My MK2 cossie

[NeilCos]

Hi all

Though it was about time that I posted some pics up of my MK2. I seen the numerous restorations and rebuilds you guys have been doing and seeing what can be achieved with a bit of patience (and a FBH ) has really given me the motivation to crack on with mine

I bought a MK2 shell last year with the aim of building a cossie powered escort to use for weekends and trackdays. It's turned out to be a long project, what with learning to weld and a crash course in underseal removal , but I think I can see light at the end of the tunnel pray: .

The shell had been a rally car in a previous life and judging by the dents in the floor I could see it had done quite a few miles as well.





Exterior didn't look too bad but I've owned escorts before and shiny paint is no indication of what lies beneath. Started off making a roll over jig




With the car up in the air I started hacking away at the underseal to see what condition the rest of the car was in
Do you really need this much underseal?




Thankfully the floor was in good condition, but very dented. But the chassis was excellent . Started finding the odd bolt hole here and there, and then another....and another......with the boot floor enventually looking like this



More pics to follow

[dazzle]

Did you buy the shell already GP4 spec'd ?? Should be very nice when done

[drewzercossie]

very tidy shell you have there, you got a ruff time scale to have her tearing around B roads? . . . . . . . then ad a year or so ofcourse!!!!!

[NeilCos]

Did you buy the shell already GP4 spec'd ?? Should be very nice when done

Yeh, shell was already GP4 spec. Can't wait to get it on the road pray: got a stage 1 chip from Clint just waiting to be fitted

Cheers
Neil

[NeilCos]

Took a while to get the hang of using a MIG. Hadn't picked one up prior to buying the escort, but got quite a bit of practice plugging those holes

Boot floor now looks a little more waterproof



I've started to make a bit of progress on the bodywork. The original white looked quite nice but the prep work underneath was pretty naf percy: so it's out with the sander.....




In the meatime I bought a rebuilt engine and box from a fellow turbosporter . After a little bit of cleaning and painting the engine is ready to be fitted (pity I'm not as fast with the bodywork )



Got a few other bits and pieces ready as well.. 14pt cage, coilovers, cossie brakes etc. and a few other things tha my bank balance hasn't quite finished paying for

[RETRO_AL]

looking good m8

[markb]

indeed. looks like a decent shell to me!

[DanR]

looks a superb little project - much better tnam spending months replacing pannels. Oh how I wish I had listened when told to buy the best shell possible

[Kevmk2]

Your doing a top job there mate,keep it up

[PIG]

looking good m8

[jonny]

Looking great gotta get me a jig!!!

[NeilCos]

Thanks for the positive comments guys . It really does help with motivation to get it finally finished.

Will hopefully be doing a bit of a test build soon to get the gearbox mounts etc. sorted and to source a propshaft. Then it's onto the painting, and after seeing the excellent work that Dave Roberts has achieved so far, it really has given me the confidence to give it a try myself .

Fingers crossed pray:

Cheers
Neil

[Stevie]

coming along well that

[The_Brochures]

looking good, hope to start putting mine back together soon,

cheeRS

Graham

[NeilCos]

Graham

Look forward to seeing both cars on the road soon

Cheers
Neil

[Leecossie]

Looking good Neil Keep up the good work

[NeilCos]

Coilovers from GAZ were delivered on Friday. Managed to get some time in the garage on the weekend and trial fitted the axle, tacked the coilover and panhard rod brackets on, and as soon as I can get a hoist, the engine should be in and I can make a start on the gearbox mounts and exhaust system . More pics soon.

Cheers
Neil

[NeilCos]

Got the engine in today



Tried bolting it to the crossmember but couldn't get it to line up. Engine mounts were miles out. One didn't even sit square with the engine block . After lots of swearing I positioned the engine where it should sit and cut the short side engine mount.



As you can see from the pic, there was no way it was going to fit properly (and they were brand new WCXM and mounts too )

As soon as I can get it welded up I can make a start on the exhaust. Hope thats going to be a bit less hassle pray:

Cheers
Neil

[PIG]

would they not fit if you swapped the n/s for the o/s m8?

[Kevmk2]

Mine are the other way around,i tried them both ways around and get mega pissed off with it
In the end i put the short one on the drivers side and the long one on the passenger side. The sump still sits close to the drivers side steering rack mount.
May look at it one day if i have the engine out again.

[NeilCos]

I wish it could have been that easy . Tried swapping them over but it didn't even com close as it pulled the engine too far forward and the sump fouled the crossmember.

BTW I'm using the standard cossie sump and I've done the usual mod to the back of the WCXM to allow it to fit.

Cheers
Neil

[PIG]

t swapped mine over and they went up,but my cross member had to be well modded for it to alll go in.my engine sits a bit close to the n/s rack mount tho

[bodybag]

hi
i like the work ur doing on the mk2.
i was just wondering did you buy just a bare shell or was it rolling?
also how much did u pay as ive found 1 identical to urs and wanted to know what a good price would be?
many thanks.

[NeilCos]

Hi

I got it as a bare shell a while back. It wasn't cheap, but a properly built GP4 shell is going to cost a few quid

Looks like it may have been done by Gartrac originally, so I think I got a good deal.

Cheers
Neil

[bodybag]

cheers for the reply
like i said the shell ive seen is identical to urs ....even in white
full grp4 spec and he wants £5000!
what do you think?

[Escort Mk2 tic]

Looking real good m8!!!!

[NeilCos]

Got the engine mount sorted now



Making progress slowly

Cheers
Neil

[PIG]

good work neil

[Kevmk2]

Nice job mate,thats what i need to do to mine when its out next,get my engine dead center.

[NeilCos]

I haven't posted any updates in a while so here goes.

Made up an exhaust from a 3inch Scorpion system I had off Passionford. I decided to fit 2 silencers to keep the noise levels down a bit, and it all seems to have gone together OK (well not bad for a first attempt anyway).


Downpipe is a bit close to the chassis and steering column so may need to modify that again




System is in 3 pieces so fits nice and easy.

Engine, box and axle now back off so I can finish off tidying up the bodywork before it's painted. I've also bought a Radtec intercooler and rad which I'm in the middle of fitting, so more pics in a few days.

Cheers
Neil

[NeilCos]

Intercooler ready to be fitted


Trimmed back the radiator support panel to make some room


Intercooler now bolted in. I made some plates to fit either side of the intercooler. These should help the airflow go through the intercooler & rad instead of around it . Tacked them on temporarily.


And here's the rad in place too



Hopefully not too long now

Cheers
Neil

[PIG]

getting there m8,really coming along now bud

[RETRO_AL]

very nice m8

[dangerousdave]

That looks hard as

Very nice work with the sides

[NeilCos]

Cheers guys.

I need to decide what colour to paint the car next. I had planned on sticking with diamond white but I think the car would look great in moondust silver (the colour of my old saf cossie).



Right then, time for a cuppa and then back down the garage

Cheers
Neil

[dangerousdave]

Cossie looks lovely, very late one

Colour would also look good on the mk2, what about doing it a tad darker...there are a few grey mk2's coming out (gmac's and jimmyjames's) and they both look very very

[NeilCos]

Can't belive that it's been over a year since I updated this post. The car has been sat in the garage waiting for my motivation to return, but thing look like they are moving again

Bodyshell has been painted and I've got the cage back in. I've made a start on the wiring and hope to get the engine and box fitted in the next week or to. Here's a few new pics. I'll post more later






It's going to be on the road this summer ........

Cheers
Neil

[Steve Hooghiemstra]

Neil, it's really starting to come together now........keep it going

[mk2escyphil]

only just spotted this one
nice car should be wicked when its done

[bobb1]

Looks super mint keep at it. The hard works done now soon be finished if you keep at it (note to self)