Winter clean up

[RST-Steve]

This is not so much a project thread like Matt's, but more of a 'winter tidy up' thread!

I looked at the speedo in my Series 2 this weekend just gone and realised that since the end of September, the car has only done 219 miles to this date........ just the way i like it! Up to Christmas the car was just sat in the garage not really doing anything but then just after Christmas, a few plans for a winter tidy up began to form. Nothing major, just things to get the car perfect imo............

Firstly, when i got the car, it had no stereo and holes cut in the parcel shelf for 6x9's. Minor details when the rest of the car was/is so original, but at the time i decided to have brand new Hertz 6x9's installed as the holes were cut in anyway and i had my Alpine unit put in to fill the hole in the dash.

Recently though i've thought about returning all the stereo to standard and seeing Aaron's car at the meeting was the iceing on the cake........ so the plan is:

* Strip out the 6x9's
* Fit new uncut parcel shelf (already sourced, cheers darren!   )
* Source and install standard Mk4 Escort rear speaker mounts (currently missing)
* Fit new 13cm Hertz speakers in the standard rear mounts to match the speakers i had installed in the front
* Remove Alpine headunit and iPod lead threaded through into glovebox
* Fit 2005 model Ford Radio/Cassette which would have been in the car from new (already bought on eBay)

Other bits to sort out:

* Replacement Ford battery cover (currently missing but already sourced - cheers darren!  )
* Generally bufty the whole car
* T-Cut and improve wing mirrors, the only faded items left on the car - already done and looking much better!
* New spot lights (see below)
* Possibly new plates with original supplying dealer's info

The front spot lights on the car are the original Carello items, but they are not in the best order. They have both (with the passenger side being the worse) corroded on the reflective silver surface inside the light unit and don't look ideal. Recently, i learned that these are still available from Ford believe it or not so with this in mind, went down and asked about availability at our local Ford and to my amazement they had two, genuine Carello items available at Daventry ready for dispatch (not the later, Ford spot lights). A little pricey at £60 each PLUS VAT, but still worth the price imo and these have been ordered and are currently awaiting collection. They should freshen up the front rather nicely!

This is the plan for the car at the moment and will update with pics and progress as i go.......... theres not a lot there really, so hoping it will all be done reasonably soon!  

[Daz-cos]

about bloody time!!! not much needed to make it spot on mate but its the little things that make the difference. so fair play. shocked about the spotlights as they are hard enough to find still on the cars in the first place, which is strange that ford still make as they are hardly a wear and tear item.

[RST-Steve]

Indeedy! i was surprised as well they're still available, but just goes to show whats laying around in the Ford parts bin up and down the country. I've no doubt these spot lights have probably been laying around for years....... but that doesn't matter in the slightest

[Fireball]

I think for what you're getting, £60 a pop is a BARGAIN. £120 is still a steep pain in the wallet, but i'd have expected original factory parts to have been WAY more expensive.

Sounds epic Steve - really gonna finish her off to a lovely Original standard!

[RST-Steve]

Cheers Steve!

Your quite right, when compared to the price of some parts it doesn't seem toooo bad at all! 

I'm looking forward to getting all the bits and pieces sorted........... watch this space

[Daz-cos]

fitting them yourself???

[massivewangers]

Hmmmm, so when are you fitting the Konis?

What about the Mongoose system? Kent cam? Cossie turbo? 

[Fireball]

Hmmmm, so when are you fitting the Konis?

What about the Mongoose system? Kent cam? Cossie turbo? 

Chris - please delete jon's comment - don't wanna give steve ideas like this!!

[cozmeister]

Hmmmm, so when are you fitting the Konis?

What about the Mongoose system? Kent cam? Cossie turbo? 

Chris - please delete jon's comment - don't wanna give steve ideas like this!!

Why? The only ideas Steve has are for preserving mileage and originality.    Big turbos and cams are for the rest of us. lol

[massivewangers]

I don't think I could preserve mileage like Steve does. I think I did about 600 miles in a week in the Volvo once 

[RST-Steve]

LOL! yep, Chris is wearing the afro of correctness on this one....... mileage and originality are the key factors on this car ......... i've been through all the stage 1 conversion, koni's, gauges and Magnex exhaust etc with my old series 2, this one i want to keep just as it is


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Small update now in that i went and picked up the spot lights today and was VERY pleased to see they are exactly what is on the car now! I was still a bit unsure as to what these would be after all these years but, yep........... they were bang on!  


Pics  





SCHEINWERFER!





Carello....... it does exactly what it says on the tin!  

[massivewangers]

Very nice mate, new lights always make the world of difference 

Still think you should modify it though

[RST-Steve]

Nah, can't be doing that 






ANOTHER STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION ARRIVED TODAY 

[matt]

Thats proper old skool, i love it.

I am one for keeping the milage down, (1500 all of last year) but i have no problem modifying as long as it does not involve drilling big holes or an angle grinder.

Put it this way, if i crack or bend a Carbon Fibre splitter i will just buy a new one, but if i do the same to an original one i shall spend the rest of eternity searching on Ebay and paying off debts from Cosworth tax.

[massivewangers]

Cosworth tax...tell me about it....

I was looking for a couple of bits for my car from an EsCos as I thought they might smarten it up. The white dials being the main problem. Only set I was shown were about £200 

I want a grill too, missed two at £20, the one I was going to bid on went for £35 

[rstaaron]

There's quite a bit of difference in the radios between yours and mine!! lol

[RST-Steve]

Yep i thought that.... huuge difference between radios!!


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Anyway, the spot lights are finally on, but what a job!!! I'm sure you'll all agree that everytime you think you have a 15 minute job on yours hands, it isn't!! That said though, they do look awesome and it was time well spent. Me and my Dad got half way there but it was Darren and his massive arsenal of tools that was needed in the end, so massive thumbsup up to him The main issue was that after being on the car 20 years, the original spot lights were almost welded into place and even with them off the car, they just wouldn't come off the brackets ............. doesn't matter though, we're now sorted! 







BEFORE:




The camera flash makes it look worse than it was, but this was the worst of the two spots........




DURING:


A first for me.......... no spot lights! But they just don't look right without them imo







AFTER:









I've also now got one of these bad boys.............. something else you need Aaron??

[rstaaron]

I've probably got a battery cover somewhere, just a case of finding it!! lol   Funny how you say the spotlights where a pain to remove after 20 years, I managed to take out 95% of the scooby interior in an easy couple of hours and I thought to myself I'd still be struggling with the first bolt if it was a Ford!! 

[RST-Steve]

Yeah mate, too true!! You can get most of an RS Turbo apart with a screw driver, but the screws will probably be rusted solid in some places!! When are we going to see some pics of this new toy?

[massivewangers]

Big improvement Steve!

Incidentally, I've got a spare one of those battery covers around if anyone requires one

[rstaaron]

I'll take that battery cover! Even if I do have one somewhere it's always useful to have spares!    Will get phots of the new toy when I get some dewcent ones and I can upload them. 

[RST-Steve]

Thats the battery cover sorted aaron, are you going to get a set of the carello spot lights too?? All your car needs to be perfect imo

[massivewangers]

Chuck us a couple of quid to cover postage and it's yours Aaron, can post it this week for you 

[RST-Steve]

Small update today, i had the car in the local car audio outfit to get the 6x9's stripped out etc, and all has gone to plan except for one detail!

I got a new, uncut replacement parcel shelf off Darren and after giving it a good clean and brush down, it came up like new so definatly loving that. The car went in today and the 6x9's were stripped out, with standard sized replacement Hertz rear speakers going in and put the original postions. Got it home (not quite in time to miss it throwing it down with rain  ) and the parcel shelf with 2 holes was quickly replaced with the parcel shelf with no holes.......... job done! 

The downside is the radio pictured above............ basically, its knackered and £30 well spent! When plugged in, there was nothing at all and even though the bulb for illumination was replaced which then made the display work, there is no sound output coming from it what so ever so now i have the audio all sorted.......... and nothing to play the music through! 


Back on eBay we go 

[cozmeister]

Steve, is that the one that needs an the external amp?  I had a similar one in my twincam Sierra which had a separate amplifier.