well some have seen my sleeper estate in the pictures forum but thought id do a project thread as i really like this car now, so practical and fun.

well all started say 4 weeks ago, i picked up a black escort van that was rs turbo'd but didnt like it lol, noisey and rattled like hell, drove horribly, so i started looking for a bonus shell. low and behold i couldnt find a good one that wasnt a million miles away. I started to think what else i could put the running gear into, went through the idea of another mk2 fiesta but done 4 already so wanted something different. Looked at a 5dr ghia escort, a mk1 and mk2 orion but just didnt tickle my fancy. Was going to give up and just break the van and buy something else but then a mate txt me saying he was picking up a clean mk4 dr 1.4L estate later that day, so in the car down to clacton to look and as soon as i saw it i thought hell yeh, that will be soo cool.

Next day it was delivered to me





i set about cleaning it up a bit with lots of paint renovator and polish, took her in for her mot, required one small weld which i done and retested the same day, she sat for a week then some little tossers tried to steal it, so after that the project began. She went in the garage, engine removed, rad, pipes, heater box, front bumper, springs, wheels, exhaust, etc.... and looked like this








so all stripped, i started stripping the van down, again out came the engine loom, rad, front mount, pipes etc..... The loom had seen better days so i took it apart, removed the engine loom and fuel pump loom, threaded it through the estate and taped it all in together, nice and neat. By this time i was on a proper mission so took no pics lol. The tank off the van was different so i had to use the estate one for now, so group a pump mounted next to the tank and wired up, metering unit mounted all properly with the clips and right bolts, fuel accumolator mounted and piped up, fuel filter mounted and piped up, ecu's fitted, loom placed in and earths connected, strut brace fitted, fitted some nice new 40mm springs which im thinking of cutting down, i want it proper low. Once all the engine bay was ready i dropped the engine in after inspecting the clutch which looked new, it slipped a little so i roughed it up with sand paper and the flywheel was grooved, i thought fuck it want it running so put it back on i'll just have to run low boost for now. I got hold of a magnex system with 2" tail for £50 notes, the rs2k rims off the van were fitted(though i want turbo rims soon), rad and cooler mounted with fans on the front, front bumper trimmed around the fans and refitted.











Ready to rock and roll switch the ignition on, no fuel pump, tried everything, bloody thing, took the relay cover off and flicked it and it worked, so a slightly dodgy relay me thinks. prime it up loads and turn her over, first click she cackles into life. Finishing touches done and she's ready to rock and roll, first night on the road she done a 130 mile round trip to cromer to pick up a fruit machine for my mate, faultless. Runing 10psi she went well, i was impressed. Driving around for a few days and the head gasket started leaking and the clutch got worse so engine out again, 4 paddle fitted and new flywheel, sump dropped and strainer cleaned, gasket sealed and crank seal changed then engien dropped back in, boost and fuel set, kicking out 20psi and fookin ell, she will light up in 3rd gear in the dry now. Had some fun with a starlet GT Turbo on the a14, his face was a picture as i came past. How she sat last week




So we get to last night, im stiing at the lights and she's missing, i rev it and it clear, look in my mirror and theres a huge cloud of white smoke, shit head gasket blown proper, i go home pull the head off and find this on the head



so im on the hunt for a new head, which sucks as that head was super quiet.