New heater core arrived today so I tested it then chucked the box together.
 


The core is good quality, lighter than the old one and holds pressure. Fitment is good too. Another job done, ticked off and its up on the shelf now waiting for re-assembly. Putting back together wasn't too hard, I found it was easiest to assemble the side with the blend door controls, flaps, heater core, fan and resistor on the bench then slide the other cover over, that way I just needed to situate the flaps properly so it all slid together nicely.
 
Also dont forget to put weather stripping around the core to get a good seal on the inside of the box. The stuff I had on hand - 5mm thick - that i used for the edges of the flaps was fine.




 

Heater box looks good enough to be coffee table art !
I think I should get on the bandwagon and start working on the heater box for my mk1 Escort , mine is a metal frame so it'll get a 2pk in silver just so it will be easier to hook up cords n wires etc, might go electric instead of water core.

Guys, One thing I have noticed with my builds is their tending to get higher engine temps. Its quite amazing in the RS now its all finished and going, when I turn the heater box to heat and turn on the fan, the engine temp drops by a few degrees. That little core with basically a thermo fan (very efficient with complete shrouding) stuck on it has a very quantifiable effect.
I think this is just something to keep in mind.

Ill be going the alloy radiator and thermo fan route more than likely. I have a lovely hole in my thermo housing that is now surplus to requirements that could house a sensor nicely, just need to get the right thread. 

I've been messing around in the boot still and I completely underestimated how much of a stuff around this would be to do. Thank god for CAD - cardboard aided design .
 
The spare wheel is under there, it all fits and there is room for the jack too. Now i just need to use these parts as a template for the final one as there were mistakes made, the top panel is about 5mm short where it meets the back of the boot lip - lucky the MDF is cheap, the other side SHOULD be a breeze as its just the same parts reversed.

I actually used a stack of magnets to help hold in the top panel, you can see them in this photo at the top there, on the final one ill build up that edge with a few strips of MDF glued to the panel with a strip of magnets under the upholstery. That 10mm drop down is needed to let the boot lid clear the panel correctly.  

I've designed it so the spare wheel will be accessed by undoing six screws and the panel will separate and pop out. I'll also use black countersunk M6 screws for every bolt you can currently see. 


 
Once the final pieces are made up ill bog up this join, then i'll grab some boot upholstery from car builders and make it look all pretty .
 

 
Even managed to make it level.
 

 
 

 
ill need to shave a mm or so at the bottom to allow for the carpet to wrap under. I'm happy how its turned out, I still need to fab up the back panel but that will be a piece of piss compared to that headache.
 

Looking good.
Subwoofer box next!
 
I'm not sure whats happening tomorrow yet, but if you are coming to Gtown, feel free to swing past if you want a look at the van.
Just bring bring your tools Mark..:) 

Mark, what you should do now is take a leaf out of Marty's book and use those crafty MFD boxes as molds for fibreglass versions. More durable especially as our Escorts probably should have been called 'colanders'.
Probably a bit of a market out there?

Mark you could try some Feast Watson clear polyurethane from the Big green shed, which would give you a really good plastticky coating, and dries tough and glossy. It was my goto on the other boat for any outdoor wood, and gives instant ,hard drying gloss.
Just stinks to buggary.
+1 on the welding helmet!