Mike Cullen

I tend to compare them to a different body part that we all have Rolf. It takes little imagination to SBC a car. It truly puzzles me when a guy spends thousands of hours and tens of thousands of dollars building a chassis, beautiful interior, tons of doo-dads and gizmos for convenience, flawless paint etc. then powers it with a $1500 SBC crate motor.

Hey Cecil, a few years ago there was a guy in my local club that had an honest 395 point Grand National winning Studebaker Gran Tourismo, it was one of the most beautiful Studes I've ever seen. He tearfully sold it when he was downsizing (bought a Crosley for his toy) and was very careful to sell it to someone like-minded, and who would take good care of it. 6 Months later I saw it at a car show with a SBC and big wheels..... un believeable! the new owner figured it was the wise move, 350 parts were much easier to find. His hotrodder buddy gave him a good deal on the swap too, $2000 and the Stude engine.

BTW Tom, adding a few dealer type options, in a neat professional, period correct manner is no problem when you are being judged, but you can't lose points for an option that is not added. If you are restoring a concours type trailer queen, everything has to be correct and perfect. If you are going to drive your car (which is the original reason they were built) add whatever you like or feel is necessary for your comfort and safety. Drive it and enjoy it! My 36 is not perfect, and likely never will be, but it sure is a lot of fun.

You guys are implying that I shouldn't put this 454 in my '36? no Mustang II front end, 9" rear? Air conditioning and 22" wheels are out too? Without all those "necessary upgrades" it isn't roadworthy is it? What am I going to do with the 2 gallons of flip flop purple paint?

Have you got all the controls? Speedo cable and adaptor? Ford or Lincoln Version? (since you are advertising other parts from a 39 and a 40 Ford, is this where the rear end came from?)

Disassembled cars are worth about 1/2 to 1/3 of what they would be worth assembled, even if they need work. The Lincoln only needs brake work, no small job, but nothing that can't be handled in a weekend or two, if parts are gathered up ahead of time. Two major projects vs an almost driver that is actually more rare and at least as desireable as the Stude, more so than the Mopar.... the swap looks good to me. If you were inclined to complete the Stude it would already be going down the road, not partially done and in pieces. Get rid of the major projects and get the Lincoln on the road. Maybe you can squeeze the guy for a few bucks to get the brake parts, or a set of tires, or whatever.

Mine are pretty rough. I need a good set too.

How about mounting a Zephyr floor shifter in place of the joystick control? Early hubcaps... and a rear seat hassock instead of foot rests? (congrats on the buggy Rolf, my mother used one for a few years and loved it)

FWIW, I marked and counted the pinion and ring set I have, it's 9/34. The ring gear is acid etched 78 # 4599 I assume that is the Ford part number. I guess it can sit on the shelf for a while, just in case a Columbia turns up. (yeah, right, in my dreams)

Phil, we all hate your guts! Just kidding! Great find! I'd be tempted to just get running, make it safe, and leave it as is. Excellent car!

It works out to 12.7%,(4.33 to 3.78) so at 3000RPM existing ratio, Whatever MPH that is, I'd only have to turn 2619 RPM. Not much difference, but some. Is that small a change going to lug it down and make it a snail? I don't think so. The big kicker is I have the Ford gearset, I don't have the $3-4K to set up a Columbia. (the only game in town for the 36, I don't want to do anything that requires cutting or damaging my existing driveline like a later Borg Warner OD) Pipes.... That's a good idea, maybe I can find one of those 4" fart cans like the ricerboys run, maybe glue a big red "R" on the dedcklid, get me some 22" wheels......

I'll second that pat on the back to our resident old timers. There must be a few thousand years of combined experience free for the asking. Maybe someday I'll be considered an old timer and have something helpful to the next generation of Zephyr enthusiasts. (since I'm only 52 and have less than 10 years hands on with a Zephyr I'm the proverbial rookie)

Not at all, hell I look to you old timers for help fixing things I bust. Rolf has forgotten more about HV12s than many of us could hope to learn. Before I start tearing into this maybe I could hook up a tach and get some real RPM numbers, or at least figure out what I have in there. By the rest of the car, I'd say it's original, but I just can't see a car with that high a ratio unless it was intended to run in the 50MPH range for long distance runs. The engine just feels so good at that speed, and seems to be really screaming to hold 70. conversley, it doesn't seem to lug in high at 30-35, it pulls really well in high, I generally shift out of first at 10mph or so (pretty much just to get it rolling or to hold on a hill) then out of second at 25-30MPH. It pulls solid without lugging at all. I can start out in second without trouble or having to slip the clutch a lot. There seems to be no reason to not take this car on the expressways, etc. Maybe I'm incorrect, but in my younger days, I experienced hard part failures in a few engines, street and track, it was always from winding them too high, pushing it higher than I should have, not turning them too slow.

it seemed to work for me

Well, I suppose I could shell out $3-4K for a Columbia, if I could find one near me so as to not bring displeasure to the purist gods, but in the interim, I drive my car, alot. Mostly on secondary roads at 50-60MPH. Being able to cruise at 65-70 on the expressway would be a huge plus. As far as lugging the engine, I doubt it. Most of the surface streets here are 35-45MPH and they are always moving. 30% lower RPM as normal cruise speed has to save more in wear on the engine and fuel consumption. That much of a change can't be enough to dog it out, (dare I say it? in low gear, I can squawk the tires, without just dumping the clutch, I did it just once, I was curious but would not consider doing it again, too easy to bust an axle) If you want to look at it from a historical perspective, the roads in 36 were not good enough to consistantly drive more than 45-50. I'd suspect that would be the reason for the taller gears from the factory. I've referred to that particular range as the "sweet spot" in the torque curve (Never did a dyno pull with it), but from the seat of the pants, it seems to be the perfect engine speed, lots of pedal for acceleration left, but also at the point that lifting your foot only slows you down well. Sorry Rolf, I don't like to hear a 72 year old motor screaming at high RPMs like that, I realize that for the most part it's OK, but we have lots of long, straight, flat roads here. Ideal conditions for leggy rear ends. I want to drive to shows and get togethers as much as possible. Having the option of taking the expressway safely opens up many more opportunities to get out there "Zephyring"

I know that the stock axle ratio in my 36 is pretty high, that is RPMs are quite high at highway speeds. (somewhere around 4.20:1 IIRC) I disassembled a Ford unit I had as a spare in order to have the axles and brake drums handy if needed. I understand that the Ford parts are a direct bolt in for the 36 Zephyr. Should I replace the whole center section or remove the pinion and transfer it and the two bearings over to my "Banjo"? I counted the teeth and ended up with 10/34 for a 3.4:1 ratio, that would be great for my Zephyr. Is that the correct count for a Ford ring and pinion in 36-37? I'm 90% sure this rear end assembly was in a 37 2 door passenger car. The gears show virtually no wear, and it is centered on the teeth, no chips or galling, no discoloration. This much of a change would be great for highway driving! I don't think that there will be any trouble with pulling power, I've got plenty of torque as is.

The 36 radio head is round and different from the Ford version. The radio itself is likely the same, except the cover. (the 36 doesn't have the teardrop logo, it has an embossed logo that looks like the "Jesus Fish" that some folks sport to profess their faith)

Way to go cuz. That has to be a huge relief!

Rolf may have a better idea about the 41 cars than many of us. They seem to be "right in his wheelhouse" for technical information etc.

That would be a great way to start "Zephyring" or to expand your stash of goodies and maybe even get a ragtop back on the road. I assume that they will get grabbed up by somebody looking to part them out and make a killing on desireable convertible parts...... I wish I had the room for at least one of them. Not even a day's drive for you Cecil, is that 37 coupe getting lonely? You could use up the leftover garnet red paint and with a beige interior and top a ragtop looks great. May even have a twin carb setup on one of them, juice brakes, regulated charging system, all the modern conveniences!.....

Off the top of my head, it originally had a built-in, I don't remember if it was in the roof or the decklid. I now have a sidemount cowl mast type. (I think it was Jake Fleming who does a lot of radio work. His number is available on the LZOC site) I'll dig up the info I have and make a copy for you.

If the 37 is the same as 36, I have the installation manual. For 36, it's the Philco model and was a dealer option I assume. You will need to install supressors at various locations, (fuel sending unit, generator, oil pressure sending unit, distributor x2) and the speaker is not a PM speaker, it uses a powered coil. I'll dig up my manual and make you a copy. I think somebody (maybe Alan Whelihan) has parts for them.

On my 36 I had to replace the headlight socket with a Ford reproduction piece, then you will have to use Ford bulbs, the alignment pins are 90 degrees different, (or I installed them wrong) Switching to high-beam made the car go "cross-eyed" until I got the orientation right. The usual suspects carry the Ford sockets with alignment pins.

here is a 49 door panel, 2 door version. I had a 4 door. I thought the trim piece looked kinda like an art deco train... actually two of them meeting in the middle.

"Flying p*ckers" Nice work,the chrome should look incredible on that good base. BTW there is a left side taillight assembly and an extra glass lens on e-bay right now. (not cheap)