OK, so before we start, to answer the majority of questions in advance:

1) Yes I know it's not got an RS badge. Had an S1 for 4 years and whilst I enjoyed it, it never really stole my heart. And I never really cared for the 16i. Always been an XR man.
2) I'm NOT going to put a CVH turbo in it like 99% of XR3i rebuild/tuning advice on here says to
3) It's just as awesome as any other Mk3, and probably rarer because everyone looks down there noses at the humble 3i and cut them up to save the 'holier than thou RS types.

And for those of you who haven't left already because the above ^^^ has beaten them to the punch.....




Hello and welcome to my restoration / tart up of my early Mk3 XR3i.

My Dad bought me the car when I was 16. I learned to drive in it, and used it everyday once I passed at 17, all the while saving up for an RS Turbo (teenagers will be teenagers). Chucked it in me Nan's garage in late 2007, whilst I drove my S1, then my Evo, and now the EsCos.

Decided this winter to SORN the Cossie and give the 3i some long overdue attention.




There she is look, buried in Nan's garage, 4 very flat and wonderfully square tyres. So I decided the first port of call would be to pump the tyres up.



Hmmm....Tedious. Luckily Pete the builder who lives over the road from me Nan let me borrow this:



And within seconds all 4 tyres where round again



Oh no! I hear you cry looking at that very blurry picture, there are no seats and no steering wheel, how on earth are you going to move it?



Dah-Dah. An adjustable wrench and Nan's dusting stool.

Now here's the almost unbelievable bit, for the last 4/5 years it's never been on charge, never had fresh fuel and never had an oil service. The only 'storage' type thing I ever did was disconnect the battery. Once every 3-6 months I've started it, and it's always fired up without a jump, once the leads are reattached. Today not only did it start, but it drove! It was lumpy, smokey and smelly but I drove it out of the garage and onto the edge of verge so I could tuck the EsCos up in its place.



Then I moved it back onto the drive so Mr Plod couldn't tow it away for having a 2008 tax disc.



Then I had a brew and waited for my mate Bill to come pick it up and take it back to mine.

 

When it landed back at mine I had a quick look round to see what things were like



The engine is tatty but complete, and standard. (The manky looking rocker cover is waxoyl)



The colour tag is missing, always has been, does anyone know what info should be on there so I can get one made up?



The front badge is incorrect.



There's a really dodgy 16 year olds my first filler repair on the rear panel



The boot seal is actually door seal and probably seals sweet FA.



And the local branch of Liquid/Envy set up shop in the boot (forgive me I was only 16)



And I have boy racer red brakes. Damn Halfords and it's cheap VHT paint.

 

Looks a good un I like the XR models.
I've got an interior out of one of these I was pondering on using in my cabby

 

But the first job was to find the drivers front window. The last time I drove the car (down to it's resting place at Nans) it was all frozen up and I was a bit to forceful with the stuck window and it popped out of the winder and fell into the door. Miraculously it didn't smash and has rattled round in there ever since. I decided to fix the window so I could wash 5 years of crud off the car.



Whipped the door card off.



Found a completely undamaged window pane hiding inside...



As well as these 2 roller wheels.



Took the mirror and weather strips off and voila



One rescued window!



Popped the rollers back in, a few squirts of 3in1 here and there and after a bit of faffing



The car is water tight again.

 

I then thought sod washing it, I want to get stuck in.



Damn the predictably crap Mk3 boot struts, thank god I have 2 brooms.



Off with the inch thick MDF parcel (speaker) shelf






Out with the 3 amps and sub and all the cross overs.






Traced and unran/unrun (not sure on the grammar?) all the wiring I could get to from the boot.



Pulled this little stash of goodies out from where the passenger seat should be and fitted the carpet and shelf.




What a difference an afternoon makes!

By this time it was dark so I put the car in the garage and went for a celebratory Ruby!



And that's all for today, hope to do a bit more Friday afternoon.

Thank you all for looking,

Cheers,

Tom

 

Love the old xr3i !!
Rare colour that is , don't look too bad in the pics
Keep us updated !

I had a sunburst red xr3 as a 17 year old !!
I've looked for Years to see if its still around , but sadly think its been scrapped :sad

 

Cheers, despite appearances the shell is really solid and all the bits are there, just needs love.

Do like the Mk3 3i trim, would go well in a cabby

 

Didn't you get a pic driving it like that?!! ha ha

 

Best first car ever, you're a man of good taste

They are a rare old beast these days, see more of the RS's and XR3s

Yeah it's Titan Blue I believe? It's an XR3 colour and a few very early XR3i's were painted in it to use up stock after the model switch, so I'm told.

Found this factory sticker in the boot regards colour:


Just says metallic blue?

 

I did ask nan to take one:



Too much reflection on the screen, can just about see my hand turning the steering wrench.

Don't worry about that homeless looking guy in the background, it's just Pete the builder come to fetch his compressor back

 

Really starting to like these, yours is a really nice colour aswell

 

Great project, plenty of sentimental value and some great potential...

 

Lovely colour and looks in amazing shape to be honest. Chap up the road had a mk3 xr3 when I was younger, back with S2 alloys on it, I loved it.

 

Thanks, I love the colour too. Wouldn't of chosen it if I'd of been the one buying the car back then, but now I've got it I wouldn't have any other colour.

A well respected concours Ford restorer once told me "Never get rid of that XR3i, they were the best ones. The RS Turbos were all for show, the RS1600i's were quicker than the turbo's in most situations but horrid to live with, but the XR3i was great all round"

 

Thanks, yeah it's a great base to start with, not planning anything flash though. Did that with my S1 and ended up hating the result. Working on it today really took me back, hopefully the Old Man will muck in again this time too

 

My money would of bought a black one back then, do like a black motor.

It's only now I'm a bit older and a tad wiser I can see just how good it is in all the key areas

 

brill!

 

love a mk3 me.... that looks sweet!! wots the plans???? mint everything right up or a tidy up n get it on the road?

 

Sort of half and half really. Keep it mostly standard, nice and clean, powder coated underneath, make it a nice tidy example, then fettle with the engine a bit and kick its nuts off down the lanes.

 

Looks rather tidy that,

 

sweet. yea get a decent underneath and then u can forget about it aye, then crack on with other mor visual bits n bobs!!! plus a tweak to the engine... sounds a good plan to me!!!

 

Very nice, I had an xr3 when I was younger as a second car till my ex wrote it off.

 

Love it mate fair play on this project!
Looks in a decent condition inal

 

Nice ride

 

It's about time you made photos and words about the old shitbox.
Looking forward to see her come alive again

 

Cool project.I love all fords not just RS.s.

 

Thats a cool little project... nice to see it was dry stored rather than sold or scrapped

quite a funny read too...

Keep up the good work pal !

dont see many xr's anymore, especially early ones in blue

 

Amazing car, takes me back to when I was about 10 years old, my best mates mum and dad had one exactly the same as that, I always wanted my mum and dad to get one aswell but they were into Fiats

 

love it! great work so far

 

.

Nice to see one on the original wheels


Cracking looking car.



Ginger


.

 

Very nice, I had a black y plate fkf454y with sunroof, bronze glass, e/w, c/l when I was 16!

 

Takes me back abit i had a black x reg XR3 spent a fortune on it resprayed tuned engine ashely com full exhaust regret getting rid off it but looks like it has vanished

 

I do like to see a nice 3i will go faster now its got no subs and amps in the back now!!! will be watching this...

 

Thats quality to see.
Look forward to the progress.
My first car was an XR3, happy days

 

looks very good keep the pictures coming i really like these cars

 

looks like a nice solid one

 

Like that à lot,good story too. Will be keeping an eye on this. Cheers

 

*GASP*

i LOVE this car, one of the 2 best colours of a mk3!

as you know ive had an array of mk3`s lol

gimme a shout if you come to sell it please

 

got to love the mk 3 escorts

 

you no got your xr3i done yet