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

[cooper]

Bigcab is a car i have never really loved much until now.

Big chromes just never did it for me. I think the new look is great and i still think its as eye popping as before. Maybe even more now!

[Alanman]

Had an eventful weekend. Fetched BigCab back from Darryl Saturday after some bits being repaint. While it was there he also painted the rear lights fully red which looked wicked until we tried to indicate in bright sun. lol. We noticed a small puddle everytime it was moved and under investigation the rad was leaking, only just but enough to need sorting. Bollox.

If I wasnt under enough presure I now needed to add a radiator change to the to do list. bollox bollox bollox.

So yesterday morning (8am on a fuckin Sunday) I was back down at Darryl's unit to remove the rear lights and wipe them down with thinners. While I was there the engine bay had a dusting of white over spray that needed removing. Darryl said no matter how good you masked and covered up, white paint will find its way in. Couple hours later the engine bay is looking sweet again and the back lights are all good.

Radiator was the afternoon's job and I was not looking forward to it. To change the rad, the turbo and manifold needed removing and to do this the alternator was also on the removal list. Attached to the rad is the intercooler too. Basically I nearly had the whole fuckin engine to take out again to change the bitch of a radiator for the sake of the smallest bribble. grrrrr.

While I was at it, there was a job we'd been wanting to do for ages, the gear selector needed adjusting. It was always cunt to cog down from 5th to 4th when there was any spirited accelerating on the motorway and even worse from 5th to 3rd. So fingers crossed thats now sorted too.

I do still have a big job list before Saturday but we're getting thing sorted. I cant see me getting any early nights this week. Can someone remind me WHY we do this shit.

Oh yeah I want the wheels white again. lol



Alanman

[J29SSC]

As Edmund Blackadder so eloquently said, you're
"madder than Mad Jack McMad"!!!!

[Dubmodder]

I remember swapping those rads. Utter bastard of a job guaranteed to remove the skin off your fingers 100%.

Sounds like you are making good progress though Al. The red rears will rock.

As for going back to white rims. Just do the rim/dish in white. The contrast will be awesome and then it will tie in to the arches again. All white on those rims isn't 'big' enough IMO.

Oh, one last thing. Paint the whole grille white FFS. That black bit looks well odd.

[Alanman]

We like the black in the grill. We were going to do the whole lot black but chose just the middle.

Bigcab's engine has never looked so good and its still got a few bits left to claen up. woop woop.

---

You'd never know it used to be blue, and 25 years old. lol

[Alanman]

I started working out the jobs list for things left to do and the time I have left to do it...........and duly shit myself.

I dont know whether to go in the garage tonight with a couple cans of redbull and not come out till its done. Or spread it over the 4 nights I have left.

There's basically only 2 major jobs left to do. One is all wheels off to clean / paint the inner arches and while the wheels are off, 2 need cutting and polishing. And I'm still not happy with the boot trim and dont have a clue what to do with it either. Just play that by ear and see what happens. lol

Then its just lots and lots and lots of time sapping shit like door cards, interior clock and mirror, window trims, wiper, speaker pods etc. The list is endless and all need cleaning or painting before going on.

I can see myself finishing the Cab off on Saturday afternoon at the pod. lol.

I recon Redbull and a marathon refit is the way forward.

[Alanman]

Update: Wednesday 17th March: 3 days to Fast Show

Managed to finish the interior of the boot last night, making a bulk head out of chequer plate for behind the exhaust. Then covered it with some spare carpet to match the standard Ford side panels. Brush painted black all the bits in the boot that where either cream or still blue. And thanks to the red bull I also totally painted the chequer plate on the boot floor. lol. The exhaust stand out so much now. Made a trim to go round the fuel neck where it goes through the chequer plate, to look nice and protect it from chafing. Oh er!

Went in the house at about 11pm still pumped up on red bull, so decided to make the stickers that I fucked up on for the pasenger side skirt and some extra little ones for the brake calipers. Half hour later (Clares already gone to bed) I was finished, but couldnt resist, and went back out to the garage to put the stickers on. lol. Redbull is defo the fuel of champions.

Still got a few little jobs left but mainly the wheels to take off and paint the inner arches. Thats tonights job with some more red bull me thinks.

I am officially sleeping all Saturday. lol.

[Alanman]

Update: Thursday 18th march: 2 days to Fast Show

Another red bull induced night and we're almost done.

First off put all the interior back in and is just needing a clean now and some more stickers applied.

Next, all wheels removed and all under arched under sealed and any white bits that need touching up were touched up.

While wheels were off I needed to sort the air intakes on the side. Its always had dirty mesh and I was never happy wit it, so decided to copy the air intakes off a VX220. I got to use the grinder too. mwahaha. I cut up an old Escort mk3 grill to give me a load of fins. Just doing the slots to slide them in and I had a little accident. When you grind plastic it melts and sticks to itself but a few seconds its cooled enough to simply snap it off. I didnt wait lond enough and it was still runny and hot, very hot. It stuck to my finger and no mather how fast I jumped about and blew on it, it would not come off. lol. It must have only been on my finger for 5 second but it was a loooooong 5 seconds.

I now have a huge cool blister that stings like a bitch. I pricked it this morning but it still huge. lol


I think it was worth it, I recon they look good. Its all in the detail. lol.


Just as I left the garage, I tiger sealed a oil breather / fiter thing in the engine bay that seens to have broke its seals. Just need to replace this tonight.

Not much else left now.

Wiper on.
Switch for engine fan. Its a little dicky.
Couple end caps, stole off little cab, but roof need to be down to put these on.
Last bit of Reiger sticker
Tinted sun strip
Interior clock and mirror.

Thats about it really. So fingers crossed we'll be ready tonight, a whole day before the deadline. woop woop.


Alanman

[Pyrotechnic]

Really liking that intake!

[cooper]

Love the intakes.

will be good to see it on saturday