Photo Request: MkII Escort and MkIII Zephyr/Zodiac

[Steve Holmes]

Folks, has anyone here owned either a MkII Escort and/or a MkIII Zephyr road car? I'm wanting photos for my Ford book, and while I've accumulated loads of old photos of various Ford cars from over the years, for some reason I have very few MkII Escort and MkIII Zephyr road car photos, despite their popularity among Kiwis.

Actually, add MkI Escort road cars to that list also.

Can anyone help?

Thanks
Steve

[Paul B]

Hi Steve,
I used to own a hot Mk3 Zodiac in the 70s ... of course it was metallic purple and it had chrome side pipes and old berry chung cragar style mags because they were near impossible to get then.
It had a Raymond Mays 12 port head and RM 78degree overlap cam, triple or twin (cant remember) SU carbs, Bedford truck pistons. The engine was chromed to the max
The gearbox was a Transit van housing with Mk 3 cogs the shift was nice a very short shift.
The fun thing was the previous owner fitted a butterfly valve that bypassed the exhaust right through the chrome side pipes.
It was a great car. It would be nice to build another.
I will try and find some pics, I know I have 1
I thought it went like a cut cat until I came up against a Mk1 Escort big flares, nice sound (must have been a BDA) because he left me in the dust!
Cheers

[Steve Holmes]

Wow Paul, that sounds awesome! If you can find a photo of that car I'd absolutely love to include it.

[Andrew Metford]

Hi Steve.

I can take some photos of my Dad's immaculate MK1 2 door Escort for you. It's a 1968 1300 Super, which has been in our family since 1974, and it was made in the first 3 months of production, as originally it had drum brakes all round, compression struts, and 12" wheels. Once Ford had used up all those parts, presumably left over from the Anglia / Cortina, all the rest of the Escorts got front disk brakes, a sway bar front end, and 13" wheels. Dad has changed the brakes to disc and the wheels to 13", but kept the compression struts. 12" tyres are almost non-existent unless you get them from India or some other place where quality control hasn't made an appearance yet, which is a shame, because Dad had some original 12" Dunlop alloy wheels on the car. You can buy 13" modern copies, but for $$$$$$ from England, and only painted black. I asked them if they would sell us unpainted wheels so we could paint them to match the car, but they said no, so we said ok, no thanks then.

Anyway, when the weather picks up hopefully later this week, I'll take some decent pics and post them up for you.

[Kiwiboss]

Owned this in 1978, Mk3 Zodiac, had a ex Stock Car Ford 240 6 cylinder engine, 4 speed inline shifter, etc.......fenders were flared with big 14X7 wheels(for in the day) cool ol car, didn't own it for more than 5 minutes as someone else wanted it more, story of my life LOL

[John McKechnie]

Dale- thats such a neat car. you would be run off your feet with the fans with this one.
Just done a carjam....not there anymore
What happenend the gold O and A, couldnt afford to get new ones?

[Kiwiboss]

Dale- thats such a neat car. you would be run off your feet with the fans with this one.
Just done a carjam....not there anymore
What happenend the gold O and A, couldnt afford to get new ones?

Didn't expect it to still be alive John.......40 years ago now.........and it was certainly a cool "Hot-Rod" hence it slipped though my hands like most did back then so no chance of the O and A.............I owned at one stage the grouses Hot-Rod Mk1 Zephyr built by the well known Burbary Brothers whom were known Zephyr gurus here in Tauranga but never got any photos(damn), super hot Mk3 motor, 4 spd box, twin SU's, metallic blue, tinted glass, Jolly wide wheels with XUI Torana wheel bands, disc brakes, custom 6 X 315 Consul tail-lights, etc.........a babe magnet LOL but I only owned it all of about 2 weeks, won a drag race from the 15th ave lights(1976) up against a 100E with a Zephyr 6 motor, blew its doors in, the 100E guy meet me in town the next night and wanted it right or wrong, he came around the next day with his dad whom wrote the cheque out and his dad was not impressed grumbling away, big money back then......looking back what a hoot. 6 Months later the mk1 was written off....we were all only 16/17 back then, the world was your oyster LOL

[Steve Holmes]

Thats awesome Dale. Would you mind emailing me a larger copy if you have one?

[Steve Holmes]

Hi Steve.

I can take some photos of my Dad's immaculate MK1 2 door Escort for you. It's a 1968 1300 Super, which has been in our family since 1974, and it was made in the first 3 months of production, as originally it had drum brakes all round, compression struts, and 12" wheels. Once Ford had used up all those parts, presumably left over from the Anglia / Cortina, all the rest of the Escorts got front disk brakes, a sway bar front end, and 13" wheels. Dad has changed the brakes to disc and the wheels to 13", but kept the compression struts. 12" tyres are almost non-existent unless you get them from India or some other place where quality control hasn't made an appearance yet, which is a shame, because Dad had some original 12" Dunlop alloy wheels on the car. You can buy 13" modern copies, but for $$$$$$ from England, and only painted black. I asked them if they would sell us unpainted wheels so we could paint them to match the car, but they said no, so we said ok, no thanks then.

Anyway, when the weather picks up hopefully later this week, I'll take some decent pics and post them up for you.

Hi Andrew, thanks heaps, I would really love that.

The book is due for completion in a few days but I can plug the photos in once you've sent them.

Thanks again.

[ERC]

[John H]

Hi Steve. I have some Ford Zephyr photos but can load them on to your site. Can I email them to you? Chrs JH

[Andrew Metford]

202 by Andrew Metford, on Flickr

203 by Andrew Metford, on Flickr

204 by Andrew Metford, on Flickr