Mark2 Ford Zephyr

[Geodetic]

Hi Everyone,
I have just purchased a Mark2 Zephyr Sedan. It is in very good order however how do I check the build date. I was told it was a 59 or 60 build.
Any help would be appreciated.
Geodetic

[ebxr8240]

The speedo changed around 1960 ..

[simon varley]

Mike at Yesterford knows everything there is to know about old small fords

[foxtrot3]

Hi. Could always try the Zephyr Zodiac owners club ( https://www.facebook.com/ZephyrZOCM ). Cheers MD

[roddy1960]

Originally Posted by Geodetic

Hi Everyone,
I have just purchased a Mark2 Zephyr Sedan. It is in very good order however how do I check the build date. I was told it was a 59 or 60 build.
Any help would be appreciated.
Geodetic

G'day...What about the metal compliance plate in the engine bay..My dad had a 1961 Mk2 Zephyr..155c.i. Two tone grey...I Know the VIN is stamped on the metal plate riveted there..I think it was on the firewall..will show as month /year..Cheers Rod

[Tonz]

As a younger one I used every pound I could get hold of and bought Mk11 Zepher convertible, windy as all get out but coooor could it draw the chicky babes........... my problem I was paying off so much I had burrowed I couldnt afford the babes.. You young ones wouldnt understand.

[The Yeti]

Love these things, my dad used to race one (I reckon he could have beat it as well if he tried harder)

[Tonz]

err isnt that a MK 1

[Pedro]

Originally Posted by Tonz

err isnt that a MK 1

Yes it is.
The Mk 11's were quick cars in the day. I remember Ron Hodgeson had one as his first race car and it was fast. It still had 3 on the tree and I remember him throwing it back to second as he approached Creek Corner at Warwick Farm chasing Yogi Muir's EH and the box blew apart and cogs and springs followed him as he careered on down through Creek and into the bushes. The six cylinder Zephyrs were the motor of choice in a lot of Buchanans.

[The Yeti]

Originally Posted by Tonz

err isnt that a MK 1

Yeah but as that's the only photo I have electronically I chose to post that over nailing a Kodak print to the server (I can do that if you like 😜😜😜😜)

He only raised the mk 1 & 2 but had countless Mk1, 2 & 3's

I have to say I'm impressed that people on this forum actually know what a Zephyr is

[Geodetic]

Thanks, The compliance plate has this on it,
Serial Prefix. 4a. 5. 60
Serial Number. 1202
Body. 2148

Then on the passenger side of the radiator these numbers are stamped.
60206E73
3577D
4669

Cheers

[roddy1960]

Originally Posted by Geodetic

Thanks, The compliance plate has this on it,
Serial Prefix. 4a. 5. 60
Serial Number. 1202
Body. 2148

Then on the passenger side of the radiator these numbers are stamped.
60206E73
3577D
4669

Cheers

G'day My bet would be the 5 would be May and the 60 would be 1960..4a I'm not sure unless it's doors..Maybe the other 4 digit numbers are paint codes and the other longer numbers on other side are VIN or similar ..Not sure..But pretty confident it'd be a May 1960 build..However with those numbers any Zephry /Zodiac/ Consul club would deceminate the numbers for certain off the compliance plate..Was it on the firewall as I thought...If I remember correctly Zephyr had a diagonal brace near the bonnet hinges and I think there are numbers stamped there too..Been a long time since I've seen it though Here's one , a 1961 Mk 2 in Targa Tasmania https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdTXsMvcIs0 .Cheers Rod

[roddy1960]

Originally Posted by The Yeti

Yeah but as that's the only photo I have electronically I chose to post that over nailing a Kodak print to the server (I can do that if you like 😜😜😜😜)

He only raised the mk 1 & 2 but had countless Mk1, 2 & 3's

I have to say I'm impressed that people on this forum actually know what a Zephyr is

G'day ..There's still a few around the car clubs and car shows...The USA also had a Zephyr..(means wind by the way)..and that was from the late 30's to 40's..That was a different beast altogether...Cheers Rod

[Pedro]

I had my first job in a motor garage back then and worked under the tutelage of a gun mechanic. Zephyrs had the same clutch plate as the four cylinder Consul and if you didn't treat it well the clutches used to burn out at a fast rate. We used to do so many that with me undoing the tail shaft bolts and him on the bell housing we could do a Zephyr clutch in 20 minutes. (And no air tools or ratchet spanners in those days).

[qdda5]

I had one as my first car. 4 on the tree. Outstanding!!!! Good luck with the sale. Plenty of history there.

[BlueBear]

Originally Posted by qdda5

I had one as my first car. 4 on the tree. Outstanding!!!! Good luck with the sale. Plenty of history there.

Must have been a MK 3 as all MK 2's were 3 speed - though some did fit the later box to the MK 2' as well.

Recently found an old slide of my old MK 2.
She was a '57 hi roof model, you can see the early grill on it which was discontinued late 57 or early 58, can't remember exactly.



Pic was taken in 69 on a family holiday, we were towing a 30' caravan down the coast from Sydney to Melbourne and Philip Is etc.
Dad gave it to me later that same year when i got my license...
Brings back memories.

Cheers,

[ebxr8240]

They went well . Check the std exhaust manifold on them .. Log pipe straight off the head ..

[The Yeti]

Originally Posted by ebxr8240

They went well . Check the std exhaust manifold on them .. Log pipe straight off the head ..

Machine them off and help them breath

[ebxr8240]

You could buy steel blocks and bolt up extractors .. Latter model Mkll's had twin pipes off log.. WOW !

[IanC]

The early Mk2s had a semi circular speedo. The later Mk2s had a ribbon one. The tail lights changed also. I had an early Mk2 Consul which was the same body as the Zephyr but with a 4 cylinder 1750 motor. Badly underpowered. It also had windscreen wipers driven off the vacuum from the inlet manifold. If you put your foot down the wipers slowed down almost to a stop. Take your foot off the throttle and the wipers went into a frenzy. Exactly the opposite of what you needed.

[BFGasUte]

Hello,

The Zephyr was close to what Ford were going to sell as the local Car. The Falcon was a bit cheaper, so we got it. The Zodiac was the high end model, had twin headlights and the name was Gold. A mates Dad brought one back from England while in the Air force, IIRC and my Uncle had a few Zephyr's also. Rare to see one now though, but they would have been at least 10 years ahead of Holden. Maybe more. Vacuum wipers were in all Cars if you go back until they were hand operated, things advance and you dont notice until you go back. Auto, electric start and no advance retard for the spark on the steering column. Just a few.

[XC50077]

That green MK1 is the same as my very first car, went like a rocket for the day . MK2 engine, waggot cam & balance, triple 1 1/2" SU, extractors and a MK2 diff with shortened axles and really excacerbated that weak, weak clutch.
Sounded like a OFFY speedcar with with lukey muffler and twin pipes out the LHS. Almost brings a tear to my eye

[nuthin' fancy]

Originally Posted by Geodetic

Hi Everyone,
I have just purchased a Mark2 Zephyr Sedan. It is in very good order however how do I check the build date. I was told it was a 59 or 60 build.
Any help would be appreciated.
Geodetic

Great pick up, photos please.

I have a NOS side flash if it is of interest.

[mechanic]

Ah yes, the MK11.
As a first year apprentice in 66 and being totally broke my boss loaned me a flogged out trade in Zephyr to get to and from work as I lived in the bush and rode a pushbike to work. The one condition being that I had to keep it running and do the maintenance.
I thought I was made, having a car to get to work but I learnt more about mechanics driving that car than on any vehicle since. Nothing like having the 3 speed gear linkages getting out of sync and locking up then getting underneath to untangle them in the dark miles from nowhere. An excellent introduction into how too much slop in linkages can be a problem in column shifts plus a good grounding in the operation of manual gearboxes.
Very quickly find out the quirks of pommy made ignition systems when combined with wet weather.
The good old days, mostly talked about by people who weren't there I think.

[Tonz]

Can any South australian confirm a rumour that some old dude around Christes Beach supposedly has a '66 Falcon sedan,station wagon,ute and convertible. He is supposed to have the same in Ford MK11 Zepher sedan, wagon and convert.
Id love to know if this is/was true and go drool on his doorstep.

[ebxr8240]

59 model possibly 1960 in Aust ..
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JFOgNDRrTYU
Btw twin head lights came out in mk3 Zodiac..

[Pedro]

And lastly ... here's a Zephyr of a different kind ...

http://gatewayclassiccars.com/tampa/...phyr-S592.html

By the way, I emailed Gateway and asked them why the interior pics are pre-restoration.

[The Yeti]

You've probably all seen it but I got a laugh out of a it and figured one or 2 of you might as well.

https://www.facebook.com/streetmachi...6855686620693/

[Mercury Bullet]

Originally Posted by Tonz

Can any South australian confirm a rumour that some old dude around Christes Beach supposedly has a '66 Falcon sedan,station wagon,ute and convertible. He is supposed to have the same in Ford MK11 Zepher sedan, wagon and convert.
Id love to know if this is/was true and go drool on his doorstep.

We had one on the farm when I was a kid. It was in perfect condition but it didn't run. It sat under a lean-to next to the shearing shed about 40km from the house, so I never saw it much.
I remember paying a visit to it one day in an attempt to get it going. I can distinctly recall it had a push button 3? speed auto. We never got it running probably luckily as we would have used it as a paddock bomb knowing us kids, much better than the FC Holdens we had.

I wonder if it's still there next to the shearing shed.
It would be in perfect nick if it was.

[9triton]

Originally Posted by Geodetic

Thanks, The compliance plate has this on it,
Serial Prefix. 4a. 5. 60
Serial Number. 1202
Body. 2148

Then on the passenger side of the radiator these numbers are stamped.
60206E73
3577D
4669

Cheers

if plate looks like this :



in case above 4G will be australia 'geelong'

the XK falcons serial prefix started with 4BM.and then something like : 9.60

ie 4BM.9.60

the 4 being Australia
BM being broad meadows
9 being September
60 being 1960

in your example

not sure where ' A ' is but were assembled here.

but 5 will be May . 60 = 1960