Fiesta project, scrapyard survivor !

[Tonka]

Some of you may remember the MK2 Fiesta I picked up back in November, the plan was to get it on the road ASAP which would save me a fortune in fuel compared with running the Stagea every day.

 

 

During the Christmas holidays progress was pretty slow but I did the engine service, sorted the brakes, welded up the N/S sill end, the only other rot on the car was an already welded O/S sill end and both lower rear quarters where it meets the arch, all down to the car being stood around for over a year as the rest of the car cleans up really well with just the odd dent and scratch but painting everything below the waist moulding will sort that. I left the car at work so I could use a lift which would make life easier, but finding an evening when there wasn't a Land Rover in bits on them meant that two weeks later I fetched it home.

 

Since then I've never been around long enough on a weekend to do anything worthwhile, what with viewing/bidding/buying/collecting my Civic and my wife's determination to get a Dandy folding camper (thankfully sorted now and being collected next weekend) I unlocked the garage this morning with a view to making inroads into the to-do list.

 

We are going away for a couple of days 3 weeks from now and stupidly I said we would be going in the Fiesta so the plan is to start this project thread and then stand back and be abused if it doesn't get updated regularly!

 

N/S rear corner welded up and filling nearly finished.

 

 

 

Dents in N/S door filled just the sill end repair to blend in now.............

 

 

Lets see how far I've got by Wednesday................

[Minimad5]

Nice little motor, all the best with this

[dollywobbler]

Aye. First car was a Fezzer Mk2 and I'd gladly have another. Simple and effective.

[Shep Shepherd]

I'll be following the car's progress intently, as the first car I drove after passing my driving test in 1995 was a mark 2 Fiesta, a 1988 Festival 2 in Mercury Grey

[VWPowered]

i'm a big fan of mk2 festas

[Tonka]

Not much to report tonight due to it being month end so late finish at work, but the filling on rear quarter is finished with a bit of etch primer sprayed on for now.

 

 

Having filled those dents in the door the scratch near them turned out to be deeper than I thought (all fresh and presumably whilst being stored in yard prior to the auction) but it's 99% there now plus the sill end is taking shape nicely but while rubbing my hand across the wing I've found a a ripple above and behind the filler cap, probably old damage which resulted in the aerosol finish on the back wing.

 

[Gompo]

Well done (to you and anyone else) having the enthusiasm to work on cars in the crap/cold weather. I struggle enough in the nice weather, nevermind winter.

[Tonka]

Well done (to you and anyone else) having the enthusiasm to work on cars in the crap/cold weather

 

It's not easy, by the time I've got home, been fed, put the heater on in the garage so I'm not freezing my nads off and the filler will actually go off it's getting on for 7 so I can only manage a couple of hours each night, got the door sorted tonight, quick coat of etch primer for now, sill end and my new found "old" dent in the rear wing nearly there now see what tomorrow night brings.........

 

[Minimad5]

Well done for keeping at it, even when the weather gets nasty.

Have to admit with work and bad weather my enthusiasm has slipped a wee bit, so well done Senor

 

Good to see the updates rolling in

[stuboy]

no slacking!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Tonka]

I know I skipped a progress report last night but it wasn't through idleness just nothing much to show as I continued to prepare the rear wing which finally got etch primed tonight, took the back bumper off last night so I could get to some damage on the rear valance. I've also undersealed the inner arch and boot floor while it was still up in the air.

 

 

 

 

I am having tomorrow night night off (weekly trip t'Club) so Saturday should see the car get moved further back (need to move the primed but still not painted Reliant Fox bits behind it to make room - ask my son!) then I can get the NSF wheel off, theres a nasty dent on the wing/valance joint which might need a bit of welding work once it's been knocked back into shape and judging by the way the bonnet sits in relation to the grill I reckon there's more than just a bent bumper mounting point to worry about might just need a bit of persuasion to line things back up!

 

It may seem like a lot of work but I'm determined to give what was a neglected low mileage car another chance at life, I'd like to see all the bottom half primed up within the next week or so it can go for it's MOT, once that's taken care of I'll sort out where/when it's going to get painted ready for it to become my daily driver for a few months while I start the process all over again with the boss's Jago.

[Tonka]

Last year on the 4th June I ruptured my achilles tendon and ended up on crutches for over 3 months so I couldn't drive to any of the dozen or so shows we always do, they also discovered a blood clot so put me on Warfarin for 6 months which meant all my projects went on hold.

 

I bought my Acclaim in November but it was another month before I felt able to lay on the floor and do the required welding on the sills (with anticoagulants in your veins working with sheet steel seemed a bit too scary).

 

Getting it back on the road for the first time in over 8 years and enjoying using it for 2 nearly months and over 800 miles has got me fired up about finishing the car I was half way through when I injured myself.

 

With this new found enthusiasm over the last couple of weeks I have welded up the corner of the boot floor on the Fiesta, welded on the osr arch and got stuck into the filling, all it needs now is the dark guide coat rubbing down and some high build primer applying the plan then is to get it MOT'd before painting the bottom half and maybe just maybe I'll get to use it this year.........

 

 

 

[purplebargeken]

Really nice work there.

 

I hear you about working in the bloody cold! I bought a Mk2 brand new in 1984 when I was 21, it was a black 950cc Bonus+ (A599 JLV) and it was a bloody great car. I put in a centre consul as storage was a bit sparse and a boot spoiler from a Mk1 XR2 just for the hell of it. I thought it looked pretty cool

 

Ken

[Split_Pin]

Glad you are recovering well.

 

Nice work on the Fester, I missed this thread first time round!

 

Brings back memories of me bodging(as instructed) the arches and other bodywork of the work's 2 hacks, E920JST, a 1.1l and F457YSF a 1.6D

 

The former was spectacularly rotten, with new sill, arches and even a whole boot floor tacked over the rusting originals! Think the rotten scuttle and crossmember finally finished it off, whilst the engine of the diesel just wore out. I still loved them both though!

[Tonka]

Six months later and I finally managed to get it in primer....

 

 

 

Better than that as we pass the 2 year mark since I first bought it tomorrow I am actually going to buy the first tax disc it has worn since 2008...............

 

Just need to buy some paint for the bottom half now, on Monday it starts it's new life as my daily driver should save me a fortune over fueling the Stagea and with our Skyline now residing in Kent there will be a new arrival here on Saturday which will be Mrs T's daily and it's older than the Fiesta!

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

That looks awesome in two tone, paint it cream!

[phil_lihp]

Seconded, top colour scheme!

[Shep Shepherd]

I agree. Such a colour scheme along with the side stripes would make it look like a shite dealer-created special edition. Fiesta "Eastcoast '87", anyone?

[Tonka]

I was tempted to do the bottom half silver like the "limited edition" MK 1's which would match the Minilites I have for it perfectly but with the stripes it might be a bit much!.

[Shep Shepherd]

I'd keep the stripes, as they are a period touch

[Tonka]

I just want it to look as it did back in '87, having painted the steel wheels and bought some proper Ford hub caps for them I might not even bother with the alloys, it's only done 51k from new and the interior is decent so hopefully it's destined to live a little bit longer than the last owner envisaged as he let the scrap man take it away!

[Shep Shepherd]

Standard would be nice, as you rarely see unmodified mark 2s nowadays

[Partridge]

I love this forum. Things like this put a smile on my face

[dollywobbler]

Can we have some interior shots please, to maximise my nostalgic wallowing.

[Tonka]

While people were rushing to do their last minute shopping or getting p*ssed I took advantage of the fact I'm off until the 2nd and not needing it for work and got stuck into flatting one side of the Fiesta and the rear valance.

 

So while one side still looks like this (until Thursday/Friday)

 

 

As of 4pm today the other side looks like this.....

 

 

Hopefully by the time I'm back at work it will all be done, leaving just the Minilites to be re-furbed and fitted and that's another project completed, not before time!

[Micrashed]

Superb.

[Cheggers]

Nice job, that looks terrific

[Wilko220]

Lovely stuff - top work!

[brickwall]

Very nice. In my opinion they were the last of the decent looking Fiestas.

[Split_Pin]

Great work, so glad to see it back on the road!