M_C

Your cage sketch is pretty much my ideal cage. Has there been much discussion on cages? I had a quick search for roll cages in the forum but didn't see one amoungst the heaps of results. I am thinking along the lines of, for example the cage to shell gussets. Are they cheap and easy to do and have a big benifit, or diffucult to do and have limited benifit?

Starting out with the basic 6 point cage, what are the best bang for buck additions?

My goals are a budget track day car, safe, basic racing and eventuallyTarga.

Cheers

I wasn't too worried about my brakes Low'n'slow unitl I read your build... I have a new standard 2 circuit escort master cylinder. The size is about the same as the Mazda RX7 one the brakes came off so fingers crossed. New brake lines throughout, Cheers Just Brakes in Onehunga. New exchange brake booster plumbed into the front line, Mazda RX7 aluminium 4 pots on the front with dia 283x22 disks, Skyline rear disks. Most of the setup was already there. I figure I will get the car going with the minimum of alterations and see how it works. The posts are a bit behind the build progress so will try to catchup. I just had the brakes tested on a rolling road and they look good. But not sure on how they balance front to back or will perform on a track. Side to side balance is good and effort seems good?

Slowly catching up on the build progress.

More bits bolted onto the motor and ready for first start. Red bucket is because she wet herself with a problematic water hose. Awkward angle, old hard hose and miss-shaped water pump outlet ganged up on me. New hose and hey presto no leaks. Well, until the rebuild water pump decided it wanted to leak from the shaft seal. A new water pump is cheap insurance.

And she is alive!

Very happy for first time rebuilding an engine. As Mr Clarkson says "How hard can it be?"

okMjZbWshFs

Yeah, the welding is definitely a WTF?

As a forum newbie, what is the protocol for naming guys and firms you have had good experiences with? Is this a good thing, or nono to post in the forum?

One of the first things I did was get a experienced motorsport guy and scrutineer look the car over. The cage design is good with nice runs for the tubes, hence I am happy to do basic events, but nothing serious. But the welding…? When re-doing it I’ll add a few more tubes. Likely double door bars and tie the bottom of the main hoop to the bottom of the rear uprights.

Above the basic cage design, what are the best additions for driver safety? Is this a personal opinion thing? Been discussed before in another thread?

Note the “enthusiastic” cage welding. And no papers and main hoop too small for new rules. Will do a few track days once the car is running then have to pull the cage out and start from scratch. Douh. May be able to do some club days with the cage as it is? Surely its safer with a rough cage than none at all? Well it was known before buying the car so just add it to the to do list...

Welcome to Oldschool

Nice project mate looking forward to updates

Whats your warning sign say?, i do the same anytime i have something critical un done or removed.

Are your hubs 5 studd as well. Keen to see how you go about brakes

Square headlights look cool. Looks like you should have some good air flow on the front. All holimigated?

Cheers for the welcome guys. Impressive how active the forum is.

Flew to CHC to sight and pay for the car planning to help bleed the brakes for transport. The front callipers were not bolted onto the struts so no front brakes. Turned out to be a good reason they weren’t bolted on as would not fit over disks, and if they did they would hit the hubs.

So isolated the front circuit by butchering the line and folding over itself. Trying to bleed the rear brakes and couldn't get any pressure. Master cylinder perished? Ah well, there is the handbrake. Ah, no. The skyline callipers on the rear have no provision for cable handbrake so the end of the cable is just taped up. Ah well, maybe engine compression may slow her down? Ah, no. the heads are just sitting there and not bolted on as the engine is in pieces... So the sign was "WARNING, no front brakes." Then crossed out to no foot brakes at all, then added no handbrake, then added no engine compression braking, -NO brakes at all!" Minor stress over the transport back to AKL but arrived without a scratch. My first ride was down the transporters ramp slowed by the guys from the factory, then pushed into the warehouse.

Yes hubs are five stud. Custom front hubs must have been done to match the Hilux rear axle. I think the rims are Hiace ones? They are growing on me. Brakes have been a bit of a saga. Will post more later…

Not my first choice for airflow at the front, but long way down the list to change it. Besides the Essex will generate a bit of heat.

No go on the cage. See the “enthusiastic” cage welding pic posting now. And no papers and main hoop too small for new rules. Will do a few track days once the car is running then have to pull the cage out and start from scratch. Douh.

Is that an Essex or one of the slightly newer variants? If it's an Essex i have a workshop manual covering them and would be more than happy to scan the relevant pages and send them to you.

Definitely old old school. Car came with 80's declaration cert saying engine and gearbox are from Mark 4 Zodiac so early Essex. Cheers for the offer, one of the first things I bought was a Zodiac Mark 4 Hanes manual to work out how to put the engine back together. Essential piece of kit!

Engine is pretty standard appart from warm cam so not huge hp, but should sound great and have a few torques for the light bodyshell. Corners may be interesting with the weight up front? Guess I am about to find out. Picked up a mates bare essex block to the other day and wasn't as heavy as I thought. That's what I keep telling myself any way...

Cheers,

Planning it as a "Friday Car" Get her going, then re-complied for the road. Mental health days driving to work on a short Friday, track days learning to drive properly -hopefully before my enthusiasm overtakes my driving skill... Then casual racing. Targa eventually.

I figure brakes are kind of important so sold on the vented Capri dia 245 disks and M16 calipers that came with her to help fund some dia 283 Brembo's and RX7 4 pots for the front. Bit of a size difference to the original brakes on the right.

Better make sure the calpiers will do what they should.

Had Wade Automotive check out the heads before bolting them back on. Resisting the temptation to get more work done than the essentials to get her going first.

Almost ready for first start

//oldschool.co.nz/index.php?/topic/31527-m-cs-69-escort-v6-coupe/

Cheers

Finally got myself a ManToy for the garage. Picked up a project off Trademe  Quickly worked out that Project is spelt with a Capital P...

Discussion //oldschool.co.nz/index.php?/topic/31528-m-cs-69-escort-v6-coupe/

She had been in parts in the guys garage for 5 years, and the guy before that for another 5 years! Best intentions not to let that happen again. Old 3litre Essex V6 and 4 speed manual, hilux diff and disk brakes all round. 

Kids approve...

Traditional boot full of bits.

No brakes sign for the transporter. Arrived in one piece!

Now how does that engine go back together?