Need help with my 41 Z coupe

[Zoot Couper]

I have a 41 Zephyr 3W at a local builder (Norm at Vintage Metal in Yucaipa) that's in pretty sad shap. See photos:

First, does anyone know the proper wheelbase for this car?

Right now the makshift floorpan is pretty much holding the body off the frame and not straight either.

The body needs to come off the frame so the frame and body can be assesed as needed. I plan to make a large wooden dolly to hold the body. Then reposition it correctly and fix the frame.

Currently it has a Camero front clip which is in unknown condition. There is a LOT of cancer in the body to cure.

Fortunately I have purchased a great deal of the bold/weld-on body parts, see photos, but still much to fabricate and repair.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I probably can't afford all the parts to make it a stock Zephyr but maybe in time. Currently the plan is a custom.

I bought the car on the advice of a HAMBer from another HAMBer but I suspect (hope) neither knew the extent of the bad condition.

Is a floor pan available reasonably for this car? Is a chassis interchangeable from another car? Is suspension parts interchangeable? Maybe I can find a junker and just swap? I have purchase the majority of parts form Merv Adkins but I really need more affordable parts.

Please help if you can.

Thanks

Zoot

[Mike Cullen]

Did the seller give you a big wet kiss before he handed over the title?

As much as I hate to say it, you might be better off starting with a chebby S10 frame, and just using what is left of the body shell for the basis of a custom. IMO, you don't have enough left to restore this to stock without having another car as a 2 into one deal. As beautiful as a Zephyr coupe is, sometimes you are stuck trying to polish a turd.

[Zoot Couper]

MIke,

If I WAS'T trying to restore it to stock, what do you see with the frame that's a deal killer?

What kind of height, options, advantages, etc would an S10 give me, or were you being facetious ?

Thanks for your input. BTW, I am married no I am not allowed to kiss anybody else.

PS: this body has already been off its frame so the idea of separating the body and frame is somewhat moot.

[Zoot Couper]

Forgot to mention that I have a PRIMO hood, decklid, both doors, all fenders, skirts, complete nose and tail pan and dash ready to install. The rot of course is all in the bottom 3 inches in the body. Does that change anyones opinion?

[imported_Phil Knapp]

Well, you did pretty good Zoot. However, the **HUGE** (14mb each) bitmaps you attached took about 10 minutes each to download over my dial-up line.

If it is at all possible, PLEASE try to convert future photos to a .jpg format with 640x480 (about 150kb each) resolution.

[Tom_Overfield]

Zoot,

The wheelbase on the car is the same as a 41 Zephyr 4door, matter of fact, the frame and floorboards are almost identical with the minor issue of the box under the rear seat of the 4 door. The car is exactly the same from the windshield forward, from the windshield back, the difference is only in the location of the lower support for the door post in the rear of the door.

If that car was mine, I would look for a good 41 4 door and simply swap the body onto the 4 door frame. I am sure there would be some issues getting it straight, however dollar wise you would be money ahead. IF that is you want to make it stock.

Floorpans are available from one source that is listed in the vendor section, but don't be in a hurry as they take awhile to ship from what I understand. I have seen one of the pans that he produces and they are really nice though.

Tom

[Guest imported_V12Bill]

Zoot,

I finished the restoration of a 48 Zephyr convertible a few years back and it too was a rust bucket, but at least I had a frame and suspenton for it. If you plan to restore it you must get a Lincoln frame. I would think that any hard roof Lincoln frame would be the same from 41 to 48 with only minor differences. Maybe a 40 frame would be the same too. Convertibe frames are Xed and are slightly different but could be used. If you plan a custom, I think the S-10 frame might be the path of least resistance. I made a complete floor pan for my car using a ribbing machine to keep the metal from oil canning.

The frame that shows in the door openning does not appear to be a Lincoln frame as it is not very deep.Since the body was off the frame once, extreme care has to be taken to keep the body from twisting so bad that the doors will not fit. Nothing is impossible if you have enough time and enough money.

[Zoot Couper]

If the frame itself is strong enough and I am planning on a custom, wouldn't I be better off trying to rescue what I've got? My plan was to use a four-link rear suspension and try to use the Camero front clip already in it. Is the S-10 route STILL a better option and why? As far as we know at this point the frame is OK.

Is the S-10 chassis close to the Zephyr in wheelbase etc?

Does anyone know what the correct wheelbase for the Zephyr is?

Anybody got a salvaged floorpan?

Thanks

[peecher]

The wheelbase for the Zephyr is 125". The wheel tread is 58" in front and the rear tread is 60.5". Tire width, wheel off set will be somewhat critical especially at the rear. The rear fender well "space" is fairly ample but fender skirt interference is a consideration. The '40 model Zephyrs (same body) had a 2' narrower tread at the rear. Your S-10 rear tread may be real close to that?

[Mike Cullen]

The reason I suggested the S10 frame is that it is a simple solid frame that can be stretched or shortened to come out where you need it. Also most GM running gear can be used, and selected for the proper tread to make it work. Hence, from junkyard parts you can have a frame, front and rear suspension, juice disc brakes, open driveline, power steering etc. Just to be different, maybe an in-line 6 cylinder like a Ford 300 would fit nicely in place of the narrow V12, and they have plenty of grunt to push the Zephyr around well. (especially if you use a 240 head, better cam, intake and headers)

Without grafting your upper body onto a donor, you will be investing way more labor and money into this than can be justified. This body, IMO, sitting on late model running gear, will have the good looking lines of a Zephyr, but be more driveable on a daily basis. It won't be a "restored Zephyr" but it won't be a far-out custom either. A sort of practical Zephyr-bodied driver/tour car.

Just my opinion, I'm somewhat cheap, so I'd do the budget build. If I was doing a full restoration, I'd find a car with better basic structure to start with.