I needed a sensible modern daily driver...

[Lopéz]

Would love a sorted Mk2, but don't really have the garage space for one sadly.

I'd love a sorted Mk2, but I don't have the bank balance for one

Next job. I want to tidy up the engine bay a bit at a time, everything is dull/corroded/rusty as is normal with these things.

First I tackled the coil:

Typically scabby but fun to tidy up. The inner wing holes are from the air horns it had in France.

Some aluminium and black later, along with some new screws and some loom conduit, much better

Then the scabby air filter brackets:

And after a quick refurb:

It's hardly going to trouble the concours boys, but it keeps me occupied.

More thrilling tales to follow.

 

[Housey]

So much easier to work on cars of this generation too.

 

[Jonnycoupe]

Love it. Satisfying little jobs like that.

 

[Lopéz]

Today's delights:

Dirty milky fuse box cover

Clean(er) shiny(ish) fuse box cover

Manky distributor

Clean distributor (the marks are physical damage to the casing, not surprising after nearly 40 years)

Tired wiper motor cover

Slightly fresher wiper motor cover

Getting there slowly. Cam cover will make a big difference, as will painting the manifold.

 

[Scania]

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

On my S1 RS Turbo (which had the same instruments) I just removed the (green?) plastic bulb covers on the binnacle,total transformation in instrument clarity for nothing bar a bit of my time.

Keep up the good work, enjoying this thread and it’s nostalgic feel!

 

[ultralaser]

Love it!

 

[Phemo]

My parents are moving house soon and I've been tasked with clearing out the 25 years of crap up in their loft. Was quite surprised to find this which reminded me of this thread

 

[Lopéz]

Haha, not seen a physical Autodata manual in a very long time!

Following a truck on the A46 this week and it had a blowout - the tyre carcass hit me and smashed the grille, cracked the number plate, and the broken grille stabbed through the radiator, so I had to limp to work and get the car recovered.

Amazingly there seems to be no other damage.

After sourcing a new radiator I decided to do some other stuff while I was changing it over.

Fan shroud & motor

Intermittent sticky starter which has annoyed me since I got it

Replaced with a Transit Connect one, what a difference! Awesome starter compared to the lethargic CVH unit

Exhaust manifold

I used Stove paint, wanted something a bit more textured really, but it will do

New distributor cap

Replacement expansion tank decal and painted the cap

Refreshed the air inlet

Also a new oil cap and a few other bits cleaned up, and of course the new rad.

So this is the engine bay a few weeks ago

And this is now

Not perfect but an improvement!

 

[Duke]

Great job

 

[paradigm]

What's the plan for the rocker cover, a simple silver/olive, or something a bit less "standard"?

 

[Lopéz]

At this age they were plain silver, changed to a horrible grey later and then some sort of beige. I just want smooth silver and a new 1.6 decal. Some people polish them but I'm really not a fan of heavily chromed and polished under bonnet stuff.

 

[MR_Punk]

Terrible luck with the wheel blow out in front of you, delighted to see you used it a positive to get more things done, lovely lovely car!

 

[Scania]

Unlucky (or very lucky I guess!) re the blowout - bloody truckers! - if your after some more authentic decals for it I’d drop these a line.

Pukar designs

https://www.pukardesigns.com/other-cars

They are predominately BMW but they do decals for other cars and I’d be amazed if they didn’t cater for old Fords.

Loving the thread, keep up the good work.

 

[Lopéz]

It was a hell of a shock, that much I can tell you! I've seen them blow out before but as you say just bad luck to hit one - I think it bounced off the barrier then straight into me. I was convinced it had taken the splitter off, but the noise was just the tyre carcass dragging on the floor, so that was a relief!

I've got all the underbonnet decals in really good quality but I might need the headlight ones doing - cheers for the link!

Top mounts and ARB bushes this weekend, depending on the weather.

I've also done a few mileage checks and if driven very gently (ie never using the second choke) it returns 33mpg on a combined run, which I don't actually think is that bad.

 

[Scania]

It was a hell of a shock, that much I can tell you! I've seen them blow out before but as you say just bad luck to hit one - I think it bounced off the barrier then straight into me. I was convinced it had taken the splitter off, but the noise was just the tyre carcass dragging on the floor, so that was a relief!

I've got all the underbonnet decals in really good quality but I might need the headlight ones doing - cheers for the link!

Top mounts and ARB bushes this weekend, depending on the weather.

I've also done a few mileage checks and if driven very gently (ie never using the second choke) it returns 33mpg on a combined run, which I don't actually think is that bad.

Comes as a shock when a truck tyre lets go,like a small bomb going off - I know of a guy who lost a leg when a tyre blew as he was standing by the cab, he wasn’t even a driver!

Are you keeping the splitter or going back to standard? - the splitter is an RS 1600i item by the look of it, personally I think it spoils the look.

Top mounts and bushes will / should help the ride no end, fairly sure XR3i items will fit and are an improvement on the XR3 ones, the XR3i has different camber as well iirc which makes a noticeable difference on the handling between the two (I am going on 20+ year memory here mind you so hazy at best!)

I do recal never getting near 30mpg with my 3i or Turbo, I was a complete tool back then (as opposed to partial one these days) and I had a concept of lead foot everywhere!

 

[Lopéz]

Splitter is staying - it's been on there since new apparently, dealer fit when the car was new!

 

[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.

 

[Howard]

Been following this thread with interest, love this car




Can't see a Vectra though.

 

[Rilot]

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

Loving the XR3 though. Looks the business.

 

[Scania]

Your neighbour needs to have a word with himself.....