Hi there
I have recently got my hands on a 1988 flint grey sapphire cosworth in need of you could say some tlc!
I picked the car up this week from south Wales it was being sold as requiring some welding for an mot not quite the case as discovered today.
The car has loads of history and thousands of pound of receipts including a recent engine rebuild recon gearbox and turbo.
Mechanically all seems very good it just has a fair bit of rot on the underside!
The plan was going to be to do all required welding and get the car on the road for the summer,after having my friend carry out an mot today those plans have now changed.
There is rather a long list of small items that need doing but the main issues being ther rust ie both sills inner and outer,front floor pans,boot floor both sides,bulkhead where brake servo is located and the rear crossmember is split from end to end.
The car also requires both rear arches as these are in a very bad way apart from these problems all is good!
The decision has now been made to strip the car to a bare shell and start again from the ground up this won't be the first time as I done the same to my series 1 rs turbo 8 years ago, in times like this it is very handy that I am a panel beater and have a fully equipped bodyshop at my dispposal!
I will update this thread regularly with pictures to show everyone how it's going I may comments and support may be helpfull for the long haul ahead.









Here are some pictures of the car when we collected it this week hopefully they have come out alright not sure if I have loaded the pics up correctly
More pics and updates to come soon will be starting the strip out over next week
Cheers Ben

 

You changing the wheels? Looks like a good project

 

I'll be honest mate not sure on the wheels just yet, I personally would like to see it on comps !

 

I think the wheels are not too bad! Have seen far worse

 

Will be keeping an eye on this as av got the same to do with a crystal blue shell

 

Just adding a couple more pics started stripping it out last weekend will take some more pics this weekend when light is better the work needed is increasing every time I look at it!!!








Will update at the weekend

 

I know that feeling, I leave the garage with a bigger list every time... although it is coming together now. Stick with it mate!

 

Yeah I will do mate I'm having a good stint at it on Saturday get a load more stiripped out, having some fun trying to source panels at the minute I have found a pair of rear quarter panels and sill panels and hopefully found somewhere now to supply floor pan sections and a boot floor section fingers crossed!

 

Nice project good luck with it .

 

A supplier for floor pans?? Talk to me!!

 

good luck mate, nice project

 

best of luck with the resto mate

 

nice project mate nice to see you sticking at it and not just reshelling

 

Update 16/6/2012
Hi there just thought I would update my thread! Unfortunately the shell I was planning on restoring is just too far gone, I found a very solid straight shell for sale and for the Ł900 that it cost me it seems like false economy not to go for it.

Although there is not the panel work to do now there is still loads of work to do I removed the engine from car today ready to give it a strip down and freshen up!
















This is as far as I managed to get today will update more later in the week!

 

That sounds as bad as my car! Did you find a supplier of floor pans btw? Looks a great project

 

Nice looking project you got there mate

 

Had no luck with floor pans only managed to find for a 3 door sierra!

 

Hi all just thought I would post a quick update old shell is completely stripped now all apart from master cylinder and steering column!
Going to start this week by stripping down rear suspension ready for blasting and powdercoat sorry for poor picture quality but they were taken on my phone!







Will try to get more pics on later!

 

Just a small update progress is quite slow at the moment due to being so busy with work!


Started to get some parts back from powder coating this week I am quite pleased with how it has turned out


Looks like I need to replace all of my cv joints they are in a really bad way past saving I think


Pressed my new bushes into rear beam this week fun fun fun!


Also finished off painting my diff last night really pleased with how this has turned out!


I am going to get cv joints ordered this week trying to find best price the best I have found so far is from GGR would appreciate if anyone could suggest anywhere cheaper

 

Have you got the link? Cracking progress with the car btw

 

Thanks mate here is the link
http://www.steelpanels.co.uk/ford-bo...stID=sierra-fs

Prob best to call them as website not up to much they do sell 3 door floor pans think they are resonably priced too

 

Will keep an eye on this.

 

Cheers might see what other panels they do as I just finished welding mine up

 

matt lewis was the best price i could find for the cv joints.. although they are real easy to rebuild and once all clean inside with new grease would probably be fine.. their is a video on youtube of how to strip and build them.

 

I did see that video mate the only thing that concerns me is 2 of the casings are really bent and one of the joints seems a different size to the other 3 !

 

good work, dude

 

Oh rite well in that case best to get new then. Mat Lewis beat anywhere else for prices that I found. Was good discount for the 4

 

Ok mate thanks for that will be my first call in the morning! Can hopefully get the rear end built up this week then

 

Cheers mate seen you have been here yourself just checked out your thread car looks sweet good tittle as well money pit!!!! True that is

 

Looking forward to more updates you got the second shell yet or you going with this one?

 

Yes I have the new shell will take some pictures and post up this week!

 

Very nice project nice too see one being saved I'm restoring a Flint grey 2 wd myself.
Where are u located? Noticed the welsh plate on the car and hb reg which is w h bakers of Merthyr Tydfil down the road from me!

 

I live in aldershot mate, I brought the original car from Llanelli in south Wales

 

Here are a few pictures of my new shell that I am using to rebuild the car!



The plan is to get the underside and engine bay all rebuilt to how I want it then will probably use the car for a year or so then I will sort the bodywork as I am a painter/ panel beater by trade

 

Not had much time this last week my new cv joints arrived from Matt Lewis today so have stared to build up driveshafts also fitted rear wheel bearings in hubs today!
Apart from rebuilding the brake calipers and sourcing some brake lines I am ready to build up all the rear end
Just a couple of pics nothing to exciting just the first shaft going together

 

new shell looks very tidy, bud

 

It's not bad mate I will give it a full paint correction I can't afford to paint it really at the moment got to much to spend on getting it driving how I want it, paint can wait although I need to change the door and wing mouldings as someone has fitted the wrong ones and they look hideous!!

 

Managed to get driveshafts finished when I went into work this morning!
All blinged up with new boots and cv joints

 

Looking good matey keep at it it'll be worth it in the end,

as soon as mines back from mapping its going to get a bit of love, strip the underside paint, sort a few bits of bodywork out, it really is never ending lol

 

UPDATE
Thought it was about time I updated my thread although progress has been slow I am still plugging away with it just been a bit lazy with putting pics up

The car is now back on its wheels the rear running gear is complete apart from handbrake cable needs fitting, the front end is nearly there just need to fit brakes and make up some new brake pipes.


The rear end starting to go back together











It's getting there not up to buffty standard I just want a nice useable car
Here's a few of the front end bits going together





Here are my nice new alloy steering rack mounts have replaced steering coupling with polly and fitted new steering column bush kit






Whilst all this has been going on I have set about stripping engine down I did have a receipt for a rebuild 2 years ago but needed to check for piece of mind! All was good with the bottom end pistons look brand new bores are in excellent condition so have just replaced all gaskets and seals there!
Cylinder head was not as good had to have this re worked with new valve guides and valves could have been worse though!

Have been painting up a few bits and pieces for engine will add pics later!

Managed to give my rocker cover a bit of a freshen up and have stripped inlet manifold file a refurb!



Will try to keep the updates coming its getting there if all goes well it may be running after the Xmas break