Credits to you, that is better than factory looking clocks , hard work pays off. 👍

Thanks Marty, I appreciate that. I have motivation and a bit of momentum at the moment, I've got two weeks off work coming up the end of next week so I'll hopefully be able to get lots of things done. 

I'm on the fence about the W50 now though - after seeing a Sierra 5 speed pop up on the small ford Facebook page for just over 2k I am going to wait and see if another one comes up because the dellow conversion kit for the W50 is 1800 just by itself. That can be a problem for future me to decide.

Celica box is very strong, they came out of not only Celica but T18 corolla and maybe some corona in the 70s to mid 80s.
Instead of a Dellow conversion, there's another plan of attack is a billet aluminium spacer between the box and belhousing, which keeps the escort belhousing, this is easy cheaper than a Dellow system.
More alternative is to find a Mazda rx8 6sp and get an adaptor plate(or make one) from UK. They use Escort clutch spline and same tail shaft but Mazda has a slightly bigger diameter.
Nobody uses BMW getrag boxes here in Escorts, cheap, strong, compact, yanks love them ... I'm deciding to get one soon for my mk1 Escort, not sure on engine going in it yet, zetec , been there done that, duratec, yeah still a good swap . K series Honda, might save that for my 4x4 ute.
Or.... Don't laugh now... A Suzuki Vitara/Swift Sport 1.4 turbo motor, these are potent little units and light weight, economy is a ridiculous 5.2/100kms or less on hwy !!

My main concern I suppose is changing the tunnel / body drastically to fit a transmission, hence why I was thinking about a Type 9 - regardless of what way I go I don't think I'm getting out of the conversion to a 5 speed for less than 2/3k. The W50 I have came off of a 4cyl toyota with no history so I don't know it's condition, so I would be more comfortable if I put a bearing/syncro kit through it which will cost around $500 just for parts - plus the conversion parts it's still gonna cost close to 2K or more - that's before I even look at tunnel modifications. 
 
I am on the fence massively - part of me says just get a gasket kit for the W50 - put an auto tunnel in the car and send it. The other part of me says don't **** with the body, get a type 9 and leave it.

That lens looks great, nicely done. Have you thought about putting some LED's in there? The best bang for my buck mod I've done to my car, the difference is night and day, excuse the pun
 
Can't help on the gearbox decision, went through the same deliberations and ended up sticking with the four speed, albeit with a Quaife alloy case and bellhousing. It buzzes a little a freeway speeds but I rarely drive it on the freeway nowadays and its part of the cars character that I've lived with for all this time.

Yeah keeping the four speed has crossed my mind for sure. I've put money aside for the resto project so it's not so much a money decision it's more around what makes the most sense for the car. I'm sure I'll change my mind 100 times before I actually make a call on it .

I remember fitting a type 9 5sp on my mk2 and it still needed a little bashing to open out the sides of the tunnel so it didn't knock. we did it at a mech workshop starting at about 5pm new years eve 1998 thinking it'll be a 2hr job, lots of swearing and abuse and some agricultural stick welding, shook hands at midnight and watched fireworks etc for the new year , then back into it, the job got done at 6am 1999 and I drove it home for 7am and slept till 4pm .
I still have that car and the gearbox is still solid after track days and driving like a loon in my younger days !!

If it helps I am part way though restoring my matching numbers midnight RS2000 2 door. Very late December 1979 build first registered first week January 1980. Also a sun roofed car but has the slide back sunroof (similar to Golde) but manually operated which sits flush with the turret when closed and slides between the underside of the turret and the headliner. I have retained the sunroof although a bucket load of work and a project within itself. Restoring to "as delivered to first owner theme" (no mechanical mods). Purchased 11 years ago. The midnight is an amazing colour but not popular on RS2000'S in the 1980's so makes them rare today. Probably will take me another 11 years to complete the resto......

Hi Drewdog,
Would you happen to have the part numbers and where to by the LED dash replacement lights?
I bought a set for my Escort panel van about 6 years ago however the manufacturers part numbers appear to have changed.
Highly recommended upgrade especially considering the blue filter lenses covering the standard dash lights have long crumbled and gone to heaven.
Thanks,
Peter.

T10 led for the lighting and I think T5 for the warning lights. eBay a pack of 20 for $4 any colour you want