Ello,

Currently stripping my girlfriends RST as we ahve a new shell to put it all in.
Here are some pics

bodykit off, and this is what was under it lol




the floorpan



bottom of inner rear 1/4



Front end stripped



Inner wings are clean and so is battery tray



Dash and steering rack out


My so called helper
Apart from polishing the shiny bits, she spent the rest of the time mucking about lol



Loom and the rear end to be stripped down this week

 

All the rust is on the drivers side
Basically needs a new complete sill, rear 1/4 repair section and rear drivers side floorpan section.
Rest of the car is very good indeed

 

Does look pretty bad

I'm restoring mine at the moment and the drivers side seems to be 50% worse than the passengers which I wasn't expecting

Whats the new shell like you've got hold of?

 

not bad, replacing some panels as we want it to be "pucker" and for show use

 

Benn, When I first saw the pics I was a bit shocked, but the front of the car is pretty good. What are you going to do with that shell?

Plus, I might have to nick some bits off of it first m8 as a few thigns I wanted weren't available from Ford anymore

 

It seems strange the difference in condition of Mk4 escorts of similar age looking at all these resto photos.

Mines gone manily on the rear end, especially the outer sills O/S whereas Tonys seams to be based around the battery tray (Mines original and looks like its just rolled out of the factory )

Whereas as this shell seems to be a little bit all over?

 

Damo and I said this last night. Mine has mainly rotten due to a dodgey replacment tray in the first place, which has leaked water in etc etc, the rest is ok. They start rotting from the factory because of the way they are made.

 

What bits ya need Tone?

 

Too true TT, there are too many pockets for water to gather in, I have generally found that as long as the car has been cleaned regularly and properly and used regularly rather than sitting in the one place for long periods the body shells are better. My old man bought a D reg Mk4 Combi in 1993 which had 127K miles on it when he bought it and it was mint. Everybody at the time said how 1987 to 1988 was the worst years for Fords rusting. I got my mits on the van in 1996 and it had 185K miles on it without any welding needing done on it until then when it needed a battery tray and the front wing to front panel joins welded, I re sprayed it and tyarted it up a bit and sold it on with 198K miles on the clock. The guy after me kept it for nearly 2 years before the floor went rotten because the guy hadn't fixed the hole next to the fusebox I reckon the amount of rust that a vehicle gets is down solely to the way that the vehicle is treated.

 

Clips mainly

 

ive broken a few

 

I've got some, depends on which ones your after m8 give me a shout and I'll see what I can find in ma boxes!

 

Damn Escorts, I iknow what you mean John, they do go in slightly different places, although it is the key places like batt try, wheel arches, sunroof etc which get hit the worst. It is all worth doing now because it only get's worse!

 

its welding time

 

Looks like you haven't done much since i last asked you

 

i havent lol
By the end of this week it will be fully stripped and ready to sell to anyone that wants it

 

And to think there are people out there who would say and believe, a car havng an accident damaged R1/4 panel replaced makes no difference whatsoever , best they have a litttle look at these pics I think...... ... that shel would be proper clean otherwise....

 

good work mate

 

Damo, it doesnt look like its been done properly either

 

Take some more pics m8

 

good luck with it m8, keep u busy 4 a bit

 

hows it going

 

What have you been doing these 2 weeks?

 

up ,whats going on mate ,hows it going

 

Why not just weld it up... theres hardly anything to do on it

 

Whats the hold up Benny?

 

got all this to come

 

Start your own one

 

lol, will do when I've done something! lol

 

Right, everything is stripped out now, gonig down the unit at the weekend to sort out all the bits for powder coating etc etc.
Also take some more pics of the old shell and bits that are to be sold.

Still trying to sort out a garage to spray the new shell

 

Someone must want to do it mate, can't be that bad

 

heres some pics of the shell that we stripped.









Heres the nice rusty bits lol
This is that rear 1/4 I was on about,



passenger side rear arch not as bad,








There ya go, thats as far as we have got

 

Not THAT bad then? Bit hard to tell really, what with the pictures being so fucking big

Sorted out someone to do it yet?

 

Not yet

 

bout time mate

 

hows it coming along?

 

Is it me or does that shell look pretty good? I would have thought some
skilled local repairs where needed would have been easier than a
complete reshell?? The front especially the inner wing areas and cross
members all look great. Even the chassis sections that kick over the rear
wheels look good. Surely some nicely fitted new arches and localised
repair plates is the way to go?

Sorry if I'm wrong, just going by what I can see and what I have had
experience restoring before.

Wolfy

 

DreamWolf, yeah mate, it isnt too bad you are right.... The shell is for sale if you fancy a bash

 

Dreamwolf, get your arse into the rs turbo for sale section and name your price

 

do you acpet payment in kind Benn???