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1987 Ford Escort RS
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The Project

A 1987 Ford Escort RS which came into our workshop in March 2024 for paintwork repair on the roof due to rust.

7th March 2024: The car has just arrived and work to restore the paintwork on the roof will begin soon.

30th April 2024: Interior has been stripped out and is now ready for work to commence. Spare wheel well and rear floor has surface rust which will be repaired, along with areas of the front floor panels which also have corrosion.

22nd May 2024: Work has begun on the repair of both sills, floor panels and front panel.

4th June 2024: Fabrication repairs have been carried out to the roof, as well as the front and sill body kit panels.

30th July 2024: Work is moving along with fabrication repairs to the roof, front panel and sills nearing completion.

25th November 2025: Fabrication repairs have been carried out to the rear section of the floor, interior foot wells and chassis leg. Rear brake lines have been replaced. The underside has also been prepped for paint. The A post and OSF door have also had new patches fabricated, welded in and dressed like new.

25th February 2025: Bubbling was found on the bottom of the tail gate, and it was full of fibre glass covering rusted metal and internal corrosion. The reverse side of tailgate was just as bad as the front, so a total re fabrication of the structure was needed beginning with cutting out all the damage and rot. All new fabricated pieces were cut to size and the jigsaw put back together. Then any metal was treated and epoxy primer applied. All welding completed and welds dressed.

2nd October 2025: Final paint removal and tidying is being carried out before the car moves over to paint for epoxy primer. A couple of additional welding repairs have been revealed and repaired. The soon roof was test fitted, but there are areas of corrosion on the current cassette. A replacement cassette is currently being sourced.

10th October 2025: Final paint removal and tidying has been completed, mainly on the areas of the body that fabrication repairs were carried out. Bumper, sills, and wheel arch trims have also been prepped for epoxy and paint.

1st May 2026: The body shell has had epoxy primer applied to seal the metal. The floor and wheel arches were then prepped, epoxy primer applied, sealed, stone guard protection added and then painted.

19th May 2026: The wheel arches and roof have been filled and shaped and a coat of spray polyester applied. The body and doors were then taken into final primer.

17th June 2026: Bodywork has been filled, shaped and painted. Just the bonnet, side doors, boot door and body kit to be fitted.

> More updates to follow.

Extending the Group A homologation theme to include a turbocharger, Ford followed up the RS1600i in considerable style. For many buyers, the homologation-special RS1600i rather close in both looks and performance to the XR3i, so the addition of a turbo was just the ticket in the fast-escallating hot hatchback war that was sweeping through Europe.

The first RS Turbo was once again a low-volume Rallye Sport offering, and continued the extrovert styling of the RS1600i, but with additional colour keying. It lasted but a year, to be replaced by a new RS Turbo, based on the facelifted car – which this time, was a series production model.

Mechanically, the RS Turbo retained the best features from the XR3i and RS1600i, but included a Garrett T3 turbocharger, which increased power of the 1597cc CVH engine to to a laggy 132bhp for a 125mph top speed. Seven-spoke RS alloys, a bodykit and aerodynamic aids marked out the RS Turbo as the ’80s boy racer’s favourite.

1987 Ford Escort RS | Classic Car Restoration | Carrosserie

7th March 2024

30th April 2024

22nd May 2024

4th June 2024

30th July 2024

25th November 2024

25th February 2025

2nd October 2025

10th October 2025

1st May 2026

19th May 2026

17th June 2026

All reviews
4.9
Google
Google
4.8
Reviews.io
Reviews.io
5.0
ExcellentTrustindex star 1Trustindex star 2Trustindex star 3Trustindex star 4Trustindex star 54.962 reviews
4.9Trustindex star 1Trustindex star 2Trustindex star 3Trustindex star 4Trustindex star 5
Excellent62 reviews
ExcellentGoogle star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 54.824 reviews
4.8Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5
Excellent24 reviews
ExcellentReviewsio star 1Reviewsio star 2Reviewsio star 3Reviewsio star 4Reviewsio star 55.038 reviews
5.0Reviewsio star 1Reviewsio star 2Reviewsio star 3Reviewsio star 4Reviewsio star 5
Excellent38 reviews
Posted on Google Google
Steven Parkes
12/07/2026
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Steve has helped me through some difficult situations throughout this restoration process. The car I bought was a total rot box, I had no idea. Nicola’s support with my finances has helped me get this car over the line. Don’t look elsewhere if you are serious about doing a restoration properly look no further.
Posted on Reviews.io Reviews.io
Sean Bellew
12/06/2026
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I recently had corrosion repairs carried out to both front wings on my Porsche 944 and I am extremely pleased with the quality of the workmanship. The repairs involved cutting out the corroded sections and fabricating replacement metalwork rather than simply filling over the affected areas. The standard of fabrication and welding is excellent, with the repairs blending seamlessly into the original panels. The attention to detail is evident throughout the work, and the finished result looks completely in keeping with the car. As an owner of a classic Porsche, preserving originality is important to me, and the repairs have been completed in a way that maintains the character and integrity of the vehicle. The paint finish and panel presentation are superb, and once completed it is virtually impossible to tell where the repairs have been carried out. Overall, the craftsmanship is first-class and the car now looks significantly better than it did before the work was undertaken. If you are looking for high-quality metal fabrication and restoration work on a classic vehicle, I would have no hesitation in recommending them based on the quality of the finished product.
Posted on Google Google
David Kelly
15/05/2026
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Their work looks fantastic. Love the regular blogs.
Posted on Reviews.io Reviews.io
Mark
30/04/2026
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Excellent service and Neil’s knowledge is second to none. The wealth of experience resolved the issues with the carburettors ensuring I had an uneventful drive home and can now look forward to driving the car on the odd sunny days we call summer. Would recommend Carrosserie without hesitation.
Posted on Google Google
John Lonergan
09/03/2026
Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
Great service , top quality work , very friendly and helpful , i had a probem with no dipped headlights and a couple of nasty stonechips and despite being very short notice they fitted me in the next day diagnosed the faults and while that was going on the paint guy sorted the stonechips , two hours later all completed . I know these guys will take good care of my classic car and do an excellent job I've used them before . Highly recommended .
Posted on Reviews.io Reviews.io
Robert Montague
04/03/2026
Reviewsio star 1Reviewsio star 2Reviewsio star 3Reviewsio star 4Reviewsio star 5Verified
The team at Carrosserie have done an excellent job . Focus on detail and quality of work Fully responsive and engaging the client at all time . I will be giving them a further project and recommend them as a first class service Thank you Steve and the Team, plus of course Neil 😎
Posted on Reviews.io Reviews.io
Andrew Whittaker
04/10/2025
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Reference: 1939 Rolls-Royce Wraith – Rewire. I recently received my car back and I am absolutely delighted with their work. The rewiring has been completed to an exceptionally high standard, and it is evident that great skill and care went into the process.
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J J Beeton
02/09/2025
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10 out of 10 perfect restoration work on Jaguar XKR.
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Keith Devonport
25/06/2025
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I found the team at Carrosserie to be friendly and helpful whilst maintaining an organised and professional approach towards the job in hand, they were also able to incorporate extra work I asked for at the eleventh hour. Carrosserie kept to the 'booked in' start date for the work to commence and throughought the work cycle i was presented with photos and videos as the work progressed. I'm very happy with the finished job, thank you and well done Carrosserie.
Posted on Reviews.io Reviews.io
Geoff Lowson
16/04/2025
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I took my Citroen 2CV for an assessment for a potential repair. The manager Steve Liversedge was very accommodating and staff were helpful and courteous and very professional in giving their advice.
Posted on Reviews.io Reviews.io
Ian Carter
01/03/2025
Reviewsio star 1Reviewsio star 2Reviewsio star 3Reviewsio star 4Reviewsio star 5Verified
A big thank you to the team who worked on my 20 year old BMW. The car looks fantastic and the care and attention to detail tackling the rust that was in a most awkward place showed real desire for doing the best job possible. Updates and photographs were given daily as the job progressed. Finally the customer care was second to none, and my job wasn't anything like a serious restoration. Thanks again. Ian
Posted on Reviews.io Reviews.io
Andrew Pyle
13/02/2025
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Took my Escort XR3i to Carosserie for re-commissioning. Brakes, suspension, springs, shocks, general overhaul - some gaskets,polish etc. All staff very welcoming, professional from office staff to engineers. Took me through the car's inspection - lots of photos of work to be done, progress and work finished. Kept in touch via e-mail throughout project. Not cheap but you get what you pay for with old motors! Good luck with move to new premises.
Posted on Reviews.io Reviews.io
Iain Jane
22/11/2024
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I received a recommendation from a friend as I was looking for someone to deal with my Aston Martin. From the very outset Steve, Nicola and their team have been professional through out the process. I was kept appraised of every step and the app showing the work in progress was an excellent way of not only seeing what was being done but the finished product also. The car was delivered back today and the work was beyond my expectations. I have a 1952 MG TD which requires some work I will look no further than Carrosserie. If you want a first class job whilst dealing with people you can trust look no further. Thank you all at Carrosserie 👍
Posted on Google Google
Paul Simpson
08/06/2024
Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
I will let the pictures do the talking. Attention to detail is second to none, very knowledgeable and skilled guys here at Carrosserie. All the staff are polite and very professional. Highly recommended.
Posted on Google Google
Jeremy Roff
10/05/2024
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Thanks to all at Carrosserie for managing to make my Jimny look perfect again. A great job.
Posted on Google Google
Phil Sage
27/09/2023
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The work carried out here is like magic, the standard the cars leave is fantastic, the cars they restore are works of art !
Posted on Google Google
Catherine Lonergan
26/02/2023
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Very Friendly always helpful staff
Posted on Google Google
Nigel Cramp
25/06/2022
Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
Great friendly and helpful team at Carrosserie. Highly quality work. This is the second time I've used their services. Highly recommended if you want quality restoration or paint work.
Posted on Google Google
Ian Roper
26/03/2022
Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
Neil who owns the company straight away gave me one of the best buying experiences I have ever had. He was nice to speak with giving me confidence in buying from him from the outset. This continued throughout the buying process with updates on the process of finance that he organised. Because of my working schedule being so hectic and having to juggle many parental duties. We were unable to get over to pick up the car in the week. Despite the company being closed on weekends, Neil went out of his way to meet me on a Saturday afternoon and even showed me around his amazing company. It was so clear to me that this is someone who is genuine, kind and cares about his company and customers in equal amounts. A truly rare thing in this day in age. I wouldn't hesitate to use his company myself in the future and would recommend him to friends and family in a heartbeat.
Posted on Google Google
John Royce
16/02/2022
Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
Outstanding choice of cars, superb restoration facilities from a very professional team. Highly recommended.
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