Escort RS2000 4x4 2.0 Turbo Conversion

[blacksofstichill]

It's quite scary to think that car was being driven around like that :|

 

It is a bit isn't it! It wouldn't be pretty if it had been smashed anyway!

 

Some serious love and ££££ going into that !

 

Cheers!

 

 

I have never owned an escort thats rotten in places that has.. I recall another 4x4 rs2000 escort being repaired to quite an extent this is... wonder if theres a reason lol..

 

Keep up the good work

 

Thanks, a lot of the bits I've welded are common rot spots but some car are mint in those areas and yet others just fall apart!

 

really good work going on here, thanks for sharing so many pics!

 

It's a shame you're so far, else i'd be wanting to book you to work on mine!

 

Cheers, glad you like it so far, I must be a good 240 miles away from you roughly, it's still closer than this car was though!

 

 

Outer skin welded into place -

 

http://blackengineering.co.uk/images/Doctor-Evil-RS2000-Turbo-Engine-Rebuild/01292.jpg

 

Holes drilled for the door switch -

 

http://blackengineering.co.uk/images/Doctor-Evil-RS2000-Turbo-Engine-Rebuild/01293.jpg

 

More rot above the door hinge -

 

http://blackengineering.co.uk/images/Doctor-Evil-RS2000-Turbo-Engine-Rebuild/01294.jpg

 

Cut out -

 

http://blackengineering.co.uk/images/Doctor-Evil-RS2000-Turbo-Engine-Rebuild/01295.jpg

 

Repair plate made -

 

http://blackengineering.co.uk/images/Doctor-Evil-RS2000-Turbo-Engine-Rebuild/01296.jpg

 

And fitted -

 

http://blackengineering.co.uk/images/Doctor-Evil-RS2000-Turbo-Engine-Rebuild/01297.jpg

 

 

More rot on the windscreen pillar -

 

http://blackengineering.co.uk/images/Doctor-Evil-RS2000-Turbo-Engine-Rebuild/01298.jpg

 

http://blackengineering.co.uk/images/Doctor-Evil-RS2000-Turbo-Engine-Rebuild/01299.jpg

 

Cut out -

 

http://blackengineering.co.uk/images/Doctor-Evil-RS2000-Turbo-Engine-Rebuild/01300.jpg

 

Repair section made to be fitted inside the pillar -

 

http://blackengineering.co.uk/images/Doctor-Evil-RS2000-Turbo-Engine-Rebuild/01301.jpg

 

Welded into place -

 

http://blackengineering.co.uk/images/Doctor-Evil-RS2000-Turbo-Engine-Rebuild/01302.jpg

 

http://blackengineering.co.uk/images/Doctor-Evil-RS2000-Turbo-Engine-Rebuild/01303.jpg

 

Angle for the seal to fit to made -

 

http://blackengineering.co.uk/images/Doctor-Evil-RS2000-Turbo-Engine-Rebuild/01304.jpg

 

And fitted -

 

http://blackengineering.co.uk/images/Doctor-Evil-RS2000-Turbo-Engine-Rebuild/01305.jpg

 

http://blackengineering.co.uk/images/Doctor-Evil-RS2000-Turbo-Engine-Rebuild/01306.jpg

 

http://blackengineering.co.uk/images/Doctor-Evil-RS2000-Turbo-Engine-Rebuild/01307.jpg

 

Seam sealed -

 

http://blackengineering.co.uk/images/Doctor-Evil-RS2000-Turbo-Engine-Rebuild/01308.jpg

 

http://blackengineering.co.uk/images/Doctor-Evil-RS2000-Turbo-Engine-Rebuild/01309.jpg

 

A-post seam sealed, stone chipped, primed and painted, there's a mega thick coating on this so I'm not expecting it to rust again any time soon -

 

http://blackengineering.co.uk/images/Doctor-Evil-RS2000-Turbo-Engine-Rebuild/01310.jpg

 

http://blackengineering.co.uk/images/Doctor-Evil-RS2000-Turbo-Engine-Rebuild/01311.jpg

 

Next to be removed was the dashboard -

 

http://blackengineering.co.uk/images/Doctor-Evil-RS2000-Turbo-Engine-Rebuild/01312.jpg

 

Rot behind the battery tray -

 

http://blackengineering.co.uk/images/Doctor-Evil-RS2000-Turbo-Engine-Rebuild/01313.jpg

 

And on the bulkhead below it -

 

http://blackengineering.co.uk/images/Doctor-Evil-RS2000-Turbo-Engine-Rebuild/01314.jpg

 

Someone had previously fitted the front half of a replacement battery tray but with rot behind and below it there was no way it would keep water from leaking into the car -

 

http://blackengineering.co.uk/images/Doctor-Evil-RS2000-Turbo-Engine-Rebuild/01315.jpg

 

Rear battery stop cut out -

 

http://blackengineering.co.uk/images/Doctor-Evil-RS2000-Turbo-Engine-Rebuild/01316.jpg

 

Cutting out some of the battery tray -

 

http://blackengineering.co.uk/images/Doctor-Evil-RS2000-Turbo-Engine-Rebuild/01317.jpg

 

http://blackengineering.co.uk/images/Doctor-Evil-RS2000-Turbo-Engine-Rebuild/01318.jpg

 

With this but cut out you can see where the new panel was welded on top of the old one -

 

http://blackengineering.co.uk/images/Doctor-Evil-RS2000-Turbo-Engine-Rebuild/01319.jpg

[blacksofstichill]

More rot to be seen on the bulkhead below the scuttle panel -

 

http://blackengineering.co.uk/images/Doctor-Evil-RS2000-Turbo-Engine-Rebuild/01320.jpg

 

http://blackengineering.co.uk/images/Doctor-Evil-RS2000-Turbo-Engine-Rebuild/01321.jpg

 

http://blackengineering.co.uk/images/Doctor-Evil-RS2000-Turbo-Engine-Rebuild/01322.jpg

 

Rest of the old battery tray, etc cut out -

 

http://blackengineering.co.uk/images/Doctor-Evil-RS2000-Turbo-Engine-Rebuild/01323.jpg

 

http://blackengineering.co.uk/images/Doctor-Evil-RS2000-Turbo-Engine-Rebuild/01324.jpg

 

http://blackengineering.co.uk/images/Doctor-Evil-RS2000-Turbo-Engine-Rebuild/01325.jpg

 

New bulkhead/battery tray panel supplied by Olly -

 

http://blackengineering.co.uk/images/Doctor-Evil-RS2000-Turbo-Engine-Rebuild/01326.jpg

 

Laid into place for a trial fit -

 

http://blackengineering.co.uk/images/Doctor-Evil-RS2000-Turbo-Engine-Rebuild/01327.jpg

 

Theres a gap to one side at the front edge, there was rot further out than the panel so this will be filled with a plate later -

 

http://blackengineering.co.uk/images/Doctor-Evil-RS2000-Turbo-Engine-Rebuild/01328.jpg

 

I'll need to fit the battery stops to the tray, here are the old ones -

 

http://blackengineering.co.uk/images/Doctor-Evil-RS2000-Turbo-Engine-Rebuild/01329.jpg

 

Side stop cleaned up and was fine to re-use -

 

http://blackengineering.co.uk/images/Doctor-Evil-RS2000-Turbo-Engine-Rebuild/01330.jpg

 

Back stop was rotten -

 

http://blackengineering.co.uk/images/Doctor-Evil-RS2000-Turbo-Engine-Rebuild/01331.jpg

 

So I made a new one -

 

http://blackengineering.co.uk/images/Doctor-Evil-RS2000-Turbo-Engine-Rebuild/01332.jpg

 

Welded to the tray -

 

http://blackengineering.co.uk/images/Doctor-Evil-RS2000-Turbo-Engine-Rebuild/01333.jpg

 

http://blackengineering.co.uk/images/Doctor-Evil-RS2000-Turbo-Engine-Rebuild/01334.jpg

 

Rot cut out on the bulkhead below the scuttle, the rust on the inner skin is just surface rust, any serious rot there will be sorted once the screen is removed though -

 

http://blackengineering.co.uk/images/Doctor-Evil-RS2000-Turbo-Engine-Rebuild/01335.jpg

 

Bulkhead repair sections made -

 

http://blackengineering.co.uk/images/Doctor-Evil-RS2000-Turbo-Engine-Rebuild/01336.jpg

 

And fitted, to say these were awkward to weld would be an understatement, i welded them in by lying inside the car with my head stuck up through the battery tray hole! -

 

http://blackengineering.co.uk/images/Doctor-Evil-RS2000-Turbo-Engine-Rebuild/01337.jpg

 

http://blackengineering.co.uk/images/Doctor-Evil-RS2000-Turbo-Engine-Rebuild/01338.jpg

 

They're even seam welded to the underside of the scuttle, not handy to do at all -

 

http://blackengineering.co.uk/images/Doctor-Evil-RS2000-Turbo-Engine-Rebuild/01339.jpg

 

Back side of plates can be seen through a hole in the inner bulkhead -

 

http://blackengineering.co.uk/images/Doctor-Evil-RS2000-Turbo-Engine-Rebuild/01340.jpg

 

this gap below where the battery tray needs to be plated before the tray is fitted -

 

http://blackengineering.co.uk/images/Doctor-Evil-RS2000-Turbo-Engine-Rebuild/01341.jpg

 

http://blackengineering.co.uk/images/Doctor-Evil-RS2000-Turbo-Engine-Rebuild/01342.jpg

 

Repair sections made -

 

http://blackengineering.co.uk/images/Doctor-Evil-RS2000-Turbo-Engine-Rebuild/01343.jpg

 

Welds dressed on the upper bulkhead -

 

http://blackengineering.co.uk/images/Doctor-Evil-RS2000-Turbo-Engine-Rebuild/01344.jpg

 

Plates welded into the lower bulkhead -

 

http://blackengineering.co.uk/images/Doctor-Evil-RS2000-Turbo-Engine-Rebuild/01345.jpg

 

Viewed from inside the engine bay -

 

http://blackengineering.co.uk/images/Doctor-Evil-RS2000-Turbo-Engine-Rebuild/01346.jpg

[scottybo]

makes me happy that there are still people in the world who are willing to put the work in to save cars like this from the scrappers

[sidrick]

makes me happy that there are still people in the world who are willing to put the work in to save cars like this from the scrappers

 

Lunatics, you mean?

[scottybo]

makes me happy that there are still people in the world who are willing to put the work in to save cars like this from the scrappers

 

Lunatics, you mean?

 

car enthusiasts, lunatics. meh we are all one and the same

[shifty]

Quite often see this amount of dedication put into MK3 & 4 RS Turbo's so it's bound to start happening with MK5 & 6 RS2000's now and I would much rather drive around in a patched up Escort than an ugly less rotton Focus. (sorry Focus lover's)

[scottybo]

Quite often see this amount of dedication put into MK3 & 4 RS Turbo's so it's bound to start happening with MK5 & 6 RS2000's now and I would much rather drive around in a patched up Escort than an ugly less rotton Focus. (sorry Focus lover's)

 

I think that escorts are better looking. But currently owning both an escort and a focus. The focus IS the better car. I terior is much nicer and better built. Handles so much better than my escort even in standard form. The revised zetec engines in the focus are much smoother and power delivery is fantastic. Theyre less prone to rust. Better equiped.....even the poverty spec lx model (which i own) has more features than the range topping escort gti

 

i like escorts.....a lot

 

but theres a reason why the focus immediately went to top seller upon release. And stayed there for a long time

[bronze4door]

i drive a focus its 2.0l ghia with all the toys and the rear arches are rustier than the two mk6 escorts on my drive, it does do its job quite well but itsn't really fun, it just doesn't have that same feeling about it

[Hezz]

i drive a focus its 2.0l ghia with all the toys and the rear arches are rustier than the two mk6 escorts on my drive, it does do its job quite well but itsn't really fun, it just doesn't have that same feeling about it

My st170 is a much superior car to my gti BUT my gti is my fave go figure

[blacksofstichill]

makes me happy that there are still people in the world who are willing to put the work in to save cars like this from the scrappers

 

Cheers!

 

 

makes me happy that there are still people in the world who are willing to put the work in to save cars like this from the scrappers

 

Lunatics, you mean?

 

I'd say that sums it up pretty well!

 

 

Quite often see this amount of dedication put into MK3 & 4 RS Turbo's so it's bound to start happening with MK5 & 6 RS2000's now and I would much rather drive around in a patched up Escort than an ugly less rotton Focus. (sorry Focus lover's)

 

Cheers, I think the Mk5 and Mk6 has taken a long time for people to realise that they're getting quite scarce and people in the past have scrapped them for the sake of just a few jobs being done at MOT time which is quite a shame.

 

Battery tray welded into place -

 

http://blackengineering.co.uk/images/Doctor-Evil-RS2000-Turbo-Engine-Rebuild/01347.jpg

 

Small plate required here -

 

http://blackengineering.co.uk/images/Doctor-Evil-RS2000-Turbo-Engine-Rebuild/01348.jpg

 

http://blackengineering.co.uk/images/Doctor-Evil-RS2000-Turbo-Engine-Rebuild/01349.jpg

 

Small plate welded in at the front edge -

 

http://blackengineering.co.uk/images/Doctor-Evil-RS2000-Turbo-Engine-Rebuild/01350.jpg

 

It all still needed welding on the inside -

 

http://blackengineering.co.uk/images/Doctor-Evil-RS2000-Turbo-Engine-Rebuild/01351.jpg

 

Seam welded on the inside all around -

 

http://blackengineering.co.uk/images/Doctor-Evil-RS2000-Turbo-Engine-Rebuild/01352.jpg

 

http://blackengineering.co.uk/images/Doctor-Evil-RS2000-Turbo-Engine-Rebuild/01353.jpg

 

Near the front edge on the underside there was also an area needing welded to the underside of the tray -

 

http://blackengineering.co.uk/images/Doctor-Evil-RS2000-Turbo-Engine-Rebuild/01354.jpg

 

All welded up -

 

http://blackengineering.co.uk/images/Doctor-Evil-RS2000-Turbo-Engine-Rebuild/01355.jpg

 

With the battery tray area all sorted it was time to check out the Driver's side bulkhead.......which wasn't pretty -

 

http://blackengineering.co.uk/images/Doctor-Evil-RS2000-Turbo-Engine-Rebuild/01356.jpg

 

http://blackengineering.co.uk/images/Doctor-Evil-RS2000-Turbo-Engine-Rebuild/01357.jpg

 

Also, from inside the car you could see a few areas which were holed below the windscreen -

 

http://blackengineering.co.uk/images/Doctor-Evil-RS2000-Turbo-Engine-Rebuild/01358.jpg

 

http://blackengineering.co.uk/images/Doctor-Evil-RS2000-Turbo-Engine-Rebuild/01359.jpg

 

Because of the rot under the screen itself the only way to tackle it was to have the screen removed -

 

http://blackengineering.co.uk/images/Doctor-Evil-RS2000-Turbo-Engine-Rebuild/01360.jpg

 

So that's what we did -

 

http://blackengineering.co.uk/images/Doctor-Evil-RS2000-Turbo-Engine-Rebuild/01361.jpg

 

Things didn't look any better with the screen out either -

 

http://blackengineering.co.uk/images/Doctor-Evil-RS2000-Turbo-Engine-Rebuild/01362.jpg

 

http://blackengineering.co.uk/images/Doctor-Evil-RS2000-Turbo-Engine-Rebuild/01363.jpg

[Hezz]

Yikes !!!

[scottybo]

That is one rotten shell. When do we get to the juicy bits!?!

[hicksy]

i drive a focus its 2.0l ghia with all the toys and the rear arches are rustier than the two mk6 escorts on my drive, it does do its job quite well but itsn't really fun, it just doesn't have that same feeling about it

My st170 is a much superior car to my gti BUT my gti is my fave go figure

 

 

I think ill agree with Hezz here, if i had the time to put my ST170 engine into a clean mk6 shell id do that!

 

When i had the RS2000 it was a hoot to drive, but felt really old and loose compared to my focus which has more miles.

 

 

Back on topic though, that is one hell of a lot of work you are putting in there!! I love all these update

[lee grout]

The mind boggles! Look at the state of that 4x4 or otherwise its not worth saving that! Re shell and transfer everything to it!!! How the hell do the pillars rot by the door hinge for christsake!

 

Not to put a downer on it because you've done great work on it but the owner is a loony!

 

Look forward to the day we start seeing the end of this rot and more of the engine/finishing front.

[scottybo]

The mind boggles! Look at the state of that 4x4 or otherwise its not worth saving that! Re shell and transfer everything to it!!! How the hell do the pillars rot by the door hinge for christsake!

 

Not to put a downer on it because you've done great work on it but the owner is a loony!

 

Look forward to the day we start seeing the end of this rot and more of the engine/finishing front.

 

ive met the owner a few times lives just up the way from me....he really really likes rs2000s lol