Indholdsfortegnelse for December 2020 i Classic Ford

GO ON TOUR IN 2021 Shake off those 2020 blues with a classic roadtrip to the Channel Islands Our annual Classic Ford Tour, organised by roadtrip specialists, Scenic Car Tours (SCT), takes in a different route and location every year, and for 2021 — postponed from this year — we return to the Channel Islands for the first time in over a decade, and to Jersey in particular for it’s world-renowned International Motoring Festival. Featuring a heady mix of classic motorsport action, top-notch displays and a festival atmosphere, the island gives itself over to the lure of four — and two wheels — over the weekend, and this year we’re forming part of it. As well as superb road runs (this year put together by tour regular and classic Ford…

ON SALE November 27! COMING UP Inside the January 2021 issue! Here are four good reasons not to miss the next issue: 1. We’ll be catching up with one enthusiast whose obsession with Mk3 Cortinas knows no bonds. 2. We’ll also be announcing the Classic Ford Of The Year along with a whole host of honours in our special Classic Ford Awards feature. 3. Inspired to buy an Escort XR3i after reading this issue? Then don’t miss our in-depth guide. 4. Plus we’ll be revealing some of the standout cars of 2020! The January 2021 issue of Classic Ford hits the newsagents’ shelves and is available to download from Friday, November 27?. Why not subscribe to make sure you don’t miss it? Check out our latest offers on page 94.…

PRODUCTS THE LATEST, GREATEST BITS FOR YOUR CLASSIC FORD STOCKING FILLERS CHECK OUT THESE GOODIES THAT WOULD MAKE GREAT CHRISTMAS GIFTS. HALFORDS ESSENTIALS HOME AND GARAGE TOOL KIT £75 Halfords New to working on classic Fords? Halfords’ Garage Tool Kit should get you going. It’s a 92-piece tool kit that includes 72 tooth ratchets, a range of 12-point sockets, combination spanners and screwdrivers, for many jobs around the garage.. Contact: 0330 1359779, www.halfords.com CLASSIC FORD T-SHIRT £15 Kelsey Shop Made from 100 per cent organic ring-spun combed cotton, this limited-edition Classic Ford workshop door-style T-shirt is sure to be an instant classic – so get it while you can. Sizes currently available include small, medium, large, and extra large. Contact: 01959 543747, https://shop.kelsey.co.uk SIERRA COSWORTH ART PRINT £40 Matt Marshall…

Join the club North Wales Classic Fords If you like to get out and about in your classic Ford, and help others at the same time then this group’s for you, reckons Dave Allmark. Why was the club founded? North Wales Classic Fords was founded back in 2004 by myself and Aled Hopwood. At that time, there was certainly an interest in the cars but nothing organised or consistent for classic Ford owners in our area. With monthly meetings being arranged by text - this was pre-social media - we wanted to bring people together. We created an online forum, which evolved over time, saw member numbers increase and from there, coordination of events and regular meets started to occur. By 2007 the first of what would be many Snowdonia…

AT THE FRONT: THE MK3 Ford’s first front-wheel-drive Escort is now incredibly 40-years-old. Graham Robson recounts how it was a winner right from the start. By the mid-1970s, Ford of Europe was forging ahead with expansion, with modernisation, and with technical breakthroughs tumbling over each other: its ambition was to confirm its position as one of the largest car-makers in the continent. We all know, for sure, that they already had secured market leadership in the UK, that their cars and engines were supremely successful in motorsport, and their image was flourishing. Even, so, there were practical limits to what could be achieved, and how quickly that could be done. Maybe it was high time that the original breed of rear-drive Escorts should be replaced, but with major new programmes…

FACE OFF: THE MK4 More rounded — both inside and out — the Mk4 was a worthy successor to the Mk3. Ford had struck gold with the Escort Mk3. Although today’s enthusiasts might moan about the swap from rear to front-wheel drive, the buying public didn’t agree; by the mid 1980s, the Escort was more successful than ever, and sporting versions had taken the hot-hatchback market by storm. But could the great Blue Oval keep the Escort on top? Of course. All it would take was a mid-term facelift — in Ford terms an update of the Mk3, codenamed Erika 86. But to the rest of us the Escort Mk4. Instead of designing a whole new body over the existing floorpan (like when the Mk1 transitioned into the Mk2), the…

NEW ORDER: THE MK5 Savaged at launch, Ford had a lot of catching up to do with the apparently lacklustre Mk5... Question one: how could Ford get a car so wrong? Question two: was the Mk5 Escort really as bad as critics would have us believe? The second answer is easy: no, the Mk5 wasn’t a terrible car, but it was decidedly average. In turn, that answers the first query; even though the Mk5 of October 1990 wasn’t atrocious, we’d become accustomed to Escorts being a cut above the rest. And the Mk5 really wasn’t. Part of the problem was its styling, designed by a committee who’d been battered by the futuristic Sierra’s aerodynamic appearance. Like previous Escorts, there were three/five-door hatchbacks, five-door estates, a four-door Orion, two-door drop-top and…

FINAL CALL: THE MK6 With the Focus on the horizon, Ford pulled out all the stops with the final version of the Escort. Ford knew the Escort had been outclassed by its rivals. It had become middle-of-the-road on a motorway of tough competition, and its image had never recovered from the Mk5’s launch, when even the press department admitted it was a bit rubbish. But, as promised, it didn’t stay that way for long. And by the time of the Mk6’s introduction in January 1995, the Escort was really quite good. Not that it mattered to the Blue Oval, because plans were progressing for the Escort’s world-beating successor, so the Mk6’s job was simply to hold the fort until the Focus arrived. As such, a redevelopment scheme had been applied…

HOMEBUILT HERO HERE FOR A GOOD TIME With Colin McRae’s immortal words emblazoned upon the dash, this flawlessly finished, rally-rep Mk2 Escort is a clear lesson in the value of seizing the day and, moreover, of friendship. Words Daniel Bevis Photos Adrian Brannan The plan was so simple. When Scott Stacey bought this Mk2 sight-unseen in 2010, he intended to press it into daily duties as a ratty runabout. But fate seldom has any truck with that sort of logic. “How wrong I was,” he laughs. “There was all sorts of rot, so the best thing seemed to be to strip it down and see how bad it was. The answer was… very bad indeed.” The outer and inner wings, strut tops, front panel, outer and inner sills, and front…

CLASSIC MUSEUM EUROPE MEETS ASIA The Rahmi M. Koç Museum of Istanbul, founded by the tycoon whose group has strong ties with Ford, houses 16,000 objects and over 100 cars, many of which are classic Fords and Anadols. We took a look at some of the exhibits. Words Bruno Cianci For centuries, Istanbul in Turkey has had the power of enchanting anyone visiting it: merchants, archaeologists and travellers. Thanks to a massive private vehicle collection that has now become a museum — the Rahmi M. Koç Museum — classic Ford enthusiasts have an excuse to visit, too. Its founder, Rahmi M Koç, CBE explains its genesis. “When I was a child,” the Turkish tycoon says, “my father Vehbi brought me a toy train from Germany. That’s how my collection of…

THE TURBO TECHNICS KIT PUSHING THE 200 BARRIER Back in the ’80s a standard 2.8i Capri came with 160 bhp and although that would have been ample for most buyers, TurboTechnics offered their conversion kit which pushed that figure to 200 bhp. Comprising a Garrett T3 turbo, matching manifold, intercooler, vacuum capsule, fuel enrichment air cone block, oil feed and return pipes and all other necessary pipes, clips and plumbing the whole conversion was possible for a DIY mechanic.With 247 lb.ft torque on tap even at low speeds, the turbo conversion brought the 0-60 figure down to 6.5 seconds while 0-100 came in 14.8 seconds and maxed out at 143 mph! Sounds as good now as it did back then, doesn’t it?…

readers' rides YOUR CARS John Hadland From: UK Car: Capri 2.0S Classic Fords and charity fundraising is the perfect pairing we reckon, and John certainly agrees, as he explains how his Mk3 2.0S will be helping to raise much-needed funds for children with special needs once the shows starts up again. “This car came to us like this in 2009. We got it from my nephew and swapped it for my Honda VFR800. It was a bog-standard 2.0S that looked to have had a light restoration in its past but had been sitting in a garage for a year. “It’s been an evening and weekend hobby fitted in around family life ever since, which has involved a fair bit of welding to the passenger floor, driver’s inner wing, boot area,…

OUR CARS Minder Capri Classic Car Restorations are working at a cracking pace, with the TV-star Mk2’s rebirth well on the way, as Matt reveals. What’s been done this month: Front wings removed, interior carefully dismantled, front end media blasted, NOS panels sourced, engine stripped for rebuild Next on the to-do list: Rebuild the front end prior to paint Thanks to: Classic Car Restorations 01227 719800 Progress was rapid getting the Capri stripped down to assess the state of the car. It was obvious the bonnet, which bore the brunt of the flames, would need to be changed so that was whipped off and the engine removed to be checked over. The wings, which were singed but didn’t look warped, could perhaps have been left in place, but as the…

MOTORSPORT FIGHTER PILOT This Pilot-liveried Escort Cosworth is an era-correct snapshot of rally perfection; an aggressive Group A fighter with stellar capabilities and a show-winning finish. Words Daniel Bevis Photos Adrian Brannan Rose-tinted glasses are one of the most dangerous concepts in the human sphere of consciousness. We love to reminisce about the good old days, to eulogise about how everything used to be brilliant, and we’re so often proved wrong when we delve anywhere deeper than merely mentioning it in passing in pub conversations. ‘Things were so much better in the 1990s,’ someone might say without apparent irony, as their thumb dances across the screen of their smartphone, ordering themselves a cab home and a takeaway to await their arrival, all while checking their likes and shares. ‘I preferred…

MOTORSPORT THE PROFESSIONAL Stuart Turner was one of the most influential characters in Ford Motorsport from 1969 right through to 1990. Here’s why. Words Graham Robson Although Stuart Turner’s best-selling autobiography was titled Twice Lucky, there was no luck about it. Already famous as BMC’s Competitions Manager in the 1960s, along with Walter Hayes, he was one of Ford’s most influential motorsport characters from 1969 to 1990. Turner initially trained as an accountant, broke into rallying at club level, after which progress as a club magazine editor, works co-driver, and the Rallies Editor of Motoring News (now Motorsport News) was logical. Having won three national Championship co-drivers’ awards, and sat alongside Erik Carlsson when he won the RAC rally of 1960, he then became BMC’s Competition Manager from 1961 to…

Welcome It’s ironic that the Mk3 to Mk6 Escorts are still considered upstarts of the classic Ford scene, yet the earliest Mk3 versions are now 40 years-old! If ever there was a Ford that has yet to reach its full potential, the late-model Escort is definitely it. There are so many variations and so much you can do to them, that the possibilities for both fans of restored and modified examples are almost endless. Hopefully this anniversary will see the Mk3s to Mk6s gain the momentum and status they deserve, both as part of our scene and the important part they played in Ford-of-Europe’s direction in the 1980s and 1990s. To help cement that status, much of this issue is dedicated to these cars, and we’re looking forward to welcoming…

LAST CHANCE TO VOTE! Not voted for your Classic Ford Of The Year yet? Then hurry, as voting closes on November 9! There are 12 stunning classic Fords to choose from — all featured in the magazine over the last year — and you can vote for your favourite either by text or on our website at www.classicfordmag.co.uk. Turn to page 24 to see all of the 12 nominations, and to find the full details of how you can place your vote. We’ll reveal the winner in the January 2021 edition, on sale November 27, 2020.…

BOOKS OF THE MONTH THE COMPLETE CATALOGUE OF THE FORD ESCORT MK3, MK4, MK5 & MK6 £40 Herridge & Sons Classic Ford contributor, Dan Williamson has scored a first with his latest book — as never have the later Escorts been covered in so much detail from the design and development through to the different models produced, and it’s an exhaustive but entertaining journey through the later life of Ford’s most famous model, which also includes detail on the Orion and overseas variants, too. Featuring over 600 images, the 360-page book is worth every penny, and crucially, perfectly complements Dan’s previous books on the Mk1 and Mk2 versions. RS200 - FORD’S GROUP B RALLY LEGEND £47.50 Herridge & Sons You’d think that arch Ford historian, Graham Robson had no more…

2020 VOTE Classic Ford CAR OF THE YEAR We’ve featured some stunning Fords in the last 12 months, now vote for your favourite! A. Popular 100E Owner: Dave Caley Featured: November 2019 Revealed at The Great Unveiling earlier in the year, Dave’s Pop is a proper crowd-pleaser with subtle looks and a 2-litre Zetec swap. B. Capri 280 Owner: Allan Brown Featured: July 2020 Completely restored by Steadspeed, Allan’s rare Turbo Technics-converted Brookie has to be one of the UK’s best. C. Mk1 Fiesta Owner: Ben Gibbs Featured: November 2019 Who would be mad enough to bolt a 500 bhp ST170 turbo motor behind the front seats? Well, Ben obviously, and this superbly-engineered Mk1 is the bonkers result. D. Anglia 307E Builder: Michael Wood Featured: May/June 2020 It looks like…

DEFINITIVE GUIDE MK3 ESCORT SALOON/BASE AND POPULAR ENGINE CAPACITY: 1117cc, 1296cc or 1596cc YEARS PRODUCED: 1980 to 1986 PRICE WHEN NEW: £3375 Ford’s first front-wheel-drive Escorts were launched with a ‘simple is efficient’ tagline, perfectly describing the entry-level saloon — a three or five-door hatchback with front disc brakes and 4.5x13 inch wheels, but vinyl seats and not even a heated rear windscreen. Engine choices were 1.1-litre Valencia (54 bhp), 1.1 CVH (until 1982) or 1.3 CVH (68 bhp); 1.1s had tie-bar front suspension but 1.3 received an anti-roll bar. April 1982 added side stripes and an Economy model with wide-ratio gearbox, then 1983 brought cloth seats and passenger door mirror. A new 1.6 CVH with automatic transmission appeared as the Disabled Driver’s Car. From April 1984 the five-door 1.1…

DEFINITIVE GUIDE MK5 ESCORT POPULAR, BASE, AND L ENGINE CAPACITY: 1297cc, 1391cc, 1392cc, 1597cc or 1753cc (derv) YEARS PRODUCED: 1990 to 1994 PRICE WHEN NEW: £7580 The Popular badge’s final appearance was on the low-rent Escort of 1990, a three/five-door 1.3 HCS (with four-speed gearbox) or 1.8 diesel (five-speed) with plain steel wheels; from July 1991 it became the Fresco, while the nameless Base took over in October 1991, with wheeltrims and clear indicators. A 1.4 CVH was added in March 1992, with a batch of three-doors flogged as the Bonus in July. The L arrived in January 1991, with spec including a sunroof, tinted glass, central locking and wheeltrims, plus 1.4 CVH, 1.4 CFi or 1.8 diesel (three-door auto or five-door five-speed) options. The restyled Mk5A of October ’92…

DEFINITIVE GUIDE MK6 ESCORT MEXICO AND CABARET ENGINE CAPACITY: 1597cc YEARS PRODUCED: 1995 to 1996 PRICE WHEN NEW: £10,990 Ignore the blasphemous badge — the Mk6 Mexico of May 1995 was a 89 bhp 1.6L-based three- or five-door hatch with 6x14 inch steels, Si front bumper, body-colour boot spoiler, leather steering wheel, white dials and XR3i-type upholstery. November’s Cabaret repeated the formula but with colour-coded bumpers, additional engine options (1.4 or TD) plus alloys on the 1.6. The Cabaret reappeared in June ’96 as just a 1.6. Other Encore/L-based Mk6 specials included June 1995’s Acapulco (1.4 five-door), June 1996’s Freedom (1.4 with colour-coded bumpers and electric front windows), Masquerade (1.6 four-door with electric windows and heated windscreen) and Serenade (1.6 or TD with electric windows and heated windscreen). May 1997’s…

OTOSAN EMPIRE THE TURKISH FORD CONNECTION Ford is an important marque to the Koç family. Rahmi’s father, Vehbi took on franchises to sell Ford cars in Turkey in the late 1920s. After WW2, Mr Koç — who was described by the New York Times as ‘a Turkish version of Henry Ford and John D. Rockefeller rolled into one’ — began licenced production of Fords at his own factory, named Otosan. In 1964, after choosing Reliant as a partner, he developed Turkey’s own passenger car. The new vehicle was to have a bodyshell in glass-reinforced plastic, a material the Koç group was already well familiar with, for having manufactured cabs in glassfibre for the D-series trucks. The outcome was the first Anadol. This brand produced seven different models and a few…

classic ford letters MAILBOX YOUR LETTERS, EMAILS & SOCIAL MEDIA COMMENTS Sweeney two The Sweeney Consul GT (November 2020 issue) looks amazing! The Guvnor would have poured a large Scotch to celebrate like he did when he nicked a villain. As for the Minder Capri — oh dear, though I’m glad it’s getting restored. I have the Minder boxset which I watch all the time — in the episode Old Wives Tales, Terry and Arnie are in a scrapyard and in the background are three Mk3 Cortinas in Sebring Red, Saluki Bronze and Sapphire Blue. Oh, to own those cars now. Jonathan Esberger UK Fade to red I enjoyed the article on Auboné Braddon’s Marathon 105E in the July edition. In the mid ’60s I was entranced by a photo…

YOUR PROJECTS Jackson Booth From: New Zealand Car: Mk2 Escort “My Estate started out as a five-shade yellow 1300 four-speeder on cut springs, lowering blocks and hot wires when I brought it as a pre-16th birthday present I›d saved up for. I knew the 1300 wouldn’t cut it and that came out along with the ’box and it was decided we wanted to swap it with another old-school motor, so I decided the Toyota 18rgu and W57 ’box a close friend had in his rally car shell would be the route to go down. I rebuilt the engine and converted it to EFi with twin Jenvey sidedraughts, running a Link ECU. It’s matched with an early Hilux diff with a LSD, plus rear discs and I’ve upgraded to larger front…

Project XR3i With the colder weather approaching, it’s time Paul sorted the Escort’s cold-start system. What’s been done this month: Replaced the termo-time switch, along with most of the ignition system... Next on the to-do list: Sort the rattling trim which is driving us crazy Thanks to: Lancaster Insurance 01480 484860 www.lancaster insurance.co.uk We’re getting there with the Escort but as ever with a car which has been restored and has fundamentally very little wrong with it, the tasks which end up at the bottom of the to-do list are the small but tedious ones – usually the finishing touches which require obsolete parts or a lot of time spent in diagnosis. One such issue with the XR3i is the cold-start system, which has been disconnected ever since we’ve had…

how to: understand ecu diagnostics How to Understand ECU diagnostics Are you prepared for fixing ECU-related problems on an emerging classic late-model Escort, Ka or Mondeo? If not, follow our beginner’s guide to arming you with the know-how. Words and Photos Rob Hawkins Engine management may be more of a subject for modern Fords or modified classics with an aftermarket fuel-injection system, but it’s also relevant to a number of stock classics. Ford’s Electronic Engine Control (EEC) computer dates back to the ’70s and by the time version five (known as EEC-V) appeared in the mid ’90s, it was reading data from a wide range of familiar sensors (crank position, mass air flow) to help control fuelling and ignition timing. Plus, it was OBDIIcompliant (on-board diagnostics version two), which was…

BUYER’S GUIDE ESCORT RS1600i It’s not the most-powerful Mk3, but it’s the one everyone wants. Here’s how to get your hands on a great example of the now-iconic Escort. Words ChristianTilbury Photos Adrian Brannan “THE RS1600i WAS ARGUABLY SUPERIOR TO THE OUTGOING RS2000 IN MANY WAYS” Two years after the demise of the RS2000, Escort RS fans got the news they’d longed for when Ford unveiled the RS1600i in October 1982. But while many were overjoyed at the return of both a Rallye Sport Escort and Ford’s famed performance division, there were those that were aghast that the latest fast Ford put its power down via the front wheels rather than the rear. Of course, that was due to the new RS being based on the Mk3 Escort, but while…

your projects: pop 100e FLICKING THE V Your projects: Neil Alexander has no love for keeping things stock, he gets his kicks from stuffing huge potent motors where they don’t belong — and putting two fingers up to the purists. Words and Photos Dan Sherwood Car: 1959 100E Start condition: A cheap rusty £300 shell, with many holes in it! Condition now: Rust removed, lowered, roll-caged and with a big turbocharged V8 dropped in the bay! Time taken so far: 18 months Estimated date of completion: Hopefully Summer 2021 Name: Neil Alexander Age: 36 Job: Air compressor engineer Location: Northamptonshire, UK If there’s one thing in the car scene that is guaranteed to both enthral and infuriate in equal measure, it’s an engine swap. Respected and revered by those with…

RUSTY CORNER Terminally-rotten old Fords This issue’s crusty contribution comes courtesy of Jaja Turnbull and the decidedly-ropey-looking, ErmineWhite Consul Corsair Deluxe was snapped somewhere in Kenya. “It was taken a couple of years ago, so would have deteriorated even more by now,” reckons Jaja. “I wonder if it’s still there?” Spotted an unloved Ford on your travels? Email photos and details of your find to classicford.ed@kelsey.co.uk or you can write to us at the address over on page 5.…

WHERE TO GO IN 2021 Autosport International When: January 14-17 Where: NEC, UK What’s going on: Avoid the January blues and head to Birmingham as Autosport International and The Performance & Tuning Car Show take over the NEC in Birmingham. The show will feature every level of motorsport, from Formula One to the World Rally Championship, and exhibitors range from special competition suppliers to leading manufacturers, keen to reveal their up-and-coming products for the new season. There’s plenty to drool over, with more than enough classic Fords and parts, plus live demos and motorsport celebs to keep you on your toes.. Find out more: www.autosportinternational.com…

PRODUCTS RACE-SPEC CLUTCHES From £578.75 TTV Racing New from TTV Racing are these beautifully designed 140 mm racing clutch assemblies. Single, twin and triple plate options are available, and prices start from £578.75. http://ttvracing.com FLOOR-MOUNTED PEDAL BOX £TBC AP Racing AP Racing has launched an all-new floor mounted reverse pull type pedal box. The CP5596 harnesses a unique pull type design, which allows the load through the cylinders to remain in-line during operation. This eliminates the side loads normally present in push type cylinders. Each of the cylinders is mounted under the driver’s feet for optimum space utilisation and accessibility. To minimise hysteresis and balance variation, the box uses needle roller bearings in the centre trunnion, while ball bearing pivots allow for pedal smoothness. The entire pedal box, without cylinders,…

DIG THE NEW BREED Hello? Is that 1980 calling? 40 years ago Ford launched the front-wheel-drive Mk3 Escort upon the world that changed the direction of its products forever. Your guide to the late-model Escorts starts here. It’s November 1980 and at a glamorous press launch, Ford is about to announce a new version of the best-selling Escort that will shock its traditionalist and loyal customers. Not only does the latest version feature hatchback bodywork, but it also comes with, the-horror, complicated front-wheel-drive. Were Ford’s marketing and management worried? Undoubtedly. But they needn’t have been — within two years the Escort overtook the Cortina as Britain’s best-selling car. The Mk4 followed in 1986 — more rounded, more refined — then the much-maligned Mk5, and for the first time in almost…

HERITAGE CAPRI 2.8i TURBO TECHNICS Original classic Fords: After first coming across it in the late ’90s, Nigel Ashworth has now owned this Turbo Technics Mk3 twice. Now fully sorted, he has no intention of letting it go again. Words and Photos Jon Cass Back in the ’80s and ’90s, a discreet Turbo Technics badge on the back of your Ford gave you instant kudos. Unlike the usual XR, RS and Injection badges of which there were plenty around, the name Turbo Technics meant the car in question was something pretty special and not for the feint-hearted. Nigel Ashworth first became involved with Turbo Technics when his friend Ed, was stopped by the police while driving home in his black 2.8i Capri. “He hadn’t done anything wrong, but was stopped…

SWEENEY MEMORIES I was blown away with The Sweeney story in your November issue. Being from south-east London I have fond memories of the show, with my mum telling me stories of when they filmed where she worked in Peckham. The best part was my mum and dad’s friend, Dave Wane, who had his Mk3 Zodiac called The Sweeney. I spent many happy times going to the Chelsea Cruise in it. I even had artist, Ian Guy do me a painting of the famous Consul GT. I had a Mk2 Granada which I did my own Sweeney photo shoot with, but I had to unfortunately sell in 2006 due to the boiler packing up indoors. The good news is I still have a Mk2 Zodiac which I took off the…

Know this PERFORMANCE CLUTCHES There’s not point in having an uprated engine, if none of that power can be transferred to the road. That’s why a performance clutch is a crucial part of the spec list for any tuned race or road car… A clutch has one job in your car — to transfer the power from the engine to the gearbox, via the flywheel. Now, obviously, you’ll be wanting as much of that energy as possible to be transferred across, hopefully without eating your clutch or flywheel along the way. Perhaps what’s most important is the last bit, there’s no point in having any clutch if it explodes every five-minutes… although there’s equally no hero points achieved for having a highly-tuned engine where all the power goes to waste…

QUERY OF THE MONTH EXPERT CLINIC UNLEADED HEAD? Q I’m about to fit an unleaded head from a Sierra 2-litre to my Mk2 RS2000. I bought the head on the understanding that it’s compatible with my standard carb and manifold, but I’ve noticed that the entrance to the inlet ports have a slight cutaway to clear the injectors — about 3 mm. Is this head OK to use? My main concerns are that it runs normally and is reliable. I’m also interested in what differential ratio Ford would have fitted, had it introduced the Type-9 box into the RS2000. Would it have gone for the 3.77 or a 3.9? Dave Newman UK A First things first. The injection head will fit on your RS’s bottom end with no problems at…

THE STUBBORN MULE WE TRACE THE HUMBLE BEGINNINGS OF THE LEGENDARY ESCORT COSWORTH. By 1988 Ford’s rally programme was in disarray. The RS200, on which so much had been invested, had been outlawed, Group B was dead, and the Group A Sierra RS Cosworth, though fast, lacked four-wheel drive. Lancia was suddenly top of the heap. At one of their regular after-hours meetings at Boreham, Stuart Turner, Peter Ashcroft, John Wheeler and Mike Moreton discussed a long-term solution. A new-type front-wheel drive Escort was on the way. “Why don’t we …?”Turner started, then astonished everyone by suggesting that a shortened Sierra Cosworth 4x4 platform under a re-styled Escort Mk4 might do the trick. Turner remembers the silence, then the embarrassed laughs which followed – but he got his way. It…

TOP 10 INSURANCE TIPS There are lots of ways you can cut insurance costs. Here are 10 tips on how you can do it effectively and still come away with the right policy for you and your classic Ford. 1. Don’t just renew It’s all too easy to let the direct debit continue and sign up for another year with your existing insurer. Before you do though, have a look at quotes from other insurers. If they come in cheaper and you don’t want to switch, call your existing insurer, quote the cheaper prices and quite often they will be able to bring your renewal quote down to a similar level. 2. Look at classic insurance They’re often tied into Agreed Value, limited-mileage polices but classic insurance specialists can offer…

PARTING SHOT LOOKING TO THE PAST ONE CLASSIC IMAGE AT A TIME TOTALLY WIRED It’s January 1981, and at Ford’s cold and bleak Lommel Proving Ground in Belgium, a Mk3 Escort is undergoing noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) testing on the Belgian pave closely followed by a Mk2 Granada Estate radio car loaded with equipment. In the decades before wireless connectivity, the test signals had to be transmitted between the Escort and recording equipment inside the Granada via cables attached the fragile-looking rig. Let’s hope one of the cars didn’t have to brake suddenly. Photo Getty…