Could the Forum please advise whether a Sierra or Mk 1 Escort is the best donor car in terms of usable parts, build simplicity, chassis design etc.

I want a simple straightforward Locost using the 'McSorley +442' design as far as possible.

Can the Escort axle be used for this chassis?

Pinto or Xflow?

I know i am opening myself for ridicule!! but everyone has to start somewhere?

First time posters never get ridicule, we save that for later!

You are going to get conflicting advice on this one, some love the xflows, and some pinto's.

I have a book chassis with a pinto, but could not find an escort rear axle so used a capri.

If I was starting again I would use McSorley wider chassis, sierra front uprights with adaptors, a Dozracing dedion rear axle, the advantage is a single donor, newer than the escort (easier parts), if you use a 2.0i engine you can also use unleaded fuel.

I hope that someone will now contradict everything I have said to give you a balanced view

Oh yes, welcome to the madhouse

Mark

You are going to have to talk slowly to me!!

Sierra front uprights with adaptors - are these DIYable? or bought? do you have a design?

Dozracing dedion axle? what? where? how?

Can i use a Mk1 Escort axle with the wider chassis?
Cheers

Don't panic, its all on the site

The adaptors are available from several sources, MK seem to be the most popular, they basically plugs for the top of the sierra uprights to convert them for wishbones.

Dozracing frequently contribute to the site, and supply all kinds of useful stuff. If you do a search (top left) you will find his website.

Hi Albretz;
Don't worry about ridicule (everybody has to start somewhere!
Best advice is to familiarise yourself with this site before you start spending lots of hard earned!
Mark A. stopped me making an expensive mistake concerning what I really wanted to build(cheers Mark!)
Good luck,FEST

http://www.gtscougar.freeserve.co.uk/

thats a link for dozracing.

I'd agree with what mark says, should be a nice 'easy' build with lots of easy parts and good advice off here.

all the best, Joel.

Fester, what did I do?

Albertz,

If you use a +4" chassis then a lot of things can become a lot harder. I suggest you familiarise yourself with all the pit falls first.

Examples of pit falls being- changing running gear as you'll almost definately find an Escort axle is too narrow for a +4"- so you'll want a Cortina axle.

Commerically available bodywork won't fit.

Issues with the front/rear track.

etc. etc.

HTH,

James

James, any issues you know of apart from those above??

Im going to make my own bodywork, and the cortina axle is on its way, and the track, well, im widening the fron track by 4 inches, and the rear will be widened by a tad more than 4 inches, depending on what offset I go for on the wheels.

Ed.
P.S. all of this assumes that my design work gets from the 3D rapid prototyping & CAD models ive got on my computer to steel eventually.

quote:

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Originally posted by ed_crouch
James, any issues you know of apart from those above??

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Hi I built my locost using a sierra, I already had a 2litre pinto and so used 5 speed box,much modified loom and complete fuse box(locost with intermittent wipers!), steering column,switches and odds and sods. The only escort part used was a steering rack which was a recon exchanged for the sierra one (most motor factors don't seem to care as long as you have a rack to exchange. So this saved having to find an escort donor. The original pinto came from a cortina that also donated it's front suspension. My locost has been on the road for 2 years and is 4" wider than book from the bulkhead back.