Paul brex

Thanks for your replies everyone....fish and chips it is for dinner tonight!!

I've been stalling the next part of my resto for a few weeks now! The inner wings have the usual strut top rot and the wing rail seam is too thin to reuse. My question is....does anyone repair inner wings these days? Or is that a thing of the past now?! I've have done top strut top repairs and wing rails countless times and always had good results with wing gaps etc! I just keep thinking that for the price of one inner wing I can get a lot more for my money panel wise! What are your thoughts?

You mean an expensive "posh beetle"?!!

I'd buy them now....they will be worth a shit load more money when they become 40 years old!!!

People sometimes call me eccentric.....I prefer the term visionary (that's stuck in the past)!!

I have owned a rare 13" woodrim motalita wheel which came off a mk1 capri I bought years ago....I was hell bent on using it in my escort as the centre cap is embossed with the mk1 "escort" script! My mates have been taking the piss out of me for years for insisting I am using it in an escort! Anyway....like many others on here I'm sure....I've got a bit of a steering wheel fetish now!! I was looking at an anglia van with a cortina 1600e steering wheel in it and I thought....

Best thing to do Jeff is give burton power or rally design and tell them what you want. They do a few different kits. Explain to them what brakes you are running front and rear and they will guide you in the right direction.

The usual "sarf Landon" look is normally 185/60 13's or 185/55 13's....I've seen a standard looking Mexico before with 205/60 13's which looks quite good from most angles....they look nice n fat on 5.5j rims but the steering might not feel as light as the 185's!

Interesting reading grant! It's a shame the Essex wasn't an all alloy engine....maybe the escort would have had an even more interesting pedigree!! I'll get some pics up of mine next weekend....I've had to bite the bullet and order a pair of inner wings! Strut top repairs were hiding some horrors!!

Thanks for reply doktor....I was meaning to message you later this evening. I've seen your escort about on the internet....and heard it running on photobucket vid, it sounds lurvly!! I would appreciate some pics....engine mounts, manifolds etc!! I pretty much made my mind up this morning about not stuffing 3 1/2 litres of leylands finest under the bonnet!....there's just something about the sound of an Essex!!

Again....not to everyone's taste and to some....a sure way to ruin the nimble escorts appeal....handling!! But hearing a lot of negativity from people about how it is a "step back", there have been posts made on various forums from people who owned or drove a superspeed v6 escort and completely disagree!! It would be nice to hear from anyone who has any experience, memories, storeys from back in the day on these rare escorts!

my escort would be mainly used for long distance driving to car shows (I live up norf!) and occasionally hooning around on a weekend so an Essex is probably a good choice! Your right tho....there is something about an Essex on cam with the right exhaust note! It sounds just right changing through the gears on a type 5 4 speed!!

Thanks for all your replies! After having a good time to think about it I've decided to stick with the original plan an keep the Essex v6 idea....I'm really not that keen on chopping my bulkhead up on this car!! I know it won't be to everyone's taste but it's still going to be an 'oldskoolford' at the end of the day!

The rover I've got is a pretty good base to start with. It's a rover sd1 vitesse 9.75 comp ratio, waisted valve stems etc, edelbrock intake and Weber 500 carb, p6 short crank pulley and water pump....and I had maniflow make me a set of block huggers with 1.5 inch primaries and 2 inch down pipes. Ive got a triumph tr8 rad which is quite a thick core and the biggest I could fit under the bonnet. I've also got an auto bellhousing to do the Capri type 5 4 speed box with an adapter....the main key to get a light car moving with a rover!!

My Essex is standard....and my rover is built and I have everything to do both! I think I'll have to bolt my running gear on the front this weekend and drop it on it's wheels....see how much clearance I've got again with the wheels on full lock. I don't mind doing a new bulkhead and tunnel etc....I've already worked that out in my head. I just don't want to move the pedal box over and realise it's going to catch the wheel on full lock!!

I'm torn between two choices....and have been for some time now!! Do I build the Essex v6 escort with the superspeed touches i.e....clever and simple crossmember mods like they did back in the day, an unbutchered bulkhead with an engine sat in place looking like Henry ford put it there?!! Or do I put the rover in and sacrifice the lovely'ish bulkhead....for the sake of an extra 50 lbft of torque and 60kg lighter!! And the noise....probably the best noise any engine could make....a v8!! Like I said....I need to see some bulkhead pics to help make my mind up!!

My friend had a well built rover in his model A delivery van and ran some very respectable 1/4 mile times! He even managed to get the front wheels 2 ft in the air leaving the start line at Shakespeare raceway!!

Rather than move the whole bulkhead and pedal box back in the car, I would rather move the pedal box to the right 2 or 3 inches then use a Capri steering column that comes out of the bulkhead just above the chassis rail....2 steering uj's into the rack. I have seen this done on an escort on here. Anyone know how to get in touch with him?! My main concern was tyre to bulkhead clearance if I move the pedal box over....I would need to reshape the bulkhead curve behind the wheel when it's on full lock to the right!

MR CHEESE!! ARE YOU OUT THERE?!!! I need your help!! Pretty please!!!

So....anyone out there with some detailed info or pics?!

But the main reasons I would like to use a rover is torque, weight....and sound!!

I knew this would ruffle a few feathers!!

Hi guys....anybody on here got one/had one/building one?! I'm supposed to be building an Essex v6 superspeed type of project but I've got a healthy, built rover v8 tucked away in the back of my garage....and the voices in my head won't go away!! I know there are many ways to do this kind of conversion but I've seen one on here with the pedal box moved over a few inches and a Capri steering column used with two steering uj's. Could really do with some pics of pedalbox/bulkheads etc if anyone can help?! Cheers.

I've treated myself to a new...er car so my puma is up for grabs if anyone is interested. There is a few months not left on it. It's been my daily driver for two years and has been extremely reliable! 76000 miles, four recent tyres, stainless exhaust but everything else is original. It would need the brakes and a few bushes for mot and has the usual rust around the arches and sills. Does anyone still do the fiesta/puma conversions....or are they a thing of the past now!!

I've got a 1.7 puma with 3 months mot left if your interested?....car has 76000 miles on the clock. Has been my daily for 2 years.