Studio Photography by Hotrod Portraits in Lancaster, PA
ZEPHYR SEDAN DELIVERY
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While this fiberglass body can fit on a production rear wheel drive Fat Man Fabrications Zephyr chassis ($8,225), because of the unusual 17-foot length of the vehicle, if a front wheel drive setup is used there is room for a 9-foot long ramp holding a 39.5-inch tall chopper motorcycle to fit inside. The bike's front wheel would be an armrest between the driver and shotgun front bucket seats. By using a front wheel drive platform and eliminating the "hump" in the rear floorboard that covers a conventional rear wheel drive differential, a motorized ramp can be used to get the bike in and out of the vehicle. The motorcycle is rolled onto the ramp, strapped in position, and then the ramp and bike are automatically retracted into the car at the touch of a switch. The rear door then closed automatically using linear actuators. | |||||||||||||||||
Tom DuPont's beautiful rear wheel drive DECO RIDES Sedan Delivery
that is for sale for a quarter million dollars plus. |
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It has taken eight years to develop a set of fiberglass molds for the Zephyr sedan delivery, and now the bodies are available. DECO RIDES is offering the 1939 Lincoln Zephyr Sedan Delivery body for $9,900 (FOB Elkhart, IN) with doors hung and latched and interior metal support structure installed, or just the fiberglass body, doors, decklid, hood and fender skirts for the do-it-yourself builder ($8,500). Being produced in Elkhart, IN, using a combination of hand layup and chopper gun construction employing high stress marine fabrics, the strength of the new bodies is improved considerably over its predecessors. Where the DECO coupe, convertible, and fastback models have an outer body shell and a full floorboard and firewall bonded in place, the sedan delivery is substantially different in construction. It includes a separate inner headliner, inner rear quarter panels, sculptured inner wheel wells, and a flat floor designed to run from the firewall to the rear of the body. This inner shell is bonded inside the body so it not only conceals the inner metal framework, but it also provides a double wall structure. This, combined with the metal, provides a diagonally strong body. The inner liner also provides a smooth finished interior surface, ready for painting or application of interior upholstery panels (not required from the beltline up). With floorboard and firewall bonded in place, it will result in an incredibly rigid and rattle-free 17-foot body.
The first production DECO RIDES Zephyr Sedan Delivery body The sedan delivery is a one-piece fiberglass body with four fenders already bonded in place. Only the linear actuators, top-hinged rear door, the passenger and driver doors, rear fender skirts, and hood need be bolted on to complete the body. It can be delivered to the customer with the three doors and hood hung and latched. OPTIONS: The body comes with your choice of a droop snoot hood (shown) or a conventional Zephyr style hood. A curved custom cut windshield ($350 plus freight from CT) bonds into an aperture designed to accept the glass and will add more structural strength to the body. An optional replacement aftermarket grille is available ($720 including shipping inside USA), or you can use an original 1940 or 1941 Lincoln grille. Use aftermarket '39 Ford Deluxe headlight bucket #91A 13026 with ribbed lens or 91A 13060-S or clear lens #78 13060 CL from CW Moss in Orange, CA 714-639-3083 ($320 complete). We don't offer 12 volt electrically-operated linear actuators (screw jacks, which come in a variety of lengths) but they are available from a variety of sources. One pair can be used to open the hood and another to lift the top hinged rear door. The automatic (electric rotating screw) aluminum U-channel ramp for the motorcycle is not part of the body, but when a production chassis becomes available, it may be a chassis option. We are investigating the option of installing Dynamat sound deadening material between the inner and outer shell. We sell fiberglass kit car bodies, not turnkeys. FRONT WHEEL DRIVE PROTOTYPE: Gary Brown of BROWN'S METAL MODS in Indianapolis built the first prototype front wheel drive, motorcycle-hauling Zephyr delivery. He designed and built the chassis including an electrically-powered ramp to hold the motorcycle and automatically move in and out of the back door. FRONT WHEEL DRIVE POWERTRAINS: After reviewing popular American V-8 FWD powertrain platforms including Eldorado-Toronado-Riviera from GM and the 32-valve Lincoln from the 1996-'98 Lincoln Continental four door, Brown and Cook chose the late 90's Chevy S-10/Blazer and/or GMC S-15/Jimmy 4 wheel drive (same thing) as the basis. The concept is to discard the driveshaft to the rear half of the frame and driveshaft as well as the rear axle and convert it to a front wheel drive only platform. The V-6 engine is replaced by a small block Chevy V-8 that bolts right up to the Chevy 700R4 automatic transmission. One reason this platform was chosen was that they are plentifully available at low cost in junkyards. Unfortunately while it is durable, the transmission and transfer case intrude into the passenger's compartment, taking up valuable space. The first prototype Harley-hauling delivery with a Chevy S-10 front clip has a 9-foot long moving ramp to hold the cycle. We are investigating the use of a Porsche G-50 5 or 6-speed manual or Porsche Tiptronic (automatic) transaxle located up front so the gear carton is located forward of the front axle for an improved, second generation FWD Zephyr package. This would position either a popular Ford or Chevy small or big block V-8 in the correct location in the engine compartment, using a Kennedy Engineering engine adapter to the G-50 transaxle. The benefit is that this would move the transmission and transfer case from the passenger's compartment to a location forward of the engine with no "hump" protruding aft of the firewall. This would allow a ramp for the motorcycle that is 29 inches longer at 11.5 feet, providing room for a much longer bike. The durable G-50 transaxles are popular with V8 off road dune buggies. STOCK HEIGHT HARLEY and WHEELCHAIR DELIVERY Looking to a Second Generation Sedan Delivery body, DECO RIDES is working on building Zephyr delivery body with a 5-inch higher roof. This will provide the interior height to hold a 45-inch tall stock production Harley Davidson (or other popular non-chopper motorcycles) assuming the windscreen has been removed and the mirrors are tucked below the handlebars. This second generation higher roof Zephyr delivery will also be offered with an optional rear door ramp so wheelchair bound individuals can enter the delivery from the rear. Because of the adequate width between the rear wheel wells, the person could move to the front, secure their wheelchair in the driver's position, and operate the vehicle using hand controls. This will be a first for the street rod industry.
-- 2008 SUMMER TOUR DATES -- The DECO LINER Zephyr Sedan Delivery can be seen this summer at these events across the USA.
ATTENTION THIEVES: This design has a patent applied for and anyone copying or reproducing our design will be severely prosecuted by Appleton Productions. |