1981 Mercury Zephyr Z-7 from North America - Comments

Where do I begin? When I got the car, it had no air cleaner because carburetor problems caused former owners to change the carburetor to one that didn't allow the air-cleaner to fit properly any-more. The biggest problem was with the cooling system. I blew hose after hose and we eventually had to replace the radiator and even with the new radiator we have to add stop-leak from time to time. The locks are tricky and most recently, the alternator has gone out for the third time. It won't hold a charge and it's not charging itself. I have to hook it up to a battery charger for an hour before I plan on driving it. Even then, I can't turn it off or let it die or it doesn't have enough power to turn over. All I get is a "click-click" if I'm lucky. It is a pain to get it started in cold weather and it uses a lot of gas and the starter draws hard on the battery on the coldest days. Vacuum leaks have also been a continuous problem. As for the interior, the headliner is falling down and appears as if it shrunk. The dash is cracked and the driver's side of the bench seat is in poor condition.

I call this car my tank. It is the ugliest thing I have seen since my mom's '82 Ford Granada. I was so embarrassed when my husband traded his old Chevy pick-up for it along with a cash payment of $200. We bought it from family & it had no radio and we've never put one in for fear that when we do, Zelda the Zephyr will just keal over and die for good. I never expected to own my Zephyr this long, but to drive her is to love her. She rides so nicely, it's easy to overlook the outward appearance of the car. At times I am embarassed because I'm the only one I know who rolls in a car from 1981 with the headliner falling down on top of my head. Everyone I know sees me from a mile away... "There's Lisa in her hoopdy". Haha! But the joke is on them. I have never been left on the side of the road. On her worst days, I can fix Zelda myself with no tools at all. My Zephyr gets me home every time. This car is so dependable and feels so safe even on the iciest road that recently my 10 year old son said that whenever I finally got a new car he'd like us to hold on to this one so he can have it. He's not embarasses at all because he's seen how this old (almost classic), boxy looking car has never let us down. Sure things break. It's an old car and that's to be expected, but every fix is clean and easy and he sees the value in hanging on to a good thing.

"When I got the car, it had no air cleaner because carburetor problems caused former owners to change the carburetor to one that didn't allow the air-cleaner to fit properly anymore."

In which case the engine's screwed, having breathed in road dirt for x hundred thousand miles.

"The biggest problem was with the cooling system. I blew hose after hose and we eventually had to replace the radiator and even with the new radiator we have to add stop-leak from time to time."

I would have thought the pool of water UNDER the front of the car would have alerted you to a bust radiator, and old hoses often leak (and the engine is probably screwed and blowing by badly or has a bust head gasket)

"The locks are tricky..."

Maybe they're worn out... just a thought.

"... and most recently, the alternator has gone out for the third time. It won't hold a charge and it's not charging itself. I have to hook it up to a battery charger for an hour before I plan on driving it."

Just for the record that big square thing in the corner of the engine bay is a BATTERY.

It doesn't charge itself.

"Even then, I can't turn it off or let it die or it doesn't have enough power to turn over. All I get is a "click-click" if I'm lucky."

That's the starter relay. I didn't understand the first sentence.

"It is a pain to get it started in cold weather and it uses a lot of gas and the starter draws hard on the battery on the coldest days."

Yes - this is true of most carburettored cars in cold weather.

"Vacuum leaks have also been a continuous problem."

Don't know.

"As for the interior, the headliner is falling down and... the dash is cracked and the driver's side of the bench seat is in poor condition."

Yes, well, on this age of vehicle is that a fault? Is your 1970's music centre still slamming out disco groove 30 years later?

"It is the ugliest thing I have seen since my mom's '82 Ford Granada."

Never sold in the United States. Try again.

"...it had no radio"

Terrible.

"... and we've never put one in for fear that when we do, Zelda the Zephyr will just keel over and die for good."

Do what???

"Everyone I know sees me from a mile away... "There's Lisa in her hoopdy""

I think they are saying "There's that deeply strange woman in that archaic car."

"Haha! But the joke is on them."

Nope.

"I have never been left on the side of the road."

With roadside assistance no-one should be.

"On her worst days, I can fix Zelda myself with no tools at all. "

OK, I would like to see a youtube of you unscrewing wheelnuts with your bare hands.

"... recently my 10 year old son said that whenever I finally got a new car he'd like us to hold on to this one so he can have it."

Yes. When he's eighteen and learnt to drive he intends to spray paint all over it and destroy it in a demolition derby. Just to square things up.

"He's not embarrassed at all because he's seen how this old boxy looking car has never let us down."

Have you asked him that or is that your opinion?

"It's an old car and that's to be expected, but every fix is clean and easy and he sees the value in hanging on to a good thing."

Um yes.

"the locks are tricky?

Why would you even bother locking it?

Re 18:52 comment: the '82 Granada WAS sold in the United States. 1982 was the last year before it was replaced by the "small" LTD.

I have been driving a 1981 Zephyr for the past 3 monthsandlove it. The car only had 27000 miles when I got it. The body is without holes and it runs well though slowly as it is a 4 cylinder. The head liner is loose, but I guess this is age related. I have put snows on all 4 tires and hope it will make my hill in the winter. The a/c is not blowing cold air, but I have yet to diagnose it. I love the feel of rear wheel drive and it rides smoothly despite the snow tires. Often get looks from people because it is in such good shape and guys compliment me about the shape it is in.

My grandmother owns an '82 Granada. 79000 miles.

Looks brand new.

So they were indeed sold in the US.

I had a 1979 Zephyr bought used in 1982. It was not my first choice, but since Mom was cosigning my first loan she vetoed the Monte Carlo I wanted and I ended up with a four door two toned 4 speed Zephyr sedan. It leaked like a sieve and had problems with the "brain" which had to be replaced. Other than that, it was a reliable car. As for the 10/10/07 commenter, Get a life!!!

Greetings and happy holidays, flynvee here to let you know I own a 1983 zephyr Z7.

We have a '78 Mercury Zephyr that we drove from Arizona in 2005...with a u-haul trailer behind it. Had a couple of mis-haps along the interstate, but nothing to do with the car. We have had to replace a couple things often enough, but our Klunker (what I call her) is my baby. My husband's sister didn't like the fact of having to wait for her to warm up in the winter...she's one of those "jump in the car and go!" people. So we got our Z-7 for a trade... hubby to help his sis move. No money or anything. We did replace the front seats with a full seat (kids) and the head liner has been replaced with a flat sheet... the kids enjoyed drawing on it. She does need a paint job and a couple things fixed on the outside, but I am not really worried about that. She is my baby and my daughter wants her to drive one day.

Back in 2005, someone side swiped my klunker and I knew she was totaled... from the sound (I was inside and heard the crash). When I walked outside to check the damage, I about laughed my hiney off... a couple of small scratches above the back tire! The other car... the whole passenger's side was buckled and broken. I was like...Yep...keeping this car for a LONG time! =)

I have seen only one other on the roads in southern Mississippi... almost the same color but shinier. Makes me proud to drive an old car that is reliable!

((and no A/C... but that's okay... I grew up with the car windows down!)) =)