Rebuild of a friend's Mk2 Ford Escort (RS-style)
MIG Welding Forum — Mk2 Ford Escort Project
Read the full write-up at MIG Welding Forum — Mk2 Ford Escort Project ↗
Photo: MIG Welding Forum — Mk2 Ford Escort ProjectFinishing a friend's Mk2 Ford Escort RS-style rebuild
Johnoxo took over this Mk2 Escort project after another person's bodywork and paint repairs stalled for months. He reworked the filler, welding and panel fit, then moved on to strut top corrosion repair, suspension and brake rebuilds, and painting the shell in Diamond White. The thread documents an RS-flavoured road car for occasional use and shows, still in progress, with engine, wiring and interior fitting yet to follow.
Specs
As stated in the original write-up.
- Engine
- 2.0 litre Ford OHC engine sourced from a Capri
- Gearbox
- Five-speed gearbox taken from a Capri
- Rear axle
- Standard axle fitted with tramp bars
- Front suspension
- Capri struts with lowered springs, new track rod ends and polybushes all round
- Rear suspension
- Rebuilt with new shocks
- Brakes
- Capri drums with standard discs
- Brake system rebuild
- New brake lines and steel flexi hoses, rebuilt calipers with new seal kits, new discs, pads and shoes
- Wheels
- RS alloy wheels with correctly sized tyres
- Paint
- Diamond White
Parts used
Parts named as used in the original write-up, grouped the way the Parts page groups them. Where one of the shops we index lists the same thing for this car, it is shown underneath with a link to the shop.
Engine 1
- 2.0 litre Ford OHC engine
Sourced from a Capri to power the Escort
In the shops
Ford Sierra Mk1 Pinto OHC Engine Gasket ↗Classic Parts Shack· £8.99 GBP
Sump Gasket Engine Set (Ford P100 Pinto OHC) ↗
Other Classic Car Parts Wolseley 1500 Saloon Car Parts· £14.95 GBP
Sump Gasket Engine Set (Ford Sierra Pinto OHC) ↗Other Classic Car Parts Wolseley 1500 Saloon Car Parts· £14.95 GBP
Gearbox & Drivetrain 1
- Five-speed gearbox
Taken from a Capri to pair with the 2.0 litre engine
In the shops
Getrag Five Speed Shifter Ring ↗
Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $1.09 USD
Five Speed Conversion Kit, LHD ↗Moss Europe (UK)· £2,100.00 GBP
Five Speed Conversion Kit, RHD ↗Moss Europe (UK)· £2,100.00 GBP
Suspension & Steering 4
- Home-made strut top reinforcing plates
Fabricated from 20 gauge sheet to replace corroded strut tops, bonded with seam sealer and plug welded in place
In the shops
Austin Healey 2 Seater Convertible top BN6 BN7 Everflex Made to Order ↗
Sports & Classics· $659.95 USD - Axle tramp bars
Fitted to the rear axle to control axle movement
In the shops
Anti-Tramp Bar Kit, 1965-74, Tube Axle ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $409.00 USD
Anti-Tramp Bar Kit (1962-67 Banjo Axle) ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $420.79 USD
Anti Tramp Bar Axle Bracket (Atlas/English Axle) ↗
Evans & Son Rally Spares· £6.81 GBP - Capri front struts with lowered springs
Fitted to the front suspension along with new track rod ends and polybushes
In the shops
Lowered Front Spring Set ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $179.99 USD
Lowered Front Spring Set ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $159.99 USD
Lowered Front Spring Set by Moss ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $179.99 USD - New rear shock absorbers
Fitted during the rear suspension rebuild
In the shops
Rear Shock Absorber Bump Stop ↗
TRGB· £3.25 GBP
Shock Absorber, Left Rear (MGB) ↗
bpnorthwest.com· $279.85 USD
Rear Shock Absorber (Spitfire, GT6) ↗bpnorthwest.com· $22.70 USD
Brakes 4
- Capri drum brakes
Fitted alongside standard discs
- Brake lines and steel flexi hoses
Replaced as part of the brake system rebuild
- Rebuilt calipers with new seal kits
Overhauled with new seals, discs, pads and shoes
In the shops
Caliper Seal Repair Kit ↗
Racetorations· £18.00 GBP
Brake Caliper Seal Kit (Type 12) ↗TRGB· £7.65 GBP
Brake Caliper Seal Kit (Type 14) ↗TRGB· £9.85 GBP - New handbrake cable
Fitted during the brake rebuild
Wheels & Tyres 1
- RS alloy wheels
Fitted with correctly sized tyres rather than undersized stretched ones
Body & Trim 2
- Hammerite black paintHammerite
Used to paint black trim areas including door tops, rear quarter glass surrounds and grille area
In the shops
Hammerite, aerosol, black, 400ml ↗Moss Europe (UK)· £14.50 GBP
Hammerite, brush-on, black, 250ml ↗Moss Europe (UK)· £11.00 GBP
Hammerite Rust Remover, 500ml ↗Moss Europe (UK)· £13.32 GBP - Waxoyl underbody treatmentWaxoyl
Applied, in places twice, after undersealing the underside
In the shops
Underbody Seal, 500ml ↗Moss Europe (UK)· £10.00 GBP
Underbody Seal, 1 litre ↗Moss Europe (UK)· £21.25 GBP
Underbody Seal, 1 litre, Schutz ↗Moss Europe (UK)· £15.96 GBP
Photos
14 pictures collected from the write-up, in the order they were posted, shown from MIG Welding Forum — Mk2 Ford Escort Project. A picture opens larger here, with the way through to the page it is on.
Johnoxo · 2012-10-21T21:04:10+0100 3this post at MIG Welding Forum — Mk2 Ford Escort Project ↗
Johnoxo · 2012-10-21T21:08:00+0100 1this post at MIG Welding Forum — Mk2 Ford Escort Project ↗
Johnoxo · 2012-10-21T21:18:55+0100 2this post at MIG Welding Forum — Mk2 Ford Escort Project ↗
Johnoxo · 2012-11-15T23:35:05+0000 5this post at MIG Welding Forum — Mk2 Ford Escort Project ↗
Johnoxo · 2012-11-15T23:40:47+0000 1this post at MIG Welding Forum — Mk2 Ford Escort Project ↗
Johnoxo · 2012-11-15T23:45:30+0000 2this post at MIG Welding Forum — Mk2 Ford Escort Project ↗
How it was done
Starting condition
The car had already had some bodywork and paint attention from another person, but progress had been slow. Johnoxo was brought in to inspect and finish the job, which meant redoing filler and primer, welding the wings back on properly and completing the lower back panel, which had previously been poorly shaped.
Strut top and reinforcement repair
Grinding back filler on the strut tops revealed hidden corrosion, requiring a fabricated repair plate on the nearside. Rather than buy RS-style reinforcing plates, Johnoxo cut and shaped his own from sheet steel, later bonding them on with seam sealer and plug welding them in place to protect against water ingress.
Panel and paint preparation
A misaligned front panel meant the front spoiler needed levelling. Doors, boot lid and bonnet were prepped, rubbed down and primed. Several coats of high-build primer and filler followed before the shell received its first coats of Diamond White paint, with black trim areas picked out separately.
Mechanical rebuild
Once paint was underway, attention turned to mechanicals: the underside was undersealed and waxoyled, the rear suspension was stripped, cleaned and rebuilt with new shocks, and the front end received Capri struts, lowered springs, new track rod ends and polybushes. The brake system was rebuilt with new lines, hoses, calipers, discs, pads, shoes and a handbrake cable.
Progress so far
By the latest update the shell was painted and the suspension and brakes largely rebuilt. Still to come were the petrol tank and fuel lines, wiring harness and spotlight wiring, sorting the rear end, fitting engine ancillaries, and starting on the doors and interior, so the build remained unfinished.
A summary in our own words. The full account, with all its detail, is in the original write-up: read it at MIG Welding Forum — Mk2 Ford Escort Project ↗