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Oct 15, 2012 23:10:04 GMT
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I like this a lot! Will be keeping an eye, just in case it comes up for sale Thanks Dude but I've promised first refusal to someone else on RR (who declared "WANT!" within 24 hours of me picking it up) and it seems to have a fair queue of people beyond Mr Bizzle all wanting to know where they stand in line if/when it comes up for sale I'm afraid. I don't think it'll be looking to part with it anytime too soon though. ....like all the holes in that valence. I think after your fun exploits at the weekend you can understand my frustration at only having a few minutes to decide which route to go with this knowing 'him next door' was supposed to be starting the paint prep. Pog certainly would have been the easier route, but also not the right one. I'm glad (in hindsight) that I went the route I did. If it starts to rust through again then I'll be fitting a new front panel....but making sure I have the time to do it without too much pressure. Either way, ftw. Got any spare amber indicators? lol So you know Speedy? You should come along to Area 52 sometime ;D I'm in love with your RS - I prefer them by quite a long way to the RST and would love to have one myself, but alas, I'd probably end up cosseting it and not using it which would be a shame because they are such a great drivers car. I'm afraid I don't have any spare amber lenses Liking this a lot. Can't wait for updates... Another one coming in a minute. If you're interested, I will be selling them. I haven't advertised them yet, but I won't be putting them back on the car so they're basically up for grabs. Goddamn mk3's are the bomb! I miss my series 1 like crazy but I always loved the combi's, we need more combi loviness! Top work fella, look forward to seeing this progress Thanks buddy. One thing though - this isn't a Combi. The Combi is the three door van/estate thing...like this but in Mk3 guise (I can't find a pic of a Mk3 one!) Well, that's what I always thought a Combi was anyway? Happy to be proved wrong. Looks good, especially with the colour-coded bumpers! Mk1 Orion grille and RS1600i front spoiler would look nice. Thanks Dude. I'm not going to be going the 'tried and tested' route with this car. A few aspects will be 'standard issue' Escort mods, but the majority will be more leftfield....partly because I don't like to follow too much of a well trodden formula and partly 'just because'. Been waiting for this thread since I saw this crop up on instagram. I <3 this car and mk3/4 more door escort estates so much its untrue. Seriously looking forward to reading how it got to its awesome state. Hi Alex, I guess you'll have seen most of the photos because 90% of them are on Instagram....but you won't have known most of the story behind them. I hope the evolution lives up to the expectation? Thanks for the kind comments BTW. Wouldn't have given this a second look fifteen years ago. I can't work out why I think it's sooo supercool now. It is I've always liked the Mk3 Escorts ever since a few of my mates had them back around 90/91. I've had a bit of a secret yearning to own one since and felt now was the right time to do so. Back then, I'd never have seen myself behind the wheel of an estate though. How things change! Give me this over an XR3i anyday! (seriously) Can I ask where you got the serck font plates from please? You always have fantastic cars, and you have a great eye for detail I got them from these people: www.a1showplates.com/creator.html?type=showSelect 'Euro Style' from the font menu and make sure you choose the simple border too for the authentic 80's dealer look! Haven't seen another four door MK3 Estate in a long time - as you said, everyones after the two doors/combis etc... We've got an A reg (1.3 CVH) tucked away in one of the lock ups with 39,000 miles from new... Keep up the good work and keep the updates rolling! Thanks Dude. They certainly do seem to be a bit thin on the ground and solid ones seem to be creeping up in value. I think I may have bought mine at the right time. Would be great to see some pics of yours - I bet it's a bit of a minter with 39k on the clock? One of my fave cars for a while. Love everything about it. Would be interested in buying if it ever went.... Hi Ade, I was pretty flattered when you previously said it was one of your fave cars. Still flattered now! Thanks Dude. (I'm afraid I'll have to point you to my comment somewhere above for details on joining the queue of potential buyers...it seems Mk3 Wagons are in demand!)
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Oct 15, 2012 23:39:19 GMT
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I'd found the brown plastic steering wheel a bit, well, plasticky but really didn't like the thought of losing all that lovely retro wholesome browny goodness by fitting a black or grey leather steering wheel which seem to be about 99.9% of the choice wherever you look. This lead to me scouring eBay for a while before finding then purchasing a Porsche 924 leather wheel in a fetching shade of, yeah, you've guessed it....POO BROWN, for not a lot of money. About £20 if I remember correctly? Fitting it wasn't straight forward in the slightest, but I never let anything like that stop me from getting what I want. Going from brown moulded vinyl wheel to Porsche cowhide wheel went something like this: "Mystery Machines traveller low budget 'lucky' method of fitting wheels from a different manufacturer"Rather than spending out £40+ for a steering wheel boss adaptor, I manage to source an old and rather unloved XR3i vinyl steering wheel for the grand total of sweet FA. The plan was to cut out the centre 'spline' part from the XR3i wheel and somehow affix it to the Porshe wheel. My initial plan of welding the two together was scuppered when I saw the Escort wheel centre was made from alloy instead of steel. Unlucky. In the pic you can just make out that the Escort 'splines' are in fact a hexagon rather than a set of small splines like most manufaturers use (like the Porsche wheel for example) so it wasn't like the 924 wheel would even come close to fitting without some lateral thinking. Not one to be defeated I set about chopping up the Escort wheel while I tried to think of some way to mate the Escort centre to the Porsche wheel As I hacked and chopped my way through the outer skin and inner foam of the wheel I discovered something that had me grinning from ear to ear: Really? REALLY? Could this really be what I think it is...moulded deep inside this wheel? Some serial wheel butchery later and I simply couldn't believe my eyes. Ford, for some strange and inexplicable reason, had deemed it a good idea to mould a 6 bolt boss into the centre of their steering wheel. I was not about to start complaining. Far from it! Just to confirm it wasn't some elaborate illusion, I dug out the foam from the centre of each bolt to reveal a nice cap head bolt. PERFECT! Yep...this was for real. With all six bolts removed I frantically chopped up the rest of the wheel using a combination of hacksaw, stanley knife and bread knife. After a short while I was staring at a perfectly formed little aluminium boss courtesy of Ford. For free! AMAZING! How many Ford owners do you think knew about this little gem? Not many I bet? Part 2 of my wheel fitting to come tomorrow....
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If your previous threads are anything to go by Bruce, I'm sure this one will be suitably brilliant. The boss find was nicely lucky. Looks pretty much exactly the same as the motorsport boss ford did for the 3 and 4 spoke wheels. Look forward to the next update
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speedy88
Club Retro Rides Member
"Nice Cortina mate"
Posts: 2,277
Club RR Member Number: 118
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I think I've expressed how much I love this, once again in awe of your work. Nice one Bruce!
As for UJN879Y... his 360 was identical to Jon's 340. Guess where Jon's louvre came from?
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If your previous threads are anything to go by Bruce, I'm sure this one will be suitably brilliant. The boss find was nicely lucky. Looks pretty much exactly the same as the motorsport boss ford did for the 3 and 4 spoke wheels. Look forward to the next update Thanks Dude, although this build won't be anywhere near the detail or length of my other threads. If this thread was coffee it would be an espresso (I think. I'm alergic to coffee so don't really know what I'm talking about!) As for the boss, it was a very lucky find and if it is like the ones for the 3 & 4 spoke wheels then it's an even bigger bonus because it was free (always my favourite price) As for UJN879Y... his 360 was identical to Jon's 340. Guess where Jon's louvre came from? AHA! It all makes sense now. I remember (somewhere) reading the for sale thread for all the parts and being impressed at how much money was in the car. It's really nice to see it went into something like that 1600i....a cast iron investment. Steering wheel antics part deux: Putting the focus on the 924 wheel now, I grind off the welds allowing me to remove the hub and collapsible section: ...then flap wheel them back to give a nice flat surface for the Ford boss Line up the Escort boss and check the it's all perfectly centred (I forgot to get a photo of my amazing jig that I created!) Drill some holes... VOILA! Escort boss meets Porsche wheel. All I now had to do was trim the rear cover down enough to sit neatly against the steering column shroud. Looks simple here, but this probably took the longer than everything so far....just trying to get it to sit 'right' with minimal gap. Lots and lots of offering up/trimming/offering up/trimming (seemingly ad infinitum) ensued. I added some black insulating tape to the back of the boss. This was in case any of the boss was visible between the rear cover and the steering column shroud. Black would be a lot more annoying that bright silver showing through. Luckily, in reality, the gap is so small (like 1/2mm) that you can't see anything through. That makes me happy. Now fully trimmed, the rear cover is fitted The pile of leftovers. FITTED! Despite how it appears in the photo, it's a perfect colour match for the dashboard and surrounding plastics and it's SOOO nice to use compared to the plastic fantastic original one. Looks suitably 'period correct' too. For my £20 outlay and a few hours tinkering, I think it's probably one of my fave steering wheels in any of my cars (with the exception of the LR one of course!)
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I for one love an estate dropped on allis
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This is a nice little hack. (And once again I'm not happy about the strict German TÜV regulations.)
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Del
South East
Posts: 1,448
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Oct 16, 2012 18:11:48 GMT
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Thanks Dude but I've promised first refusal to someone else on RR (who declared "WANT!" within 24 hours of me picking it up) and it seems to have a fair queue of people beyond Mr Bizzle all wanting to know where they stand in line if/when it comes up for sale I'm afraid. I don't think it'll be looking to part with it anytime too soon though. Never mind! Having seen the interior shots, not sure it'd totally be my cup of tea, as to quote Waynetta Slob 'I don' like braaaan!'
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Last Edit: Oct 16, 2012 18:41:14 GMT by Del
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VND
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,224
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Oct 16, 2012 19:19:56 GMT
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That looks ubercool sir. Bookmarked as MM threads increase in win by multiples of the page count.
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bryn
Posted a lot
Posts: 3,913
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Oct 16, 2012 19:57:39 GMT
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You know what I think... Carry on ;D
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Volvo, Buggy, Discovery and an old tractor.
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hkr91
South East
Posts: 559
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Oct 16, 2012 19:57:39 GMT
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Last Edit: Oct 16, 2012 20:16:59 GMT by hkr91
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luckygti
Posted a lot
I need to try harder!
Posts: 4,912
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Oct 16, 2012 19:58:34 GMT
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Epic steering wheel usage mate. The porker wheel looks brilliant, it looks so right in there that no one is going to have a clue how much effort went into its fitting. And that's the point really mate, this sums all of your cars up. Looking forward to the next update.
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Oct 16, 2012 21:17:22 GMT
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nice mk3 - now off to ebay to have a nose for one!!
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1965 Mk1 Mini 1989 Porsche 911 3.2 Carrera Sport 2004 Audi A2 TDi 2007 Lotus Exige S 2011 Mini Cooper SD
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rodney
Posted a lot
https://www.facebook.com/RD-vehicle-transport-and-recovery-services-525622614268010/
Posts: 1,677
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Oct 16, 2012 22:58:53 GMT
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love what you done with the steering wheel , don't look outta place,.
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facebook: rodney dean / rd transport
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Nice purchases, you rarely see Mk3's anymore let alone estates, I'll be interested to see where this goes. P.S That number plate isn't quite right, my old one came from the same garage when new, (not that it matters). Candor number plate logo by Trigger's Retro Road Tests!, on Flickr
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OUTRUN
Part of things
13...
Posts: 620
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Oct 17, 2012 11:07:22 GMT
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Nice work on steering wheel fitment/boss unearthing MM!
I am indeed the louvre provider lol. Unfortunately it is not too easy for me to call into A52 - I live in the North East.
I do get down Brizzle/Taunton way on occasion though, so will hopefully pop in for a butchers one day!
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I need your help to get back to the year 1985.
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Oct 17, 2012 11:58:44 GMT
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I for one love an estate dropped on allis Thanks Dude, It sits a little bit lower now (photos and details to come later in the thread) but the Cloverleafs have gone and have been replaced with something, I reckon, that suits it a little more. This is a nice little hack. (And once again I'm not happy about the strict German TÜV regulations.) It's a fantastic little car and I love driving it. I do want to get it up in the air sometime and give it a serious dose of underseal and cavity wax. Because it's a daily I want to try and preserve it and prevent the rust from taking hold which is what seems to have killed so many Fords from this era. Never mind! Having seen the interior shots, not sure it'd totally be my cup of tea, as to quote Waynetta Slob 'I don' like braaaan!' You don't like brown? What's wrong with you man? One of my fave things about the car is the fact the interior isn't a sea of life sapping greyness. I guess we can't all be the same though. You know what I think... Carry on ;D Many thanks guys. Bryn, I've tried to call you...to no avail. Give me a call when you get a free minute please? Heres my XR3 from CSG (in Prairie Yellow): That's a lovely collection you've got there. I especially like the XR3...it looks absolutely perfect in that colour (much jealousy from me!) The plans sound good too. I have thought about Zetec'ing mine but don't want a massive amount of work. I've got an EFi (from an XR2i) lined up which hopefully should be a bit more straightforward but I want to try and find some info from someone who's done it first so that I can check I've got everything I need....I'd ideally like to do the conversion in a weekend so I can carry on using the car straight after. ....it looks so right in there that no one is going to have a clue how much effort went into its fitting. And that's the point really mate... I think that's the thing, I like everything to look 'right' and most of the time it really doesn't show how much work went into it. It doesn't really matter though because 'I' know and when I drive the car, it gives even more of a sense of satisfaction. nice mk3 - now off to ebay to have a nose for one!! There's a Mk3 dr hatch in the RR for sale section right now. MUCH CHEAPS too - especially when you factor in that the guy has just put a fresh MOT on it. Mk3's seem to be gradually climbing in price and are getting harder to find in good condition. With that in mind, I don't think it'll hang aroud for long. love what you done with the steering wheel , don't look outta place,. Thanks Dude. One thing I like about the wheel is that the Porsche emblem is very subtle so it is only really noticable when you look very close. I don't think I'd like it anywhere near as much if it had a really obvious Porsche badge in the centre like most of their wheels. Unfortunately it is not too easy for me to call into A52 - I live in the North East. I do get down Brizzle/Taunton way on occasion though, so will hopefully pop in for a butchers one day! Aha! Well, make sure you do pop in the next time you're in the area.
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Del
South East
Posts: 1,448
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Oct 17, 2012 12:03:23 GMT
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You don't like brown? What's wrong with you man? One of my fave things about the car is the fact the interior isn't a sea of life sapping greyness. I guess we can't all be the same though. I think it's the N10 Cherry I had, which had an interior that looked like it'd had been coated in melted Caramacs, that put me off braaan ;D I strangely like that mossy green that you see occasionally, though
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Oct 17, 2012 12:12:28 GMT
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My car came with the original rear dealer plate, just like yours...but not the front one. I wanted to have matching front and rear plates (nice shiny new ones too!) and really wanted to have them in the period looking Serck font...and the nearest I could get to 'original' looks was to choose the most suitable font to put across the bottom from their 'plate designer' when I was ordering them. I'd love to make some mini-repro logos and have the plates re-made with them at the bottom instead for true authentic looks, but it's finding somewhere that will do it that's the biggest problem (i.e. front & rear plates with the original style Candor logo and in Serck style font) I would do it myself if I could get the reflective vinyl and plate blanks. Not an easy thing nowadays. Worry not, I've kept the original dealer rear plate in a safe place. If it's any consolation I did make this a while back....(details copied from another thread I started back in July) So you're car still has one of the original dealer logo plates on....always a good sign. In the rear window is some residue from what looks like the outline of an old dealer logo....how cool would it be to have that old logo back again? I did some research and found that Candor Ford (from Colchester) is now Dovercourt and has been for some time. No chance of ringing them up and grabbing some stickers from them then....even if the design was the same all these years later. No point dwelling on that, time to get stuck in. After some searching on the internet I found this photo on Flickr of a Candor dealer sticker which was in the back window of a Ford Escort: The photographer also very kindly had snapped a close-up of the logo too: I know I could have used the one on the registration plate as a template but it's very small and not that well defined. Having this photo of the actual sticker was a better starting point. Load into photoshop ...and then into Lens Correction. This is because the photo was taken at a slight angle and has some perspective to it. I need it to be as flat and straight as possible. A few tweaks later I've got it as straight and true as I can get it. Open it up in CAD and spend a few hours recreating the exact profile as a vector. Luckily I'd drawn the Ford logo a few years ago so already had that to drop into place. After some searching I found out the Candor logo is a modified version of the Eurostyle font. A little while later I'd modified it suitably to be a fairly accurate replica of the delaer logo. Accurate enough for me anyway.... What a lot of people don't understand with logos is that if you want one making as a sticker, you can't really just scan it and make a sticker from it. Vinyl cutters don't understand Jpeg and instead need a cutting path for the knife blade to follow. This comes in the form of a vector - a series of lines that are drawn to replicate the outlines of the logo. This can be VERY time consuming. There is software available to convert logos to vectors, but I have yet to find one accurate enough for my liking, so instead I carefully recreate the whole logo by hand. Some complicated logos can take many, many hours, even days! This one took me about three hours but some of that included finding the font (it would have been only slightly longer to draw the font lettering from scratch in this case) The finished logo as a vector path: For the dealer sticker, the logo has to be cut in reverse because it's going on the inside of the window. Also, because it's two colours and a vinyl cutter only works by cutting individual colours, I have to make two stickers (one in white and one in blue) then stick them together. The two crosses under the logo are the registration/alignment marks. These are used to line the two colours up as accurately as possible when it comes to putting the sticker together. CUT! The bottom two logos are a test run to check the accuracy/quality of the cut and that everything comes out how I wanted it to. The top 'blocks' of blue are the actual sticker. The easiest way to make the sticker is to have the entire background blue then have all the detail in white. It'll all make sense in a mo... The white sticker cut. You can't really see the registration marks on these, but they are there. The blue background sticker will be stuck over the top of this white sticker.... Transfer tape put over the blue background sticker ready to apply it to the white sticker. The registration marks of the white sticker have been coloured black with a sharpie. This is because they'll be almost impossible to see otherwise once the blue sticker and transfer paper go over the top of it. The blue sticker about to go onto the white. The registration marks will be lined up perfectly first before sticking the blue down. This is the trickiest part....getting it lined up. You only really get one shot at it, and with a logo like this where the outlines/borders are very fine around the edges, if it's off by even a millimetres it'll really show up (the outer border is only 1.5mm wide!). Accuracy is all important so being able to see the registration marks is essential. And it's done.....no going back! If it's out of alignment the sticker will look bad and will pretty much be scrap. Failure rate can be fairly high if you're not very careful. You can just make out some of the sticker through the backing paper. You won't ever really get to see the sticker in full effect until it's put in place on the car. OK, so it's a repro, but it's better than not having one at all. It's about as accurate as I can make it and I doubt you'd tell the difference even if you held an original one up against it, except maybe for the shade of blue, I had to use whatever vinyl I had and this was the nearest shade I could find. It's pretty close and I think even a Ford fanatic would have a hard time telling it's not a proper dealer sticker! As Bizzle always says, the devil's in the detail. I even stuck it slightly 'off true' to follow the exact line of where the original sticker had gone. Sad I know, but it's one of those things that I reckon just makes it work that much better....
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Oct 17, 2012 12:49:53 GMT
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Wow, good work on the sticker feller!
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Currently: 1974 Beetle - Golf -
Previously: e38 735i, e34 525iSE, 1972 Beetle, 1991 Scirocco Scala, Morris Minor, 1983 Polo Breadvan, 1991 Mazda MX6
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