Watch Retropower's youtube channel - they're building a rather nice Mk1 Escort for Gordon Murray!
It'll have a nice, tasty, modern Cosworth lump in it...

LUKBENPHI said:

Theres quite a few old cortinas and escorts making their way over here from SA currently father in laws is after a mk1 or mk2 cortina

Whats plan with it? fix it and drive it or tune it up a bit?

Click to expand...

No rust is the big appeal I believe, that’s what the people i have spoken to have said.

For this summer just wanna get what I’ve got running right so pretty much leave it as it is once the garage have got the running issue sorted.

Then over the winter would like to up the power a bit. Twin 45’s, new exhaust and maybe head work if I can afford.

But wirings a bit of a mess and interior needs bits replacing and general tidying up so that will be the priority.

Then look to lowering the suspension a bit so it’s less like a 4x4 and some lower profile tyres.

rob_bell said:

Watch Retropower's youtube channel - they're building a rather nice Mk1 Escort for Gordon Murray!
It'll have a nice, tasty, modern Cosworth lump in it...

Click to expand...

Ooo noted, I’ll search for that .

Finally, bit of posh work for the “Posh-Roader”!!

Did a favour for mother in laws friends and transported two of their horses to a local show.



Just 20 miles of country lanes, no drama from the disco and we bumbled along nicely.



Nothing here that would tempt me away.



Even made a friend!



Just love the V6 grunt. Even after 177k it still makes light work even up the hills.

Another day, another collections of parts to fit.

This time the front end needs attention. After hearing squeaking when turning the wheel I got a local indi to have a look when they did the brake fluid change.
Came back with a track rod spindles and lower ball joint warn along with both wheel bearings.

And as I did fancy trying to press out a ball joint I just bought two new arms, pair of spindles and two wheel bearings instead.

Fortunately I managed to get ramp access again for the job so up she goes



Some large boxes of stuff



Coated the bolts in wd40 for a couple of days to hopefully make life easier.



And attempted some marking



Wheel off, never get bored off seeing the brakes



Decided to add a like safety net to the three wood blocks lift lol.



Brakes off, starting to get good at this



Then 4 15mm bolts off the back


And hub is off





Then on to the arms. Only one bolt I could access with the windy gun due to the exhaust.



However everything else was gunned off easily



About an hour in and hun and arm are off



Tbh the arm bushes weren’t really worn that much at all, certainly nothing like the rears.
But worth it because now I know they are good.



Next up new track rods



Split the old one and counted the turns to try and get the new one in the same place



Ramp acting as a shelf



Using workshop dog to scale part sizes



New arm and hub back on







Near side all bolted up and back together



Then simply a case of repeat on other side











And all done and back together, remove time chatting as it’s a busy workshop and reckon it was a 4 hour job.
Steerings out a bit but I’ll get the alignment redone.

Chris

Good job!

Thanks very much fella.
Looks like I’ve bent the brake shield slightly as can hear it scuffing on the disc.
Will get the wheel off later in the week and sort that

No need to remove wheel just push a prybar through the gaps in wheel and it will bend back with light tap from palm of your hand on the end of the bar

@Co-Pang-Yang

Looking good mate

Think when we see posts ref , wishbones a sharp intake of breath will be taken followed by a good luck

Few pics of mine

That looks very familiar lol. I must admit I forgot the drop links on mine.
Will give them a check over next time I’m near the ramp and see what they are like

Co-Pang-Yang said:

That looks very familiar lol. I must admit I forgot the drop links on mine.
Will give them a check over next time I’m near the ramp and see what they are like

Click to expand...

Indeed these wishbones all seem to be right sods to get out

I’ve never known bolts to be so bloody hard to cut through, then finding out there high tensile steel, so that explains a lot

Did u also use a recip saw to cut them plse

Indeed ref the drop links, there also sods to get out

Plus, done all the brake bleeding , I did before removing brake lines etc , put some cling film over the master cyl and was still half full, so luckily no air got upstream of the abs unit, but know the iid will allow u to bleed that out

Blimey that’s a challenge getting it too 485mm to lock the bolts off

I set the camber to zero or 90 degrees vertical, will see how far out I am when I get it aligned

Hopefully mine last a little while longer yet.

Unfortunately the blades I bought for the air saw would be slightly rubbish at cutting through cheese so no use at all on the bolts.
In the end managed to free them up by hammering big chisels between the arm and the mounting bracket which forced the bolts to move outwards a few mm at a time till it freed itself.

Bleeding was a right mare, using both traditional methods and the IID tool. After 6 goes pedal still dropped to the floor.
Got the fluid changed and that improved things.

Just used a small trolly jack under the lower arm and jacked it up and measured the hub. Wasn’t too bad.

Tempted to replace the alternator for a genuine Denso unit in the hope that’ll get rid of the flickering interior light problems

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.co.uk/ulk/itm/362254366924

Co-Pang-Yang said:

Hopefully mine last a little while longer yet.

Unfortunately the blades I bought for the air saw would be slightly rubbish at cutting through cheese so no use at all on the bolts.
In the end managed to free them up by hammering big chisels between the arm and the mounting bracket which forced the bolts to move outwards a few mm at a time till it freed itself.

Bleeding was a right mare, using both traditional methods and the IID tool. After 6 goes pedal still dropped to the floor.
Got the fluid changed and that improved things.

Just used a small trolly jack under the lower arm and jacked it up and measured the hub. Wasn’t too bad.

Click to expand...

Cheers mate

Seeing there’s not many of us D3 owners here, is nice being able to share info and tips between us, lol

After doing all the wishbone work I check my master and was half full so think I was lucky there

Sorry asking a daft question what ones did u bleed plse as I know whey can be a sod if u don’t follow the sequence , assume there there all ok now

Cheers and indeed it certainally took some doing jacking the wishbone up

Had the alignment done yesterday and well pleased , when I put the new wishbone back on I got it within 1 x degree , after driving it home, wow , what a difference it made, remained very planted and they slight wander it had before had gone, even the ride was nicer

So mot day today , gulp am waiting for them to come and collect it for me and will drop it back off tonight , my local dealer does it for me , fingers crossed and I’ve also told my dogs to cross there paws as well

Just hope they last 12 x months hard work will pay off

Thks again

Ps, reminds me I must look for that heated windscreen washer wire sometime before winter is upon us again

Yer my brake fluid Reservoir was about half full after changing the brake lines.

Can’t rememeber which order we did them now (memory is not my strong point lol) but know we followed the brake bible guide off the D3 forum. Seems to be all good now yes.

That’s good, mines much better with the alignment done now.

I’m away all next week and my mot is due beginning of next month. Gonna drop it off at the garage Sunday night and get a lift to the lorry.
Give him a week to fix the hand brake and get a fresh ticket on it.

Yes I still need to look for that wire for you.

Well 3 days with fuse 26 not fitted and come back to the car sitting exactly as it was when I left it.
Think tomorrow I’m gonna jack it right up using the IID tool and have a listen and poke around underneath. See if I can spot anything.

If that doesn’t work maybe it points to the compressor needing a rebuild.

Co-Pang-Yang said:

Yer my brake fluid Reservoir was about half full after changing the brake lines.

Can’t rememeber which order we did them now (memory is not my strong point lol) but know we followed the brake bible guide off the D3 forum. Seems to be all good now yes.

That’s good, mines much better with the alignment done now.

I’m away all next week and my mot is due beginning of next month. Gonna drop it off at the garage Sunday night and get a lift to the lorry.
Give him a week to fix the hand brake and get a fresh ticket on it.

Yes I still need to look for that wire for you.

Click to expand...

Great it’s all sorted and bless u ref that wire, know you’ve had ur hands full

Mine went in for its mot today and failed,

Rear door actuator lock failed whilst on the ramp, bugger , so couldn’t open the door and instant fail

So got it home and ordered a new actuator assembly

Dealer wanted £500 to supply and fit a new lock, they rang me as they couldn’t open the door and wanted to charge me £100 for diagnostics and rip the door panel off , nope ant going to happen

Had to get a cab to the dealers and drove home , after some patience I got the door unlocked and panel off in around 30 x mins , i didn’t put one mark on the door or panel getting it undone

Now got 10 x working days for a mot retest