luckygti
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Blimey! A it’s been a while again! On and off over the last few months I’ve been fiddling. I can’t help myself really So, in no particular order, The Gathering became a deadline, and the first long trip since the suspension. I needed to sort out the interior in the back, and that was my goal. It happened, I have probably one picture, and it kind of worked but still isn’t what I really want. It worked for RRG though, unlike the cross country tyres which showed up the fact that it may look like a 4WD, but it very clearly isn’t I did get my good dead badge on the way home, stopping to offer assistance to a certain PPC editor on the side of the M4 The van performed flawlessly, it pretty much always does, which is probably why it use more than the others
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luckygti
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Now just got to decide what to do with her............ Well I saved this in my watch list and now appear to have missed out So, sell it to me?
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luckygti
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Jun 15, 2019 19:08:08 GMT
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Well, it made it’s debut voyage last night. It’s tall to say the least so, before And after And arriving at the East Coast Retro’s meet last night (165 cars or thereabouts last night. Well worth a drive out if you’re anywhere near Ipswich!) So, what’s it like Pete? Well, it’s f’ing ridiculous to be honest! I need to get a tape measure but it’s gone up maybe 6 inches, drives like a truck (it was very car like lowered!), the tracking needs doing and I need to play with the shock settings as I think they’re on the hardest setting, I forgot how high it was and fell out of the back door and first gear finally actually gets you somewhere; it was pretty pointless beforehand! It’ll take some getting used to, but I love it!
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luckygti
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To fit the 2.3 you need to remove the balance shafts in the sump and insert a bit of metal where the chains go through the lower block face for the sump to seal (not as difficult as it sounds) and block up the oil feed to the shafts. That if you go conventional sump on fwd 2.3. If you use the rwd 2.3 from a Scorpio (quite rare now) I think it goes in with only a mod to a metal part of the sump to clear the crossmember. I've bought a 2.3 from a Galaxy to do this conversion but I'll be ninty twelve years old by the time a finish everything else an get round to doing it . There is a guy called Jonathan Hughes on fb who makes rx8 gearbox adaptors who has done this conversion and a guy I know has had 240 bhp out of his Thanks. Might scout around for an old Scorpio For now I’ll sort out the issues and get some use out of it Give the other projects some love
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luckygti
Posted a lot
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Posts: 4,912
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Jun 11, 2019 20:47:59 GMT
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If you start with an early mx5 its easy enough to carry the entire injection system accross, add a swirl pot and high pressure pump and away you go. MX5 or Mk5? I’ve thought about the MX5 engine and gearbox, but liking the idea of a Ford engine! Am I right in thinking the Galaxy 2.3 is a straightforward fit as well?
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luckygti
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Jun 11, 2019 20:45:41 GMT
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Thanks for that, definitely worth bearing in mind then. And I might give the guys in Castle Combe a shout for the MK 5, more power sounds good! Didn’t even realise it had EGR on it, clearly that’s going in the bin!
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luckygti
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Jun 11, 2019 20:41:31 GMT
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Looking ever more excellent The trailing arms on my T25 had rusted through in that depression on the top, where it looks like yours are just starting to go. Some previous owner had just drilled out the rust holes so they looked like they were supposed to be there (i.e. round, not frilly), then painted over! You can get new arms but they're about three hundred quid a side, so well worth saving Bit jealous of that lift, actually I did these when I rebuilt the van maybe three years ago now, painted them with the same as the body (Rustoleum/Combicolour); this time I’ll be using some chassis paint that I bought for the mini subframes. Then it’ll get bed liner over that. They just get hit all the time by the back tyres, contemplating arch liners but not sure they’ll make much difference? Drilling them out though, the PO who did that should be beaten senseless, though he clearly was anyway The lift? Worth every penny
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luckygti
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Jun 11, 2019 14:25:39 GMT
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That’s better And I started some rust removal. That’ll get a coat of something when I head back up there.
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luckygti
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Jun 11, 2019 14:22:27 GMT
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I'm not sure if I've commented on this thread before. As a fellow Escort owner, I think you would be nuts to sell it. It's got a fantastic road rally look about it (except for a set of spots) which suits the mk2 best. A bit of height to it instead of scraping along the floor. I think once you get the issues sorted the enjoyment and more use will come. I've got the best of both worlds in my mk1. The old Escort experience with the mk5 RS2000 engine for performance and reliability. The current £100 pound engine has been in 6 or 7 years and apart from changing the plugs once and the oil twice, I don't touch it. And I use it in competition as well as car shows and the odd blast about. Yep, I kind of agree with you about selling it. At the moment I have room to keep it, and it doesn’t cost much annually. Soon it’ll even be tax exempt I am considering an engine swap and the Mk5 engine appeals; what’s yours running on ignition and fuelling wise? Oh, and spots? Yes, they would definitely look good!
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luckygti
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Hi. Well, it continued to run rough as a badgers obvious so I finally got it booked into a local rolling road for a tune and a power run. Not too far away, but I rented a trailer and dragged it over to Hybrid Tune in Diss. I’ve had a worry bead about the engine temperature and cannot get any of the temp gauge options I’ve used to give me a reliable reading. Suffice to say, the guys watched it like a hawk and there were zero issues. It made 130 at the wheels, which I think is pretty good on the standard carb, it’s pretty hopeless below 2k and runs out of fuelling after 5 so definitely needs the bigger carbs, but I knew that anyway! I’ve fitted an Odyssey battery, which seems to do the job, but it still has a hot start issue, so I’m going to get a high torque starter for it to avoid the inevitable and embarrassing failure to turnover at garages and shops! In other news, we’ve added a new Escort to the stable, a Mk5 RS2000. It came up at such a good price and in such good condition that we couldn’t resist (I’ve wanted one pretty much since they came out in the 90’s). The plan was to sell the Mk2, but I just can’t bring myself to do it so now we have his and hers for Sunday afternoon blasting
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Last Edit: Jun 11, 2019 9:48:56 GMT by luckygti
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luckygti
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Posts: 4,912
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Blimey, where does the time go? So, things have been happening. First up, I had to figure out a way of getting the tent on and and off without damaging myself (or the tent or truck I guess). A quick lash up with some wood, bits of angle and the engine hoist and we have a working solution Then it was onto the big job, fitting the lifting kit and new wheels and tyres. Before all of that, and with a buggered knee that I can’t kneel on (the surgeon did say I wouldn’t be able to kneel down, but I didn’t think he actually meant that I wouldn’t be able to actually put any weight on it at all) I decided to spend some of my hard earned compensation on a lift to bring it up to a height that I could actually work at, whilst sitting on a chair..... I know right, how freaking awesome is that? One road trip later, and a lot of swearing and muscle strain later, it was in and we could begin. Can’t find any pictures of that, but here it is in action. So, I had ‘the fear’ over stripping down the front suspension. In all of the strip down and rebuild I’m pretty sure I didn’t do anything at all with the front suspension so feared that everything would be seized solid but no, every bolt and nut came out without so much as a whimper, and before you know it the old stuff was out and the new stuff in. Dropped to get some idea of how it will look The tyres are off of a Syncro, so they’re a touch on the large side, but I’ve ordered some spacers and hopefully that’ll prevent any rubbing/fouling on anything important. In the stripdown it’s also highlighted some new rust coming through on the trailing arms, so that needs treating, and eventually they’ll get Raptor’d when I redo the back. Back on it today after another knee op, the blurb says to keep mobile (it actually says ‘pottering about’!) so I’m off to do that in the workshop Oh, and to take this off (it’s supposed to be a circlip!) so I can get the new spacer on!
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luckygti
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Posts: 4,912
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Got to love a T3, I have one myself 1980 flavoured but now water cooled, and with a whole heap of work. It’s getting some mechanical love at the moment, I should really update the thread!
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luckygti
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But first I need to sort out a small engine issue...... Fitting a SVX flat 6?........ Ha, no, had a terrible knocking that I thought was terminal. Turns out it was a stuck hydraulic tappet so with a good flush it’s now running beautifully. Relieved doesn’t even begin to describe how I feel. Plenty to do before RR Weekender though!
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luckygti
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I feel that I should add to the above, the fact that I doubt I'll ever be able to afford another mk2 saddens me greatly, you already have one and by the look of it its a pretty dam good one at at that. What else could you buy that will be as much fun ( anyone thats had a mk2 sideways knows what i mean ) and will make you money just by keeping it? Seriously mate keep it and do the engine swap you talked about, it will only add value to it and make it more fun. Win, win and just owning a mk2 makes you a winner mate. Can you tell I really want one? I hear you pal, but I don’t really get the use out of it, and I’d like someone else to get to enjoy the experience And I have another car coming next week, same name, different flavour!
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luckygti
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Posts: 4,912
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as for selling it that's simple don't ha ha We’ll see Nice as it is though, I need to thin out the fleet! It might just go back into storage!
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luckygti
Posted a lot
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Erm, almost as embarrassing as the Escort, but only about a year, so not quite as bad? So, I think I left about half way through fitting the tent. That’s done, and it has been used in anger (you might have seen it at RR Weekender last year?) where it provided sterling service as both a place to sleep, and a place to cook (not in the tent obviously! On the back ) Of course, there was other work to do though. Like removing the dash to fit a new heater fan. That was fun.... While I was there, I fitted a separate heater control knob as the standard one kept bending cables. Working heater, happy wife! I had reconstructive knee surgery last year, so it put paid to me driving a manual but I’d had some nice Audi Recaros just waiting to go in. When you type it like that it sounds so easy..... hahahaahaha. Wiring (again!),but I finally managed to get all of the buttons working. Th ere was no way to make the seats (at least the drivers) fit on the original VW seat mounts though so I finally bit the bullet and drilled the spot welds out and fitted the original Audi runners. ‘Like a glove’ as Matt from Urchfab would say (check him out on YouTube!) the passenger seat is on a swivel, but I’ll be swapping the runners on that at some stage as there’s some ‘interference’! So, what’s next. Well I bought a lift kit and some wheels so it’ll look a bit like this soon This being my inspiration. But first I need to sort out a small engine issue......
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luckygti
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Erm, it’s been a while . Let me start by saying that she’s back on the road (lumpy as hell, static tuned but still pinking, and still with a lying temperature gauge.....) but, I drove her today But, she’ll probably be up for sale soon as I may have secured a car that I’ve wanted since they day they came out..... Anyway, it has not been an easy road (is it ever?) and a simple engine rebuild turned into welding, paint, some electrics and a not so simple engine build (or exhaust fitting). Lying under the car thinking, blimey, this should be done soon (will mucking around with the gearbox mount) I spied what looked suspiciously like carpet.... yes, from under the car and with a bit of judicious poking it was indeed carpet. On both sides. In both foot wells. Now if you’re familiar with my DoKa rebuild you’ll know that good looking welding is not one of my fortes so the search for a body shop to do decent repairs, and complete the engine rebuild (i’d timed the cam but wanted a second opinion! And I found one. Eventually. So, off it went for a month to have some love. Back it came and I thought while I was at it I’d tidy up some of the electrics. Now, I’m no expert but I’m pretty sure wiring an electric fan in by twisting the wires together with the fag lighter explains why the fuse constantly blew. There was a lot of that going on. I also added in an Odyssey battery and moved it back inside the car to try and cure the struggling starting issues, a battery cut off, fan controller and a couple of new gauges. Neither of which work satisfactorily An MOT later (the gearbox mount which I’d asked the welder to weld the tabs on was held on by one bolt (loose), one wheel was on the verge of falling off and the emissions were sky high. Eventually it passed, and then promptly spat its teddies out of the pram by ejecting coolant out of the heater matrix. Now I could have just bypassed it, but it was October, freezing and I do like to have a working heater. So out the interior came (again) with most of the dash and in went a new matrix. Success...... No. finally booked it in for a static tune (before a rolling road session next week), jumped in the drivers seat and it promptly ripped out one of the seat bolts where the thread had basically rotted away! It went to the garage today, and that’s where we are. I’m not sure I’m back in love with this car yet, but I’m really not sure if I want to get rid either..... if it stays, it’s getting an ST170 lump, RX8 gearbox and original management and the pinto can go to a rally car owner! More to follow, including pictures when it’s clean!
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luckygti
Posted a lot
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Posts: 4,912
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Sept 17, 2018 11:12:50 GMT
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Well I've finally reached the end, and your hardwork has certainly paid off. Re hand-painting vehicles, have you by any chance come across Tekaloid 318 Single Pack Coach Enamel? From my experience of using it, it most definitely works and if care is taken the finish is most certainly as good as other brands, if not better. Just a thought. Haven't come across it to be honest. The Rustoleum has worked really well, but it is definitely down to the prep and taking your time. It's due a refresh now
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