[phpBB Debug] PHP Warning: in file [ROOT]/includes/bbcode.php on line 483: preg_replace(): The /e modifier is no longer supported, use preg_replace_callback instead [phpBB Debug] PHP Warning: in file [ROOT]/includes/bbcode.php on line 483: preg_replace(): The /e modifier is no longer supported, use preg_replace_callback instead [phpBB Debug] PHP Warning: in file [ROOT]/includes/bbcode.php on line 483: preg_replace(): The /e modifier is no longer supported, use preg_replace_callback instead [phpBB Debug] PHP Warning: in file [ROOT]/includes/bbcode.php on line 483: preg_replace(): The /e modifier is no longer supported, use preg_replace_callback instead [phpBB Debug] PHP Warning: in file [ROOT]/includes/bbcode.php on line 483: preg_replace(): The /e modifier is no longer supported, use preg_replace_callback instead [phpBB Debug] PHP Warning: in file [ROOT]/includes/bbcode.php on line 483: preg_replace(): The /e modifier is no longer supported, use preg_replace_callback instead [phpBB Debug] PHP Warning: in file [ROOT]/includes/bbcode.php on line 483: preg_replace(): The /e modifier is no longer supported, use preg_replace_callback instead [phpBB Debug] PHP Warning: in file [ROOT]/includes/bbcode.php on line 483: preg_replace(): The /e modifier is no longer supported, use preg_replace_callback instead [phpBB Debug] PHP Warning: in file [ROOT]/includes/bbcode.php on line 483: preg_replace(): The /e modifier is no longer supported, use preg_replace_callback instead [phpBB Debug] PHP Warning: in file [ROOT]/includes/bbcode.php on line 483: preg_replace(): The /e modifier is no longer supported, use preg_replace_callback instead [phpBB Debug] PHP Warning: in file [ROOT]/includes/bbcode.php on line 483: preg_replace(): The /e modifier is no longer supported, use preg_replace_callback instead [phpBB Debug] PHP Warning: in file [ROOT]/includes/bbcode.php on line 483: preg_replace(): The /e modifier is no longer supported, use preg_replace_callback instead [phpBB Debug] PHP Warning: in file [ROOT]/includes/bbcode.php on line 483: preg_replace(): The /e modifier is no longer supported, use preg_replace_callback instead [phpBB Debug] PHP Warning: in file [ROOT]/includes/bbcode.php on line 483: preg_replace(): The /e modifier is no longer supported, use preg_replace_callback instead [phpBB Debug] PHP Warning: in file [ROOT]/includes/bbcode.php on line 483: preg_replace(): The /e modifier is no longer supported, use preg_replace_callback instead [phpBB Debug] PHP Warning: in file [ROOT]/includes/bbcode.php on line 483: preg_replace(): The /e modifier is no longer supported, use preg_replace_callback instead [phpBB Debug] PHP Warning: in file [ROOT]/includes/bbcode.php on line 483: preg_replace(): The /e modifier is no longer supported, use preg_replace_callback instead [phpBB Debug] PHP Warning: in file [ROOT]/includes/bbcode.php on line 483: preg_replace(): The /e modifier is no longer supported, use preg_replace_callback instead [phpBB Debug] PHP Warning: in file [ROOT]/includes/bbcode.php on line 483: preg_replace(): The /e modifier is no longer supported, use preg_replace_callback instead [phpBB Debug] PHP Warning: in file [ROOT]/includes/bbcode.php on line 483: preg_replace(): The /e modifier is no longer supported, use preg_replace_callback instead [phpBB Debug] PHP Warning: in file [ROOT]/includes/bbcode.php on line 483: preg_replace(): The /e modifier is no longer supported, use preg_replace_callback instead [phpBB Debug] PHP Warning: in file [ROOT]/includes/bbcode.php on line 483: preg_replace(): The /e modifier is no longer supported, use preg_replace_callback instead [phpBB Debug] PHP Warning: in file [ROOT]/includes/bbcode.php on line 483: preg_replace(): The /e modifier is no longer supported, use preg_replace_callback instead [phpBB Debug] PHP Warning: in file [ROOT]/includes/bbcode.php on line 483: preg_replace(): The /e modifier is no longer supported, use preg_replace_callback instead [phpBB Debug] PHP Warning: in file [ROOT]/includes/bbcode.php on line 483: preg_replace(): The /e modifier is no longer supported, use preg_replace_callback instead [phpBB Debug] PHP Warning: in file [ROOT]/includes/bbcode.php on line 483: preg_replace(): The /e modifier is no longer supported, use preg_replace_callback instead [phpBB Debug] PHP Warning: in file [ROOT]/includes/bbcode.php on line 112: preg_replace(): The /e modifier is no longer supported, use preg_replace_callback instead [phpBB Debug] PHP Warning: in file [ROOT]/includes/bbcode.php on line 112: preg_replace(): The /e modifier is no longer supported, use preg_replace_callback instead [phpBB Debug] PHP Warning: in file [ROOT]/includes/functions.php on line 4752: Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at [ROOT]/includes/functions.php:3887) [phpBB Debug] PHP Warning: in file [ROOT]/includes/functions.php on line 4754: Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at [ROOT]/includes/functions.php:3887) [phpBB Debug] PHP Warning: in file [ROOT]/includes/functions.php on line 4755: Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at [ROOT]/includes/functions.php:3887) [phpBB Debug] PHP Warning: in file [ROOT]/includes/functions.php on line 4756: Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at [ROOT]/includes/functions.php:3887) RS Motorsport :: Classic Speed Restored • View topic - Panko's 1975 Mk1 Escort (round 2)
Well, here we go again. after a couple of years since selling my rusty 1972 auto, i am back in the game.
A couple weeks ago, i had no intention of buying another Mk1 Escort any time soon. However, a mate of mine from when I had my last escort couldn't resist contacting me, and putting me onto this beautiful little 4 door Mk1 for sale way up in Kerang, about 3 hours north of Melbourne.
I took a look at the photos, and promptly called the owner. I was pretty much sold there and then.
So, Michael (my Escort informant), my good mate Callin and I set off from Sunbury at around 9am in Michael's VW Amarok (I'm glad we did...ill explain soon) to go look at this car, with cash in hand ready to drive this beauty home to Melbourne.
The owner was a retired old guy, who collects some interesting and beautiful cars. He was very honest with his asking price, and very genuine. I somewhat feel like i might have ripped him off a little with the price, but it was well within his price range, and he was happy to accept. Even left his club plates for me to drive it home.
now for the good (and bad) photos of our adventure.
These next few pics are the photos the owner sent me. the car is totally original. 1975 (october) factory 4 speed 1300XL. Has 139,000km on the odometer, but the engine in it apparently has about half that. The original engine came with the car, which has been rebuilt as some stage, with non standard pistons...so some investigation needs to go into that, as it may end up being a stronger engine than the one thats in it...very weird.
interior is MINT.
the previous owner had it for about 3.5 years, and only drove it a handful of times.
SO i bought the car, and set off on the long journey home. during the test drove she drove like a dream. smooth, plenty of power and comfy...
we got 30 minutes from Kerang then this happened....
obviously the guy i bought it from never had a problem with the car because it only ever got driven around town, never on the HWY. so me attempting to drive it home, sitting on 90km/h was enough to sort out the bugs...like the distributor which was inevitably going to die..and leave me standard
SO, we flat towed the car as far has Harcourt, where Michael's dad was nice enough to borrow a friends trailer, and meet us. we trailered it back to Michael's house, arriving back to Sunbury about 8pm. and thats where i left the car, on the trailer in Michael's driveway, along with 1 of his Mk1 4 door Escorts.
A big thanks to Michael and Callin for the support and help, i would've been ****ed if i had taken the xf or my daily to go collect it. thank **** for Michael and his Rok.
anyway, Michael is a legend, he got it going for me again with a spare dizzy.
Today i got my new dizzy and coil for the car. Ive got myself an electronic dizzy for the car, and of course a Bosch GT40 coil. they will be fitted tomorrow, can't wait to see how it goes with a good reliable ignition system.
Haha danny, i took the fellas word for it. I asked if it'd make the trip, sure he said, never misses a beat haha. I even test drove it on the open road to over 100km/h, no worries lol.
Well i fitted the new electronic ignition today. Works great, and car is running smoooooooth. Plenty of power (for a little 1300) and starts really well.
So i got the car home and it took prime spot in the garage next to the XF :)
I decided to have a crack at giving the old paint a bit of a cut and polish. test patch on the boot lid.
Before...
After...
So it has plenty of scratches still, but has taken the cloudiness out. Ill leave the rest to be done professionally, its definitely beyond my expertise.
Today, I decided i would give the under belly of the car a scrub, and i mean scrub. degreaser and a wire brush kind of thing lol. 41 years of dirt, oil, lead to my driveway looking like this....
this lot came from the front RH wheel arch on its own :o
its much cleaner underneath now. Thursday, I plan to start pulling the front end out. whole front end, minus steering, is coming out to be rebuilt.
The front end is entirely out. and have started putting it back together. So the new tie rods are in, sway bar is painted ready to be re-fitted. New control arms are ready to go back in. sway bar bushes, brake pads. the last things i need to get are the steering coupling and brake hoses.
I'm also just awaiting my new springs to come. once i have the springs the front end can go back in, and it will be rolling again. wheel alignment, diff alignment and it should pass roady and have plates on it by next week
Ive made good progress this week. Not much more to do now.
sway bar with fresh subframe black paint.
sway bar, new control arms and tie rods fitted.
steering column dropped to repair the steering coupling
steering coupling repaired, cleaned. looks nearly new
interior all back together
discs freshly machined up
new springs
bit of height difference. apparently only 1" lower when in the car...we'll see lol
old vs new. just goes to show what some cleaning can do. all I've replaced on the "new" strut is the springs. the shock inserts are the same, all the rubbers (shock sleeves and bumpstops) tops and all are the same ones, just been thoroughly cleaned.
passenger side back together, and thats where i had to leave it for today, as i have to go to work shortly. Turns out you can't put the struts back in with the sway bar installed, so i had to remove it from the car entirely again
more to come tomorrow if all goes well, it will be on its wheels by tomorrow night.
well its on the road and registered. Ill post all the updates between my last post and now, but they are copied from another forums, so some of the dates might be out of whack :P
Well today went well. i finished everything i needed to get it driving again. all the brakes are in and working...the brakes are awesome in it haha, and they haven't even bed in yet obviously.
now, before i took this photo, i ran into some trouble...
chop chop
so i lowered the car, and even with the 13s on, it was grabbing the front corner of the guard. silly design.
vvv this is the final result of my home attempt of massaging the guard. Ill get them all rolled properly when its registered, especially if i want to fit the 15s on. I've also discovered that the 13s are actually 24mm oversized diameter, compared to the factory 12" tyre size. so that wouldn't be helping with clearance.
anyway, once i got that sorted i put it back in the garage on stands, hooked up the last of the brake hoses and and bled the brakes, then corrected the front end alignment so i could at least drive it (it went in for a front and rear end alignment tomorrow morning)
So the next piece of the puzzle after rebuilding the front end was it failing RWC due to sill damage under the car :(
$600 later to a mate of mine who is an old school panel beater, and it was sorted. so you can see the factory jacking point in the background where the rubber bung is. the sill should be level across there, with the half moon cut out lining up wiht the factory jacking hole in the chassis.
the road worthy guy reckons its pushed the floor up, on the other side of the sill, between the sill and chassis. this is not the case, the floor naturally rises behind there anyway, but he is convinced this damaged has caused the floor to go up.
Rod came round and got started on the sill repairs. He got the body pulled down pretty close to right, but it wasnt until later in the day we realised how bad the seams where, further in. So, the car is going on a bit of a holiday to Rod's workshop in a couple weeks to have all the repairs done. We discovered a little bit of rust around the damaged sills, so that'll all get cleaned up properly.
one bent sill trim to be straightened.
passenger side before...
passenger side after
Driver's side after...
This is where we left it, because we soon after realised the problem area was further in.
These seams are what we are concerned about.
for reference, this is what the seams are supposed to look like. This is a mate's Mk1 4 door. so the seams should be flat, or parallel with the body line of the sills, or close to.