Hey Everyone!
Have a 1974 Mk1 now for 12 months and I've decided that life is never going to slow down enough for me to start doing to this car what I want - so I'm going to start anyway!
Its running an unknown 1600cc engine, 4 speed manual and its in 'reasonable' condition. I've always wanted an Escort, and its a 'mid-life crisis' of sorts that prompted its purchase. As a significant birthday approached I sold a tuned Mk5 Golf GTI, went back to uni, have started growing my hair long (again), and bought an old Escort. I've not yet started listening to the Sex Pistols though...
I've been driving the car as a daily for the past 12 months and its been super reliable. Other than a broken clutch cable, I've topped it up with oil, some brake fluid and a dash of coolent and she's peaches. Even in summer, there's no histrionics or drama's in the heat - at least not from the car :)
On the agenda is a full body resto, an SR20DET, sequential gearbox etc. I want to track the car (a bit) and hillclimb (a bit) but also keep it road legal (a bit) :D
I want to get things done quickly too - I don't this to be a 4 year project. I live in a small house with no shed, I have two cars and no room for a third so I want to keep driving the Escort as much as possible. Ideally I'd love to buy another, modern daily. I'd also love to have a supermodel girlfriend but it seems life is all about compromise.
I've never built a car before. So I've no idea where to start. I no doubt will be getting alot of work done at various workshops is Adl! Starting with the motor first - I was thinking about picking up a front cut Silvia (or similar) for the transplant. But before that I'd need to do the transmission tunnel to accommodate the Silvia 5 speed?? (Sequential box comes later).
So first job job would be new tunnel. And while we're on it new floor panels as the existing floor has rust through (see pics). Sounds pretty straight forward eh??
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