Mk2 Escort Group 4 Rally Car

[rallyreturn]

I want to get it right this time so I've spent hours getting it to fit were I think it should be.

Before I start to drill any more holes can anyone see anything wrong ???

Please comment either way as the more input I get the more confident I'll feel about fitting it.






Old holes welded up and dressed with a flap disc.



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[Epicyclic]

Enjoying this build, surprised more people don't comment....

Looked back at what you originally wanted to do with the finished project "I'll be building it for the forests, and Historic spec " Please don't bend anything on the maiden voyage

Keep up the great work

 

[pedrobedro]

Does the bonnet fit over the strut brace brackets ? They look a little higher than the wing ledge. Personally I would cut the front spoiler round the wheel arch to let it lie flat to the body or unfasten the bottom of the arch and fit the spoiler under it.

 

[rallyreturn]

Enjoying this build, surprised more people don't comment....

Looked back at what you originally wanted to do with the finished project "I'll be building it for the forests, and Historic spec " Please don't bend anything on the maiden voyage

Keep up the great work

Thanks for your input. I too seemed to think nobody was interested, but I'm also guilty of following other threads and not commenting.

It'll be a few years yet before it gets into the woods, but if I do bend it, at least I'll know every inch of this shell!!!!!!!

 

[rallyreturn]

Does the bonnet fit over the strut brace brackets ? They look a little higher than the wing ledge. Personally I would cut the front spoiler round the wheel arch to let it lie flat to the body or unfasten the bottom of the arch and fit the spoiler under it.

Yes it does fit under the bonnet, I was unsure about clearance as well so trial fitted it when I had the bonnet and doors on.

The spoiler is made to fit around the arches, even this takes an age to fit and get right so I can only image how much effort it would take to fit it any other way. Also, as it will eventually be rallied in the forrests, when the spoiler gets damaged it's easier to remove and repair without having to take off the arches, probably okay to do it if it was just a road car though.

 

[wheresmejumper]

love this project.
following it since i joined,just silently

 

[The Buddah]

Nice thread,

well done and thanks for sharing.

 

[Fergus]

Another lurker on the thread, loving the work you are doing on this one.

 

[landy]

Hi
I hope you can help me. Im a builder and from time to time I need to weld metal anywhere from gates to structural I beams. I also as a hobby am restoring a 1970 mini, so panels need attention. Ive got a stick welder but would prefer a decent mig. could you recommend one. At the moment ive got a Kende 105f mig welder. Apparently its a gasless one.

sorry to have only signed up and to be sooooo wanting. thanks
ps nice car.

 

[triumph]

hi have watched yer build with great intrest , currently building up a reliant kitten ,for my sins, your car and workmanship are excellent do agree with above comments would may be flush the ends of metal level with body but it looks good .regds c

 

[rallyreturn]

Hi
I hope you can help me. Im a builder and from time to time I need to weld metal anywhere from gates to structural I beams. I also as a hobby am restoring a 1970 mini, so panels need attention. Ive got a stick welder but would prefer a decent mig. could you recommend one. At the moment ive got a Kende 105f mig welder. Apparently its a gasless one.

sorry to have only signed up and to be sooooo wanting. thanks
ps nice car.

I'm sure there are people on here better qualified to recommend a welder than me, but I am very happy with my Butters weld wizard 180. It runs on a 13A plug, it's british built but all the components are of the best Swiss and German manufacturers.



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It does cost more than a Clarke or Sealy welder but I think it is worth it for the quality, and I want it to last my lifetime.

It might not be suitable for welding I beams as you probably need more power, possibly even a 3 phase unit, here is a link to the website as they do sell others welders that might be more suitable to your type of work.


http://www.buttersuk.co.uk/

 

[rallyreturn]

Thank you to all the others who just posted, it's nice to know that I'm not alone!!!!!!!

 

[The Buddah]

Hi,

I have a Portamig 185 which has wire speed, fine volts and course volts, looking at your welder in the pic it has speed setting and one power dial. I wonder which welder has more power control over the steel thickness?
It's my first welder and i'm pleased with it so far as a newbie.

 

[rallyreturn]

Finally finished riveting on the new spoiler. Something that sounds so easy to do has taken me all day to fit, but it looks much better than my previous attempt with the old one, much easier to work with new parts instead of recycling.




I've also cut away the bottom of the front panel to give better ground clearance, I may cut even more off it it needs it.







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I just need to cover the countersunk rivets with filler and the same on the arches. It'll also need a skim on the front panel to clean up the ripples from welding up the old holes.





Next stage is to work on the rear arches but that needs quite a bit of bodywork first due to all the new patch panels that I welded onto the rear quarters.

 

[rallyreturn]

Got started on the rear arches. I had to use the slide hammer to pull out a few distorted panels caused by welding heat.



Drilled holes for the slide hammer to scew into,





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After more hammer and dolley work I welded up the holes.





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Ground down the welds so that I could use as little filler as possible.





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I wasn't going to spend too much time sanding this area to look perfect as it was going to be under the arches.





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Riveted in the arch ready for filler.





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Starting to look like a rally car!!!!!!





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Made a start on the other side but the quarter had a distortion dent so I drilled holes to pull it out but this stetched the metal causing it to "oil can" so I had to heat it up and cool it down quickly to shrink the metal.





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It's not as bad as it looks, at least it's not oil canning now, I'll weld up the holes, grind down and smooth over with filler.

 

[sixtwoeight]

Im really impresed with this excellent project. Keep posting! I do not know what "oil canning is" could you elaborate please??

 

[rallyreturn]

Im really impresed with this excellent project. Keep posting! I do not know what "oil canning is" could you elaborate please??

It's when the metal stretches and pops in and out like a Rolf Harris wobble board!!!

There are different ways to shrink the metal to stiffen it back up, but the heat method is all that I had available to me. It's not easy to do, as I heated the panel it sunk back in and so I had to drill more holes and use the slide hammer to keep the panel pulled out whilst I heated it up, but once quenched with cold water it certainly stiffened it.

It's not perfect and I'll need to weld up the holes which could take me back to square one, so I'll have to be patient and use a heatsink behind each hole and keep cooling the panel.

I have chased the original dent and wished that I tried a different method to pull it out, but this is all new to me and it is only a hobby!!!!!!!!

 

[Championship White]

Some lovely work

 

[pedrobedro]

A bit late for you now but instead of drilling all those holes we tacked M6 nuts and used a home made slide hammer with a thread on the end to pull dents then nick the tacks off with a slitting blade. All that welding is likely to cause more warping

 

[rallyreturn]

found some time this evening to weld up the quarter panel holes. I'm very pleased with the result, it's not perfect and there are some highs and lows but it does not "oil Can". I used a copper plate as a heatsink and kept cooling the panel down with water. As I had to hold the copper and weld torch with wet hands I did get a few shocks!!!!!!



I've made sure there are no pin holes, I'll use the hammer and dolley to knock down the highs and try to get it as ripple free as possible, but it's good enough as it is to finish off with filler.



Any panel beaters out there that can advice me what to do next!!!!!!!!!





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