RS Motorsport :: Classic Speed Restored

Okay, as the other post hasn't been moved, I will start a new one on the van. This van is going to be my daily and parts collector so it won't be getting any wild stuff done to it, just a good clean up and rebuild. Sadly it won't even get a 2 litre at the moment. 1600only.

I will add pics soon, just have to shrink them as they are a bit to big and it won't let me add them.

The van is pretty rough as will be seen, but to date,
I have stripped and cleaned the diff and all brake lines, The diff has been repainted fresh and all the brake lines done, New shoes done and drums machined.
I have a spare front end, So i am rebuilding that, everything has been cleaned and sandblasted where possible, and freshly painted, all new bushes have been put in as well.
I have stripped and cleaned the callipers (Type 16 ones) and am now waiting on a rebuild kit (Just the seals and rubbers) coming in from the UK. Thanks to Roger miller for pointing me in the right direction to find them.
I will also replace the discs, I am thinking about getting the Capri 2.8i vented discs and the type 16 spacer kit and fitting this in. But don't know if this is worth it considering it's aonly going to be the daily and it may be over kill.
Steering rack is off getting reco'd at the moment, so waiting on that coming back, then the front will go back together, minus discs and calipers until I can put my calipers back together.
I will add pics soon, and keep you all updated with the progress.
As underside floor will get started on soon.

Haven't seen many MK1 Vans before which is a pity, they do look great.

Just down the road from my work at what looks like an abandoned house from the early 1900s, sitting in the driveway down the side of the house is two MK1 Escort 2-doors and then two more MK1 Escort Panel Vans. I've never seen them move and there is random doors sitting there. The whole property is fenced off with a fairly new big industrial sized fence but no one lives there or anything and the windows of the house are smashed.

All are in pretty good condition although one 2-door has a fair bit of rust.

I've just stripped all the paint from my Mk1's engine bay using paint stripper. It's messy and time consuming, but the results are good. Lay it on thick and give enough time to do its thing. A couple of pics below, or have a look here: http://rsmotorsport.com.au/forums/viewtopic.php?t=3072

Thanks Simon. I might just do that, and use paint stripper and a wire wheel on those tricky little spots.
Although hopefully the rust around my heater bubble is not as bad as yours. Mine doesn't look to bad (yet)
Will finish stripping it out tonight, just the wire loom, brake lines, speedo cable and clutch cable and the bay is empty.
Will clean it and start stripping it and see how we go.

Okay some updates after a fairly productive weekend.

Yanked the mighty 1300 out of there


Stripped the bay of all wiring and cables


Bay empty ready to be stripped back


I wasn't going to pull the bubble of as it didn't look to bad for rust.
Lucky I did, look at all the crap that was hiding in there.


Luckily though the bubble is in real good nick. Look at the rust in it, or lack thereof.


Little bit of rust under it though, But all in all not to bad.


After I hit it with the wire wheel. Not to bad really.


Lucky me, Had a helping hand.


Hopefully this weekend will see the bay completly bare metaled. Still need to pull the battery tray out though.
Then will start welding up all the unnecessary screw holes and any thing else and start cutting out and repairing the rust around the heater.
Although that is the only rust in the bay I have found so far and there doesn't look to be any more. So shouldn't take to long.