1979 Mercury Zephyr Villager

Rare 302 V8 engine.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1979-Mercur...oor-5-0L-/191649138318?_trksid=p2054897.l4275

 

Nice...another, isn't this one of our members wagons?

 

The 302 was not rare in the Zephyr Villager wagon; I've only seen two that had the 200 CID six, all the others I've seen had the 302. But I do wonder if it was standard in the Villager; I do know it was optional in the Fairmont (Dad considered buying one when he bought his '78 Fairmont).

 

Only at $1647.00, no reserve.

 

That is not a bad price at all.

 

For $2500 or less I would drive that car! Even if it is a Red Ford Product! ( I have owned 3 other Red Fords, 2 Died violent Deaths, and someone wanted my 3 month old Mustang LX more than I did) So I don't have a good track record with them.

 

It's not nicknamed "Porno Red" for nothing!

 

Belongs to member 688guy.........

Ebay pic...........



From his garage.....

http://stationwagonforums.com/forums/garage_vehicle.php?do=view_vehicle&id=1364

 

Ooh, it's also a 'Ghia Signature.' Even better deal.

 

Back again.

https://washingtondc.craigslist.org/mld/cto/5285748423.html

 

Both the Fairmont and the Zephyr -- even the wagons -- came standard with the 2300 cc four cylinder in 1979. The 200 and 302 were options.

 

I do have to admit I am wrong, but only insofar as the only wagon I have seen with a 4-banger (and a 4-speed) was a Canadian base model Fairmont. I have never seen a 4-banger Zephyr wagon. Remember, my dad bought a '78 Fairmont 2-door sedan, and the only two options he got were the six-banger and the rear window defogger.

 

If I had had the cash back when it first posted, I would have bought that car in a heartbeat.
I had a '79 Fairmont, and if I hadn't moved to Cape Canaveral and sacrificed the body to the rust gods, I'd probably still be driving it.

 

If memory serves (and it usually doesn't server all that well), Consumer Reports said not to buy a Fairmont wagon with the 4 cylinder. Now, that may have referred specifically to the 4 cylinder and AT combination, but I can't recall for certain. This was one of the few times, I believe, the magazine flat out told its readers not to buy a certain model car. I'm assuming the car was considered dangerously slow. Interestingly, according to the brochures, the curb weight on the Fairmont wagon with the 2300 was actually less than the Pinto wagon with the same motor, and CR apparently had no qualms with the Pinto's power. I can only speculate that it's because the Pinto was a 4 passenger car and the Fairmont seated 6, so they expected the Fairmont to routinely carry a heavier payload. Either that, or they expected that no one would run into a Pinto for fear of being caught in the fireball (although the wagon was never implicated in that alleged problem).

I haven't seen or heard of very many 4 banger Fairmont wagons myself, never mind Zephyrs. I would expect that the dealers likely pushed the 6 or V8 for the more expensive Mercury. By far most Fairmonts I've encountered have been six cylinder cars; Zephyrs (and there haven't been all that many of these) have probably been close being split evenly between the 6 and the V8.