Episode 11 of Retropower’s Gordon Murray Mk1 build reveals the painted shell and explains how it was flatted and polished. The video then visits Nitron to see the custom struts built and tested, and ends with the rear brake problem caused by a 13-inch wheel.
Video: Retropower on YouTube · watch “Gordon Murray's Mk1 Escort - Retropower Build Episode 11” on YouTube
What happens in Episode 11
The painted shell (1:19). After hundreds of hours of prep, the final colour took two or three hours to spray. It’s a two-pack acrylic solid white, which Retropower calls the original Twin Cam white, chosen over base and clear to avoid a deep, brand-new-car look.
Wet sanding and polishing (1:49). After about a week of hardening, the paint was wet sanded with stiff blocks at 1500 grit, with a guide coat to show when the orange peel was gone. It then went to 2000 and 3000 grit on a DA sander, then cutting and finishing compounds on a machine mop.
Panels and engine bay (3:56). The doors, bonnet and boot lid were painted inside and out with the panels off. The painter crouched inside the engine bay to reach edges that can’t be sprayed from above.
Sound deadening, wax and black details (4:58). The brief was always a usable road car, so a sound-deadening and heat-insulating mat went in, even though it adds weight. The order mattered: the mat first so it sticks, then cavity wax so water from wet sanding can’t cause rust inside. The area behind the grille and the dash edges are satin black. A black band across the rear panel will be tried in tape first, with Gordon’s opinion. The final polish and ceramic coating will wait until the build is finished.
At Nitron (8:37). Nitron, founded in April 1998, calibrates every damper on a dyno before it leaves, with a heat probe so each test runs at the same temperature. The aim is a balanced compression and rebound curve. Gordon’s struts are structural, with a thick high-carbon steel rod and a rubber-isolated top mount. Each has rebound adjustment plus separate low-speed compression (driver inputs, like weight transfer) and high-speed compression (things like hitting a kerb). A nitrogen charge of about 10 bar stops the oil frothing, which is where the Nitron name comes from.
Rear brakes (19:04). Gordon wanted the car to look broadly like a Lotus Twin Cam Escort, so it keeps 13-inch steel wheels. The team wanted rear discs with a handbrake from one caliper. The Ford Sierra caliper, still made new, wouldn’t fit with an off-the-shelf disc. The fix was a smaller disc on a shorter top hat and some machining to move the caliper inward. The service parts stay standard.
What’s next (20:42). Much of the car was dry built and many parts are ready, so the team expects assembly to move quickly now.
Parts, tools and suppliers mentioned
- Two-pack acrylic solid white; 1500, 2000 and 3000 grit wet sanding; cutting and finishing compounds
- Sound-deadening and heat-insulating mat; cavity wax
- Satin black paint behind the grille and around the dash
- Nitron custom structural struts with rebound and two-stage compression adjustment, nitrogen charged
- Ford Sierra rear caliper with an integral handbrake, a smaller disc and a shorter top hat
- 13-inch steel wheels
Lessons for your own Mk1
- Let paint harden before flatting it. Retropower waited about a week before wet sanding.
- Fit sound deadening before cavity wax. Wax on the panels stops the mat from sticking.
- Wax the cavities before wet sanding, so water can’t get inside the box sections.
- Paint panels off the car, so the shuts and inner edges get full coverage.
- Keep the service parts standard. It makes the car easier to maintain later.
Mk1 context
Mk1 Escorts left the factory with drum rear brakes, which is why a rear disc conversion behind 13-inch wheels needs this much packaging work.
Related
- Series hub: all Retropower Gordon Murray Mk1 episodes
- Suspension background: Mk1 Escort rally preparation – front suspension & handling
- Background: the complete history of the Mk1 Ford Escort
- More builds on video: Mk1 Escort build videos