My XR2 restoration - Pic Heavy

[Max Turbo]

Hello all,

Bought this car and used it over last summer, and put it in for its MOT in Oct. Failed on lots of rust which I mostly knew of but hadn't had a chance to attack. Anyway, its now SORN and I have a stand in daily hack (saab 9000 2.3). The car is in my garage so at least I have that luxury, and also have now got myself a good angle grinder and MIG welder.

Things that I will be doing:

Replacing both front wings
Replacing both inner and outer sills
Replacing the slam panel

They are the main things - I have lots of other smaller bits that either need doing, or I want to do. Now that the car is stripped down, there is no better time to get to work on the engine bay etc.

In no particular order, some of the photos that I have taken to date. If anyone wants any more info, or photos, just say. I have lots of both

















Woah, glad the bodykit was holding it all together... no excuses for this one guys!





The plan is to fix one side completely first, then do the other side. First starting with the driver side wing. I took it off as it needed replacing. (As you can see, I have started on the replacement wing!) I found a reasonable amount of rust behind this which wouldn't have been a problem for the MOT but I can't just leave it! It has to be sorted. Cue me cutting (not quite finished) out the crap, and fabricating a joggled repair piece (once the joggler arrives!).

Some of the bushes were picked up on as advisories, so I will be treating the car to new flo-flex poly bushes all round.

I am toying with, but haven't decided if I should pull the engine and gearbox so I can get to everything in the bay, and fix anything up, whilst cleaning the engine etc. I have never done anything nearly as serious as an engine/gearbox pull before so "first time nerves" are holding me off. I know I should really...

Edited by Max Turbo on Monday 25th January 12:29

[joe_90]

I loved my xr2 (back in the day), used to stop randomly, so i would pull over clean out the carbs at the side of the road, and be back on my way again

This was, until my friend got a 1.4SR Nova that was quicker.

I would rip out the engine.. you will prob find much more to get done..

Edited by joe_90 on Monday 25th January 12:37

[Max Turbo]

joe_90 said:

I loved my xr2 (back in the day), used to stop randomly, so i would pull over clean out the carbs at the side of the road, and be back on my way again

This was, until my friend got a 1.4SR Nova that was quicker.

I would rip out the engine.. you will prob find much more to get done..

Edited by joe_90 on Monday 25th January 12:37

Probably one reason for me not to rip it out! :S

For out and out speed, its not going to set the world on fire but that's not what I am after. A summer's evening, with the windows down and the radio off, over run popping and go kart handling - it really is hard to beat!

[soad]

Now that is one rusty motor! Good on you for sorting it out/working on it.

Plenty of people would just scrap it rather spend any money.

[Max Turbo]

Shhh! Please don't tell my fiancée that!

In fairness, I haven't really had to spend too much on it:

New wings were £5 (yes, five!) a pop
Front slam panel was £40
Inner and outer sills both sides were £80 total.
Various primer and sprays etc

Tools etc I don't count as they will be useful in the future on other projects:

MIG welder
Angle grinder
Spot weld drill bits

The biggest cost so far has been buying the Saab 9000 as a stand in car. That was 650 or so, but I should be able to sell it for a similar amount

[Max Turbo]

Update time!

Lots has happened since the last update. Well, I say that. I have learnt a lot - not a huge amount of actual progress has been made!



As I figured the project was going to take a bit longer, and go into a bit of depth, I build a man-shelf. Soon, there will be a matching man-tool-shelf. Hurrah


Next, I figured that the engine and gearbox might as well come out, based on not actually having to do that much more to remove them (bonnet, wings, slam panel all already off). Seeing as I can't justify buying an engine crane, I build myself a big A frame and bought a 2 tonne winch.




On a previous photo, you can just about see the cack area around where the A pillar meets the bottom of the windscreen. Well, I have cleaned out the hole and generally tidied it up a bit. The rust not only took out a big chunk of the inner wing panel, but also the panel (which runs planar with the bulkhead between engine bay and cabin) also had a big chunk missing. So I fabricated a flange (love that word!) piece that could be spot welded into place, allowing a flat face for the replacement panel to go over the top of. Hard to explain, but the picture shows just the flange piece in place. A plate has been made to go over the top of this big hole. The plate will be spot welded to the flange, and seam welded around the edges.




To remove the engine and gearbox in one go, most XR2 owners say its 100x easier to drop it out of the bottom. This way I get to leave the driveshafts in the gearbox. All of the suspension components are either coming off to be refurbed or replaced anyway. With the bonnet, wings, and slam panel off the car, the front end should lift fairly easily, allowing the engine and gearbox to just be slid out from underneath!

So I have stripped the suspension, brake discs, pads, callipers etc all away from both sides. What is left in the photos is soon to be removed, so that I can clean up each arch back to metal, ready for priming, undersealing and then painting.










Started cleaning the engine bay. This was before I decided to rip the engine out. So I stopped, but you can see where I have started to clear away 23 years of st and gunk from the engine and gearbox. I will clean the engine and gearbox when they are out. I will also be in a better position to clean the bay, and then do some repairs to under the battery tray (common rust area on the XR2)




Took off the sideskirt to expose the sills. They look crap, and are crap, but it doesn't matter as I have replacement inner and outer sills for both sides. Haven't decided if I need to weld in a bar in the door frame to stop chassis buckling. Some say just to chock the car up underneath with wood, some say weld a bar in. Any thoughts from those who have done it???




Most of the interior out, although I need to remove a bit more of the dash to get to areas that need welding in the driver's footwell.





And that is that for now. This weekend, I am not around, but next week I intend to remove engine and box, and fix my welder which keeps jamming.

I have a target date of mid April to complete - it will be tight, but it's possible!!

Would be great to hear what people think! If you don't know, this is much first time doing all of this. Never welded before (have practiced before starting on the car!!), have never removed an engine, have never stripped suspension etc.

None of it is too hard, as long as you look at it logically, read the haynes, read the forums, and have the right tools.

[RDB]

That looks like a cracking project and well done for taking the time to rescue the car instead of just binning it. I've got a soft spot for Mk2 Fiestas after having one as my first car (although it was the lowly Popular Plus).

You'll learn a hell of a lot by doing all of that yourself too, plus you'll have the knowledge that it's all sorted for a good while to come once you've finished (and it's a great excuse to buy more tools!).

I look forward to seeing updates as you progress

[Ladvr6]

Max Turbo said:

Update time!


As I figured the project was going to take a bit longer, and go into a bit of depth, I build a man-shelf. Soon, there will be a matching man-tool-shelf. Hurrah

"I built a man-shelf" - quality!!!

Edited by Ladvr6 on Wednesday 24th February 22:49

[madrob6]

I was going to ask how you were getting on with this but it looks like things are going well. Your engine looks nice and easy to access you lucky bugger.

[Dr G]

Fair play, interesting car to save

Do you plan to keep it standard?

[Max Turbo]

madrob6 said:

I was going to ask how you were getting on with this but it looks like things are going well. Your engine looks nice and easy to access you lucky bugger.

Yeah, the engine and everything attached to it are all very easy to get to. The joys of 80's Fords

Made even easier by the lack of any bodywork up there at the moment!! Also, have stripped away the battery, radiator, lots of pipework etc

How is the Porka coming along?

[Max Turbo]

Dr G said:

Fair play, interesting car to save

Do you plan to keep it standard?

Thanks! I like it!

Car is going to be completely standard, apart from a full set of polybushes. Whilst the exhaust manifold is off, I may have a go at polishing that. But that's about it!

[madrob6]

Max Turbo said:

madrob6 said:

I was going to ask how you were getting on with this but it looks like things are going well. Your engine looks nice and easy to access you lucky bugger.

Yeah, the engine and everything attached to it are all very easy to get to. The joys of 80's Fords

Made even easier by the lack of any bodywork up there at the moment!! Also, have stripped away the battery, radiator, lots of pipework etc

How is the Porka coming along?

It's getting there. Had a bit of trouble getting the right parts for the clutch hydraulics but I should have the right slave cylinder now and going to get some new seals for the master. I've also just ordered some healthier brake calipers and have some goodridge hoses waiting to be attached to those. I can almost see the light at the end of the tunnel but then I make a list of other bits I need and the light fades away, doh!

When they're both back on the road and the sun comes out we'll have to get them out for a drive.

[andymc]

back in the day i had a F reg tasmin blue bought for £2000, caught someone trying to nick it within 4 hours of picking it up, insurance was £1100 3rd party fire and theft in 1991, i then progressed to a new fiesta rs turbo but shall always remember my first, the xr2 seems an overlookede classic, if its not too rude what did it cost you?
andymc

[Max Turbo]

andymc said:

back in the day i had a F reg tasmin blue bought for £2000, caught someone trying to nick it within 4 hours of picking it up, insurance was £1100 3rd party fire and theft in 1991, i then progressed to a new fiesta rs turbo but shall always remember my first, the xr2 seems an overlookede classic, if its not too rude what did it cost you?
andymc

Not at all! I picked it up for about £700 I think, maybe £750... Can't quite remember. It had 6 months tax, and 11 months MOT. Has about 85k miles on the clock, and a nearly FSH.

I got my polybushes yesterday so I can't wait to start refitting things! Engine out first...

[Police State]

I hope you are going to keep it that colour; I think it's called Paris Blue. It is the best colour for these nice little cars. I like the thought that you are going to keep it 99.9% standard. Good luck with it and keep posting pics.

[Max Turbo]

Police State said:

I hope you are going to keep it that colour; I think it's called Paris Blue. It is the best colour for these nice little cars. I like the thought that you are going to keep it 99.9% standard. Good luck with it and keep posting pics.

Yup, staying the same colour! As much as I would love to turn the garage into a spray booth, I am not in a position to do that! So the new panels are being sprayed with rattle cans. The finish I have got on the insides of the panels (have only done these areas so far) is very good and consistent. However, the paint isn't an exact match.

In addition to this, the car has its fair share of scratches and blemishes as any 22 year old car would. So I am going to fill these and generally prep the car then drive it to a paint shop who will blow the whole car with the correct colour. As all the paint underneath is the same colour, just slightly different shades, the blow over will be enough to give the effect of a respray.

As stated before, completely standard! Apart from the new bushes and a hidden battery master switch for security. Was tempted to uprate the brakes but, to be honest, they are pretty nifty already.

[Police State]

Max Turbo said:

Police State said:

I hope you are going to keep it that colour; I think it's called Paris Blue. It is the best colour for these nice little cars. I like the thought that you are going to keep it 99.9% standard. Good luck with it and keep posting pics.

Yup, staying the same colour! As much as I would love to turn the garage into a spray booth, I am not in a position to do that! So the new panels are being sprayed with rattle cans. The finish I have got on the insides of the panels (have only done these areas so far) is very good and consistent. However, the paint isn't an exact match.

In addition to this, the car has its fair share of scratches and blemishes as any 22 year old car would. So I am going to fill these and generally prep the car then drive it to a paint shop who will blow the whole car with the correct colour. As all the paint underneath is the same colour, just slightly different shades, the blow over will be enough to give the effect of a respray.

As stated before, completely standard! Apart from the new bushes and a hidden battery master switch for security. Was tempted to uprate the brakes but, to be honest, they are pretty nifty already.

After reading this thread, I am getting the urge to buy one. It was my first ever car; same colour, etc as yours. Fantastic memories of late summer evening blasts on the backroads with the sunroof off (they unclip easily), chucking it through the twisties and learning how to control a car at useful speeds. It had a lovely steering wheel and a nice but modest (not OTT) burble from the exhaust. Girls liked it too, which is funny because it always saw the little thing as bisexual with a blend of feminine and masculaine looks.

[Max Turbo]

Police State said:

Max Turbo said:

Police State said:

I hope you are going to keep it that colour; I think it's called Paris Blue. It is the best colour for these nice little cars. I like the thought that you are going to keep it 99.9% standard. Good luck with it and keep posting pics.

Yup, staying the same colour! As much as I would love to turn the garage into a spray booth, I am not in a position to do that! So the new panels are being sprayed with rattle cans. The finish I have got on the insides of the panels (have only done these areas so far) is very good and consistent. However, the paint isn't an exact match.

In addition to this, the car has its fair share of scratches and blemishes as any 22 year old car would. So I am going to fill these and generally prep the car then drive it to a paint shop who will blow the whole car with the correct colour. As all the paint underneath is the same colour, just slightly different shades, the blow over will be enough to give the effect of a respray.

As stated before, completely standard! Apart from the new bushes and a hidden battery master switch for security. Was tempted to uprate the brakes but, to be honest, they are pretty nifty already.

After reading this thread, I am getting the urge to buy one. It was my first ever car; same colour, etc as yours. Fantastic memories of late summer evening blasts on the backroads with the sunroof off (they unclip easily), chucking it through the twisties and learning how to control a car at useful speeds. It had a lovely steering wheel and a nice but modest (not OTT) burble from the exhaust. Girls liked it too, which is funny because it always saw the little thing as bisexual with a blend of feminine and masculaine looks.

Girls like it?! I have yet to find one that does... I have had 3 XR2s, and a different OH whilst I had each car, and none of them liked them!

[Police State]

Max Turbo said:

Police State said:

Max Turbo said:

Police State said:

I hope you are going to keep it that colour; I think it's called Paris Blue. It is the best colour for these nice little cars. I like the thought that you are going to keep it 99.9% standard. Good luck with it and keep posting pics.

Yup, staying the same colour! As much as I would love to turn the garage into a spray booth, I am not in a position to do that! So the new panels are being sprayed with rattle cans. The finish I have got on the insides of the panels (have only done these areas so far) is very good and consistent. However, the paint isn't an exact match.

In addition to this, the car has its fair share of scratches and blemishes as any 22 year old car would. So I am going to fill these and generally prep the car then drive it to a paint shop who will blow the whole car with the correct colour. As all the paint underneath is the same colour, just slightly different shades, the blow over will be enough to give the effect of a respray.

As stated before, completely standard! Apart from the new bushes and a hidden battery master switch for security. Was tempted to uprate the brakes but, to be honest, they are pretty nifty already.

After reading this thread, I am getting the urge to buy one. It was my first ever car; same colour, etc as yours. Fantastic memories of late summer evening blasts on the backroads with the sunroof off (they unclip easily), chucking it through the twisties and learning how to control a car at useful speeds. It had a lovely steering wheel and a nice but modest (not OTT) burble from the exhaust. Girls liked it too, which is funny because it always saw the little thing as bisexual with a blend of feminine and masculaine looks.

Girls like it?! I have yet to find one that does... I have had 3 XR2s, and a different OH whilst I had each car, and none of them liked them!

See, the cars were telling you something, those girls were not for you...