The hunt for spare parts

RetroRod · 31-01-2010, 10:11 AM

Good morning all Escort enthusiasts. Good to see that some of you are still lurking around.

I am new to your forum.

I have owned Escort vans since 1983. The surviving 1980, 1600, lives with me on a small farm at Allora, Qld. Although she needed to be introduced to a good spray painter and motor trimmer, she was nevertheless complete until yesterday when an engine fire took out most items that melt, and/or distort from flame and heat.

It looks a bit horrible under the bonnet right now, with dry powder chemical everywhere, though I suspect it looks worse that it is. Seems the fire started near the distributor, perhaps a bit of fuel, and a loose HT spark, and whoosh! up she went.

Mice can be a problem in rural areas, chewing on things, and this may well have originated the problem here. A nibble on a fuel hose, and you would never know about it.

Anyway lesson leaned, and some better maintenance in future would be warranted.

The question to all my learned Escort owners is this: do we still have to scrounge around wrecking yards to get under the bonnet bits (I would not have thought there would be too many left)? or has an aftermarket spares industry emerged, either in Oz or offshore? One might hope so.

Please advise as will I will need some Escort specific parts, although much can be done with generic parts. For instance, the accellerator cable is fried, and it is an Escort specific part.

Hope someone can help me here. RR

WOGBOY69 · 31-01-2010, 02:25 PM

Hi retrorod

mate great car love escorts..i know but try BURTON POWER in the uk they have alot of gear for these cars .and the price is not to bad even after delivery fees
cheers mate and good luck

RetroRod · 31-01-2010, 05:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WOGBOY69

Hi retrorod

mate great car love escorts..i know but try BURTON POWER in the uk they have alot of gear for these cars .and the price is not to bad even after delivery fees
cheers mate and good luck

thanks for your interest and suggestion. I am used to buying offshore. I ride a '72 Triumph Bonneville, and I source all my parts over in the UK. Believe it or not, its probably easier now than back then to source parts for these classis bikes.

I'll try Burtons and see how they go.

Best regards,

RR

JamesR · 31-01-2010, 09:49 PM

Hi Rod,
theres a few guys in Aus that import parts not all have websites though, but can be found through some websites, so heres a few links to check out.

http://www.smckaperformance.com.au/
http://classicford.mine.nu/forum/default.asp
http://rsmotorsport.com.au/forums/index.php
and dont forget eBay!

xgute93 · 01-02-2010, 03:52 PM

Ive got a complete 1600 motor in my shed, but it wont turn over by hand. It is a complete though, even with box still attached.
If anyone is interested, let me know.
All the running gear is with it, just needs a body. Have one bloke who is mildly interested in all but the motor, but dont think he is all that keen at this stage.
Email me at xgute93@hotmail.com if you want pics. Im in WA central wheatbelt, 3 hrs from the nearest city.

R0BD0G · 01-02-2010, 08:36 PM

RR, maybe not the most "business like" man but try phil at the escort shop in boondal

The Escort Shop
30 Mirram St, Boondal
Queensland 4034
0407 178 042

outback_ute · 02-02-2010, 02:19 PM

Welcome to the Forums RetroRod!

Make sure you clean out all the dry powder chemical, it is corrosive. Good luck with the p/van.

RetroRod · 03-02-2010, 10:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by outback_ute

Welcome to the Forums RetroRod!

Make sure you clean out all the dry powder chemical, it is corrosive. Good luck with the p/van.

Thanks for that. was not aware of this, thought is was mostly bi-carbonate of soda. Better get onto that.

Yeah, she'll be right. Just kicking myself for letting things go.

It is a shame I cannot raise a restore project for this one. It was/is a great little van. Here she is pre-fire:

[IMG]

[/IMG]

Trouble is I also own a '1972 Triumph motorcycle that keeps my wallet empty. I'm only allowed one project at a time. RR

Jimmyd · 05-02-2010, 09:20 PM

Guy dow in tassie wrecking a 77 1.6lt here - might be able to help you with some of the under bonnet bits you are chasing?

Cheers

James

slyyogo · 07-02-2010, 12:39 AM

RR,
Mate I'm in Toowoomba. I have a mk1 2 door with the 1.6ltr. I'm not going to keep the motor as have 2.0ltr to play with. Give me a yell if I can help you out any?

Tony

bad_mk1_escort · 16-02-2010, 10:48 PM

hey mate good to c u tryin to fix her up its a bumer when litles things happen and end up beenin a bigger job than ya thought hope it goes well for ya mate and i use to live in clifton just down the road really and my mum use to live in allora

Les · 18-02-2010, 08:50 PM

RR , I have a dec 79 van that is going to be a donor car for my lads Mk2 racer. Everthing under the bonnett is still there and in good nick. If you let know what exactly you are looking for I have 3 other 1600's so shouldn't be needing most of the gear on this one. I have another van still to collect but is complete.

RetroRod · 25-02-2010, 08:19 PM

Thank you one and all for the generous offers of help and advice.

I have the old tart up and running. New rubber fuel and vacuum lines. New HT leads. Replacement rubber for the oil dip stick. An old MkI lucas distributor I had as a spare. New throttle cable resourced from Burtons UK. A new ryco air filter. A new carby gasket I had lying around.

Good as gold now. A bit of engine enamel sprayed around the engine bay and she'll look like new.

Thank you all once again. RR