Hello one and all, just a bit of a testing the water style thread as I'm sure I'm not the only one who's short of a bob or two at the moment and trying to make the most of the parts sat in my garage.

Due to afore mentioned financial shortcomings I'm looking to move on my 1100 to zetec mk1 Fiesta project, and that leaves me with a rebuilt and modified 1600 cvh with no home. Originally it was due to be the stop gap between 1100 kent power and 2L Zetec, but I can’t justify the Fiesta build at the moment so have been looking towards something a little less involved to justify keeping the engine whilst I get a bit more money together and get on the search for a bigger project.

Initial thoughts are a build with a weekends work for getting it up and running. I’ve got a full xr2 front end as well as the engine, and thoughts had turned to a base spec mk3 escort keeping most things in line with your average 80’s shopping shed. My mate’s got an A plate 1.3 champagne gold affair with tax and test that’s sat not doing a lot, so what do people think? How complex a job and something worth bothering with? It’s just a something to cheaply pass the time and I think it should satisfy the project urge until I can afford something bigger.

Having had a look at the two engines, as far as I can make out, it should be a straight enough swap. But what I haven’t really been too concerned with at the moment is the suspension, driveshafts and gearbox. What am I going to need to be particularly careful with this conversion? What can I get away with keeping standard mechanically, and what am I going to need to upgrade / swap for later parts. Any clues?

So if there’s anyone out there with knowledge of this swap, or similar builds, please let me know the results, and if there’s some Ford heads out there who could be of help then please let yourself be known but be warned that I will be hitting you up for information and knowledge as I go along.

Have some examples of mk3 escorts for your perusal and to get the creative juices flowing.











Ta all,

Morgs

 

Drop the 1.6 in, lower it and fit a nice set of RS500 rims on it, love the standard Mk3`s and 1600i`s with those rims. Keep the outside standard apart from that and she will look sweet!

 

i love those wheels to look proper crusing cars.

red, s1 kit and 3rd rims

 

 

whats the mk1 for sale at? you have any pics or links??

Cheers
Dan

 

The green 3dr ghia would be an ideal sleeper, as above 3dr cos rims, rs16i front spoiler, lowered and general tidy up then find a 2.0 si mondeo for the engine and think the front brakes fit and possibley the rears modded to fit to !!
All should be acheive able under a grand !!

 

Unfortunately the biggest engine I've got at the moment is the 1600cvh. But it's been overbored, polished, skimmed, with a double valve springs and a kent 33cam fitted. I've since stripped it all down and rebuilt it all back up just to sit on an engine stand. The fiesta is too big and long a project for my present garage and time commitments so I have to be practical with my ambition.

sillyfezzaMK1 - there'll be a for sale thread sometime this week once I've got across to the garage and taken some photos.

An rs turbo sounds sweet, but I need to be practical with my monies, and my capabilities. I reckon I'd be ok in a year or so to move onto that, so the 1600 is probably the best I can do at the moment and the best way to keep hold of a solid shell until I can afford to do more. Same applies with the mondeo 2L, a great idea, but one that I'll want to hold onto to for when time allows.

Love the idea of RS500 rims, rs16i front spoiler too. Idea is to keep it as stock as possible so looking for something on a 5speed owned by some old giffer who's had it from new, fully serviced up, and garaged all it's days. The sleeper look lends itself to those cars out there that haven't got the same premium on them as the rs's, so should be able to pick something up out there with a good bit of life in it yet.

Please keep the ideas coming though, time and money is meaning I need to move onto this fairly quickly.

Trawling the usual places for a solid shell but would appreciate it if anyone had the heads up on any going for sale. Distance from Bristol not necessarily a problem.

Ta.

morgs