so... started stripping the RS over the weekend. needed to replace front panel and x member, which turned into fuse box tray, and then transpired it would be inner arches as well, oh and whilst taking the dash out we added two lower corners underneath windscreen, so the screen came out as well!

add to this some plank red oxiding the front floor pans after repair which obviously will have to go diamond white again and two rear inner lower quarters and the fact I may as well spray my whole engine bay I think im nearly at resto level

spent the weekend on her, back to it tomorrow after work, ill get some up close photos then.

started writing a list so I didn't forget anything, im glad I picked a new pad to write in!

so- lets kick it off with some photos, comment and question if you like...

 

Looks good mate cant wait to see some more pics.

LIFE'S SHORT SO FLOOR IT.

 

today was not a good day! removed rear side windows, rust on the lips where the rubbers sit, pulled the roof lining down and took the sunroof out to find a fair bit of rust in the sunroof cavity unsure what to do now, there is a coating of rust on the inside of the roof and the chassy that carrys the sunroof and runners has several holes in it don't even know if I can get in there to remedy it, I guess you could remove the sunroof chassy via the spot welds but it looks like there is parts that are bonded to the exterior roof bit of a sad ending to my evening! don't know whats going to be easier- repair or reshell, trouble with reshell is the cost involved in getting something decent. ill try and get some pictures up tomorrow evening for people to look at. if anyone has an opinion or experience they can share, right now id be very grateful...

 

Front end looks ok from what I can see if you need a good paint shop let me no got a good m8 who just finished my s2 very good rates to

 

Repair. It'll be worth it in the end!!!

 

You'll have to come out and have a look may need the roof flashed over, going to have a quick look tonight and see if its feasible cutting the sunroof chassy out to repair everything and then weld the chassy back lucky im a fabricator!

 

The front end does not look to bad so i would also say repair it.

LIFE'S SHORT SO FLOOR IT.

 

The front ends not a problem. The roof however is quite bad! But if theres one thing we can do- its build

 

Just noiced your a fabricator. I am going to college to be a fabricator/welder. It can come in handy for working on cars. cant wait to see some more pics.

LIFE'S SHORT SO FLOOR IT.

 

Chop the roof off and put a non sunroof one on??

 

Looks a nice car. Just remember anything can be repaired.

 

Going to look at taking sunroof chassy off tonight, work out if its possible, would prefer to keep sunroof if I can! Ill make sure I take some pics and load them up tonight so you guys can take a look was feeling down about it yesterday but im feeling more positive today, fresh head and all! As you can see from the first lot of photos, externally its strait as a rule! So would be silly to reshell, all of what ive found is manageable, im just glad my background and experience with bodywork etc will save me a fortune!

 

I'm about Thursday I'll pop out and take a look don't reshell look at some if the build threads on here can always be fixed

 

Pm'd you mate.

 

The sunroof casette canebe replaced mate its relatively easy to get off just a few spot welds and it should come out. I did mine in a weekend.

 

that's interesting to know you can replace sunroof chassy, people keep telling me to blank it off- stuff that!

anyhoo, took skirts off tonight- sills are sound, arches tomorrow night! doors and boot etc are in dry store, and managed to get the loom out after much labelling, unplugging and twisting and gently pulling feeling better about everything today, formulated several plans of attack and now looking forward to getting the rest of the kit and the rear bumper off, see whats behind them, then get it over the pit, axle stands and completely strip the underside ready for fresh stone chip and underseal- im thinking white...

anyway, I got some up close pictures so people can see the affected areas that ill be attacking! oh and cross member and front panel turned up today, just about to order fuse box repair tray.

anyone know where I could get replacement sunroof chassy???

 

Good luck with the resto. Your have a brand new car by the end of it


Dave

 

hi mate its a good thread. i think i seen this car a couple of month back on ebay ? i would love to strip my turbo as far as this, but this year im going to drive it

 

Thanks guys, should have some more photos soon. Took the rest of the kit off last night, going to need two rear arch repair panels! The underside is actually not too bad. Have made the decision now to have a full shell respiratory and flash over doors etc. got to be done properly!

 

I see what you mean about the rust roof but one the car is done you will have one of the best rs turbos out there.

LIFE'S SHORT SO FLOOR IT.

 

Hi everyone, spent the whole weekend on the RS managed to finally get the rear suspension off and several other misc items and be able to say its literally a shell

set about the front end this morning, in the pictures you'll see someone's top notch plate and silic**t repair to the cross member people who cut corners should be shot!

started taking the slam panel and cross member off and also found the inner arch skin to chassy leg on the drivers side was pretty shite so I cut that out and put a new skin on, then gave the engine bay a good wire wheel off- just the niggly corners to finish tomorrow night, then got the new panel mocked up and once I was happy welded it all in place, had to fashion a couple plates here and there to make it a top notch job!

I am really happy with the result, going to finish the engine bay tomorrow evening and get some etch primer on the bay, then get on with the inner arch repairs- good productive weekend

 

Front end is starting to look sweet mate

 

Your making good progress there mate keep at it

 

Thanks guys. Haven't got anywhere near her since sunday- hoping to crack on again tomorrow night cant wait.

 

Looking good, will be well worth it once your finished


Brian

 

so, finally managed to get some time on the rs today after spending several days working on customers cars, got all the rot cut out of the fuse box tray and got the new panel mocked up and once I was happy got it all welded in and cleaned up, another job done now on to the inner arches for more of the same been ticking along quiet well though for two weeks on and off.

 

Some really top quality workmanship here! Looking forward to following the resto!

 

Thanks Rab. Had some great feedback from people on here, definitely boosts your motivation will certainly keep the pictures and posts going as I progress.

 

was allowed a couple hours on the car this morning, got the underside of the fuse box tray plated and finished same as the top (nothing much to show in pictures) then moved on to the inner arch/foot well... you will see from the picture below- in order -what I thought I had to repair which was a small ish repair to ending up cutting the inner foot well and outer floor skins to be left with solid steel to work with! basically there was already a repair below what you can see in the first picture which was welded on to the floor pan, when I removed the box section it revealed that some prat had repaired the floor pan inside and out but literally plated straight over the rust ridden area so off it all came to be replaced PROPERLY! it looks worse than it is really, not a major issue as far as im concerned, more an annoyance that tossers are aloud neer welders!
this is an example to people that just because someone has made a repair to steel work it does not mean that that repair is worth a w**k!!
ill get some more pics up as I make up the new floor etc

 

Quality work m8

 

chassis.

You'll struggle to find a sunroof replacement. Better of doing away with the whole roof buy another Escort that has no sunroof and chop the roof off. Unless you buy a carbon fibre roof.

 

Its not rotted through yet mate so ill be removing the chassy the glass runs in, making good on the underside of the roof and the re fitting the chassy, will take a minute or two but im not in to carbon fibre and the rs I think was the only mk4 model to have a sunroof, dont think the xr did? Might be wrong? Anyhoo- will try and save it if I can, im fairly confident, before I chop the roof off.

 

good effort

 

I'd be real concerned about the inside of the roof skin to be honest. You need to get that tray out and ground back the rust to see how far its gone.. Also when the tray is out you'll more than likely find some bad rot at the rear of it, I got rid of my standard roof and sold the tray for Ł100, Only had one small hole.

 

RSmark- youve basically repeated what ive already said lol yeah definately remove the tray, and of course cure the rust rather than leaving it behind, lol... and make good again! As ive already said covering over the sunroof is last resort, im a fabricator and have things like a press brake (sheet steel bender), plasma, tig etc so its not a massive concern if I have to cut my chassy in half and make half of it from scratch! Our favourite saying in my workshop- we can build boy, we can build!

 

nice work mate,Paul

 

Nice work, so wish I could weld so I could do mine save paying someone to do it. Gonna be a lovely motor once its finished!

 

Thanks BUB88 will be having a full weekend on her this weekend, so should have a few pics and an update quite shortly

 

Looking good I'll try and pop up next week

 

So... got a few hours over a couple evenings this week and a couple hours today to get my o/s footwell all finished- finally, its been one of those where your constantly trying to chase good steel!

have uploaded some pics for everyone, a couple of the inside look a tad rough but ive not rubbed down around the repair yet, just wanted to concentrate on getting the repair finished, on the outside however ive buffed everything back, given it all a coat of jenolite (cure rust) just to be sure and got a few coats of primer on to keep the moisture away, once everything is finished ill be scuttz/stone chipping all arches etc white!

got a full day tomorrow to get the other arch repaired- which is not as bad and then move on through the car! I must be sick in the head because as im writing this im grinning at the thought of getting out to my workshop before 8am going to have a look around now for some braided brake pipes for front and rear
ask questions or comment with your views etc, its always nice to get peoples opinions!