Another Escort RS Turbo
Discussion
A few months back on someone else’s topic I posted a pic of my new project and it was requested that I start a thread. Having a 5 month baby my time has been limited but now some progress has been made I thought it’s about time I crack on.
I haven’t owned a Ford since my first car (mk6 escort convertible) but Fords have always held a soft spot, this one of my bucket list cars so an opportunity had arisen.
This one came up on eBay, I wasn’t really looking for a project yet as I just finishing off another one but mate said let’s go and have a look, I’d expect it to be rotten but this one was pretty good, been off the road for a few years and had lots of ‘good bits’
Spec forged 2.1 zvh with stage 3 head and t34 turbo, rear disc conversion, willwood 4 pots etc
Anyway a deal was done and once the other project had gone it was moved to my garage to commence work.
The plan, replace the rot which includes, rear panel, drivers inner sill, rear arch replacement on both sides, plus any other rot that is found…and repaint the car including refurbish the underside and rear suspension rebuild.
Aiming to do as much as possible myself including the panel work but in reality my friend Tony will do most of the welding
As I got it
Ignore the tvr roof inside the car and my finger!
Initial clean underneath, who likes working on a dirty car
I haven’t owned a Ford since my first car (mk6 escort convertible) but Fords have always held a soft spot, this one of my bucket list cars so an opportunity had arisen.
This one came up on eBay, I wasn’t really looking for a project yet as I just finishing off another one but mate said let’s go and have a look, I’d expect it to be rotten but this one was pretty good, been off the road for a few years and had lots of ‘good bits’
Spec forged 2.1 zvh with stage 3 head and t34 turbo, rear disc conversion, willwood 4 pots etc
Anyway a deal was done and once the other project had gone it was moved to my garage to commence work.
The plan, replace the rot which includes, rear panel, drivers inner sill, rear arch replacement on both sides, plus any other rot that is found…and repaint the car including refurbish the underside and rear suspension rebuild.
Aiming to do as much as possible myself including the panel work but in reality my friend Tony will do most of the welding
As I got it
Ignore the tvr roof inside the car and my finger!
Initial clean underneath, who likes working on a dirty car
So the next step was strip some of it down and get it running. Started up quite quickly once I fixed the wiring to the fuel pump. So now I was happy that it runs I can sort out the metal
I managed to get a new old stock rear panel, although the rear numberplate mounts are slightly different (euro version). So out with the old and in with the new:
Still got to tidy up the surface rust and grid down the plug welds but that’s for another day.
I also have the rest of the panels needed now so as time allows I’ll crack on with the rear arches next….bring on the boost!
I managed to get a new old stock rear panel, although the rear numberplate mounts are slightly different (euro version). So out with the old and in with the new:
Still got to tidy up the surface rust and grid down the plug welds but that’s for another day.
I also have the rest of the panels needed now so as time allows I’ll crack on with the rear arches next….bring on the boost!
The ArtfulBodger said:
Jesus wept - I had forgotten just how bad this era of Ford’s were for rust, no wonder I spent the mid 90’s to early 2000’s with a bloody welding torch seemingly permanently attached to my hand!
Good luck with it.
thanks, although I remember seeing ones with more rust 20 years ago so i would class this as pretty good (ie. 95% of the floors are still original and solid).Good luck with it.
More updates by the end of weekend, friend is swinging by to tackle to the rear arches
Jon Brown said:
thanks, although I remember seeing ones with more rust 20 years ago so i would class this as pretty good (ie. 95% of the floors are still original and solid).
More updates by the end of weekend, friend is swinging by to tackle to the rear arches
At a guess The inners will be pretty tatty too.More updates by the end of weekend, friend is swinging by to tackle to the rear arches
Pretty much anything made of metal was prone to vaporising
although I notice you have a BL/Austin era Mini in the garage with the Eccy so probably no stranger to FeO?!Major Problem areas were battery tray, strut tops, inner and outer sills, front and rear chassis rails, rear spring mounts, b posts, footwells, wheel arches, area around the petrol cap in the rear quarters.
Windscreen flanges/scuttle panel. Door skins. Boot floors, petrol tanks. Front and rear valances along with slam panel.
Cars without a sunroof usually escaped any rust up there!
A mate of mine had a very heavily modified S2, I couldn’t get on with it tbh.
One that had seen the wrong side of a hedge provided an excellent pair of seats for my Capri - bolted straight onto the Capri runners with no modification; got to love the way of doing things at Ford back then, why retool everything when there was no need to
For what was a medium sized family car they don’t half look small these days - breaks my heart to think how many XR3s and Orion i Ghias we sent to be turned into cookware
RS Turbos were always sent to meet their maker after either a big off or being stolen.
I knew the passenger inner arch needed some work but since I’d brought the panel and there had been som previous repair we decided to chop the whole lot out and start again.
Same for the outer arch which was mostly good but with some repairs previously we took the view of do it right once.
Also some more rot to cut out, my mate Tony has already knocked up a repair panel to go in
All being well some new panels being welded in tomorrow by Tony
Same for the outer arch which was mostly good but with some repairs previously we took the view of do it right once.
Also some more rot to cut out, my mate Tony has already knocked up a repair panel to go in
All being well some new panels being welded in tomorrow by Tony
Gallons Per Mile said:
Good progress! There's always more rot that you realise at first. My car was the same. One day I'll have some free time to put more bits back on it. The rate you're going at we'll both be finished at the same time 
I'll have to come and see your project at somepoint Equally your welcome to have a nose around this anytimeIts not really more than expected but one of those things when you find previous patches, I'd rather have them chopped out and done properly. Although that said their was some hidden rust behind the outer sill that wasn't visible.
I think its fairly safe to call this a full blown resto...
Jon Brown said:
I'll have to come and see your project at somepoint Equally your welcome to have a nose around this anytime
Its not really more than expected but one of those things when you find previous patches, I'd rather have them chopped out and done properly. Although that said their was some hidden rust behind the outer sill that wasn't visible.
I think its fairly safe to call this a full blown resto...
That would be brilliant! My main problem at the moment is having actual time to do anything. I'm working constantly at the moment and when I'm not doing that I'm spending time with my other half and daughter who is almost two, while simultaneously trying to buy a house! It'll ease up soon as I've booked some time off work so I'm going to smash out a bit more of the rebuild. I might even have time to update my own thread :-) we'll have to do some PM'ing and sort out a time to look at each others projects Equally your welcome to have a nose around this anytimeIts not really more than expected but one of those things when you find previous patches, I'd rather have them chopped out and done properly. Although that said their was some hidden rust behind the outer sill that wasn't visible.
I think its fairly safe to call this a full blown resto...
Jon Brown said:
Still some grinding to do but Tony the Machine has made good progress with the rear end
Rear tub in
New front wing is also on the panel list
That’s probably it for this week
Work to be done on the NSF inner wing and wheel arch.Rear tub in
New front wing is also on the panel list
That’s probably it for this week
As you are going to this much effort it would be worth taking all the glass out, half a morning with the window man will be worth it, avoids any risk of grinding dross ruining your old Tinted Triplex glass.
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