mk1 escort paint job - whos the best?

red_ice

Hi!

I have a lotus escort which is ready for paint and I'm looking to do it near christmas as the shell will be back from the uk around then.

I got a quote from a guy who has done probably the best paint job both my father and I have ever seen (my dad knows good paint), but its just too expensive.

Can anyone recommend someone from any corner of Ireland who does great paint? Obviously we will have to inspect their previous work and ideally they would know escorts.

Cheers

H.E. Pennypacker

I'd recommend Marty Lane of Lane Autobody:

http://www.lanes.ie/

DakarVert

Lotus Escort?

Is it a genuine or rep? Any chance of pics. :cool:

red_ice

DakarVert wrote: »

Lotus Escort?

Is it a genuine or rep? Any chance of pics. :cool:

Genuine, I dont have images at the moment, will do around christmas when it comes back from the uk. Very expensive project

ianobrien

Being a total nit-picker here but I thought that Lotus didn't make an Escort, Ford did.

If its a Lotus Twin Can engined Ford Escort model, the official model name is Ford Escort Twin Can and it was built by Fords AVO factory. Lotus only supplied the engine.

OP, if it's a genuine Twink fair dues for rescuing it as they are bloody rare. I'd love one myself but the bank balance won't allow it. There is always the route.

red_ice

ianobrien wrote: »

Being a total nit-picker here but I thought that Lotus didn't make an Escort, Ford did.

If its a Lotus Twin Can engined Ford Escort model, the official model name is Ford Escort Twin Can and it was built by Fords AVO factory. Lotus only supplied the engine.

OP, if it's a genuine Twink fair dues for rescuing it as they are bloody rare. I'd love one myself but the bank balance won't allow it. There is always the route.

Lotus took the escort and made a rally version of it. Like they did with the cortina. I think 830 were made(compared to the 4000 odd cortinas), and 600 are accounted for, ours is a genuine ford lotus escort according to the AVO club. As far as naming goes, from what I've been told they seem to be refered to lotus rather than ford

It is expensive, but the project is split 50/50 with my dad, so its working out about 2/3s the price of doing a normal escort each. We're aiming for the car to be concours

The Big Red Fella

"I got a quote from a guy who has done probably the best paint job both my father and I have ever seen (my dad knows good paint), but its just too expensive."

how expensive is too expensive?
would you not rather the best paint job you ever seen than a cheaper option which might turn out bad & you will always regret not spending on the better paint job?

Grimreaper666

Don't cut corners with the paintwork, you'll regret it for ever more if you do.

red_ice

17k sterling. I'm not skipping corners, just not paying that kind of money for paint

The Big Red Fella

red_ice wrote: »

17k sterling. I'm not skipping corners, just not paying that kind of money for paint

erm ok i understand now WTF he painting it with gold???
i saw a £6k paintjob thats not up to scratch more like 2k but 17 grand????:eek:

Grimreaper666

Who's painting it, Michelangelo?? 17k? That's nuts!! I was thinking 6 to 8k for a decent job.

red_ice

500 hours prep. My jaw dropped I swear, but the paint was unreal apparently.

So I guess you can see, it's not that I'm skipping corners, I just refuse to pay that

red_ice

red_ice wrote: »

17k sterling. I'm not skipping corners, just not paying that kind of money for paint

Sorry, 17k euro, still too much tho

ianobrien

red_ice wrote: »

Lotus took the escort and made a rally version of it. Like they did with the cortina. I think 830 were made(compared to the 4000 odd cortinas), and 600 are accounted for, ours is a genuine ford lotus escort according to the AVO club.

No, Lotus never made any rally Escorts. Lotus didn't even supply built engines (BRM, Brian Hart, Cosworth all supplied engines). All road Escorts were built by Ford and all Twinks, RS and Mexico mk1 were built in AVO, with one or two exceptions. All works rally ones were built in Boreham by Ford. Mk1 Ford Lotus Consul Cortina Twin Cams were built by Lotus using semi completed Cortina bodyshells. The press labelled them Lotus Cortina. Ford brought production in-house for the Mk2 Cortina twin cam using Lotus engines and it was the same for the Escort Twin Cam.

A book you should read is "The Works Escorts" by Ford historian Graham Robson. That's were I'm getting my info and if your logbook says "Lotus Escort" and if it was genuinely built by Lotus you could have a one of a kind car.

Also, as a Escort owner, I'm glad to see another Escort restored properly and not hacked about, cutting floors for bigger gearboxes etc.

Max Headroom

ianobrien wrote: »

.

Also, as a Escort owner, I'm glad to see another Escort restored properly and not hacked about, cutting floors for bigger gearboxes etc.

After having several Escorts over the years i'm now a convert to the cutting floors, fitting different engines brigade...if it wont fit , make it fit....
IMO theres enough restored Escorts out there.....each to his own..
on the paint question...theres plenty i WOULDNT recommend...

stan07

It would be mad to pay that asking price for a car to be painted.
I am a previous owner of a mk1 lotus twin cam which was registered with the AVO club.
My advice to you would be to get as many recommendations of quality painters both here and the uk.
The AVO members club would be able to recommend some painters in the uk.

Do not get ripped off and do not cut corners !

Pay the most you can afford to do justice for a rare concours car and you will get your return.

stan07

I have a guy i used here in Ireland for a mk1 that did a really great job.
Pm me if you would like his details.

corktina

Max Headroom wrote: »

After having several Escorts over the years i'm now a convert to the cutting floors, fitting different engines brigade...if it wont fit , make it fit....
IMO theres enough restored Escorts out there.....each to his own..
on the paint question...theres plenty i WOULDNT recommend...

yeah but you wouldn't do that to a €20,000 Twink would you, or else you'd suddenly have a €5000 not quite Twink

OP looks like you are spot on wanting the best paint job going. Good luck

ph11

Try D24 in Tallagh we use them in work all the time

red_ice

stan07 wrote: »

It would be mad to pay that asking price for a car to be painted.
I am a previous owner of a mk1 lotus twin cam which was registered with the AVO club.
My advice to you would be to get as many recommendations of quality painters both here and the uk.
The AVO members club would be able to recommend some painters in the uk.

Do not get ripped off and do not cut corners !

Pay the most you can afford to do justice for a rare concours car and you will get your return.

My dad grew up around and worked in brandshatch and knows a few heads, problem is, while the cars don't change much, the people do. We're not looking to cut any corners, certainly not looking to get ripped off. Everything has to be perfect on it. We're looking into a lotus cortina after this if we can find one at a good price - would have loved to have seen your one! I trust his judgement with price and quality of work, he wants the chap I was talking about in the OP to do the work, I'm just not comfortable with that price is all, but if its our only option so be it

stan07 wrote: »

I have a guy i used here in Ireland for a mk1 that did a really great job.
Pm me if you would like his details.

Will do, very interested

corktina wrote: »

yeah but you wouldn't do that to a €20,000 Twink would you, or else you'd suddenly have a €5000 not quite Twink

OP looks like you are spot on wanting the best paint job going. Good luck

I think anyone who cuts up a twink is nuts. Cheers

ph11 wrote: »

Try D24 in Tallagh we use them in work all the time

Will do, thanks