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This
is a long term project on which we have tested and developed a number of new
products. This vehicle started life as a very plain Mark 3 Escort Cabriolet.
Unremarkable in all aspects the car is black,
with a 1.6i engine.
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The
car had been fitted with a Mark 4 RS Turbo bodykit (genuine), and some stick-on
bonnet vents. The 15" wheels suited the car, but it was still like a
thousand others.
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The customers brief was to make the car stand
out from the crowd - fit the FULL World Rally Car Package, and a Mark 4 front
end conversion!
None of the parts that were to finally end up
on this car were designed to fit it - except the rear bumper!!. Parts to be used
include: Mark 4 Turbo bonnet, Clio bonnet bulge, Cosworth/WRC style front wings,
Mark 4 scuttle panel, twin headlights, WRC front bumper, Cosworth/WRC side
skirts, Cosworth/WRC rear wings, Cosworth/WRC style rear bumper, WRC style rear
spoiler, Smooth door skins, M3 style wing mirrors.
In addition we were asked to smooth and shave
as much as possible, and this included removing both door handles and locks,
removing the two styling lines from the doors, and rear wings, blending the
headlights into the wings, blending the bonnet bulge into the bonnet, removing
the vents from the wings, fitting invisible front indicators, and welding up the
aerial hole. |
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This is a lot of work, given that the car was
pretty tired when it came in and almost every product required major
modifications to fit.
The
first job is to strip the car, removing all parts that are not required. This
left the car looking rather bare. |
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So we started to add some of our magic. As with all projects,
it started to look worse long before it started to look better.
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In these photos
you can see the fibreglass rear bumper, arches, sideskirts, wings, and the
smooth door skins. The headlight pods have been fitted and are being blended in.
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The next stage is the very lengthy process of flatting, and
filling minor imperfections, before priming the car, and sanding it down again
and again, until it is right. This takes time, patience and skill. All are
needed in large quantities. After which the car can be painted and the long
careful process of refitting starts. |
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Even
once the paintwork is completed the hard work does not stop. The car must still
be flatted and polished, lights, seals, grills and a hundred other parts require
very careful refitting.
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The
Twin Headlights have been flush fitted as have many other components.
Clio Bonnet Bulge looks great especially in
conjunction with the RS Turbo bonnet and vents.
Indicators have been re-located into the
headlights, and a small side repeater in the bumper, so add to the shaved look
of the rest of the car.
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World
Rally Car style bootlid spoiler is a special Cabriolet one.
The taillights are a one-off for this
particular customer.
Smooth door skins, have had handles removed,
and styling lines removed.
Rear Wings and side skirts are also special
Cabriolet variant.
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This car has been seen at many shows, and was featured in Fast Car in Spring
2001, albeit with larger wheels.
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