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.

 

i love base models wicked mate,ubber cool project what power she running

 

that i dont know yet, once i got my breather head and cam all sorted i'll get her set up, im hoping for 200bhp, which is plenty fun enough.

 

now thats cool

 

cool as mate is that the standard gearbox? prob be why it lights ups in 3rd gear,get a turbo box be much better

 

Love the car sorry to hear about the head being fooked.

 

looks nice mate, you got my lass after 1 now

 

thats wicked, love these kinda cars so much

 

aye, i the standard 1.4 box, ued it for 2 reasons, the rs box in the van whined in first and second and the 1.4 cruises at 70mph at just under 3000rpm instead of 3400rpm on the rs box, also removes most of the torque steer but will get a lsd box soon, dont think the 1.4 will lat long lol.

 

love this one, looks great !

 

i have a complete head mate except manifolds, just standard though. £20 if any good to you.

 

picked up a head today, £20 notes and came with a piper 285t2 cam, bonus lol, will get pics up later of the top end rebuild

 

this well cool wish i could finish off my combi van

 

well my gay comp wont let me upload the pics but its all back together, only my chipped ecu decided it was going to melt itself , so im back on the standard one, oh the joys of owning a ford

 

right got the pics uploaded,

head had been stiing a while so had to clean it everywhere,



nice piper cam :


then all clean, swap the tappets and rockers form old head as well as theromo housing and dizzy



again by this time i was on a mission so forgot about pics, head on all back together, running sweet after ecu change 8psi sucks, everything sounds so much different now when driving, you can hear the turbo wind up and the exhaust is louder which i thought was wierd, but runs much cooler and no more steam or white smoke



so head cam and felpro headgasket off the list, just breather, discs, turbo rims, set up and interior to do

 

little bit of a update but no pics, found out my anti roll bar was on back to front so that has been sorted along with new lower arm bushes so now it nice and level but going to trim the springs down a bit thursday. New burton power cambelt fitted today refitted the magnex 2" backbox as mongoose was far to loud sorted out another chipped ecu so its happy days. Im just glad i dont have to sell it now as this car really has become a part of me

 

You seem to have an eye for a nice project. Always enjoy seeing your cars

 

Thats well cool mate love the stealthy look!! any more plans for it??

 

yeh mate, i do love a bit of fun lol, you seen carls got another orion, ditched the ovlov for a black 1600e


just a bailey breather, stage 3 turbo and a set up, going to get my brakes and fuel tank tonight so they will be on tomorrow. Trying to find a set of grey saph front recaro's too

 

Yeah I had heard, and I have heard the 1600E is a good un too, lets hope he keeps it that way

 

was this for sale on pistonheads

 

i was selling it at a silly price cause i didnt want to sell it, was just to please the misses lol

 

got my injection tank and s2 brakes on today, didnt take pics of tank swap but got a couple of the brakes tonight

1.4 tiny discs, s2 are huge in comparison


all fitted and bled, my wobble has gone now and brakes alot stronger and positively(sp), just breather, pully,turbo and a set up to go before i start on interior

 

nice mate if u need a chiped ecu i got 1 for sale £30 posted

 

sounds good, i have another now but could always do with a spare, any idea what chip it is????









Right well after fitting my tank the other day i had a problem, it still wouldnt go below quarter of a tank, this might of been because of the mahoosive dent that was in the tank and it weeped over half a tank so i dropped that one off and up went me new one, near new too, not bad for £20 notes. Also noticed oil on thre under side of my bonnet and front of my block and discovered the rocker cover gasket was broken so stuck a newen on that too. Also refitted the 2" magnex backbox as the mongoose was sooooooooo loud @70mph, so back to the sleeper look She is filthy dirty atm so will get some pics up when i cleaned here, oh and also trimmed the springs down a bit so now my tracking even further out so thats booked in tomorrow

piccy of tank

 

turbo syetems 1 that all i know fella

 

pm me details mate

 

as winter is here, im going to break out the underseal and do the under side this week, also getting 90 spec seats tonight and my breather dizzy died on her yesterday so new one of them and that made a huge difference, goes very well now lol better than it did before and it was quick then, just been having lots of fun in the old girl, out dragged a scobby wrx on the a14 the other day, face was a picture again, going to start carrying a video camera with me so i can get peoples reactions for you all to see. tracking all done but still have the same problem of not going below quarter of a tank before the pump starts struggling, thought it was the gauge but gauge was reading half a tank today and only took £23 to brim the tank???? annoying

 

sure it's not the pump mate.

did u get my pm

 

no it was the clocks lol, i got ure pm, i get some money on tuesday and will paypal you accross dow for the ecu


right update time i think.
Got my 90 spec interior in altouhg i wanted cossie stuff i couldnt find it for sensible money but the 90 spec cost me £60 front and rears , also got a puma gearknob and my turbo dials wired in last night




picked up a set of clear indcators and side repeaters and got them on


as said before the springs have been trimmed down now and sits nice and level and the little magnex zorst too



picking up my roof rack tomorrow night too, this is gonna be sooo cool lol

 

Great car

 

in the front pic it looks like my old orion lol

looks nice and low now mate

 

love this car, sooooo much fun.

 

and just for a giggle, i was bored and saw my dads old roof rack in the corner of the garage lol

 

The tax disc is a little old lol, nice car though!

 

nooooo, leave the rack on. but nothing on it

 

trade plates