Yeah it's been a long journey, I think I started it in 2018 , right before the world went mad!
You know I'm not running the everyday Mex or rs stripes, I'm going to be a trendsetter and start another craze.. wheels I've ordered are machined rim and hoping for silver spokes but will still accept black but I'll paint them..

Found the original swaybar with mounts and also found a 22mm bar which is better with Pinto weight , there's a wcxm going to be used, this one came from MST as an old lightly used/copy I got for £45 .

I could be doing another anodise run cause some things don't match now like the U bolts for the diff since mk1 Borg Warner are thinner than English axle so I'll need MK2 U's and plates or use Capri ones since I don't need the shocker post .
Also going in is Capri struts I've had hanging on the wall for ever , these will need a full rebuild and derust treatment before they get any closer to the car. Strut tops are Cortina MK2 roller tops.


I'll check for struts being straight or at least equal straight before I do the mods like gussets , lower the platform and maybe shorten the tube if I use different inserts.
Boot is fitted, seems to fit well except it's sitting back a little which will be adjusted in time


I also fitted the headlight bowls but instead of just using pk screws I used up more rivnuts and stainless m4 Allen bolts .
My plan with the immediate diff drama is don't have any MK2 Escort diffs left so I'm going to pinch one from my bubble arch mk1 and swap it with a Capri housing/axles which I was going to do anyway.

There is a couple of ways to go adjusting the lid down , if you still have the torsion rods the best way once the lid is removed is unbolt the hinge assy on the inside above the arch and be ready for it to fling. Once that's out you can oval out the 2x holes upwards, yes upwards, somehow this lowers the hinge , or just the rearmost one which is the adjusting one , I still need to do this with mine and also file the boot mount holes more to bring it closer to the back window /scuttle.
If that don't work you can simply cut the hinge arm and cut a piece out, best done nearest the bootlid

thanks Marty, I'll try not to forget that might need doing.
I think I might be ok though, if anything the fronts where getting caught on the guards  at the front, not the rear.
It was when the inner arch lip was beated back was shaped back in, It tightened up the whole hook opening.
Was ok once reprofiled, and better still when the engine went in.
(Old pic.)
 
 

 
BTW, have you got that link for the bargain door rubber seal, might help some guys out
 
 

A bit of time spent dismantling the Capri struts the danger way without spring clamps . There wasn't much tension and a vice grip clamped to the insert also helps stop parts fanging across the yard, I done it with a milk crate in the shoot zone so things wouldn't escape.
Once the legs were pulled apart of hubs and inserts of which one was still original oil type, I put them in the grit blaster to clean them up, next was to sand a few spots and clean any oil sludge off . Checked for straight and are spot on, 1 strut is from a 7/70 Capri or escort twin cam and the other is 6/71 , not that it matters any ad from my experience all Capri have the same strut legs but anyways I'll be adding the gussets to toughen up the stub to the tube maybe tomorrow but won't do anything else till I work out what inserts I'll be using since Escort/Capri ones have gone way pricey I'm looking at Toyota MR2 or Celica, maybe even RX7 , will see what pops up. As for towers I have Cortina ones but a bearing in 1 is missing, I think I remember bashing it out as it had seized some 30+yrs ago , of anyone can track new bearings down I'd be happy . In the meantime I've ordered a set of corolla towers or RAV 4 ones to either modify to fit escort or cut apart for the bearings which I don't want to do . I have fitted Toyota strut tops in another escort and is quite easy to do so when they arrive I'll decide which way I'll go..

And this is the Capri 1600 diff housing going into a mk1 escort so I can tax it's diff for the project, if only going to be holding the car off the ground to roll about

Try fitting coils on to a GQ patrol with standard spring compressors. I had luckily wrapped a big blanket around them, as they snapped halfway through the process. Still scared the bejesus out of me.
Finally tracked down some real heavy duty items which I have since used on the Escorts and Capris etc. Overkill, but I don't lose body parts.
 
Marty can you show a pic or two of the 'factory lower stainless plate/trims' you are mentioning. The only stainless things on these rust buckets is the gutter trims etc?

Looking good as always Marty, the colour is growing on me, been seeing a similar hue on some modern cars and I'll be interested to see how it turns out on an Escort when its all trimmed up.
 
I think this is what he's talking about Mark, it's the garnish that goes on the sills.
 
 
 
Hard to find a good set, was never into the Mk1's but a good mate that was had us all looking for a decent set for his car. 
Haha, 30 odd years later I still keep an eye out for them and whilst his car is long gone if I found a set I'd probably buy them and post them to him for old times sake
I like the idea for a red stripe, should look smart against the body colour.

Thanks drewdog, yeah I've seen a very close colour on a Hyundai Iconic and the current RAV 4 toaster edition. ha we must posted at the same time, pretty rare !

It was real cold today, double jumper n beanie Weather, anyway I got to taping up the grill to paint silver in the horizontal bars which is how factory did them

While that was getting done I had the sill plates/garnish in what was a very weak sunlight to warm up. Using the mini spray gun to lay red or mistint tangerine scream from the BA Falcon but is more red than orange tho the colour will settle as it cures

And the grill after silver and clear to attempt to look alloy, it's a little darker but looks fine on the car

And these are the sill plates with the red stripe