Will probably need more advice and help on this thread than I'm able to give!
Back Story
At 3 years old my godfather would run me to nursery in a rusty green Mk1 Escort with the boot tied down, affectionately known as "The Banger". I loved it.
At around 5 years old I watched the start of a Lombard rally stage in a town in Wales and couldn't believe these cars were identical to "The Banger". I was awe-struck that they made rally versions of my favourite car and I wanted one.
By 1993, working part time valeting cars at a local dealers I'd saved up enough to buy one.... off a South London scrap yard! £150 later, including costs to recover the car home, I was finally the owner of my dream motor.
By 1996 the car was fully restored with a 1760 Xflow and sailed through its first MOT in my ownership. How the hell I achieved that with no internet and limited knowledge I will never know but in all fairness Steve Evans (now known as Stiggy) down at Super Accessories in Catford was a great help as was a lad I met called Kevin who now runs Kejja Motorsport.
Sadly my Mum binned the films with all my restoration photos so I've nothing but memories of how it originally looked.
In 1997/8 someone pulled out in front of me and the front end was damaged. I stripped the car and sent it to a workshop in Greenwich for shell repairs. The car was there for the best part of 2 years with very little happening, then 5pm one day the guy phones up and says "I've just finished painting your car and I'm getting evicted from the workshop, you need to have it gone by 8am tomorrow morning".
I had no money at all and nowhere to put the car which left little choice but to get down the garage with my brother and build it so I could drive it home. 8:30am next morning she was up and running!
Rebuilding it was such a rush job I've never since felt overly confident driving her.... little things like the non-high tensile ground down bolt connecting steering column to rack would spring to mind whilst drifting roundabouts in rush hour .
Used the car regularly as a weekend car up until around 2006 when family life kicked in and gradually it sat for longer and longer periods until I didn't bother renewing MOTs.
Now its time to get on with the 3rd rebuild.
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