1970 mkI Escort restoration attempt

[PL_Peter]

After much reading and browsing through Turbosport it's time to introduce my own restoration project.

I've been looking for 2door mk1 for several years (about 7 in fact) with bigger or lower intensity. But being young and with just not enough cash I was looking not buying.
Finally I bought the Feb last year, and delivered to Warsaw from .. Bosnia.

A red 1970 2 door, with mighty 1100cc 48HP engine.

It looked to be in a good shape - I was expecting the south European climate to keep it well out of rust. As you'll see later I was off course wrong







I even started the engine and done about 50m drive, but obviously there was something wrong with the brakes and suspension. As it turned out the car must have been kept outside for quite long time since there were a few wasp nests.

After first brief inspection:
- the floor and sills on both sides full of holes
- the right chassis leg is in agony
- brakes are dead
- dampers, front and rear, are no functioning
- rust around rear wheel arches
- fuel tank and spare wheel quarters full of rust

The rusted chassie



The plan is to perform as much work as possible myself, including the body work.
Currently the body car is striped of interior, the engine bay is empty and I started cleaning the rust.

I'll upload some more pictures in coming days.

[madragon199]

Welcome...car looks solid in the first pics....there is always rust....keep the pics coming will be a good project....and you will be an excelent welder at the finish with all the practice...cheers mark

[turbo m]

She looks mint compared to some uk cars bodged with numerous sills over sills and strut tops bodged over strut tops.

Keep the updates coming, what are your plans for it??

[PL_Peter]

The condition of the car as of today:

Right wing is off, to allow for easier repair of the chassis rail and the radiator crossbeam




Both rear wheel arches are probably gone. Left one is already striped of most of the filler, the left in untouched condition (certainly hiding some surprises)




Right and left sill from outside and inside






The floor patchwork showing previous repairs






The front right leg full of rust






Hole on the top of splash panel


Regarding welding it's a steep learning curve to figure out how to set the welder, how to prep the sheets and so on
So far I've managed to make some holes or have problems with starting the arc. After welding the tip of the wire look like this. Any ideas what's the reason?

[PL_Peter]

The restoration plan, due to money and time constrains, is divided into 2 major steps.
Right now I'm planning to rebuild the front of the car, so that I don't need to modify it (too much) one I decide to change the engine. The rest of body will be repaired so i can MOT the car.
The engine stays original, as well as gearbox and axle (it's Koln at the moment). The car came in with probably mk2 front brakes as the disks are 247x12 with M16 callipers.

The plan for distant future is to go with bubble arches + ST170 + N9. For this setup I already bought 2.8i Capri front struts.

[Graham]

nice one, re welding wire, thats usually a case of the wire speed is too low for the current setting, either turn the amps down a bit or the speed up.

blowing holes means too many amps

[wepeeps]

Mate check out migwelding.co.uk it's got a lot of good info re setting up amps and wire speed for mig. Try using a stop start technique on car body stuff (stitch welding) much less chance of you going through the ass of it

[PL_Peter]

I guess it's about time for some updates. The restoration project was put on a side track as I was 100% dedicated to another build (own house actually). So the whole 2015 was pretty much lost for the old Escort, but as the biuld progressed I had a bit more time for some tinkering.

First job I did was left front section of chassis leg. I've recreated the rusted through outer skin and welded it in place (the final picture shows welding in progress)







Encouraged by how easy it was to fiddle with 0.8 mm steel I've decided it's time to face with the front right chassis leg.
As Ford designed it as two layer part with 2.0 mm inner section and 1.5 mm outer skin I've cut the sheet metal (acording to cardboard template).


And that the hammering started. After about 2 weeks worth evenings and weekends I came up with this thing



and than there was "only" the job of attaching my creation to the car. It looks ok and I'm preaty confident the welding has enought penetration.

[PL_Peter]

One more picture of those two leg layers laying side by side just before welding together.


The outer side of the rigth leg also had some jobe done, to get rid of the rusty stuff. In the end it look like this



After that there were some other small challenges like the "bump" on slam panel. Somebody already treated this section with some body filler in atempt to cure rust, but it haven't worked



So I've started again with cutting, brending, welding and grinding to the following end




In the meantime, actualy sime time around spring that the car will go the a bodyshop for panels repair and paint. And just like that panels stared to appear in garage. I went for new flor panels, seals for both sides, the front panel, A pillar outer skin.



Some of those I've managed to buy in Poland but most was shipped from UK. With pile of parts in the trunk the now rolling body (with beaten front suspension) was put on a trailer and sent to the guy how was willing to take the job and had timeslot free at the end of 2016 (most of shops I called were ready to receive the car around sommer 2017 )

[rick deregus]

That will be one nice mk1 when finished

[PL_Peter]

That was last week of September when we drove the Escort to bodyshop, with the word from the welder that will be taking it back ready and done in at the begining of November... Fast forward to first week of December I've noticed some action on the car. Finaly !!





this is mk1 golf wheel arch reshaped to replicate the escort line (yeah I know you can get one for escort but golf sheet metal is easy and fast to get in Poland, while it seem nobady ever heard of mk1 or mk2 escort her).



The welding isn't breath taking, but it is sound and should be ok until next rebuid in couple of years.

And just before Christmas there was the best gift I could have receive, body with all panels replaced and already primed ready for final color.



The color is Diamond While, looks definitly better than the faded red that was on the car previously.

[escoort]

Very clean looking car. Tidy work on the restoration. Better to have a rusty car and see it fixed right, than have a good looking car hiding all sorts of nonsense.

[Nuttynil]

Nice build .it did look like a clean one from the start.

[PL_Peter]

Since the bodywork is mostly done, it has it flows, but I can live with it, it's time go forward with the mechanical part.

The front calipers rebuild was definitly required as one of the pistons was cracked and all seals were pritty much gone. Actually when I got the car of all breaks only single piston in left front caliper was working.
This is an example how it all looked like



And after some time spent with wire brush + rebuild kit it looks much better



With that sorted out it was time for front suspension.
As my version is 1100 ccm from factory it must have had the front suspension swap as it has currently M16 calipers with 245mm solid discs. I confirmed it when brand new mk1 tie-rod ends didn't fit into the cast steering arms. The mk2 with metric thread did

Thankfully the strut inserts are the same for mk1 & mk2. I went for the adjustable GAZ. Remaining parts are original - cleaned and repainted.
Everything laid on the bench



and both struts assembled

[PL_Peter]

The front hubs received new longer studs and seal. The bearings must have been changed not that long ago and looked good. The long term plan is to change the front suspension to 2.8i billies (already have them) with alloy hubs. But for now the standard, cast version with small bearing will do.



The disc breaks have some surface rust, but the thickness is OK, so I'll be using them for a while.
The reason for studs change is that I got those cross alloy wheels with the car and intend to use them (hope the wheel offset won't be a problem)



This brings me to current maintenance item - the steering rack. I've decided to open it and have a look at the pinion and rack condition. Everything is in poo brown grease ... but what one can expect after 40ish years of operation.

Has anyone ever disassembled the mk2 steering rack ? How can I extract the rack from the housing? The tie-rods are threaded to the rack - so just unscrew them, or is there any dowel/locking in in one of the holes ?
Any feedback appreciated

[lez]

I might be wrong but I think your wheels are FWD off a fiesta, which might cause problems?

[tracktoy]

you've made a great start to the build, going to look awesome when completed

[daniele]

by memory, about the rack, you have to drill the dowel that is clearly seen on the pic