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  1. #1
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    Default 78 or 79 F/Z factory V8 w/std Trans

    I just did search in the forum wanting to find out if they ever factory produced 78 or 79 F/Z’s with a V8 and a standard transmission?
    Anybody know for sure?

  2. #2

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    Yes. I have a door tag from a 1979 model.

    http://vb.foureyedpride.com/showthread.php?165450
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  3. #3
    FEP Power Member Fearnot's Avatar
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    Yes they built them. We have a member here that owns one right now. Maybe he’ll add some information.
    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

  4. #4

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    Fairmonts and Zephyrs were available with a 302 and 4 speed in 1979 only.
    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. #5
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    Default

    My '79 was a 302 4 speed car originally. Was changed to a 5.0/T-5 before I got it. Now going to a 408W A/T car... I know the sacrilege of swapping a manual to an auto. I'm building a 9 second street/bracket race car though so the automatic is a lot easier on parts and more consistent.

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dr. Matt View Post
    My '79 was a 302 4 speed car originally. Was changed to a 5.0/T-5 before I got it. Now going to a 408W A/T car... I know the sacrilege of swapping a manual to an auto. I'm building a 9 second street/bracket race car though so the automatic is a lot easier on parts and more consistent.
    I'm having a problem right now with NHRA believing that Ford built 302 Fairmonts with a 4 speed. They have told me I can only run my Stock Eliminator car with an automatic.
    Anyway I can get a photo of your door tag?

  7. #7

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    I would like to see the door tag too. I would like to add it to the database.

    I will post the other door tag that I have.
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  8. #8
    FEP Power Member 4-barrel Mike's Avatar
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    You need a Marti.

    Mike

  9. #9

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    That's the door tag from the link I posted above. I decoded it on page two of that thread.
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  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by Shadylane View Post
    I'm having a problem right now with NHRA believing that Ford built 302 Fairmonts with a 4 speed. They have told me I can only run my Stock Eliminator car with an automatic.
    Anyway I can get a photo of your door tag?
    I’ll try to get by the chassis shop that is building my cage this week and get a pic of it. Few thousand miles away from my car right now. I’ll post it up here when I can.

  11. #11
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    Default

    How about an interior pic in the meantime?

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  12. #12
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    Top of this page second column clearly states that the four speed manual trans was available with the V8.

    http://www.lov2xlr8.no/brochures/for...irmont/13.html
    '89 XR-7 5 Speed
    '95 SC 5 Speed
    '91 Crown Vic P72 351W
    '97 Thunderbird
    '85 Ford LTD Squire

  13. #13
    FEP Power Member 4-barrel Mike's Avatar
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    I wonder what Marti would charge for a single researched item such as "Number of Fairmont/Zephyr V8/4-speed vehicles built in 1979"?

  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by 4-barrel Mike View Post
    I wonder what Marti would charge for a single researched item such as "Number of Fairmont/Zephyr V8/4-speed vehicles built in 1979"?
    I looked at Kevin Marti's website, the basic report is $18.00, on up to $275. I have a deluxe report for my 67 Fairlane. They also do research as you suggested but are 3 to 4 months behind. Might be worth the wait though depending on what they charge. I may invest in a basic one for 'proof' as it were.

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dr. Matt View Post
    How about an interior pic in the meantime?

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    Nice, I'll bet that console is a rare piece.

  16. #16

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    Quote Originally Posted by KevinVarnes View Post
    Top of this page second column clearly states that the four speed manual trans was available with the V8.

    http://www.lov2xlr8.no/brochures/for...irmont/13.html
    Interesting. I find no such claim in the '79 Zephyr brochure. Of course, we know in '80, the Fairmont offered the Turbo, but the Zephyr did not.
    Brad

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

  17. #17

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    Marti 'standard' report will tell you for sure what the original transmission was. If you order a 'deluxe' report you will get a stat for engine and transmission for that particular body code in the VIN, but there are several body codes with the 5.0L/SROD. If you knew a VIN for each body code that had the F/5 code then it would be less expensive that custom research stats.
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  18. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by Shadylane View Post
    Nice, I'll bet that console is a rare piece.
    I think it is exactly the same as a mustang other than the E-brake slot piece.

  19. #19
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    Kelly, are you running your Fairmont Stocker as a 78 or 79? I am pretty sure the only year a Fairmont was made with a V8 and manual transmission was in 1979. I do remember 2 different 302 4 speed 79 Futuras in my area back in the early 80s. I even test drove one of them in 1983, but ended up not buying it. It was a bench seat car, and the shifter handle was curved and black, and quite a bit longer than a Mustang shifter. All you would really need to change a 78 Fairmont to a 79 is change the clear front park lights to the amber lenses, which are much more common anyhow. Did NHRA tell you that you could not run your car with the 4 speed as a 78 only? I remember a few years ago a couple of guys up here in Div. 6 tried to run their Mustangs and Capris as 82 5.0 2 barrel HOs, but with automatics. They did get away with it for a couple of years before NHRA caught the error, and changed the classification guide. Funny thing is, one guy was claiming his 85 Capri RS as a 82 , complete with sunken tail lights and bubble hatch window. I origonally wanted to build a 302 Fairmont 4 speed for Stock in the late 80s, but at that time NHRA had all the 2 barrel 302 low performance engiens factored to 200 HP. That is the whole reason I built my 85 Mustang instead. The 85 Mustang has a bigger .444" lift (I &E) hyd. roller cam, and the Ford/Holley 4 barrel carb, and was rated at the factory 210 HP when I started my car, then it dropped to 205, and a few years ago, got bumped up to 208HP. Several years ago, NHRA started dropping the 302 2 barrel HP, first to 180, 170, 160, and eventually to the factory ratings of 139/143, depending on year and model. We have a few guys up here running to 302 2 barrel engine combos in various Mavericks, Comets, Mustangs and Capris, that went from being 2 to 3 tenths under index in P and Q, and have been de factored down to T&U, where they routinely qualify at or near the top of the ladder. (As have you, although your car is a much more serious effort than these guys cars). I followed your build on Class Racer, and I really like the job you did on it. So, did NHRA tell you that you need to produce proof about the 4 speed combo before you can run it again? Did they take away your class records away too? Not cool, especially since it was a real combination , at least for 1979.
    1978 Fairmont 2 door sedan, 428CJ 4speed. 9.972ET@132.54mph. 1.29 60 foot
    Replaced the FE big block with my 331/4 speed in my Fairmont, best 10.24ET @128 MPH.
    1985 Mustang LX hatchback NHRA Stock Eliminator 302 4 speed best in legal trim 12.31@107 mph, but has gone 11.42@115 with aftermarket intake, carb, and iron Windsor Jr. heads.New for 2012! 331 cube SB Ford, AFR 185 heads, solid flat tappet cam, pump gas; 10.296ET@128.71 mph, 1.37 60 foot.
    1979 Zephyr Z7, all original 302 auto, 2nd owner.

  20. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by mcfairmont View Post
    Kelly, are you running your Fairmont Stocker as a 78 or 79? I am pretty sure the only year a Fairmont was made with a V8 and manual transmission was in 1979. I do remember 2 different 302 4 speed 79 Futuras in my area back in the early 80s. I even test drove one of them in 1983, but ended up not buying it. It was a bench seat car, and the shifter handle was curved and black, and quite a bit longer than a Mustang shifter. All you would really need to change a 78 Fairmont to a 79 is change the clear front park lights to the amber lenses, which are much more common anyhow. Did NHRA tell you that you could not run your car with the 4 speed as a 78 only? I remember a few years ago a couple of guys up here in Div. 6 tried to run their Mustangs and Capris as 82 5.0 2 barrel HOs, but with automatics. They did get away with it for a couple of years before NHRA caught the error, and changed the classification guide. Funny thing is, one guy was claiming his 85 Capri RS as a 82 , complete with sunken tail lights and bubble hatch window. I origonally wanted to build a 302 Fairmont 4 speed for Stock in the late 80s, but at that time NHRA had all the 2 barrel 302 low performance engiens factored to 200 HP. That is the whole reason I built my 85 Mustang instead. The 85 Mustang has a bigger .444" lift (I &E) hyd. roller cam, and the Ford/Holley 4 barrel carb, and was rated at the factory 210 HP when I started my car, then it dropped to 205, and a few years ago, got bumped up to 208HP. Several years ago, NHRA started dropping the 302 2 barrel HP, first to 180, 170, 160, and eventually to the factory ratings of 139/143, depending on year and model. We have a few guys up here running to 302 2 barrel engine combos in various Mavericks, Comets, Mustangs and Capris, that went from being 2 to 3 tenths under index in P and Q, and have been de factored down to T&U, where they routinely qualify at or near the top of the ladder. (As have you, although your car is a much more serious effort than these guys cars). I followed your build on Class Racer, and I really like the job you did on it. So, did NHRA tell you that you need to produce proof about the 4 speed combo before you can run it again? Did they take away your class records away too? Not cool, especially since it was a real combination , at least for 1979.
    Rory, in the guide there was never a distinction between auto/stick for the 78's so I ran it as a 78, not sure why I just did. I have since converted it to a 79. 79's have 3 less (NHRA) HP than I'm running now so that's good. I'll continue running the 4 speed and build a C4 when I get the time and money. I like running R/S so I don't get HP added, doesn't qualify as well as T/S but protects the combination that way. I need to get about another 60 to 70lbs off the car to be fast in R.
    I may get a Marti report for one of the cars above (with the owners permission) just to have proof.

    Thanks to all who have replied.
    Kelly

  21. #21

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    You don't need permission for Marti reports. But if you want to get permissions that's your choice. Anybody can get one for any VIN.
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