I needed a sensible modern daily driver...

[Lopéz]

Overdue update!

The Escort has been doing well, here are the latest changes:

Off with the RS1600i splitter which was looking very sorry for itself

Off with the rear wheel spats which were in a similar state

Car looks very basic and naked without them

Repainted with K2 Bumper Structure paint, which restores the spark eroded finish of the original parts

Plastics back on, replacement grille, pressed number plate to replace the broken plastic one, and some Hella Comet 500 lamps to replace the dinky Ring ones. Still sitting low as the brackets are on the bumper rather than in the proper location.
Just can't justify the cost of Carellos!

Oh, and check out my neighbour's urban camo Vectra

I've also replaced the front springs (rears ready to go on too), fitted poly ARB bushes and poly top mounts.

Next - cam cover.

 

[Lopéz]

Can't see a Vectra though.

Yeah, I can't see a Vectra anywhere in those pics.

Vectra:

VAUXHALL VECTRA SRI CDTI 2005
Registration number: DU05SHX

 

[Lopéz]

Whoosh

Groan

 

[Lopéz]

There was a guy with a similar looking one and I'm sure that was a left hooker too. Low miles and pristine. Had that smell for cars of that era inside and out too.

This car came from Lancashire, and there only a handful of LHD Sunburst Red XR3s in the UK - so it may well be the same one.

 

[Lopéz]

Just a little update but one I think that makes a big difference.

Last two big bits of the engine bay were the cambelt cover and the cam cover.

Cambelt cover - all scratched and scuffed. No pics but this was sanded smooth, painted with plastic painted and new graphics applied:

Cam cover old vs new - the new one is actually different, it's missing the bracket to hold the airbox but the airbox is well held on without it.

All fitted - along with a new later type rubber gasket, stainless bolts and load spreaders. Makes the engine bay look much much smarter I think.

 

[Lopéz]

The rear bumper on the Escort was starting to get on my nerves.

1) The overriders are in really poor condition and crumbling apart
2) The plastic sections are worn smooth and marked
3) The bumper metal is distorted and flared at the ends, making the plastic end caps not fit properly
4) The bumper was not painted at the same time as the rest of the car, and the colour is way off and the finish dull in comparison to the rest of the car.

Here is the bumper "before" - a picture hides a thousand sins, but hopefully you can see the poor fit of the end caps and the dull finish

So I popped the bumper off

Removed the rotten overriders and plastic end caps and crash pads.
Spent what felt like forever bending and hammering the bumper into some sort of shape. Sanded and primed with some high build celly

Painted the end caps, crash pad and number plate lamps with K2 black plastic structure paint

Painted the bumper metal with some Halfords Sunburst red (an alright match, not perfect)

Lacquered with Tetrosyl Trade Gloss (BRILLIANT aerosol lacquer, best aerosols I've ever used - comes out like a spray gun finish)

Reassembled and refitted with warm white LED number plate bulbs

Really really happy with the finish considering this is a DIY job. Annoyingly the pictures don't make it look much different, but in the flesh it's a big transformation.

The overriders will probably make a reappearance once I've restored them to a satisfactory finish.

 

[Lopéz]

With the rear bumper done, it was time to look at the front.

Took it off, prised off the end caps, removed the crumbling overriders, and popped out the crash pads.

This gives you an idea of the general condition of the plastics:

Everything was cleaned, scuffed up, and coated with K2 Structure Paint (I might as well buy shares in this company)

The bumper, which initially looked alright, was trashed. Rust everywhere, bent out of shape, fit for the bin to be honest but I haven't got £80 knocking about for a new one.

I started attacking it with a variety of tools - hammers, grinders, DA sander, rust converter, Hydrate80, all sorts:

More grinding, filling, sanding, filling, sanding:

Finally it was ready for primer. First some grey high build - then some Tetrosyl Red Oxide (you are supposed to use red primer for Sunburst Red paint)

While I was at it, I soaked the rusty brackets in a citric acid solution and did them in black. I know they aren't the proper Ford brackets but they were already fitted when I got the car:

Followed by a good few coats of Sunburst Red (not the best match to be honest) and then a few coats of Tetrosyl Clear.
It isn't perfect, but it will do me:

And back on the car with the recoated end caps:

Although the colour match looks good here, it isn't really.
It's no worse than it was though, and the finish is now a lot better than the original bumpers.

Overall, happy with the result, even if in the pics it looks basically just like it did before!

 

[Lopéz]

Cheers guys. It's getting there slowly.

RS1600i splitter went back on today. I also have a brand new headlamp coming for the driver's side (mine is a bit tarnished inside) and new indicators which will be fitted at the same time.

 

[Lopéz]

Long time no update!

Not much to report really...

Although rust free, the underside and arches were starting to get me down:

So I scrubbed everything back, treated any surface corrosion I could find, and primed with some Bilt Hamber heavy duty primer:

Followed by several coats of Masterguard stonechip, and then a few coats of Sunburst red:

Starting to look the part now, so I couldn't put the manky dampers and springs back on. Luckily these turned up as NOS:

Built up with some Compbrake solid top mounts:

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And on they go:

New steering rack to go on as well, and I've since tidied up the overspray and painted the brake lines.

Now just the other three corners to go!