Big Wing Mk1 Escort Pinto Project - Restoration no.3

[RS2OOO]

Replaced with a standard rack mount and its a perfect fit on the drivers side, nice and snug. Maybe the mount that came with the rack is just badly made.




However the standard mount won't go over the bush on the smaller passenger side mount. I'll just run one of each and paint them both to match.




These heavy duty racks are quite stiff to turn. With wheels off the ground its about same stiffness as a power steering rack would be with the car on the ground. Always said I'd never have power steering, but I'm getting tempted!

[RS2OOO]

Just the wiring, door handles, dash and quarterlights left to come out and she'll be off for blasting and fabrication (I'm not doing any myself this time round).





Have new bubble arched rear quarters, bubble arched front wings and a pair AVO inner wings just arrived today. I can only assume the spot welder at Magnum Panels gets paid per Spot Weld!!!!!

[RS2OOO]

Type 9 Gearbox now fully overhauled with Quaife pro SC gear set.

Hard to believe the box still worked!

[RS2OOO]

Car now fully stripped ready for the blasters.

Worst part of the strip down was the door internals, undoing striker mechanisms on the doors was a pain but the worst nightmare was removing passenger side door glass as it wouldn't fit through the gap in the door.

After over an hour messing about with it I ended up having to bend the door to get it out.

I have no clue how ford got it in there originally.

Has anyone else ever had this kind of grief?

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[rallyrob]

I'd say you take out the front runner section that also holds the front quarter light in.
2 pop rivets in the top of the door and the large screw into the main door behind the door card, then out of the top with it. Thinks that's how I'd do it anyway.

[RS2OOO]

I'd say you take out the front runner section that also holds the front quarter light in.
2 pop rivets in the top of the door and the large screw into the main door behind the door card, then out of the top with it. Thinks that's how I'd do it anyway.

The door was completely stripped Rob, only the glass left inside.

It was literally too wide to fit through the gap at the top between inner and outer skin. Both sides were like this but drivers side came out, albeit after deep scratches to paintwork.

Passenger side had no chance, had to bend tops of doors to widen gap between the 2 skins.

Obviously the real fear is when it comes to refitting after car is painted, will be impossible to put glass in without scratching paint.

I wonder if the metal glass holder fixed to bottom of glass for the window mechanism has expanded with corrosion.

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[rallyrob]

I wonder if the metal glass holder fixed to bottom of glass for the window mechanism has expanded with corrosion.

Ah yes I see, that is a possibility.

[RS2OOO]

Other than that I've been very surprised at how solid the car is.

No rust even in the heater bubble, spare wheel well or fuel tank well. Only part requiring attention for corrosion was the bottom of the passenger door, but not bad enough to need a skin.

Sent a short video of it stripped to a mate and he thought I'd just had it back from the painters! (He must be blind!).

I'll see if I can work out how to get the video on here.

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[RS2OOO]

Quick video around the car before it goes in for blasting tomorrow.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=heE2QqaUCiw

[RS2OOO]

One thing after another. Vuclan have finally got round to looking at my cylinder head for unleaded conversion (dropped it off with them on 7th Feb!!!). 10 mins after calling to say he was about to start on it he called again and said he'd found a crack and its scrap!

Great.

I've given the block a quick wipe over to make sure nothing obviously untoward with that, and from what I can make out it looks ok. Pistons are 0.350 (.014") below deck at TDC so I'm guessing its previously had a light skim as I thought they were 0.5mm below deck originally.

Will take sump off shortly to check big ends and mains.

[notenoughtime]

Any news on the blasting, mines back and although not rotten has 100 badly welded patches

[RS2OOO]

Any news on the blasting, mines back and although not rotten has 100 badly welded patches

No news yet and I'm not chasing because the longer it takes the less money I have to part with!

I have no idea what to expect but I'm quietly confident it won't be too bad.... Famous last words as everything else I've touched has turned out to be knackered!

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[notenoughtime]

My shell looked very good but although solid it’s just full of patches

[Graham]

One thing after another. Vuclan have finally got round to looking at my cylinder head for unleaded conversion (dropped it off with them on 7th Feb!!!). 10 mins after calling to say he was about to start on it he called again and said he'd found a crack and its scrap!

Great.

I've given the block a quick wipe over to make sure nothing obviously untoward with that, and from what I can make out it looks ok. Pistons are 0.350 (.014") below deck at TDC so I'm guessing its previously had a light skim as I thought they were 0.5mm below deck originally.

Will take sump off shortly to check big ends and mains.

normally the pistons are around 0.020 down the bores and the block looks to of been skimmed as the marks in the top of the block do not look like factory machining, so id say you correct its had a light skim

[rallyrob]

Car now fully stripped ready for the blasters.

Where are you having it blasted?

[RS2OOO]

Where are you having it blasted?

Down at Andy's auto body in Kent.

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[rallyrob]

Down at Andy's auto body in Kent.

So they're a one-stop shop really then. Blasting and Bodyshop in one.

[HOL]

Do you know who they sent it off too for blasting?

I’m local to them, and need someone to strip mine.

[fingersnfumbs]

If you need a cylinder head I have a few knocking about.

PM Me if so.

Car looks great by the way.

[RS2OOO]

If you need a cylinder head I have a few knocking about.

PM Me if so.

Car looks great by the way.

Thank you.

James Harris down at HPE said he's got one for me so I'll probably go down that route.

[RS2OOO]

So they're a one-stop shop really then. Blasting and Bodyshop in one.

I need to double check if they do the blasting themselves (might be a neighbouring unit that does it). They certainly have a paint shop and various different sections of workshop with different things going on.

When I dropped the Escort with them they had around 5 Escorts in various different stages of build, anything from a wrecked/abused rally car Mk2 shell on a jig to a concourse Mk1 under covers.

[RS2OOO]

Do you know who they sent it off too for blasting?

I’m local to them, and need someone to strip mine.

Turns out my car was the very last to get blasted by the neighbouring unit who has stopped accepting bodyshells. They are about to start using a firm down in Sittingbourne.

[RS2OOO]

Shell back from blasting so here's a couple of pics.

No nasty surprises, even the heater bubble looks rot-free that can be seen or felt from outside at least.

A tiny rust hole on the rear scuttle which wasn't expected, and despite no visible rust holes, the floor pans are very thin and have numerous pinholes here and there visible when shining a torch through. Therefore it makes sense to replace the floor pans.

Structurally she is sound and that can't be bad for a 52 year old car that's never previously had any structural welding.

[donnie]

Looking great for her age, I know I would be delighted as it’s frightening what you find hidden behind paint and filler

[RS2OOO]

Heater now overhauled and rebuilt.

Parts like this are being done by hand with wire brushes and sandpaper to save money etc, so it is far from perfect, but with invisible parts rust protection comes before aesthetics for me.

That said it took 2 days, and if I did 2 days overtime and paid a firm to restore it to a higher standard I'd probably have ended up evens!

[donnie]

Have to smile at that one, only thing I hadn’t rebuilt was the heater and in true fashion the matrix in the heater started leaking once I filled her up. Back out so now has a new matrix and motor

[HOL]

Turns out my car was the very last to get blasted by the neighbouring unit who has stopped accepting bodyshells. They are about to start using a firm down in Sittingbourne.

I didn’t realise there was a place next door.

Sittingbourne isn’t to far though. Thanks for the tip.

[RS2OOO]

I didn’t realise there was a place next door.

Sittingbourne isn’t to far though. Thanks for the tip.

Maybe I should re-word "neighbouring" to "nearby", as it definitely wasn't next door. Nonetheless they've stopped blasting cars anyway.

When dropping the car off I said there's no major rush as the longer it takes the more money I can save to have extra fabrication work done. They rang yesterday having recalled that conversation asking how much of a hurry I'm in as a car that came in after mine only needs 2/3 weeks worth of work and would it suit me to stop progress on mine to allow it to push in.

Realistically there's no chance I'll get mine finished before end of summer unless I rush it and cut corners so might as well target next spring/summer. Thus I agreed a delay so I can save up a few more pound notes.

[HOL]

Maybe I should re-word "neighbouring" to "nearby", as it definitely wasn't next door. Nonetheless they've stopped blasting cars anyway.

When dropping the car off I said there's no major rush as the longer it takes the more money I can save to have extra fabrication work done. They rang yesterday having recalled that conversation asking how much of a hurry I'm in as a car that came in after mine only needs 2/3 weeks worth of work and would it suit me to stop progress on mine to allow it to push in.

Realistically there's no chance I'll get mine finished before end of summer unless I rush it and cut corners so might as well target next spring/summer. Thus I agreed a delay so I can save up a few more pound notes.

I think they will do a good job.

I was speaking with them just before COVID about a bubble arched build which put my plans on hold. I was close to going back, but we spent the cash on a holiday home.

I have therefore scaled back to a standard arched rebuild in the original colour.

[RS2OOO]

Thanks.

Oddly enough they've just finished a Mk1 build in identical spec to mine, literally identical in every aspect, it looked incredible, almost a shame really that I already know how mine will look when finished, but I won't be disappointed if the quality of work matches up.

Following the sandblasting this was my final shopping list, all purchased from Classic ford panels direct who came out cheapest:

Floor pan (skin)
Rear panel (flat)
Spare wheel and petrol tank well panels
Slam panel
Rad towers
Front crossmember
Front panel ( no hole)
Wing rail sections o/s and n/s
Sills o/s and n/s
O/s and n/s bulkhead upper end panels

Front and rear panels, slam panel and rad towers didn't have any rot, just replacing them either because I've butchered them over the years or because they need to come off anyway to access other areas so might as well replace with new.



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[HOL]

I think you timed the purchase of your panels perfectly.

I’m about to start on the offside front of mine and thought about replacing the whole inner wing this time, but nobody has any in stock.

Offside Mexico wings also seem to be rare now,

[RS2OOO]

I think you timed the purchase of your panels perfectly.

I’m about to start on the offside front of mine and thought about replacing the whole inner wing this time, but nobody has any in stock.

Offside Mexico wings also seem to be rare now,

I am hearing the same thing from lots of people. In fact there wasn't an abundance of availability at the time I bought mine, having to use various suppliers. A guy called Jerry from Classic Ford Panels Direct managed to supply the vast majority of panels.

[RS2OOO]

Time for an update.

Some tips:

New sills from Magnum were such a terrible fit, after hours of fettling it was deemed more cost effective to bin them and order replacements from Express Panels which were significantly better.

The Group 4 fabrications big tunnel purchased from Burtons also needed significant work and still was far from being a close fit. On realisation that even if it did eventually fit there would be no room for a Heater box I made the decision to bin it and buy a standard auto-tunnel which went on really nice and can be seen in the pics below.

Due to the number of new panels and the amount of drilling etc that will be required to rebuild the car I am seriously contemplating taking the car back and doing another full dry build before sending it back in for paint. In short the original dry build I did before sending it in was a waste of time as we've gone much further with replacing panels than originally planned.

Finally as the car is still away from home and out of the picture so to speak and will be for some months to come I've taken the opportunity to move house as I should hopefully be able to move in and build a new garage ready for it to come home. Makes moving house a lot easier having not to worry about moving a non-running car on top of all the other crap I have but will obviously delay the build somewhat.

Some pics:

[katana]

Wow - that NS rear quarter panel around the light / rear valance - talk about fits what it touches !!! Hasn't got the swage line! Anyone doing resto without 'excellent pattern' parts has my admiration!

[RS2OOO]

Pretty sure I've seen other people fighting even worse battles with rear quarters. Magnum I think are the most reputable supplier of them, and possibly the only supplier where the bubble arch is pre-integrated into the panel. And they are still a poor fit.

The back panel is being replaced as well, not through corrosion but because years ago I cut a stupid big hole out of it for the exhaust, so it will be interesting to see what the swage line on the new back panel looks like.

[HOL]

They have made a good job of that tunnel. It actually looks neater than my factory one from the engine bay.

When I spoke to any about bubble arches on mine, he suggested complete quarters as well and it sounded like he has fitted quite a few magnum ones, so you should take comfort from that.

As my wife spent the bodywork cash on a house in Florida instead, I am just replacing the standard arches myself now.

[RS2OOO]

I asked Andy about what he thought about the rear quarters. He said they are a great fit with only a small amount of fettling required.

So I asked how he was going to deal with the swage lines between rear quarter and back panel. He said, not a problem, they'll sort it.

I would have no clue where to start!

[RS2OOO]

Now looking more like a car again.

Watts Linkage (the more expensive kit from MST) towers are miles out and need plenty of work.

Don't know whether to take the car home and dry build it including any drilling and cutting that comes with that before stripping again and sending for paint, or getting it painted right now and being very careful with the drill when rebuilding.... I'd be interested to know what you would do?

[Davemk1trackcar]

Already looks better than the £85k MST one!

[waverunner]

Your rear set up is exactly as mine, don't forget to load the axle into its running position before you weld the watts towers.