Caporegime
I learned to drive in a Mk2 Fiesta 1.3Ghia!
I needed a sensible modern daily driver...
- Thread starter Lopéz
- Start date
-
- Tags
- carlosfandango essex wtf xr3
Ordered:
New Track Control Arms
New Track Rod Ends
Poly TCA Outer Bushes
Poly TCA Inner Bushes
Poly Top Mount Bushes
Poly ARB Bushes
That should sort out any front end clunks and tighten it up. Then we can get the back end in order (ooh err
) and lastly the engine mounts - Vibratech stuff looks good but it isn't cheap!
Interior shot for anyone interested. Wish these came with red carpets or seatbelts like some of the competition did. I haven't decided if I like the white dials yet, they were already in there...
New Track Control Arms
New Track Rod Ends
Poly TCA Outer Bushes
Poly TCA Inner Bushes
Poly Top Mount Bushes
Poly ARB Bushes
That should sort out any front end clunks and tighten it up. Then we can get the back end in order (ooh err
) and lastly the engine mounts - Vibratech stuff looks good but it isn't cheap!Interior shot for anyone interested. Wish these came with red carpets or seatbelts like some of the competition did. I haven't decided if I like the white dials yet, they were already in there...
Soldato
- Joined
- 27 Mar 2013
- Posts
- 9,332
Loving the rocker switches, has that got electric windows. Must have been a bit ahead of its time with them.
Caporegime
That looks really tidy, get the clocks back to standard and replace the dash - think I can see the cracks you referred to - The XR3i’s interior was nicer but keep it original.
@theone8181 You can see the electric window switches on the door handles, hence the circular blanks where the poverty spec handle went.
To be fair to Ford they were relatively early offering electric windows I remember my dads excitement when he had them on his 1977 Granada 2.8i GLS and the pain when I pinned my arm in them!
@theone8181 You can see the electric window switches on the door handles, hence the circular blanks where the poverty spec handle went.
To be fair to Ford they were relatively early offering electric windows I remember my dads excitement when he had them on his 1977 Granada 2.8i GLS and the pain when I pinned my arm in them!
Yeah electric windows, central locking, tilt and slide sunroof that miraculously still works.
I think the car is from Southern France so the dashboard has just baked in the sun - now it's badly cracked and warped. Really lets it down as otherwise it looks great inside.
I think the car is from Southern France so the dashboard has just baked in the sun - now it's badly cracked and warped. Really lets it down as otherwise it looks great inside.
Caporegime
I remember a friend rebuilding a Stolen/Recovered Sierra Cosworth years back that was LHD and the way he found an undamaged dashboard was to source it from Norway of all places - or any left hand driving (as in drive on the right if you see what I mean) country not renowned for hot summers!
Soldato
- Joined
- 27 Mar 2013
- Posts
- 9,332
I thought those switches were for their windows, however I only noticed when I rebooted at the picture that there's blanks lol.
Caporegime
- Joined
- 13 Nov 2006
- Posts
- 26,562
That looks to be in pretty good nick!
Ordered:
New Track Control Arms
New Track Rod Ends
Poly TCA Outer Bushes
Poly TCA Inner Bushes
Poly Top Mount Bushes
Poly ARB Bushes
That should sort out any front end clunks and tighten it up. Then we can get the back end in order (ooh err
Interior shot for anyone interested. Wish these came with red carpets or seatbelts like some of the competition did. I haven't decided if I like the white dials yet, they were already in there...
Nice. Looks in decent nick.
Enjoys setting the tappets every 3000 miles. Rule of nine.
I hope not, the XR3 has hydraulic self adjusting lifters.
The non i XR3 got the cvh?
XR3 and XR3i are both CVH.
RS1600i is also CVH but has solid lifters. They do need adjusting.
RS1600i is also CVH but has solid lifters. They do need adjusting.
Soldato
- Joined
- 22 Aug 2004
- Posts
- 7,607
They were never the most refined engine, but they took the abuse. I've always been a fan of them.
After 6 weeks out of the country I got back yesterday unsure if the old beast would start. It did!
Took it for a blast to Aldi, it's amusing how dainty and angular it looks next to modern traffic:
Noticed that when it was resprayed they didn't bother with the bumpers which is now annoying me because they don't quite match the new paint - I want to get them done soon.
I also need to take off the RS1600i splitter, the rear wheel spats, and the bumper end caps and paint them with black bumper texture paint to even the finish out - the PU rear spoiler can stay as it is.
The bumper overriders are all a bit tatty and at around £100 each if you can find used ones I won't be replacing them. The recommendation is to fill and sand them like conventional metal/plastic and paint them with the same texture paint to match the bumper trim and end caps, so that will keep me occupied for a weekend.
Took it home and gave it a wipe down with some quick detailer as it was too cold for a proper wash. Wheels are filthy!
Then I decided to replace the front TCAs. This isn't a particularly hard job but the various nuts and bolts were all seized solid and took a lot more effort to free off than I'd have liked.
Here are the new and old arms:
The old ones weren't totally knackered but definitely worse for wear:
The car drives better on the new arms, but still knocks and donks a bit. ARB bushes and top mounts next, but I was out of power and it was starting to rain!
I also managed to uncover a bit about the car's history.
It was abandoned in France for 12 years and brought back to life in 2013 with no real work other than a clean. No welding, bodywork etc.
It was then imported to the UK and sold to a garage who painted it. All the panels, arches, sills etc are completely original, the only welding it's had is a replacement front crossmember at some point in the UK.
Next steps:
Replace the puny spotlights with correct sized ones (I can't justify the mental cost of Carello 640s so it will get a pair of Hellas)
Lower spotlights
ARB Bushes
Green dashboard lights to replace the horrible blue ones
Took it for a blast to Aldi, it's amusing how dainty and angular it looks next to modern traffic:
Noticed that when it was resprayed they didn't bother with the bumpers which is now annoying me because they don't quite match the new paint - I want to get them done soon.
I also need to take off the RS1600i splitter, the rear wheel spats, and the bumper end caps and paint them with black bumper texture paint to even the finish out - the PU rear spoiler can stay as it is.
The bumper overriders are all a bit tatty and at around £100 each if you can find used ones I won't be replacing them. The recommendation is to fill and sand them like conventional metal/plastic and paint them with the same texture paint to match the bumper trim and end caps, so that will keep me occupied for a weekend.
Took it home and gave it a wipe down with some quick detailer as it was too cold for a proper wash. Wheels are filthy!
Then I decided to replace the front TCAs. This isn't a particularly hard job but the various nuts and bolts were all seized solid and took a lot more effort to free off than I'd have liked.
Here are the new and old arms:
The old ones weren't totally knackered but definitely worse for wear:
The car drives better on the new arms, but still knocks and donks a bit. ARB bushes and top mounts next, but I was out of power and it was starting to rain!
I also managed to uncover a bit about the car's history.
It was abandoned in France for 12 years and brought back to life in 2013 with no real work other than a clean. No welding, bodywork etc.
It was then imported to the UK and sold to a garage who painted it. All the panels, arches, sills etc are completely original, the only welding it's had is a replacement front crossmember at some point in the UK.
Next steps:
Replace the puny spotlights with correct sized ones (I can't justify the mental cost of Carello 640s so it will get a pair of Hellas)
Lower spotlights
ARB Bushes
Green dashboard lights to replace the horrible blue ones
Next job - dashboard lights.
The car is fitted with white dials. Not for boy racer styling reasons, but because it's the cheapest and easiest way of converting MPH clocks to KMH. Obviously doesn't fix the odometer.... so I will look out for a set of MPH clocks in the future but for now this is what I am stuck with.
Previous owner fitted blue LED bulbs (the standard bulbs are extremely dull) but I thought they looked horrible.
80's Fords should have green illumination, so 4 2000 MEGAWATT 900SMD LED bulbs later, I was in business.
They are also bright enough to be seen in daylight which is nice.
I might also repaint the speedo needles. They are supposed to be a sort of dayglo orange and have faded in the sun. They are brittle though, so I might not risk taking them off until I've acquired a RHD clock set.
Little bits but I enjoy stuff like this
The car is fitted with white dials. Not for boy racer styling reasons, but because it's the cheapest and easiest way of converting MPH clocks to KMH. Obviously doesn't fix the odometer.... so I will look out for a set of MPH clocks in the future but for now this is what I am stuck with.
Previous owner fitted blue LED bulbs (the standard bulbs are extremely dull) but I thought they looked horrible.
80's Fords should have green illumination, so 4 2000 MEGAWATT 900SMD LED bulbs later, I was in business.
They are also bright enough to be seen in daylight which is nice.
I might also repaint the speedo needles. They are supposed to be a sort of dayglo orange and have faded in the sun. They are brittle though, so I might not risk taking them off until I've acquired a RHD clock set.
Little bits but I enjoy stuff like this