Evolution of a Mk2 Escort rally car

Lopéz · 24 Apr 2008 at 19:00

This is my mate's Mk2 Escort he's owned since 2003

Stage 1:

Nice clean road car. No grotty welded on patches, all repairs are with new spot welded panels to factory spec. Running a 2.1 Pinto, twin 45 Webers, bolt in roll cage, Spax adjustables.

Stage 2:

Lots and lots spent here. Fully seam + stitch welded where appropriate, 5 linked rear axle, full Group 4 shell minus the arches, 2.4 Holbay engine, split 48 Dellortos, Quaife Pro gearbox, baby Atlas LSD, full weld in cage, Prodrive seats, FIA belts, HID lights, flocked dash, Bilstein coilovers etc.

Stage 3:

Arches, Duratec engine on throttle bodies, etc etc - will try and get more pics. Yum yum yum!

Some will say it was a shame to do this to a genuine Stratos Silver Harrier, and in a sense I'd agree - but it was just a case of using the best possible available base car.

Lopéz · 24 Apr 2008 at 19:18

penski said:
What Duratec? 2.0 or 2.3?

They're getting 150bhp/litre out of them naturally aspirated. Hell of an engine.

Once again driving home the fact that Ford don't design good engines

Liking it with arches. Needs Allycats or Revos though

*n

I can't honestly remember - last time I saw it in the flesh it was having the bulkhead adjusted to clear the Duratec properly.

It has a set of brand new Revos, they were actually on it the day before that second lot of pics were taken but the conditions were drier than expected for the rally so the wheels were swapped over before scrutineering

Lopéz · 24 Apr 2008 at 21:17

penski said:
Expensive and take quite a bit of money to make them handle.

*n

Agreed - the thinking man might plump for a Chevette as a suitable alternative!

The bonus with the Escort is that it's almost unbelievably well catered for in the tuning and aftermarket here in the UK.

Lopéz · 24 Apr 2008 at 21:28

By design I suppose the Manta is a naturally understeering car, which worried me at first because I instantly thought "AARGH, CAPRI!"
But it drives nothing like a Capri. Steering positive, follows its nose, progressive oversteer which is very very much throttle controlled (barges like the Volvo are more momentum controlled) In fact it just feels like a big Chevette.

Lopéz · 25 Apr 2008 at 06:53

R124/LA420 said:
Stage 1 was a beauty, right down to the RS alloys.

The subsequent mods have spoilt a rare & beautiful car, not to mention taken a lot off its true value I'd have thought.

Actually they've turned it from something worth £4-£5,000 into something worth more like £25,000.

Lopéz · 25 Apr 2008 at 07:01

R124/LA420 said:
£25k? - Blimey !

Check how much Group 4 Escorts are selling for - "not cheap" is the phrase I'd use

http://www.pistonheads.com/SALES/432778.htm - £26k for one with a boat anchor under the bonnet!

http://www.pistonheads.com/SALES/452352.htm and £35k for that one

http://www.pistonheads.com/SALES/243762.htm £20k unarched :eek:

Lopéz · 25 Apr 2008 at 18:04

Kreeeee said:
I'll forgive him if he adds the light clusters back on.

If you mean the spotlamps, you dont have them on stage rally cars because they run in the day.