Series 1 RS Turbo Fully Restored Body Shell
 

Here is my fully restored Mk3 Escort Series 1 RS Turbo body shell which has been modified to take a Mk1 Focus RS engine and ST170 6 speed gearbox


Definitely not one for the purists out there but if you are seriously interested in this shell then please read the full listing as the shell does have several modifications which are listed below.


Let me begin with a little history on the vehicle, I purchased the car 11 years ago and after 6 months or so of almost constant mechanical issues I decided to take the car off the road.

I wanted to rebuild the car from the ground up with a better engine than the old CVH and I didn't want any more mechanical or electrical issues.

I started work on the body shell about 5 years ago after booking the car into MJ Racing for the modification and restoration works.


MJ Racing have a long history of restoring old Fords in Scotland and have worked on every model of Escort from the Mk1 to Mk6 including several 2WD and 4WD Cosworth conversions.

The boys at MJ Racing fabricated new engine and gearbox mounts onto the offside and near side inner arches. They also added a mount onto the floor of the car for the 6 speed gearbox

and cut a slot out of the floor for the 6 speed selector rods. The hole on the floor for the selector rods was the only thing taken out of the shell all of the other alterations where additions to the shell.


After the fabrication works where completed the Body Shell and all of the panels including both doors, boot, bonnet and both front and rear bumpers were sent to Surface Processing Limited https://www.surfaceprocessing.co.uk/

for paint and rust removal by chemical immersion. When the shell was returned back to MJ Racing it was clear that it required a lot of body panels and an extensive amount of welding.


The following are most of the panels replaced although I'm sure I've probably forgot some of them
2 x Front Floor Pans
2 x Rear Floor Pans
Full Boot Floor
Both Bottom Rear Corners
Offside Inner Sill and Outer Sill
Nearside Inner Sill and Outer Sill
Bottom of Nearside A Pillar
Bottom of Offside A Pillar
Top Section of Nearside Front Inner Arch
Top Section of Offside Front Inner Arch
Both Rear Chassis Leg Spring Cups
Full Front Panel
Full Rear Panel
Inner Sunroof Tray


Unfortunately the Chassis number next to the back drivers seat fixing point had to be cut out as all of the metal around the chassis number was riddled with holes.

The chassis number was cut out of the old floor and I was planning on having it made into a plate then have it riveted back into the floor. Currently the chassis number plate is with the shell

and there is a massive amount of documented pictures posted on several web sites of the whole process back in 2015/2016 just so there is no dubiety surrounding the origins of the shell.


Strengthening sections were welded over both rear chassis legs and an extra 3rd center sill was installed between the inner and outer sills. This was done to give the shell more strength as

I didn't want to install a roll cage and the boys at MJ Racing were concerned that the power from the Focus RS engine may pull the shell apart over a number of years of abuse.



After the repair works were completed to the shell I had all of the holes within the engine bay of which there are many filled over to create a clean Euro look within the engine bay.

This included removing the battery tray which was meant to be relocated to the boot. The fuse box entry was also welded over as I was relocating the fuse box into the glove box with a bespoke stealth wiring loom.


Once all of the hole filling works were completed within the engine bay the shell and all of the panels were sent back to Surface Processing Limited for a second chemical immersion to remove the surface rust

that had built up on the shell and remove the paint from the primed repair panels. The shell was then immersed in neutralizing agents before being washed off and dried. It then sat for 4 or 5 days before being

sent for an Electrophoretic Coating where the shell and panels are immersed in a conductive paint and voltage is applied to the parts which attracts the paint onto the shell and panels.

Before the shell left MJ Racing the boys drilled holes in the inner sills down both sides to allow the E-Coat into every area of the shell when the car was submerged. All of the holes were repaired when the car returned home.


When the shell and panels returned to MJ Racing the boys set about seam sealing the full car. The floor and inner arch areas were sprayed with stone chip replant then the full car was flattened and primed

including both door panels, the boot, bonnet and both front and rear bumpers.


All of the above works were completed 3 years ago and the shell has remained in dry secure storage ever since.


This listing includes the following
Mk3 Escort Series 1 RS Turbo Body Shell (with V5 document and floor ID)
Drivers Door
Passenger Door
Boot Lid
Bonnet
Front and Rear Bumpers


Please note that the body shell is NOT rolling and will need to be taken away on a flatbed style vehicle.


So to quickly refresh as previously stated this body shell has been extensively welded but as you can see from the pictures the level of workmanship is simply outstanding.

The engine bay has been modified for a Focus RS engine and ST170 6 speed gearbox. The holes in the engine bay have been filled over for a Euro clean looking finish to the engine bay.

The body shell is currently primed and ready for paint although it will no doubt require some prep work.


I am happy to answer any questions regarding the shell and viewing the body shell is possible as long as I have several days notice as it located near Glasgow in secure dry storage.


The shell is for sale for £8,000 which I realize is a lot of money for what is essentially a Mk3 Escort body shell but bear in mind for a moment that all of the above works to the body shell have cost me very close to £16,000 to date.

Madness perhaps when you could buy a concours S1 back in 2015 for that money.



To me this body shell brings peace of mind in the knowledge that it's now super strong and even if it's used as a daily drivers in 30 years time this body shell should still be mainly intact thanks to the E-coating.


If you cannot afford the £8,000 asking price then please resist the urge to message me offering a lower amount as I will not respond.

I don't mean to be rude but I love this body shell like a family member and absolutely nothing short of the asking price will release it from my ownership.


Full payment must be clear in my Hand/Paypal/Bank account before the body shell will be made available to the new owner


I also have a Mk1 2.0ltr Focus RS Duratec engine and ST170 6 speed gearbox with a single billet dual mass fly wheel for sale to complement the modifications to this body shell. These will be listed over the next few days


I will take some recent up to date pictures at some point this week when I can gain access to the shell but here are some pics of the work done to the body shell so far

Attachment 182433

Attachment 182434

Attachment 182435

Attachment 182436

Attachment 182437

Attachment 182438

Attachment 182439

Attachment 182440

Attachment 182441

Attachment 182442

Attachment 182443

Attachment 182444

Attachment 182445

Attachment 182446

Attachment 182447

Attachment 182448

Attachment 182449

Attachment 182450

Attachment 182451

Attachment 182452

Attachment 182453



Attachment 182454

Attachment 182455

Attachment 182456

Attachment 182457

Attachment 182458

Attachment 182459

Attachment 182460

Attachment 182461

Attachment 182462

Attachment 182463

Attachment 182464

Attachment 182465

Attachment 182466

Attachment 182467

Attachment 182468

Attachment 182469

Attachment 182470

Attachment 182471

Attachment 182472

Attachment 182473

Attachment 182474

Attachment 182475

Attachment 182476

Attachment 182477

Attachment 182478

Attachment 182479

Attachment 182480

Attachment 182481

Attachment 182482

Attachment 182483

Attachment 182484

Attachment 182485

Attachment 182486

Attachment 182487

Attachment 182488

Attachment 182489

Attachment 182490

Attachment 182491