Matt's 1978 4 Door

[Matt1975]

Hi Guys,

My first car was a 1980 RS2000 4 door that I bought back in 1995. I then wrote it off sadly but bought a shell and transferred the bits across into an RS 2 door.

I then bought a MK 1 RS2000 and another MK 2.

Then in 2003 I found out I had Leukaemia and ended up just selling all 3 for about $3k. (Something I regret everyday).

Anyway, long story short, I thought screw it and bought another escort to rekindle the passion. I couldn't afford another RS so I bought a 1978 4 Door. I think it might be a rally pack but not sure. It has

2 litre
4-2-1 Extractors
4 speed
32/36 weber
Globe? mags
Front spoiler with escort written backwards

I bough from a lady in Shepparton who has owned it for 8 years. It has remarkable little rust for it age. There is a bit in the firewall at bottom of heater bubble.

All the electrics work and the interior is great.

Only real drama is that numbers 3 & 4 spark pluge are stuck in the block and the chick said she has taken it to 4 mechanics but none could get them out. Any ideas or should I pull the head off to make it easier?

Here are some photos.

Immediate plans are just to fix a few things. I.e. fix speedo as not working at all and just a general tidy up. Will do engine and gearbox, suspension down the track

Look forward to comments.

Cheers

Matt

P.S. Have forgotten the joys of driving without power steering. Jesus!!

[MK1_Oz]

Just noticed that nobody answered your post mate. Looks like a great car. You just know you will ge the full restoration bug eventually!!!!!!!!!!

[Matt1975]

Couple of updates.

Have rebuilt the head to get it going and painted the headlight surrounds black.

Got some bilsteins to go on the back.

Will keep adding as the build progresses

Matt

[Matt1975]

Update.

Got a coilover conversion -

Capri Struts
Koni Yellow Shocks
285lb springs
Eurospeed eccentric strut tops

Matt

[MK1_Oz]

nice work. whats the ultimate plan? fast road car, daily driver etc???

[Matt1975]

Looking to just get into club racing. It will be on club plates and not a daily driver so I can get a bit serious.

It will take a while as I have done it cheap in the past and this time I just want to do it properly once, and as we all know it costs more upfront but it will save you $$ over time.

Cheers

Matt

[Matt1975]

Bit of an update.

Relocated battery to boot and got some new wheels.

Took off the body stripes.

Am about to start doing the R31 rear disc swap.

Matt

[jpayne]

Good to see another one being used as it should , keep it up and keep the photos flooding in. As I live vicariously through others projects!Cheers,

Justin P

[Matt1975]

Some pics of the handbrake cables for the disc conversion. I'll take heaps of photos as I go along as there aren't many how to's for the handbrake set up.

They are the original cables from the R31. Got em for $40.00 delivered from QLD on eBay.

Matt

[Matt1975]

Rebuilt rear calipers.

From this

R31 Calipers Before 2.jpg (18.95 KiB) Viewed 13481 times

To this

4321.JPG (37.43 KiB) Viewed 13481 times

[Matt1975]

Also got new / old Volvo front calipers.

Big thanks to Craig (Sutton Motorsport) for rebuilding them for me.

[Matt1975]

Also what no serious rebuild is complete with out -

A spider Gearknob!

[Matt1975]

I found a picture of my first car. MK II RS2000 that I bought back in 1995.

Sadly as most young guys do I wrote it off going through a roundabout doing only 40kph!

I ended up buying another 2 door MK II RS and wsapping all the running gear over.

Cheers

Matt

[Matt1975]

Have got the Volvo calipers rebuilt now.

[Matt1975]

Rather than crosdrill or use a t-piece for the brake lines I will use these.

roadsterbrakes20.jpg (61.15 KiB) Viewed 13345 times