Going to have a look at a couple of cars tomorrow, with a view to replacing the van (it's an 'orrible piece of crap to drive and never gets used s a van)

A mk1 escort clicky and a mk1 cortina clicky
Now i'm leaning towards the cortina for medium pimping appeal.
Got around 3 grand to spend, and from what I can see in the pics they both look in reasonably good nick.

The plan though is to convert to a more modern engine, prolly a 2.0 zetec.

Anyone done this before that can give me any tips?
I wanna do the conversion as locost as possible, what do you chaps reckon it would cost me?
Any other advice appreciated.

Cheers
Pez

[Edited on 10-2-08 by Pezza]

[Edited on 10-2-08 by Pezza]

Be very careful, these cars are utter rust buckets usually and to be honest a 3k car is unlikely to be a clean one.

Take someone else along with you, someone who also knows about cars so they can beat you to your senses if you become love struck with a lemon. By that age most fords will be on their third set of sills and have a heap of filler hidden away. If you plan to put a zetec in it get the best you can otherwise it will end up a deathtrap.

Yeah i've already walked away from a few lemons the last few months, I figure i'll have to find a good one sooner or later lol.
My trusty magnet in a jay cloth has served me well as a filler finder

Totally agree with ^^^, look for rust, then look for more rust, that damage on the cortina valance looks to have cracking filler in it. The escorts had the strut top mountings plated, that got them through MOTs but the mounts are weakened, unless the rot is cut out and the plates welded to the vertical braces. Either car will be a noisy ride, sound proofing wasnt up to much.

Either way to put a zetec in will cost about a 6 - 700 quid, I've spent about £500 so far, boggs manifold, raceline water rail, sump mods, gearbox, probably another £100 os so to go, to put the zetec in an MGB.

Rgds.
Pete.

[Edited on 10/2/08 by r1_pete]

Crucial rust spot is the vertical seams between the inner front wing and the bulkhead -- almost impossible to repair.

The front strut top on the inner wings will have been plated on both cars as this was fairly normal for Escorts and Cortinas of this era more than 4 four years old. Look out for rusty floors at the "A" pillar, rust around the spring shackles.

If you do buy the Cortina please don't vandalise the car by changing the engine.

i'd say escort, rack and pinion steering already there, think the cortina had a steering box, which could be er, interesting with a 2.0 zetec

though, that cortina does look pretty sweet!

[Edited on 10/2/08 by blakep82]

Yeah the tina would be changed to a rack in the event I bought it.
Was up nr dartford yesterday looking at a mk1, handles sweet as, polybushed all round, swapped to rack, adjustable tca's lowered single leafs, coilovers, running a 2.0 ecotec and getrag box.
Unfortunatly bodywork was more work than I was willing to take on. Bonnet and boot where both rotten as where the wings shame realy as it handled superb and went like stink.

These guys have some helpful info-read the part about putting a cossie engine into escort and the strength of the shell,they were only designed for 74 hp

Linky

The Cortina would get my vote everytime - they are just such a great shape...

quote:

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Originally posted by britishtrident
If you do buy the Cortina please don't vandalise the car by changing the engine.

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i can smell the filler on the escort from here,overspray/paint dust on steering wheel in one pic,front valance looks plodded and flitches are too clean

quote:

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Originally posted by theconrodkid
i can smell the filler on the escort from here,overspray/paint dust on steering wheel in one pic,front valance looks plodded and flitches are too clean

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I just wrote a lovely long post and pressed the wrong key

They both look dodgy and expensive, the escort would be more if it was really rust free and the cortina has some lovely filler sculpted panel lines

I would buy one with un-repaired rust and fix properly, I did the opposite a while back because i didn't want the work...big mistake...lesson learnt

[Edited on 10-2-2008 by onzarob]

[Edited on 10-2-2008 by onzarob]

Escort does not right to me, with that dash and its year I think the front wings are wrong, should have a bigger lip on the wheel arches....