*MAXXD* Clare's Rieger F40 Escort Cabriolet "BigCab"

[Alanman]

Most of the paint is perfect, you'd never even know it had been on. But there's areas where I repaired stone chips before it went on so those bits are matt black.

I've told you, I will let you know. lol

[Alanman]

I think I'm guna make a start tonight.

I might strip a few bits out of the engine bay and see what I'm left to work with.

[Alanman]

Well, the cab is defo done now for 2009. I started stripping the engine bay ready for it's new heart. No going back now.

The original engine smoked like something out of a bond film and luckily we managed to drop on nice with a spankin replacement. Fully lightened and balanced and only done 1500 odd miles since rebuild. Came with a nice new turbo too which also as only done 1500 miles since rebuild. Hopefully should go that bit better and maybe not use so much fuel. BigCab is seriously the shitest car ever on fuel, especially when we was running high boost. lol

I can see what work's involved now on tidying the inner wings and wiring etc. We've alway tried to avoid opening the bonnet as it was more functional than pritty and covered in oil, it is a Ford, before anyone says. Suprisingly there's nothing bad, just needs a tidy, it's 25 years old in Jan and you can tell under the bonnet. There's no welding or owt, cos when we first started the conversion back in't day, everything was replace that could be. inner wings, front panel, battery tray.

Then starts the fun, the outside. There's quite a bit of work to do, mostly minor but there's loads. lol Style wise, we're not 100% sure what to do. BigCab as it is looks fine, it still wins shit so it cant be that bad, so other than body colouring the wirrors (or black) and put the rears lights back to standard, the basic shape will look very much the same. We have a few colours variations on the short list but that changes every week, but we know the right colour can make or break it. The blue candy was the best thing we did, but candy is just impossible look after and anything even the smallest stone chip can't be touched up, its a full repaint.

I'd like to bin the 20s and drop to black 19s with a crome lip. The buying of the new ones aint the problem, it what do we do with the chromes. They were special orders from America and drilled to 4 x 108s, so we'll stuggle to sell em on cos there aint many Fords (or Pugs) that can easily fit 20s and we refuse to have a perfectly good set of chromes, (£3500 set of chromes at that), sat in garage gathering dust. We could turn em into coffee tables I suppose. Anyone want one?? £500ono lol

Anyway, no photos yet, but I'll keep a good record and post em up as and when I can.



Fanx


Alanman

[d_diddy]

good luck al with whatever you do mate as your commitment is still second to non even though you hate the car lol

[Alanman]

600ml tin of filler bought. I plan on coming out the garage ONLY when the tin is empty.

I want to give it a good push tonight, cos Clare's at work.

Anyone's welcome to come and keep my company.

[Alanman]

Managed to do shit loads. Stripped a bit more of the engine down to give me room. Basically just the engine itself left now.

The inner wings and around battery tray was the order of the day. 10 years ago when the car was still little cab we stripped the fuck out of it before the Rieger kit went on, just so we knew it was perfect, new inner wings, battery tray, front panel. But because I didnt think/realise what the cab's future would bring, the welds were just covered with sylicone. This is still there and has protected the weld perfect for 10 years but they just dont cut it in the show scene. So, last night I stripped out all the excess sylicone and simply covered the wounds with a nice layer of filler so we can paint them up all priddy like. Unfortunatelly the cab now looks like its be stood for 20 years with all the filler dust everywhere. lol.

Just a little bit more to do when I get chance and the top of the inner wings are ready for their final coat of paint.

Then when the engine is out, the bottom of the inner wings up to the main chassis will be getting a coat of BLACK paint. I'm sure it'll look okay and next year when Clare changes her mind and we pick ANOTHER colour for the cab only the tops of the inner wing will need recolouring, wilth no need for engine out. She changes her mind too often and I aint taking engine out every fuckin time. lol.

Oh yeah, this morning I have filler boggies. If you've ever use lots of filler you'll know what I mean. lol.



Alanman

[cooper]

coming on good then

[Alanman]

Yes mate, I'm happy happy happy.

It something that's needed doing for years. We always be 'embarased' opening the bonnet.

Don't get the wrong idea, the engine buy aint going to win 'best engine' anywhere but its going to stop being embarasing. It might get us a few more point on the whole car at any shows we go to.

I can't wait to start on the outside. I've got some cool plans. It looks cool as fuck in my head. lol

[Alanman]

Another good day Saturday on engine bay.

DONE
Old engine out and discarded.
Everything from the chassis legs down painted black.
Gearbox was painted with my favorite silver friend '5 wheel silver'
New engine cleaned and slotted in place like a glove.
Anything that could be, was removed and painted black, brackets and mounts etc
Cleaned and replaced battery, 2 x ECUs, fuse box.
Some black tape to tidy up wiring loom to ECUs

TO DO
Shit loads. lol.




All looking good. Woop Woop.

[Dusty]

nice one. really cant wait untill its finished