graham c

iTrader: (5)

not alot, contact cilly jilly on here as its his am just stripping it

Miltz

Thanks for that! How much do you intend on stripping from it? Will it be a completely bare shell or are you planning on leaving the steering and suspension etc?

ossie cossie

A 4X4 escort cosworth shell in OZ is a big ask, When i lived in the UK a fitted 4X4 running gear to a 2wd sierra sapphire shell not a lot of difference Mostly gearbox tunnel and 2 small semi circular cut outs in the front chassis beams. you will find it very difficult to import an escort cosworth shell into OZ, maybe even impossible, almost certainly very expensive. Good luck all the same, and i will watch this post to see how you get on.

graham c

iTrader: (5)

not to sure yet at the min depends on wot not needed for the new one ive painted for him but think i could come rolling with 4x4 stuff and coil overs for the rite price

Miltz

Getting a complete car into Australia isn't an issue, just shipping something that doesn't move under it's own power or at all makes it a bit harder. I have a good friend in London who can help me out with finding a car if needed and he also knows a few people in a shipping company who specialise in freight between Australia and the UK. They will probably be best to move a car that doesn't run rather than using a car shipping company who'd want to be able to drive it on and off the boat. I'll give him a call over the next few days and see what he can find out about shipping a rolling chassis or shell over.

Miltz

Let me know how you go Graham, I'm not in a huge hurry at the moment but if something suitable came up for the right price I'd prefer to get it sooner rather than later.

the dutch man

Any progress?

Miltz

Not of late unfortunately, haven't had much time with work etc and I've done a pretty good job of redirecting money towards other pursuits lately.....

I'm currently in the process of getting a new garage built that will make working on it a lot easier so hope to get a fair bit done over winter when that's finished. And with the Australian $ looking quite good against the Pound at the moment I'm thinking now is the time to look at getting a donor shell/car sorted.

Miltz

Hi all,

Sorry it's been so long between progress updates and unfortunatley this isn't going to be one either. Not much has happened lately with work taking up most of my time and still not having a proper workshop. I'm still waiting on building approval for my new garage to come through but once it does I'll have it built pretty quickly and then have the room I need to really get stuck into the conversion.

In the meantime I've been thinking about what engine to go with and to do something different am considering fitting a twin turbo Coswoth FB series (BOA//BOB) V6. I've posted a thread on the Technical Help Q & A board with a few questions regarding the fitment and best engine to use, I'd appreciate it if anyone with knowledge on these engines has a look and can offer some advice, link below.

https://passionford.com/forum/techni...ml#post6275923

Miltz

Hi all,

I've come across a complete and running 1991 Sierra XR4x4 with Cologne V6 which is going for a good price that I'm thinking of snapping up for the conversion. As I mentioned earlier I'm planning on doing a WRC coversion on the chassis and was hoping someone could get back to me ASAP as to whether the non-RS Sierra 4x4 chassis shared the same suspension mounting points etc as the Escort RS Cosworth so that standard WRC parts can be used?

Cheers in advance for any advice!

graham c

iTrader: (5)

Think it's the same

Miltz

Thanks Graham, do you know of anyone I can contact to find out for certain?

graham c

iTrader: (5)

Think only the estates were different I used a 2wd shell when I did mine so the rest are the same ish apert from half moons in front chassis legs and front shock are different size

Miltz

Just a quick update.

I've paid a deposit on the XR4x4 I mentioned earlier and submitted an import application to get it over here which I should hear back on within the next 2 weeks (3 weeks max but I submitted it last week), hopefully all is good and I can get the car onto a boat ASAP, I'll keep you posted on the progress of that.

I've also heard back from council regarding the building approval for my new workshop, they need a couple of extra design calculations provided to sign off on it but otherwise looks like it's all go. With any luck I'll have that completed before the car arrives.

Miltz

Not the update I was hoping to give but an update none the less. I've hit a snag with Department of Infrastructure regarding the import of the 1991 XR4x4, that being that they're not to keen on granting import approval. Should hopefully have an answer later this week or early next week but I'm not expecting good news. Failing this I'll have to look at getting a 1988 build car imported as cars built before January 1st 1989 don't need to meet certain criteria for import.

In better news I've got the next 2 weeks off work, I've set out the foundations for my new workshop today and will begin stripping the surface ready for the contractors to come and and get the slab sorted tomorrow, with any luck the slab will be poured before returning to work and allow me to finish the building in my September break.

ossie cossie

Miltz, sorry to hear about the import approval for the sierra, but i dont think you will be able to get it in, The cut off date is jan 1989. so all cars (not just cosworths) built after this date are exempt unless you have owned them and lived in the UK for 12 months prior to importing the car.
On a side note i have just come across the damaged escos that was here in WA the guy decided to sell it and i have bought it, going toturn it into a track car, as it can not be road registered.
Pics of it.

Miltz

Hi Ossie Cossie,

I was aware of the January 1st 1989 cut off but applied for a discretionary approval stating that the car would never be registered for road use etc but it looks like the only way I could get it in now is under a motor sport import approval, unfortunately I don't have a CAMS license at the moment as I've only been using my bike on the track since selling of all the MK1s Group 4 parts a few years ago. They're supposed to be calling me to go through a few things and I'll see about swapping the import application over to a motor sport one under the provision I go and get a new CAMS license if that's a way around things.

Cars built after January 1st 1989 can be imported provided they are on the SEVS list, all Cosworth models are on that but the lower spec Sierra's etc are not. The only options for them are to be brought in under motor sport applications, discretionary approvals (which I'm trying to do) or to have been owned and used in it's current location for at least 12 months. Hopefully the discretionary approval can go through or failing that let me swap the application over to motor sport and I'll have to swing by the CAMS office and get a new license ASAP.

Did you get the engine and driveline etc with the EsCos or is it just a rolling chassis, an EsCos rolling chassis would have been ideal for what to do with it!

graham c

iTrader: (5)

You would still have to cut the ecoz floor tho it's still to long

ossie cossie

no engine, box or front drive shafts, but that is not a problem as i will not be putting a cosworth engine in it. I will go with a jap engine and box and be rear wheel drive. Was looking at a car on this site that has a skyline RB25 engine and box in it. These are quite easy to get here in OZ. Also all the other bits i take off when i strip the shell will be spares my my road Cosworth.

THIS ONE.

ossie cossie

engine in it.

graham c

iTrader: (5)

I'd gtr skyline the whole car

Miltz

Hi all,

Some good news finally, my import application has gone through so I'll be able to bring over the 1991 XR4x4. I'll try to organise the shipping next week but I'm currently 2000km from home in the middle of nowhere with work so I'm not sure how I'll go with that, otherwise I'll be waiting a couple of week until I get home.

I don't have any pictures with me but I'll upload some as soon as I get home.

ossie cossie

Good news mate. will you be sending it over in a container? maybe worth putting some other bits in with i as well. I also have some parts for the track car to come over.

graham c

iTrader: (5)

good thinkin from the man above and mybe some parts to sell on

Miltz

The car is coming from Christchurch in New Zealand, I won't be getting anything else from there so will go with the roll on-roll off shipping option as it's by far the cheapest.

Next on the shopping list is an engine, wheels and a few panels for the MK1 which will all come from the UK but haven't worked out the best way to get all of that over yet. Would be good if I could get it all on the same conisgnment but will depend on where the various parts are located.

ossie cossie

when i got my last load of stuff shipped over to perth from the UK i used Anglo pacific, 11 box,s in all, max 30kg per box. Jason Franco sorted it out for me, i dont think he is a user on here though. i probably will use him again the only thing this time is that some of the box,s will be bigger due to the item size,s ie. bumper, spoiler, rear beam and some big body panels as well as some small box,s.

Miltz

Hi all,

Just a quick update, everything is sorted with the XR4x4 now, it's going to be on a ship to Australia either tomorrow or in another 2 weeks and gets here 38 days after that, hopefully I've got my new workshop finished by the time it gets here!

graham c

iTrader: (5)

cool then the fun starts

Miltz

Hi all,

Everything is confirmed with shipping, I wasn't able to get it on the first boat but it's been picked up from it's owner and now in dock storage until the 20th of this month and will arrive in Adelaide on the 2nd of November. There's some photos from the ad below.

Next up is sorting out how wide I'm going to need to make the MK1's shell, the specs for the XR4x4 are for a 1453mm front track and 1468mm rear track. Does anyone know whether this is to the centreline of the wheel/tyre or hub face? The tarmac Escort WRC has a 1530mm track front and rear as far as I'm aware (please correct me if I'm wrong, I believe WRC cars of the era were allowed to have a wheel track between 1530mm and 1570mm) and would presume this to be measured to the centreline of the wheel/tyre as it is with most race cars. The reason for this is I intend on ordering a set of Escort WRC replica wheels ASAP and using spacers to move the wheels out as far as required to match the tarmac Escort WRC track and set the inner/outer arches etc to cover them while putting the shell together.

Miltz

Hi all,

Once again sorry for the lack of posts, been busy with work and also the workshop now. I've gone from it being too wet to work to too hot although I made a decent amount of progress over the cooler days of last month and early this month. Pictures below.

As for the car, the XR4x4 is in the country but still about 700km of road freight away, hopefully I get it by the end of this week, I'll keep you all posted!

Miltz

Quick update, the XR4x4 has finally arrived and aside from the fuel pump dying and the gear knob going missing in transit is perfectly fine, no rust and everything I need is in good condition.

Still a lot of work to do on the garage so probably won't get much done on the car in the next month but after that the progress should pick up!

Glenn_

iTrader: (1)

Your garage is gonna be a canny size.

Miltz

G'day Glenn_,

No offence to you and none taken by myself but what do you mean by the term canny size, I've never heard canny used to describe the size of something before!

ossie cossie

well done, nice car for the 4x4 running gear, i used all the running gear from a sierra XR 4x4 when i built it in to my F reg ghia sapphire shell when i lived in the UK 18/19 years ago now.

Glenn_

iTrader: (1)

Canny mean decent. Good. Sorry for my lingo matey.

Glenn_

iTrader: (1)

18/19 years away from notsoGreat Britain. Do you miss it??

Miltz

G'day all,

Sorry it's been a while between posts, been pretty busy with work lately and away quite lot. No progress on the car but the workshop is starting to come along, will hopefully have it complete before Easter!

Punter

hell yeah the best bit cutting it out lol

cannot wait to see this done

Lambchop

iTrader: (1)

Hello mate. I got a surprise to read there that you are in Adelaide. Most people are elsewhere in Oz!

I emigrated to Adelaide 19 months ago and have built a house in the southern suburbs.

Would be great to catch up with a ford fan at some point

ossie cossie

lambchop, there are a couple of other cosworth owners in Adelaide that i know of, if you are interested in catching up i can get there info to you, if its OK with them?