RS2000 Mk2 Freshen up.

[danos14]

Always nice to get back on with a project. I fond I have to keep going and doing a bit to keep the interest up on it. Would be great to get it on the road and take your parents out for a spin.

[KelvinS1965]

I got my more recent work uploaded to Imgur, so I can now add them to this thread to update it.

This was the driver's side wing rail and inner wing/strut top area repaired, before I refitted the strut top plate:



Still got to grind back the weld seam, but I instinctively paint any fresh work/bare metal with Bilt Hamber zinc primer. It was a good job I did this as this work was done in 2012.



I took some time off work end of 2020 and got the nearside done. This time I left the front of the wing attached to save all the work that the driver's side will now need when I refit the wing. I was able to pull the wing away enough to get to the wing rail and strut top areas to cut the rust and let in fresh metal.

After the wing welds drilled through and the strut top removed. Doesn't look too bad, but it had gone through just under the wing rail as you can see in this photo:



Screen end of the wing rail, looking pretty bad, though once removed the scuttle it was attached to was remarkably clean and bright metal once cleaned back:



I cleaned up the now exposed top of the strut frame and all the cut edges ready to shape the repair section. New wing rail tacked in place:



All back in by now and a fresh coat of BIlt Hamber that was still drying in this picture. I've since cleaned up the edge of the wing ready to plug weld it back onto the new wing rail. There are a couple of bits I want to clean up/grind back and sort out before the wing goes back on, but at least it's not such an involved job as the driver's wing refit will be.



That's it up to date now. I'll be finished work within 3 weeks, so I hope to get cracking on with it then. Most of my other DIY jobs are done to leave me free to work on the RS. Might have some maintenance work to do on a 'new' car I'll need to buy as my company car goes back too of course. I've got to have something to go out and get parts in.

[donnie]

Great retirement project and then plenty time to enjoy, keep it up and keep the posts coming as it’s good to keep the forum alive

[KelvinS1965]

Only a week to go until I finish. I'll be taking the last of my spare parts and tools back to the office this week, so I'll be able to get into my garage properly and get at the RS too.

Got a slight side project going on as I bought a 2012 1.2 Fiesta for my son for when he passes his test later this year. I'm just getting it all serviced/tidied up and I'll use it myself for a bit when my company car goes back. Not a bad little run around to be honest and has a few more luxuries than my first car (1.3L Mk2 Escort).

Shame that there doesn't seem to be many new posts on here now, but I'll try to do my bit with updates once I get going.

[KelvinS1965]

Time to clear my work **** off the bonnet and get ready for my final trip into the office tomorrow to drop it all off.



Now I can open the bonnet again, though it's a bit dusty under there.



A bit of work to clean up/straighten the wing flange before I plug weld it back on. Probably some other bits I'll rework too so I get it all as good as I can. At least the heater bubble and other areas are clean and solid (under the dust).

[katana]

Even with all the 'work crap' boxes on the bonnet, you can see that is a remarkably good car to start work on and open bonnet reinforces that - should be sound when its done . . . . lucky you + black ones are the best IMO.

[merp0]

Looks really straight under the dust, look forward to seeing your progress
Another vote for black too

[KelvinS1965]

It's funny as I though the strut top rust was fairly typical, even back when I bought it off my Mum and Step Dad in 1995. What I hadn't appreciated until much more recently was that the rest of the body is so good compared to some with rotten heater bubbles, slam panels, etc.

The only thing that does annoy me is that just after I bought it I spent ages starting a restoration on my ex-wife's MGB GT and the time I spent replacing floors, sills, etc would have seen those strut tops done long ago. The MG never did get finished either since we divorced while it was still in pieces. Had I done those repairs back then it wouldn't have been off the road for so long.

Plan is to get that welding sorted out first and then move on to the mechanical stuff: I think I'll take the engine out so I can properly clean up the engine itself and the 'bay. Then I can work my way through things like the brakes, exhaust, etc that will need doing.

It will never be concurs (at least while I own it) as it has a pop up sunroof and speakers in the door cards, but that's how it's been since we bought it in 1980. Even so it's a pretty solid example and those were 'period accessories' I suppose.

[katana]

It will never be concurs (at least while I own it) as it has a pop up sunroof and speakers in the door cards, but that's how it's been since we bought it in 1980. Even so it's a pretty solid example and those were 'period accessories' I suppose.

I'm sure people who decry cars with 'in body air conditioning' wouldn't actually notice the difference in chassis stiffness between cars fitted and not fitted. And as for roll over performance - i'm fairly sure having a microwave door in the roof would be the least of your worries when rolling a 70's car! Personally, I loved having glass and fibric sunroofs back in the day and my present car has speakers in the door cards - so what. my car, my choice!