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Project Overspend


stevmo3691

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Hi all. I am the proud owner of a 1997 1.8 Ghia X 5 door in dark aubergine. It took me a while to find the 'perfect' example and racked up the miles in my bros diesel volvo v70 (thats the point of a diesel).

 

After seeing many a tatty example including one that looked perfect on autotrader but had buggered wheels, engine running issues, fag burned interior, moving steering column and holier body work than the church, i found this car.

 

Had the usual rust on arches, but very minor, but had sweet running engine, service history, and only 81k on the clock.

 

Once i got the car home i had to wait till insurance certificate came through to tax it and drove it for a week (faultlessly) and then the doctor banned me from driving.

 

I was gutted but took this time to start doing work on the car that i wanted. so i changed the cloth interior for a GTi half leather set, fitted new stereo, 2 12" subs in the boot, GTI dials, blue LED switches, K&N induction kit, parrot bluetooth kit, tinted rear lights, eye level brake light and re-conditioned GTI alloys

 

Then i got the news i had been waiting for for 2 months. i was allowed to drive again. unfortunately the MOT had lapsed in that time so i gave the car a once over to get it MOT ready and whilst inspecting the rear brakes to see if i could sort out the high handbrake lever, i acceidently swung the torque wrench up into the chasis leg and it all crumbled into my face.

 

The hole was around 4" long. i was devastated. but my dad told me to mot it anyway as he had spoken to the previous test centre (who for the past 2 years issued with no advisory's) and they said that it should be fine.

 

Car failed on 4 things including that damage. also failed on snapped n/s front coil, corroded n/s brake pipe and damaged n/s brake hose.

 

while i got all the work done i bought myself a p reg mondeo for £250 to keep me going.

 

eventually got the escort taxed and tested in October having started in July!

 

since then i have fitted black angel eyes, gti grill with blue neons behind, GHIA X full leather interior and have purchased ready to fit GTI skirts, spats and spoiler, Si 130PS cams and throttle body, scorpion stainless exhaust system with 4-2-1 manifold and decat, a ported and polished head, mondeo front brakes and RS2000 rear disc conversion kit. plans include getting ecu chipped, new inlest manifold, xenon 6000k headlight bulbs, a front centre armrest (most likely from ghia x mondeo), new steering wheel, new floor mats, uprated clutch, 16" mondy alloys and more custom touches as and when they pop in my head really.

 

http://i5.tagstat.com/image03/8/520f/000o001O58f.jpg

http://i1.tagstat.com/image03/8/520f/000s001O58f.jpg

http://i0.tagstat.com/image04/8/520f/000p001O58f.jpg

 

will add more pictures when i get a chance

Edited by stevmo3691
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Thanks for all the good coments. I do intend to laquer the tail lights but just havent had the time between driving all over to collect parts, work and home comitments. My plan is to get everything sorted during the 2 weeks i have booked off in march which will include a full service (as i'm changing head and cams the cambelts being done).

 

BTW if anyone knows someone good at repairing damaged skirts i would appreciate some help as person i bought them off said in good condition and they are far from. (nothing ever goes smoothly)

 

My main goal with this car is to subtly modify it so its sort of OEM+ but has some extra bits on top. My use of a complete sony stereo system (headunit, speakers, amp, subs) is partly because i like sony products and partly because they are currently providing audio equipment to thenew range of Fords.

 

Oh and you may like too know that the mondeo i bought only had about £50-£60 spent on it including front discs and pads (although i ended up with 2 sets so i tought i might as well fit them to the escort), floor mats, wheel trims and a leather steering wheel cover and was sold for £425, so the difference was spent on the scorpion exhaust system (£150 off ebay but guy selling was not very nice and hid damage to the downpipe in photos).

 

Then some kind person reversed into my front bumper in mcdonalds drive thru (first time in ages i went there) and the resulting little scuff got me £250 off his insurance (just need to slightly re-align bumper and t-cut it) which allowed me to get the leather interior.

 

I will Add more pics as and when, but too busy enjoying driving atm :P

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heres a pic of the front with angel eyes, GTi grill and neons:

http://i6.tagstat.com/image04/8/520f/000B001O58f.jpg

 

and this is day light (with lights off)

http://i4.tagstat.com/image04/8/520f/000D001O58f.jpg

 

will add more of engine bay and interior at later stage

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Looking good mate! nice base!

 

Black angels on black mk6's just look ace!

not black - dark aubergine :D looks black but in right light you see the purple - bit like cadbury's wrapper

 

I might have been watching too much knight rider :P

 

trick is not too let police catch me :P

be even better with the underglow kit i have aswell - have 3 12" neons in the boot, 1 under each side trim and one under the amp and 2 for the front footwells - only for show use of course :D

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just to add some updated pics and details of change of plans :D

 

i was planning to do mondeo front brakes but have sourced RS2000 front brakes so will use them instead and am not going to use the 4-2-1 manifold i got as its decat and makes mot a problem so will now save up and get an ashley one with 200 cell sports cat.

 

picture quality is a bit crap as using my phone till i find the charger for my decent camera

 

pictures now show my leather interior:

http://i3.tagstat.com/image03/8/520f/000E001O58f.jpg

http://i1.tagstat.com/image04/8/520f/000G001O58f.jpg

 

my alloy pedals, sony gigapanel headunit (wish they'd kept this technology going - 1GB flash memory in the fascia), parrott bluetooth kit, GTI gear knob and dials, white backed clock (gonna change it back to proper ghia one when i get one that works)

http://i6.tagstat.com/image03/8/520f/000F001O58f.jpg

 

this one you can see my tinted lights better, the flat style blade and the flat paint on the o/s quarter panel (after doing rust repair, painted and sanded down, just needs lacquering so waiting till warmer weather)

Hope it'll look better with the 4" scorpion exhaust, spats and spoiler i have in the garage - just need to paint them

http://i0.tagstat.com/image04/8/520f/000H001O58f.jpg

 

as you can see, few things needed here - just the skirts, spoiler, spats, bigger wheels, RS2000 brakes, slight lowering - hope you like my colour coded ghia badge surround on rear door

http://i7.tagstat.com/image03/8/520f/000I001O58f.jpg

 

needs a bit of a clean and i am re-painting the rocker cover with metallic black VHT paint (just waiting on delivery of another rocker cover). you can see the K&N induction kit, blue twin core performance leads, stainless steel spark plug cover, re-painted exhaust heat sheild (looked crap in rust)

http://i6.tagstat.com/image04/8/520f/000J001O58f.jpg

 

from the front i just want to tint the fog lights, add a front splitter and sort out the scuff on the bottom edge of front bumper on o/s (carefully taken picture to hide it :D) - was there when i bought the car

http://i1.tagstat.com/image03/8/520f/000K001O58f.jpg

 

i love how well the zetec 1.8 pulls through out the rev band - already annoyed a few people - and when it has that little bit extra power it deserves, the brakes and suspension to match, it will be perfect :D - at least till i'm older and can afford to insure a 2.0 litre conversion :)

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thought you might like to see what she looked like when i got her. this car was completely standard when i got it with loads of history (ex ford demostrator), had one keeper from then till '07 then previous owner had it till may 09 when i got it (they only sold it owing to job loss)

these are the pics off the ebay listing

 

http://i0.tagstat.com/image03/8/520f/000L001O58f.jpg

http://i3.tagstat.com/image03/8/520f/000M001O58f.jpg

http://i6.tagstat.com/image03/8/520f/000N001O58f.jpg

 

if you look carefully at bottom corner of this bumper you can see the damage i was referring to

 

http://i5.tagstat.com/image03/8/520f/000O001O58f.jpg

 

still had original dealer plastic backing behind number plates

http://i4.tagstat.com/image03/8/520f/000P001O58f.jpg

http://i3.tagstat.com/image04/8/520f/000Q001O58f.jpg

http://i6.tagstat.com/image04/8/520f/000R001O58f.jpg

http://i1.tagstat.com/image03/8/520f/000S001O58f.jpg

 

other side was slightly worse than this:

http://i4.tagstat.com/image04/8/520f/000T001O58f.jpg

 

and this is what you call FULL service History

http://i3.tagstat.com/image03/8/520f/000U001O58f.jpg

http://i2.tagstat.com/image04/8/520f/000V001O58f.jpg

 

theres even a little token book worth up to £250 if i get anyone to buy a car from that dealer i can cash it in (one voucher already used) - with no expiration date :D

 

sales invoices, receipt for everything (including front bumper replacement and paint work), all old MOT's, details of supaguard paint treatment (only lasts up to 7 years), and warranty booklet.

 

can you guess why i bought it :D £700 for this was a bargain in my eyes - the wheels were even mint and had good pirelli P6000 tyres all round (wheel were mint till my mum drove my car back from hospital when i got banned from driving and smacked it into the kerb outside my house)

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