Fingers

This is where things get weird.
 
I have a Chrysler wagon (because I'm just sick like that - sick!) and have been offered an even trade for a '77 F100 XLT - Clevo, 4WD, tub rear and already regoed and running on 35" tyres. Hot damn.
 
This might happen. May still do up the F250, but either way the engine is going in the new truck if I get it.
 
 

XLT..!   
 
Just do it...

Double roller chain set, too. Had some love in the past.  Didn't spend too much on oil changes though. ! Or T'stat is waaay too cold.

I didn't mention how good( or not) they were

Yes, I am fortunate to be in the position to have a few MK1 Escort 2 doors.
They are now quite expensive.
I also wish I had hung onto the MK2 2 doors.....

Yep look i think id love a 2 door, but to me it makes no difference. actually ive said it before, my favourite Mk1 is still an estate. 
The way a member of the RSOCV put it recently is, owning a more door means having the same amount of fun as the snobs in their two doors, for less money. 🤣
 
im pretty excited too. if all goes to plan, it will be running corner bumpers up front, deep dish steelies, 1600 with alloy rocker cover, and a 5 speed. the 5 speed isnt urgent, because they are hard to get, but its the perfect time to do the conversion. 
 
If i cant find a 5 speed in time to put the running gear back in, I will get the Recaro seats fixed up (and installed) instead with the money i would spend on a gearbox. 

I'm so glad you are doing this.
MK1 Escort more door is my least favorite of the ones we got, yet I love this car and what you have done with it.
 
Really looking forward to how this turns out, and perfect choice with the 1600 Kent and Type 9

No pinto. 
 
Radiator shroud has to be modified to drop a pinto in, because they are too long for a Mk1 engine bay. So even Mk1 RS2000s, from factory had the radiator shroud cut out, so the radiator could sit further forward. 
 
you're a little light on the figures. a 4 door is 840kg. 
 
So, any engine upgrade will be a 1600. 
a 1600, with a mild cam, some head work, 32/36 carby, headers, will make a comfortable 70-80kw at the flywheel. which is about double what it currently has. considering i can get the 1300 to rip skids easily, and i can get it to power slide as it is, a 1600 with double the power is going to be more than enough fun. 
eventually with a 5 speed box behind it, it would be perfect to drive on the open road. 

yeah they have made it a "total loss". i get to keep the car at no expense to me, plus the entire insured value into my bank. 

Just to clarify the wording for people.... What Shannon's are doing is assessing the vehicle and deeming the repairs to not be financially viable for them and in doing so, they "write off" the policy as being a "total loss" from their books. It works out cheaper for them to give you the money back than to proceed with the repairs and lose money as supplementary claims would most likely be filed for extras found along the way (scratches here or broken tabs there mean more paint or parts to replace, plus not everything is available in the same condition as pre accident).

This total loss is only recorded on their books for their own balance sheet to add up correctly. It is different to a statutory write-off which means the car is not deemed safe to repair or if it is, then it must pass a VIV and various official inspections and validation to ensure that the vehicle is repaired to exact standards. The process is so strict that spot welds get counted and things are inspected before and after paint work to ensure there's no filler used in the wrong places.

Congrats for using your repairer who knows how the insurance companies system works and has the knowledge to use it to your advantage.

I have news on the Escort. 
 
Quicker than I expected, but I have an answer from Shannons. 
 
The bad (but not so bad) news is that it is a write off
 
The good news outweighs the bad. 
 
What I didn't realise is, that Mark, from the start, had quoted in such a way, that the cost sounded correct, and appeared correct to Shannons assessor, but also in such a way that they would write it off. 
Now in most cases, that would be bad. that the repairer has made the insurance company write a car off, but not in my case. 
 
Shannons will write the car off, and pay me out 100% of what it is insured for. Due to being older than 35 years of age, there is no salvage fee, so I get to keep the car, and its entire insured value. 
Working off Mark's quote, this means I will have around $3000 to spare, to go towards the cost of the chrome trim repairs, and the extra paint work. Depending on the cost of the extra paint work, i may also pay to have the wheels painted professionally, and, it has been suggested to me that I pull the engine out, and have the engine bay done at the same time. Which is looking like a pretty good idea to me. 
With the extra $3k up my sleeve, to get a full respray, including engine bay, i may not be too far out of pocket, if any, unlike with the XF, where I was a long way out of pocket. 
 
Im not sure about other states, but here in victoria, anything that is older than 25 years old, written off cars do not go onto the WOVR, which means the rego never gets cancelled, and they do not need an engineers certificate, or roadworthy to be put back on the road. 
 
So yes the car is a write off, but it actually works out better for me than if Shannons decided not to write it off, and repair it. 

The full loop at the roundabout is a good idea

that's one of the reasons i stopped driving the diesel gemini daily, cockheads driving too close.. not because it's slow, it was often leading the pack of morons. i was more worried about some asshole running into me and INJURING ME than damage to the car.. 
the same week i got the pulsar i had to brake HEAVILY due to some idiot cutting me off(if i didn't brake it would have probably pit manoeuvred the moron into oncoming traffic)
i'd like a dash cam for this reason, Mr Polson's accident with the cop car should be enough for everyone to get one.. i can't justify it.
 
i still pull over for tailgating idiots to pass, also go right around a round about a complete loop to end up behind the tailgater for same reasons.. makes me angry just thinking about it.. 

That Cortina ute would be good too.
I used to work for a bloke years ago that did a MKII van to ute conversion with the high roof...
I offered him a MKI sedan roof to "fix" it while he was building it... didn't think it was worth the extra effort.
In my mind it was essential to make it look right.

That Cortina ute would be good too.
I used to work for a bloke years ago that did a MKII van to ute conversion with the high roof...
I offered him a MKI sedan roof to "fix" it while he was building it... didn't think it was worth the extra effort.
In my mind it was essential to make it look right.

Yeah 100%. She was driving like an idiot. She had followed me all the way from Berwick, to Ferntree Gully where it happened, and the entire way, she was travelling too close. Even along Lysterfield road (for those of you who dont know, Lysterfield Rd is a nice twisty section of road) i took off and got away from her, only for her to catch me again half way along. 
 
when the accident happened, i blasted her, ripped into her, about the above fact, that she had been tailgating me for the last 20 minutes. 
 
i should have pulled over and let her go passed, but fuck it, i shouldnt have to worry about that when im out in the cars. 

A bubble arch van is one of those life goal things for some Escort nutters.
I hope I live long enough to do one.
A MKII with a MKI front, bubble arches, a cage, and a really off it's chops Pinto, because I can't afford a BDA or similar.
 
If I win Lotto... all bets are off... it will be mad Escorts everywhere

And an Escort ute...
I have a MKII van body that would make a good ute

A bubble arch van is one of those life goal things for some Escort nutters.
I hope I live long enough to do one.
A MKII with a MKI front, bubble arches, a cage, and a really off it's chops Pinto, because I can't afford a BDA or similar.
 
If I win Lotto... all bets are off... it will be mad Escorts everywhere

It sounds like you have the right shop on the job.
Good luck with it

As if 2020 could not get any worse. 
 
This date, the 10th of December is definitely jinxed for me. Why might you ask? This date, 4 years ago, is the date my XF was rear ended and written off. They say history never repeats itself, well sadly, today it did. 
My poor little Escort, has suffered the exact same fate, that my XF did, on the exact same date, only 4 years later. Exactly the same date  
 
I unfortunately got squished today, between a Toyota Hiace, and a Mitsubishi Triton. The poor little Escort is in a very very sad state, and I have cried a number of times since the accident. In fact, im tearing up writing this now. 
 
I believe it is repairable, and I believe my insured value will cover the cost of the repairs. 
 
**Content warning. some may find the following images disturbing** 
 

 

 

 

 

 

i always use a goop of some sort (silastic/aviation gasket cement etc) with the gasket, so kind of glue the thermostat in the recess before bolting it together 
 

yeah Im running slightly thicker than standard in it, 20w60. someone needs to make like a 20w80 haha. my good mate with his old Mini, used to run 40w70 😬 AKA "bottom end in a bottle" 🤣
 
 
ive heard banana skins work well in the diff haha. 
 
the sad part about this car is, its the mechanical stuff that lets it down 😕 
 
It looks good and body is in great condition, interior is really tidy. 

But the engine, and diff at least, are definitely in need of love. The diff is the least of my worries. I did throw this in as an unknown diff that had been sitting for a long time after the old one shit itself. but, this diff does now have a axle seal leak on the LH axle tube. and bearings are a little noisy, but nothing like the old one. 

Gearbox is ok, seems smooth enough, shifts nicely, no crunchy. needs a short shifter kit fitted though, apparently makes a massive difference to the way they shift. 
 
And my rack and pinion is leaking oil again. Far from impressed, I rebuilt the steering rack, new arms, new bushes, seals, and boots. and they have split, and leaking oil all over the underside of the car. 
Given that I still need to fit a toe correction kit because of the suspension geometry im now running, which replaces the tie rod ends with adjustable height rose joints so the toe doesn't change under corner load, im now thinking im going to replace the rack entirely with a new 2.4 ratio quick rack. yes it will make the steering a little heavier, but meh. the standard 2.9 ratio does get a bit much when driving more sportively in the twisties  

Nothing much happening with the Escort. 
 
I tried to fire it up and take for a short drive last week, and the shitty misfire was back. last time i diagnosed it as the vacuum advance on the dizzy. so have been running with that disconnected and blanked off. 
 
this time, i spent about 2 hours, checking plugs, dizzy cap, pulling the top of the carby off and making sure there was no shit in the fuel bowl. It was getting low on fuel, so i figured if i could limp it to the servo id put a tank of fresh fuel in it. so i did. it had about 5L left in the tank. put a fresh tank in, left the servo and got a few minutes down the road, and it was good and happy to go. for some reason it seems very sensitive to either stale fuel, or there is something in the bottom of the tank that is contaminating the fuel when it gets too low. 
 
Anyway, on the weekend I went to my girlfriend's place for the weekend, which we are allowed to do under the Melbourne Metro lockdowns, so I took the opportunity to drive the Escort for a decent run rather than just around local streets. 
I know i keep saying it, but boy this old 1300 is getting tired 😕 How long before it goes bye bye? Who knows. 
 
This was the oil pressure at idle after getting home again on Monday. 
 
about 5psi. Interestingly i havent seen the factory warning light come on yet, on the dash, and it does work. Id imagine just must come on at 0psi. 
 
even under load, at 100km/h and at running temp, it doesn't quite get to 30psi oil pressure 😬
 

 
at least it looks pretty after its wash before going back under its car cover    
 

 

Duttwellier turbo podcast is awesome.