Update, engine is in - sorting out inlet manifold as the standard plastic one doesnt fit because of the s**t oldschool steering box, almost convinced me to get an escort rack front end to put in - but ive decided to get an adapter plate made up (ahh gotta love friends with milling machines in their grages) to fit a mazda MX-5 intake manifold, TB bore is the same size, ports are the same size, only the port spacings are different.

engine mounts are made (guess what from), wiring is starting to be laid out and exhaust is started. the strange forward position of the mt-75 shifter will allow me to keep the front bench seat (with a very un-short shifter). I managed to measure the sump up wrong, and had to remove 20mm from the front of it to clear the swaybar - but it wasnt too much extra work (and leaves a lot of clearance for a future swap to escort style steering

enjoy the pics!

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Wow nice work, love the trailing arm ends for engine mounts if it works it works!

I love the engine mounts! Nice thinking there.

Looks like it's moving along nicely, keep up the good work!

Cheers

ToranaGuy

C'mon Jose, the suspense is killing me, need an update lol.

OK OK OK, ive been stalled a bit lately as i dont like the way the rack conversion i was attempting was panning out, so ive been looking up info on going the escort route.

using a daewoo rack with tie rods that fit to the centre of the rack there is going to be a bit of bump steer added, and it will require custom tie rods.

escort method is an unknown, there are about 10 different guides on how to do it, but NONE of them seem to agree, but should be a better soloutionin the end as all the parts are meant to work together.

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project has been sitting for a while now, only progress so far has been to get the Crank angle sensor teeth machined into the back of a transit flywheel, now i have to get it balanced and lightened (its around 11kg as is). have seen a VASS engineer, engineering costs are going to hit around $1500 - $2000 on this project.

have been poncing around fixing up a couple of mondeo's to make some cash to continue with the cortina, on the upside im learning how to spraypaint while earning some $$$

Bit of a bummer about the engi costs but in the end it's worth it. Those engi costs will include a fair amount of his time won't they?

At the end of the day, any progress is progress!

Cheers

ToranaGuy

finally found a mk2 2.0lt escort that wasnt too good to wreck and not way overpriced!

spent the weekend pulling the front suspension out of the escort and cortina, and measuring up / modifying things so they would fit into the corty.

some slight alterations to the crossmember (ground off a small lip, and adjusted the engine mount towers with a hammer) and a slight alteration to the cortina (drilled some new holes and bent ove a seam in the rails) and the crossmember is (temporarily) in the car.
it needed to go back about 40mm as the cortina TCA's are angled backwards from the crossmember whereas the escort ones dont (they come straight out) this keeps the geometry intact (and keeps thee wheels in the right place).

will need to make up some strut tops (weld the small PCD escort ones to a 5mm plate with the larger cortina PCD in them) as the escort shocks dont work with the cortina tops. this will be temporary (maybe) untill i can find some factory items that work (maybe TC cortina upwards?)

will also need custom TCA's to increase the track (escort is 90mm odd narrower) i should be able to shorten a pair of cortina stamped steel ones (assuming the ball joints are the same) and some tie rod extensions if i go this way ill need to use a cortina swaybar as the escort swaybar wont work anymore. OR i spend big $$$ and get a set of longer escort TCA's made and keep the escort swaybar.

during the week i will be attempting to do some of this stuff, AND maybe start swapping the escort diff over (if it looks beefier otherwise CBF). i have some pics of both the cortina and escort front suspension setups, ill post it up when i can be a*** as they give a good indication of the differences.

Sounds interesting man, i'd love to see some pics!

I've been taking some measurements & doing some scribbling in Auto Cad to figure out how i'm hiding the wiring loom away in the engine bay of my torry. Not really that much progress, but i don't want to put it all back together & then try & hide the wiring loom away.

Cheers

ToranaGuy

today i pulled the stamped steel TCA's out of the spare cortina i have, luckily the taper on the ball joint is the same as the escort ones so i blasted them at work and am preparing to cut,shut and box them, strut top adapter plates have also been cut (at work, god bless it) i will try to post up some pictures of all this progress tomorow

as promised: pictures!

this one shows the difference between the escort and cortina front suspension setups (note TCA's)

detail of the TCA shortening process (havnt boxed them yet)

and this is one of the strut top adapter plates i made to use the escort tops in the cortina

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Very nice indeed!

Cheers

ToranaGuy

mate fu**k me dam nice job u gunna turbo charge the beast?? love the falcon trailing arms for engine mount idea!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

im really considering it, but with how tight the engineer has been on everything i dunno if i can be bothered!, ive swapped to an escort front end now so no more falc trailing arms for mounts

Get it on the road first dude, enjoy it a little, then maybe go back & turbo it. No point in constantly changing build plans, then it won't get built.

Cheers

ToranaGuy