Battleship Bargain

For Ford, the introduction of the MkIV Zephyr/Zodiac range in 1966 was a major departure from established practice. Up to then, the biggest Ford had been an entirely conventional car. There had been a lot of carry-over from one model to the next; the same basic engine designs, for example, were used on the MkI, MkII and MkIII. The MkIV, however, was completely new; absolutely nothing was carried over.

By conservative Ford standards in particular, the MkIV was also extremely innovative and adventurous. Fully independent rear suspension, disc brakes all round and, perhaps most significant of all, V configuration engines.
The styling was also slap-bang up to the minute.
Clean lines replaced the MkIII's tail fins and the MkIV's long nose and short tail made it instantly recognisable. The MkIV's shape has since become regarded as something to be either loved or loathed but there's no doubting that it was refreshingly different and gave the car a purposeful and powerful look.

The simple, square and uncluttered frontal treatment also made the car look wider than it was. Unusually, the engine air intake was below the front bumper (the engine was mounted at the rear of its compartment with the spare wheel mounted at an angle in front; this helped direct the air on to the radiator). There was thus no need for an actual radiator grille and early Zephyrs did not have one - and that fitted to the other MklVs was a fake, just there for styling and because people expected it to be!

From the start there were four MkIV models, all direct successors to cars from the MkIIIrange. The Zephyr Four had a 1996cc V4 engine, the Zephyr Six, Zodiac and Executive were all V6-powered with the Zodiac and Executive units being 2994cc and the Zephyr 2495c. As before, the Zodiac was a more upmarket version of the Zephyr.

The Executive (a replacement for the short-lived MkIII Zodiac Executive) was the top of the range and featured as standard leather upholstery, wooden door cappings, factory-fitted sunroof, automatic transmission and auxiliary driving lights. Contrary to popular belief, the correct name of this model was not Zodiac Executive but just Ford Executive. It was, of course, the first of the 'E' models from Ford, a range that eventually included the Cortina 1600E and 2000E MkIII, Escort 1300E, Corsair 2000E and Capri 3000E.

Power-steering and overdrive were available on all six-cylinder cars and automatic transmision and a factory fitted sunroof were available across the range. The Executive was officially available with manual as an option (at a slightly reduced price) but few if any Executive buyers opted for it.
A steering column lock was also specified as an optional extra on all models but, from 1970, a security device was made compulsory on new cars sold in the UK and most, if not all post-1969 cars (and certainly all post 1970), had this as standard. Up to 1969 Zephyrs were normally supplied with column gearchange and a bench front seat; on Zodiacs the floor-change was standard but column change could be specified at extra cost.

As had by then become almost traditional for Ford, the Zephyr/Zodiac estate car was produced 'outside' by E.D. Abbots of Farnham, and it was a direct conversion from the saloon. The estate car, however, was given full manufacturer's approval; it featured in the brochures and was listed alongside the saloons in the price lists. Introduced a couple of months after the saloons, the conversion was quite expensive, adding Ł430 after tax (1966) to the saloon price and making the bottom of the range Zephyr Four estate Ł138 dearer than the Zodiac saloon! Relatively few were sold and surviving estate cars are now regarded as rare.

There was a mid-run update in 1969. From then on floor change and individual front seats became the norm for Zephyrs (although bench seats and column change was available as an option, few buyers wanted it) and there were also various trim and detail changes. The most significant change for Zephyrs was that they now also had 'proper' dummy radiator grilles between the headlamps! Production continued until 1972 when the MkIV, and the Zephyr and Zodiac model names that had been part of the Ford scene since 1951 and 1953 respectively, were discontinued.
Several MkIV components, including the V4 and V6 engines, however, were used in the MkIV's replacement, the Consul/Granada range.

Nowadays, the MkIV has something of a mixed reputation. The six-cylinder cars are certainly fast and stable enough in a straight line but many people find that the ride is far too soft and wallowy; almost vomit-inducing according to some! Because of this the car has been given the perhaps slightly unfair nickname of 'flying pig'.

The MkIV also acquired a reputation, probably quite justified, for rusting away vital structural members early in its life. Flaking-off undersealant didn't help matters.
In 1975 (when the very oldest cars were just nine years old) the AA advised anyone considering buying a MkIV to 'inspect the belly thoroughly, ensuring that a screwdriver point cannot be pushed right through'.
The cars seemed to rot everywhere, quite literally, from top to bottom! Additionally they started to look tatty outside after a few years.
Ford went through a bad period for paintwork in the late sixties; metallic finishes in particular tended to fade and flake off; remember all those old Cortinas you used to see with huge patches of primer showing through?
Depreciation was very rapid and many cars were scrapped without there being that much wrong with them; repair just wasn't justified in relation to the cars' value. I could have bought a not unpresentable F-reg Zephyr Six for Ł50 in 1976; but being too young to drive there wasn't a lot of point!

Buying guide

Given the widespread slaughter of MkIVs over the past few years, it perhaps isn't surprising that a high percentage of the survivors have had one (often elderly) owner for much of their life, the sort of person who keeps a car a long time and isn't that concerned about market value. Such cars often look very good from on top but it is still vital to inspect the underbody thoroughly. Lift the carpets, too, to check the floors for rust and, worse, holes. Sills also frequently rust, along with rear wheelarches, front wings around the headlamps, inner wings around the MacPherson strut turrets and door bottoms - all the usual places for Fords really!
Bear in mind that virtually nothing is available in the way of new body panels. On the other hand the car's smooth lines can make fabricating repair sections easier than on many cars. Don't be too concerned if an originally metallic car has been resprayed; it's probably because the original paint fell off!

Turning to the mechanicals, it's generally accepted that the V6 engine is better than the V4, the latter being rather a noisy unit that also has to work very hard dragging the MkIV body along! Listen carefully for nasty rattles on starting and when pulling hard, and check that the oil light goes out as soon as the engine starts. The V6 is regarded as tougher but the same checks should also be carried out. Bear in mind that an engine rebuild isn't cheap, although there shouldn't be any difficulty getting the parts. A good secondhand unit may be a more attractive option, but be certain what you are putting in is good.

Transmissions are generally good,particularly the Borg-Warner automatic for which parts are still available. One or two individual components for manual boxes are getting tricky but the units are generally reliable and careful adjustment and a few new bushes will usually cure any vagueness in the column change.

MkIV suspension is soft at the best of times but weak shock absorbers and a few perished rubbers will make the ride positively horrible! Even on a low mileage car you should expect to replace some of the bushes, particularly at the rear, where defects sometimes get past the MOT tester. Steering fluid leaks can be a problem; there are specialists who recondition pumps but their standard varies and it's probably best to use someone who is recommended.

Interior trim isn't that durable compared to other luxury cars and some items, particularly dash tops (which are prone to cracking) and injection-moulded trim panels, are extremely difficult to repair. Cars that are clean inside do turn up however and, although the interior obviously isn't as important as structural strength, good trim is definitely a plus-point.
It's not unknown for brake calipers (the system, incidentally is the same as on the P6 Rover) to seize partially or completely, particularly on cars that are used only infrequently. Dismantling the caliper and fitting new rubbers often cures the problem. New calipers are expensive but available (try a Rover specialist). You'll need a special tool, incidentally, to change the rear pads; this is still available from Girling.

Spares availability

For most classic cars, the spares situation has got better over the past five years. For MklVs it hasn't. There still isn't much in the way of remanufacturing and body panels, which could still be found with a little searching until quite recently, are now getting rare. Front wings are particularly scarce.
Things are better on the mechamcal side however. Many parts were used on the Consul/Granada and other later models; these are still available through Ford dealers and, in many cases, independent motor factors.
Ford specialists such as Newford also supply MkIV parts. There are one or two curious shortages though; power-steering inner track rod ends for example - these were made by Ford themselves rather than an outside supplier and are now unobtainable
Although it doesn't offer a spare parts service as such, the MkIV club does help members find parts.

What to pay

Pnces vary from about Ł200 upwards for rough but running cars (model makes little if any difference at the bottom end) up to around Ł1600 for a low mileage condition one Zephyr, Ł1900 for a Zodiac and perhaps just over Ł2000 for an Executive.
A presentable car capable of safe everyday use but with some external shortcomings should be available for around Ł800 - Ł1000 but, if your ultimate aim is perfection, it's probably best to take time to find the best car possible.
Despite their rarity, estate cars aren't that much more valuable; add perhaps 10-20%.
Limousine values are entirely dependent on condition; a car that's too tatty to use for business has only curiousity value but a clean one is still usable to the 'matching and dispatching' trade and can be worth upwards of Ł3000. Because MkIVs aren't yet particularly fashionable, prices can fluctuate widely and one sometimes finds bargains priced at well below these figures.
MklVs are also occasionally overpriced by people who think any old car is worth a lot of money but we see no reason to pay more than our prices.

On the Road

I had driven a MkIV before; it was around 1979 when I was vaguely considering buying a Ł120 (I think) Zephyr Six.
The lasting memory left by that car was not pleasant but, as it was a decidedly tired example, it is perhaps unfair to judge all MklVs by that.
Peter Barnes' 1972 Executive is an original, low-mileage car that he has kept up well and I was anxious to drive it. Inside, the car seemed enormous; the nearside of the dash was almost out of sight!
Having owned and driven many sixties and early seventies Fords in the past I found many of the fixtures and fittings very familiar. That bonnet may look big from the outside - from behind the wheel it seems enormous; the square bonnet motif seems to be almost on the horizon!
Once I'd remembered the handbrake (which is tucked away under the dash) we moved off down the dual carriageway. In a straight line the car was certainly fast and I appreciated the V6 burble almost as much as my Stag's V8 note. Steering? Well it was rather light for my liking but I'm sure I could get used to it given time and I certainly think I'd prefer a MkIV with power steering to one without!
I was keen to try the car around some country lanes. As I turned off the main road the car suddenly seemed very, very big! Although I wouldn't describe it as at all 'chuck-able', I was very surprised to find that, for a car that's really best at high speeds, the MkIV was surprisingly nimble; cornering seemed quite acceptable and, while the ride is soft, I wouldn't describe it as unpleasant.
As is so often the case, much of the MkIV's reputation comes from people driving bad examples; a good MkIV, although not perfect in these areas, is certainly acceptable. Now if I could get together Ł1500 I wonder what I could get.......

The writer wishes to thank Peter Barnes, John Glaysher and other members of the Ford MkIV Zephyr& Zodiac Owners Club for their help in preparing this feature.

The Ford MkIV Zephyr and Zodiac Club are a small but very enthusiastic body with around 250 members. A good quality magazine is produced, events are held throughout the year and help is given with obtaining spares.-
Further details may be obtained by sending an sae to 94 Claremont Road, Rugby, Warwickshire CV21 3LU, England.