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. Thought i'd share my latest project this with everyone, I started this just over 12 months back so there will be lots of pics. I had been putting this off for a while, but I had the doner Sierra for about 17 months and the Escort has been stored in my mates then my garage since about January 07. The Escort was one of the last 80 spec and first 90 spec cars, It actually left the factory with full 90 spec interior but 80 spec front bumper and boot spoiler. I'm undesided as wether or not to go for full 90 spec exterior aswell I have 95% of all the parts required for this build and the only major parts I need are a rad and possibly turbo. So I make a start, and 1st up was the Sierras turn                  The Sierra shell was mint so i'm off to a good start :-) Then it was the Escorts turn, The 1st few pics are from when I took the car off the road, It was striped of all it's running gear about 4 years ago and fitted to a Cabby XR3i which I sold after 7 months :-)    Up to date pics                And the rusty bits :-(       The Escort shell as a whole is good, it's just from the rear door piller to the rear lower quarter that needs some attention, I've seen a hell of a lot worse so not an issue Plus I wanted a genuine RS logbook :-) I actually cut up a Cabby that the body work was battered to death on, but the whole underside was 99% mint, I kept all the bits I new I needed so hopefully, panel wise, I should be ok. The out side I'll be going for a totaly original look apart from the wheels, but I will be running Ford 15"'s, Either 3dr Cosworth or the 4x4 Saff wheels, just need to find out the offset difference's and find out if they'll fit over standard 2WD hub's/brakes. I'll get it upto how it is today over the next week or so as there are a curse word load of pics. Ginger |
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Last Edit: Feb 8, 2021 11:07:19 GMT by gingexr2t
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Apr 19, 2012 11:45:33 GMT
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Drizz
Part of things
Posts: 337
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Apr 19, 2012 15:14:08 GMT
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'like'  |
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MGF VVC 160
MG Midget
Metro Turbo
200 BRM
Range Rover Classic TD5
Discovery Premium 300TDi
Defender 90
Rover 420 GSi Sport Turbo
Discovery Extreme 300TDi
Range Rover P38
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qwerty
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 2,420
Club RR Member Number: 52
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Apr 19, 2012 15:31:54 GMT
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Looks like a very cool project.
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Apr 20, 2012 19:51:11 GMT
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i do like the look of this project , my daughters are the same always want to come to the garage with me when I'm messing about with my cars . Good luck with the project and look forward to some more updates and pics. |
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Maximum signature image height: 80 pixels
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hamps
Posted a lot
www.medwayrscentre.co.uk
Posts: 2,077
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Apr 20, 2012 20:25:05 GMT
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Love it |
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Apr 20, 2012 22:46:04 GMT
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Last Edit: Apr 22, 2012 10:24:46 GMT by gingexr2t
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Apr 20, 2012 22:46:51 GMT
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Edited as it was showing the same pics 4 times  Ginger |
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Last Edit: Apr 22, 2012 10:27:21 GMT by gingexr2t
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Apr 21, 2012 16:11:02 GMT
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Do u really youve loaded the same lot of pictures on 4 times :S progress is looking good tho  |
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Nobody dies a virgin, because lifes curse word us ALL
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Apr 22, 2012 10:30:11 GMT
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Cheers for point that out mate, don't know what happened there :-)
Ginger
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ftz313
Part of things
Posts: 221
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Apr 22, 2012 21:32:08 GMT
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Very interesting mate. I've got a similar project but I started with a 2.8i xr4x4.
Keep up the good work.
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gt
Part of things
Posts: 136
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Apr 22, 2012 22:27:35 GMT
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very good project this is going to be good, i but you are seeing spot welds in your sleep |
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Apr 23, 2012 17:35:32 GMT
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. Very interesting mate. I've got a similar project but I started with a 2.8i xr4x4. Keep up the good work. Hope you get a thread started, love looking at how different people do these conversions I bet you are seeing spot welds in your sleep Tell me about it, I hate drilling them out, they take for ever and the spots are always bigger then the actual drill bit  Ginger . |
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Last Edit: Apr 23, 2012 17:39:21 GMT by gingexr2t
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Apr 23, 2012 22:32:20 GMT
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After removing the Sierra floor off the chassis rails and cross section, and removing the BADLY corroded Escort chassis rails, i moved on to offering up the the Sierra axle, with the rials and cross section attached to see if it were possible to get them close enought to the floor to use/retain them. ANSWER...........NO, but almost. With the rails and cross section fitted and offered right up to the Escort floor the I couldn't get the drive shaft angles needed nor get the diff out put in the right place/angle. I could have just made a diff mount so the diff sat higher, but this ment that the front axle mounts were to low, as were the turrets, this ment there was almost NO shock movement as they were 3/4 compressed :-( I'll let the pics explain     look at the shaft angles, NOT GOOD :-(    Plus this was the camber issue   how far the the rails sit off the Escort floor    Then i removed the sierra section to see were it need to go, look at the difference in shaft angles, this is with the wheels at a nice right hight, about 25-30mm lower than standard right hight :-) :-) :-)  this is where diff needs to sit (IMO) for the correct shaft angles and camber.  So this is the hole i ended up with in the rear seat floor section for the axle hoop not to foul the floor ( this will be sorted at a later date)   More pics in a few days. Ginger . |
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ftz313
Part of things
Posts: 221
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Very interesting mate. I've got a similar project but I started with a 2.8i xr4x4. Keep up the good work. Hope you get a thread started, love looking at how different people do these conversions Ginger Its a long story but basically I did what you've done in turning the sierra into a rolling shell a foot high. I had previously made a 'pointer' which went into the front dshaft and rear axle to get the wheelbase spot on. I then cut out the complete fiesta front end upto the back seats and rolled my sierra front end in and used my pointer to get the wheelbase right. There was a lot of measuring from bulkhead to strut tops to make sure it was straight and I was using a small magnetic angle meter on the struts to make sure they were showing the right amount of castor etc. There were flats bits on the shell so I was also using spirit levels to get it all straight, side to side and front to back. The secret is to do it on a level floor. Unfortunately that was some years ago and the project is lying unloved under soooo much junk whilst I faff about with old skodas and the like ! |
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ftz313
Part of things
Posts: 221
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The problem with sierra back ends is that whenever they 'load' up you just go to negative camber. If there is little suspension travel the change in camber isn't as bad/manageable. That's why the Escort WRC car circa 1997 went with a much better back end. Think subaru etc.
I've had this thought now for a while but never managed to do anything with it but if you strip off your sierra 'hub' off the axle what you end up with is a 'hub' containing the wheelbearing through which the driveshaft bolts through and brakes bolt onto etc.
I've not done this yet but I've been thinking if you get a mk5 escort back axle you end up with,once you've taken off the wheel bearing etc a vertical flat flange!!!!
If this was drilled and a suitable sierra driveshaft hole machined out so that a driveshaft could run through it a la sierra style then you could bolt your sierra 'hub' onto the escort axle. You could space out the flange from the axle to get the sierra driveshafts to fit in unmodified. Naturally you would have to make a diff holder but that wouldn't be hard.
The attraction with this is you could run a petrol tank in the same place and put a tunnel into the tank and have the prop run through it. Again subaru style.
The benefit of this though is that when the escort axle compresses the wheels goes straight up and down and you don't have the big camber changes.
You also don't need to cut the rear seat as well and I am sure the mounting point for the axle would be easy to make.
The final issue is the rear shocker could be made to fit a std shell but you would have to move the mounting point forward on the axle (because as std the driveshaft would want to hit them).
As I said I've not done it yet and it's late and I am tired but I hope this makes sense?
I.
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With the position of the axle figured out i started onto some of the repair work needed before i can turn the car over on the spit. I needed to replace both chassis rails, and both rear lower corners, the drivers side was the worst, but i manged to get the parts of a good convertable shell that i cut up about 3 years ago, I new i needed them so just kept both rear sides of the car after cutting it up, Removing the rails took about 4 hours and to say they were MINT is an understatement, after sand blasting i could easy have passed them of as NOS. The lower rear corners were also salvaged, the drivers side was the better of the 2 but both usable. All parts that blasted have been red oxided. Well it's starting to go back together    refitted   Drivers chassis rail    salvaged driver lower rear corner   to replace this (it was trimmed down and welded in along the floor line so as to hide the join:-) )    chassis rail and lower corner welded in (lost pics of the out side corner section, will get some more taken)    Then started on the passenger side corner. From this  This was a bit harder as i had to use a small section of the original panel. Using this  And repairing this at the same time     trimmed down (before the small section was added on)  And pics of the finshed repairs.       had to make a small piece for here   welded in an filed back  And the finished repair, Again the join is at floor level so as to hide the join :-)   And the inner arch part.   It's coming along nice, and i'm pleased with my repair work so far, I'm gonna try to get some work done today, plus i need to make a small repair section for the passenger rear outter corner, i can get a repair panel but for the size of the section it seems silly to waste £30. Ginger |
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Well after a few wasted hours trying to use/modify the Sierra rear turrets i decided it's a no go, i had them in place (sort of)   The bar is the brace i made before cutting the car up, and you can see how fair they needed moving. Anyway, due to working 5-6 days a week i find it hard to get to places to pick up or get stuff fabricated, So i happened to be working around the corner from a local steel suppliers, as it was so close the tracker on my van would not be an issue :-) :-) So i managed to get a 1200x1800x2mm sheet of mild steel, after making a cardboard template i started marking up a 1 piece sheet to have folded, but after a visit from a mate it was apparent it was not possible on his folder, so i cut 4 bits and welded them up, only got the left side done, it is over size and does need a lot of trimming down, but you get the idea :-)      Ginger |
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Pressing on with the rear floor, turrets and cross member. One of my main concerns was strenght, a Mk4 Escort was never design to have any/little force going through the rear turrets so there just spot welded to the inner arch. A Sirrea on the other hand has the turret, cross member, chassis rails and floor all tied together. I've tried to replicate this and this is the outcome, It's not welded in as yet, but all shaped and trimmed like a puzzle ready to go. 1st, the tubs needed a filler panel on the forward sides Right  Left (got to plug weld the spot weld holes up on this side)  The new floor panel, with a slot cut out for the cross member to drop through.       Cross member fits through the slot in the floor panel, but sit on top of the chassis rails, and is shaped around the side of the rail were it will be fully seam welded.   under side, the centre will be boxed in and have mounting holes for the diff hanger    And the turret towers in place,       and the Sierra cups are fitted up through a hole that is a few mm's smaller in diameter, this was so that the cups have no chance of pushing through, not that the welds are likey to fail :-)   As you can see they'll all be nicely tied into each other and all seem welded up, I've got a few prep bit's to sort out 1st, but they should be all weled in by next weekend, if i get time :-( And last off, i picked up a set of wheels, £135 with Pilots, centres and a full set of locks with a new key :-):-):-):-):-)  Ginger |
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