one of these. Jason Blott's MkII is a tribute to those time - Classic Ford

MkII ZodiacSPEEDISSUEraymond mays survivorWords Richard Barnett Photos Jon HillBack in the ’50s, if you wanted to go fast in a Ford, you boughtone of these. Jason Blott’s MkII is a tribute to those times.“lifting the bonnetreveals all: this carfeatures a raymondmays conversion”We’ve said it countless times in the pastand we’ll continue saying it: everynow and then you come across a carthat has an indescribable aura about it. It’s thatcertain something you can’t quite put yourfinger on, but it’s there. Call it charm orcharacter, but some old Fords definitely have itmore than others.And that’s the case with Jason Blott’s 1959MkII Zodiac, which is cool enough because it’scovered less than 27,000 miles from new. Itsblack paint is the original, factory-applied hue,but once you’ve recovered from the fact it’s asingle-tone Zodiac (most were sold in two-tonecolour schemes), things get even moreinteresting. MkII spotters will notice it’s lackingoverriders on both front and rear bumpers,which helps give the car a surprisingly clean,simple appearance, and the rear light lenses areall-red, rather than having amber indicators.Smart’s carJason’s owned the car for a couple of years now:it was previously owned by the late Colin Smart,who’d had it a few years, but in Jason’s handsthe car is as well cared for as it was with itsformer owner. Colin, like Jason, knew this carwas special, and those wide wheels and slightlowering give clues to this car’s performance.And Jason’s had MkIIs for a good few years,so he’d know a special example if he saw one.“I’ve not been without one since I was 19, andover the years I’ve probably had 15 or so,” hesays. Enough time and experience, in otherwords, to spot a special MkII...Lifting the bonnet reveals all: this blackbeauty features a Raymond Mays conversion,but unlike the majority, which featured a twincarb set-up, this one proudly carries three 1.75inch SUs with massive trumpets, sitting on aMays inlet manifold. Jason believes it’s the onlytri-carb survivor left out of a handful convertedby the Lincolnshire-based Raymond Maysoperation. And if you could get underneathyou’d find a twin exhaust system, as well as a4 inch diameter propshaft that uses a flange-toflangeset-up rather than the original car’shorseshoe arrangement.Then there’s the aluminium rocker box coverand cap, and the Lucas sport coil. Look a littlefurther into the engine bay and you’ll see thebigger brake master cylinder, along with a servo— although this could have been added later inthe car’s life.86 January 2009January 2009 87

MKiI ZodiacSPEEDISSUEraymond mays survivorLack of overriders add to the sleeper appeal.Bet this shut down a few Jags back in the ’60s!Cossie took overpower duties from anall-steel Crossflow,but the swap washardly planned.Bet that bench seat’s fun when you’regoing round a tight corner!Badge is the only real clue asto why this car is special.Extra gauges have been fitted to keeptabs on the engine’s state of health.Triple SUs feed the straight six courtesy of a RaymondMays conversion. Power is 155 bhp at the flywheel,Jason’s had a neat, two-branch system made up that closely followsthe floorpan. Note adjustable track control arms and twin anti-roll bar.Hidden charmsSo what’s the story behind a single-tone Zodiacwith a then-radical power hike — one that couldgive contemporary Jaguars a serious run fortheir money? It’s believed the car was built forthe manager of Ford’s Dagenham factory, butwhoever the owner was, they took their drivingpretty seriously indeed. That’s because thetriple-carb set-up is supported by front discbrakes (that weren’t available on ’59 models)and overdrive, which offers the split ratio on allthree gears.After that, the car’s history is sketchy but itcropped up for sale during the late ’70s: “In1977 it was being sold by a London car dealerfor £2800, which really was a lot of money then.At that time MkIIs were banger money, but itwas bought by Dave Cropper.”To say the car is something of a legend withinan inner circle of MkII enthusiasts would be anunderstatement. Many people might see it at ashow, give it the quick once-over and walk on,unaware of just how special it is. But Jason knewof the car for a good few years before it becamehis, as he explains: “I first saw it at a show inKent 15 years ago, when it was parked up in thegrass. I wondered why its carbs had those bigtrumpets, and I imagined owning it.”Eventually Jason did assume ownership of thecar, and alongside the MkII convertible and Utemodels he also owns, he admits this one is akeeper. And as he continues pointing out itsslight differences from other MkII Zodiacs, youcan see why he wants to keep hold of it.Firstly, there’s that 150 mph speedo. Yes,really — a strip speedo that reads up to 150,although it could be an export-marketkilometres-per-hour unit adapted for this car.“I’ve only ever seen one other, and that was in amodified MkII fitted with a 302,” Jason says.Then there’s that overdrive switch on thesteering column, as well as the lever under thedashboard. The column control changes gears,while the one just ahead of the driver’s rightknee engages and disengages overdrive.Other than three extra gauges (water and oiltemperature, as well as a rev counter) downbelow the dashboard on the right, the interior isstraightforward Zodiac, apart from a period HisMaster’s Voice radio sitting in the centre of thedashboard. Oh, and the switches on Jason’s cararen’t marked, which makes driving somethingof a lottery for anyone getting behind the wheelfor the first time. Perhaps the switches’ markingswere removed at some stage of the car’s life, butthat’s part of the car’s enigma...Pot soundsSince getting the car a couple of years agoJason’s added a few improvements, and kept itin the style to which it has become accustomed.Underneath you can’t fail to notice thatstonking two-branch exhaust system, which is areal work of art. “That was the biggest expenseon it,” he says. “When I got the car you couldsee the original system hanging down, whichI didn’t like. I had this system made and itcopies the original, but without the 4 footlong silencers!”The sound is just superb: close your eyes andyou could be forgiven for thinking it was acompetition-prepared MkII, but of the Jaguarvariety. There’s that rasp that only straight sixescan make and it’s definitely poles apart from thesound of a stock MkII, but with the rest of thecar being such a sleeper it’s got to be allowed alittle attention-grabbing.Further updates include polybushing thesteering and suspension as well as fittingadjustable track control arms. Jason explains:“The original types will rip the rubber bush outas soon as you jack the car up. I also fittedGoodrich hoses throughout and replaced theoriginal rear Konis, because the bottom eyes hadcome off, with Avos.”“There’s that rasp that onlystraight six engines can make. it’spoles apart from the stock MkII”He’s also had it dyno-tested, and the resultsare pretty amazing. “It originally made 105 bhpon the rollers, but that was up to 123 once itwas balanced and the air/fuel mixtures had beensorted out,” says Jason. “It’s got 155 bhp at theflywheel, which isn’t bad for a 1959 car, butusually I keep it down to around 3000 rpm.”While he’s been making changes whereneeded, the vast majority of this understatedfire-breather remains original. Future plansinclude the possible fitting of a period oil coolerand maybe a repaint, but even with thoseimprovements, Jason certainly won’t be erasingthe character of one of the most enigmaticMkIIs to survive.Tech SpecBodyOriginal bodywork and paint, bumpersnot fitted with overriders, grille-mountedRaymond Mays badge, red rear taillight lenses.EngineOriginal MkII straight-six bottom end believedto be stock, fitted with Raymond Mays triplecarb conversion (three 1.75 inch SU carbsrunning open trumpets), aluminium rockerbox cover, six-branch exhaust manifoldrunning into stainless steel two-branch systemwith twin tailpipes, standard MkII fuel pump,stock dynamo, standard ignition system, Lucassport coil. Power: 155 bhp.TransmissionBorg-Warner three-speed manual fitted withoverdrive operational on all three speeds.SuspensionPolybushed throughout, front gas struts, Avoshock absorbers at rear, car loweredapproximately 1.5 inches, adjustable trackcontrol arms, Milton Race anti-roll bar.BrakesFront discs and rear drums, larger brakemaster cylinder, brake servo, possiblyfitted later.Wheels And Tyres5.5Jx14 inch factory steels with 5.50-sectionDunlop CR racing tyres.InteriorOriginal seat facings, carpet and doorpanels, original His Master’s Voice radio,extra water and oil temperature gauges, aswell as rev counter, fitted, steering columnmountedoverdrive selector, dashboardswitches not marked with their function, 150mph speedo, reproduction period decals infront and rear screens.ThanksUnitforce Developments for the use oftheir building.88 January 2009 January 2009 89