Panko's Mk1 Escort (Round 2)

[Panko 2,480]

2 hours ago, Mr Polson said:

This going to be at AFD in March this year?

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Jeez it could be pushing it, but if i keep cracking away at it, maybe. 
 

the issue is the money i still have to spend on parts and exhaust. 
 

i have about $2k still to spend, maybe a little more, to get everything i need to finish it off. 
- radiator

- alternator 

- starter motor

- exhaust made

- ceramic coating for headers

- sound deadening

- amp and sub for the stereo 

 

thats about it.
 

hoping to have it running in a couple of weeks  

[Panko 2,480]

Update time, 

 

ive been making good progress on the car. 
 

I wrapped all the engine bay wiring in new loom tape, then used varying sized insulated P clips to hold it all in place with rivet nuts. 
 

these ones i modified for side mounting for headlight harness up inside the front guards. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Panko 2,480]

I then painted the fuel tank and brake booster arm. 
 

 

https://i.imgur.com/1Stz4a3.jpg

 

I then did the starter motor. Im pretty sure the starter was ok, so decided to just paint it. 

 

 

next was the main brake line to the back of the car… cabled tied to the roof rack of my Discovery to get it home from my parents house 


 

 

I then discovered why I used to get such a bad fuel smell inside the car. And possibly why the car always had average fuel consumption. 
 

this is the original filler neck for the fuel tank  

 

 

 

 

 

Fuel tank in finally. After damaging a thread inside the boot that holds the tank in, and a couple other issues, i finally got it in the car. 
 

 

 

 

 

the only concern now is the outlet and filter do not fit through the hole in the boot floor, to go to the tank. Well the fitting itself will, but the fibre washer does not. So im thinking im going to try trim the fibre washer down to fit through the hole, otherwise the tank will have to come out again  

 

 

 

 

 

[Panko 2,480]

Next was the fuel tank breather. Technically the car had a charcoal canister that the breather is meant to go to in the engine bay. However the “pre emission” cars had the breather go out a hole in the middle of the boot floor right at the back. 
the late ones like mine still have that hole, but blanked. So i remade the breather pipe to go out the middle in the back. No charcoal canister  

 

another P clip to hold the breather pipe inside the boot

 

I then remade the front brake hard lines. Mk1 fitting on one end, Mk2 on the other end, to match the new brakes

 

 

 

 

[Panko 2,480]

I had a little set back today. 
 

when we stripped the car, i forgot to remove the RHF guard liner. The passenger one got removed because I had to remove the antenna. Well the guys in the shop forgot to remove it also, so it got painted body colour in situ. 
i finally removed it today, and boy what a mess behind. 
48 years worth of dirt and gravel. More evidence that in a past life my car spent a lot of time on gravel roads

 

 

 

 

I didnt want to use the hose inside the shed, and i needed something with more control than a hose. So i jammed a bit of pipe in an old drink bottle, and suddenly i have a squeezy bottle to help clean out the crap.  

 

cleaned and treated the bits that needed it with POR 15. None of that will be seen once the guard liner goes back in. 

 

 

this is where the car is at. Up on stands so i can finish everything under the car. Its not too far away now from being put back down on its wheels. 

 

 

[Panko 2,480]

The last thing I did today was installed the clutch cable. 
 

Wow! Im excited to drive it now, because the clutch feels amazing. Its a bit heavier than the old clutch, and super smooth. Even though I was sitting on the floor, rather than in a seat, its the first time ive tried the new clutch and shifted through the gears actually sitting in the car. It was a good feeling  

[deankxf 20,288]

pretty cool P Clip nutsert trick. 

good progress, guess a seat will be next so you can remember how it feels 

 

[Panko 2,480]

7 hours ago, deankdx said:

pretty cool P Clip nutsert trick. 

good progress, guess a seat will be next so you can remember how it feels 

 

Nah seats wont go in for a while yet. Still got a bit to do on the outside and underneath before i start on the interior. 

[Panko 2,480]

Ive been working on the fuel system. A lot of thought went into this. 
Below is a picture of the original in tank fuel filter setup, which I didn’t know existed, and probably none of the previous owners, having looked like it had never been replaced in its life. Well, they are impossible to buy new now, so i abandoned that filter, and have installed an external, serviceable inline filter.
*pic off google, as i did not take a photo of mine*    
 

 

Put aside the fuel filter issue, the first issue was getting the fuel line hooked up to the outlet. 
They originally had a hard plastic fuel line, which ran an olive clamp arrangement. Again, i wanted to do away with this, and run rubber fuel line, on a barb which would be easy to disconnect. 

Again being the nufty that i am, i forgot to take a photo of the original fitting. Essentially the fuel line ran up the centre of a threaded fitting. The fitting had a inverted taper to clamp down on an olive, and thats how it sealed. 

 

I bought a brass barb, and carefully drilled and replicated the shape the original fitting had, so i could reuse the olive to clamp down on. *i did clean it up after this photo, the end result was a lot nicer than this* 

The reason for wanting to use the olive arrangement was because the thread is NOT tapered, and they don’t run o-rings or washers to help seal. So it was either teflon tape and hope for the best, or the olive clamp style. 
 

 

 

You can see how it works now. Sort of… I added a couple small o-rings stacked on top of one another to be a last line of defence if fuel somehow gets passed the olive. 
 

 

All installed. Now for for the fuel line 

 

 

This was my first attempt at mounting the fuel filter, using existing bolts and holes. 
It didnt last long, i wasn’t happy with it like that…

 

 

 

This is the new location. I drilled yet another hole in the car and installed another M6 rivet nut. 
 

All done. 
 

now its just the fuel hose to the front of the car, and another pair of quick connects on the fuel pump and thats the fuel system finished. 

 

 

 

[Fingers 463]

Love this car

Keep up the good work

[Mr Polson 10,214]

 

 
 

That hose looks extremely exposed to rocks/stones/debris or anything getting flicked off the rear wheel

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[Panko 2,480]

13 minutes ago, Mr Polson said:

 

 

That hose looks extremely exposed to rocks/stones/debris or anything getting flicked off the rear wheel

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other than now being rubber instead of plastic, that is factory. 
I’ve basically just made life easier for myself by adding quick connectors. 
 

The routing is slightly different due to the new filter, but it has always hung down like that under the car. 
Hopefully being braided rubber hose, it will take a beating from stuff that maybe picked up off the tyre. 

[deankxf 20,288]

3 minutes ago, Panko said:

Hopefully being braided rubber hose, it will take a beating from stuff that maybe picked up off the tyre. 

not sure if you can make something look neat, but we made a cover for similar exposed hoses on BGDAV's XE due to where the surge tank was located (behind the rear wheel) 
not that it should be thought of, but it could stop someone from tampering with it also

 

[Panko 2,480]

Just now, deankdx said:

not sure if you can make something look neat, but we made a cover for similar exposed hoses on BGDAV's XE due to where the surge tank was located (behind the rear wheel) 
not that it should be thought of, but it could stop someone from tampering with it also

 

I was just thinking that. 
it wouldn’t be hard to do. And its something i might consider, even its just a bit sheet alloy that extends down a tad behind that wheel. 
 

i should take a pic from behind the car looking forward. 
 

its only the inner half of the tyre that its exposed to. The other half is on the outside of that body seem behind the fuel outlet 

[Panko 2,480]

46 minutes ago, Fingers said:

Love this car

Keep up the good work

Thanks mate. I can’t wait to have it finished

[Mr Polson 10,214]

If you take a look at your wagon, the hoses come out on the side of the tank, they have a small metal shield covering them from memory until they go around to the 2nd pump.

I imagine the hose would be pretty tough, but better safe than sorry.

Going to be ready for AFD in a month?

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[Panko 2,480]

1 hour ago, Mr Polson said:

If you take a look at your wagon, the hoses come out on the side of the tank, they have a small metal shield covering them from memory until they go around to the 2nd pump.

I imagine the hose would be pretty tough, but better safe than sorry.

Going to be ready for AFD in a month?

Sent from my Pixel 7 Pro using Tapatalk
 

Haha yeah nah my wagon doesn’t have that  

 

When my old man had the LPG installed in 2008, that plate you’re referring to would have gone missing then. Its never had one since. 
 

No, definitely wont be at AFD. May not be far off being done, but wont be there. 

[2redrovers 21,400]

Alternatively look at plastic/rubber mud flaps to use as a shield.

[Panko 2,480]

I finally got around to pulling the steering column out to repaint it. this has to be one of my least favourite tasks. 

 

basically the process is to unbolt everything, then sit in the car with your feet against the firewall, grit your teeth, close your eyes, pull back really hard and hope you don't smash yourself in the face with the steering wheel when the column finally releases from the steering knuckle on the steering rack

 

 

 

I needed a way to be able to paint just the lower shaft, and not spray the steering wheel and everything that you see on the inside of the car....

 

 

There is a reason I don't throw away packaging until I know im done with it the plastic bag off the extractors were perfect for this 

[Panko 2,480]

I ordered some more parts from Burton Power in the UK. 

I will always support local businesses, but I can't justify doing so when, for example I can get a brand new 60A alternator for less than half the price of what I'd pay for a reconditioned changeover unit locally, and delivered from the UK in 5 days (including weekend). By the time ive added a few other items into the order, the the freight is a write off and everything comes in significantly cheaper than buying them locally. 

 

Brand new replica Lucas 60A alternator. I will have to do a minor wiring change, because of the connections at the back of the unit. 

 

 

The other items were cosmetic items...

 

Engine bay before (with new alternator fitted) 

 

 

Engine bay after. 

New Billet alloy rocker cover and oil filler cap/breather. 

I could have ordered the rocker cover with just a polished plaque instead of "Burton", to put my own thing on there, but decided ive spent enough money with them to justify putting their branding on my car somewhere.  

 

 

 

I also ordered a new, genuine Ford ignition lead separator, which are designed to go into a little bracket mounted to the top of the factory rocker cover (see pic above) in case i ever decided to go back to the original rocker cover. Then, realised it would work ok just as a separator even if it isn't actually mounted in anyway. 

 

 

I got all excited about reinstalling the steering column, and I snapped a bolt in the firewall  

So its back out of the car again, and in frustration removing it i scratched the shit out of the fresh paint on it anyway, so this time, ill take it back to bare metal, and start over. hopefully this time when I finally fit the column it will be the last time. 

 

 

[deankxf 20,288]

definitely looks cool with Burton cover and lead separator. 

broken bolts, at least it looks accessible to drill. 

 

it's probably a china alternator, it may well be still worth having your old one reco'd when time/funds allow. 

[Panko 2,480]

27 minutes ago, deankdx said:

definitely looks cool with Burton cover and lead separator. 

broken bolts, at least it looks accessible to drill. 

 

it's probably a china alternator, it may well be still worth having your old one reco'd when time/funds allow. 

 

Thankfully the bolt will be even easier than drilling. It goes right through the firewall, so I should be able to wind it out the engine side of the firewall. 

 

The alternator i have no doubt is made in china, but it is a Burton product, so hopefully its of decent quality. 

 

My original lucas one worked ok, but the bearings are shot. and they don't come apart like a Bosch, without desoldering and soldering wires inside the back case, otherwise i would have just replaced the bearings and kept running it 

 

[Panko 2,480]

I got the steering column back in finally. still scratched it, but not nearly as bad, and i think i layered enough paint on that the below layers are still intact and not showing bare metal. 

 

 

 

 

I bare metalled the handbrake lever, and painted it with whatever black paint i had left over. In this case acrylic gloss black. Im trying to use up all the paint i have in the shed before I go buying more. 

I really wasnt sure how the gloss was going to look in the car... 

 

 

Looks better than I thought. Not has "blingy" as i expected. granted 75% of the lever is covered by the gator. 

 

 

 

Unfortunately the steering wheel and boss kit copped a little bit of overspray from being in the workshop. 

The steering wheel im not upset about. as much as i like the deep dish wheel, it was a $100 Saas fake leather wheel, and after being on there for 4 years, it is actually a little worn out from my right hand. So im looking to replace it with a decent quality Momo, or Moto Lita etc. something that is actually well made. 

 

The boss kit, i couldn't get the overspray off of yet, which is a shame. but I will try clay bar, of no luck I will give it a coat of black paint to touch it up. 

 

[Panko 2,480]

wow, so sorry its been so long between updates....

 

Well here we go. 

 

The bolts I originally used for the shifter were too bulky, and were touching the body, so I fitted smaller round headed bolts, and loosened the gearbox mount and resettled its alignment, which seems to have given more space. 

 

 

 

I then need to sort out the shift gator. This is a steering rack boot, that happens to actually fit together up inside the original interior shift gator. so now the short shifter mechanism and the body are both sealed. 

 

 

 

 

Next was the brakes; 

 

 

I replaced the booster with a new one instead of trying to use mine. 

 

 

Rebuilt master cylinder by myself, was pretty happy with that. And new booster all mated together. 

 

 

All installed. I was wrapped to see that my new brake lines that I made, purely off copying the old ones, fitted perfect first go. 

 

 

 

From there I went onto the wiper mechanism. It was in pretty much perfect condition. I just stripped it, cleaned it, gave the motor and gears a clean and regrease and reassembled. 

 

 

 

Next, I went onto the throttle cable. 

I'd had this vision for ages, to run a throttle cable like Mk 2 1600 Ghias had. The Mk2 1600 Ghia had a 1600 with a factory 32/36 Weber. basically my exact setup. now they also had a unique throttle cable, where it was super short, and came from the firewall and straight to the back of the carby. I have the same setup, including the Mk2 Weber throttle bracket. Problem is, Mk1 and 2 throttle pedals are different, and cable ends are different. I had a custom cable sitting here, suited for a 2L Pinto into Mk1. Basically its a Mk1 pedal, but Mk2 at the carby end. However it was way too long for what I wanted because the carby on a Pinto is on the opposite side to a 1600. 

 

My solution;

I bought a generic cable end and ball from Aeroflow. That gave me the ability to cut the cable down to the length i needed, and set it up how i liked. 

 

Can see the cable end in the below photo. 

 

 

The kit came with a larger ball, so I had to cut the original one off the linkage and the new one was a bolt on arrangement. 

 

 

AND this is the end result 

 

 

 

 

** there is more to come. Still sorting through photos** 

 

[Panko 2,480]

Next on the agenda;

The dreaded heater box. 

 

 

 

 

This thing was filthy. 48 years worth of dust, leaves, and rotting foam. 

The core has been replaced, so thats a good sign. I have pressure tested the core and it seems ok, but I am going to do it again today. im not convinced i tested it properly. 

 

Also, someone had used what looks like windscreen sealer to reinstall the lid when it was apart previously when in actual fact, its meant to be foam to seal it. I have bought all new high density foam, not the open cell shit that rots away, and am currently in the process of resealing it and assembling the heater box. 

 

 

I got a little stuck with this lever for the main vent flap. its pressed onto a spline. I couldn't get the internals of the heater matrix out until that lever, and its flap were removed. 

 

 

Of all things, a $19 tap handle remover from Bunnings worked perfectly at getting that lever off

 

 

After I got the internals out of the box, the rest of the mess from 48 years of crap was revealed

 

 

 

 

** This is where I am currently up to. The heater box is the last thing I need to do to make the car 100% water tight. 

I also have another radiator for it, second hand but pressure tested ok. its also larger. technically from a Cortina, but they are the same as what was used in Mexicos. So i has a larger top tank, and larger cores. Once the radiator is in, technically I could run the engine. And with the brakes all up and working, when I book it in for the exhaust to be done, it will be great to be able to drive it on and off the trailer instead of winching it. 

 

In between all this major stuff, I have done a lot of little things that I haven't really documented. Ive replaced all the door seals now, rebuilt all the latches on the doors, mirrors are on etc. so from the outside she looks almost complete. 

 

As you would have seen in above photos from inside the car, the wiring is still a mess. its a job I am not looking forward to doing. the inside of the car is another project in itself, to do it to the level I'd find acceptable. There is wiring to sort out, small bits of surface rust, lots of cleaning to do in cavities that aren't easily accessible. I need to clean all these out so I can then cavity wax them and keep them safe from future rust. 

I need to tidy up the wiring, install sound deadening before the carpet goes in, and order and install the new amp and wiring for the stereo, because as much as i love the sound of the weber and the exhaust, on longer drives I need decent music. 
I want to say its not that far off, but it is. My expected finish timeline keeps getting further and further away, so for now I am going to say that if I can drive it out my shed under its own steam, for its first test drive by christmas, it will be the best christmas present ever. It will also mark 3 years since it was written off.