Mk2 escort shell restoration historic or gpr4 ?

[Gazz cossy]

Well here goes ,another mk2 escort rally build, This car will be built as far as a rolling shell and then it will be up for sale, I've started to strip the paint back to bare metal, all over. this shell is very solid in all the right places, I'm electing to put a complete new front end on it, inner wings, slam panel, rad supports, cross member, front panel, some body tried repairing the strut tops and made a pigs ear of it, i want every panel to be just right on this one. carn't decide to go historic or grp4 tarmac car. the chassis rails are like new, a posts to, as is the boot, front scuttle all in all a very good base to start with. here are a few pics to start with.028.jpg036.jpg031.jpg012.jpg044.jpg019.jpg046.jpg052.jpg

[jonnie205]

Go historic. A group 4 tarmac shell can vary so much it would need adding to/modifying excessively depending on owners spec

[Gazz cossy]

I think I will go historic after all the shell is so tidy ,it would be a shame to cut it about to much, a bit more progress today stripping the paint off, here are some more pics.046.jpg049.jpg043.jpg038.jpg032.jpg018.jpg013.jpg022.jpgWhat colour do you people think, the options are La mans green, Olympic blue, frozen white but I have one in this colour so not my first choice, or red, with Cossack graphics.

[davblue]

nice start there
a say signal yellow m8.
looks a not bad shell.

dsrestos

[Gazz cossy]

Thanks pal, signal yellow is another option, the shell is really good apart from a few holes in the front floor pans and a couple of small holes in the splash panels, and the tank well in the boot the rest of it is cracking not to many left around like this. i wanted to take the front end off and use all new panels just so its mint going back together. and looks right when painted, i will end up putting a complete new floor in as well, don't like patches or single floor pans cut in and welded.

[alancdavis]

Have a look at my signal yellow build

[alancdavis]

[Gazz cossy]

Very nice Alan the next decision is un arched or arches I like both, the arches are really good on the outer but may need a little work in the inners if they were kept. It could be used on road rallies etc then.

[Gazz cossy]

Does any body have a spit they either want to sell or loan in the southwest, near bath area.

[jonnie205]

another vote for signal yellow

[rampant racing]

what colour sells the best? go with that as you are not keeping it.

[Gazz cossy]

Well frozen white and red seem to sale well but so does yellow and green so not to sure I can tell what colour sells best, as every 10 people you ask will have a different colour they prefer, but frozen white seems to be very popular, but I am just finishing off a grp4 build in that colour just wanted to do a different colour. thanks for your comments so far guys.

[alancdavis]

Frozen White is to modern,, go diamond white . it a bit more retro

My next one will be diamond white

[tawnymexmk1]

hi gazz i have got a spit you can use i used it for my mk1 escort should be the same cheers bert

[Gazz cossy]

Thanks Bert, can you pm me your mobile and I will give you a bell, Alan you are right with diamond white more in keeping with the un arched, retro look. I do have a soft spot for la mans green and signal yellow.it will be nice to see a standard looking shell when finished with 13"rims, carn't wait to get on with this build, I will strip more of the paint off on the week end, I don't need to strip any under seal off the underneath, as some kind person as already done it for me The underneath of it looks well tidy.i will get some pics up when I get her on a spit.

[Mk1 Dom]

What are you using to strip the paint off the main exterior body? I have been using a flap disc on my grinder for some parts to prepare for welding etc but it seems too aggressive for the main body....feels like I will be removing steel as well as paint. Thanks

[Gazz cossy]

Hi Dom, I'm using a 80 grit flapper wheel just on the top of the paint just to take the top off carefully, then I'm using a gorse disc which is a lot softer than a flapper disc,to finish off and you then only take off what you need to take off instead of metal as well, but they don't last long but they are only £3 each so I bought 6 and that should do most of the shell panels, take your time with the first stage with the flapper wheel and then its plain sailing after with the softer gorse disc. And on the areas under the bonnet curved bits I use a knotted wire wheel on the angle grinder, i have different shapes and size wheels. It only took me 3 hours to do one side of the car.I think its a better approach to stripping the shell than having it blasted, as the blasting does take off an amount of metal as well.

[oddy]

Hi Gazz,
Nice clean shell that, you probably know this already, but get the front end on it before you put it on a spit.
If you don't have the panels yet speak to TJM on here, he has large hole inner wings in stock and very good prices on panels.
cheers,
James

[Gazz cossy]

Hi James, I have a pair of small hole inner wings as the shell is a later one, and they were cheap, yes the front end will get put back together before it goes on the spit. I am looking for a slam, rad supports, front panel and a pair of wings, and cross member, so if any of you have any new panels left over and want to sell.

[Mk1 Dom]

Thank you for the guidance. I have not come across gorse discs so have just searched Google and eBay for them but no results came back.
Do you know the official name of them or perhaps can send me a link to where you get them?
Thanks v much.

[Gazz cossy]

Polycarbide stripping discs, you can get them for a drill and 115 mm angle grinder, they will take the paint off as well but don't last long at all if you use them on there own that why I use both you can get flat flapper wheels or slightly angled ones depending on the area you are using it on the car. Just looked on ebay for them and they are not that cheap I pay £3 each for them from my local power tool hire shop.like I said they will take the paint off but if the paint is really hard they will struggle that's why I use a flapper wheel first hope this helps you cheers Gaz.

[alladdin]

Thank you for the guidance. I have not come across gorse discs so have just searched Google and eBay for them but no results came back.
Do you know the official name of them or perhaps can send me a link to where you get them?
Thanks v much.

Google polorico discs

[Gazz cossy]

Another good disc is the dronco scotch bright flapper disc fine or medium grade they will do for finishing, the key with all these discs what ever type you use is to take your time and don't over do one area to much but lots of different options out there to use, if you can be bothered to put the time in on stripping the shell this way, the easiest option is to get the shell media blasted.

[Gazz cossy]

I bought quite a few more parts, panels etc over this weekend, didn't get any work done on the shell this weekend, as my transit clutch decided to give up, so been doing that instead, I also loaned a spit off a fellow member and picked that up on Saturday morning to do the work on the underneath when the time comes.Thanks Tawny mex Bert.

[Gazz cossy]

Gregg this is the car that i want you to do,needs a complete front end putting on, a complete new floor and some rear end work got most of the new panels.

[Gazz cossy]

Hi guys well its time to start the fabricating on my car ive sold my frozen white grp4 spec rs 2000 that was on north west rs centre, so its full steam ahead with this one,i am going to do all the welding and fabricating my self and the car will be a full bare metal rebuild and all new complete panels will be used to complete this one as i want this mk2 to be mint from the ground up, and i know whats gone into it and no corners cut and will result in a first class mk2 escort historic /road rally spec rally car. ive started and have got one inner wing on i will post some pics when i can resize them, im thinking the colour will be irmin white / olympic blue or la man,s green im struggling to decide which colour,but edging towards olympic or irmin white.

[Gazz cossy]

a quick update on the progress 20151107_151130.jpg20151107_151244.jpg20151107_172613.jpg20151104_145333.jpg20151104_152841.jpg20151104_152922.jpg20151106_100413.jpg20151110_215547.jpg20151110_215621.jpg20151122_170004.jpg20151110_215610.jpg20151122_170227.jpg20151122_170220.jpg20151122_175515.jpggot quite a lot done over the last three weeks one tub and turret is in and the large gearbox tunnel i will update with more pics over the week,lots more welding new grp4 panels in but its good progress.

[Gazz cossy]

i have these new bilstein struts with new calipers and discs new springs ready to go on her when she has been painted,i think i will go for radient red or vw blue for the olour for the car.20150914_162841.jpg i also picked up two atlas axles one fostek casing fully floating and a standard capri axle and a lsd to go in either of them,two piece shafts and f/f hubs .

[Gazz cossy]

ive also taken delivery of this very very rare car 1957 lea francis.20150902_153850.jpg20150902_153933.jpg20150902_153839.jpg

[Jaguaretype]

Hi Very interesting shell : it is a 1950-1953 Lea Francis 2.5 Sports. Only 85 were built by Abbey panels in Coventry. How did you get it ? Do you know the chassis number or reg. number ?

[Jaguaretype]

Hi,Please get in touch about the 2.5 Sports !
My email :
vincent.bihr@francetv.fr
I have one in France and i am currently doing the complete register of the model.
All the best,
Vincent