Senior Member waggin's Avatar
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    Geez, three years later and I haven't done anything with the car. Life... Time to change that. By posting here, hopefully I can self-shame myself into working on it!

    So I'm finding myself stuck in analysis to paralysis mode, and I think that the way to get motivated might be to do the easiest swapping to get this thing going. I have five different 302's, a T-5, an AOD, and a 4R70W that I've managed to collect. For now, I think that I'm going with a carbed 302 from a smog-era Econoline (135 horsepower!) and a T-5 in a dead, parts car. Since this is already a stick car, this seems to make the most sense. Other 302's are a 1996 Explorer, 2000 Explorer, 1992 Mustang, and another roller 302 that needs head gaskets or a rebuild. I know the van engine and the 2000 Explorer engines run; the others are supposedly good.

    As for other parts, I've got a bunch! For rear ends, I've got a Fox 8.8 with 3:08's, already five lug swapped. There's also an SVO rear, which I think is going to go into my box-top. Oh yeah, I have other cars, plus a parts car! Then there's the 94/95 SN-95 rear and the Explorer 8.8. Probably won't do anything with the Explorer rear, as it's the most work to use. Thinking of using the Fox 8.8 with drums. I think this is the easiest, but I will have to move the brake lines, either on the car or on the axle. As for the front, I've got most of the parts for a late 1980's spindle/brake upgrade with 5-lug rotors. I've also got some nice 94/95 spindles and some PBR calipers, but I think I need some more bits and pieces to finish that setup.

    My wagon looks a lot nicer in the photos than it actually is, so this won't be a pretty car. I'm also kind of into minimalist cars. Really just want to get it running and driving, then later I'll start thinking of making it fast. I absolutely love the SEFI performance, so eventually I want to go FI.

    Starting questions:
    --Can I use the existing master cylinder with the 8.8 drum swap? Assuming the wheel cylinders aren't significantly different, but I want to make sure. If/when I go disk, I know I need to change the MC and proportioning valve.
    --Is going with the late 80's Fox spindle and front brakes easier than swapping to the SN-95 stuff?
    --What are the recommended, budget engine/frame mounts? I'm assuming the ones in the Econoline aren't going to be the right ones.
    --Does the T-5 shifter line up with the hole in the console? In other words, is the shifter located in the same spot on a 4-cylinder, 4-speed as with a 302, 5-speed? It would be really cool to keep the stock console.
    --Plan is to build my own 3", single exhaust. GF has a MIG welder...bonus! What are the odds that I can use the Econoline's Y-pipe, then tie that in to a new 3" single? Or, is this silly, and there's a great, manifold and back system I should use instead. Note that I do have access to the stock 1992 tubular manifolds on the Mustang engine, if they're a better choice vs. the Econoline manifolds.
    --Any other helpful tips on this?

    If you're still with me on this ramble, any thoughts are appreciated!
    '78 Fairmont Box Top w/Straight 6/3-spd Manual Everything
    '81 Zephyr Wagon 4/4-spd
    '84 Mustang SVO 5.0 Swapped semi-junker (I didn't do it!)
    MAF, GT-40, BBK Shorties

  22. #22
    FEP Power Member gmatt's Avatar
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    Existing master cylinder will work with both the 8.8 drums and the '87-up front disc/spindles.

  23. #23
    FEP Power Member gmatt's Avatar
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    I think when you remove the 4cyl frame brackets, you can use regular Mustang V8 motor mounts.

  24. #24

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    Dude, 135 horsepower? Slap a carb on one of the Explorer engines! You can always hold on to the FI stuff for later.

    Plan on cutting your shifter hole some more. The tunnels seem a bit lower on these than Mustangs, but you can get the T-5 hump from LMR and that will clean things up nicely.

    One option you have with the 8.8 brake lines is to use a 7.5's soft line and tie it into the middle.... wait, since you're going single exhaust, why not just use your original brake lines from the 7.5? No reason to route the soft line to the center if you're not doing dual exhaust.
    Brad

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

  25. #25
    FEP Power Member 4-barrel Mike's Avatar
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    Console mounting brackets are different for a Fairmont/Zephyr than with the Mustang using a T5 hump! I think that you can get away without installing a hump. If you do install it, you'll have to cut down the F/Z brackets or purchase Mustang brackets. BTDTGTS*

    Mike

    *Been there, done that, got the shirt.

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