Sara Leven Members Car of the Month

All the work to the car has definitely been worth it. She now feels really proud driving the car around and it’s finally got the finish it deserves. It is a good feeling when people admire the car, although she thinks they get a bit of a fright when they realise it is a female who’s driving! She always wonders whether they think to themselves that must belong to her boyfriend or her brother, but she just smiles knowing that it’s all hers!

Sara's Car has been in the "Work in Progress" section for a while.
Now it is featured as Member's Car of the Month for May 2008.

Sara has always had a thing for RS Turbos, so when she found out that a guy staying across the road from her boyfriend at the time was selling his, she knew that she had to have it. This was back in November 2004. Sara has to admit that it wasn’t too pretty at the time with a sunstrip graphic, unpainted Morette headlights and big Cibie driving lamps but she knew that she could improve the look of the car by changing those things.

She liked the fact that the car came with a folder full of receipts, as Sara likes keeping receipts too. She knew straight away that the guy who owned it had enjoyed spending money on it. Some of the modifications to the car when Sara bought it included a Magnex Stainless Steel exhaust system, Koni adjustable Sports Suspension and a Clifford talking alarm.

For the first few years of ownership Sara was a student, so her spare cash generally went on parts for the car and general repairs like new tyres, new fuel tank, new brakes, necessary welding to the underside of the car etc. Only in the last year or so things have started to pick up pace, this is probably due to her now having a full time job and no longer being a student!

In April 2007 Sara's car failed its MOT due to corrosion to the front cross member and rear chassis leg. She then decided that it was time for a restoration. However, what started off as a plan for a little restoration of a new bonnet, bootlid, front panel, rear panel and a full re-spray, turned into a bit more than this!
Here is a list of what was done:

New Pair of Front Wings
New Front Panel
New Front Cross Member Panel
New Scuttle Panel
New Bonnet
New Rear Panel

New Rear Smoked Lights
New Stainless Steel Bonnet Stay
New Chrome Bonnet Catch
New Numberplates
New Genuine Ford "Escort RS Turbo" Decal for Bootlid
Second Hand Manual Driver's Door Mirror

She has made some changes to the Interior of the car. She swapped the Momo steering wheel for a 4 spoke RS one. She added Sparco pedals, an ACT gauge (which is moulded into the dash surround) and also Stainless Steel dials.She has all the parts for a full sound system sitting in the house which just need to get fitted now. Recently her focus has been to change the springs on the car to 30mm Cobra springs and fit a full front Powerflex bush kit. It has never handled so well! The next purchase will probably be 17" alloy wheels and then a new intercooler.

New Driver's Side Rear Wheel Arch
New Genuine Ford Bootlid
New Genuine Ford Rear Light Seals
New Genuine Ford Washer Jets
New Front Indicators
New Smoked Side Indicators