1980 MKII Escort turbo estate - donor car sorted!

[Oldbus]

Well, where do I start?
As we had such a ball on track at the Gathering I thought it would be a good idea to build our own trackcar so that I don´t have to worry about breaking GTVJohn´s like this year

So I bought a cheap MKIV Escort and a Scorpio 24V and was going to make up one car out of the two...


..then this came up in the for sale ads...
MKII Escort

So what was the sensible thing to do, ignore it and move on or buy it based on a few pics and organise a trip to pick it up using the Channel tunnel on the weekend they decided to get stuck in the tunnel...

well yes you´ve guessed right- we joined the queue at Calais and got snowed in like thousands of others and spent the night in the car.

I´ll save you the details but we got the last train over and collected it Saturday lunchtime.



It´s a 1980 ex MOD lhd MKII Escort estate. According to the VIN it was built in April 1980, getting registered in the UK in Sept. 1986 hence the V plate.


After an interesting return trip (thanks for putting us up again Grizz involving lots of snow and ice it´s now safe and sound at oldbus garages





With it having MOD spec that means it has no goodies...




which is good as it´ll mean I have less to rip out once we start preparing it for the track





One thing it does have is plenty of this though.....


which is not a problem as i´ve just bought a new welder ;D








I´d originally planned to race this next year but I want to restore the bodywork properly so can´t see any racing happening until 2011 - just means i´ll have to screw the b*lls off the Capri next year instead ;D

As soon as i´ve got the van finished for GTVJohn i´ll strip the Escort, get it on it´s side and dig out all the grot.

As it´ll be raced it won´t be getting any sound deadening or carpets or underseal so want to get it looking right.

Enginewise i´ve got a 2,9 24V lying around in the corner so unless I come up with something lighter and cheap with more than 200BHP I can see it finding its way underneath the bonnet sometime next year.

I wonder if the Granada LSD rear axle that I have hiding in the corner can be made to fit?
According to the guys at Classic Ford the Estate shell is lighter than the Saloon so I think i´ll do a running count on kilos saved - only to ruin it all by getting in it - maybe I should lose some weight too?

It´s early days yet but I can start collecting spares and as soon as anything happens i´ll let you know.

Can´t wait to get stuck in again... ;D

Cheers,
Dave

[An Fear Ó Dhoire]

Bookmarked to fup.

[claymore]

Dave, put a Mk1 front on it,

[Oldbus]

Dec 24, 2009 16:44:40 GMT claymore said:

Dave, put a Mk1 front on it,

Bonnet and one wing are already organised mate

[Seth]

Should be a good build. Looks quite smart in the photos so the amount of rust is a bit scary!

Dec 24, 2009 16:16:34 GMT Oldbus said:

According to the guys at Classic Ford the Estate shell is lighter than the Saloon so I think i´ll do a running count on kilos saved - only to ruin it all by getting in it - maybe I should lose some weight too?

I'm more than happy to do the driving for you

[grizz]

Glad you have started a thread Dave.

As for the Mk1 bits, will keep an eye and ear out here too.

[hairnet]

want video of seth sideways init when its done ;D

d and j are nutters so yes but never seen da seth do owt like that ;D

[tri]

Awesome sauce! I'll be watching this closely, you never disappoint oldbus

[minitravellerman]

Going to be a cool project - bookmarked!! Good luck with it.

[rodit]

Sounds like this will be a good one to watch, as always OLDBUS ;D

Now get in it and have some fun in the snow while it don't matter about the bodywork ;D

[Oldbus]

Dec 26, 2009 15:02:20 GMT rodit said:

Sounds like this will be a good one to watch, as always OLDBUS ;D

Now get in it and have some fun in the snow while it don't matter about the bodywork ;D

Cheers guys.

I took it out for a blast today around the local lanes. It´s quite surprising how nippy these are in standard form

As i´ll be restoring the bodywork properly i might as well put it through a classic car engineers report once its done and get it back on the road before i start playing around with the runing gear - so you´ll be able to give it a blast around the roads once it´s done Seth ;D

[MK2VR6]

Looks like a fun project! Just noticed you are in Osnabruck - I have just come in from the cold outside after helping load my Suzuki SJ onto a trailer. I sold it on ebay to a chap called Uli who is taking it back to his home in Bramsche, which I believe is near to Osnabruck?!

[B-8-D]

looking ace will be watching this project with interest...

one thing though.. these 24v engines although they drive very nice and are pretty ok on fuel..
they are stinkingly heavy and ive seen a few std ones on the dyno they never do more than around 168hp so don't believe the 200hp claim as ive never seen close to that from a std one..
can be made to work though.. if youve seen that nice blue granada mk1 floating about with one in..
that had a jenvey throttle body conversion and management and did ok hp wise
no huge power but ok I think it was over 200hp..

maybe a ford smallblock? lighter than a 24v smaller too and tunable ..
or outside the box a 2.3 twincam can be done for 175hp with the usual filter/manifold/exhaust mods..

just a few ideas for you.
is it going to have tarmac arches??
si

[Oldbus]

Dec 27, 2009 8:16:58 GMT MK2VR6 said:

Looks like a fun project! Just noticed you are in Osnabruck - I have just come in from the cold outside after helping load my Suzuki SJ onto a trailer. I sold it on ebay to a chap called Uli who is taking it back to his home in Bramsche, which I believe is near to Osnabruck?!

So i´m not the only idiot daft enough to driving over to the UK buying cars
Bramsche is about half an hour down the road mate

Dec 27, 2009 8:31:02 GMT B-8-D said:

looking ace will be watching this project with interest...

one thing though.. these 24v engines although they drive very nice and are pretty ok on fuel..
they are stinkingly heavy and ive seen a few std ones on the dyno they never do more than around 168hp so don't believe the 200hp claim as ive never seen close to that from a std one..
can be made to work though.. if youve seen that nice blue granada mk1 floating about with one in..
that had a jenvey throttle body conversion and management and did ok hp wise
no huge power but ok I think it was over 200hp..

maybe a ford smallblock? lighter than a 24v smaller too and tunable ..
or outside the box a 2.3 twincam can be done for 175hp with the usual filter/manifold/exhaust mods..

just a few ideas for you.
is it going to have tarmac arches??
si

I´m a bit concerned about the weigth too Si,

the main reason i´d be going for the 24V is that I have one here that cost me nothing My mate Totti might be selling his rather tasty RS2000 engine next year - it´ll have about the same output as the 24V weighing in a bit lighter. We´ll see what the wallet says next year eh.....

if I can get my fingers on a cheapo small block i´d drop it in the Capri mate ;D

As far as the arches go i´m not sure which way to go at the moment - I don´t like bubble arches but i´ll have to look at a few estates or vans to see what the other arches look like.

[bortaf]

Dec 27, 2009 8:31:02 GMT B-8-D said:

looking ace will be watching this project with interest...

one thing though.. these 24v engines although they drive very nice and are pretty ok on fuel..
they are stinkingly heavy and ive seen a few std ones on the dyno they never do more than around 168hp so don't believe the 200hp claim as ive never seen close to that from a std one..
can be made to work though.. if youve seen that nice blue granada mk1 floating about with one in..
that had a jenvey throttle body conversion and management and did ok hp wise
no huge power but ok I think it was over 200hp..

maybe a ford smallblock? lighter than a 24v smaller too and tunable ..
or outside the box a 2.3 twincam can be done for 175hp with the usual filter/manifold/exhaust mods..

just a few ideas for you.
is it going to have tarmac arches??
si

Ive seen more than a few 24v on the rollers and 170bhp is about right AT THE REAR WHEELS the 200 quoted by Ford is at the flywheel
In fact I know a few on differant managment that put out 230ish at the fly and thats on a engine with well over 100K on it, people often get the power at the fly and power at the wheels confused
Small block is quoted at 260Kg dressed, 2,8 cologne 175 Kgs and the 24V is lighter than a normal 2.8 so the small block aint lighter is it ?
anyone know for sure what they weigh, you never know if the web list are right or not ?

www.team.net/sol/tech/engine.html

[B-8-D]

Dec 27, 2009 16:12:51 GMT bortaf said:

Dec 27, 2009 8:31:02 GMT B-8-D said:

looking ace will be watching this project with interest...

one thing though.. these 24v engines although they drive very nice and are pretty ok on fuel..
they are stinkingly heavy and ive seen a few std ones on the dyno they never do more than around 168hp so don't believe the 200hp claim as ive never seen close to that from a std one..
can be made to work though.. if youve seen that nice blue granada mk1 floating about with one in..
that had a jenvey throttle body conversion and management and did ok hp wise
no huge power but ok I think it was over 200hp..

maybe a ford smallblock? lighter than a 24v smaller too and tunable ..
or outside the box a 2.3 twincam can be done for 175hp with the usual filter/manifold/exhaust mods..

just a few ideas for you.
is it going to have tarmac arches??
si

Ive seen more than a few 24v on the rollers and 170bhp is about right AT THE REAR WHEELS the 200 quoted by Ford is at the flywheel
In fact I know a few on differant managment that put out 230ish at the fly and thats on a engine with well over 100K on it, people often get the power at the fly and power at the wheels confused
Small block is quoted at 260Kg dressed, 2,8 cologne 175 Kgs and the 24V is lighter than a normal 2.8 so the small block aint lighter is it ?
anyone know for sure what they weigh, you never know if the web list are right or not ?

www.team.net/sol/tech/engine.html

no I'm quoting estemated flywheel hp in the industry std sae din 98
on a dyno where I do some moonlighting..
seen about 5 on there all std pretty much apart from one on TB's ..
the one on TB's with management and tube manifolds made around 230 ish iirc..
prob is the factory spec hp is measured running no pullys no alternator waterpump exhaust etc.. so one can expect a drop on that..
like I say the ones ive personally seen on the dyno are just that there is prob a lot doing more hp its just the only thing I have to go on other than secondary evedence..
again the weight is a personal experience thing. I know that the weight of a 302 ford against a 2.8 is pretty simular.. and I thought a cossie was more heavy but that I admit is here-say as I havent measured both..

I do think they are good motors though.
I just thought I would add my 2p as its a track car then there may be better engines out there.. lighter even as cheep?!
I completly understand though that if the engine is sat there unused that would prob sway me into fitting it
mind you a turbo might not go amis too.. ;D
si

[fordf350camper]

Oldbus with you doing all these cars you will never find time looking for that bus you want.Looks like thats going to be a great estate

[Oldbus]

I think I must try and weigh the 24v i´ve got, will be interesting to see what they really weigh.

First of all i´m going to have to restore it back up to original spec so there´s no hurry with engines just yet - looking at the state of the bodywork it´ll take me a while to get all the rust sorted.

The 24v is only one option - i´m definately game for trying something different though as long as its clever and not just what everyone else is doing

Might be worth asking on the main page but what´s the best (read cheapest way to over 200BHP with a standard ish engine that will fit in the enginebay of a MKI Escort?


As far as the bus goes, that´s going to have to wait a few years - the one we´re after costs serious money (20,000ish for a wreck ) - which i´m not prepared to spend on a toy

[fordf350camper]

Buses fetch good money.I like opel blitz buses,fire trucks i have seen on german ebay

[bortaf]

Dec 27, 2009 17:43:51 GMT B-8-D said:

Dec 27, 2009 16:12:51 GMT bortaf said:

no I'm quoting estemated flywheel hp in the industry std sae din 98
on a dyno where I do some moonlighting..
seen about 5 on there all std pretty much apart from one on TB's ..
the one on TB's with management and tube manifolds made around 230 ish iirc..
prob is the factory spec hp is measured running no pullys no alternator waterpump exhaust etc.. so one can expect a drop on that..
like I say the ones ive personally seen on the dyno are just that there is prob a lot doing more hp its just the only thing I have to go on other than secondary evedence..
again the weight is a personal experience thing. I know that the weight of a 302 ford against a 2.8 is pretty simular.. and I thought a cossie was more heavy but that I admit is here-say as I havent measured both..

I do think they are good motors though.
I just thought I would add my 2p as its a track car then there may be better engines out there.. lighter even as cheep?!
I completly understand though that if the engine is sat there unused that would prob sway me into fitting it
mind you a turbo might not go amis too.. ;D
si

All I can say is what I have seen personly, ive seen 25 or so 24V on RRs and the lowest made 156 at the rear wheels the most was 172, all standard appart from the odd cone filter but in differant cars (cortina, capri, transit ect), having said that the chap who did 90% of the conversion knows what hes doing (and been doing it for the las t10 years or so) and does it well other instals I guess can loose power if ot done propperly or use a shagged engine?
the 230 one runs an Emerald ECU, no MAF, running closed loop but otherwise standard in a Mk5 cortina.
Come to think of it ive never actaully seen a 24V on a RR in a granada/scorpio

I cant give the flywheel estimate cos most operators ive been to don't do it only give rear wheel readings but using the rough conversion factor of trans drag for RWD they all came out at over or very close to the 200 Ford quoted.

Anyway sorry Dave for the thread hijack ;D

where exactly do you find the time
takes me a week to even think about undoing a bolt
I spose as a track car the V6 might affect the handling somewhat especialy in such a light car ?