Matt_16v

Hi All,

Thought id start a little thread on my XR3i, i wouldn't say resto, but general tidy up. Just in case anyone is interested! This is going to be nowhere near the sort of thing you see on some of these resto threads, some of which is truly incredible, but it's my first project and im attempting work ive never even thought about before. I'm not a total mong though, I'm alright with a set of spanners, and we've all got to start somewhere, so hopefully it will all come good! Anyway, hope you like!

Note - I've copied and pasted these 4 installments from my existing thread on another site, but will from today keep this thread going with updates.

Now, many of you will know this car as i believe ts been in the club for a while. It was up for sale a while ago and i went in with a low offer which was refused and i forgot all about it, asuming it had sold. Then someone put a wanted post in the, er, wanted section asking for a cheap car and this came up for £200. For that price, even needing a bit of work, i thought it was well worth that just because of some of the parts on it and the fact it had 3 months T&T.

So off me and a mate go over to Dartford to have a look. Meet Del, sound bloke, poke around the car a bit, all looks alright so a deal was done and we head off home! The drive home was happily uneventful, always good, but i have to say i was a little bit dissapointed by the speed. I was cruising alog at about 60 odd and id put my foot down and was a bit like 'hmm, ok, but not exactly quick', BUT, wehn we got off the motorway and i knew we were almost home i gave it a bootful! F*ck me, i thought the thing was going to take off!! Wheelspinning off the power in second gear and all sorts! My mate said i flew past him like he was standing still. Annnyway, got it home no problem, happy days.

Known problems;

Fan is rigged to be on constantly as the thermostat is knackered so the car overheated. Easy fix
Starter is knackered so when it gets hot is siezes
Slight oil leak somewhere
Bodywork isnt the best but by no means the worst ive seen

Problems identified on the way home;

Brakes are a bit iffy
Exhaust is blowing big time
Very lumpy tickover

Some piccies!


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Next to my ever faithful mk6


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Those wheels will also be going by the way as Dels mate wants them back! Hence my wanted post after some alloys!

HAD to have a bit of a play today!!

First thing i always do when getting an old car is cleaning out the TB. Such s easy job but make such a difference. This was one of theworst ive seen to be fair


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After


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Yes, i broke the blody gasket! Irritating, but doesnt matter. What do you know, it now ticks over absolutely fine. Will still be getting serviced in the near future though. Cant really see in the pic, but its much cleaner now!

Where it previousy had overheated. Surprised it runs at all judging by the state of this!!


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Cleaned it up a bit, but the engine needs to be steam cleaned really


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Massive chavvy backbox, this will be the first thing to go...


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Closely followed by the 'innit' window tints!


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Thats about it so far. So yeah, the idea is to do the bits and pieces it needs and then probably sell my mk6 and keep this. I love new projects!
Especialy when from the front they look like this!


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This post has been edited by Matt_Si: Jan 23 2011, 02:39 PM

Progress! *note updates will be copied and pasted round a few different sites so apologies if some of it isnt relevant.

As i said above, the wheels that were on the car when i bought it weren't mine, there were the guy i bought it offs mate, so they had to go back. The hunt for some wheels was on! After much messing around with some other possibles and wasting a few peoples time (totally my fault, but this is a learning curve for me ya know!) I decided to try a set of Mondy 16s and duly found a set on the XROC site. Popped down and got them from Welling last weekend, got back, lined them up with the car, oh dear! No way were they going on, the tyres were miles too big (see brackets above!!). Besideswhich, even if they had of fitted i think the car is too low for 16s, they would rub. So that as that plan out the window! I thought oh thats alright, ill stick those on my Mk6 and put the alloys from there on the XR, wrong! They wouldn't go over the calipers as they're only 14s. Back to the drawing board! Here they are on the mk6 anyway, looks pretty good no?

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Reduced: 64% of original size [ 799 x 602 ] - Click to view full image


Reduced: 64% of original size [ 799 x 602 ] - Click to view full image


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Unfortunately, they're not staying though. I cant afford to be buying multiple sets of wheels i dont need, so they're now off the car and on eBay!

Back to the XR. As i mentioned, the rear bumper on the car was unoriginal and the wrong colour, so that had to go!

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After much hunting around I found and won (i won't disclose the price, lets just say it was low, very low...) on eBay a bumper in the colour i needed. Another road trip, this time to Reading this morning. Back at home and here it is

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Bit of a state, but it had been sitting in the guys garden for the last couple of years since he bought it!! He also had a MINT front bumper still in primer and i was SO tempted. Had to remind myself i dont actually need a front bumper!!

After a quick wash

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Old bumper off

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Shiny new bumper on

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Ive tried to catch the difference in the colour of the two, bit difficult to see in pics though

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The eagled eyed amoung you would have spotted the wheels in the boot! Picked up a set of RS2000 alloys in pretty remarkable condition (yet another road trip to pick them up!)

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Not what i originally wanted, but at least i knew they would fit! Fitted;

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And a quick wash (and i do mean quick, it was bloody freezing!)

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Reduced: 64% of original size [ 799 x 602 ] - Click to view full image


Reduced: 64% of original size [ 799 x 602 ] - Click to view full image


I dont think it can ever be underestimated the difference a set of half decent looking wheels makes to a car!

From this;

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To this!

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Yes, i know it looks like an RS2000! But i happen to think thats not actually a bad thing! With the wheels on and it cleaned i actually really like the 'innit' window timts now! The legality of the front windows is somewhat dubious though!

Other news is exhaust related. It was blowing, big time, and needed attention. Took it to my local Kwik Fit (yes, i know, but i know the manager, he used to have a Mk5 XR3i too. Actually took it down there to change the wheels over the first time round and got chatting and he said to pop in any time i needed anything, so i did!) and they replaced one of the exhaust gaskets, spot of welding and jobs a goodun. Sounds muuuuuch better now.

Still to do;

Engine clean
Replace thermostat
Re-rig the cooling fan so that its not constanly on!
Sort out the electrcial issues
Replace starter motor and dash clocks (after sorting electrical issue, as i have a sneaky suspicion the problem with these may be linked to it!)
Get a quote for sorting out the passenger side rear arch, gulp!!
Get a new bootlid in the right colour. This actually IS as difficult as it sounds! I did find one on eBay but it was miles away. I was still toying with the idea of getting it, but by the time id emailed the guy and ask him to check the colour and about some other bits it had gone :-(

Possible jobs but not critical

New drivers seat (ripped)
New leather gear gator thing (shagged)
New parcel shelf (mouldy, ewwwwwww!)
Touch up the paintwork a bit (not me, someone who actually knows what they're doing!!)
Syncro mesh seems a little bit weak

Until next time..

So, with the mrs being away this weekend i planned to really get involved with doing some bits and pieces on the car on Saturday. Unfortunately the weather had other ideas!! I dont mind working on a car in the cold but draw the line at rain! Nevermind, i consoled myself by buying some bits for it instead! Weather today (Sunday hasnt been as bad so did get a couple of things done.

The NS wing mirror looks like its been changed at some point and the one thats on there doesnt look an exact match colourwise to the rest of the car, and the paint is crap!


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So that had to go. As ive said before i think in most cases its easier to buy replacements for parts rather than trying to fix/repaint etc current parts, therefore i bought a MINT set of mirrors, from someone over on PF.


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Reduced: 64% of original size [ 799 x 602 ] - Click to view full image



While looking around for some other bits and pieces i came across a polised rocker cover on eBay. Now obviously i dont NEED a polished rocker cover, but thats never stopped me before!! Won it for a steal and headed down to south london (ish) Saturday to pick it up. I knew the guy had some other Escort bits and had already prepared myself for the fact id probably end up buying something else, and so it was to be!

Heres what was purchased;


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Polished inlet manifold, polished rocker cover and high perfomance red leads. Well, i thought whats the point of having a shiny new rocker cover and manky old black leads! Oh, aparently the TB on the inlet is an 'enlarged' one. Off a Mondeo or something i guess.

Cleaned them up a bit;


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Ive also been wanting clean the engine bay since i bought it so i thought today was a good a day as any! Bought some degreaser from Halfrauds and had a read up online on the dos and donts and set about it.

Heres what it did look like;


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As recommended i put some cling film over the inlet and various electrical components and plugs etc before getting in there with the water;


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I also wanted to flush the coolant through to try and clean all the crap out of it. I mean, just look at the colour of it!!


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I removed the header tank, cleaned that inside and out and flushed the system through as much as i could but it just kept coming out orange!! Think it might need a new rad

Anyway, after cleaning, getting very very wet, and fitting the rocker cover and leads;


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Reduced: 64% of original size [ 799 x 602 ] - Click to view full image




Reduced: 64% of original size [ 799 x 602 ] - Click to view full image



Dont think the concourse boys have got too much to worry about, but it a hell of a lot better than it was!

Unfortuately time got the better of me today and had other stuff on so i didnt get time to fit the inlet or mirrors. I only really bought the inlet because it was so cheap but as i understand it fitting it is a bit of a mission, so havent made my mnd up whether to keep it or sell it on. I did today however also remove the fusebox ready to give to my mate to take into work next week and have a look at and resolder. Hopefully that should sort the electrical issues, fingers crossed!

New fan switch has also been ordered so that can go in next week so the fan isnt on constantly with the engine.

Will keep the updates coming!

Does seem a shame to have the polished rocker cover and a non polished inlet sitting behind it though! Hmm...

Update!

So, got up nice and early Saturday, ready to spend the day on the car, looked out the window, Fcuking pissing it down! Brilliant. I finally came to the grim realisation that if i waited for a rain free day to do some work on the car id be waiting forever, so i got on with it, in the rain, great!

I wanted to fit the mirror that i wanted to fit last week. So, doorcard off;

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Found this, which was a nice little suprise;

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Mirror off;

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Spanking new mirror fitted;

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Reduced: 64% of original size [ 799 x 602 ] - Click to view full image


The crap one that was on there was a manual one, so obviously the leccy mirrors didnt work. Do now

Now, I HATE opening the bonnet and seeing things like this!!

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Reduced: 64% of original size [ 799 x 602 ] - Click to view full image


So i thought id have a go at trying to make it at least look a little more prestable! Also, just look at the state of those earths!! Probably not really helping the electrical problems either. If you thought getting those nuts out would be a bit of a problem you'd be wrong.................it was an absolute mission!!

Sanded it back a bit with a Halfrauds rust removal sand block thing. Tell you what, for a Halfrauds product is was actually pretty good!

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Reduced: 85% of original size [ 602 x 799 ] - Click to view full image


Appied a couple of coats of touch up paint and once it was dry flattened it down a bit;

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Reduced: 85% of original size [ 602 x 799 ] - Click to view full image


Reduced: 85% of original size [ 602 x 799 ] - Click to view full image


Like i said just wanted to make it a bit more presntable really. Next on the list is having a go at or buying a new brake servo thing, which will make a huge diffence;

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You might remember that i said before that i had removed the fusebox to give to my mate. Well, he took it into work, opened it up to take a look, and was confronted with this. Now, im not and would never without the relevant qualifications claim to be an auto eletrcian, but even so im pretty sure the inside of a fusebox shouldnt like this!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Just look at the state of it!!!!!! Water damage. My mate said him and the guys at his place, who replace and repair circiut boards for a living by the way, were shocked at the state of it! I guess thats the risk you run when you buy electrical components out of a scrapyard. Anyway, he cleaned it all up with some special board cleaner type stuff and he said amazingly it came up fine when he'd finished (havent got any after shots unfortunately)

So I excitedly refitted the fusebox in the car.............and the problems were exactly the same! Bugger it. Was scratching my head about that one overnight, then realised that i hadnt reattached the earths id removed to clean up a bit! With crossed fingers i reattached the earths

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Turned the key and.....................eletrical problems cured!!!!!!! Fecking result..........for about 5 minutes, then they were back, then 5 minutes later it was fine again, and they stayed fine for the rest of the day. Not sure if thats that cured, will have to see what happens, clearly a loose connection somewhere methinks.

The rev counter, because of one of the many electrical problem had previously spun right round and was on the wrong side of the stop;

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When you turned the key the needle jumped a little so it was working in a sense, and I had another set of clocks so i whipped those ones out and connected up the 'new' ones, and then the rev counter didnt work out all! So i thought maybe they were knackered, so i took the original ones apart and spun the needle round to the right side of the stop, and now that one didnt work either!!!! Haha, great. Not sure why, i mean its only 3 plugs so its not like ive re-connected them wrong. Any ideas?!?!? I didnt drive the car so i dont know whether or not the speedo works or not.

Ive got a set of white dials on the way so id like to get these sorted out so i can fit them. Some further head scratching to come!

I also thought id fit the 'enlarged' throttle body that i got with the polished inlet manifold i bought, however;

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'Enlarged' one on the left, standard one on the right. Clearly the one that was on the car already was bigger than the aparently enlarged one! Bit of a drag when id spent the previous evening cleaning the new one!! Oh well, cleaned up the standard one a bit and refitted that.

Anyway, that was that for today. Happy with how its going though, especially the engine bay. From this;

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Reduced: 85% of original size [ 602 x 799 ] - Click to view full image


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To this today;

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Hmm, looking at that last pic has reminded me i need to get rid of that K&N sticker!

Still to do;

Fit new fan switch
Clean up the inside of the car, including new geat gaiter thing as thats bugging me quit badly!
Bought some rubbing stips so fit them next weekend
Fit polished inlet manifold (with the assistance of my brother because im not too confident about it!)
Get rev couter working!
Still trying to find a suitable bootlid
Rear arch

I think im going to replace the stalks as well, cant hurt can it.

By the way, i can spell, the keyboard on my laptop is rubbish and randomly misses out letters sometimes!!! Great fun when you're applying for jobs too!!

Twins

iTrader: (18)

Good project there ,just make sure the polished inlet has H O in raised letters on the back of it as thats 130 spec ,the one on your car should have

scottyrs

iTrader: (1)

great improvement mate well done i like these

jlawie

Looking good! Do love the MK5s!

Matt_16v

Cheers chaps! It does indeed have the HO stamped on the inlet mate, I checked it the other day just to be sure!

Jlawie, cheers, and got your pm mate.