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Project on the side - **Warning Ford content**



  Mk2 Escort
​Had this a while now so thought i'd chuck a thread up. Basically a father son project / mild resto.

Car details;


1976 Mk2 escort.
1600 Ghia 4door
78k genuine mileage


The plan was to make a clean car you could use everyday, sticking with the original kent xflow engine and original interior.


When we got it;


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You can't tell by the photo's but the paint was completely shot, someone had tried to rattle can over the original paint and it was cracked everywhere with no clear coat, real mess. Plus the home made 1/4 bumpers and thermos flask exhaust tip (yes it was a thermos flask!)


All in all a bit crap.
At this point we knew we would have to respray it but it would be a bare metal job if we were to do it right.




Lowered it 2" on blocks and springs (remember it's a low cost build this, saxo takes up the big bucks), we also have some poly bushed lower arms to fit.


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After a few months of sitting around we stripped the paint off and set about fixing all the rust and dodgy filler jobs it had from its previous life.


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We set about getting quotes to spray the car and couldn't really justify spending the money with the saxo still here.
So for a few months (about a year!) The escort was tucked up in the garage untill a few months ago we bit the bullet and painted it ourselves, so we set about finishing all the body work.


After sourcing the paint, thinners and hardener we set to work.
The car was given a going over in the garage, we are planning on doing it again next year as we could of put alot more coats on than we did.
The car was wet sanded and polished by myself and came out well:


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The colour is genuine 2012 Focus RS Frozen white.
We sourced a set of black and chrome original bumpers, new headlights and a few bits of black trim.
We fitted the screen's ourselves:


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Also got new rear lens's


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Apart from the rear one where Burton Power sent us two front rubbers :wall:
After 3 month wait for them to get it in stock, i'm waiting again to for them to get the right one! Total ball ache. This is how wrong it is, hangs over the edge of the car!;


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We also decided on the wheels, 8J minilights, black with a polished rim. Currently need tyres but they really look the part:


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A few days ago i set about doing a small wire tuck in the engine bay and replacing any rotten wires.
And that's about up to date with where it is. Next job is to pull the engine and box out and clean the engine.
Going to have a new billet rocker cover, magnecor leads, switched to elctrocnic ignition and a genuine oil and filter service, along with rebuilding the carb.
Which should keep it going well. While i do that dad will smooth and spray the engine bay ready for it to go back in.


Future plans:


-Replace fuel lines
-Clean + Paint suspension
-Ashley pipe (louder the better)
-Fit the wheels
-Replace interior and sort a few MOT bits out
-Long term i may fit a mild cam to wake it up a bit
-Find a cheap 5 speed box




How you enjoyed your read.
Who says you can't get a shine on white:
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Sam
 
  Cup In bits
My favourite car of all time, albeit not in 5 door but keep the work up. I'm just bidding my time before I get one until I have a heated home for it to live in luxury.
 
  Mk2 Escort
My favourite car of all time, albeit not in 5 door but keep the work up. I'm just bidding my time before I get one until I have a heated home for it to live in luxury.

I would love a 2 door one but they fetch silly bucks. But because this is a 4 door is why we are keeping it standard inside and engine wise, we could go mental and strip it but i don't think it's right for this model.
The bloke selling this didn't really know what it was worth wanted £900, and we sold our Ford Consul shell for £600. So this whole car only cost £300 to buy.

Love that great effort mate ! Something about older cars really tickles my fancy

Thanks
 

Gally

Formerly Mashed up egg in a cup
ClioSport Club Member
Literally awesome. So much more original than the usual Mk2 Cosworth/RS2000 stuff.
 
  Mk2 Escort
great work so far :cool:

Thanks

Superb mate, those wheels are lovley!

The wheels are great, only got them in black by luck, did order all silver but they didn't have any in stock so got these instead. Glad we did now. May have to roll the arches to aid clearance with the 2inch drop but will be worth it for the look. Proper low and wide.


I've said it before and i'll say it again, old Fords are cool!

I can't believe how cheap you got it.....I hate you. ;)

Yeah, as soon as i found out he wanted £900 i called my dad and told him we are having it!

Literally awesome. So much more original than the usual Mk2 Cosworth/RS2000 stuff.

Thanks mate, the idea has been to keep it semi original, while giving the nod to the modified scene, (hence keeping it a Ford colour).
So easy to strip it and hoon about but i know there is a different route that these cars were meant for. Cruising the streets, loud and low.

And all this while keeping cost's as low as possible.
 

Tunst

ClioSport Club Member
  Focus ST225, Focus E
I have similar wheels to those on my mini :rasp:

Love a good escort!
 
  Mk2 Escort
Loads of people run minilites, they are great looking wheels.


UPDATE - even after i fiddled with doing a wire tuck, it turns over straight away. Happy days, was expecting nothing to work!
 
  Mk2 Escort
​Little bit of an update,

Got the correct rear screen seal from Burton so will have the fitted and the car 'water tight' tonight.


In the mean time i have removed the fuel tank and cleaned it up, removed all the old tired fuel lines (need to buy some flexi fuel pipe now)


We wanted to get the engine bay sprayed and smoothed so the only thing for it was to remove the engine and box. Simple enough job and came out quite quickly.


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It is a right state though, very neglected, so it's time for a spruce up:


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Dad will be doing the bay while i clean the engine. Well that was the plan up untill last night when i removed the rocker and found this:


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:wall:
Looks like it has eaten its valve oil seals. You can see in the springs that they have bits missing and broken. Not happy at all!
What was supposed to be a quick job of cleaning and painting is now turning into a full head rebuild.
Could well be down to the previous owner running it on unleaded fuel.
At this point id love to say im sending the whole engine away to Harris Performance for a bore to 1700, 45 webbers and a full rebuild. But with the saxo at Atspeed i can't justify the cost. Yet


So for now we will be fitting all new unleaded valves, oil seals, etc.
Like i say this will be slow progress, but it will get there (have to be confident)




Untill next time.....
 
  Mk2 Escort
Well for £900 quid, it was always going to have hidden problems.

​Keep at it.

This is very true.
We've decided to keep it as original as possible under the bonnet. Apart from a battery relocation and 4-2-1 manifold, just to keep costs down.
When i have some cash iv'e already priced up a Zetec conversion.
 

DaveDreads

aka Philomena Cunk aka Barry Shitpeas
ClioSport Club Member
This is very true.
We've decided to keep it as original as possible under the bonnet. Apart from a battery relocation and 4-2-1 manifold, just to keep costs down.
When i have some cash iv'e already priced up a Zetec conversion.

I did that for my future Cortina project, not cheap considering you'll need to but an engine as well,
I decided it was cheaper to just bung a V8 in there. lol

That's if I ever save enough money to buy one. :(
 

_Tom

ClioSport Club Member
Thats awesome or going to be!

My mates doing a hideous estate.

339627_10150547467631515_1435254889_o.jpg


The only pic i have but its come a long way since.
 
  Mk2 Escort
Well, basically forgot this thread existed. Best update it;


Engine has been rebuilt. New gaskets, valve shims etc. I gave it a little clean and lick of paint. Nothing major, don't want to go OTT:
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Looks alot better than it did (see above)


Fuel tank re sealed and treated:
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Standard shot of the wheels, still no rubber:
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Lower arms and poly bushes:
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This is how the bay looks currently:
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Just a quick base layer, currently smoothing some bits out. Dad did spray everything without masking up :mad: So now we need to remove all that, bloody impatient.


Finally got the rear glass in too:
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Managed to restore the original grille too, 50:50;


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Thats about it for now. We need a new compressor then we can spray the bay fully, fit new fuel lines, drop the engine in, run the batter cables, fit the box and new clutch. Then hope it fires up.


Plan is still to have a low 4 door cruiser to poodle about in. Alot like this:
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Maybe when it blows up ill get my way to fit a twin cam on bodies in!
 
Great project, love the minilite wheels!

One of my old girl mates from years ago's mum had one in beige (with brown seats) she sold it to a dude about 25 years ago, he's still got it, 1.6 Ghia on a W reg, it's a proper minter.
 

Paul172sport

ClioSport Club Member
  Sunflower Ph1
Just seen this Sam, looks a good project. Reckon by the time my boys are old enough my resto project with them will be my flower.

Something special about the mk 1 & 2 escorts tho. My grandad had a Mexico back in the day.
 


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