58 English Ford Zodiac

[rarefish383]

My first job was working for a friends landscaping business. One of his customers gave him the car. A year or so later, it was 1976, I gave him $100 for it. It only had 14,000 miles on it. I drove it for a couple years and a synchro in the trans went so I parked it. In 1986 my wifes uncle traded a 57 Lyman wooden boat for it. It sat in his garage from then till a couple months ago. Several years ago I told him if he ever wanted to get rid of it give me first crack. The next time he was down he said it was mine, come get it. I have a 56 DeSoto 330 Hemi I plan on putting in it. I put my tape on the most narrow part of the inner fender well and it was 33 inches. The 330 is 27 7/8 at the widest, so it looks like it will fit. The rear wheel wells are 13 inches deep, so all I need to do is move the springs inboard of the frame and I can stick some pretty good sized tires under it. It's kinda funny, you look in the trunk and it looks like it's been mini-tubbed, but it's all factory, and it had little teeny 13 inch wheels with tires about 4 inches wide, Joe.
Sorry, all of a sudden something on my Photobucket acount is not working, will get pics later,Joe.

 

[rarefish383]

Here's a couple pics of the Zodiac, Joe.

 

[Ironbark]

Nice project! Good luck with it

 

[matt9923]

keep us posted

 

[Adkpk]

Nice trailer. Ugly car but cool none-the-less.

 

[matt9923]

Nice trailer. Ugly car but cool none-the-less.

That's a beautiful car!

 

[chowdozer]

I'm thinkin' different color scheme?

 

[treemandan]

I think you should put the body on a k5 chassis with 44's and a big block and take it to the grocery store. Just makes sense to me but I dunno.

 

[DroppedP51]

may be of intrest guy in hotrod club got a mk3 v8 yours is a mk2

 

[rarefish383]

Adkpk, some folks think they're ugly but they grow on you.

Dropped51, yes mine's a Mk2. I just brought it home after 25 years storage in my uncle's garage. I got my tape measure out and I can't believe what I'm seeing. The rear wheel wells are 13 inches deep from the lip to the back of the well. All I have to do is move the springs inboard and I don't even need to tub it. I put the tape on the inner fender well and got 33" wide. My 383 is 31 inches wide at the widest part of the exhaust manifold. I also have a 56 DeSoto 330 Hemi and it's 27 7/8 inches wide at the widest. My plan is to go with the 330 and a 4 spd. I work for UPS and we're getting real busy now, so I'll have to wait till the first of the year to start playing with it, Joe.

 

[DroppedP51]

desoto mmmm

there was a 56 plymouth down the road when i was a kid I tried to get it for years ,it just sat outside and rotted away

Do you have any photos of your one? I would love a car like that

 

[Adkpk]

Adkpk, some folks think they're ugly but they grow on you.

Joe.

There's no doubt that for a car that age it sure is in good shape. Looks like you could do a nice job on it without to much effort.

Although I like original this car has got a certain look. Sweet.

 

[rarefish383]

there was a 56 plymouth down the road when i was a kid I tried to get it for years ,it just sat outside and rotted away

Do you have any photos of your one? I would love a car like that

I don't have the whole DeSoto just the Hemi out of it, Joe.

 

[Bob Wright]

Cool looking car...Bob

 

[fubar2]

It would be tempting to throw that grill away and put in a set of stainless steel sharks teeth.

 

[PasoRoblesJimmy]

1961 English Ford Anglia

My first car was a 1961 English Ford Anglia. I was looking for a reliable used car that I could afford. Brand-new 1961 Anglias were being offered for $1.288 at my nearest Ford-Mercury-Lincoln dealer. It was an offer that I couldn't refuse.

 

[Raymondmays]

Ford zodiac

Hi

I am in the uk and would like to know what happened to this car please

[email protected]


Thanks Paul

 

[tdi-rick]

I though that was a Zephyr so I googled, and it is, it's just that the Zodiac was the upmarket version.

They were assembled here in Oz as well as NZ and I think Sth Africa or the old Rhodesia.

Aahh, here we go Ford Zephyr - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jimmy, an Anglia, eh.
Well before my time
All the little Pommy Fords were used a lot in racing, their little four cylinder engines became the basis of a lot of race engines, particularly in open wheeler classes worldwide.
Formula Ford was (and still is to some degree) powered by the Ford 'Kent' 1600 Crossflow, and the Kent block was the basis of Cosworths famous BDA family of engines, but the Kent is a later family of engines.