it would be nice to have a 'spare' Pinto lying around, especially when its also detailed to coffee table spec.
You've done well Drew.
 
Imagine in the future when the car goes on eventually to the next owner, "oh by the way, here's the original, unmolested matching numbers engine, just incase you want it" :) 
 
P.S. I've copied some of your pics as a refernce to how stuff is meant to look, now that  i'm putting some bits of the van back together. It all helps, and your work is always top shelf!

Hi Drew, that would be a great offer.
I have 3 different manuals currently that i'm flipping across, but often then are virtually identical in what they omit.
What if I share a Google drive link and you can just drop a copy in.
 
Otherwise i'll use my current method, just chuck bits together that look about right  and end up with plenty of left overs... :)

With the forum coming to a close I thought Id do a last update on the car that brought me here in the first place.
 
February saw me owning the car for 30 years, its come along way since I picked it up as a lanky teenager.
 

 
The old man always had Escorts and I remember the first page of his, well used, Gregory's manual showed all of the models, namely the Fabled RS2000.
 
I got some money together delivering newspapers and at the same time scoping out all of The RS's in the suburb all resplendent in colours like Burnt orange, Monza Red and Midnight Blue.
Even after delivering all of those papers I never thought I'd be able to afford one of my own, that is until we found a yellow sedan with a failing head gasket going cheap.
 
Dad chipped in the rest of the money on the understanding that the first sign of trouble the car would be sold.
Thats where the story almost ended.
Dad followed me home, I then picked up my mate from up the street and went for the first 'authority figure' free drive.
The first set of traffic lights we got too the question was posed "How fast is it?"
Off we went First, second, third gear .....and Flash!!!
Another first for the day, my first Multinova speed camera.
 
It was a nervous wait by the letterbox for a couple of weeks but I intercepted the fine, quietly paid it and managed to keep the car. I did own up to Dad about it before he passed and it felt good to finally get it off my chest.
 
So what does the future hold for it?
One things for sure, its certainly not leaving my hands while I'm still on the earth.
Theres still a few little things that need doing and I'll get to them one day, but for now its just getting driven every chance I get. It always puts a smile on mates' faces when I turn up, the eyes roll and they all say "I can't believe you've still got that thing"
My Neice is a bit of a petrolhead and always asks if we can go out and start the yellow car so in a couple of years time she'll learn to drive in it.
 
Thanks to the Classic Ford crew for all the help and support over the years. I'm going to miss this place.
CheeRS