MadaboutKitcars

Thanks Steve

Must admit I don't get this one - real escort mk1s dressed as Mexico's or RS2000s sell on eBay for under 10k. Can't see the price differential is big enough to want a fake one?

Friday Fun

Having located the last few panels for this project I thought Friday would be a good day to take a break from the workshop for a few hours and go and collect some of the parts:



Bargain priced bits need a little work but will do the job:





Hung over the Mk1 MX5. A roof chop and shortening of wheelbase in the rear quarters and roof will be needed:







Fun fun fun.

Could I borrow a shortened version of your roof ;-)

You can, but our side and rear windows are going to be fixed polycarbonate with sliding hatches in the door windows...

Rear screen going for 25 in Horsham on ebay ;-)

Was the donor a CAT EEE (where Everything on that Escort is rustiE)

As a past owner of a couple of mk1 I am intrigued as to the results.

Keep pushing on Chris

And are they minilites on that mk1 ready for the last look. I approve of that wheel on an escort - for what it's worth.

Bmw mini minilights fit MX5
so 15"classic look

Would like to see how this turns out, i am a fan of them. Not sure if its going to be as popular as the mx250, swb or kobra though. You can buy a mk1 escort for around £15k.

Good luck, you're a brave man. Has "money pit" written all over it!!!

Hmm I bought my donor for a Dutton build in 1983? for £50. Not sure I'd want to pay any more now either - I just can't understand why some peeps are paying huge money for old cars with leaf-spring rear suspension!

We have a soft spot for the cars we grew up with.
MK1 RS2000 when I was finally old enough to drive one it didn't disappoint.

Cars had a character then, it was easy to identify them and we watched them race and rally.
40 years from now someone will be look at the Focus RS with the same feelings

Yeah, nostalgia ain't what it used to be...

I love the origional focus rs. I just couldnt see why they only done it in blue?!

I agree that it would be a "money pit" if I was trying to restore a standard Mk1 from these rust parts, but this will only be used to form a "buck" from which a mould will be pulled and a set of "race weight" grp panels produced. I only have just over £600 in the full set of nos/used/steel/grp external panels. It should be a quick cut n shut job to fit to the MX5 shell. A sheet of polycarbonate for the windows, lowering springs, an MX250 roll bar and a stripped interior. Job done.

This a project that I want to do for myself (for a change) and is meant to be a bit of FUN , if anyone else fancies a set of panels that will be a bonus.

Roofline will be chopped (lowered) so the stock rear screen won't fit unfortunately.

The car will need some Zero offset alloys to fill the bubble arches out Dave, thinking of something like these:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ultralite-UL48-15-Inch-Alloy-Wheels-15-x9J-ET0-4x100-108-Gunmetal-/291695209484?hash=item43ea63ac0c:g:NEgAAOSw--1WsXJq

Unless something used and cheap turns up with a low ET.

Or these are a bit more traditional:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/4x-Rota-RKR-Steel-Grey-Alloy-Wheels-15x9-ET0-4x100-PCD-67-1mm-Centre-Bore-/311482624981?hash=item4885cfabd5:g:ieQAAOSwT5tWQaCH

I could see this being popular - are you planning on showing it at Stoneleigh?

Thanks Chris

Oh and good luck with YOUR build. We should all do something for ourselves sometimes. We deserve it - don't we

Go for the ROTA's, they'll look the biz....!
Sup to you of course...!

I like the Rota's better as well.

Hmm. I have a pair of concave Biode headlamps that would look rather good on this.

Squeezed an hour in this evening before it got dark. Panels roughly in place, wings will need a stretch but new arches cover most of the change. A front chin spoiler should help disguise the extra length in front of the wheels. Engine clearance all good. It will ultimately be a one piece flip front.