That's a bit of my problem, I like them all!!! Trying to decide on the details seems very hard: - the Colony Park seems a very nice car, certainly with the 351, for a daily driver with a family, lots of luxery (and cloth interior), still needs LPG conversion to be done though - the Zephyr is of course very good with the 302 and all the aftermarket parts available, small size so easy to park (certainly in the small streets of Italy), light so good for the fuel economy and could easily be a real sleeper, bucket seats which I like very much, but no airco but with LPG - the Montego is not my favourite on form (lines), but is most likely in the best condition of all, has a revised engine (electronic ignition, LPG heads etc) that is not to big so good on economy, but has a vinyl bench and LPG conversion - the Country Squire has a lot of appeal, a real woody, not in the last place because of the 429. Has of course a bench seat (black interior) and will hold it value probably best. Bad on economy Both the Montego and the Country Squire are from 72, which is my year of birth..... Economy is not incredibly important, just that with LPG conversion, tanks will be limited in size and so range will be determined by fuel economy. With the long trips to Itlay and the fact that LPG can't be purchased everywhere (like Switserland), this is an issue to consider. With only 11 mpg for instance (seam like real figure for the 429) and standard tanks, range will only be 250 miles, while the Zephyr will have a range of up to 350 miles.
Of course, the overdrive trans on the CP is very nice too. Is there a substantial difference in rust protection/resistance over this 10 year+ span (72-84)? And what about driveability (cornering, stability etc)? I would suspect an improvement, but I am not sure.
If you want handling go with the Zephyr you can add airco anything that worked on Mustangs (Fox Bodies) will help improve it. So you can make it handle on rails.
I wouldn't fall in love with the Colony Park just because of the 351. In stock form they are dogs and don't get very good mileage. They have low compression, crappy heads, and a finicky carburetor. I don't know what the LPG conversion consists of, but I would consider a carburetor swap. When the variable venturi carb is running well it's great, but when it's not it's a huge pain. I chucked mine for a Holley 4 barrel. Handling is decent for a large car. I can't speak for the 70's era vehicles, but with decent shocks it will handle relatively well. The wagon should have the big front and rear sway bars.
I read the same stories. I have to admit my viwe was a bit distorted because of that. Anyway, after they confirmed it was a 351, I got an email yesterday that they checked it again and actually found out it is a 302 after all. I guess it doesn't make such a difference, other then that the CP looses this "advantage". Last info: after being for sale more then half a year, the Zephyr was sold yesterday and not to me! I will take the advise as given by most here and look for a later car, so preferably 80's. The comfort, handling and even mpg is just that bit better which makes it easier to use as a daily driver for a family. With my current usage I just can't afford only to go for looks.
Get the VIN. It should be something like this: 2MEBP94F8FX607702 The "F" after the "P94" signifies the 302. If the "F" was a "G" that would indicate a 351.
Too bad about the Zepher. Seems that, where you are located, the plethora of available parts and the price of fuel, it would have been a great car for you.
