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  1. #1

    Default My 1978 Fairmont Futura $4k budget build

    I plan to have a follow up video that goes into more detail of the $4k part of this, but here's the introduction of my project - the platform I have to build on!

    https://youtu.be/FmJNO83Pxzc

  2. #2

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    Great start! Lot of potential there!
    Brad

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

  3. #3

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    Hey thanks! I think it's a pretty solid platform. Could have probably preferred any other color out of Ford's 1978 offering, but I can't complain otherwise.

  4. #4

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    Yeah, your odds of finding an early F/Z in a good color are NOT good.
    Brad

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

  5. #5
    FEP Senior Member waggin's Avatar
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    Will look forward to seeing what you do with it!
    '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

  6. #6
    FEP Senior Member Greywolf's Avatar
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    Default

    Looking forward to seeing more of this! (I can't see the videos until I'm ashore--YouTube is blocked and ship's internet is pay-per-kilobyte...)

  7. #7

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    Quote Originally Posted by Greywolf View Post
    Looking forward to seeing more of this! (I can't see the videos until I'm ashore--YouTube is blocked and ship's internet is pay-per-kilobyte...)
    ahhh suck! Well at least I only have one video up at the moment. When do you get ashore?

  8. #8
    FEP Senior Member Greywolf's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Str8sixfan View Post
    ahhh suck! Well at least I only have one video up at the moment. When do you get ashore?

    I'm home 9/15-9/27 and then 10/27 through most of November.
    If things go well I'll have a place to work on my Zephyr this winter so we can compare notes.

  9. #9

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    Hoping to get started on it this coming weekend. Primarily cleaning the thing up for starters. Then hope to at least fix the gear indicator on the column shift.

  10. #10
    FEP Senior Member
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    I saw in one of your other posts in the wheel,suspension,brake forum that you are looking to convert to five lug using a lot of Mark VII parts. I was just curious what your drive to convert to five lug is? Is it for more/better wheel selection or something else?
    '89 XR-7 5 Speed
    '95 SC 5 Speed
    '91 Crown Vic P72 351W
    '97 Thunderbird
    '85 Ford LTD Squire

  11. #11

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    two fold. Better wheel selection, but easier to swap an axle completely with better gears and upgrade to an 8.8 with disc brakes and trac-loc than to do a gear swap in my 7.5" and take it all apart to still have a weak axle at the end of the day. Now I'm not really going to make serious power to NEED the 8.8, but it provides a more appealing platform to the next buyer who may want to throw some HP at their project car.

  12. #12

    Default

    Here's an update...it's the build plan episode. A lot of talking, but worth watching first 3 minutes for sure and you'll have a pretty good feel for what this episode will be like. But no offense if you want to listen to it like a podcast it's LOOOONG

    https://youtu.be/KFGxSopmhnU

  13. #13

    Default

    Name:  IMG_20180903_172055_zpszzapdlh3.jpg
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    So I found this today after I took out the passenger seat to make more room to remove the headliner. When I went to set the seat back in the car for the night to clean up my work garage so wife's car could park back in, I picked up the seat in the folded position so easier to carry. When doing so I found this folded and wedged in the seat springs under the seat. It's the factory build sheet from 1977! So cool!

  14. #14
    FEP Senior Member Patrick Olsen's Avatar
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    That is so cool! I wonder if I'll find mine, too, whenever I get around to yanking the seats?
    '89 GT convertible - not a four-eye
    '82 Zephyr Z7 - future track car

  15. #15

    Default

    So I got the headliner replaced today -

    https://youtu.be/Ss0lKcIpOOs

  16. #16

    Default

    Got sound deadener in last Sunday. Hope to get the carpet done this Saturday.

    https://youtu.be/v9KkGvjRKlg

  17. #17

  18. #18

    Default

    Did some baseline 0-60 testing yesterday...as bad as you might suspect.

    https://youtu.be/bF-HbQzqoks

  19. #19
    FEP Senior Member Patrick Olsen's Avatar
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    Awesome! I've only driven mine a couple/few times, not sure I've even hit 60 - I know I've gotten it up to 55. Not sure I have a good, level road to test 0-60 on.
    '89 GT convertible - not a four-eye
    '82 Zephyr Z7 - future track car

  20. #20

    Default

    If it was back where I grew up, I'd have even better flatter options, hahaha. That's Kansas for ya!

  21. #21

    Default

    Started trying to address some tune-up issues. Really I think the motor's in pretty decent running order by the end of this video. I overreacted a little bit (later last night I double checked the dipstick and the color was more coca-cola dark like I had originally remembered it. I'm guessing it got a little lighter looking when warm).

    https://youtu.be/89EU2TSqiwI

    But any suggestions you want to give me I'm open for it. This is really my first time having to dig into a car.

  22. #22
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    Probably due for a distributor rebuild. Or a new one.
    Loose sloppy or old springs may be effecting the idle and timing curve.
    You need an advance timing light to use in conjunction with the vacuum gauge to tune the timing advance.

    Have you done a compression test?
    Spark plugs?

    There was an old Ford Muscle forum that had a great thread on rebuilding the DS2.
    There are a variety of cam plates that you can put in there to tune the mechanical curve.
    And spring swaps too. There is/was a Mr. Gasket kit that has some springs for it.
    I did mine many years ago.

    I just found a tech article here, but the photos are gone:
    http://vb.foureyedpride.com/showthre...r-Timing-Guide
    Last edited by Monty78; 10-29-2018 at 11:42 PM.

  23. #23

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    Monty, thanks...helpful tips for sure. I haven't compression tested it yet. I do have a compression tester. On Sunday I pulled the drivers side bank of plugs. Now they had to have been replaced before I bought them given how clean they looked. Spark plug wires look brand new. I'll be slowly tackling this...with the way the cooling system jumped up that's my primary focus right now. But I'll keep in mind about rebuilding the distributer.

  24. #24
    FEP Senior Member Patrick Olsen's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Str8sixfan View Post
    On Sunday I pulled the drivers side bank of plugs.
    Let us know how it goes with the passenger side bank of plugs. Those are a real pain to get to - some people can't even find them!


  25. #25

    Default

    I really didn't even look. It was more of a product of, I kind of got through what I wanted to accomplish on Sunday, so I had a little extra time, but not enough to get to the passenger's side. I plan on doing so.

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