83 Mercury Zephyr z7 project
 

I bought this 83 Zephyr about 5 yrs ago out of Colorado with 32,012 actual miles. I drove it with the 200 6 cyl automatic to 37,000 miles. If I havew to say I have a favorite in my collection, I prob would say it is this car for whatever reason I just like this car for actual useage more then I do my other ones. I am planning to do a mild bolt together update on this car and I am stuck on what I think I should do so I am looking for suggestions.
My idea is to buy the best suspension I can meaning something like the Maximum Motorsports or Griggs (or equivelant). So this thing will handle well. I want to go with an upgraded brake for stopping am leaning towards Baer or equivelant but I am thinking of trying to stay with 15-17 inch rims. For the engine I am really stuck, I really would love to put a 5.4 3V which I did price out at around $5000 for a brand new from Ford with around the 325 horsepower range and a 6 speed manual transmission with a 8.8 rear. I think this platform would get me great power, great mpg and a real driveable car.

The other idea is a 351 windsor based efi similiar as above which would be pretty easy to do but it seems cost alot for what one really gets out of it.
The third option is to build a 460 which I have already but would have to be rebuilt with a TKO600 which american power quoted me 2695 for the transmission package with driveshaft and bellhousing, it has the clutch and etc also. I figure each version is going to cost me about the same except I think I can do the 460 quite a bit cheaper. The issue is spending money for the electronics that makes the other 2 a bit more costly.
What complexes this more is I was watching the SEMA street car shootout on SPEED channel a few days ago and I really like that kind of build, where you can have a very driveable car but yet go to the road course and have some real fun.

The Big Block worries me about the mpg because this is a car I am intending on driving during the good months from May to October. I guess I want to be able to drive the car 45 miles away to go to a movie or etc and yet be able to afford to do so. I guess maybe I want my cake and eat it both.

In Laymans terms I guess I am looking for ideas that make this thing handle well, perform with 250 to 500 horse range and still retain some mpg. I have done many 302 based cars before and I am not interested in doing another one.

Feel free to way in with ideas. I do know I dont want any used engines and transmissions.

Any pictures?

Attachment 80820this is when I was putting in a stereo system after it got a cheapy paint job at MAACO. The paint is still holding out decent so i may just keep it. It is far from perfect or nice but street wise it is not bad

Looks good, Grell!

I have a Fairmont wagon idea in my head that someday I hope will translate to one on the street. I have attached a couple photos of what I have in mind, albeit with a different color/wheel combo, but you get the point. (I'd want the '98 or '99 Cobra wheels/brake combo with MM suspension additions.)

As far as drivetrain options I am thinking about a nice 347/AOD combo with shift kit (although a 408 351w stroker would be darn cool as well), as I'd like the wagon for daily driving purposes. Something with around 290-320hp to the rear wheels. :jester:

Good luck with you build and keep us posted.

That wagon is pretty cool. I saw the movie "The Expendables" and I mention this because the F-100 that Stallone drives had a 347 in it and it did sound wicked. Of Course that is movie magic but I read the build up on the truck, They used 3 trucks that West Coast Customs and LMC built. I just am leaning against a 302 based build because I have had so many.
My original concept before I bought the car was to do a stroked out big block 460 and tub it but this car was so nice with no rust I just decided I can do a simple bolt together car which will be easier and faster to enjoy. I have a Wild Mustang II build going on that is posted on this site also.
It is just a tough call on how to balance out power, some fuel economy and handling.

Given that it is essentially a Fox body Mustang under the skin (and even a bit of skin is shared with the Mustang), then pretty much anything you can do with a like model Mustang would apply 1:1 to this.

My dad used to have one of these back in the day, straight six and all, but I never really liked it much. His was an odd mix -- vinyl roof but crank windows and no power steering -- and was a slow as death with that old six wheezing out some 80 or so hp through some archaic slushbox. Continental drift posed a performance challenge to that thing. My brother finally put it out of our misery my doing a bit of off roading with it, on its roof.

exactly, the bolt on items are easy, I am just trying to decide what drivetrain to go with that gives me a good balance of fuel economy hopefully 26 mpg or better but I will be happy at 15 mpg and above, handling and performance. This 6 cyl is such a dog that when I go down the road in it and a cat runs across the road it starts chasing the cat.

When I saw this picture, I thought to myself, this is something most would find cool.

I would have said a go with a EFI single turbo 302, those have enough potential w/basic bolt on parts to produce block-splitting power. Or a 331. But, since you don't want to do another pushrod SBF build, maybe a 4.6 2V w/HCI and the 6-spd. can get you to your goal while remaining pretty civilized.

I see the FAST's EZ efi controller will control their XIM coil pack controller for a Modular motor. A 5.4 2v or 3 v takes the same set up. That would be nice. It just gets a bit expenisve consider about $2500 in efi electronics. It cant handle boost or Nitrous but I am not after that in this car.

Oh I like that Fairmont Wagon!

I drove my Dad's Fairmont Futura in high school. It was a bright blue with two piece white vinyl top and white seats and door panels. I thought it was a cool car, especially when I found out it was the same as a Mustang underneath. The wagon is cool, so are the others.

I have always had a soft spot for the Futura Coupe since it was first introduced in 1978 1/2. I always liked the basket handle roof design. It was originally a styling concept of a downsized Tbird to compact proportions...

I am not quite sure why , but ford had different fenders for the fairmont and the zephyr, My Zephyr has fake grilles between the wheel and door, all the fairmonts I had did not have this. I also like the fairmont tail lights better then the zephyr so I got a set and put on this car but I do need to find a better set. I am looking if anyone got a set of tailights for sale for fairmont futura.

have you considered putting in a 4.6? i'm sure there's enough wrecked 05+ mustangs out there that you could probably get a 3v for pretty cheap. plenty of folks on this forum are getting high 20s as far as MPG and that's in their heavy as sin S197s (:jester:) i imagine it would be even better in your lighter car. and its not like making more power is difficult either

4.6 is a possibility but I just am a 351 or bigger fan, or a 5.4 or bigger fan mainly. At this point I am leaning towards the 460 but that may change with a 5 speed it might not be bad, but then again it might be drinking fuel like crazy. I am working on my mustang II though also but just planning this one a bit. This will be a simple bolt together car though and Plan to do it in 3 weeks or so.

I was pricing out a rotating assembly for a 460 today on summit racing. Forged crank, decent rods and forged pistons and bearings and rings range between 2000 and 2800 dollars. A 557 cubic inch configuration was $2400.00. It appears that the price difference between 460 cubes and 557 cubes and various inbetween is all the same money for the most part. The thing is so I can build mega power but can I keep fuel economy with a TKO 6 speed or a T56 both built for 600 ft lbs of torque and 700 lbs ft lbs of torque.

Don't forget a pair of aluminum cylinder heads for that 460 - "to help reduce weight" :ph34r: so that car doesn't make like Thor's hammer at the first bend in the road. :nice:

no doubt, I wouldnt run with out aluminum heads. If I go this way, I am still considering a 5.4 3valve brand new from Ford. It seems like cost is going to be the same pretty much no matter what way I go. So nothing is set in stone yet.

If I decide the 460 route, I was looking at which heads would be good, I have always really liked the Edelbrock Performer RPM package because it does work well for street use. I am not sure if you get ideal horsepower for racing but that isnt what this car is being built for so I guess it doesnt matter. I also look at going with Trick Flow A460 heads and I did find a company that makes headers for these heads for fox body cars. I know the A460 heads have big block chevy exhaust ports so they are different. The headers are $799 not ceramic coated. The thing I would be scared of on running the A460 set up is I think I would loose too much street use but it would make tremendous power. I also have given real thought to Kaase's Boss 9 heads. I think that with a good efi set up the boss 9 heads would be so #&%^ing cool because they look just like a Boss 429. But $10,000 is alot of coin. I know either way everything isbot in. If I repainted the car I think i could do this car in 2 months, If I dont repaint it I can do it in 3 weeks. I know some could do it alot less then this but I am figuring in my time alotment.

With a TKO 600 5 speed behind a 460 I think I could get some mpg and still have fun torque. If I built it with the 5.4 and a 5 or 6 speed, I think I would have a much more well rounded car. It is just a tough decision to make and I just dont know at this time.

Since you're considering the 5.4, instead of a crate 5.4 3V, how about building one up similar to the one in the 2000 Cobra R? Or else check out Boss 330 Racing - those are some mean-looking 5.4 mod motors.