31 replies to this topic

[uk_senator]

My collections doing my head in, got too many coming & not enough room, so things need to go, & the first in this cull is the skort... 

Has a years MOT, was 1 owner till I got it a few weeks ago, done 150k, but been over serviced (inc 2 timing belts within 10,000 miles, a water pump, a clutch & a recent battery. It starts & runs well, with only a small amount of CVH rattle (been semi using it as a daily & I`m surprised at how many looks & comments it gets). MOT guy said its running cleaner than most moderns (did you hear that government? WELL DID YOU?), he was also impressed with the lack of rust underneath & the quality of the welding it has had. It has run on a few times, & when I checked the plugs they were sooty, so I`m guessing the pistons are a bit coked up due to the previous OAP doing 3-5 miles once a fortnight for the last however many years. Likely solvable with a bit of water injection.

The battery tray does leak depending what angle you park it at in the rain, so that could use a weld, or a jolly good masticing.

Its no oil painting, various dinks, scuffs & scrapes & rust (rear arch), a worn through drivers bolster, a cracked door card. The boot strut mounting bracket has cracked, so the strut pops off (chunk of wood included).

Functionality-wise, the passenger windows sticking (motor & mechs ok, just needs an adjust & WD), central locking goes mental, so fuse removed (likely dirty drivers door microswitch, same fuse as interior lights, so they arent working because of it). petrol gauge not working (fill up, do 150-200 miles, then fill up again), rear wiper dead (the heated rear screen was deaded too, but its suddenly working, so possible cracked loom at the boot hinge) & stereo deaded.

Other notes.. The front wishbone bushes needs doing, the shocks are tired, the NSR wheel locks up under heavy braking, so either needs adjusting or shoes, the front tires are out of balance at 60-70*mph. It has 4 different keys, one for each lock, both screen rubbers are perished & theres some milkiness to the front one in a couple of places (has a heated screen, but doesn't seem to work)... Its mostly easy but fiddly stuff, easy to deal with if you've got time, but in reality I don't, & I keep spending more & more time on it which is taking time away from other projects.

I could stick it up for eleventy billion pounds seeing as its a classic Escort, but its up for a bargain £799, fellow shitters will get it for less.

I may swap for a Transit sized van (post 2001 for LEZ reasons, or anything petrol), but, I`d much rather have wonga due to space issues.

Its giving the feeling that it`d happily drive anywhere indefinitely, and last another 5-10 years without needing further welding if given a dose of Waxoyl. I wouldnt be concerned about driving it across the country.

In EN5 bit of that there London, just off M25 & A1.

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[Fabergé Greggs]

Nice! This isn't for me, but i am nearby. Therefore look forward to seeing what else you have coming up for sale in the cull.

[uk_senator]

Nice! This isn't for me, but i am nearby. Therefore look forward to seeing what else you have coming up for sale in the cull.

At the moment its this, the Bluebird (got 3-4 interested parties waiting on me finishing the door painting) & possibly both Pandas (an 88 750L needing a sill patch finished off, tie rod bar bushes changing & some electrical gremlins sorting before it gets an MOT, & the 94 1000S which is MOT`d but the tax is out tomorrow & I`ve not even picked up yet).

[BorniteIdentity]

One shonky old Ford is enough for me - but worth saying these really have matured well. I thought nothing of them 10 years ago when our neighbour had a mintola mk4 towed away.

V nice x

[uk_senator]

One shonky old Ford is enough for me - but worth saying these really have matured well. I thought nothing of them 10 years ago when our neighbour had a mintola mk4 towed away.

V nice x

It doesnt look like it superficially but it would be a good basis for a rolling resto, which was my fantasy intention, unfortunately reality dictates it needs to go. I`m sure my neighbours would agree..

[BorniteIdentity]

It doesnt look like it superficially but it would be a good basis for a rolling resto, which was my fantasy intention, unfortunately reality dictates it needs to go. I`m sure my neighbours would agree..

That, much to the disgust of some, is what’s happening to the Sierra. Piece by piece it’s turning around. It’s frustrating at times but more rewarding than an open cheque job.

[egg]

My Fusion also has the same milkiness on the front screen and heated front screen fail. Good old Ford, you always know where you are with 'em

 

Isn't Ford central locking of this era notorious for it's unpredictability?

 

Anyway, nice car - hope a Ford licker spruces it up.

[uk_senator]

That, much to the disgust of some, is what’s happening to the Sierra. Piece by piece it’s turning around. It’s frustrating at times but more rewarding than an open cheque job.

 

 

My Fusion also has the same milkiness on the front screen and heated front screen fail. Good old Ford, you always know where you are with 'em

 

Isn't Ford central locking of this era notorious for it's unpredictability?

 

Anyway, nice car - hope a Ford licker spruces it up.

I was gonna break it & put it on ebay as such (was offered £200 for the sunroof by 3 people, £100 for the parcel shelf by 2 people & £50 for the back lights!?!), but it slid through the MOT so easily I decided that`d be criminal.

It is a nice easy rolling resto, been completely reliable while I`ve been driving it, & theres nothing catastrophic thats going to need it dragged off the road for days/weeks/months to repair.

I`m sure its got years ahead of it without much outlay given the right ownership.

[Mr Bump]

Scene tax kicks in on these from next year yo

[trigger]

That looks a nice buy at that price, it wouldn't take much effort to make that look really nice, sadly not for me though as they are hot property around these parts with the local scum but it would make a excellent first classic for someone.

[uk_senator]

That looks a nice buy at that price, it wouldn't take much effort to make that look really nice, sadly not for me though as they are hot property around these parts with the local scum but it would make a excellent first classic for someone.

Yeah, its worring me as well.. I did take my old stoplock out of my Panda (all the rubbers gone sticky & is falling off of it, so wrapped it in silver gaffer tape) to put in this, & its under my CCTV camera 24/7..

[Cavcraft]

That's a lovely car, please let me know if you raffle it as I'd love a couple of tickets. I reckon you'd get jaw ache from driving that around, grinning to yourself as you go.

[Shep Shepherd]

As mentioned before, that would be a fabulous rolling restoration, especially if you are able to weld the rear arches yourself or you know someone who can do so for little money

[bezzabsa]

I still shudder when I think about My MK4 1.6 ghia....replaced EVERY floor panel..had to empty the boot out twice a week, electric problems that would make Rover blush..but the Engine more than made up for it!!!

 

never smoked, rattled or anything.....I sold it to a yoof, and 2 weeks later it was on its roof round a country lane..he got out , mores the pity!!

[BorniteIdentity]

I still shudder when I think about My MK4 1.6 ghia....replaced EVERY floor panel..had to empty the boot out twice a week, electric problems that would make Rover blush..but the Engine more than made up for it!!!

never smoked, rattled or anything.....I sold it to a yoof, and 2 weeks later it was on its roof round a country lane..he got out , mores the pity!!

Two tickets for this man please.

[uk_senator]

I cant be dealing with roffles!

I will take a Mk1 Zafira auto though, or possibly another 7-8 seat auto (for a female friend with family, so no hanging, half dead shite please!), or a nice 5-Door Mk3 Punto for my kids Mum, or a new shape Panda for my oldest.

[uk_senator]

This bastards still sitting around, costing me tax moneys. I am using it occasionally, but its pointless me having it really. Someone gimme a monkey for it please!

 

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[beko1987]

Hendry, co me on man!

[uk_senator]

Right, I've still got this homage to 80`s Dagenham council estate living. There's been a few improvements, but not enough due to severe lack of time.

I have done (most) of the drivers side rear arch welding, still needs a small bit at the base of the dog leg, inside the shut:

 

I went to do the passenger rear arch, only to discover the sill end was rotted through, thats now been done (in the snow, such has been my time constraints):

Oh, & the stereo (which fetch £150 on ebay) has been repaired (after I got 2 wrong ones). Needs decent speakers though:

 

And thats about it really.. It has been used by a film company, will be in an upcoming murder program (its a celebrity!):
 

Theres still plenty more to do obviously, welding wise, it needs a strip put in behind the battery tray (£40 worth of new battery tray & base included:

 

The mastic has been peeled away from the battery tray, the hole is approx 11" x 2", this has been temporarily covered in wrap type vinyl to stop water getting into the car (with channels to divert the water away), the carpet had been pulled back, there's a surprising lack of rust on the front of the floorpan.. I say lack, after giving it a good hammering I can see it`ll need a 3" square patch put in the corner, but thats nice & easy to do.

There's also a 3" x 1" section of inner sill to do on the passenger side, the base of the passenger rear arch needs finishing (was temporarily tarted for the TV shoot) & the drivers door frame needs a 4" x 6" section letting in in the middle.

I dare say there`ll be more small bits of attention elsewhere, I`ve not really had to to look underneath properly (remember, the MOT bloke reckoned it was very good overall underneath), but its still doable in the right hands, I simply don't have the time to keep on with it (my 127 needs cosmetics & a respray & my Mk1 Uno needs welding & bodywork, my Mk2 Uno 45 needs sill work, my XJR needs welding & cosmetics, etc etc etc, they take priority over this Escort by a big margin).

Mechanically its been fine, a friend used it for 6 weeks to commute, he was worried about it breaking down to the extent he joined Green Flag, but it did it (800 miles total) without a hiccup... Well, I say without a hiccup, 2 days before he was due to give it back to me, he reversed into a post  :



So thats another thing to go on the "bodywork to do" list (which includes a number of dents & some rust on the front of the bonnet)...

Other issues include:

NSR brake locks up very early, its going to be the adjuster needing a reset, but I haven't had time. I`m including a set of new rear shoes for the lucky* buyer as last time I looked they were on the low side, so they can be done at the same time.

The pedal is a bit low, so could need a master, but it could be the rear shoe situ & I`m sure it would benefit from new brake fluid & a bleed.

Shocks are tired (still handles surprisingly well), a pair of new Monroe front shocks are included, & although it's not knocking, the NSF tie rod needs new bushes (which was picked up in its MOT, & the OS isn't far behind), bushes available off ebay for a just few quid each & you only need to undo 1 bolt to change them.

Fuel gauge still isn't working properly, being wildly optimistic, although it does drop a little bit when its getting low to warn you of any imminent FTP, I`ve not run out yet (neither did my friend). I suspect its the sender, but I`ve got a NOS fuel gauge which`ll come gratis.

The rear wiper motor is knackered, good used ones are about £15 on the bay, there are a number of broken wires by the tailgate hinge that prevent the heated rear window working properly, but they can be soldered in situ, this could also be contributing to the central locking issue (either the tailgate locking solenoid wiring earthing to another wire or the drivers door hinge wiring similarly cracked), but I can't speculate.

Central locking is still FUBAR`d, passenger front leccy window is now working to a degree.

Not managed to find a drivers seat or door card to replace the tired ones on it, so that still needs doing.

The interior lights still don't work from the door switches, and the actual lights, which had the consistency of prawn crackers, have been replaced with Fiat Uno ones, which fit & work manually.

Sounds f`kin terrible doesn't it.. And it is, but it's quite likable at the same time, and you know, being an old Ford, it is financially worth doing (tidy Mk4 Ghia`s currently go for £1500 upwards, double or even triple that for white room minters), I`m just sick of paying road tax on a car I barely have time to drive, let alone work on, so I`d really like it to go now, & I want £800, which I thinks fair, given the work put in, & the fact it`ll break for well over a grand.

Its all legal (MOT till Nov 19th), & will drive as far as you want, but you need to be careful with the brakes due to the NSR locking up problem (I`ll try to deal with it before sale, but definitely don't hold your breath). 

More pics to whet your appetite/perversions:
 

[bezzabsa]

3000 revs at 80 ffs mines at 4000 at 60!!!!!

[uk_senator]

It does rev pleasantly low, had it over the ton a number of times (on autobahns obviously), & its very relaxed..
 

3000 revs at 80 ffs mines at 4000 at 60!!!!!

[Wilko220]

Sadly I’m not in a position to, and sensible financial investments in cars are the complete opposite of my style anyway - but there’s surely got to be a good few quid to be made on this beaut, even if just by squirrelling it away in the back of a garage for a couple of years...

(Caveat: I actually don’t really know what I’m talking about.)

[Pillock]

FORD GEEK ALERT: Does that have an Orion front bumper?

I thought post-1989, they were the same apart from Orions had the bar between the lights painted, and Escorts didn't.

Prior to 1989, Escorts had one bar and Orions two.

 

That's exactly the thing I'd notice if watching the telly that would get me a raised eyebrow when I spent 15 minutes explaining.

[chompy_snake]

Jesus, it's not all that long ago that I was paying £50 a chuck for these!

Last MK4 I got was an Eclipse 1.3 in blue with no signs of significant rust anywhere for £120. We got 3 years out of it before it succumbed to massive structural issues.

As much as I like these, I can't justify the price they now make GLWTS

[uk_senator]

Orions do have the painted grille bit, I just vinyl wrapped mine to make it look posher   
 

FORD GEEK ALERT: Does that have an Orion front bumper?

I thought post-1989, they were the same apart from Orions had the bar between the lights painted, and Escorts didn't.

Prior to 1989, Escorts had one bar and Orions two.

 

That's exactly the thing I'd notice if watching the telly that would get me a raised eyebrow when I spent 15 minutes explaining.

[RobT]

It does rev pleasantly low, had it over the ton a number of times (on autobahns obviously), & its very relaxed..

They are gr8 for this sort of thing, spend time in the outside lane bothering Audis.

I sold mine to a mate who managed 50 in 1st...

Looks alright that, GLWTS.

[Björn]

Jesus, it's not all that long ago that I was paying £50 a chuck for these!
Last MK4 I got was an Eclipse 1.3 in blue with no signs of significant rust anywhere for £120. We got 3 years out of it before it succumbed to massive structural issues.
As much as I like these, I can't justify the price they now make GLWTS

How does 75k for a sierra cossie strike you?

Anyone fancy driving this to Tavistock for me?

[Björn]

As a sweetener I’d do you a great deal on my straight and tidy 1999 fiesta zetec for the deliverer to drive home.

[uk_senator]

Funny enough, the mate who was using it had a Mk4 XR3i back in the mid 90's, he reckons my tatty old Ghiya felt almost as quick.. It certainly doesn't hang around when you push the loud pedal..
 

They are gr8 for this sort of thing, spend time in the outside lane bothering Audis.

I sold mine to a mate who managed 50 in 1st...

Looks alright that, GLWTS.

[uk_senator]

Ok, a few Sundays ago, I decided to start stripping the interior out to do the battery tray, & quickly discovered there was more rust in the floor than I`d seen from underneath, surprise surprise..

The welding that had been done before (which looked/felt good from underneath), hadn't been painted on the inside.. And the fact the battery tray was still leaking before & after those repairs, & the fact that it spent all its life tilted back at an angle on the original owners weird driveway, meant the water had done its worst on these unpainted areas.. I`d like to kick the perpetrator of these half arsed, short sighted repairs squarely in the bollocks..

So, yesterday I had a few hours spare, so I decided to attack the worst of it...

Once I`d removed the passenger seat, I saw how crusty the outer bolt hole area was..

I banged my heel into it & it parted company on 2 sides:

So I cut it out, & pressed my old Panda door into service again (that doors been used to repair 4-5 cars so far, when it runs out I`ve got an old Seicento door waiting to donate its undented bits):





Pretty? No, not in the slightest, I`m not going for concourse & my MIGs still playing up (jerky feed, & button keeps locking on), I`m just wanting strong, long lasting repairs (that will be etch primed, painted & undersealed on BOTH sides this time), even though I have no intention of keeping it...

Next I`ll be tackling the rear section on the floor.. The problem here is that the petrol tanks on the other side. Its about 6" away, so I`ll put wooden & metal barriers in the way, but I`ll still be clenching slightly as I do it..




Then it started getting dark & raining, so I called it a day.

When will I have time to carry on with it? Who knows.. Its on ebay as we speak, I`d be quite happy if someone takes it as it is so I can get on with my cars that I DO intend to keep, ideally before the weather properly turns & we start getting 6 hours of light a day, as, as you can see, I work outside.. Today, its raining, so no bodywork, for example.

Fords eh? And people tell me Fiats are rotboxes.. Pah!