HUNT FOR THE MISSING ZEPHYR

Everyone remembers their first wheels, and many of us would love to have them back. Such is the case with Rod Martin, who’s been searching for his first car – a 1961 Ford Zephyr MkII - for more than a decade, but recently upped the ante in his quest.

Victorians may have seen Rod’s wanted ads for the Zephyr in the Herald-Sun newspaper earlier this year. When JUST CARS saw the ad, we decided to do our bit to help Rod track down the car.

When it left Rod’s hands almost thirty years ago, the Zephyr had been modified in several distinctive ways, so Rod hopes this may make the car memorable.

Mixed Marriage

Rod purchased the Zephyr in Sunbury (north of Melbourne) in 1980, but at just 15 years of age, he couldn’t legally drive his first car for a few years, so spent hours restoring and preparing it for the road, guided and assisted by his mechanically-talented father.

Originally grey, the Zephyr was repainted white during this period, with the column-shift transmission replaced with a 4-speed floor-shift manual shortly after it was registered in Rod’s name in early 1983 with the Victorian plates BRY-482.

Around 12 months later, a more substantial change was made when the drivetrain was replaced with a 273 V8 and Torqueflite automatic from a VE Valiant. A Chrysler K-frame front-end was also used, to help correctly mount the new engine and transmission to the Zephyr’s frame.

This modification passed engineering approval (mid-1980s), with the only requirement being the fitting of a proportioning vale for the rear brakes.

Externally, the Zepyhr still looked stock, with the only giveaway to the changes under the bonnet being twin-exit exhausts. Other external modifications included imitation wire-spoke wheel covers on wider 14x7 rims, Ford GT mirrors (XA-B-C era) and deletion of the front grille badge and bumper overriders.

Inside Job

Rod’s modifications to the interior of the Zephyr included TC-TD Cortina front bucket seats in a black vinyl and cloth combination that was also added to the rear bench seat. The door cards were retrimmed in distinctive red and black cloth, with other mods including a SAAS steering wheel and Alpine radio cassette player with complementary rear speakers.

The Valiant that provided the Zephyr’s new drivetrain also donated its centre console and distinctive ball-top gear shifter.

Obviously, this combination of interior touches would have been unique on a Zephyr for the period and may still be on the car today.

Sold, Searched for

In 1990, Rod sold his custom Zephyr to a mate in his local footy club. When he began his search around 15 years ago, Rod managed to trace the car’s path to the Kingsbury, South Morang and Watsonia areas of Victoria in the handful of years following its sale, but from there, the trail goes cold.

A search of the Vic Roads database shows the BRY-482 plates are no longer on the system, which points to a possible interstate move. Of course, it’s also possible the registration expired and the Zephyr was re-registered with new plates later. It could also remain unregistered in someone’s shed or backyard or, worst case scenario, it’s been parted out or written off.

Given its unusual drivetrain and unique combination of features, Rod believes the Zephyr may still be in existence and hopes that very same combination of features may help jog JUST CARS readers’ memories of his vehicle.

If you have a lead on the location of this custom Zephyr, no matter how small or vague, Rod would love to hear from you. He can be contacted on 0417 314 621.

Here’s hoping the JUST CARS network reunites this passionate car enthusiast with his first love!

Rod Martin 1961 Ford Zephyr MkII checklist

(features on the car when sold in 1990)