Indholdsfortegnelse for October 2023 i Classic Ford

NEXT ISSUE ON SALE: FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 29 We love it when a plan comes together, but when it comes to building a classic Ford, that can sometimes be easier said than done. Fortunately, the five fine folk who put together the incredible cars featured in this issue are proof that it can be done, with an end result that more than justifies the amount and time and effort (and yes, money) that is sometimes involved. If you feel inspired to start your next project (or even restart an old one), then turn to page 34 for out 10 top tips for a successful and finished project — there’s sure to be some nuggets of use that even the most pro project car builder will find useful. We’ve just returned from…

MK2 ESCORT COMPLETE DOORS £660 West Wales Rally Spares Good news – West Wales Rally Spares are stocking Magnum Classic Ford Panels’ new Mk2 Escort door assemblies. These are complete — not just the skins, and include the frame and inner panelwork — perfect for that Mk2 project if yours are rotten, rather than hunting down good, used examples. Both left and right-hand assemblies are available, and WWRS can ship them all over the world. Contact: 01559 363731, www.westwalesrallyspares.co.uk CROSSFLOW ROLLER ROCKERS £500 Burton Power Conventional rocker arms tend to produce sideways movement in the valve stems which causes high levels of friction and subsequent wear to both the stems and valve guides. Replacing the standard rockers with roller-rockers virtually eliminates the sideways movement thus preventing the wear thanks to…

Considering how many major projects Simon Booth has completed over the years, its hard to believe he doesn’t do this stuff for a living. Somehow, he crams any car related rebuilds and restorations into the little spare time he has and there’s never any talk of cutting corners as every one of his projects has been finished to an impressively high standard. “My first major restoration was based on a Tawny Brown Mk1 Escort Mexico,” Simon remembers, “and it ended up running a 340 bhp Cosworth YB built by Norris Motorsport.” That first resto proved to be so enjoyable, Simon decided to repeat the whole performance with another Mk1, only this time with a Duratec engine and Mazda NC six-speed ’box. Originally, Simon had intended to take the Zetec route…

As many of you will have spotted, there’s been a recent trend focusing on cars we rarely see any more, which were previously overlooked. We’re not just talking desirable performance models, even elusive and once disposable cars from mundane marques such as Proton, Daihatsu and Hyundai seem to now have a strong following. In a way, you could say Jonathan Beech must have been way ahead of his time, having developed a curious fascination with unusual old everyday cars that are now deemed to have reached a classic status. “I bought a 1971 Mk4 Zodiac Executive in the late 1990s when they were deeply unfashionable,” Jonathan explains. “At the time, they were even looked down on by Ford people.” The Zodiac remained in Jonathan’s ownership for six years, which included…

In the much-missed golden age of British rallying, the Open Championship had household names like Jimmy McRae, Russell Brooks, Tony Pond and David Llewellin. Over the Channel in Belgium at the same time, they had their own trinity of rallying superstars who were unbeatable on their home turf and who held their own at the top level of the European scene: Patrick Snijers, Marc Duez and Robert Droogmans. This month we take a look at one of Robert Droogmans’ RAS Motorsports-prepared Sierra RS Cosworths, which is now at home in Jiri Jirovec’s massive collection of WRC cars in the Czech Republic. In the late 1980s, Droogmans was at the peak of his skills, winning his first championship in the fearsome-to-drive RS200 in 1986. The advanced Group B car didn’t have…

One of the time-honoured tasks every hands-on enthusiast gets to savour is the motor factor brake-line boogie. Usually, just as they’re shutting up shop on a Saturday and the assistant has scrubbed their hands ready for the first hot date in a year. Up you dance to the counter having left a dribble of rusty DOT3 trailing in your wake from the boot of your car or more likely the bus stop. This first time, pity kicks in and he feels like a god for having helped you out with a new union and flared end. Thereafter, you’re a lowlife taking them for granted at closing time. Taking destiny in your hands means buying one of those magical tools that creates in seconds what no other tool in the universe…

“WHILE INHERITING MUCH OF ITS PREDECESSOR’S DNA, THE MK2 ECLIPSED THE GROUND-BREAKING MK1 TRANSIT IN SEVERAL AREAS” With rivals closing the gap on its class-leading Mk1 Transit, Ford once again pulled away from the competition with the launch of a significantly revised version in March 1978. Internally, it was known as the 1978 ½, but would become widely recognised as the Mk2. While inheriting much of its predecessor’s DNA, the Mk2 eclipsed the ground-breaking Mk1 in several areas. Most noticeably, it’s front end bodywork was significantly different, sporting a more contemporary look with longer wings and bonnet, while there was also a bigger focus on driver and passenger comfort. Resultingly, the cabin featured wider seats, which could now also be specified with cloth trim, and there was a new two-speed…

Who: Dale Shreeve Age: 35 Job: mechanic Location: Wiltshire, UK Car: 1961 Popular 100E Start condition: V6-powered unfinished project Condition now: dry build almost complete Time taken so far: 3 years Estimated date of completion: Summer 2024 Having a race car is great, but there is a downside — they’re rubbish for taking the family out in at the weekend. That’s the situation Dale Shreeve found himself in a few years ago, when he realised the Zetec turbo-powered Mk3 Escort drag car that was parked in his garage wasn’t really ideal for carting his kids around. “I was away most weekends during the season too, which wasn’t ideal,” he admits, “so I started looking around for something else.” Fortunately, that something else wasn’t SUV-shaped but instead came in the classic…

Ford Power Live Where: Saturday, September 13 Where: Brands Hatch, Kent UK What’s going on: Brands Hatch’s celebration of blue oval performance, Ford Power Live, returns on Sunday, September 18, and it’s shaping up to be a great way to see out the outdoor show season here in the UK. The majority of the show’s key attractions are back for 2023, including the bumper racing line-up which includes everything from one-make Focus Cup Championship and Modified Ford Series races. The meeting’s signature car displays will return too, with a strong entry of Ford cars expected to attend. The best-presented cars in the venue could leave with silverware in the boot too, as part of the show and shine competition. Tickets are £22 for adults in advance. Find out more: www.fordpowerlive.co.uk…

FORD ESCORT: A WINNER’S CAR 59.90 Euros McKlein This 264-page book documents the complete rally history of the Mk1 and Mk2 Escorts from its 1967 debut to the World Championship title of 1981. Author John Davenport — the first to co-drive in the Escort on its rally debut 50 years ago — spoke to two dozen contemporary witnesses, and describes the development in chronological order with anecdotes. The text is accompanied by more than 500 partly-known and never-before-seen photos — many by legendary rally photographer, Reinhard Klein. They show the Escort in the Boreham workshops, during testing and, above all, in action and in a wide variety of liveries. Contact: +49 22039242570, www.mckleinstore.com FUEL PRESSURE GAUGES £26.62 Webcon Webcon has released two new fuel pressure gauges designed for setting up…

Regular readers may recall we first met Mark by chance during a random walk over lockdown, spotted what was going on inside his garage and began chatting. He told us of his big plans for the stripped and then sorry-looking Mk1 Escort shell that lay inside and a few months later, Mark and his project appeared in our popular Grafters feature in the July 2021 issue. You may well recognise his name and face, but probably not the car (we didn’t) as its changed considerably since we last saw it. Mark spent his early years growing up around old Fords with Escorts, Fiestas, Cortinas and Capris to name just a few of the then future classics his dad, Ted drove and tinkered with. “My dad was a mechanic, and I…

Contents 80 Know this: Atlas axles The diff’rent types explained and more 86 Our Projects: Mk1 Sierra The Sierra swap isn’t quite going to plan 88 Our Projects: Mk1 Fiesta New ECU and dash design for Mike’s Mk1 90 Expert Clinic Problem with your Ford? We can help SAFE TECH When working on cars and using tools of any kind — especially power tools — always use protective gear: goggles, gloves, ear defenders, masks and a decent set of overalls are essential. A fire extinguisher is also advisable. Never work under a car without supporting it with axle stands and if you’re not completely confident of your ability to complete any task safely, leave it to the experts. The A B C of tuning T is for... timing The ignition…

What’s been done this month: Attended the Camber & Combustion Handling Day, broke the ECU, fitted a new ECU and rewired the engine, made a new dashboard Next on the to-do list: Sort out the car wiring loom, and get it back on the dyno Thanks to: Matt and Alex from Camber & Combustion for the car control day, Zak at Zewspeed for wiring the ECU, and Clarke at Ignition advantages for the ECU and support Over the summer I have tried to use the car as much as possible. I even managed to book onto a Camber & Combustion handling day at North Wield Airfield, where I managed to throw the car about in anger. The aim was to try and get it to unsettle in a safe and…

If you take a quick look at the results of the London-Sydney Marathon of 1968, it seems as if Ford had never looked like winning. If, on the other hand, you look again, and carefully, you’ll realise that Boreham came agonisingly close to victory. Even so — and no-one said it would be easy — it was the Lotus Cortina engines which let the side down, for no fewer than five of the seven units either blew up completely, or had to be cannibalised to keep them going at all. The world now knows that it was Andrew Cowan’s Hillman Hunter which finally won the event, but surely every Ford enthusiast knows that it was Roger Clark’s Lotus Cortina which led the entire marathon for 8500 miles until Port Augusta…

Mark Cutts has been a Ford addict as long as he can remember, so it came to nobody’s surprise when a Capri 1600L became his first car at the age of 17. This soon made way for a Cortina 2.0S, but by the time he was just 20, Mark had discovered the latest XR range that was all the rage at the time. “Somehow I managed to insure an XR3 and I guess it was that car that really started the ball rolling,” he smiles, “I went on to own a Mk3 XR3i, Mk2 XR2, a Sierra XR4i, a Mk4 XR3i and a Sierra XR4x4 over the next decade or so!” Along with an Orion Ghia Injection which was essentially an XR3i with a bigger boot, that almost makes it…

With production of the Fiesta ending in Cologne back in July, and Ford not having built a complete car in the UK for a decade now, we rewind to 1984 when things were rather more prolific. This image of the Dagenham plant reveals a couple of Blue Ovals wearing the then-new A-prefix numberplates, including a Capri 2.8i on the left and a five-door Sierra on the right. A Sierra XR4i is also present (hidden behind the British Telecom HA Viva van) as is a Mk3 Escort, both of which would likely to have been almost new at the time, while representing the previous decade a 1973 Mk3 Cortina Estate is parked at the front.…

The growing transition to online trading has provided a happy hunting ground for scammers in recent years, especially with the restrictions of pandemic playing a major part in normalising a lack of face-to-face contact when buying and selling. But even now, the scams continue to proliferate, with fraudsters finding new ways to con classic car enthusiasts. The Over the past few years, sister title Classic Car Buyer has consistently reported on the high number of fraudulent classic car listings blighting eBay and Facebook Marketplace. More recently though, fraudsters have consistently been targeting specific car groups on Facebook, including those catering for classics. The most common method sees fraudsters posting in a group saying they have parts available, perhaps pretending to be breaking a car for spares. They will attempt to…

Looking to improve on the performance of your classic Ford’s engine? Then make sure you don’t miss the November issue, out September 29, which is dedicated to tuning and improving classic Ford power plants. The 148-page Ultimate Engine Tuning Guide will feature proven tuning recipes for the Crossflow, Pinto, Zetec, Duratec and more plus top tuned classic Ford feature cars, essential buying and restoration advice and a whole lot more. The November 2023 issue is available from Friday, September 29 — why not subscribe to make sure you don’t miss out? Turn to page 20 for our latest subscription offers.…

We’ve come across some early starters at Classic Ford but 55-year-old South Yorkshire-based Brenden Guest has an automotive story that begins when he wasn’t even in short trousers. “There’s a photo of me with my brother at the oval track and I’m in a nappy!” he grins. Brenden’s older brother, Steven went on to love the custom car scene in the late 1970s and proudly cruised around in his jacked-up Mk3 Cortina. Brenden explains that aged eight, he was the only one with small enough hands to change spark plugs in situ where the V8 sat so close to the bulkhead. He became increasingly handy with a spanner and recalls a pivotal moment where, at 13, a taxi broke down outside of his house. Brenden diagnosed a broken clutch and…

WEST LONDON CLASSIC FORD An incongruous start, due to my reliance on Google Maps displaying the wrong destination, it seems that the same issue befell a dozen members of the West London Classic Ford (WLCF) on their way to Aldershot Raceway. Salvaging a mishap into an advantage, this happened to be a perfect way to break the ice and introduce myself to the guys. As we make our way over to the famous Raceway, let us put aside the logistics of technology and introduce you to the WLCF. Started off by Club Chairman, Danny Inkpen and Social Media manager, Dean Cutler, with Matthew Park joining in to co-ordinate their many events, the 1000-member-strong club tirelessly cater for classic Ford owners in the west London area, but its not exclusively limited…

Show us yours! Email hi-res photos and details of your pride and joy or project to classicford.ed@kelsey.co.uk, or write to us at the address on page 6. Vinny Mann From: UK Car: Probe “I have owned my 1995 Probe for five years now,” says Vinny. “I wanted to restore the car as there are not many left in the UK and it can still turn heads. The DOHC engine is really good and puts out good amount of power for a 2-litre — for a car that’s over 25 years old it drives exceptional, and it’s covered 65,597 mileage through out it’s time and is still going strong.” “I really love the timeless design the car has and the way it drives, and I will continue to restore the car…

When it comes to the choice of axles for classic Fords, there are two common types — the English and the stronger Atlas. Plenty will argue that the English unit can be made to handle the power, but in truth, if you plan heavy-duty axle action then you’re better off starting with something a bit more beefy in the first place — like an Atlas. This is especially true in rallying where the punishment can be severe, so the options for strengthening the axle are strongly supported. And of course, these options can be transferred to virtually any form of motorsport or indeed, road use — resulting in axle that isn’t likely to break under all but the most severe abuse. It’s easy to tell the two axles apart —…

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 some great-value policies. Most class a vehicle eligible for classic insurance as being over 20 or 25 years old, but some allow exceptions for modern classics, so do your research before you dismiss a classic insurance policy out of…