# '89 Escort XR3i - Mouldy to Pink to Red!



## Pezza4u (Jun 7, 2007)

This detail has been planned for quite a while now, since the middle of last year and I've finally got around to doing it. I had to spread it out over 4-5 days and probably 40 odd hours as it was very bad!

I spent a whole day just cleaning the muck off it, washing it and claying. It was looking so much better already but still had a long way to go to restore it's former shine, it just didn't look right in pink! :lol:

This has been my hardest detail yet and I found working on single stage paint a lot trickier than clearcoat. I wasn't aiming for total swirl removal but just to get it back to red, although I think I did manage to remove a lot of the heavier swirling.

This was also my first time with a rotary and wool but I found it very easy, in fact it was easier than when I had my DA and without the vibration.

I also sanded the wiper arms and sprayed them hammerite smooth as the paint was flaking a lot.

*Products used for the wash stage*

Valet Pro Orange Pre-Wash
Autosmart Shampoo
Smartwax Shampoo
Autosmart Tardis
Bilt Hamber Surfex
Bilt Hamber Medium Clay
Smartwax Clay Bar
Meguiars APC
Meguiars Last Touch

*Products used for the polishing stage*

Gtechniq P1
Gtechniq Wool Pad
Gtechniq Medium Pad
3M Yellow & Blue Spot Pads

*Products used for the LSP stage*

Smartwax Glaze
Smartwax Sealant
Smartwax Concours Wax
Smartwax Metal Polish
Smartwax Smart Glass
Optimum Opti-Seal
Autosmart Trim Wizard
Zaino Z6

Photos show just how bad it was before but they don't really do the finished result any justice, it looks awesome in the flesh


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## Mr Face (Jan 22, 2009)

very sweet indeed fella :thumb:


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## essjay (Mar 27, 2007)

very nice indeed 

still got one of your plates showing :thumb:


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## Yoghurtman (Dec 9, 2008)

Wow that looked like a challenge!

Looks awesome in the afters :thumb:


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## AaronGTi (Nov 2, 2010)

Quality :thumb:
What a turn around!!!!!


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## samm (May 19, 2006)

looks fantastic mate.


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## Dave89zetecS (Apr 14, 2010)

Fantastic turn around, brings the sad look paint to a nice deep gloss!


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## tonyy (Jul 26, 2008)

Fantastic turnaround:thumb:


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## pooma (Apr 12, 2008)

Cracking work there fella:thumb:


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## Demetrios72 (Jun 27, 2011)

Great work buddy :thumb:


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## McClane (Dec 9, 2010)

:argie: love it!


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## athol (Oct 3, 2009)

Great work on that


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## cotter (Aug 31, 2008)

Looking good! Not a common sight nowadays. Is it to be a daily driver?


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## ITHAQVA (Feb 20, 2011)

Amazing work, it’s got my favourite XR3i wheels too. My old Sierra sapphire was red, used to turn pink often


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## SKY (Sep 25, 2011)

Great pics and a great job. Would have loved to have seen some in progress shots and product dwelling shots as well as images of clay removal.

Looks stunning now.


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## SAL73R (Jan 12, 2011)

Love these cars, want!


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## nick.s (Dec 21, 2009)

Looking well there fella! Liking the turnaround!


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## The Cueball (Feb 8, 2007)

looks great, I would love to get my hands on a car that dirty!! :lol:

job well done..

:thumb:


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## SKY (Sep 25, 2011)

The Cueball said:


> looks great, I would love to get my hands on a car that dirty!! :lol:
> 
> job well done..
> 
> :thumb:


I was thinking the same :thumb: the worse I have done is a 2007 Nissan Micra which was sat on a drive for 2 years without moving.


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## The Turtle (Jul 15, 2010)

Fantastic turnaround....im after one of these to buy love old skool fords


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## Pezza4u (Jun 7, 2007)

cotter said:


> Looking good! Not a common sight nowadays. Is it to be a daily driver?


It's actually me brother's car but I have had it up here for the last 16 months. I was using it while I was breaking my old car and looking for a new one. I was using it everyday and it was great, always wanted one when I was 17 but couldn't afford the insurance back then.

It'll be going back to Essex in a couple of weeks. Needs some welding done on the sills and behind the rear bumper. Put it through the MOT and then it'll be getting sold. The alloys do let it down though, they need a refurb badly as the paint is flaking off.



SKY said:


> Great pics and a great job. Would have loved to have seen some in progress shots and product dwelling shots as well as images of clay removal.
> 
> Looks stunning now.


TBH I just wanted to crack on with it but yeah I could've taken a few in progress photos. I did try to get some 50/50s but they just weren't coming out right. I think red it really difficult to photograph and it was very bright when I was correcting it, which didn't help the camera.



The Cueball said:


> looks great, I would love to get my hands on a car that dirty!! :lol:
> 
> job well done..
> 
> :thumb:


It was already pink when I got the car as me brother doesn't know what polish or wax is! :lol: The tree sap etc is where I live though :doublesho

Didn't take long for it to go that way once I got me new motor and I was only using it once a week to give it a run. The car parks are surrounded by trees and bushes so all the cars get covered in sap/blossom. I've never noticed it on the cars before as I've always had dark ones. I think the single stage paint doesn't help as it was stuck on there and a normal wash wouldn't remove it. I've noticed a few spots on the roof of my missus car but they just wash off.

I'm wondering whether to wait until me brother picks the car up or send him a photo of part of the car as a teaser. I think he'll be in for a shock! :thumb:


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## jay69 (May 12, 2012)

excellent work there fella . love these old escorts:thumb:


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## Modmedia (Jul 25, 2008)

Great turnaround... and a cool car


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## DMH-01 (Mar 29, 2011)

Cracking job there mate :thumb:


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## Kobeone (Dec 14, 2011)

Top work and a stunning turnaround!! That was one filthy car!


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## Idlewillkill (Jun 3, 2009)

Lovely mate, well done


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## stangalang (Nov 27, 2009)

Nice recovery


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## Jav_R (Apr 2, 2011)

This is what I call a turnaround!! Great job buddy


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## twink (Mar 31, 2012)

stunning job mate


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## dis (Feb 3, 2012)

great work!looks like your hard work has paid off!:thumb:


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## MadMerc (Sep 8, 2008)

If that isn't the turn-around of the year, I don't know what is!
:doublesho
Great job!


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## greenwagon (Dec 31, 2008)

Looks lovely 
Brings back good memories of the XR3i


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## Huw (Feb 16, 2007)

Great turnaround. Takes me back about 20 years seeing one in that colour.


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## Pezza4u (Jun 7, 2007)

Thanks for all the comments 

I had someone round earlier to collect something he won on ebay. First thing he said when I opened the door was nice Escort! :lol: He said he also has one in grey with RST kit, which he thought was clean until he saw this! :lol: Makes it worthwhile when you get nice comments.


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## JohnA88 (Jul 26, 2011)

Love these I had a black one and miss it badly really must get another soon


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## Mean & clean (Aug 19, 2007)

Fantastic work!


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## Natalie (Jan 19, 2011)

Wow :doublesho that's got to be a different car?

Great transformation, well done!! :thumb:


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## MarkSmith (Dec 17, 2010)

Fantastic work mate, great turnaround on a great car !!!!!!!!


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## Roderick Plinge (May 7, 2012)

Brilliant mate! Superb job. Similar to a Ford Cortina P100 Pickup I once owned. It was years ago, so the most advanced cleaning product I had to hand was T-Cut! The only analogy I can bring to mind is trying to polish sh*t of a blanket!!


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## Trip tdi (Sep 3, 2008)

It's been brought back to it's original condition, very well done :thumb:


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## Bunji81 (Apr 28, 2010)

Holy cow, what a turn around!! Fanrtastic job.

Just wish there was a few more details and during photos, but non the less... Mega Job well done


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## Pezza4u (Jun 7, 2007)

Bunji81 said:


> Holy cow, what a turn around!! Fanrtastic job.
> 
> Just wish there was a few more details and during photos, but non the less... Mega Job well done


What details you after mate?

Kind of wish I took some 50/50 shots of the roof during the wash stage now but never mind.


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## Pezza4u (Jun 7, 2007)

Saw the old man last night and he said that the bonnet of the car seems to have gone flat and lost it's shine. It's still red, just looks matt. The car has only been washed since I machined it but he's talking about t-cutting it, which I tried to talk him out of doing.

Any ideas on what could've caused this and how I can get the shine back, would the bonnet need a full machine polish again?


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## mad3lin (Jan 9, 2012)

Nice turn around!


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## AllenF (Aug 20, 2012)

Pezza4u 
Sounds like you just machined it and buffed it. Try it again and apply a sealant then a coat of decent wax over top on red it needs that sealant coat on to lock it in or they will fade again farly quickly. You should be able to pull it back by hand this time.
Cracking work nice to see someone take the time to do the top line boot shut. Most people miss half of it because they cant get in there lmao.


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## jlw41 (Jun 5, 2011)

awesome turn around :thumb:


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## Scrim-1- (Oct 8, 2008)

Nice work mate.


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## Pezza4u (Jun 7, 2007)

AllenF said:


> Pezza4u
> Sounds like you just machined it and buffed it. Try it again and apply a sealant then a coat of decent wax over top on red it needs that sealant coat on to lock it in or they will fade again farly quickly. You should be able to pull it back by hand this time.
> Cracking work nice to see someone take the time to do the top line boot shut. Most people miss half of it because they cant get in there lmao.


Did you not read the first post then, after machining I wiped down with IPA and applied Smartwax Sealant and Concours Wax so it was all locked in. I haven't seen the car yet but the rest of it is fine.

I did struggle when doing the bonnet though and I'm wondering if maybe I should've spent abit longer on it and possibly left some oxidation? Although doing the IPA wipedown should've revealed this after the polishing stage


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## MadOnVaux! (Jun 2, 2008)

Superb work there, it looks a different car


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## Foxx (Jul 5, 2011)

Wow, great work, that's impressive! Back to the factory shine! :thumb:


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## ShiningScotsman (Jun 20, 2012)

Pezza4u said:


> Did you not read the first post then, after machining I wiped down with IPA and applied Smartwax Sealant and Concours Wax so it was all locked in. I haven't seen the car yet but the rest of it is fine.
> 
> I did struggle when doing the bonnet though and I'm wondering if maybe I should've spent abit longer on it and possibly left some oxidation? Although doing the IPA wipedown should've revealed this after the polishing stage


Dont want to add to your work but check the roof as well - it may be that problematic large "face up" areas such as these have just taken the brunt of the damage of the years....the roof may be similar but only the bonnet is being noticed becuase its obvious....:buffer:


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## Sportspack Mark (May 24, 2007)

Cracking Job

I was just gonna ask why its registered on a 2007 Belfast plate until I spotted your username


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