I had a 2litre V4 in a Corsair 2000E - I loved that car....but had many a frosty morning coaxing her into life...... a lovely exhaust note when she did!
These types of cars were never celebrated or had massive doting owner clubs and nobody missed them when they were gone - but fact is they just quietly got on with their job while they were here as something a family could depend on and make dramas, laughs and memories with -almost a family pet in many cases.
MGB or Moggie Minor owners have it made ! parts are easier to get nowadays compared to the 80s; but it's no easy job getting vital parts for a MK4 or PB Victor! Electrical or brake parts , especially if they interchange with later cars, but anything specific such as a petrol tank, glass, bumpers & panels can lead to loss of enthusiasm from the owner & potential for " abandoned project" however eBay & specialist breaker can often save the day!
Brings back memories of my friend's Dad's Zephyr 4 mk IV V4 with it's bench street and column gear change and the lovely noise of the engine, reminiscent of a modern Subaru flat 4. The Victor also since my Grandad had one. Very luxurious inside with leather seats and deep pile carpet. Column change again and possibly a bench seat up front.
Excellent video! THIS is what things were back then. People seem to forget that winters were much colder in the 60s and 70s and even then, people went to work. So many people nowadays that start up a classic in bad shape (or don't know how to start one) and then state that silly things like "all part of the charm" or "that it how it was".
Yeah, I remember in two foot of snow dad would be outside starting up his Triumph Herald estate and shovelling the snow away from the car door and wheels, as you say those 60s and 70s winters were real buggers.
Wow, that dashboard takes me right back to my teens. I had two of those at different times. A V4 Zephyr - White - Column change - Bench seat. And a V6 Zodiac, Green - Floor Shift - Center Console.
I'm 55 and I can remember on a old cold frosty morning when I was around 8years old ,there was mk 1 cortina struggling to start in my street I'd be in bed and could hear it every morning.bring back memories
Dad had a 68 Zephyr saloon,silver,v4. In 71 we had a holiday in France,packed to the roof,no seatbelts,me my 2 brothers,sister and mum. I can remember sitting behind dad,and looking over his shoulder at all the guages on dashboard,red alert was when the fuel needle was in red😂,he always announced this,and everyone was told to 'keep your eyes peeled for a petrol station'😂 .Dad died last April at 97,at his funeral amongst the stories ,the silver Zephyr ,its holiday story made people smile,old cars evoke strong memories, TYT340F was kept till 74, but we still got some old pics.
Thanks for commenting, it's such a pleasure to hear these fantastic stories and they were always about the family as a unit. This has to be the main reason I have focused so much effort into preserving this fantastic model.
Love old cars ,full of character ,expecially the 50s 60s ones ,l remember staring my dads 1969 corsair after passed mt test ,then a ford 100e ,nice to see them on your videos ,good old cars ,old England
An FB Victor and a Mk. IV Zodiac were the cars I grew up with, Dad finally selling the Zodiac in 1988 - so it's a real pleasure for me to see the two here in one place.
Yes watching you takes me back to the 60s and 70s my step dad had an FB victor the steering was a bit woolly but you soon got used to it. I used to MOT in 67 and 68 so drove a lot of different car's, I found when people complained about certain aspects of reliability of some car's usually it wasbecause they didn't drive or maintain them properly. As I said in a reply to one of your blogs the other day my experience of car's in that era was as long as you did a bit of regular maintenance they were very often more reliable than the motors what we are running around in now. Watching people on the internet stripping and repairing new car's with all the electrics hoses everywhere daft components made of plastic at stupid prices for what to go a little faster and get a few more mpg. But at what price. .
To David Clarke. And nowadays, people would think the old Mini had a fair bit of room under the bonnet, to work on the engine. Back then, we thought it wasn't that good! When somebody wants to replace an engine part now, half the repair time involves taking off other engine components, just to get to it! That not just takes more time, but the extra time involved means extra labour charges, as well!
I also in 1966 worked at Carbodies in Coventry where I worked on converting Triumph 2000 saloons into estates for Triumph, we did about 12 car's a day that was the era when men had skill at a pace lead loading and gas welding on a moving track also fitting doors bonnets and wings setting the gaps on the move. We also did the black taxi Standard Atlas van if you ever remember them they were like an Austin J2 . We also did the Daimler limousine floor pans plus front bulkhead. And strangely enough just sprayed the Singer Vogue estate. In the past Carbodies made the Ford Zephyr convertibles and The Humber super snipe and Hawk estates.
Thanks for your quick response it's much appreciated, I will keep watching you because although I am in Wolverhampton one day I may take a ride up to you and reminisce over the MK4 selection you have 👍
superb! just shows you what classics are capable of if the basics are taken care of, they are both lovely cars, my favourite classic marque is probably vauxhall (i love the PB and PC crestas) and i love the mk4 zephyr/zodiacs, great video, inspiring
Classics weren't Classics when they were first designed engineered and manufactured. They were designed as everyday transportation to be driven daily under all conditions and just because they have a few years under the tires does it mean they're not capable of performing the tasks they were designed for.
My Dad had a MKIV Zodiac right through the 70s and I absolutely loved it, fabulous memories of heading off to France with a full roof rack and a very heavy caravan behind! Happy days 😊
I had a '63 FB, 3 speed column change, bench seat in the front with leopard skin seat covers. My first car, bought in '74 for £30. With a fresh mot. So many great memories.
Fantastic , particularly like the silver H reg. Shame so many of these were lost in banger racing during the 70s. A friend had a V4 Zephyr for short time , it was unfashionable and cheap to buy back then , remember that huge bonnet . How times change.
Hi, had 2 FB Victors in the early 70s one was an estate great work bus and the saloon a peach to driveand very reliable. Used to get a lift to work in one as a van lad from the driver's also in a mk2 cortina and as nearly new car's they were lovely smooth comfortable . I think people do hold the victor i high esteem i do and there is plenty in the Victor club i have an F Victor of 57 vintage myself and would love a nice FB at the right price !! Keep up the good work dude will watch out for you.
I love thease old cars, i used to have triumphs, heralds and vitesses . I regret selling them but always Wanted a vauxhall or a Ford. Maybe one day, my wife says i can get one !!
Victor looks identical to my old man’s. It was dark green, suspect the interior was exactly like this one, had the front bench. When I saw the dashboard and steering wheel I blurted out “oh my god” out loud 😢 Miss them days!
Classic cars are beautiful and reliable aren't they? It reminds me of our Morris Oxford that we had in the 70s. Built like a tank and very reliable starting up. The only problem we had was the occasional flat battery. Soon sorted. Out comes the handle - crank it over 3 times - ignition on - usually started on the first swing. How many cars [and other vehicles] are made with this facility today? It's all electronic ignition and computers these days! And they were also a lot more easier to service and maintain yourself as well. A few tools to keep everything running smoothly. Now, you need to plug in a computer to service a modern car. Ooh - I wish we could return to the golden era of simplicity all those years ago...😀
Hi, I've only just discovered you over the weekend and like yourself I love the MK4 Zephyr/Zodiac, I did drive a couple as taxis back in the 70s, my dad had a 1968 Zodiac executive and I had my own in1977, but I'm really messaging about the jaguar in your compound the XJ I think RS , it's identical to the one I owned back in 95 and I wondered what information there was on if. Kind Regards Tony
Thanks for the comment, it's a XJR-S 6.0 it is in for major chassis and inner wings.I have looked after the car for years and now it has a new owner who wants the work undertaking.
These british cars were all over the place when I was a child. I saw the MKIV as the predecessor to the Ford Granada. I watch many old films and love the cars, buses and trucks, much nicer than todays unstylish crud. Although they are probably more economic and realiable and have more accessories. Still they don't have the lines of older cars.
Yes most of the mechanical components are interchangeable between Zephyr & Granada's & Consuls, the IRS suspension of the Granada was a refinement of what was designed 6 years before on the MK4 range, however the front suspension( US inspired) was completely different on the Granada to compared to the Zephyr. One TV series that featured MK4 Zephyr & MK1 Granada's in abundance is Special Branch, the forerunner to the Sweeney!
@@mikemartin2957 Thanks for the info. Yes my dad used to watch Special Branch with George Sewell and Public Eye. My favourite was The Professionals and those Ford Capri's in later episodes.
@@Diggers-Garage if only, I've a comparatively old lexus convertible as a toy already. I'm sure it'll go mate. If I got another I'd be living in it 😉 that's for sure. Mind you she has got another dog so....Have a good Christmas 🎄
Great memories of my dad's white MkIV Zephyr 4 Deluxe. He bought it brand new in 1968, when I was 8, and 9 years later I passed my driving test in it. Despite being a Deluxe model, there was no radio as standard. When we travelled on holiday my mum sat a small Alba transistor radio beside her in the passenger footwell, while I (when a small kid), sat between her and my dad on the centre console between the front bucket seats - no one even thought about wearing a seat belt. In summer of 1973 we drove from the west coast of Scotland to the Algarve via Franco's Spain, navigating using RAC route cards ...... who needed SatNav? During the return journey the drive shaft dropped off near Calais, buried its self in the road and snapped into two pieces, making an almighty bang. So much so that 2 Gendarmes rushed out of their building nearby and said that they thought it was gun fire! Despite the various issues over the years and the car being way underpowered, my dad used that Zephyr as the benchmark for all the cars that followed (Vauxhall, Subaru, Audis, Toyota, Hondas) and none measured up to that Ford.
Being honest I never liked the mk 4 thought it ugly as could be now the MK3 was beautiful all round could never understand Ford following it with that clunker but they did it again by following the cortina with that awful Sierra,Vauxhall had their silly moments too following the the Omega with some orrible thing that I forget the name of.
In 1976 I bought an FB Victor Estate 1964 registered , the one with four-on-the-floor gearchange and leather upholstery. It cost me £14-00 and it had a year's MOT! I used it for almost three years and it passed the necessary MOTs without a problem. Then, on a trip from County Durham to Suffolk it blew a head gasket. The AA recovered me to Suffolk and I sold it for £20 to a scrap man. Absolutely loved that car even though it replaced a much newer SAAB 99 company car which was brilliant in a different way!
I adore the traditional round analogue dials along the dash. Classic and ageless unlike the sterile cheap design of modern motors that age like a pint of John Smith's extra smooth.
In the Sixties as a Kid I had both these as Corgi Toys ....I don't see The Kids of today getting excited about a Mk4 Astra or a Mondeo ... I would love VX4 / 90 Victor... What a lovely car that was.. 200Kid
My father bought one of these cars in 1971, FSR 712D, a V6 zephyr, he paid £160, remember the car was barely 6years old, such was the precipitous depreciation of these cars, the big vauxhalls were much the same,many ended their days banger raced not 7yr old
Big British designed & made cars from mainstream makers didn't have the unacceptable depreciation that large Continental cars had in the 60s &70s like 10 year old Fiats, French cars from Citroen, Peugeot, Simca & Mercedes ,Audi/ NSU & Opel. Once their "seedy Opulence" & poor styling turned to rust, lack of affordable spares & expertise in repairs were a reality, they were very undesirable. Even Glasses Guide from back in the day didn't bother quoting basic trade prices.
I didn't think that was going to start, very surprising. To be honest modern cars are brilliant, no choke or pedal pumping just turn the key or press a button and your away!
For all the effort & time it takes to pull choke & press the throttle; far easier than sorting out the faults & potential troubles on modern EFI & engine management systems , especially on French & German cars.
@@mikemartin2957 I've never had a moments trouble with any car in recent years. Not like my Cavaliers auto choke, or broken throttle cables on the Toledo. Fond memories of a colour tune kit on my Marina lol. I could only get it to work once, points and condenser were a faff, early ones might of been problematic I suppose, but we kinda leapfrogged that period as we had a diesel Mondeo and Corsa for a total of 15 years.
@@rob5944 only the Japanese perfected the auto choke! on their Aisan ( Toyota brand) , Hitachi & Mikuni carbs.though most UK market Honda's Datsun & Toyota still Han manual chokes well into the 80s. The Toledo is quite a rare car now compared to its Dolomite cousin! Yes the MK2 Cav had that Awful GM Varijet2 & Pierburg carb on the 1600. But some later MK2 from '86 had a Weber 38 DFMS upgrade with manual choke!
@@bucko321 thanks for the comment, no not really Zephyr still on a rubber battery and both cars running a dynamo. Both are looked after correctly and serviced to be honest.
@@Diggers-Garage growing up in the 70"s, I knew whose car was trying to start up on a freezing cold morning down my road. Just by listening to the starter motor churning away. A bit different today.
It's the Cologne V4 & V6 that were poor, NOT the UK Essex V4 & V6 units which had loads torque! The German engines that were never in any of the British range of cars ( Saab 96had it from '66 untill 1980 & 1978( MK2 Granada) Those Cologne units were awful & expensive to repair & except for the oil filler cap & filter had NO common parts with the British counterpart. Their main failing was the fibre timing gear, ( some early Essex had the problem with Tufnol & Lignum Vitae gears too!)poor breathing ( siameased exhaust ports, and thermostat at the lowest point of the engine ( who the hell in Deutschland thought that was a good idea? ( obviously never did physics or elementary engineering) & had awful Bosch electrics. when the 2.8 Capri came out late '81 they did some improvements but still a weak engine.
German version of the V4 & V6 ' Cologne units were dire! The Essex as feature in the Zephyr here ' Diggers Garage'were ok if regular oil changes at 5000 miles were done & hoses & radiator kept leak free. Gawd knows how Saab chose them?
@@mikemartin2957 That is interesting as always thought that being German the Cologne units would have been superior and why the Essexes were phased out in favour. However, I heard a London taxi cab maker was considering adopting the 2.3 V6 Cologne, but Ford would have only given them a guarantee of 50K miles which was obviously no good in a taxi....I did use to wonder why the 3.0 V6 Essex was dropped in favour of the 2.8 V6 Cologne when as you say it had power-draining Siamese ports.
@@Efferpheasants the Essex was dropped from the UK in 1985 when it was last used in the Mk 2 Transit.ambulances; that's when the foundry at Dagenham made the last one for road vehicles, they continued in South Africa till the mid 90s! The reason the cologne V was chosen especially in the late 70 was for emissions reason's particular to the USA & Canada where cat converters were used fro 1975 this engine as well as the crossflow Kent in the Mercury Capri MK1 & 2,
I had a 2litre V4 in a Corsair 2000E - I loved that car....but had many a frosty morning coaxing her into life...... a lovely exhaust note when she did!
Thanks for the comment. My silver V4 starts the first piston at the top every time no matter what the weather.
These types of cars were never celebrated or had massive doting owner clubs and nobody missed them when they were gone - but fact is they just quietly got on with their job while they were here as something a family could depend on and make dramas, laughs and memories with -almost a family pet in many cases.
Thanks for commenting, well said 100% true
MGB or Moggie Minor owners have it made ! parts are easier to get nowadays compared to the 80s; but it's no easy job getting vital parts for a MK4 or PB Victor! Electrical or brake parts , especially if they interchange with later cars, but anything specific such as a petrol tank, glass, bumpers & panels can lead to loss of enthusiasm from the owner & potential for " abandoned project" however eBay & specialist breaker can often save the day!
Very nicely said. I think a lot of us tap into that notion without knowing quite how to say it
@Efferpheasants. All that you said there, is me. No one notices, quietly getting on with a job, being there, etc.....
Mk IV Zodiacs were total lemons the British Edsel
Brings back memories of my friend's Dad's Zephyr 4 mk IV V4 with it's bench street and column gear change and the lovely noise of the engine, reminiscent of a modern Subaru flat 4.
The Victor also since my Grandad had one. Very luxurious inside with leather seats and deep pile carpet. Column change again and possibly a bench seat up front.
Thanks for commenting, very unique sound V4 and victor always had a nice interior.
I would love to smell that exhaust, I do miss the cold starts with these old beauties.
Sir you have some beautiful cars , I have always been a fan , thankyou for sharing
Thankyou very much for your nice comment
Your welcome, what type of fuel do you use now , can I guess an additive and unleaded ?
@@ianlaws3857 I always use Tesco's high octane 99 with Millers oils VSP power plus lead replacement.
Excellent video! THIS is what things were back then. People seem to forget that winters were much colder in the 60s and 70s and even then, people went to work. So many people nowadays that start up a classic in bad shape (or don't know how to start one) and then state that silly things like "all part of the charm" or "that it how it was".
Yeah, I remember in two foot of snow dad would be outside starting up his Triumph Herald estate and shovelling the snow away from the car door and wheels, as you say those 60s and 70s winters were real buggers.
We had a escort estate and he drop me and 2 Brothers off, to do the paper round..
Scrapping the ice off inside of the windscreen
Wow, that dashboard takes me right back to my teens. I had two of those at different times. A V4 Zephyr - White - Column change - Bench seat. And a V6 Zodiac, Green - Floor Shift - Center Console.
Thanks for commenting, Pleased it brought back memories.
My first MK3 Ford Cortina (K reg) had a bench seat, only MK3 I ever saw with a bench seat in.
I'm 55 and I can remember on a old cold frosty morning when I was around 8years old ,there was mk 1 cortina struggling to start in my street I'd be in bed and could hear it every morning.bring back memories
Now you've gone and made me all nostalgic and missing my 1964 VX490. What a car that was!
Not seen very often nowadays
Loving the classic cars, was brought up with them 🎉
That's good to hear thanks for commenting
Big smile from me when you started these beauties up!!!❤
Thanks for the comment, Classic cars are for making people smile
Fabulous cars, such a lovely sound, old engines firing up and ticking over 🥰
Thanks for commenting, the way things used to be
Your cars seem to love you, since they started for you!
Dad had a 68 Zephyr saloon,silver,v4. In 71 we had a holiday in France,packed to the roof,no seatbelts,me my 2 brothers,sister and mum. I can remember sitting behind dad,and looking over his shoulder at all the guages on dashboard,red alert was when the fuel needle was in red😂,he always announced this,and everyone was told to 'keep your eyes peeled for a petrol station'😂 .Dad died last April at 97,at his funeral amongst the stories ,the silver Zephyr ,its holiday story made people smile,old cars evoke strong memories, TYT340F was kept till 74, but we still got some old pics.
Thanks for commenting, it's such a pleasure to hear these fantastic stories and they were always about the family as a unit. This has to be the main reason I have focused so much effort into preserving this fantastic model.
Love old cars ,full of character ,expecially the 50s 60s ones ,l remember staring my dads 1969 corsair after passed mt test ,then a ford 100e ,nice to see them on your videos ,good old cars ,old England
@@Marty-hu7rw pleased you liked the video summed up perfectly, old England
An FB Victor and a Mk. IV Zodiac were the cars I grew up with, Dad finally selling the Zodiac in 1988 - so it's a real pleasure for me to see the two here in one place.
Love the old cars.
Enjoy
amazing ! . your cars are FANTASIC !!!
Thankyou very much
@@Diggers-Garage i love to see the 60's /70's dashboards they are gorgeous !
Yes watching you takes me back to the 60s and 70s my step dad had an FB victor the steering was a bit woolly but you soon got used to it. I used to MOT in 67 and 68 so drove a lot of different car's, I found when people complained about certain aspects of reliability of some car's usually it wasbecause they didn't drive or maintain them properly. As I said in a reply to one of your blogs the other day my experience of car's in that era was as long as you did a bit of regular maintenance they were very often more reliable than the motors what we are running around in now. Watching people on the internet stripping and repairing new car's with all the electrics hoses everywhere daft components made of plastic at stupid prices for what to go a little faster and get a few more mpg. But at what price. .
A era that I never intend to leave hope you enjoy the journey with me.
To David Clarke. And nowadays, people would think the old Mini had a fair bit of room under the bonnet, to work on the engine. Back then, we thought it wasn't that good! When somebody wants to replace an engine part now, half the repair time involves taking off other engine components, just to get to it! That not just takes more time, but the extra time involved means extra labour charges, as well!
My, you got TWO of the most lovely types of car! You ALSO appreciate the nice things I remember!
Thank you very much
I also in 1966 worked at Carbodies in Coventry where I worked on converting Triumph 2000 saloons into estates for Triumph, we did about 12 car's a day that was the era when men had skill at a pace lead loading and gas welding on a moving track also fitting doors bonnets and wings setting the gaps on the move. We also did the black taxi Standard Atlas van if you ever remember them they were like an Austin J2 . We also did the Daimler limousine floor pans plus front bulkhead. And strangely enough just sprayed the Singer Vogue estate. In the past Carbodies made the Ford Zephyr convertibles and The Humber super snipe and Hawk estates.
That's when we could do a professional job you must be very proud of experiencing this era unlike today we couldn't run a tap now.
Thanks for your quick response it's much appreciated, I will keep watching you because although I am in Wolverhampton one day I may take a ride up to you and reminisce over the MK4 selection you have 👍
You would be made more than welcome
superb! just shows you what classics are capable of if the basics are taken care of, they are both lovely cars, my favourite classic marque is probably vauxhall (i love the PB and PC crestas) and i love the mk4 zephyr/zodiacs, great video, inspiring
Thanks for commenting. I'm obviously keeping the people smiling who I intended to
Classics weren't Classics when they were first designed engineered and manufactured.
They were designed as everyday transportation to be driven daily under all conditions and just because they have a few years under the tires does it mean they're not capable of performing the tasks they were designed for.
@@williamegler8771 yes i realise that! i didn't come down in the last shower
My Dad had a MKIV Zodiac right through the 70s and I absolutely loved it, fabulous memories of heading off to France with a full roof rack and a very heavy caravan behind! Happy days 😊
Thanks for commenting, the MKIV's did a lot of long distance runs for people
Love the old cars mate thanks its nice they start in bad weather awsome good Christmas to you 🎄
And a good Christmas to you too thanks for commenting.
No problem take care..
Stunning cars love the zodiac my dad had one you can't beat the classics dash fantastic ❤❤❤❤
Try to keep everybody entertained. Thanks for commenting
Well done, girls! Cracking stuff - proves these old cars can still be practical options. 👍😁
Very practical options don't think people realise how useful they are.
Two beautiful motors my friend.😀❤️👍
Thankyou very much
Happy day’s can’t beat a classic car 👍
Thanks very much.
Nothing like a classic....love it
Absolutely
Cracking…. Love the fact you daily such a car
It's great to have the privilege it's no more work than a modern car just maintenance
Just found your channel love what u do keep up your great work
Thanks for commenting, try to keep things interesting for everyone
I had a '63 FB, 3 speed column change, bench seat in the front with leopard skin seat covers. My first car, bought in '74 for £30. With a fresh mot. So many great memories.
Thanks for commenting, nothing better than old car memories
Beat you mine cost £25 in 72 and you could start it with any FP key 😂
Fantastic , particularly like the silver H reg. Shame so many of these were lost in banger racing during the 70s. A friend had a V4 Zephyr for short time , it was unfashionable and cheap to buy back then , remember that huge bonnet . How times change.
Usual case interest coming back shortage of cars
Hi, had 2 FB Victors in the early 70s one was an estate great work bus and the saloon a peach to driveand very reliable. Used to get a lift to work in one as a van lad from the driver's also in a mk2 cortina and as nearly new car's they were lovely smooth comfortable . I think people do hold the victor i high esteem i do and there is plenty in the Victor club i have an F Victor of 57 vintage myself and would love a nice FB at the right price !! Keep up the good work dude will watch out for you.
Thanks for commenting. Good to hear your thoughts
I still have a FB windscreen in my loft from when I owned one in 1981.
I love thease old cars, i used to have triumphs, heralds and vitesses . I regret selling them but always Wanted a vauxhall or a Ford. Maybe one day, my wife says i can get one !!
Thanks for commenting
My dad had a Zephyr. Used to have to bring the starter into the house on winter nights and keep it on the radiator for the morning.
Do you not mean the battery? Removing the starter motor is not a very practical proposition.
Victor looks identical to my old man’s. It was dark green, suspect the interior was exactly like this one, had the front bench.
When I saw the dashboard and steering wheel I blurted out “oh my god” out loud 😢
Miss them days!
Thanks very much for commenting, old cars have so many memories for people.
Classic cars are beautiful and reliable aren't they? It reminds me of our Morris Oxford that we had in the 70s. Built like a tank and very reliable starting up. The only problem we had was the occasional flat battery. Soon sorted. Out comes the handle - crank it over 3 times - ignition on - usually started on the first swing. How many cars [and other vehicles] are made with this facility today? It's all electronic ignition and computers these days! And they were also a lot more easier to service and maintain yourself as well. A few tools to keep everything running smoothly. Now, you need to plug in a computer to service a modern car. Ooh - I wish we could return to the golden era of simplicity all those years ago...😀
Thanks for commenting, they call it progress a statement I use often Men in sheds built this country men in suites ruined it.
I never attempted starting my 130 hp Austin Mini on a cold morning it was bad enough in summer with the race engine in.
Love ‘em both. And in the freezing weather. 👌👌👌
Thanks very much both are really reliable cars
"plenty in the tank sir" "absolutely lovely"
Hi, I've only just discovered you over the weekend and like yourself I love the MK4 Zephyr/Zodiac, I did drive a couple as taxis back in the 70s, my dad had a 1968 Zodiac executive and I had my own in1977, but I'm really messaging about the jaguar in your compound the XJ I think RS , it's identical to the one I owned back in 95 and I wondered what information there was on if. Kind Regards Tony
Thanks for the comment, it's a XJR-S 6.0 it is in for major chassis and inner wings.I have looked after the car for years and now it has a new owner who wants the work undertaking.
These british cars were all over the place when I was a child. I saw the MKIV as the predecessor to the Ford Granada. I watch many old films and love the cars, buses and trucks, much nicer than todays unstylish crud. Although they are probably more economic and realiable and have more accessories. Still they don't have the lines of older cars.
Plastic bumpers put the end to classic cars to be honest
Yes most of the mechanical components are interchangeable between Zephyr & Granada's & Consuls, the IRS suspension of the Granada was a refinement of what was designed 6 years before on the MK4 range, however the front suspension( US inspired) was completely different on the Granada to compared to the Zephyr. One TV series that featured MK4 Zephyr & MK1 Granada's in abundance is Special Branch, the forerunner to the Sweeney!
@@mikemartin2957 Thanks for the info. Yes my dad used to watch Special Branch with George Sewell and Public Eye. My favourite was The Professionals and those Ford Capri's in later episodes.
@@ROCKINGMAN George Sewell was a great actor & was in nearly all of the Thames / LWT action series of the 60s thru to the 80s!
The burgandy Jag is gorgeous!
It's a Daimler it's for sale
@@Diggers-Garage if only, I've a comparatively old lexus convertible as a toy already. I'm sure it'll go mate. If I got another I'd be living in it 😉 that's for sure. Mind you she has got another dog so....Have a good Christmas 🎄
I miss driving an old un , I kept Mk2 Cortina from 1989-2000, I would have another tomorrow if I was working
My dad had a vauxhall Victor I remember it growing up .
Lovely cars make really reliable classics
My dad had the same victor in an unusual teal colour and then in.1971 a v4 zephyr in white FPG198J
Thanks for commenting, your dad obviously had good taste in cars and liked them to be reliable.
Great memories of my dad's white MkIV Zephyr 4 Deluxe. He bought it brand new in 1968, when I was 8, and 9 years later I passed my driving test in it. Despite being a Deluxe model, there was no radio as standard. When we travelled on holiday my mum sat a small Alba transistor radio beside her in the passenger footwell, while I (when a small kid), sat between her and my dad on the centre console between the front bucket seats - no one even thought about wearing a seat belt. In summer of 1973 we drove from the west coast of Scotland to the Algarve via Franco's Spain, navigating using RAC route cards ...... who needed SatNav? During the return journey the drive shaft dropped off near Calais, buried its self in the road and snapped into two pieces, making an almighty bang. So much so that 2 Gendarmes rushed out of their building nearby and said that they thought it was gun fire! Despite the various issues over the years and the car being way underpowered, my dad used that Zephyr as the benchmark for all the cars that followed (Vauxhall, Subaru, Audis, Toyota, Hondas) and none measured up to that Ford.
Thanks for commenting, I'm obviously not the only person who's had so much pleasure from Ford's V4 model such a pleasure to hear these great stories.
Being honest I never liked the mk 4 thought it ugly as could be now the MK3 was beautiful all round could never understand Ford following it with that clunker but they did it again by following the cortina with that awful Sierra,Vauxhall had their silly moments too following the the Omega with some orrible thing that I forget the name of.
In 1976 I bought an FB Victor Estate 1964 registered , the one with four-on-the-floor gearchange and leather upholstery. It cost me £14-00 and it had a year's MOT! I used it for almost three years and it passed the necessary MOTs without a problem. Then, on a trip from County Durham to Suffolk it blew a head gasket. The AA recovered me to Suffolk and I sold it for £20 to a scrap man. Absolutely loved that car even though it replaced a much newer SAAB 99 company car which was brilliant in a different way!
Thanks for commenting. Tough as old nails FB bet if you'd done gasket it would have done another 10 years.
Love what you’re doing mate.
Thanks for commenting, try and keep videos coming
I adore the traditional round analogue dials along the dash. Classic and ageless unlike the sterile cheap design of modern motors that age like a pint of John Smith's extra smooth.
Thanks very much
That v4 starting surprised me big time I drove a mk2 escort to work for awhile in winter if I didn't catch it first time it flooded
Old Fords never die.
I adore your accent
In the Sixties as a Kid I had both these as Corgi Toys ....I don't see
The Kids of today getting excited about a Mk4 Astra or a Mondeo ...
I would love VX4 / 90 Victor...
What a lovely car that was..
200Kid
Don't think they get excited about much nowadays.
Great to see the zephyr fire up ,good old girls.
Thanks for commenting
Great cars..........proper simple cars.....A to B.....jobs a gooden..
From a real era
Enjoyed the cold start vid. The Ford surprised me, they never used to start for me!!??
Never let me down the MKIV'S
Built to last, unlike the crap we buy today!
Thanks for commenting, sadly true
That's why we deserted Huddersfield for Australia's Gold Coast (eventually). Nowt to be said for freezing yer bits off if you don't have to, hey!!
Totally right there mate good on yer
Are their subtitles? 😏
Look into it
TWR XJS?
Thanks for commenting, XJR,S 6.0 ltr is a TWR
@@Diggers-Garage rare beast these days. Lovely car.
Brilliant now get the blowers on lad 😊
My father bought one of these cars in 1971, FSR 712D, a V6 zephyr, he paid £160, remember the car was barely 6years old, such was the precipitous depreciation of these cars, the big vauxhalls were much the same,many ended their days banger raced not 7yr old
Just the way things were back then
Big British designed & made cars from mainstream makers didn't have the unacceptable depreciation that large Continental cars had in the 60s &70s like 10 year old Fiats, French cars from Citroen, Peugeot, Simca & Mercedes ,Audi/ NSU & Opel. Once their "seedy Opulence" & poor styling turned to rust, lack of affordable spares & expertise in repairs were a reality, they were very undesirable. Even Glasses Guide from back in the day didn't bother quoting basic trade prices.
I can remember when cars had starting handles and the cussing when they were being used.
Just restoring a 54 Anglia 6volt and starting handle under bonnet
I didn't think that was going to start, very surprising. To be honest modern cars are brilliant, no choke or pedal pumping just turn the key or press a button and your away!
Lazy starter but still managed to catch on you can get carb issues with V4s sort them and they will always go.
@@Diggers-Garage nice sound to em. Never very successful though for some reason.🤔
For all the effort & time it takes to pull choke & press the throttle; far easier than sorting out the faults & potential troubles on modern EFI & engine management systems , especially on French & German cars.
@@mikemartin2957 I've never had a moments trouble with any car in recent years. Not like my Cavaliers auto choke, or broken throttle cables on the Toledo. Fond memories of a colour tune kit on my Marina lol. I could only get it to work once, points and condenser were a faff, early ones might of been problematic I suppose, but we kinda leapfrogged that period as we had a diesel Mondeo and Corsa for a total of 15 years.
@@rob5944 only the Japanese perfected the auto choke! on their Aisan ( Toyota brand) , Hitachi & Mikuni carbs.though most UK market Honda's Datsun & Toyota still Han manual chokes well into the 80s. The Toledo is quite a rare car now compared to its Dolomite cousin! Yes the MK2 Cav had that Awful GM Varijet2 & Pierburg carb on the 1600. But some later MK2 from '86 had a Weber 38 DFMS upgrade with manual choke!
Excellent!
Thanks
Love mk4 Zephyrs!
Thanks not only me then
Even cold lady’s don’t let you down🥶👌
Thanks for commenting
The era when different makershad different styles and shapes..
Thanks for commenting, how things have changed
The victor dash is well smart
Thanks very much
That's a joy to see
So pleased you're all enjoying
Ahhh, the old Dagenham disasters!!!
excellent
Thanks very much
Eeeeeh Yorkshire!
Born and bred
Classic cars with modern battery technology, I guess.
@@bucko321 thanks for the comment, no not really Zephyr still on a rubber battery and both cars running a dynamo. Both are looked after correctly and serviced to be honest.
@@Diggers-Garage growing up in the 70"s, I knew whose car was trying to start up on a freezing cold morning down my road. Just by listening to the starter motor churning away. A bit different today.
Those zephyrs are so ugly they're great.
Very Lincoln based excellent ride
Ford V4 not a good engine
Thanks for commenting, early wet liner engines had issues but Ford ironed out issues never had trouble with any of mine.
It's the Cologne V4 & V6 that were poor, NOT the UK Essex V4 & V6 units which had loads torque! The German engines that were never in any of the British range of cars ( Saab 96had it from '66 untill 1980 & 1978( MK2 Granada) Those Cologne units were awful & expensive to repair & except for the oil filler cap & filter had NO common parts with the British counterpart. Their main failing was the fibre timing gear, ( some early Essex had the problem with Tufnol & Lignum Vitae gears too!)poor breathing ( siameased exhaust ports, and thermostat at the lowest point of the engine ( who the hell in Deutschland thought that was a good idea? ( obviously never did physics or elementary engineering) & had awful Bosch electrics. when the 2.8 Capri came out late '81 they did some improvements but still a weak engine.
German version of the V4 & V6 ' Cologne units were dire! The Essex as feature in the Zephyr here ' Diggers Garage'were ok if regular oil changes at 5000 miles were done & hoses & radiator kept leak free. Gawd knows how Saab chose them?
@@mikemartin2957 That is interesting as always thought that being German the Cologne units would have been superior and why the Essexes were phased out in favour. However, I heard a London taxi cab maker was considering adopting the 2.3 V6 Cologne, but Ford would have only given them a guarantee of 50K miles which was obviously no good in a taxi....I did use to wonder why the 3.0 V6 Essex was dropped in favour of the 2.8 V6 Cologne when as you say it had power-draining Siamese ports.
@@Efferpheasants the Essex was dropped from the UK in 1985 when it was last used in the Mk 2 Transit.ambulances; that's when the foundry at Dagenham made the last one for road vehicles, they continued in South Africa till the mid 90s! The reason the cologne V was chosen especially in the late 70 was for emissions reason's particular to the USA & Canada where cat converters were used fro 1975 this engine as well as the crossflow Kent in the Mercury Capri MK1 & 2,