MK3 grille mods

[AlanN]

I wanted to change my front grille to a smilie... but I read that it could be a bit involved to say the least. Is there any other ideas to make the front grille look a bit more.........custom! I quite like the stainless mesh, but Im open to some ideas
Alan

[rover]

Personally I like the Mk3 grille, if its colour coded with the bumper and body they can look great I'll probably get hung for this but........There are too many smiley's around

Rover.

[Guy88]

Personally I like the Mk3 grille, if its colour coded with the bumper and body they can look great I'll probably get hung for this but........There are too many smiley's around

Rover.

Rover i agree. thats why i kept mine

If you do fit a smilie front you need lights, bonnet and a grille

[AlanN]

I have been looking at, what I think is the MK4 grille which is similar to the MK3, but has a curved bit where it meets the bumper... May mod one up a bit and paint... I'll let you know how I get on

Alan

[Luke]

mk4 has different headlights - you know dont you?
my mate modded a renault 5 gt turbo grill basically filled the edges cut out the grill bits and put some mesh in (proper job no bodge) and it looked very smart - unfortnatly the bonnet stop broke and wind blew the bonnet all the way open and crushed it front opening bonnet but ill see if he has any pics cos i think same idea would look great on a mk3 transit

[AlanN]

Thanks Luke, Ive seen so many great ideas on here.... Yes I knew the lights where different, but Im thinking of getting the cutters and fibreglass out. I like the curved bit at the bottom, I need to have a play.

I have been ringing all the local breakers today and all of them want to sell me a smilie, no MK4's then!!! Am I asking for the right thing

[MarkM]

Thanks Luke, Ive seen so many great ideas on here.... Yes I knew the lights where different, but Im thinking of getting the cutters and fibreglass out. I like the curved bit at the bottom, I need to have a play.

I have been ringing all the local breakers today and all of them want to sell me a smilie, no MK4's then!!! Am I asking for the right thing

Who are you ringing?

[AlanN]

Nevendon Hullbridge and Stock, that herbert at Rochford. Two others at Stock, gonna pop up there to have nose around as I cant find there numbers.
Got any Ideas

Best wishes Alan

[MarkM]

Nevendon Hullbridge and Stock, that herbert at Rochford. Two others at Stock, gonna pop up there to have nose around as I cant find there numbers.
Got any Ideas

Best wishes Alan

By herbert you must mean Kirby's but since the auction site is over there and the um darkskinned fellow is also over there it can be a little confusing

Waste of time and money especially Nevendon...though to be fair Stock is alledged to have a a lot of stock (no pun) but I have never heard anything other than expensive for them

Try Kirbys, Stock Road Ind Estate (normally has 2 or 3 older Transits in stock), or 5 Bells Laindon plenty of stuff a little dear on some parts and most of it is already off the vehicle which is always good...loads of seats all the time mainly newer models though for parts but does have older stuff in the sheds.

[AlanN]

Your right about Nevendon its dear and the price on the same item goes up and down with the wind...
5 Bells, dont know that one, near the 5 bells pub? I'll look it up in the yellow pages. I have just remembered that there used to be one in Shoebury. I used to love Kirbys, it was a death trap stacked 4 high

Alan

[MarkM]

Your right about Nevendon its dear and the price on the same item goes up and down with the wind...
5 Bells, dont know that one, near the 5 bells pub? I'll look it up in the yellow pages. I have just remembered that there used to be one in Shoebury. I used to love Kirbys, it was a death trap stacked 4 high

Alan

Go up to the 5 bells roundabout and turn as if going up towards the hospital, but take the slip road down in front of the pub at the end follow your nose and up bells hill road (I think it is called that) go along that about 25yds then turn left and the yard is at the end, also a 4x4 yard as well but that is a different guy, it is a very small yard but a goldmine for parts, nice enough guys working there too.
Kirbys is only 2 high now and they have a radical clean up every month or so. The Shoebury yard was over on the industrial estaste where the steel yard is, that yard isn't there anymore same as the one that used to be in Stock road, the issue is finding yards that have vans not breakers themselves as there are plenty of those about. Something to be aware of though is that many parts from other Fords fit Transits, pretty much all of the Escort Switches is the same as a Transit, plus all those self tapping screws in an Escort dash are ever so useful later Transits (Smiley) have the same door opening mechs as Escorts, I have still yet to find an intact Volvo to have the seat side pockets off though...well I have but didn't fancy red ones.

[AlanN]

I remember from my cortina MK2 days, that there used to be several places on Canvey Is. behind the camping & general area, I suppose they have been cleaned up by the eurocrats.
I'll take a trip out to 5 bells this weekend even if its just to be nosey.
Thanks for that MarkM

[MarkM]

The Canvey one I haven't been to for years but the last time I went there it wasn't the sort of place that would let you go around and find your own bits, though I am sure I remember it was at one time, mind you Nevendon did let you go look, not sure if that still holds, my biggest frustration with Nevendon was all the unclear stuff as you went in that never seemed to ever get put into the main section. Mind you at the time I was driving a Marina van and Marina's were quite plentiful in all breakers, especially since the gearstick would break about every six weeks, damned stupid upside down light bulb fitting with a plastic washer!! Nevendon got to hate me as I had a pile of 50p off vouchers from when they advertised in the local free papers, 50p don't sound much these days but got to be worth about £3 or so now with the rates at breakers now. They made a point of having the gearsticks on the shelf just for me Got some great stuff that I bolted into the Marina but I killed that van rather spectacularly, I was very lucky to walk away from it, fortunately I had retro fitted inertia seatbelts from the car version doing away with the fixed standard belts.

[matt hayward]

i used to go to Kirby's all the time when i had a Mk.2 escort, but and i though they were , but ive not been there for about five years now.

The other place was the scrappy at Rettendon, off the A130. I went there after i was told about a V6 Corsair being near the front of the yard. When i arrived, sure engough the Corsair was there. i was about to start helping myself when a fella shouted "what the F*ck you doin? thats the guv'nor motor"

fourtunately, since i had my corsair with me, they had a good laff about it- otherwise i could see myself getting chopped into food for the scrap yards dogs!

[MarkM]

The other place was the scrappy at Rettendon, off the A130. :

That's the one on the way to the Windmill pub? Didn't think it was that great but then you could say that about any breakers if they don't have the parts you want. There were a couple over at Stock (not the one I think Alan is talking about) that scraps old military stuff, saw a Harrier jump jet there once As you have Stock Billericay and Stock Brentwood...technically there are in the same area but one is off the A12 below Chelmsford/Galleywood (the Harrier place) and the other is nearer to Brentwood/Hutton, this is the one that is supposed to have lots of vans but this is the one I also heard was expensive, you can see it from the A12.
Ever go to the one off the A127 I don't think he still trades but it got used for the Paul Nicholas TV sitcom 'Just Friends' in the 1980's It is just before the 40mph limit, you can see it from the road.