Panko's Mk1 Escort (Round 2)

[Panko 2,480]

yep i haven't forgotten about the Big Pig little pig, just been crazy busy. 

 

The Escort is going in for its initial inspection this week so that will decide how long before it makes an appearance. 

 

So i was wrong, it did need the choke to start today. but once it was running, idled pretty good without the choke. i took it for a spin around the block, and yeah its good now. maybe a touch too far advanced in the timing, so i might try backing it off just a bit. but otherwise its good. 

[user272 526]

You dont need a choke niggapotamus, I use a can of aerostart and a butane lighter refiller to bring the XF to life in the morning, its like an anti theft mechanism.

[Panko 2,480]

hahaha that sounds dangerous man. KaBoom! 

[Panko 2,480]

So the car went in for its initial road worthy inspection.... so it needs a lot of work. 

 

entire front end rebuild, metal brake line from the master cylinder to rear brakes. all rubber brake hoses, radiator hoses. engine oil leaks, which could mean head off. fuel pump gasket leaking, rear seal on on gearbox leaking. Im hoping the engine rear main isn't leaking. i really dont want to have to drop the gearbox out. front rotors. 

[Panko 2,480]

and i have a 28 day permit on the car at the moment. So challenge accepted, i plan to try get it done within that 28 day period. 

[deankxf 20,274]

gear box out on that would probably be like My gemini..30min job and weighs less than 25kg.. should be easy to do the rear main(anything rubber is probably fubar from age)

[2redrovers 21,398]

Inspiration

[Panko 2,480]

well today was the cars kind of maiden drive, or at least proper drive since i bought it. I have now brought the car home to my house to start working on it. Freeway all the way home, about 1hr 15minute drive, did it without fault. loves singing along at 90km/h on the freeway. 

 

it has some very interesting vibrations though. id say wheels are out of balance, maybe tail shaft also. 

[Panko 2,480]

So i got the car home and it took prime spot in the garage next to the XF  

 

 

I decided to have a crack at giving the old paint a bit of a cut and polish. test patch on the boot lid. 

 

Before...

 

After...

 

So it has plenty of scratches still, but has taken the cloudiness out. Ill leave the rest to be done professionally, its definitely beyond my expertise.

 

Today, I decided i would give the under belly of the car a scrub, and i mean scrub. degreaser and a wire brush kind of thing lol. 41 years of dirt, oil, lead to my driveway looking like this....

 

this lot came from the front RH wheel arch on its own  

 

 

 

its much cleaner underneath now. Thursday, I plan to start pulling the front end out. whole front end, minus steering, is coming out to be rebuilt. 

[Panko 2,480]

Got up this morning to find this on my door step

 

 

Twin barrel manifold for my down draught weber

 

I then gave the car a wash and took it for its last drive until i get the new front end it.

 

If you look close at the boot lid you can see where i did the test cut and polish

 

 

And this is how i left it for the day. Tomorrow work begins. Fun times ahead

[Panko 2,480]

Im having pretty good luck with the car. 

 

The front end is entirely out. and have started putting it back together. So the new tie rods are in, sway bar is painted ready to be re-fitted. New control arms are ready to go back in. sway bar bushes, brake pads. the last things i need to get are the steering coupling and brake hoses. 

 

I'm also just awaiting my new springs to come. once i have the springs the front end can go back in, and it will be rolling again. wheel alignment, diff alignment and it should pass roady and have plates on it by next week

[Panko 2,480]

Ive made good progress this week. Not much more to do now. 

 

sway bar with fresh subframe black paint. 

 

sway bar, new control arms and tie rods fitted. 

 

 

steering column dropped to repair the steering coupling 

 

 

steering coupling repaired, cleaned. looks nearly new  

 

 

interior all back together 

 

 

discs freshly machined up 

 

 

new springs  

 

 

bit of height difference. apparently only 1" lower when in the car...we'll see lol 

 

 

old vs new. just goes to show what some cleaning can do. all I've replaced on the "new" strut is the springs. the shock inserts are the same, all the rubbers (shock sleeves and bumpstops) tops and all are the same ones, just been thoroughly cleaned. 

 

 

passenger side back together, and thats where i had to leave it for today, as i have to go to work shortly. Turns out you can't put the struts back in with the sway bar installed, so i had to remove it from the car entirely again  

 

 

more to come tomorrow if all goes well, it will be on its wheels by tomorrow night. 

[deankxf 20,274]

is that steering coupling like the original or full nolathane or similar
wouldn't mind comparing the gemini to an escort.. i don't recall ever going in one, but wanted a panel van version once upon a time
 

[Panko 2,480]

yeah dean the original coupling is a piece of enforced rubber, a bit like an x series coupling (the soft disc between the metal parts) and the original escort units are riveted. to repair them you have to grind/drill out the rivets, and the kit comes with a Whiteline urethane disc, with 4 crush tubes, and 4 nuts, bolts and washers. the coupling has the same shaft on the other side, just 90 degrees rotated to the side in the photo. 

[deankxf 20,274]

yeah dean the original coupling is a piece of enforced rubber, a bit like an x series coupling (the soft disc between the metal parts) and the original escort units are riveted. to repair them you have to grind/drill out the rivets, and the kit comes with a Whiteline urethane disc, with 4 crush tubes, and 4 nuts, bolts and washers. the coupling has the same shaft on the other side, just 90 degrees rotated to the side in the photo. 

sounds the same process as the gemini one i just did, it made the steering heavier i think(only steered in the backyard so far)

i am expecting these joints to not last long.. might even see if a ford one would work in future(using the nolathane mounting kit i guess, rivets needed grinding off also)

[Panko 2,480]

sounds the same process as the gemini one i just did, it made the steering heavier i think(only steered in the backyard so far)

i am expecting these joints to not last long.. might even see if a ford one would work in future(using the nolathane mounting kit i guess, rivets needed grinding off also)

this better last a long time. i dont want to have to go through all that again any time in the future lol 

[deankxf 20,274]

this better last a long time. i dont want to have to go through all that again any time in the future lol 

yeah i was thinking same, i'm interested to see if you find the steering is heavier..wonder if anyone has fitted a universal joint in its place and if it would be better or worse

[Panko 2,480]

yeah i was thinking same, i'm interested to see if you find the steering is heavier..wonder if anyone has fitted a universal joint in its place and if it would be better or worse

i nearly bought the "Group 4" coupling, which is (as name suggests) Group 4 competition, metal uni with sealed bearings, like a uni on a tail shaft. they are even cheaper than the urethane repair kit lol. but a few people have said no good for road use, because there is no shock resistance through the steering, so you feel everything

[Panko 2,480]

Well today went well. i finished everything i needed to get it driving again. 
all the brakes are in and working...the brakes are awesome in it haha, and they haven't even bed in yet obviously. 

 

now, before i took this photo, i ran into some trouble...

 

 

chop chop 

 

 

 

clearance issues. 

 

 

so i lowered the car, and even with the 13s on, it was grabbing the front corner of the guard. silly design. when Ford released the Lotus Twin Cam Escort, they actually trimmed that corner off. so i had to do some massaging

 

vvv this is the final result of my home attempt of massaging the guard. Ill get them all rolled properly when its registered, especially if i want to fit the 15s on. I've also discovered that the 13s are actually 24mm oversized diameter, compared to the factory 12" tyre size. so that wouldn't be helping with clearance. 

 

 

anyway, once i got that sorted i put it back in the garage on stands, hooked up the last of the brake hoses and and bled the brakes, then corrected the front end alignment so i could at least drive it (its going in for a front and rear end alignment tomorrow morning) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Defective 1,692]

Beautiful.

[SPArKy_Dave 8,867]

I'd like to see what it looks like with the 12inch wheels/caps at the lowered height.

[Panko 2,480]

I cant wait to get it back from the alignment tomorrow and go drive it. Sick of looking at the ugly wheels though. The more i look at it the more i dislike the wheels lol.

[Panko 2,480]

Dave are you going to buy the tyres for me? They are expensive, thats the reason the previous owner put the 13s on

[Panko 2,480]

Keep in mind i havent to touched the back yet. Ill eventually go an inch lower in the back too...but i need to try the 15s on it first.

[Panko 2,480]

Ive just dropped the car off at the tyre shop to do the alignment, and he confirmed for me that the current tyres are 23mm oversized. This explains the scrub.

 

I also enquired about tyres for the 15s. Correct size is 175/50R15, which only 2 manufacturers make…which means expensive. Thankfuly the tyres i already have on two of the 15s (which are oversized) will fit on the back. They are 195/50R15. I got them from the wreckers, but havent been so lucky with finding the 175s for the front.