MK3 XR3i 1 owner fsh, proper resto..update 13.5.11
24-01-2010, 09:05 PM
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MK3 XR3i 1 owner fsh, proper resto..update 13.5.11
Hi all gonna start a resto thread here as back in Nov I bought an 83 one owner ,FSH, xr3i thats been garaged for the last 10 years .. still had the 99 tax disc in the window. The plan is a full underbody paint , all running gear re powder coated full body paint , engine strip out etc and rebuild all as standard... - so here goes a few pics of when I picked the car up.... 
Last edited by gazm; 13-05-2011 at 12:26 PM.
24-01-2010, 09:54 PM
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so i have stripped the car out as per the pics and cleaned the carpet while I had the space ready for whenever i goes back in..... !
Rust by seat anchor hole offside front a little bit in the both footwells also.... but some one somewhere has made a poor repair of the battery tray bulhead area under the dashboard, and theres a shit load of fibreglass filler in there overpaintd black as in the photo, so this will need some attention fore sure.!
So dash etc out and next the loom out ... and followed by the engineand gearbox/.....
so this is where the car is at present, still gotta remove rear running gear and tank etc... but carried on with the engine strip down recently to check shells, crank and bores etc.... more pics up shortly....
Rust by seat anchor hole offside front a little bit in the both footwells also.... but some one somewhere has made a poor repair of the battery tray bulhead area under the dashboard, and theres a shit load of fibreglass filler in there overpaintd black as in the photo, so this will need some attention fore sure.!
So dash etc out and next the loom out ... and followed by the engineand gearbox/.....
so this is where the car is at present, still gotta remove rear running gear and tank etc... but carried on with the engine strip down recently to check shells, crank and bores etc.... more pics up shortly....
Last edited by gazm; 24-01-2010 at 09:56 PM.
25-01-2010, 10:35 AM
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few more pics.......
stripped out block etc and the bores are good, shells look in great nick also. pistons rings will need to be replaced , crank looks good too.... seems no frightening things have occurred in there... aprt from the lip on the top of the bores wher the pistons stop short, and also notice the sump return totally blocked up with shite....
ordered new core plugs for the block too.
thats about it for now... thanks
Last edited by gazm; 25-01-2010 at 10:39 AM.
26-01-2010, 01:08 PM
#5
The lip on the bores is wear, I would get it re-bored or look out for a newer block perhaps?
Shell looks quite good btw, I hope you get it done just how you want it. Love Mk3's had loads of them, just cant get enough really. I will be watching this one, all the best with the car mate
Shell looks quite good btw, I hope you get it done just how you want it. Love Mk3's had loads of them, just cant get enough really. I will be watching this one, all the best with the car mate
26-01-2010, 02:14 PM
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The lip on the bores is wear, I would get it re-bored or look out for a newer block perhaps?
Shell looks quite good btw, I hope you get it done just how you want it. Love Mk3's had loads of them, just cant get enough really. I will be watching this one, all the best with the car mate
Shell looks quite good btw, I hope you get it done just how you want it. Love Mk3's had loads of them, just cant get enough really. I will be watching this one, all the best with the car mate
thanks mate. hopefully will look well when its done. unsure wether a hone would do it as i need new piston rings anyway....
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26-01-2010, 09:12 PM
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cheers guys... will keep the updates coming ... if anyones tasty with cvh engines can they pop a post up.... need to ask a few questions.... anyway will kick on with it.... thanks for looking
27-01-2010, 12:32 PM
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yep - me too - never had either tho - mate had an xr the same - thought then it was the dogs - well .. it was I suppose ! and my boss at the time had a new orion ghia when new, - as they went like a rocket too.
08-02-2010, 12:23 PM
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little update on my engine internals - stripped block back and had the bores measured and theyre .8 tho worn - so will need reboring - but didnt really wanna start buying oversize pistons etc but further more i have removed main bearings and they are 0.4 oversize vandervell - stamped ford - from factory ! so this original block has had the crank ground and oversize bearings fitted at factory , apparently Ford never threw blocks away if they could help it, and re machined wherever they could. so in a quandry as want to keep the orig engine as standard as I could but dont wanna spend on a rebore and pistons etc if I cant source the mains for it...... hmmmm - any ideas ?
Last edited by gazm; 08-02-2010 at 12:24 PM.
08-02-2010, 08:22 PM
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little update on my engine internals - stripped block back and had the bores measured and theyre .8 tho worn - so will need reboring - but didnt really wanna start buying oversize pistons etc but further more i have removed main bearings and they are 0.4 oversize vandervell - stamped ford - from factory ! so this original block has had the crank ground and oversize bearings fitted at factory , apparently Ford never threw blocks away if they could help it, and re machined wherever they could. so in a quandry as want to keep the orig engine as standard as I could but dont wanna spend on a rebore and pistons etc if I cant source the mains for it...... hmmmm - any ideas ?
08-02-2010, 08:31 PM
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Hi again mate - no engine has wear as its done 94k , but pretty coked up inside and the oil return was all jammed up - which i guess is pretty normal, only srtipped out due to full resto so wanted to know exactly whats gone on inside the engine, but wanted to try and keep standard if poss on the rebuild therefore keeping the standard pistons etc , but as Ive said the crank is standard but ive got a ford friday afternoon block which by the looks of it theyve overshot their tolerances, so have used o/s shells in the mains. but dont wanna spend big on the internals - escpecially if I cant source 0.4 o/s mains for it.
im in northants mate. duraglide bearings eh ? where from and how much - any idea? and isnt mahle what used to be vandervell ? or are they the one and the same company now.
ta Gaz
im in northants mate. duraglide bearings eh ? where from and how much - any idea? and isnt mahle what used to be vandervell ? or are they the one and the same company now.
ta Gaz
Last edited by gazm; 08-02-2010 at 08:35 PM.
08-02-2010, 10:12 PM
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cheers for the comments guys - will keep posting updates etc - gonna get the shell on the spit tommorrow so can kick on with the shell / welding ect. still unsure which ways best with me block tho !
08-02-2010, 10:21 PM
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Looks a good one mate and well worth saving. 
One of my fav cars i ever owned was a sunburst red A reg XR3i, man i would love to have that car back now
One of my fav cars i ever owned was a sunburst red A reg XR3i, man i would love to have that car back now
08-02-2010, 10:33 PM
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09-02-2010, 06:47 AM
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Hi again mate - no engine has wear as its done 94k , but pretty coked up inside and the oil return was all jammed up - which i guess is pretty normal, only srtipped out due to full resto so wanted to know exactly whats gone on inside the engine, but wanted to try and keep standard if poss on the rebuild therefore keeping the standard pistons etc , but as Ive said the crank is standard but ive got a ford friday afternoon block which by the looks of it theyve overshot their tolerances, so have used o/s shells in the mains. but dont wanna spend big on the internals - escpecially if I cant source 0.4 o/s mains for it.
im in northants mate. duraglide bearings eh ? where from and how much - any idea? and isnt mahle what used to be vandervell ? or are they the one and the same company now.
ta Gaz
im in northants mate. duraglide bearings eh ? where from and how much - any idea? and isnt mahle what used to be vandervell ? or are they the one and the same company now.
ta Gaz
09-02-2010, 09:05 AM
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Tony - yep gonna leave on the back burner for now - theres a few specialist engine places im gotta speak to as they do and have supplied 0.4 o/s in the past - I dont think its a first tbh as a few places ive spoke to assure me its a fri afternoon job - and back then fords never threw blocks away if they could help - so if the machinist fooked the tolerances up and the casting of the block was good then they just went o/s in the line and sent it out the door !
Anyway will get on with the shell for now.
Anyway will get on with the shell for now.
09-02-2010, 05:33 PM
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Tony - yep gonna leave on the back burner for now - theres a few specialist engine places im gotta speak to as they do and have supplied 0.4 o/s in the past - I dont think its a first tbh as a few places ive spoke to assure me its a fri afternoon job - and back then fords never threw blocks away if they could help - so if the machinist fooked the tolerances up and the casting of the block was good then they just went o/s in the line and sent it out the door !
Anyway will get on with the shell for now.
Anyway will get on with the shell for now.
09-02-2010, 05:36 PM
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09-02-2010, 07:17 PM
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thanks for the links mate - had looked at the pistons also,..... spoke to F.W. Thorntons today who have come across this before but had no shells and they put me in touch with a couple of other specialist retro type firms who are getting back to me, although I now have the cross ref part numbers for these shells from AE and vandervell , the shells are .4 oversize on the back, so standard crank.... Ill keep me ears and eyes open, something will turn up.
04-03-2010, 10:05 PM
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yep possibly mate - pmed you...
little update few pics below - got the car up in the air and removed the front panel , wings , inner chassis n/s as it was about knackered - so need to source one of these...... also removed inner wings as these need to be replaced... more rot the further I go !!! also bottom of a pillars holed also...
you can see where the rot was behind the chassis leg / bulkhead in the pic... next battery tray / inner wing corner, then iinner / outer sills / floor /boot....
Last edited by gazm; 04-03-2010 at 10:47 PM.
05-03-2010, 06:26 PM
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Sorry should have listed the panels i have, they are a pair of inner front wings( 3 bolt strut ealy type), pair of front outer wings, front panel, crossmember and pair of anti rollbar brackets, bulkhead panel, complete scuttle panel, pair of inner and outer a pillar panels and a rear boot floor panel. I hope you find this helpful.
