My life in cars - XR3i & MK2 Escort Ghia Double the Escorts, Double the pussy

[Tenmil Socket]

On 14/08/2024 at 22:36, trigger said:

Yes the Cabriolet is a MK4, the heated screens came out in 1986.

I've been chipping away on the jobs on the Escort whilst turning a blind eye to the rusty bits..

Tow bar and electrics now removed and the nearside fog light, that had a good lens so I fitted that to the offside one, also blacked the exhaust to try and make it look less chavy

Also had the grill off, removed the AA badge, blacked some bits up behind it and generally just cleaned it all, I've also fitted a set of chrome wheel rings that cost £35 of eBay to try and hide the rusty temporary as I want to use it for a show on Sunday

There's still a bit of tidying to do under the bonnet but it's not too bad, it seems to have a sporty manifold fitted

The interior cleaned up a treat though, it's incredibly nice, if very brown, inside

I also have some nice inertia rear belts to fit

Is the MK2 a long term keeper?

[MAF260]

On 13/08/2024 at 06:05, somewhatfoolish said:

Heated screen on a Mk3 escort? What wizardry is this?

Ford debuted the heated windscreen in 1986 and held the patent for many years, stopping other manufacturers from adopting the technology by not licensing it. The patent has now expired, but only a handful of other manufacturers (many associated with Ford in the past) offer heated screens.

[hairnet]

double pussy

no only if youre driving it no?

the pic of the inside after you cleaned it.........

CHANGE NOTHING (or we get hannah to kick you in your hole every day [/paul benjamin]

 

 

2:53

[trigger]

I'm not sure how many are still interested in these posts but never the less I have a update,

I spent the other weekend fitting some proper rear seat belts

It was a bit of a faff having to strip everything down and cut a slit in the rear shelf for the belt to run though but thankfully the mounting points were all fitted from factory so it could have been a worse job

I then tackled the wheels, that was a really shit job as I done it all by hand 

But the end result was worth it, I spent ages hand painting all the black inserts too 😭🤣 I also fitted a set of Toyos which were only £145 of Demon Tweaks

The rear box was taken off, welded back up and the silly 3" tailpipe cut off and replaced with a section of my original XR3i exhaust which was still in the scrap pile added to it, I've also wire brushed, Kurust treated the rust and red oxided the boot floor before covering on some fresh schutz underseal

The bottom of the passenger door has been tidied up too but the less said about that the better as it's a bit rotten

Not my best work but it's been filled many times before, it's a bit neater though, for now.

I've also replaced a load of the bushes, track control arms, track rods ends, the rear brake shoes and bleed the brakes as the fluid was black and it's running and driving lovely now

Also I saw my old Golf at last night's East Coast Retros meet, I forgot how good it actually looked, I managed to a get a picture of it passing my XR3i!

[danthecapriman]

Definitely still interested here @trigger, great progress on the mk2👍 and the cabriolet still looks absolutely lovely too.

[High Jetter]

47 minutes ago, trigger said:

I'm not sure how many are still interested in these posts but never the less I have a update,

You're creating history. Keep going.

[Popsicle]

/\ What they both said, a really interesting read to catch up on and some cracking skill and work on show, keep doing the updates please @trigger.

[Dj_efk]

That mk2 takes me straight back to the late 80s / early 90s - that silver seemed to be the most numerous colour as far as I remember, along with white and that lovely light metallic blue.

[Metal Guru]

On 13/05/2024 at 21:00, trigger said:

Thanks guys, today's MOT test was a big fat fail...

I didn't even get it off the driveway until I found a big puddle of oil in the garage! Bugger! The sump has rotted through and is drip drip dripping all over the floor

Still better it happens now than on the A12 down to the garage, so new sump and gasket ordered of eBay for £78 and a wait for it to arrive before I can rebook it back in again

Those sumps were very prone to leaking. I had a 1989 Escort 1.6LX and the sump became porous , leaking oil without any obvious holes or gasket failure.

[Rightnider]

Absolutely fabulous work, definitely interested in this thread. 

[Spottedlaurel]

Great to see you and the Cabriolet on Friday night! Like the shots of the Mk2 at Kersey too.

[trigger]

It's been another busy week on the Escort, I took it too a show (Glemham Hall) on Sunday with my other Escort for the first time but forgot to take any photos so here's one stolen of Facebook of both.

Then things escalated as I thought I'd try and tidy up the front valance...

I don't think it came out bad at all considering I used aerosol cans, I also replaced the front plate from fancyplates as the original one was damaged

And added the black bits to the centre caps on the wheels

So it's now looking a lot better than it was when I first got it a few weeks back. 🙂

 

[danthecapriman]

Lovely job on that front valance. You did really well blending the new and old silver together!

Its looking better and better with every update👍

[wuvvum]

That is looking fantastic!  Envious of your bodywork skills as always.

[trigger]

4 minutes ago, danthecapriman said:

Lovely job on that front valance. You did really well blending the new and old silver together!

Its looking better and better with every update👍

Thank you! There's a little bit of a colour difference but silver is a real dick to match, a good mop did help.

I used some of that blend spray for the first time and that seems to make a nice job of blending the new and old paint

This was before I polished it, you can make out the shadow near the bumper hole

[bunglebus]

That Ghia is lush, really loved my one before it disappeared under mysterious circumstances 

Keep me in mind...

[500tops]

17 hours ago, bunglebus said:

That Ghia is lush, really loved my one before it disappeared under mysterious circumstances 

Keep me in mind...

RTTS 1998? 🤔

[ETCHY]

21 hours ago, trigger said:

It's been another busy week on the Escort, I took it too a show (Glemham Hall) on Sunday with my other Escort for the first time but forgot to take any photos so here's one stolen of Facebook of both.

Then things escalated as I thought I'd try and tidy up the front valance...

I don't think it came out bad at all considering I used aerosol cans, I also replaced the front plate from fancyplates as the original one was damaged

And added the black bits to the centre caps on the wheels

So it's now looking a lot better than it was when I first got it a few weeks back. 🙂

 

Lovely motor, good work.

Got to say I always though that as a value for money offering the Mk2 Escort Ghia was fantastic. I can't think of many other cars where the  difference as an overall car between base spec & top of the range model is so drastic. Compare an Escort Popular to a Ghia & it's a vast difference inside & out. Even a Fiesta Popular doesn't look as crap compared to a Fiesta Ghia as the Escort equivalents do.

[Missy Charm]

Do keep us updated, if only because it's nice for us Essex people to see bits of our heritage being preserved!  A Cabriolet is still on my wish-list.  

The four-door Mark Two really is a handsome car, especially in the way that the slightly elongated passenger compartment accentuates the elegant, if functional lines of the rear part of the roof and sloping boot lid.  Controversial statement: the four-door is the best of the breed to look at.  

My parents used to have a 1300 four-door, which was some variant of beige or gold or brown.  Great car.

[bunglebus]

4 hours ago, 500tops said:

RTTS 1998? 🤔

Correct. The one and only time I went, left in my £150 MK1 Fiesta, but it was running on 3. Got to Reading from Brentwood, bought cap, arm, leads, plugs etc at a motor spares shop but to no avail. Drove back to Brentwood and pulled the Escort out of the lockup where it had been for a few months, it was MoT'd but I had to insure it (at the brokers in town, pre-internet), then tax at at the Post Office before heading back to Cornwall. Had a noisy OSF wheel bearing so was accompanied by NOMNOMNOM noise all the way there and back, but other than that it was faultless.

The Fiesta turned out to have a broken rocker shaft thanks to someone fitting the wrong bolt in it, fixed that after I got back

[500tops]

Good grief. We must've been camped almost next to you. The backdrop is almost identical to my pics! 😂

[Rustybullethole]

23 hours ago, trigger said:

 

 

 

So it's now looking a lot better than it was when I first got it a few weeks back.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yeah just a little bit trig. 

[trigger]

Unfortunately this is the reality of it, like most things on the internet and on Tinder, they always look better in photos!

I've definitely got some winter work ahead!

[Matty]

Which if it were me I'd be reaching for the prozac. But you love this stuff and your really good at it. Give me mechanical work over that any day! Car will be mint come spring no doubt 👍

[captain_70s]

Structural stonechip and sound deadening pads? Could be one of my motors!

[bunglebus]

12 hours ago, 500tops said:

Good grief. We must've been camped almost next to you. The backdrop is almost identical to my pics! 😂

https://www.flickr.com/gp/bungle_bus/2R30g657hY

[sierraman]

At least you’ve got somewhere dry to work on it over winter which makes a colossal difference. Those Mk2 Escort Ghia always looked just right! 

[junkyarddog]

Could be worse*

[Minimad5]

Good progress on both Escorts, certainly got a talent for making cars look healthy and fresh
Keep up the good work M.C 

[bunglebus]

39 minutes ago, junkyarddog said:

Could be worse*

Yes it could