Mk2 Fiesta XR2 rebuild/restoration
Discussion
Red Spider said:
This brings back loads of memories, my first brand new car was a MK2 XR2 bought in 1986, in white followed by a grey XR2 in 1988. Before those I had a SuperSport.
Ooh, any pics of them?Small update:
I fitted my rear trailing arms today. Turns out I've been a total knob and had left the old bush casings in the rear arms when they went off for powder coating. The original Flo-Flex bushes I bought (along with the kit for the rest of the car) were perfectly compatible all along! I had another look at the trailing arms earlier and realised what I'd done, went to my local friendly garage and got the casings pressed out of the arms for free, and like magic, my new bushes fitted like a glove. Basically, I've now got Powerflex rear trailing arm bushes in their standard purple colour and Flo-Flex everything else in bright orange! Not the end of the world as Powerflex are reportedly better all round bushes. I'll see how things go and over time I may change everything to Powerflex if the Flo-Flex ones prove to not be up to the job.
This is well worth a watch RE bushes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_z6OEohnPKw
Personally I'd bin the flowflex bushes whilst you still have everything easily accessible.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_z6OEohnPKw
Personally I'd bin the flowflex bushes whilst you still have everything easily accessible.
Kitchski said:
My experience with poly bushings (I do a lot!) is that Powerflex is the real deal, and everything else is a bit......s
t.
I've heard the same. But I've bought Flo-flex before for another XR2 I used to own and they seemed fine for the short time I used the car before I ended up selling it. t.LanceRS said:
I've got Powerflex on my Cosworth, they've been on there for at least 18 years now! They are still fine despite all the oil under there.
That's good to know. As above, I know Powerflex have the best reputation out there.Richyvrlimited said:
This is well worth a watch RE bushes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_z6OEohnPKw
Personally I'd bin the flowflex bushes whilst you still have everything easily accessible.
Thanks for a link, I'll have a look at that when I'm not at work! I'm happy to give the Flo-flex a go for now, as per above. If they turn out to be rubbish then everything's pretty easy to get to on this car so it's not an arduous task to swap them out. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_z6OEohnPKw
Personally I'd bin the flowflex bushes whilst you still have everything easily accessible.
Looking forward to MOT time, will provide updates when I get the time to sort out the last few bits and get it MOT'd!
Bit more work done last night, car is now back on its wheels! I bled the brakes, swapped out the dodgy fan switch and oil pressure switch and set the static timing:
I went back in the evening yesterday and put the spoiler on too:
Only jobs left before MOT are to put the bonnet on and do the hub nuts up tight.
I went back in the evening yesterday and put the spoiler on too:
Only jobs left before MOT are to put the bonnet on and do the hub nuts up tight.
That looks excellent! Nice work OP.
My second car was a diamond white Mk2 XR2, with the very "essex" body-coloured bumpers.
I think Charmaine, as I affectionately called, her is now long gone, though. I had so much fun in that car - I can still remember the day I picked her up, going from a Fiesta 957cc to the XR2 was quite eye-opening, and the massive smile on my face when I discovered it had a twin choke!
My second car was a diamond white Mk2 XR2, with the very "essex" body-coloured bumpers.
I think Charmaine, as I affectionately called, her is now long gone, though. I had so much fun in that car - I can still remember the day I picked her up, going from a Fiesta 957cc to the XR2 was quite eye-opening, and the massive smile on my face when I discovered it had a twin choke!
Edited by Mr Kitten on Thursday 7th July 17:21
Thanks for the comments all!
I've since done up the hub nuts and put the bonnet back on. Not taken it for MOT as there's currently little point - I'm on holiday next week so it'll be sorted after that. I've done a couple of test drives up and down my friends drive just to make sure everything is ok. It drives fine as I expected, at least in 1st, 2nd and reverse as the drive isn't very long, but I think I need a new brake cylinder on the driver's side as I'm getting a clonk. I should have just renewed them both along with the shoes/drums when putting the car back together but I thought they were all working. Not a difficult job but it means taking the rear bearings apart again and then making sure they're adjusted properly afterwards. It's annoying to have to re-do things when I could have just bought new parts like I should have!
Anyway, have some pictures of the car actually out of the garage and ready for MOT. I'll replace the shockingly bad tyres as soon as it's MOT'd and ready to go on some adventures!
I've since done up the hub nuts and put the bonnet back on. Not taken it for MOT as there's currently little point - I'm on holiday next week so it'll be sorted after that. I've done a couple of test drives up and down my friends drive just to make sure everything is ok. It drives fine as I expected, at least in 1st, 2nd and reverse as the drive isn't very long, but I think I need a new brake cylinder on the driver's side as I'm getting a clonk. I should have just renewed them both along with the shoes/drums when putting the car back together but I thought they were all working. Not a difficult job but it means taking the rear bearings apart again and then making sure they're adjusted properly afterwards. It's annoying to have to re-do things when I could have just bought new parts like I should have!
Anyway, have some pictures of the car actually out of the garage and ready for MOT. I'll replace the shockingly bad tyres as soon as it's MOT'd and ready to go on some adventures!
Thanks, Jon!
Well, time for another update:
We (the car and I) went for our first serious test drive today. It was supposed to be direct to the MOT place but I ended up making friends with a layby for quite a while. Fuel didn't seem to be getting through and the car kept cutting out. I whipped the carb off and took it apart to discover it was REALLY gunky inside. Not surprising really, but I thought I'd get away with running it to the MOT place without a rebuild as it started and ran ok in the garage and up and down my friends drive. I stripped the carb down and cleaned it up as best I could, then put it back together again. Hey presto, a working XR2 again! I drove gingerly back to my friends place and got him to follow me in his car armed with a boot full of tools and a tow rope just in case! We made it to the MOT place no problems but the carb does need properly stripping, cleaning and rebuilding. The car ran a it warm all the way there and then the sump gasket sprang a leak as I arrived and tipped oil straight on to the downpipe, meaning I arrived in a cloud of smoke... I think the running a bit warm problem is all down to the carb. Once that's set up properly it should run a lot better. MOT man has kindly let me keep the car in his garage for a few days and he's going to sort the sump gasket for me as I'm short on time this week. Once that's sorted he'll MOT it and give it the once over to check for anything I've missed. All in all, not a bad first drive and only a couple of easy issues to sort out!
A few pictures of when it was on the ramp so we could check where the oil leak had sprung from:
Unfortunately no pics of me at the side of the road rebuilding the carb as I was in a hurry!
Well, time for another update:
We (the car and I) went for our first serious test drive today. It was supposed to be direct to the MOT place but I ended up making friends with a layby for quite a while. Fuel didn't seem to be getting through and the car kept cutting out. I whipped the carb off and took it apart to discover it was REALLY gunky inside. Not surprising really, but I thought I'd get away with running it to the MOT place without a rebuild as it started and ran ok in the garage and up and down my friends drive. I stripped the carb down and cleaned it up as best I could, then put it back together again. Hey presto, a working XR2 again! I drove gingerly back to my friends place and got him to follow me in his car armed with a boot full of tools and a tow rope just in case! We made it to the MOT place no problems but the carb does need properly stripping, cleaning and rebuilding. The car ran a it warm all the way there and then the sump gasket sprang a leak as I arrived and tipped oil straight on to the downpipe, meaning I arrived in a cloud of smoke... I think the running a bit warm problem is all down to the carb. Once that's set up properly it should run a lot better. MOT man has kindly let me keep the car in his garage for a few days and he's going to sort the sump gasket for me as I'm short on time this week. Once that's sorted he'll MOT it and give it the once over to check for anything I've missed. All in all, not a bad first drive and only a couple of easy issues to sort out!
A few pictures of when it was on the ramp so we could check where the oil leak had sprung from:
Unfortunately no pics of me at the side of the road rebuilding the carb as I was in a hurry!
Love this and the work which has gone into it, a credit to you.
Also make me quite nostalgic as my first 'fast' car was an E reg Diamond White XR2 back in '95, was an absolute rust bucket bought for £1700, but I loved it nonetheless.
When are you adding the rest of the body kit to finish off the exterior?
Also make me quite nostalgic as my first 'fast' car was an E reg Diamond White XR2 back in '95, was an absolute rust bucket bought for £1700, but I loved it nonetheless.
When are you adding the rest of the body kit to finish off the exterior?
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