It's been a few years since I've had a project/toy to play around with, so yesterday I finally got my hands on something to tinker with. It's going to be a bit of a learning curve, as I've not had much experience of tackling a rebuild, playing with spanners, welding etc, which are all things I'd love to learn.
Anyway, I'd noticed this sitting in someones garden after someone on here tipped me off about it. I'd knocked a few times but never got an answer, until the other day when I tried again, and finally got hold of someone. To cut a long story short, a deal was done and I took the car home with me. According to the DVLA it's been off the road since 2009, sitting on some hardstanding, and is actually quite solid. The only major issue I can find is it appears to have had a new rear quarter at some point, and rust has started on the seam in the boot shut, although this only looks to be surface at the moment, and tiny hole in boot floor. Everywhere else appears to be solid, battery tray is ok, arches are good.
I'm still deciding at the moment as to what I'm going to do with it, although an engine swap is definitely on the cards, I dont think the 1800 diesel thats in there at the min is going to feature in the cars future.

Anyway, a few pics I took earlier, before I had a go at cleaning it, just to see how it would come up.





















And finally, can anyone tell me what fuses/relays I need to be able to get it hopefully running, as someone has nicked all the fuses and relays!

 

will take a picture of my s2 fuse box for you

 

Cheers, I just want to know what fuses and relays I need to stick in as a bare minimum to see if it runs.

 

Tdi that thing

 

what are the plans with it

 

Certainly has potential! Lots of work ahead...

 

Not too sure at the minute. Immediate plans are to sort the rust in the boot shut, and see if it runs, other than that I haven't made any concrete plans for it, I'm not sure what direction to take it. I think I'm going to spend the next few days going over it thoroughly to see whats what, then take it from there. I've never had anything where I've needed to start from scratch before, a blank canvas, everything I've had before has always just been wheels, lowered, exhaust and filter etc, had to be able to use it the next day etc, where as this isnt going to be on the road for a little while so I've got plenty of time.

 

Its always an option, stick with diesel power lol...

 

Im considering buying a 1983 5dr escort for a sleeper project maybe you should consider the same im thinking s1 or s2 rs engine but keeping bodywork standard as much as possible

 

Stripped the interior out and back end out today, and, having been told it was fairly solid (to be honest it appeared to be solid), it turns out, its not the case. I'll post a couple of pics in a while, but a few mins prodding with a screwdriver ended up with a few holes. So far, it needs some work to inner wheel arch on o/s/r, bit of work to the rear panel, inner sills both sides, but the worst of it is the floorpan. Couple of seat mounts non existant, and rear passenger footwell. As I've never welded before, and this was supposed to be something for me, to learn on, I suspect it may be a bit beyond a beginners capabilities, so I've got someone coming round to give me a quote, unless anyone on here local to Ipswich wants to come and have a look.

Taken from in the boot, daylight through the wheelarch!





The worst of the floor - saveable?





The last pic - looks bad, is it saveable?

 

I would like a mk4 dirty diesel good on fuel for my jurney to wrk etc but make it look nice

 

looks a big project mate

 

I'd be scrapping that. If it was an RS it would be worth paying to get it fixed. At the end of the day its a low spec MK4 Escort, just looking at the rot thats several hundreds of pounds worth of work there required, thats before buying all the panels.

Seeing as you've just got the car it might be wise to count your losses before continuing to put in hours and cash into it.

 

Would be a full on restoration that mate as god knows what else is hiding. .

 

I'd give it a stab. See how you get on with the first weld and take it from there. At best you realise you save it and at worst you've had a practice piece for your welding.

 

ive scrapped much better than that its been parked on grass by the looks of it

 

Why

 

As its not an rs or anything i would plate what you can and not worry about new panels, save it everything is repairable if you have time

 

i break mk3 mk4 for living and had 100s through my hands 3 door 5 door 3 door estates 5 door estates few vans even a mk3 bantam pick up

 

Thats nothing, worth saving that!

 

I've had a quote from a local mobile welder, 30 years experience, for Ł300 for all the welding that needs doing. So, it'll get done, might take a few months but he doesn't want to make a start on it until the weather warms up lol. In the meantime, I can get on with stripping the rest of the car.

 

shame you werent living next to me got a good light metalic blue bonus 90 full rolling shell in yard wouldve sold you that

 

Good luck with that.It needs a bit of tlc.

 

After thinking about it, mulling over the pro's and con's, I won't be scrapping it and getting another project. The welding needed might be slightly more than I'd be comfortable attempting, and a lot more work than I first imagined, but I'm not in a rush to finish the car. As for just patching it up, again with time not being an issue, if I can wait and get any panels needed I'd prefer that and have it done properly. As to if its an RS or a Bonus shell, it makes no odds to me, no reason to not do it properly. After all, I don't intend on rebuilding it back to bonus spec, this is my blank canvas to work with, might take me a year or 3 to finish, learning some bits along the way, but I'll get there.

 

Interesting project good luck

 

itll be rear quarters in where you open boot be the bugger as there pain to weld up

 

Having done some more digging, I've come across a load more rot, seems the rear quarter that was put on a few years ago, wasn't done too well. So, the decision has been made, this one is going, admitted defeat. I've sourced a replacement, 1300 Bonus, still needs work, but only a couple of patches body wise.

 

put what ever engine in and cheap tax not like the diesel