Mk1 Escort Restoration

[C.A.F. 867]

Very off topic I know, but Alex has owned his Mk1 Esky for over 13 years, but it's been looking a tad sad body wise the last few years, so he asked me if I'd help him restore it.

It's originaly a 1300GL(?), but it's currently got a 1600 X-flow in it.

We'll be turning it into a 1600GT, with a PMC built 1600 X-Flow, running 38mm CV Bike carbs & distributor-less ignition.

Guards will be new repo. 1600GT items, & new front headlight/beaver panel.

 

We are now well into stripping the shell & the guards have already been picked off (Escort guards are spot welded on, FFS!).

Once the front panel is off, it'll be fitted up to the rotisary & be sent off for blasting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Plemum chamber box removed:

 

 

 

 

[zzzzed 14]

i have had many eskys in my day.. they are awesome little cars

[Scoota G 29]

My Goodness, look how messy your new mancave has got already!!

[C.A.F. 867]

I know! It's great!

[lightmaster240z 101]

That not the man cave it the master bedroom 

Nice bit of kit there big guy. look forward to seeing the progress

Bruce

[bluerat 5]

Now come on Lurch, do the right thing, tell him it's un-fixable and send it to the recycler. I did my bit and helped write one off last year

[mossy 139]

I love escorts, had a couple in my time including a beautiful 2 dr RS2000. 

 

To him to go for the works guards Lurch, ands a BDA motor

[Z 8]

A mate in Kiwi had one of these, a yellow two door with the 2Ltr Pinto, went suprisingly well!

[C.A.F. 867]

Fark! Fair effort Hodgo!

[MaygZ 37]

Fark! Fair effort Hodgo!

 

It's only a series II

 

[C.A.F. 867]

A few more recent photo's:

 

Front panel removed:

 

And a big moment today as Alex & I got the mounts finished, and we got the shell mounted up on the rotisserie!

And before anyone ask's - yes there are modified engine stands.

 

 

 

Alex looking very smug with the day's efforts:

 

The next job is removing the heavy sound deadner from the underside of the shell, before it goes off for media blasting in a couple of weeks.

[MaygZ 37]

Nice concrete 

[peter mc 38]

hi Lurch

 

iv started work on the esky, work on the head is very full on, heheh its know datsun but it will do

 

specs on the 1600 kent

new scat crank

60th race pistons

formula ford head

custom inlet manifold

all new valves and springs

and lots more will keep you up dated as i go

[1600dave 175]

new scat crank

 

Could have kept it a little bit Datsun and used an L-series crank 

[C.A.F. 867]

Try finding an L16 crank, Dave!

[peter mc 38]

and the scat crank was cheep and ready to bolt in

[luvemfast 102]

Scat?

Isn't that from Germany?

[bluerat 5]

Scat, isn't that what scientist types call Poo?

[PZG302 92]

I thought sat was what jazz singers did when they were too drug added to remember the words....

[peter mc 38]

mmm you funny men .... more head pics for you the head is finished and the block will get honed tomorrow so i will have it all together next week

[1600dave 175]

A freindly tip - don't google "scat escort kent" 

[peter mc 38]

yer not so smart, scat is a yank brand ..made in china the crank was made for formula ford as the ford crank was not up to the job,

[1600dave 175]

And a serious question - would a fully-counterweighted Datsun crank offer any performance advantage over the non-fully-counterweighted SCAT crank (ignoring availability / price / ease of fitting) ?

 

I've had a few Escort guys come up to me at CSCA race meets asking after fully-counterweighted L18 cranks or whether I knew exactly what model Datsun to look in for a fully-counterweighted one.

 

And another question - perhaps not specifically related to the Kent, but does complete removal of the valve guide boss offer any advantages / disadvantages ? I notice you've left them in (although I'm not sure what they look like in a Kent before being ported).

 

And post some more body resto pics Lurch - I love seeing that sort of stuff.

[Riceburner 157]

I heard a little birdie say that this will be running on blackbird bike carbs...... Are you doing the inlet manifold Pete?

[peter mc 38]

it is running bike carbs and its a kit you can buy from the UK. The manifold is really nice i will post a pic tomorrow.

The dato cranks are very good and there a good option but the scat crank is a good thing for the $ - its fine to 8000rpm.

People have been using the dato crank for years and they are much better than the ford crank and most likely the scat one too.