Wow! Amazing project!

 

Ok time for another update

I took a last pic of the front hubs and arms whilst they were still in situ, then they were stripped out.





I got a couple of pics of the inner front ally arches too, not bad for 5yrs of neglect. Check the beefy springs. For reference the small locking ring is nearly 3" wide





When it came time to drop the struts out I found that the captive nuts under the metal strut brace plates at the top had come away.
As they are above the strut top plate (which fills the whole strut cut out tube) there is no way to access them.
The bolt tops will have to be cut off and then the thread removed from the strut tops later.



A random pic of the cockpit for you.



Here you can see how tight the fit is for the getrag.



And here on the inside is where I will have to cut out a section and flare it out futher into the footwell.



The water leaking in around the fluid tanks (brake/clutch) has been pouring down the inside of the footwell and even with drill holes in the floor hasnt been able to get away fast enough to stop it rotting the floor.
In the pic you can see the handmade throttle and cut and moved clutch.



It's led to this:





Oh well, more to fix as usual.

Whilst I was underneath I got a pic of the stupidly fat propshaft.
It still makes me all warm and fuzzy when I look at it. (note to self, get out more)



Then, with a little help from my home made friend:



It was time for mrs gettyrag to put in an appearance





The 10 tooth spline means I can't just buy clutches off the shelf, but grp A ap plates are still around and only need re-padding daily
The fulcrum end is held with just a metal pin.



Her hydraulic arm:



The rear has 4 bolts to attach the prop, but if you look at the pic of the prop you'll see that the front end just slides off. So you don't have to undo them.



Anyway thats all for tonight, I'll be back down the unit on thurs, so will update again then.
Cheers for all the kind words and encouragement so far. It works wonders on the motivation.

 

that box has a T5 bellhousing.
and that size of prop is pretty standard for a long run in one piece, my three door had one the same.

cool project pal.

 

Didnt do a lot on the car tonight, I decided to build myself a bench with a shelf to help with space when stuff starts needing hiding for later. Or for cleaning stuff on.



I spent awhile taking measurements around the engine bay and at different points down to the level floor, to see if all was straight.
I know the car has had a couple of "altercations" with mother natures more solid forest creations, but all seems fine and dandy.
It was whilst doing these measurements that I noticed that the engine was still on an angle in the bay, without a gearbox attached.
The engine mounts themselves seem to cant the motor over.
I have the feeling that the engine mounts were made after the motor and box were fitted up as best they could be
Oh the joys

 

You going to use her on the road or restore her to do what she was built to do literley

 

great project baz ,looking forward to seeing it develop

 

Cheers guys,

@Lewis,

I think I mentioned earlier in the thread about the constant dilema I have with a final outcome for her.
My mind knows that the best course is a restoration back to her original state, but her original gravel rally spec (perspex windows, no roll bars, high c of g, etc) is not practical for day to day life.

Nowadays it's hard to justify having a restored rally car that is too valuable (for an amature like me to ever try threading between hard trees ) or too conspicuous to leave anywhere but locked in a secure garage.

For me personally I'd like to make her into a track car that could also be used as a weekend car on the road. But that would mean altering her too far from her origins.

The sensible plan would be to restore her as she was, then sell her on. Then get a road car (escort/3dr) that I could track and use on the road.
The trouble starts when I look at her and just cant bear to part with her.
Haha, sloppy old git.

 

Ok, finally got down to the garage tonight, (have been laid up with the man flu for over a week)
I stripped more fron the car, wipers, scuttle etc.
Then managed to drill out the heads of the strut top bolts so the struts could come out.





Was clearing out the space at the back behind the tank, so I got a pic of the fuel pump housing.
You turn the two zues clips and the cover pops open



And inside is the two pumps.

 

Very nice car and a proper bit of Ford history.
Are plans to keep the YB or fit a BD and ZF box as original?Be much better but cost and absolute fortune lol

 

Awesome project, you'be probably said and i've missed it, but whats your plans with it, are you going to rally it?
Be rude not too with your location

 

Cheers Troops.

Plans. They are as elastic as ever, see post 47 (up the page a bit) for details.

 

Continued with the stripping this evening. Shes starting to look a little threadbare now.



I lifted out the intercooler and got a pic or two as i've often wondered if it is handmade of from something else. Anyone recognise it from another car?





And speaking of from other cars, I've always known that a lot of the car was made from works mk 2 escort parts, as that was what Cg Ford were running before hand.
Dougie Watson-Clark told me that a lot of stuff was carried over to the sierra as there wasnt a sierra equivilant to use.

Anyway whilst trawling the net I came across a pic of a mrk 2 with the same strut brace ends as the sierra, so thats another possible escort part checked off the list.

 

Got all anal today and dropped her backside off.









check out the dips cut into the arms for that last bit of extra travel











I noticed the extra plate between the hub and the arm for wider track



Don't know if you can see it, but the circlip was loose and just sitting on the bar



The top of the beam







Underneath



The reinforced ends





And empty



The 4aha clunker diff
The offset input looks like a good reason for the g/box and engine missalignment. As to get a straight line front to back with equal lengh shafts would require moving the tunnel over to the drivers side.

 

Keep at it Baz. Certainly an interesting car this, bit mismatch

 

this is so great i am loving this

 

love the car

 

really nice car mate, great history!!

 

Very special car

 

doin great there baz

 

Popped down on Monday nifght and lifted the lumpy bit out of the front.





The state of the paddle explains the lack of drive





Now I can ge in there and start sealing up the holes in the upper bay that let the h2o into the living room.

 

Quck update, bay now empty.







As I was rooting around pulling wires and stuff through I thought I'd take a pic of her fold down dash.



I'm soo looking forward to sorting in there out

 

You say about RED building the car although it was known as M.C.D when they 1st built the car and then the name changed in 84 and it was called the red4t.
also the car was driven by a certain roger clark who was at the time as famous a driver you were ever going to see.
last i heard was the red4t went across the irish sea like so many special rally cars.

 

Hi Marvin, thanks for the extra info. I had heard that the red car was in Wales, but Ireland seems more likely.

 

Tonights antics.
Doors and hatch off and out of the way.





Then the screen came out. In one piece as well, mucho supriso. Not that it will go back in, a new one is lined up for that. ( a heated one too, very posh)

I was expecting there to be almost no metal left...



But after a scrape and good prodding with wire brushes and a screw driver, it wasnt too bad. Just a couple of holes and some pin holes.





I love the half sierra, half ally dash.





You can see the supports for the dash next to the cage.



And one of the rats nest.

 

Amazing project! Looks like it's in safe hands?

 

Started cutting steel plates for the top and bottom of the floor where it had got a bit ripe.



Then it was time for the perspex windows to come out.





Didn't think they would survive the trauma.
They wont be going back in, but they will be used as templates.



A quick clean up later...

 

Great Progress

Looking Good

 

Wot a lot of hard work you have got on your hands

 

What a fantastic project - a proper piece of history being brought back to her former glory

Rob

 

great work, car is a amazing bit of history

 

Cheers guys for the encouragement

Not much to post at mo, still busy, but mostly wiring and cleaning. Nothing to write home about, let alone take pics of.
I have the por15 rust paint on it's way, so as soon as I get that done the bay can be painted and the wiring re-attached.
Then she can be spun and her arse given a going over.

 

Hi Baz

You have no idea how chuffed i am to see you have decided to rebuild the old girl

I know we spoke many times regards what to do etc and i honesly feel you have done the best thing

This is a special car with some great history and is a serious first car that provided much info to the later built group A cars etc

I look forward to the updates and if i can help in any way you know you only need to shout

good luck Baz

 

Cheers Paul, means a lot mate.
You know more than most how close she came to getting swapped for a 3dr road car.
but she'll get the tlc she wants and needs. I can't make any promises for the future though if I see a 500 come up with px in the title

 

very impressed with work that youve been doing!

 

Got to follow this. Lovley car and great work

 

keep up the good work mate

 

Right as I was off work and had finished blubbling at "the wedding"
It was time for a bit more work.

I got hold of the por15 system that Jay on here had used on his cossie.
So first up a good clean with the old mr muscle.
Then a proper clean with the Por15 Marine clean (which stinks and attacks your throat. A mask and gloves are recomended)



When that has been washed off with water then it's the Prep n ready.
You have to keep it wet for 20 mins (that'd be a first )

Then when it's dry you can paint on it.
It leaves an zinc oxide residue on any rust that helps the paint to bite into it.
You can just make out the light blue sheen on the rust in the next pic.



I bought a pack of six small tins as once opened it reacts with the air and cures and if you put the lid back on you need a disc cutter to get it off again.




The painting is in two coats min, first one coat, then wait 2 and a half hours till it's almost dry, but tacky enough that you can leave a mark when you touch it.
Then the second.
The paint works differently to normal in that it attacks the rust, locks on to it and is a totally non-porous surface.







If you are wondering why I didnt paint all the bay it is because the paint only works at it's best if it is in contact with bare metal.
So where the bay is painted in several hundred coats of hammerite , there is no point in using the por 15.

What did suprise me was the coverage, two caots of the bits in the bay, right round the screen appeture, a lot in the footwells and various other parts of the car...all from one 4oz pot.

So with any luck there shouldn't be any new rust.
Says he who lives on an Island in the middle of the irish sea

 

After going over the black with some white to get it ready for a couple of top coats, it was time to break out the foil tape and cover the multitude of holes in the bay.



Then it was more paint time.



The light makes it look yellowy, but it's hurt your eyes white.



She's looking clean again
Sort of.

 

Popped down the unit this afternoon stuck the spinner stand on the ends of the cars.
Then spun her over.









Smooth as a babys..ok maybe not. But her arse wasnt in as bad a nick as I feared.
Now I just have to take all the paint away and replace it with por15. Oh the joys



The tank space



Her bum from the rear, ooh err.

 

Wow... Great work on a great car