So, it's time to resurrect an old thread of mine, change the title and update on progress!
So after Ford Fair last year, the old girl got tucked up in the storage unit, cover on and forgotten until August whilst my time and money went on restoring the FRP.
Despite being left for 10 months with only a trickle charger for company, she started first turn of the key, and passed the MOT a few days later so happy days. Well, except for ever increasingly heavy clutch (the original after 150k and multiple track days!) and the fact it's passion for oozing every fluid out of every seal was getting worse...
The FRP was finished for now, so time for my first love to drain the bank account this year after 13 years of literally not needing to do anything other than routine servicing and the odd ABS sensor.
Step in Chris (eldude) to work his magic after doing the engine of 477 last year. So, time for the engine to come out and see what we've got...
Well, it's a mess. Loads of oil seepage and generally filthy. Turns out the intermediate drive shaft bearing was destroyed too which explained the rumbling I'd started to notice...
I'd decided if you're going to do it, you may as well do it properly, so head off to see what an engine that has been over serviced all its life with good oil looks like...
The answer is bloody good! Virtually no wear to be seen, just really coked up. Bores, cams and valves all perfectly serviceable. Had the head skimmed, cleaned up, valves lapped back in and rebuilt. Credit to Chris, it looks like a brand new engine inside!
I'd got a lot of the parts in my hoard after collecting for years, but valve stem seals was something I didn't have. They are still available from Ford, but total cost for the 16 seals? Just shy of £130. What?!!!!! Oh well, in for a penny....
The head and engine all back together...
Shame the bottom pulley lets the side down, but even I have to draw the line somewhere as the bill was getting BIG, and that was because of parts not labour!
Whilst the engine was out, it was time to replace the rusting power steering pipe, another thing I had in stock! What I didn't have was the unions to connect it to the rack and pump. Oh my god!! £30 for two single use nuts to go on the end of the pipe. I could have cried but it needed doing...
So, after new clutch, cambelt, waterpump, etc, etc, etc, what's it like?!! Well, it's bloody amazing! Over 13 years you don't notice performance disappear and vibrations appear, but you do notice when it's all 'right' again.
It's so smooth now, it feels more powerful and flys around the revs like it used to with no harshness. It's quiet and driving it home it was like the engine was brand new. Absolutely love it. Top, top work from Chris. Couldn't recommend him enough.
What of the FRP? Well, it's role reversal this year, parked in the storage unit hemmed in by a potato oven!
Over the winter, time to do some local rust repairs on the sill flanges on the black one so it's ready for next year. I swear these cars are like the Forth Road Bridge they are never quite finished....
k: 
