rickvw72

Two new arrivals from a manufacturer I don’t normally buy.
Purchase number 1:
2009 Ford Fiesta 1.4tdci

Not a bad looking thing

Good spec with cruise, digital climate etc.

clean interior and 103k on the clock.
Managed 64mpg but does have a troublesome injector.
Unusually, it’s a one lady owner car, previous owner 10 years, Full history, used car bingo full house. (It’s spare key never been used.
 
A few weeks later:
”I’ve got an old Focus for scrap” says a customer. I agree a price and collection, turning up to find this:

1.0 EcoBoom.

Runs sweet. Has averaged 51mpg with previous owner over 7 years.
 did I mention was an older lady, had it years, Full history, with an unused spare key.

Like new inside, the. Focus had three days MoT left…
In a quandary now, as these pair are only £20 tax each, and could be 50 mpg daily drivers.
Has anyone sensible ever replaced a pair of Hondas with Peugeot engined fiesta, and a 1.0 grenade special focus? 
 
Fourtraks still dodging the scrapyard by the way (evidence in photos)

Two new arrivals from a manufacturer I don’t normally buy.
Purchase number 1:
2009 Ford Fiesta 1.4tdci

Not a bad looking thing

Good spec with cruise, digital climate etc.

clean interior and 103k on the clock.
Managed 64mpg but does have a troublesome injector.
Unusually, it’s a one lady owner car, previous owner 10 years, Full history, used car bingo full house. (It’s spare key never been used.
 
A few weeks later:
”I’ve got an old Focus for scrap” says a customer. I agree a price and collection, turning up to find this:

1.0 EcoBoom.

Runs sweet. Has averaged 51mpg with previous owner over 7 years.
 did I mention was an older lady, had it years, Full history, with an unused spare key.

Like new inside, the. Focus had three days MoT left…
In a quandary now, as these pair are only £20 tax each, and could be 50 mpg daily drivers.
Has anyone sensible ever replaced a pair of Hondas with Peugeot engined fiesta, and a 1.0 grenade special focus? 
 
Fourtraks still dodging the scrapyard by the way (evidence in photos)

Two new arrivals from a manufacturer I don’t normally buy.
Purchase number 1:
2009 Ford Fiesta 1.4tdci

Not a bad looking thing

Good spec with cruise, digital climate etc.

clean interior and 103k on the clock.
Managed 64mpg but does have a troublesome injector.
Unusually, it’s a one lady owner car, previous owner 10 years, Full history, used car bingo full house. (It’s spare key never been used.
 
A few weeks later:
”I’ve got an old Focus for scrap” says a customer. I agree a price and collection, turning up to find this:

1.0 EcoBoom.

Runs sweet. Has averaged 51mpg with previous owner over 7 years.
 did I mention was an older lady, had it years, Full history, with an unused spare key.

Like new inside, the. Focus had three days MoT left…
In a quandary now, as these pair are only £20 tax each, and could be 50 mpg daily drivers.
Has anyone sensible ever replaced a pair of Hondas with Peugeot engined fiesta, and a 1.0 grenade special focus? 
 
Fourtraks still dodging the scrapyard by the way (evidence in photos)

Two new arrivals from a manufacturer I don’t normally buy.
Purchase number 1:
2009 Ford Fiesta 1.4tdci

Not a bad looking thing

Good spec with cruise, digital climate etc.

clean interior and 103k on the clock.
Managed 64mpg but does have a troublesome injector.
Unusually, it’s a one lady owner car, previous owner 10 years, Full history, used car bingo full house. (It’s spare key never been used.
 
A few weeks later:
”I’ve got an old Focus for scrap” says a customer. I agree a price and collection, turning up to find this:

1.0 EcoBoom.

Runs sweet. Has averaged 51mpg with previous owner over 7 years.
 did I mention was an older lady, had it years, Full history, with an unused spare key.

Like new inside, the. Focus had three days MoT left…
In a quandary now, as these pair are only £20 tax each, and could be 50 mpg daily drivers.
Has anyone sensible ever replaced a pair of Hondas with Peugeot engined fiesta, and a 1.0 grenade special focus? 
 
Fourtraks still dodging the scrapyard by the way (evidence in photos)

Two new arrivals from a manufacturer I don’t normally buy.
Purchase number 1:
2009 Ford Fiesta 1.4tdci

Not a bad looking thing

Good spec with cruise, digital climate etc.

clean interior and 103k on the clock.
Managed 64mpg but does have a troublesome injector.
Unusually, it’s a one lady owner car, previous owner 10 years, Full history, used car bingo full house. (It’s spare key never been used.
 
A few weeks later:
”I’ve got an old Focus for scrap” says a customer. I agree a price and collection, turning up to find this:

1.0 EcoBoom.

Runs sweet. Has averaged 51mpg with previous owner over 7 years.
 did I mention was an older lady, had it years, Full history, with an unused spare key.

Like new inside, the. Focus had three days MoT left…
In a quandary now, as these pair are only £20 tax each, and could be 50 mpg daily drivers.
Has anyone sensible ever replaced a pair of Hondas with Peugeot engined fiesta, and a 1.0 grenade special focus? 
 
Fourtraks still dodging the scrapyard by the way (evidence in photos)

Two new arrivals from a manufacturer I don’t normally buy.
Purchase number 1:
2009 Ford Fiesta 1.4tdci

Not a bad looking thing

Good spec with cruise, digital climate etc.

clean interior and 103k on the clock.
Managed 64mpg but does have a troublesome injector.
Unusually, it’s a one lady owner car, previous owner 10 years, Full history, used car bingo full house. (It’s spare key never been used.
 
A few weeks later:
”I’ve got an old Focus for scrap” says a customer. I agree a price and collection, turning up to find this:

1.0 EcoBoom.

Runs sweet. Has averaged 51mpg with previous owner over 7 years.
 did I mention was an older lady, had it years, Full history, with an unused spare key.

Like new inside, the. Focus had three days MoT left…
In a quandary now, as these pair are only £20 tax each, and could be 50 mpg daily drivers.
Has anyone sensible ever replaced a pair of Hondas with Peugeot engined fiesta, and a 1.0 grenade special focus? 
 
Fourtraks still dodging the scrapyard by the way (evidence in photos)

I’m also from leicester and spotted this for sale too late.
I’ve got a 2006 Civic, and a 07 Accord. A couple of weeks back the civic lost its key code at random (had sat with flat battery a few days) whilst trying to start it immobilised a flashing green key was present on the clocks, in the 10 o clock position. Long story short I had to reprogramme it with diagnostics, but I used top of the range Autel, so you’ll maybe need something similar (not a £50 Amazon special)
Mines fine now, starts first time. No sign of green key light since.
Great cars, rear axles can rot so worth a poke about, otherwise little to go wrong pat stuff wearing out.
 

Log of work so far:
- Replace rear chassis crossmember
- repair rear chassis legs both sides
- fabricate and replace rear chassis spring hangers
- repair and refurbish rear suspension arms
- o/s rear arch tub, (5) repairs
- n/s rear arch tub (4) repairs
- fabricate floor sections for car floor and boot floor
- fabricate and replace floor crossmember’s both sides 
- Fabricate inner sills (both sides)
- Fabricate / repair middle strengthening sill
- Fit outer sills (bought these on eBay, very impressed)
- repair both rear inner and outer wheelarches
-fabricate rear inner wing metalwork around fuel filler pipes
- fabricate inner and outer rear pockets (behind rear bumper corners) both sides
- strip and clean underside
- rust treat underside (used only bilt hamber)
- heavy zinc primer over weld joints/ seam seal
-epoxy prime underside 
- shultz underside
- paint interior
- put back together 
——
whats left
- every brake and fuel pipes knackered
- repair front panel (started, not finished)
- prep and paint bodywork outer repairs like sills, arches
- put front back together
- Finish interior (front seats really)
- mega service (all oils / belts)
- new clutch and gearbox leak (common issue)
- new shocks / exhaust
- sort fuel tank out 
 
As I said to the Mrs a few years ago “I’m might weld it up, but I’m not gonna restore it”
 
 
 
 

Rebuilds continuing


roll cage and seatbelts in

luxurious trim and carpets fitted, my vax machine looks worried at the tone of the carpets.
rear seats in now too, again when the vax calms down I’ll carry on.
—-
Quick progress montage, from the beginning
BEFORE:

Under the rear seat and floor when I took out the trim
 Inner arch to boot floor seam. You can just about see rot around the roll cage and seat belt mounts here on top of the arch.

floors and inner arch (all pics drivers side btw)
DURING:

removed the bad stuff

added some good stuff 

All this floor ties together in the rear arch

Ground up and primed the interior started to look promising

inside came together 

solid!

then shiny 
Not to neglect the under side

epoxy resin primer 

3M Schultz final coating.

looks nicer without the carpets.
 
 

Log of work so far:
- Replace rear chassis crossmember
- repair rear chassis legs both sides
- fabricate and replace rear chassis spring hangers
- repair and refurbish rear suspension arms
- o/s rear arch tub, (5) repairs
- n/s rear arch tub (4) repairs
- fabricate floor sections for car floor and boot floor
- fabricate and replace floor crossmember’s both sides 
- Fabricate inner sills (both sides)
- Fabricate / repair middle strengthening sill
- Fit outer sills (bought these on eBay, very impressed)
- repair both rear inner and outer wheelarches
-fabricate rear inner wing metalwork around fuel filler pipes
- fabricate inner and outer rear pockets (behind rear bumper corners) both sides
- strip and clean underside
- rust treat underside (used only bilt hamber)
- heavy zinc primer over weld joints/ seam seal
-epoxy prime underside 
- shultz underside
- paint interior
- put back together 
——
whats left
- every brake and fuel pipes knackered
- repair front panel (started, not finished)
- prep and paint bodywork outer repairs like sills, arches
- put front back together
- Finish interior (front seats really)
- mega service (all oils / belts)
- new clutch and gearbox leak (common issue)
- new shocks / exhaust
- sort fuel tank out 
 
As I said to the Mrs a few years ago “I’m might weld it up, but I’m not gonna restore it”
 
 
 
 

Log of work so far:
- Replace rear chassis crossmember
- repair rear chassis legs both sides
- fabricate and replace rear chassis spring hangers
- repair and refurbish rear suspension arms
- o/s rear arch tub, (5) repairs
- n/s rear arch tub (4) repairs
- fabricate floor sections for car floor and boot floor
- fabricate and replace floor crossmember’s both sides 
- Fabricate inner sills (both sides)
- Fabricate / repair middle strengthening sill
- Fit outer sills (bought these on eBay, very impressed)
- repair both rear inner and outer wheelarches
-fabricate rear inner wing metalwork around fuel filler pipes
- fabricate inner and outer rear pockets (behind rear bumper corners) both sides
- strip and clean underside
- rust treat underside (used only bilt hamber)
- heavy zinc primer over weld joints/ seam seal
-epoxy prime underside 
- shultz underside
- paint interior
- put back together 
——
whats left
- every brake and fuel pipes knackered
- repair front panel (started, not finished)
- prep and paint bodywork outer repairs like sills, arches
- put front back together
- Finish interior (front seats really)
- mega service (all oils / belts)
- new clutch and gearbox leak (common issue)
- new shocks / exhaust
- sort fuel tank out 
 
As I said to the Mrs a few years ago “I’m might weld it up, but I’m not gonna restore it”
 
 
 
 

Rebuilds continuing


roll cage and seatbelts in

luxurious trim and carpets fitted, my vax machine looks worried at the tone of the carpets.
rear seats in now too, again when the vax calms down I’ll carry on.
—-
Quick progress montage, from the beginning
BEFORE:

Under the rear seat and floor when I took out the trim
 Inner arch to boot floor seam. You can just about see rot around the roll cage and seat belt mounts here on top of the arch.

floors and inner arch (all pics drivers side btw)
DURING:

removed the bad stuff

added some good stuff 

All this floor ties together in the rear arch

Ground up and primed the interior started to look promising

inside came together 

solid!

then shiny 
Not to neglect the under side

epoxy resin primer 

3M Schultz final coating.

looks nicer without the carpets.
 
 

Log of work so far:
- Replace rear chassis crossmember
- repair rear chassis legs both sides
- fabricate and replace rear chassis spring hangers
- repair and refurbish rear suspension arms
- o/s rear arch tub, (5) repairs
- n/s rear arch tub (4) repairs
- fabricate floor sections for car floor and boot floor
- fabricate and replace floor crossmember’s both sides 
- Fabricate inner sills (both sides)
- Fabricate / repair middle strengthening sill
- Fit outer sills (bought these on eBay, very impressed)
- repair both rear inner and outer wheelarches
-fabricate rear inner wing metalwork around fuel filler pipes
- fabricate inner and outer rear pockets (behind rear bumper corners) both sides
- strip and clean underside
- rust treat underside (used only bilt hamber)
- heavy zinc primer over weld joints/ seam seal
-epoxy prime underside 
- shultz underside
- paint interior
- put back together 
——
whats left
- every brake and fuel pipes knackered
- repair front panel (started, not finished)
- prep and paint bodywork outer repairs like sills, arches
- put front back together
- Finish interior (front seats really)
- mega service (all oils / belts)
- new clutch and gearbox leak (common issue)
- new shocks / exhaust
- sort fuel tank out 
 
As I said to the Mrs a few years ago “I’m might weld it up, but I’m not gonna restore it”
 
 
 
 

Rebuilds continuing


roll cage and seatbelts in

luxurious trim and carpets fitted, my vax machine looks worried at the tone of the carpets.
rear seats in now too, again when the vax calms down I’ll carry on.
—-
Quick progress montage, from the beginning
BEFORE:

Under the rear seat and floor when I took out the trim
 Inner arch to boot floor seam. You can just about see rot around the roll cage and seat belt mounts here on top of the arch.

floors and inner arch (all pics drivers side btw)
DURING:

removed the bad stuff

added some good stuff 

All this floor ties together in the rear arch

Ground up and primed the interior started to look promising

inside came together 

solid!

then shiny 
Not to neglect the under side

epoxy resin primer 

3M Schultz final coating.

looks nicer without the carpets.
 
 

Long overdue update:
Interior welding completed, and seam sealed up (this left it all 20 different colours:

Under back seat area, much new steel here

Several types of primer on the inner arches
so I painted it blue

a Fourtrak with a boot floor 
started to put the trim back in, after drowning the innner bits in Dynax S50 cavity wax.


refitted the roll cage and seat belt mounts for the rear seat belts.
Quick flash back to what this all looks like:

Fourtrak with the structural strength of an apple pie

Fourtrak chassis. Which is good.
would have been better if there was a floor above it

when people say “just grind it back til you find clean steel” what they are really saying is “I’ve never owned a Fourtrak”
So, I’m still going with this crap pile.
And I’m even putting it back together.
Even my mates think I’ll finish it now, they’re more supportive now, after originally being a bit “WTF you doing you maniac” for a fair while.

Rebuilds continuing


roll cage and seatbelts in

luxurious trim and carpets fitted, my vax machine looks worried at the tone of the carpets.
rear seats in now too, again when the vax calms down I’ll carry on.
—-
Quick progress montage, from the beginning
BEFORE:

Under the rear seat and floor when I took out the trim
 Inner arch to boot floor seam. You can just about see rot around the roll cage and seat belt mounts here on top of the arch.

floors and inner arch (all pics drivers side btw)
DURING:

removed the bad stuff

added some good stuff 

All this floor ties together in the rear arch

Ground up and primed the interior started to look promising

inside came together 

solid!

then shiny 
Not to neglect the under side

epoxy resin primer 

3M Schultz final coating.

looks nicer without the carpets.
 
 

Log of work so far:
- Replace rear chassis crossmember
- repair rear chassis legs both sides
- fabricate and replace rear chassis spring hangers
- repair and refurbish rear suspension arms
- o/s rear arch tub, (5) repairs
- n/s rear arch tub (4) repairs
- fabricate floor sections for car floor and boot floor
- fabricate and replace floor crossmember’s both sides 
- Fabricate inner sills (both sides)
- Fabricate / repair middle strengthening sill
- Fit outer sills (bought these on eBay, very impressed)
- repair both rear inner and outer wheelarches
-fabricate rear inner wing metalwork around fuel filler pipes
- fabricate inner and outer rear pockets (behind rear bumper corners) both sides
- strip and clean underside
- rust treat underside (used only bilt hamber)
- heavy zinc primer over weld joints/ seam seal
-epoxy prime underside 
- shultz underside
- paint interior
- put back together 
——
whats left
- every brake and fuel pipes knackered
- repair front panel (started, not finished)
- prep and paint bodywork outer repairs like sills, arches
- put front back together
- Finish interior (front seats really)
- mega service (all oils / belts)
- new clutch and gearbox leak (common issue)
- new shocks / exhaust
- sort fuel tank out 
 
As I said to the Mrs a few years ago “I’m might weld it up, but I’m not gonna restore it”
 
 
 
 

Log of work so far:
- Replace rear chassis crossmember
- repair rear chassis legs both sides
- fabricate and replace rear chassis spring hangers
- repair and refurbish rear suspension arms
- o/s rear arch tub, (5) repairs
- n/s rear arch tub (4) repairs
- fabricate floor sections for car floor and boot floor
- fabricate and replace floor crossmember’s both sides 
- Fabricate inner sills (both sides)
- Fabricate / repair middle strengthening sill
- Fit outer sills (bought these on eBay, very impressed)
- repair both rear inner and outer wheelarches
-fabricate rear inner wing metalwork around fuel filler pipes
- fabricate inner and outer rear pockets (behind rear bumper corners) both sides
- strip and clean underside
- rust treat underside (used only bilt hamber)
- heavy zinc primer over weld joints/ seam seal
-epoxy prime underside 
- shultz underside
- paint interior
- put back together 
——
whats left
- every brake and fuel pipes knackered
- repair front panel (started, not finished)
- prep and paint bodywork outer repairs like sills, arches
- put front back together
- Finish interior (front seats really)
- mega service (all oils / belts)
- new clutch and gearbox leak (common issue)
- new shocks / exhaust
- sort fuel tank out 
 
As I said to the Mrs a few years ago “I’m might weld it up, but I’m not gonna restore it”
 
 
 
 

Log of work so far:
- Replace rear chassis crossmember
- repair rear chassis legs both sides
- fabricate and replace rear chassis spring hangers
- repair and refurbish rear suspension arms
- o/s rear arch tub, (5) repairs
- n/s rear arch tub (4) repairs
- fabricate floor sections for car floor and boot floor
- fabricate and replace floor crossmember’s both sides 
- Fabricate inner sills (both sides)
- Fabricate / repair middle strengthening sill
- Fit outer sills (bought these on eBay, very impressed)
- repair both rear inner and outer wheelarches
-fabricate rear inner wing metalwork around fuel filler pipes
- fabricate inner and outer rear pockets (behind rear bumper corners) both sides
- strip and clean underside
- rust treat underside (used only bilt hamber)
- heavy zinc primer over weld joints/ seam seal
-epoxy prime underside 
- shultz underside
- paint interior
- put back together 
——
whats left
- every brake and fuel pipes knackered
- repair front panel (started, not finished)
- prep and paint bodywork outer repairs like sills, arches
- put front back together
- Finish interior (front seats really)
- mega service (all oils / belts)
- new clutch and gearbox leak (common issue)
- new shocks / exhaust
- sort fuel tank out 
 
As I said to the Mrs a few years ago “I’m might weld it up, but I’m not gonna restore it”
 
 
 
 

Rebuilds continuing


roll cage and seatbelts in

luxurious trim and carpets fitted, my vax machine looks worried at the tone of the carpets.
rear seats in now too, again when the vax calms down I’ll carry on.
—-
Quick progress montage, from the beginning
BEFORE:

Under the rear seat and floor when I took out the trim
 Inner arch to boot floor seam. You can just about see rot around the roll cage and seat belt mounts here on top of the arch.

floors and inner arch (all pics drivers side btw)
DURING:

removed the bad stuff

added some good stuff 

All this floor ties together in the rear arch

Ground up and primed the interior started to look promising

inside came together 

solid!

then shiny 
Not to neglect the under side

epoxy resin primer 

3M Schultz final coating.

looks nicer without the carpets.
 
 

Long overdue update:
Interior welding completed, and seam sealed up (this left it all 20 different colours:

Under back seat area, much new steel here

Several types of primer on the inner arches
so I painted it blue

a Fourtrak with a boot floor 
started to put the trim back in, after drowning the innner bits in Dynax S50 cavity wax.


refitted the roll cage and seat belt mounts for the rear seat belts.
Quick flash back to what this all looks like:

Fourtrak with the structural strength of an apple pie

Fourtrak chassis. Which is good.
would have been better if there was a floor above it

when people say “just grind it back til you find clean steel” what they are really saying is “I’ve never owned a Fourtrak”
So, I’m still going with this crap pile.
And I’m even putting it back together.
Even my mates think I’ll finish it now, they’re more supportive now, after originally being a bit “WTF you doing you maniac” for a fair while.

Rebuilds continuing


roll cage and seatbelts in

luxurious trim and carpets fitted, my vax machine looks worried at the tone of the carpets.
rear seats in now too, again when the vax calms down I’ll carry on.
—-
Quick progress montage, from the beginning
BEFORE:

Under the rear seat and floor when I took out the trim
 Inner arch to boot floor seam. You can just about see rot around the roll cage and seat belt mounts here on top of the arch.

floors and inner arch (all pics drivers side btw)
DURING:

removed the bad stuff

added some good stuff 

All this floor ties together in the rear arch

Ground up and primed the interior started to look promising

inside came together 

solid!

then shiny 
Not to neglect the under side

epoxy resin primer 

3M Schultz final coating.

looks nicer without the carpets.
 
 

Rebuilds continuing


roll cage and seatbelts in

luxurious trim and carpets fitted, my vax machine looks worried at the tone of the carpets.
rear seats in now too, again when the vax calms down I’ll carry on.
—-
Quick progress montage, from the beginning
BEFORE:

Under the rear seat and floor when I took out the trim
 Inner arch to boot floor seam. You can just about see rot around the roll cage and seat belt mounts here on top of the arch.

floors and inner arch (all pics drivers side btw)
DURING:

removed the bad stuff

added some good stuff 

All this floor ties together in the rear arch

Ground up and primed the interior started to look promising

inside came together 

solid!

then shiny 
Not to neglect the under side

epoxy resin primer 

3M Schultz final coating.

looks nicer without the carpets.
 
 

Long overdue update:
Interior welding completed, and seam sealed up (this left it all 20 different colours:

Under back seat area, much new steel here

Several types of primer on the inner arches
so I painted it blue

a Fourtrak with a boot floor 
started to put the trim back in, after drowning the innner bits in Dynax S50 cavity wax.


refitted the roll cage and seat belt mounts for the rear seat belts.
Quick flash back to what this all looks like:

Fourtrak with the structural strength of an apple pie

Fourtrak chassis. Which is good.
would have been better if there was a floor above it

when people say “just grind it back til you find clean steel” what they are really saying is “I’ve never owned a Fourtrak”
So, I’m still going with this crap pile.
And I’m even putting it back together.
Even my mates think I’ll finish it now, they’re more supportive now, after originally being a bit “WTF you doing you maniac” for a fair while.

The long and winding road
that leads
to more
metal splinters

but with optimism 

and a bit of welding
we can rebuild
the mighty Daihatsu 
bigger
and better