SSC Stylus Restoration

While out driving the car recently, I started noticing an almost melodic, relatively high-pitched noise emanating from the rear end. After a bit of online research, it became clear that this is a classic sound a Ford Escort Mk2 English axle makes when the bearings are on their way out and starting to wear heavily. Not wanting to risk a larger failure, I decided to get the car back into the garage and completely drop the rear axle. I disassembled the rear brakes and carefully pulled out the differential. Upon inspecting the old components, I noticed the bearings were stamped with the name Timken. Since they were the original equipment supplier for Ford, there is a very high probability that these are the original 1970s bearings that have been living in this axle for decades! To get everything running smoothly and quietly again, I have ordered a brand new bearing rebuild kit featuring high-quality NSK bearings. As for the axle casing itself, my initial plan was to tackle the restoration ...

One of the classic quirks of driving a kit car is dealing with cabin heat. After a few runs in the Stylus, it became very obvious that far too much engine heat was making its way directly into the driver's footwell. Taking a closer look at the firewall revealed a design flaw. The original builder had placed the master cylinder and its attached fluid reservoir straight through the firewall, leaving a significant gap all the way around it. In fact, if you looked through the gap from the engine bay, you could clearly see the gold-coloured sound deadening on the inside of the footwell! Because of the low pressure in the cabin and the high pressure in the engine bay while driving, this gap was essentially acting as a funnel, actively sucking hot air directly onto my legs. To solve this, I had two options. The first was to completely redesign the entire pedal box and move the master cylinder away from the firewall area. However, that was a massive job that would involve replacing not jus...

When building or restoring a kit car, it is often the little details that make the biggest difference to how the car actually drives and feels. This week, I spent some time ticking off a few of those smaller jobs that had been lingering on the to-do list. First up was a minor but annoying issue with the cooling system. I had noticed that the coolant cap overflow dripped a little bit and consistently lost a very small amount of water over time. After taking a closer look at the cap, I realised the issue. It was the short neck version of the classic radiator cap you typically get on these cars. They actually come in two different lengths, one with a long neck and one with a short neck. It turns out my thermostat housing should have been fitted with the longer neck cap all along. Swapping it over to the correct longer version completely solved the bubbling and water loss problem. While I was still working on the plumbing, I decided to replace the heater control valve for the cockpit heate...

I'd done everything I thought I could to prepare the Stylus for its MOT. However, handing the car over to the tester, I was still feeling a bit unsure about what the outcome would be. When the results came back, it was a fail. Surprisingly, it was not as bad as I had feared. The Fail Sheet: Stop lamps not working: This was a slightly embarrassing minor issue. I had simply forgotten to plug the connector back in after tidying up the rear wiring! Rear brake efficiency and imbalance: This was the main hurdle. The handbrake and rear brake efficiency were both recorded at less than 50%, and the rear brakes were imbalanced across the axle. The Rear Brake Remedy  I had already completely rebuilt the front calipers and repainted the rear drums. On my initial inspection during the build, the rear brake internals looked absolutely brand new. The pads and all the mechanical components were clean and shiny, so I had decided not to bother rebuilding or changing anything inside the drums. It t...

When it came to the braking system, a quick inspection revealed that a complete overhaul was absolutely essential. After popping the pistons out of the front calipers, I found a significant amount of ancient, solidified gunk inside. It was clear these had not seen fresh fluid in a very long time, so a full rebuild was definitely on the cards. The first step was getting the old components completely shot-blasted back to bare metal. With a clean slate to work with, I decided to add a bit of colour and painted the calipers using a tough 2k paint in a brilliant Gulf Orange. I also took the time to paint the rear brake drums to match, tying the whole aesthetic together nicely.  For the internals, I made sure not to cut any corners. The calipers were treated to brand new stainless steel pistons, a comprehensive seal kit, fresh bleed nipples, and completely new brake lines to ensure everything works flawlessly. While reassembling the brakes, I decided to carry out a subtle upgrade. I fitt...

With the mechanicals and interior starting to take shape, it was time to tackle some of the electrical gremlins. The first major issue I noticed was that the battery simply was not charging properly while the engine was running. I pulled the alternator out, tested all the individual components, and narrowed the culprit down to a faulty voltage regulator. In a stroke of luck, I managed to track down a new old stock part online. This was a massive relief, as this specific alternator is no longer in production. Upgrading to a modern unit would have meant fabricating completely new mounting brackets. After refitting the repaired unit, it is now outputting a healthy 14.5 volts. Problem solved. Next up on the hit list was an old Clifford  immobiliser. After running the part numbers through Google, it looks like it was manufactured around 2000 and was likely installed when the car was first built. In my experience, these vintage alarm systems tend to cause far more problems than they solv...

With the mechanicals making good progress, I decided to turn my attention to some of the interior components. I began by taking out the seats. Although they were incredibly grubby, they appeared to be in half-decent condition underneath all the dirt. I spent a good while scrubbing them with a drill-attached brush and some Cif, and the results were brilliant. They came up looking absolutely brand new. Next on the list was the steering wheel. It was heavily worn, with a lot of the original top coat missing, leaving it looking quite discoloured and tired. Fortunately, I had a leather refurbishment kit leftover from a previous project. I put it to good use, re-dyeing the leather a deep black before sealing it with a fresh satin top coat. Just like the seats, it was a night and day difference, and it looks brilliant again. I then 3D printed an SSC insert  Turning my attention to the footwells, the carpets were very dirty, so I decided to pull them out completely. I do plan to replace th...

When I started dismantling the suspension, I knew a complete overhaul was firmly on the cards. The old polyurethane bushes were well past their best. They were so heavily degraded that they quite literally crumbled in my hands as I tried to remove them. The real headache, however, came from the construction of the old bushes themselves. They featured steel sleeves that had completely fused with the mounting bolts over the years. This turned what should have been a standard tear-down into a highly labour-intensive nightmare. Almost every single bolt had to be carefully angle-ground or cut out just to free the components from the chassis. Once the old metal was finally liberated, I had all the suspension parts shot-blasted right back to bare metal. To keep them protected against the elements for years to come, I applied a solid base of Armaguard rust prevention primer, followed by a heavy-duty U-Pol Raptor topcoat. Putting it all back together was incredibly satisfying. Absolutely none o...

The previous owner mentioned that he used to fire it up once a year, but at some point, the battery gave up the ghost and the engine hadn't run since. When I started inspecting the mechanics, I made discovery: the cambelt was a genuine Ford part. That leads me to believe it is the original belt from 1999 - making it a staggering 27 years old! Needless to say, trusting a rubber belt that old is a recipe for disaster. A full overhaul was in order. I installed a complete SKF belt kit, which included fresh pulleys and a new tensioner, and swapped in a new water pump while I was in there to be safe. Generally speaking, a cambelt change on these engines is fairly straightforward. The cams have a handy milled slot at the back, making it easy to lock them right at TDC. Down at the bottom end, there should be a factory timing mark on the bottom pulley and the sump to line everything up. However, because my engine is fitted with an aftermarket Raceline sump, that factory timing mark is nowh...

Finding the right project car often means taking a leap of faith, and my SSC Stylus was no exception. Bought completely sight-unseen, I trailered it home not entirely sure what I was getting into. Now that it’s off the trailer and sitting in the garage, I’ve had the chance to do a proper shakedown. Right now, it is very much a diamond in the rough. Post-purchase inspection - the good, the bad, and the heavy lifting ahead. Exterior & Bodywork Fiberglass Condition: As expected with an older kit, the body is showing its age. There is a fair amount of spider cracking visible across the gelcoat. This is going to require some careful grinding, fiberglass repair, and meticulous prep work before it sees any fresh paint. Lighting & Trim: The front end needs some attention, its missing a headlight bezel - I will likely replace both whole units as it looks like the tyres have been rubbing on them and created a hole.  Chassis & Handling Suspension: The current setup is incredibl...