gerg 10,871 Posted May 13, 2021 The body colour behind the grille, wheelarches, wherever else shouldn't be body colour has always bugged me (particularly with brighter colours) on many builds in the past. It's like seeing through to the car's internal organs. Good move to black it out. Sent from my CPH1920 using Tapatalk 3 deankxf, Panko and Fingers reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
deankxf 20,231 Posted May 13, 2021 7 minutes ago, gerg said: The body colour behind the grille, wheelarches, wherever else shouldn't be body colour has always bugged me (particularly with brighter colours) on many builds in the past. It's like seeing through to the car's internal organs. Good move to black it out. Sent from my CPH1920 using Tapatalk i agree, annoys me often on XR XP etc falcons particularly. 1 Fingers reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Panko 2,472 Posted May 13, 2021 16 minutes ago, deankdx said: i agree, annoys me often on XR XP etc falcons particularly. 25 minutes ago, gerg said: The body colour behind the grille, wheelarches, wherever else shouldn't be body colour has always bugged me (particularly with brighter colours) on many builds in the past. It's like seeing through to the car's internal organs. Good move to black it out. Sent from my CPH1920 using Tapatalk yeah look i hope with the black suspension bits, that the colour inner arches looks ok. Its a big thing in the UK to have the top side and bottom side all body colour. 1 deankxf reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Fingers 463 Posted May 14, 2021 I must be an Escort train spotter . I noticed the lack of reverse lights straight away. I presumed you had deleted them on purpose. 2 2redrovers and Panko reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
deankxf 20,231 Posted May 14, 2021 i thought those lights must have been some add on by random old person.. i'd have had a tough choice refitting them.. fit twin exhausts and have one with a reverse light in it 1 Panko reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Fingers 463 Posted May 16, 2021 The van reverse lights are worse, literally just a Hella universal clear lamp. 1 deankxf reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
2redrovers 21,372 Posted May 16, 2021 The van reverse lights are worse, literally just a Hella universal clear lamp. Yep 1 deankxf reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Panko 2,472 Posted May 16, 2021 6 hours ago, 2redrovers said: Yep Oh you have corner bumpers on that van i see. they happen to be the same as the front. 1 2redrovers reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
2redrovers 21,372 Posted May 16, 2021 My front has the full width bar but I'd be thinking it's a safe bet they're the same small bumpers as used on the fronts too. If not, they wouldn't take much effort to tweak the shape to fit. Not exactly heavy duty steel. 1 Panko reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Panko 2,472 Posted May 16, 2021 2 minutes ago, 2redrovers said: My front has the full width bar but I'd be thinking it's a safe bet they're the same small bumpers as used on the fronts too. If not, they wouldn't take much effort to tweak the shape to fit. Not exactly heavy duty steel. Bingo. thats what I was getting at. You flip them upside down, and put them on the opposite front corner to use on the front. they are identical. and its rare to find a panel van with them still because people take them to use on the front of their cars 1 2redrovers reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
2redrovers 21,372 Posted May 16, 2021 Bingo. thats what I was getting at. You flip them upside down, and put them on the opposite front corner to use on the front. they are identical. and its rare to find a panel van with them still because people take them to use on the front of their cars I don't know what yours are like but the bars are fairly flimsy in comparison to other cars. They have flexed while I used them as grip to push the car around the shop. If they are genuine and not replacement ones, they would be very easy to reco and straighten. 1 Outback Jack reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Panko 2,472 Posted June 9, 2021 OK gearbox time The extension housing has been done by Rod. So now its just a matter of assembling the gearbox. The welding process did melt the extension housing bush that the yoke runs on, so currently its at the local transmission place getting the bush replaced. In the mean time, I spent a solid day with degreaser and a brush cleaning all the components of the gearbox, getting them ready to be put back together. Doesn't look too complex, right? I also primed and painted the gearbox case and bell housing...love fresh paint It turns out, the bell housing is made by a lawn mower company haha. Yep I was totally confused when i saw Masport branding in the cast of the bell housing. Doing some research, I initially thought it was a motorsport alloy housing. That would have been awesome and rare, but nope, definitely cast iron lol. Turns out Masport, as in Masport mowers, were casting a number of parts for Ford UK back in the day. The bottom end is now mostly complete. Im just waiting on the head to be freshened up at the engine builders. Thats about where I am up to for now. Hopefully ill get started on assembly of the gearbox on Monday at this stage, as I have give the extension housing a clean up and a coat of silver before I can assemble it. 2 gerg and Outback Jack reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
2redrovers 21,372 Posted June 9, 2021 Looks nice and shinyDopey me forgot to measure it, so if you're able at some point to measure the gearbox casing that would be great. That way I have a reference measurement for the jig if I don't have a giant cast iron chunk bolted to it. 2 Outback Jack and Panko reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Panko 2,472 Posted June 9, 2021 Yep ill do that tomorrow or whenever i start working on it again. this freezing weather is far from motivating 1 2redrovers reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
deankxf 20,231 Posted June 10, 2021 12 hours ago, Panko said: Doesn't look too complex, right? you are braver than Me.. 13 hours ago, Panko said: It turns out, the bell housing is made by a lawn mower company haha. Yep I was totally confused when i saw Masport branding in the cast of the bell housing ah, that's interesting, when i Had My transit and was on fordtransit.org forum, there was a Mk2 being built to tow an escort, had all the Masport signage and i didn't understand why(i wasn't even playing with lawn mowers back then) 2 Fingers and 2redrovers reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Panko 2,472 Posted June 10, 2021 2 hours ago, deankdx said: you are braver than Me.. ah, that's interesting, when i Had My transit and was on fordtransit.org forum, there was a Mk2 being built to tow an escort, had all the Masport signage and i didn't understand why(i wasn't even playing with lawn mowers back then) Yep. that was the Masport rally team. While i was researching the bell housing yesterday, someone here in Australia, in fact a member of the car club, has an alloy Masport bell housing that was produced for that rally team. 1 1 deankxf and 2redrovers reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Panko 2,472 Posted June 11, 2021 After a small drama with the bush replacement, i got the extension housing back today, and used the afternoon sun to spray it. Im letting the paint sit for the weekend, and ill assemble the gearbox once the paint is set hard. 1 1 2redrovers and deankxf reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
2redrovers 21,372 Posted June 11, 2021 I don't recommend installing it like that... The shifter angle would really kill your wrist 1 Outback Jack reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gerg 10,871 Posted June 11, 2021 Would make a pretty good helicopter gearbox thoughSent from my CPH1920 using Tapatalk 1 2redrovers reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Panko 2,472 Posted June 11, 2021 9 hours ago, 2redrovers said: I don't recommend installing it like that... The shifter angle would really kill your wrist Challenge accepted i reckon i could bend the gear lever a bit more, give it a 90 degree bend. She’ll be right 1 2redrovers reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
2redrovers 21,372 Posted June 12, 2021 Psst don't forget to measure the black bit Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Panko 2,472 Posted June 12, 2021 7 hours ago, 2redrovers said: Psst don't forget to measure the black bit Haha s***. I knew id forget. you’ll have to wait until monday or tuesday now 1 2redrovers reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Panko 2,472 Posted June 22, 2021 Well the last few days since the last update, have been a pretty wild ride emotionally. I had the gearbox together, but couldn't get it to change gears. I realised the selector rod was still too long. We modified it, got the gearbox together in a dry run, had it changing gears and working really well with the new short shifter. Pulled the extension housing off again to fit a new gasket and sealant and put it back together for good. Something didn't feel right with the mechanism, so before i bolted it together pulled it apart again, and in doing so accidentally popped 5th gear synchro to bits. I didn't want to have to pull the darn thing off the output shaft, because that isn't a simple task, so i tried to put it back together, working against the two spring clips that hold the synchro mechanism together, and I fucked up big time, snapping one of the synchro blocker bars. I did some asking around the club, and suppliers both here in Aus, and overseas, with everyone coming back with, "no we dont have them as a seperate item". I was so angry at myself, and so worried that id be without a working gearbox until i could get an entire synchro. Eventually I managed to T something up with a fellow car club, who had a spare 5 speed in bits in his workshop, he met me at work today and gave me the 3 blocker bars that I need. I did manage to also order some from Germany, (along with a new reproduction washer bottle), and have told Gerry who gave me the blocker bars, I will give him the new ones when they arrive from Germany. The blue tape is how much I had to cut off the selector rod, approximately 13mm. Gearbox together and being tested. I love this shifter, and am super excited to drive it. I can guarantee im going to miss a few gear changes though. The distance between 1st and 3rd, is only a matter of mm apart, with the new short shifter. Same with 2nd and 4th. 5th, has a bit more a jump sideways, but im sure there will be a few 1st to 4th changes, or attempts to take off in 3rd haha. This is what happens when I try to force the synchro rings back together against the spring clips. These little blocks are the things that locate the inner and outer synchro rings, and the things you hear "click" as you change gears So the gearbox is half pulled apart again. I also delivered the new front windscreen and seals ready to be installed. from the body work point of view, the car is finished. I just have to install the driveline and suspension to get it rolling, bring it home, and assembly can begin. 4 1 2redrovers, Outback Jack, gerg and 2 others reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
deankxf 20,231 Posted June 22, 2021 29 minutes ago, Panko said: that kind of thing is the reason i won't be pulling down a good gearbox lol. i'm partly interested in pulling a broken one apart, but still haven't got anywhere near doing that job 2 2redrovers and Panko reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
2redrovers 21,372 Posted June 22, 2021 Is the shifter rod measurement you gave me for the final shortened version? (470mm) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites