Indholdsfortegnelse for February 2021 i Classic Ford

THE BOOK Steve’s book, Secret Fords is available direct from the publisher at stevesaxty.com/secret fords. The four cars seen here are featured on the scrapbook which comes in a boxed slipcase alongside a copy of Secret Fords signed and numbered by the author. Launch copies come with a free double-sided Secret Fords poster worth £9.50, or two posters worth £19 with the Collector’s Edition. Turn to page 14 for our review of the book. Escort RS2000 clay model This orange car is an illustration of the RS2000 clay model from mid 1974 when it was created by designer, Tom Scott. The Mk2 Escort was almost two years away from production, so he worked on the full-sized fiberglass Escort model used to sign off the car — and a lot of…

2020 CLASSIC FORD TOUR REVEALED! We’re pleased to announce that details of the 2022 Classic Ford Tour have been confirmed, and we’re off to Bruges in Belgium! The four-day, three-night 2022 Classic Ford Tour will take place over the long weekend of May 6-9, 2022, and will be to the Medieval city of Bruges. Known as the Venice of the north, Bruges, is a well-preserved city where the entire historic centre has been recognised as a UNESCO world heritage site. The attractions of this magical place include a wide range of museums, churches, historical buildings and canals and streets that can be explored. This looks to be a great tour including a day at leisure in Bruges to sample the local breweries or chocolatiers, with the option to display your…

Join the club Cortina Mk2 & 1600E Owners’ Club It might be one of the oldest Ford clubs, but where the Mk2 Cortina is concerned, it’s always looking to the future, reckons Jim Payton. When was the club founded — and why? It started way back in 1977 and was originally set up to cater for 1600E owners to help them keep their cars on the road — there were 1000s around back then. As time went on, it became obvious that the club should be there to help all Mk2 owners and so in the 1990s we became the Cortina Mk2 & 1600E Owners’ Club. Which models do you cover? We cater for every Mk2, whether it’s standard, modified, concours or undergoing restoration — and that includes all the…

project cars special STARTER FOR 10 Where do you start with a new project? Here are 10 expert tips so you stand a better chance of getting it right. “BUY THE BEST PROJECT CAR YOU CAN UNLESS YOU LIKE WELDING IT’S CHEAPER AND EASIER IN THE LONG RUN” 1. Buy now Cold and wet it may be out there, but it’s ideal car building weather. As long as you’ve got somewhere dry, you can do it. And because of the current financial climate, now is a good time to start because there are plenty of bargains. People panic and prices drop. The thing to do is plan and be realistic, but first you need a project. 2. Buy well Never buy the first car you see. So many people decide…

your project :mk1 escorts HOME WORK Your projects: Working on cars as part of his college course has given Callum Bligh a job in panel beating, however, his real ambition is to restore classics for a living and these two Escorts are the key to making that dream a reality. Words and Photos Dan Sherwood When you think about it, school was pretty great. No bills to pay, no frustrating traffic jams on your daily commute, you didn’t even have to make your own dinner. In fact the only thing you had to worry about was remembering your PE kit (if you didn’t want to endure the indignity of playing football in your vest and pants) and getting caught having a crafty ciggy around the back of the bike sheds.…

Our Cars Minder Capri Blink and you’ll miss it. Terry the Minder Capri’s rebuild continues at a right old rate. It might not look like much has changed since last time, but looking at Terry the Minder Capri, almost glowing in his fresh Diamond White paint, you know a major milestone has just been passed. When we left the Capri last month it the wings were welded and doors trial fitted, and the whole body had been painted in the poly coating and the block sanding had just begun. We always say that in painting a car preparation is everything and so is the time consuming part of the job, but when getting concours-winning standard paint, the application takes a while too, and of course being a busy restoration shop…

YOUR CARS THE BEST OF WHAT'S IN OUR INBOX THIS MONTH Dean Archer From: UK Car: Mk5 Cortina “This is my pride and joy, which I’ve owned for seven years now,” says Dean. “It was green with micro blisters all over it when I bought it, but it’s since had a full bare metal rub down and all the inner and outer seals replaced, plus a beautiful new fresh colour of yellow. It’s running a 2.1 Burton Pinto, and I’ve just bought an RGA boot spoiler. It cost a bomb, but it does finish it off. I love driving the Cortina out and about at weekends — it’s a proper head-turner.” Autumn Hall From: USA Truck: F150 “My daughter, Autumn is 15 years-old and has built her dream truck,” says…

UPGRADE GUIDE ANGLIA 105E The ’60s Ford helped kickstart the tuning craze and six decades on, it’s just as easy to improve. Here’s how. Back in the 1960s, the Anglia was your archetypal boy-racer car. With plenty of them about, and with an engine partly-designed with race track success in mind, those in the know spurned the ridiculously-popular Mini and grabbed themselves a 105E instead. Cheap to buy, even cheaper to buy bits for, and incredibly easy to work on, many were tuned to within an inch of their lives, lowered even further, and all with a bag of spanners, and a fair amount of finger-crossing. Of course, once the Escort came on the scene in the late ’60s, the Anglia slowly disappeared from view. But it never really went…

ZETEC NUMBERS Q Is there a way of identifying which Zetec engine is which? My Mondeo Zetec has some numbers stamped on the rear of the cylinder block - do these give an indication of what’s what? Mike Jones Australia A On Fiesta and Orion/Escort Zetecs, the engine code and engine serial numbers are found at the side of the cylinder block, level with the starter motor and air cleaner assembly, and on the cylinder head at the rear (transmission side). The first code letter will be L for 1.6-litre or R for 1.8-litre. The second code letter/ number gives the rated power output of the unit — 1 for 66 kW/90 HP (or 65 kW/88 HP on some), D for 77 kW/105 HP, K for 85 kW/115 HP or…

MOTORSPORT WORLD RALLY TRANSIT Inspired by M-Sport’s service barges, 20 years ago the World Rally Transit was the fastest service van in the business. Words Graham Robson No-one really needed a reason for making it — the Transit was a great publicity machine, put together by Paul Wilson’s Ford Press garage team. Every Martini decal and every visual detail was right. It looked the part and, at a pinch, it could even have worked for its living with Ford’s M-Sport team. With a claimed top speed of 130 mph it could keep up with the latest Mondeo ST200 on most main roads. 130 mph? Really? You’d better believe it… The World Rally Transit was based on a standard high-roof turbodiesel model, with a front-mounted engine and rear drive. However, although…

reader’s restoration: capri cabaret COME JOIN THE CABARETS Reader’s restoration: When Martin Short’s beloved Capri Cabaret was written off he immediately bought another — then began resurrecting the first one… Words Mike Renaut Photos Matt Woods You never forget your first car. Martin Short’s was a 1600 Capri. “I was a second year apprentice carpenter and couldn’t carry all my tools on my Yamaha RD350,” remembers Martin, “so in 1988 bought a Capri Cabaret with 73,000 miles on it. When I traded it a year later for a Sierra I’d added another 21,000 because I drove that Capri everywhere. The registration was YPV 405Y but I imagine now it’s long gone.” Martin owned various modern cars until he got the urge for another Capri. “I loved that Cabaret and I’d…

PARTING SHOT LOOKING TO THE PAST ONE CLASSIC IMAGE AT A TIME TAKE IT TO THE BRIDGE It’s November 1960 and we’re looking down from the operator’s cab some 200 feet above the catwalk of the Tees Transporter Bridge in Middlesbrough, which carries the A178 over the furthest-down river crossing of the River Tees. Opened in 1911, the famous bridge is incredibly, still operating having survived both a Zeppelin attack in WW1 and a bomb strike in WW2 — albeit with as limited capacity probably due to the increased size and weight of modern vehicles. On the front row, some 160 feet above the river, an almost-new Anglia 105E squeezes up next to an AEC Mammoth tanker, while a Mk2 Zephyr has tucked up behind the Chevrolet Bel Air parked…

THE PERFECT GIFT Welcome If there’s one thing that 2020 taught us, it’s not to take things for granted. So with 2021 upon us, we’re feeling properly inspired for the forthcoming months, and we hope you are too, as now’s the ideal time to knuckle down, do some homework, and seriously get onto that project car to feed your classic Blue Oval obsession over the winter ready for the Spring — and hopefully, show season. To help you, we’ve put together a 20-page guide to a hassle-free build up of your next (or even first) classic Ford project car starting on page 25. It’s full of top tips and tricks, plus our choice of five ideal first project cars. And if you need further proof that it can be done,…

THE BIG STUFF FBHVC’s National Historic Vehicle Survey reveals big rise in UK classics. More than 200,000 enthusiasts have joined the UK classic car movement since 2016, according to the Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs’ (FBHVC) latest survey. The FBHVC says the number of classic car owners leapt from just under 500,000 to 700,000 — a 40 per cent increase in the four years. It believes there are 1.5 million classic cars registered with the DVLA, which also represents a increase of nearly 50 per cent from 1,039,950 to 1,538,927 (though 56 per cent are currently listed as SORN). Spending on classics also rose — to £7.2 billion from £5.5 billion, and the FBHVC claims more than 4000 companies combine to employ in excess of 34,000 people in the…

PRODUCTS UPRATED TYPE-9 GEARKIT £789.60 Rally Design Rally Design, in partnership with Blackline Gears, have manufactured a close-ratio, helical gearkit for the non-V6 Type-9 five-speed. The ratios are 1st: 2.390, 2nd: 1.540, 3rd: 1.210, 4th: 1.000, 5th: 0.870, assembled on the layshaft, and the kit uses an original Ford mainshaft. Contact: 01227 792792, www.rallydesign.co.uk WEBER 40DCOE18K CARB £535.50 Webcon For decades the Weber 40DCOE151 has been the performance carburettor of choice for most engine tuners. However, if a more period look was desired the only choice, until now, was to obtain a second hand unit and rebuild it. Not any more — Webcon has reintroduced the 1960s 40DCOE18, which is now being manufactured in uprated K spec. Contact: 01932 787100, www.webcon.co.uk ALLOY BLOCK BREATHERS £8.95 Burton Power Burton Power now…

SHOW REPORT ACTION ADDICTS With less car shows and track action available for classic Ford fans this year, members of the South London Retro Power Crew took it upon themselves to get their fix… Words Matt Black Photos Matt Woods Many of us have felt a little short changed by this year’s show season, but for those who really miss drag racing, there have been a series of private events to keep them busy. The latest event was booked by the South London Retro Power Crew (SLRPC), which is a club made up of like-minded car enthusiasts, as organiser Dean Watt explains. “It was one of our members who suggested we should get together and enjoy a day out together as a car club, and as a social event. We…

ITALIAN STALLION Your projects: There aren’t many engine conversions that we haven’t seen before, but a Ferrari-engined Mk3 Cortina might just be up there! Words Matt Black Photos Adrian Brannan After years of meeting classic Ford enthusiasts from around the globe that build crazy project cars, we often think that not much can truly surprise us anymore. However, when we heard classic Ford veteran Clint Gaskin at Brands Hatch Performance was building a new project, we took a closer look. “I am often known as Cossie Clint because I have a habit of throwing YB engines in everything,” says Clint. “However, that would have been the easy choice and I knew I wanted something different for this project.” Different came in the shape of an F136 V8 engine developed by…

classic ford’s project cars Ade’s Mk3 Escort A project clearout means Ade can Focus on the Zetec SE-powered Mk3 Escort once again. Pun intended... I’ve known for a long time that this project needed a kick up the backside, so after downscaling my unmanageable fleet into single digits, a chunk of cash had to be directed towards my Escort. Owned for over 20 years, and having spent the majority of that in project-purgatory gives me no joy, so Sitech Racing have been tasked to get the Mk3 up and running ASAP. It looks pretty worse for wear now, and will need cosmetics and some welding, but thankfully nothing too drastic was discovered when it was put up in the air after a long stint outside. The first thing to deal…

HOMEBUILT HERO WHITE LIGHT Built for fast-road and track hijinks, and very much at home here at Goodwood, this hot Fiesta is a lightweight tearaway for a new generation. Words Daniel Bevis Photos Jason Dodd Sam Austin’s Mk2 Fiesta is a very clear embodiment of how the scene is evolving. There was a time, back in the ’90s, when a stock-looking Mk2 in base trim and white paint wouldn’t have turned any Ford enthusiasts’ heads; back then you’d have to at least turn such a thing into an XR2 rep or they wouldn’t let you into the McDonald’s car park. But these beautifully-packaged hatchbacks, once so ubiquitous and now so scarce, have passed into another realm of retro appreciation: today, this car looks wonderfully focused and unadorned. Of course it’s…

MAILBOX YOUR LETTERS, EMAILS & SOCIAL MEDIA COMMENTS Missing My car was featured in Classic Ford magazine a number of years ago here in Ireland — it was a green Mk2 Escort. Sadly, I have lost the magazine — is there any possibility I could purchase a few copies? Gary Howarth Ireland We don’t have any copies of the Summer 2013 issue, but the feature’s now on: www.classicfordmag.co.uk. RS1600i memories The Escort RS1600i buying guide in the December issue reminded me of the two I had while working in Cologne in 1982 and 1983. They were superb driver’s cars — with a higher rev limit to capitalise on the engine mods, I reckon they would have been unbeatable. Chris Hak UK Mk4 update I’m still on the hunt for my…

MOTORSPORT CLASSIC FORDS FLAT›OUT ON THE STAGE, STRIP AND TRACK HOME GROWN HERO It’s not uncommon for Mk2 Escorts to have put in some time on the club-level rally circuit, but only a handful have done so in the hands of one of the world’s best-known drivers. Words Alex Grant Photos AndyTipping Classic cars are as much a product of memories as they are metal, and some have more than their fair share of stories to tell. Ranked among Britain’s best-selling models, countless families grew up with a Mk2 Escort outside the house, and its club-level rally popularity means many have chalked up some motorsport pedigree. Including this one. Despite being restored at classic car specialist, Border Reivers near Glasgow, it’s still wearing the marks of a 35-year competitive career…

How to Install Seatbelts Fitting easy-to-use inertia reel front and rear seatbelts isn’t difficult. Here’s how to do it. Static seatbelts do the job safely enough, but using them can be a pain. If you use your classic regularly, an easy-to-operate belt makes all the difference, and if you have kids, inertia reel (automatic) belts are a must. Fitting isn’t difficult and shouldn’t require welding for most applications. Inertia reel belts are available from Securon to suit both horizontal and vertical mountings. MADE TO FIT 1. Belt extensions are also available to make allowances for mounting points. 2. Different-colour webbing is also available to complement most interiors. Front belts Remove the old seatbelt. The basic static belts used eyebolts to anchor them. Simply undo the belt buckles by unhooking the…

HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT Steve Saxty talks us through four secret Ford concepts featured in his new book. Steve on the fantastic four: “I realized that a book featuring one-offs, cancelled cars and prototypes might shock people if the cover featured too many vehicles they didn’t recognize. That’s why I chose the Escort Coupe, Sierra-derived Capri and red RS Coupe for the main Secret Fords cover; they are recognizably Fords, but obviously ones you couldn’t buy. Since it also tells the story of how the Fiesta, Escort, Capri, Cortina, and the rest, were designed I needed to get that across too. For the Collector’s Edition I needed two sets of custom-drawn illustrations for the boxed slipcase and scrapbook within it. The slipcase features the craziest-looking far-out weirdos while the scrapbook…

HOME AGAIN The classic car-based TV series, Wheeler Dealers will return to the UK for the first time in five years, fronted by Mike Brewer, and by a new mechanic, Marc ‘Elvis’ Priestley, who joins the show as Mike’s new co-host. New presenter Marc previously worked as a Formula One race mechanic for McLaren, and following his stint with the iconic racing organisation, has co-hosted a number of shows including Wheeler Dealers: Dream Car and Driving Wild. He is regularly seen on screen as a commentator and pundit for Sky Sports. Mike Brewer has spent decades honing his technical skills, trading cars and customising vehicles to the highest standards. He has become a motoring household name and will continue to share his expert knowledge with viewers throughout the series. Filmed…

COMING UP Inside the March 2021 issue of Classic Ford! The March issue, on sale January 22, is looking firmly forward with our pick of the Fords you’ll be drooling over at the shows and events in 2021 — from a stunning Capri 3.0S restoration to a classic street racer-look Mk1 Escort, and much more besides. Plus reveal what to look for when buying an Orion, and examine what might have been if the RS1700T had been given the go-ahead. The March issue hits the shelves on Friday, January 22 — why not subscribe to make sure you don’t miss out? Turn to page 22 for our latest subscription offers.…

BOOK OF THE MONTH SECRET FORDS VOLUME ONE From £39.99 7 Spoke Publishing If you’re a diehard Ford fan, when it comes to books on the subject, you’d be forgiven for thinking you’ve seen (and read) it all before. Be prepared then, to have your mind blown with Steve Saxty’s latest bible in which he unlocks the vault-like design archives of Ford and Ghia to reveal the concepts and ideas behind some of our favourite Fords of the 1970s and 1980s. There’s some absolute gold in here, from the Mk1 Fiesta ‘Estate’ (actually a test mule for the forthcoming Mk3 Escort), to the Mk2 Granada two-door that looks eerily like a Mercedes-Benz 350SL, only with BMW E24 6-Series headlamps. Each image is backed up with a detailed caption, and the…

Top5 Project Cars The Fords with the best project potential from five decades of Blue Oval excellence. 1950s Anglia/Popular 100E Pros: Cheap, cheerful and easy to tune with goodies from other classic Fords. Cons: Bereft of style and painfully slow as standard – and most mechanicals were lifted from the Ark. Condition C value: £750-£2000 Almost every tuneable Blue Oval traces its roots back to the 100E of 1953 – the first small Ford with monocoque body, MacPherson strut front suspension and leaf-sprung rear. Until 1959, two-doors were Anglias and four-doors called Prefect; from then they were two-door Popular and four-door Prefect (107E). There were also estates (named Escort and Squire) and chunky Thames 300E van. Bin the original 36 bhp 1117cc sidevalve engine and three-speed ‘box for a hot…

Our Cars Gavin’s Mk1 Cortina The two-door concept has never quite looked right in Gavin’s eyes so he enters the digital realm to help rework the radical estate’s profile. My two-door estate was introduced back in the August 2016 issue and since then it’s just languished in the garage while my life got complicated. My intention had been to throw together a quick, albeit slightly rough, car to have fun with but there was one problem to overcome first. You may remember that it was a Custom Car magazine project and they’d described the conversion to two-door, but what they’d neglected to mention was the issue with the differing roof lines. The estate not only has a higher roof profile above the gutter but the gutter line is also higher…

ESCORTED AWAY I enjoyed your December issue dedicated to the later Escorts. In the intro, however, it states that Escort production ended 18 years ago with Focus production (except the van which ran until 2002). Ford actually still continued production of the Escort car until 2000 with the Flight and Finesse models being available as run-out editions. This was said to be because Ford were worried about conservative buyers not taking too well to the radical Focus, in the same way Cortina buyers didn’t initially take to Sierra. In reality it was to keep the market for two cars to take sales away from Vauxhall and other manufacturers as the car cost nothing to produce and could be sold in small numbers at a maximum profit. It was also a…

THE OTHER CABARET The Cabaret registration KOT 675Y is what Martin refers to as ‘The Scottish Capri,’ and was bought two days after his first car was wrecked. “I spoke to the owner, Paul Pattison from Dumfries, and we did a deal. It’s virtually untouched with 43,000 miles and the original bill of sale. Paul bought it in 2009, and he had refurbished the fuel tank and rebuilt the rear axle, but other than an unleaded conversion it’s as it left the factory. If you compare it with my other Capri it does look older, but that paint was applied 38 years ago — it’s a good looking older car.”…

BUYER’S GUIDE ESCORT XR3i MK4 It’s the cult classic that’s easy to live with, and our in-depth guide reveals all you need to know. Words ChristianTilbury Photos Adrian Brannan “THE MK4 XR3I’s SMOOTHER BODYWORK GAINED MORE-EFFECTIVE SPOILERS” While the Mk4 Escort XR3i sought to improve on the Mk3 version, the verdict was definitely out when Ford pulled the wraps off its latest fast Ford in March 1986. Whether drivers thought it was a step backwards or a leap forwards depended on how hardcore they liked their sporty Escort experience. Revised suspension, the availability of anti-lock brakes and a stronger bodyshell heightened refinement and safety, but it came at a price. Thanks to a 10 mm higher ride height and the comfort-enhancing, softer suspension settings, the new XR didn’t handle as…