Build Officially Started!

[Tatey]

I still have all of the photos so I will upload them to a photo service and post the link.

I have a couple of things to do to the car this week including fixing my immobiliser LED which broken when I was removing the dash. I also need to bond on some cable tie mounts so I can secure the rear of the rear tub cover. I'm then going to get it out for a wash so I'll take some pictures of it in its current state.

[Tatey]

May was definitely a long time ago! But with a temporary 10% paycut made permanent due to COVID put a stop to my trailer buying plans.

That paycut has thankfully now been reversed. The past few months have also shown how rare a C4 Blue or Minno Max trailers are or how well they hold onto their value. So I have today just ordered a brand new C4 Blue so that I can finally get the car out on track!

My trailer is due to turn up at the end of October so I am trying to get a rolling road session booked for early November with Bogg Bros to get my carbs/ignition map setup for the track.

The plan is to do Blyton Park at the end of November if everything goes well.

I have since fixed my immobiliser light and redone the electrical connections for my fog light switch. I have acquired some oil to refill my diff and I'm checking fluid levels for my gearbox this weekend as it was 6 years ago when I filled it up and I want to double check it!

[twinturbo]

I kept looking at transporters on ebay. some real rough stuff made stupid money back in late 2018... and they were all a long way off.

Then one poped up, it looked old but solid and was only 20 miles away.

It said offers, so I offerd £400 and we settled at £480.. I did not know what to expect.

When I got there the guy had a brand new low loading indespension transporter, that was for his MK1 RS2000 rally car. He also had a Focus RS in his sizeable home garage....

so his old trailer, he had designed and built himself. the main bed sections had been folded by a local engineering firm ~20 years previously. The whole thing looked PRO and in some ways better than contemporary Brian james or Similar units.

It's been used a handful of times to recover purchases or move cars that are not MOT'd..

It's rock solid and would easily take most cars although it's probably only capable of 1500KG max..

When the Haynes is finished I may sign up as a memer at Kames for some track sessions.

[Tatey]

So things are progressing nicely.

I have now filled the diff with oil, flushed the cooling system and I'm about to refill it with coolant.

I have secured the rear tub top panel to the car using some bond on cable tie bases and cable ties for the rear most edge. The front most edge and the fuel filler cap area are bolted into position so it's really just to stop it flapping.

http://www.silverstonefactors.com/sh...ase-tc105-bulk

The cable tie bases are a very useful things and are used extensively on race cars. Matched with some Loctite F246 structural adhesive you can mount them most places.

I have secured the access hatch into the rear boot to stop it dropping inwards.

I have also bought a winch for my trailer and a strap type tow loop which I have mounted to the top front wishbone mount. It will allow me to winch the car onto the trailer and the trailer into the garage (nose first) without needing assistance. I do need to see how much diagonal pull there is when the trailer arrives, with a straight pull the strap clears the nose cone, if there is a significant angle on the tow rope then it will start to contact the nose cone so that may require a rethink.



My trailer collection date is set at 31st October and I have a rolling road session booked at Bogg Brothers for 7th November. I am hoping to attend Blyton park on 28th November but I think I will wait to book that once I've had my session at the rolling road in case there are any problems.

Left on the list is to apply the sealant to my sausage filter backing plate, glue on edge trim, check all bolts and fasteners are tight. Check the gearbox oil. Setup the ride height and set the tracking.

[twinturbo]

remember to get photos of the trailer arrival,

[Tatey]

I'll definitely get a picture of the trailers arrival.

I have since decided to replace the cambelt, tensioners and water pump. On firing up the engine last week when changing the coolant I noticed a squeak coming from the cambelt area which had me concerned.

With the standard silvertop water pump with the smooth pulley I am also spinning the pump backwards. So I have now ordered an escort water pump from Retro Ford to replace this with as this spins clockwise. They sell a kit which includes a new lightweight ribbed pulley as the original escort pulleys are like hen's teeth now.

The cambelt/water pump on the engine is of complete unknown age. I have had the engine at least 10 years and the engine is now 30 years old so to be safe and avoid the engine going pop I feel it would be best to replace it. I previously decided against it as the engine only cost me £40 and the cambelt kit is £60 so didn't seem worth it, I have since come to my senses!

[Tatey]

So changing the water pump/cambelt was a good idea as the cambelt idler pulley bearings weren't in a good way. The new water pump is on, I am just waiting for a new coolant hose to arrive as the water pump outlet on the escort pumps is a straight fitting rather than pointing backwards.

The trailer was due to be collected today but the dealership decided to close this weekend so they are instead going to deliver it to me this week. It doesn't sound like I'll be able to go to my rolling road session next week given the soon to be announced lockdown.

[twinturbo]

Let's hope they can still deliver..

I should really look at the cam belt on my Escort Cabrio. I am so use to things having chains that I forgot they were a thing . But in the last 18 months I have gone from having no cars with camblets, to all 3 cars ( that could be in play ) now having them..

Was it easy enough on the Silvertop?

[Tatey]

The silvertop was easy to do with the timing kit (a bar to lock the cams, a pin to lock the crank and a home made tool to lock the cam pulleys.

You need a few big torx bits for the cam pulleys/cam tensioner pulleys, T50 and T55 I believe.

If you are doing the belt for the first time you'll need a new tensioner spring/spring post (very cheap) and a tensioner pulley post, they sometimes come in the kit but sometimes don't (mine didn't).

The Haynes obviously has a ample room and good clearance around everything so it may have been very easy.

I can send you the Haynes manual for the zetec engine which has the step by step if you'd like it?

[Tatey]

The trailer has arrived! It is a squeeze to get it in the garage but luckily all of my measurements were correct and it all fits. I need to get a proper winch plate laser cut for it and get a motor mover to help move it on my own as with the car on and my drive being on a slight slope it wants to run away with you.