Chassis identification required please

[Norton Don]

Hello all,
I have recently acquired an RS2000 roadster MARLIN 2000 FORD PINTO.jpg which needs plenty of attention to put back on the roads again. It was a special order from the factory to take a 2000 pinto engine. It has torsion bar front suspension, and I believe it is an RS2000 ltd slip diff (not checked this yet) on leaf springs at the rear with anti-tramp bars. The wheels are 14" Cosmic ribsters. It has vented discs at the front with modified calipers - generally had quite a lot of work done on it & lots spent on it when it was made in '88.
The biggest problem is that he chassis is quite badly rusted & to that end, the previous (2nd) owner obtained a new replacement chassis.
I was very much looking forward to getting this car on the road again & possibly doing the odd hillclimb event with it. Unfortunately for me, the new chassis whilst in great unused condition barring a touch of paint flaking & surface rust, is not a direct replacement as it is a 'coil over' model.
Now, as I will clearly have to spend a much larger amount of money on buying many more parts for the new chassis than I had anticipated and with the increased amount of time which I would have to invest I may decide to sell this project on to someone with more enthusiasm & or experience of these cars or split the whole lot into spare parts.
To help me with my decisions, I would very much appreciate it if anyone could advise me on this chassis - what MK / model it is & what engine & running gear it was intended to take. I have looked for a chassis number but have not found on yet ( wold be easier if I knew exactly where to look - where is it supposed to be ?)
.New Marlin Chassis 1.jpgNew Marlin Chassis 2.jpgNew Marlin Chassis 3.jpg


Yours faithfully, ( puzzled, dithering & indecisive) Don.

[cameronfurnival]

Re: Chassis identification required please

Hi Don - this looks very much like the later YKC Roadster/Romero/Julietta chassis. The chassis number ought to be on the bulkhead and then again on the chassis leg iirc but not all chassis got stamped at the factory in Yorkshire for some reason. This is good news as you could simply stamp the old chassis number onto the new chassis and use it as a simple replacement as you intend (well that's what the classic car boys would do!). Unfortunately I have some worse news though - this chassis is designed to use sierra running gear with its diff and irs. It should have a panhard rod to locate the rear suspension which is coil overs all round (avo). Virtually nothing will be a straightforward replacement. The steering rack and all front suspension is different as it uses the sierra column in its entirety with a welded in extension. The rear tub and doors may fit depending on your original car. The wings and front bodywork may fit but I think you may have a lot of fettling to do. The bulkhead is different to the original roadster too. I think that if your original had torsion bar suspension then it is on marina hubs and therefore even your cosmic alloys wont fit.

Sorry to bear such bad news but on the brighter side I dont know much about the RS2000 model at all and guess its fairly rare but someone will be along to correct me on any of the above in a few minutes Im sure

C

[Norton Don]

Re: Chassis identification required please

Hi Cameron,
Thank you for the information.
It is certainly looking like there is zero chance of me using this chassis for any reapirs to my car as you say too many differences.
Good to know what the spare chassis takes though ( interestingly I bought a 2000 EFI engine along with the spare chassis so that makes Sierra sense).
The reason for my lack of information regarding some aspects of these parts that I have is that they came from an avid collectors' estate so I never got to speak to the man with the plans for it all and I am going by paperwork and odd snippets of information gleaned here & there.
The car does have torsion bar suspension but was built with modified brakes at the front - vented discs, widened calipers & Ford stud pattern hubs which do fit the 14" ribster wheels ( but won't take a 13" wheel at the front due to the larger brakes).

Many thanks, Don.

[b_caswell]

Re: Chassis identification required please

Hi Don, The original roadster chassis is a very sturdy bit of engineering, Normally these cars would respond to a full strip and then get the chassis blasted and repainted. Unless there is any rust holes in the main rails that would be the best way t

[PatrickBaggaley]

Re: Chassis identification required please

P7150014.JPGP7150012.JPG

Hi Don,

These 2 pics are of my YKC roadster. The VIN plate is on the scuttle and the chassis number tag is on the nearside front chassis rail. Although my chassis number appears on the VIN plate it is not the VIN number, I don't know why. Hope this is of use, Regards, Patrick

[Norton Don]

Re: Chassis identification required please

Hi Ben, Sadly the main rails have rusted (not into holes so much as along the corners of the box section)- I think it must have stood over long grass for some years.
As the 'new' or rather just unused chassis is no good for my Marina/ Ford car restoration and the work required to put right the original chassis is just too much for me to take on at the moment, my plan now is to go for a major clearout and to split the car & sell the RS2000 engine & box plus several other goodies & bodywork from the car and another 2.0L pinto engine and the YKC chassis and a 2.0L Sierra EFI engine. My hopes of a straightforward easy ( and most of all very cheap) job to put this Marlin back on the roads are dashed.
Cheers - Don.

[Will]

Re: Chassis identification required please

Hi Don

Have you decided to sell any of these parts.

I have sent a PM if you are interested.

Thanks