1963 Ford Zodiac – Project Profile

There’s something undeniably cool about a car that wears lashings of chrome, has a pair of tall fins and that’s filled with bench seats. Of course, these automotive traits are most commonly found in American cars of the 1950s, when the rocket age was influencing the design of cars. But don’t think that you need to buy a classic American car to get a slice of the finned action. Here in the UK, our car designers were keenly watching what the Americans were doing and applying it to British car design. A perfect case in point would be the Mk3 Ford Zodiac. It was long, low and wide, it was adorned with acres of chrome and the rear end was fitted with tall, proud fins. We might have been late to the game – some ten years after the Americans – but that didn’t matter. The Zodiac (and the lesser Zephyr, which was the same base car) was a hit. If you were making strides in your life, the Ford Zodiac was the perfect car to buy. It told the rest of the world that you were winning, that you were a success. The Zodiac was the car people aspired to own.

This was very clever on Ford’s part. The Zodiac had, historically, sat at the top of the ‘three graces’ as Ford called it. For the Mk1 and the Mk2, you had the base level, four-cylinder Consul, then you had the six-cylinder Zephyr, and then capping it all off was the six-cylinder Zodiac. By the time the Mk3 came along, Ford did away with the Consul name. Instead, the buyer could have the Zephyr Four (four-cylinder), the Zephyr Six (six-cylinder) or the Zodiac. By having three tiers, Ford created a buying frenzy, as people saved that bit more or worked that bit harder to buy a car higher in the range. The clever bit is that, in terms of most of the body and chassis, the cars were the same. It was just an exercise in adding more chrome and leather, a couple more cylinders and a lot more desire. And it bleeds through to today, with the Zodiac still being the most sought-after model.

What is it? 

As we’ve alluded to, this is a Mk3 Ford Zodiac. The best of the best, the elite Ford model for 1963. It is the car you want to be seen in. Fitted with the 2,553cc straight-six engine, mated to a column-shift all-synchro four-speed manual transmission, this is the perfect car for the successful bank manager around town. Or of course, it’s the perfect car for the classic Ford enthusiast. Finished in Panama Yellow with a contrasting grey leather interior, whoever ordered this car back in ’63 wanted to stand out. Most were painted in muted, dull colours, making this one a refreshing change from the norm. 

Why is it a project? 

The vendor states that the car was in great condition before being stored outside, albeit under cover, for a number of years. Those years of sitting idle have indeed taken their toll, with the Zodiac looking a little bit sorry for itself. However, don’t think this car is a lost cause. The old Zodiacs will corrode for fun, and a light colour like Panama Yellow will keenly show any advance of corrosion. Other than some blistering on the front wings and the sills, this car looks to be remarkably solid. Also, and this is key for a Mk3, the doors and other panels all seem to line up beautifully, meaning the pillars should be pretty solid. 

The car runs, drives, starts and stops. However, the wonderfully honest vendor states that the exhaust manifold does have a blow (though the exhaust itself is a stainless system). The tyres all need replacing, the dynamo/regulator needs attention (though we’d look at a 12V alternator conversion). There is some rot in one outrigger, as well as the offside out to the inner wing area. A common failure on this model. But fear not, as replacement panels are available.

This is a good, honest car that had been left neglected for a short while. It is not a terminal case, in fact we’re in agreement with the vendor that it would take only a few weekends to have this wonderful old car back on the road.

Five things to look for:

1) Rust

There is no escaping the fact that old Fords love to rust, and the Zodiac is no exception. The vendor has been wonderfully honest, but it still never hurts to have a look for yourself. The bonnet leading edge, the bootlid, the sill ends, the door bottoms, the front valance, the inner chassis rails, the outriggers, they all like to rot on this model. 

2) Trim

It all looks to be present and correct. However, you need to make sure it’s all in good fettle, as replacement stuff is hard to find. You can get a new interior, but it’ll be north of £1,500 all in. It doesn’t look like there is much to worry about here, but still, check the seats, the frames, the door cards etc.

3) Suspension

Over the years, the suspension can sag and fail. You need to check the rear leaf springs haven’t folded, and that the spring shackles are sound and not corroded. Front suspension is pretty tough, but again, springs can get soft and sag over time.

4) Engine

The 2,553cc straight-six is a bulletproof lump that will, if you’re brave, hustle the Zodiac to 100mph. However, it’s only as good as the maintenance it has received. Regular servicing is a must, as is the replacement of the core plugs. Also, the mechanical fan isn’t much use, so think about changing to an electric item.

5) Electrics

The vendor states that this car still has a dynamo, which leads us to believe it’s still a positive earth car. We’d want to change that. Putting an alternator on the car isn’t too much work, it’s more reliable and it means things like modern phone chargers etc will work without complaint.

What should you do to it? 

This wonderful old Zodiac is in delightfully original condition, and as such, we’d want to keep it that way. This needs a sympathetic restoration. Sort the rust underneath, carry out some localised repairs to the external rust, convert the car to 12v electrics and then sort the mechanicals. A good service, new brakes, new tyres (and we’d have them painted with whitewalls) and that’d be it. In just a few weeks you could have this wonderful, old car fighting fit and ready for use. And that’s exactly what we’d do – use it. These cars aren’t delicate, you really can use them as often as you like. The car will probably thank you for it. As will onlookers, who will have their day brightened by seeing this finned vision in yellow.

If you’ve ever aspired to own one, here’s where you’ll find a Ford Zodiac for sale.