Ok,
So I'm not going to bore you with stuff we've all seen and done before.
 
I'll post some of the more frustrating bits of the MK2 build
 
In a moment of fantasy I decided to go with a floor mounted pedal box.
Sorry I did now cause even though it looks s****y, Escorts just don't have enough room (unless your a midget), am I allowed to say that
 
So I bought an OBP pedal box, fitted it in the process of things. Now more recently getting to the pointy end of the build decided to get a throttle cable going.
 
Well firstly, the throttle pedal works to 'push' not 'pull' (I assume this is more to do with modern electronic throttle activation?).
The guy at OBP said I had to utilise this vertical rod on the left hand side of the pedal pivot (first pic), and as you can see this was not going to happen.
 
So it has taken some time and I finally have it working, with the shaft coming out the other (RH) side of the pedal linkage, using the principal 'necessity is the mother of invention'. The second pic shows it before I had the cable made. Just used some cord to run through for length measurement. I have a ball tapped and mounted into the alloy block now, (3rd pic).
The alloy block I have fitted with two grub screws so I can slide the block up and down on the shaft.
 
A custom cable has been made as I couldn't use the standard YB into Escort one (it still has the solid end which connects into the firewall). I just am getting the inner cable shortened to suit.
 
If this is even remotely interesting let me know cause there's plenty more

Ok guys, while your all tuned in I have a problem and no matter how much I look it doesn't get any clearer to get a job that will not look like a bodge up.
 
I got the new 4wd YB water pump and figured do this now while the front area is empty.
 
Since I built the car I knew getting the radiator in/out (with 4wd thermo attached) was near impossible due the the radiator core fouling on the thermo housing. See the various pics. (I have the housing off in the engine pics). Last pic is the thermo housing. You note how its 2 pieces compared to a 2wd/pinto 1 piece and lower profile unit.
If I keep persevering with this method I'll stuff the radiator. As it is I place thick cardboard over the face of the core.
 
So I want to cut some of the radiator support panel out and either gusset it or make it such that the piece I cut out can be (with mods), refixed and then able to be removed when everything has to come out.
 
Thoughts much appreciated
Mark
 

One of the things I would change is to mount the thermo fan to the body, not the radiator, if there's a shroud that can mount there too which frees up the rad to be lifted up and out without a fight. Another but overkill way is to have the top slam panel removable using good old rivnuts , being a racecar only (I think) you could go a smaller fan ?

Thanks for the input Marty.
Never thought of having the thermo fan mounted separately to the body.
Its a beast of a radiator, one of the GRP4 YB safari units and the fan mounts (which foul on the slam panel) on radiator appear to be permanent so I would have to cut them off which I'm reluctant to do. They have since changed the fan mounting method on their radiators.
 
However, I forgot to mention that the thermo fan is removed when I fit the radiator. Once the radiator is in I fit the thermo fan, which I have already placed in the front void with cable ties to the grill mounts.
 
I think the problem is when I first fitted it up I had no peripherals (ie intercooler piping etc) fitted up so more wiggle room. In the pic you can see how close the thermostat housing is and lack of crap in the way.
 
I think for my sanity I will remove all or part of the slam panel and fabricate some tabs to reattach it (with nusterts of course).
 
 
 
 

Well I have done it. Not pretty, but solid

It don't gotta look pretty at 105mph !!
Nice job 👍

Looking at your bonnet release Marty.
I am not using one on this build as I have fitted the aero catches.
But I thought I would use a release latch, just as a third catch.
The fibreglass bonnet came with the body (with fibreglass boot lid) and has 6mm captive nuts in it for the latch to be fitted up. Pretty sure they are UK items.
Well something is out cause the latch fouls on the front of the square opening in the radiator support (slam) panel.
 
I addressed this by tilting it backwards, (fabricated a wedge from plate ally). It now goes nicely into the opening and latches.
However the handle bit where you lift to release the latch is going to foul on the grill (once I install it). It just hits the grill mounting point (note, in pic bonnet is not right down), so I think more mods are required.

Would  you got anymore pics Mark of where you ended up putting the aero latches and pins?
I still havent attempted to do mine yet, but it is getting closer.
 

I thought the grill has a notch for the latch lever handle, if it possibly fouls you could simply trim it back 10-15mm . The usual problem with fglass panels is they become fatter so if they don't have an original to get measurements from things will rapidly go out of whack. I try to not overload the mounting of frames area with to much material so it stays close to factory tolerance

deano
Would  you got anymore pics Mark of where you ended up putting the aero latches and pins?
I still havent attempted to do mine yet, but it is getting closer.
 

Deano. My bonnet is fibreglass and the only one to compare the stiffening structure to is the RS.
Would you like some measurements for the pin location?