MOTOR CHAT

[jimihendrix]

Got the Escort on it's wheels and out the garage for the first time last weekend , still a long way to go but at least i can push it about now

Bodywork does'nt look too bad in these pics but there is plenty of bubling filler on the wings needing dug out and re done (caused by a reaction between the alloy arches and steel wings)

Welded in the new further out mounts for the rear coilovers, still to tidy these up but strong enough to hold the car up for now.

Also got the Watts linkage towers in place, again needing finished off, the rear axle will need to come off again to get access to weld them in fully all the way round.

Got the steering connected but it's not right, UJ's are running too much of an angle (tight spots when turned), solution i've come up with is to shorten the steering column to get a longer shaft between the UJ's, already shortened the outer tube of the column, will get the local engineer to shorten the inner shaft during the week.

 

[big.eck]

thats looking good mark

 

[velomaniac]

I hate my car, though i really hate my mechanical ineptitude
Spent all morning fitting new forward drive selector cable only for the gearbox to disconnect on a quarter mile test run :x Nursed it home and tried again. Realised new cable is a thinner gauge than the original making me suspect I've been sold an inferior pattern part, Cable used up 50% of its adjustability just fitting it :x :x Car now works but my trust in it has been shaken badly, not planning any long journeys until I'm convinced its behaving itself. Proper fed up

Thus scooter will be transporting my bike a bit longer but alas not to Ladybank woods which is too far by scoot at this time of year.

Lifes a bugger !

 

[clockworkgazz]

serviced my car for £135 yesterday and then all 4 tyres today at £240- cars are shite wish I did not need one really.

nice work Jimi

 

[Simonside resident]

Thats looking fantastic Jimi. You putting something of a Cosworth variety in there,a reworked Pinto or something highly exotic?

 

[irontam]

Thats looking fantastic Jimi. You putting something of a Cosworth variety in there,a reworked Pinto or something highly exotic?

Room in there for a Rover v8?

 

[jimihendrix]

Thats looking fantastic Jimi. You putting something of a Cosworth variety in there,a reworked Pinto or something highly exotic?

Cheers , would love a YB motor but they still go for pretty strong money, also heard of people having very expensive problems with them.

Motor plans for now are a 2.0 Zetec on 45 Webers (turned round driving a Capri gearbox), should see about 170 bhp so wont be that quick (despite being gutted the shell is still quite heavy), be quick enough for me though, you've seen my driving , good thing about the Zetec is that they are cheap as chips, got the one i have for nowt (a 77K blacktop from a 2000 Mondeo), motor can be regarded as expendable, if i blow it i'll just bung another in.

Funny you mention that Tam, the car did run a Rover V8 in it's heyday back in the early 90's, a 3.9 motor with quad Webers, sounded incredible apparently and was a bit of a legend in single stage events.

The engine bay is pretty big, would take a 5.0 Ford V8 no problem, i want to be able to drive further than the local petrol station though

 

[RobMac]

You can keep your modern 'bling' them wheels still do it for me likes
What are they again? Minilites or summit?

.

 

[irontam]

Motor plans for now are a 2.0 Zetec on 45 Webers (turned round driving a Capri gearbox), should see about 170 bhp so wont be that quick (despite being gutted the shell is still quite heavy), be quick enough for me though, you've seen my driving , good thing about the Zetec is that they are cheap as chips, got the one i have for nowt (a 77K blacktop from a 2000 Mondeo), motor can be regarded as expendable, if i blow it i'll just bung another in.

Sounds like a smart plan, how hard is it to mate it with the Gearbox?

 

[jimihendrix]

Yeah Rob, 9x13 Minilights

Motor plans for now are a 2.0 Zetec on 45 Webers (turned round driving a Capri gearbox), should see about 170 bhp so wont be that quick (despite being gutted the shell is still quite heavy), be quick enough for me though, you've seen my driving , good thing about the Zetec is that they are cheap as chips, got the one i have for nowt (a 77K blacktop from a 2000 Mondeo), motor can be regarded as expendable, if i blow it i'll just bung another in.

Sounds like a smart plan, how hard is it to mate it with the Gearbox?

Capri box bolts straight on, there is even a hole in the end of the crank to knock a spigot bush in , need to use the Zetec flywheel and get it re drilled and doweled for a RWD clutch.

Turning the motor round for RWD use is harder, will need a special sump, engine mounts and a water rail, been done thousands of times for kit cars etc though so is well documented and all the bits are easily available.