I acquired a parts shell for some rust repair sections from Matt H a while ago. It was minus a roof as he had used it for a donor for his Zakspeed race car, but other than that (and being a 4 dr) the shell itself was in quite good condition.
 
It sat around under a tarp for a while waiting to get cut up, and in the mean time, myself and a few mates are organising a weekend away on a bush block with a few paddock bashers. I figured I might throw some spare parts I have lying around at it and at least have a bit of fun first.
 
Any, I've done my best not to get carried away, as I don't really have the time + have waaaaay too may other things to get finished first, and trying to do everything by spending as little as possible...
 
Here are some pics
 
As I got the shell.... Managed to pick up a set of seats from Zac and some rally tyres from Tim M for free...
 

Moved it to the back yard to start some work.. The kids enjoyed their first drive.

 
Picked up a roof and a couple of doors. The gutters were butchered so couldn't just replace the skin, bring out the grinder.

 
Bit of bracing, few rough texta marks and cut cut cut.  Would have been a better finish unpicking seams but hey, it was quick.

Zap around everything with the welder, fit some glass, got the kids to paint the interior in some black metal antirust paint and its starting to look like a complete car.

 
 

Onto the running gear....
 
Choose one unknown pinto, add cylinder head, and 6 speed that is waiting on the bench to go in the MK1.


 
And then this....

You'll notice the FBH on the inner guard. The tunned needed a little massage for the slave cylinder, and the shift hole needed enlarging but other than that, the 6 speed fit in quite well.
 
Pretty much how it sits, engine is in, gearbox mount done, car is wired up.
Need to do clutch MC, tailshaft, brakes and all the other jobs I've forgotten.
 
Should at least be some fun playing with the AU falcons and VT commodores.....lol.
 
Shaun.
 
 

Looking good Shaun
 
I should have kept it!!
 
Looks like a lot of fun.  Enjoy!!
 
Matt

A re-roof with a six speed? If thats your idea of a paddock basher I'm going to be envious of your nice cars haha!
Sounds like fun, stick it to those falcodores....
Cheers Drew

Drewdog
A re-roof with a six speed? If thats your idea of a paddock basher I'm going to be envious of your nice cars haha!
Sounds like fun, stick it to those falcodores....
Cheers Drew

I'm hoping this will inspire me to get back into the 'nice' cars...  Re roof was actually very easy, the whole thing completed in an afternoon. The six speed, I'm only using it because it was there, and I didn't have a 4 speed lying around.
 
Thing is, I have a very neat rust free 2 door sitting there with alloy tarmac arches and 5 link ready to build... Just don't know whether to go circuit or rally....   I'm hoping playing in this 4 door, that I really don't care for, will help make the decision.
 
I had an hour or so free yesterday morning, fitted up a generic clutch master cylinder to the fire wall and started modifying the pedal suit. Then I wanted to see what it looked like in one colour... soooooo..
 
Find some old enamel white paint in the shed, grab the cheapo Ozito airless sprayer from doing the fence, quickly tape the rubbers and shoot. Total paint job time including masking... 10minutes...lol.  Just got to unmask and give the glass a quick scrape/tidy up.  And to think when I last painted a car it took months of filling, block sand and repeat......
 
Has a few fisheyes but good enough...lol...  I'm beginning to think I might want to keep it....

 
It is pretty bright! So had a look online for some inspiration to brake up the white and found this. I'll dig out some rattle cans, few lines of masking tape and do this. Should be easy and effective.
 

 
Shaun
 

awesome work shaun!

That is one hell of a fast turnaround !!

Managed to get another spare hour over the weekend.
 
I'm really enjoying the slap in on, make it fit, almost bush mechanic aspect of this build.
 
Finished of the clutch pedal. Other than slightly rotating it from vertical for the mounting bolts,  it was almost like it a factory fit.
 

 

 
As for the tailshaft, it was something I was dreading.
I didn't want to risk stuffing the gearbox with an out of balance tailshaft, but having a tailshaft made up or even balanced went against the 'spirit' of what I was trying to achieve, that is as cheap as possible....
The RX8 tailshaft is a carbon fibre tube, with the uni's and a short section interference fit into the ends, I was thinking I could cut and shut the end, so offered up the tailshaft to check for length.  Amazingly it was only about 10-15mm too short when fully pushed into the gearbox, near enough to perfect, although the PCD on the tailshaft to diff mount is larger than the escort diff, and a square pattern.  I thought about simply changing the ends at the unis but they look different sizes so that didn't look like and easy solution, and again, something I would have to farm out.
 
Then I had the idea of locating the tailshaft using a locating ring and redrilling the diff flange..... should be cheaper?, but just incase, have a look around the shed on the off chance something somehow fits..
 
Almost unbelievably, I found something that fits both the ID and OD!!! An exhaust flange from an external wastgate. Offer it up, cut it in half, locate tailshaft, redrill and tap flange in diff. Job done. Always good to have a win.



 
I
 

Realised I didn't take a finished picture but here is the cut down locating ring inserted prior to the drill and tapping.  
 

Hadn't been able to work on the car for a while as I had been away with work, however during the week I had a spare day whilst the kids were out so was quite productive.
 
Need to press on now as the car needs to be finished for the weekend of the 15/16th sept.
 
Sorted a lot of things as the car was only every put together enough to be a roller.
 
Made up an exhaust, again using leftovers, its 2 inch with a hotdog and small muffler dumping before the diff. 
Installed the carbon fibre tailshaft with retaining ring.
Swapped the diff centre out to a locked 3.9. (it was held in by 2 nuts locked 3.7)
Installed the axles and found some retaining bolts. (there was one each side)
Fit the missing leaf spring bolts. (none in the front, no nuts on the rear)
Removed, repaired and replaced a broken rear shock.
Ran the fuel line down the passenger side rail.
Installed and bled brake m/c
Modified and installed a 1600 radiator to fit in the 2lt position.
Installed missing sway bar clamp.
 
Enjoyed a good scotch that night and slept very well..., was sore the next day though!
 
Need to make a clutch line, add all the fluids and in theory it should at least be driveable.... ??? :) 
 
Will get some more pics up soon.
 
Shaun