Innehållsförteckning för November 2024 från Classic Ford

Welsh firm MST – best known for its modern evocations of the Mk1 and Mk2 Escort – has unveiled its latest model, the Mk2 Evo-X. The X part of the model’s name is in reference to the widebody X-Pack parts available for the Mk2 back in period, and it also boasts the RS2000’s droopsnoot front end. The new variant promises numerous upgrades over MST’s critically acclaimed Mk2 model. Two naturally aspirated four-pots are available: the base unit being the 2.5-litre Ford Duratec that offers 275 bhp, and the range-topper a 2.8-litre Millington Diamond unit providing a whopping 350 bhp. The latter is a longterm favourite for competition-spec Escorts, and can be specified with either a conventional manual gearbox, or a sequential affair. The RS2000-aping bodywork is entirely carbon-fibre, resulting in…

Isle Of Man Ford Fest Where: September 12-15, 2025 Where: Isle Of Man, UK What’s going on: Good news if you’re hoping to venture further afield in your classic Ford next year: Scenic Car Tours, who have previously organised our Classic Ford Tours have put together a weekend-long event on the Isle Of Man. Taking place from September 12-15, the tour includes a number of exclusive excursions on the island an Island Fun Run, Ford display at Peel Castle, admission to the IoM Motor Museum, Ford gathering in Jurby, afternoon tea at the famous Creg-Ny-Baa and a special photo shoot in the TT pitlanes. The weekend package costs from £399 and includes ferry crossings, hotel accommodation with breakfast (camping options also available), and a detailed road book. Find out more:…

RALLY SPECIAL From £83.78 John Brown Wheels Get some period cool on your Ford with JBW’s tribute to the classic lattice wheel design. Available in 6x13 and 7x13 with the classic Ford four-stud PCD and ET-7 offset, wheelnuts and caps are included, and JBW will also do complete wheel and tyre packages. Contact: 01926 817444, www.johnbrownwheels.com MK2 ESCORT QUICKRACK £426 Burton Power Burton Power is now offering an extra heavy-duty 2.4-ratio steering rack for the Mk2 Escort. Manufactured in the UK it features a brand new cast alloy housing with a thick tube casing, heavy-duty bronze bushes and heavy-duty tie rods. New rack clamps, new rack rubbers and tie rod locking nuts are also included. The rack will also fit Mk1 Escorts when used with Metric tie-rods. Contact: 020 8518 9127, www.burtonpower.com…

The 2025 Classic Ford Show may be some seven months away, but when you’ve got a deadline to finish a fresh classic Ford build, that’s no time at all! With that in mind, we’re on the lookout for new projects and rebuilds that will be finished in time for next year’s Great Unveiling on May 11. The best five will then be revealed one-by-one at a ceremony in front of thousands of enthusiasts at the show. Prior to the Unveiling, the cars will be kept under wraps so as not to spoil the surprise, and after the show all will be photographed for exclusive, full features in Classic Ford. WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR The Great Unveiling is always a diverse mix of vehicles, representing the best the classic Ford scene…

MUSTANG CELEBRATED A resemblance to the original Bullitt movie car, a 1967 390 GT 2+2 Fastback demonstrated the successful advertising received with Steve McQueen starting in the action-packed thriller that included a car chase through the streets of San Francisco. Mustang of the show winner – a tricky decision no doubt – was Lesley Robinson with a 1969 Mach 1 example. Other prizes went to Thomas Campbell’s Lotus Cortina and a Ford V10 van displayed by Billy Lynch. RALLY AND RACE MUST-HAVES When it comes to racing, classic hot rods are among the coolest creations in the scene. Although the thought of bringing something like this wide-arch Anglia as close as possible to a track-lining concrete wall is a tad daunting. Spec list here reads with a Quaife gearbox, Simpson…

H is for… head gasket The function of a cylinder head gasket is to form a seal between the mating faces of the cylinder block and the cylinder head. Gaskets are made from various types of composite materials. Mild steel, stainless steel or even kevlar fibre is sometimes used for high performance engines. The thickness of the gasket has a direct effect on compression ratio, and some very thin gaskets can considerably increase the ratio. A tuned engine, particularly one running with a higher compression ratio than intended by the manufacturer, places increased demands on the head gasket, and it is especially important that it is high quality, even for mild uprating. For seriously uprated units, you need a special gasket to cope with the extra pressures. You should always…

Flat Battery Q My MkI Escort seems to struggle to charge its battery, which is located in the boot, so much so that I constantly have to recharge it when not in use. If I drive it even briskly its charge levels drop right into the red until I slow down again. I’m guessing that my alternator simply can’t cope, but is there a better charging alternator available from another Ford rather than getting one from a race specialist? The engine is a good old Pinto, allegedly a 2.1, with a mild cam and twin 40s, running a five-speed box. Richard Payne UK A This is a bit of a nightmare question as there could be a OF THE million things wrong with the car, which are incredibly difficult to diagnose…

Working in the motor trade for over 30 years, Clive Frear happily admits he’s spent much of his life living his dream. “From a young age all I wanted to do was sell cars,” he smiles. “I was lucky enough to work my way up from valeting to becoming a multi-site general sales manager across various franchises.” Throughout that time Clive was employed by numerous operators and family-run dealerships alike, so it was inevitable he’d build up a connection with the Blue Oval brand at some stage or other. “My father also happened to be quite partial to a Ford, too,” Clive smiles, “he was especially fond of Cortinas and made his way through a selection of Mk2s, Mk3s and Mk5s.” In fact, it was a former company car of…

Taken on a sunny day in 1969, this fantastic image of London’s Piccadilly Circus shows some of the famous advertising billboards that made this such an iconic view. Famous names like Gordons, Cinzano, Skol, Max Factor, Lloyds Bank and Gold Leaf can clearly be seen. But for us, it’s the traffic beneath the ads that provides the most interest now. Routemaster buses, FX4 taxis and Citroen DS aside, the street scene is dominated by Ford’s commercial vehicle line-up of the era including a couple of Mk1 Transits, an Anglia van and its new successor — the Mk1 Escort.…

To get all of the cars that appeared in this year’s Great Unveiling featured in the same issue was almost as much of a Herculean task as it was getting them to the Classic Ford Show in the first place. Begging, negotiating, begging and more begging… we employed these tactics to get the four cars ready to be photographed in time for this issue. Why? Because we wanted all of the cars together in order to showcase the very best that the classic Ford scene gave us this summer. Whether it’s the stunning levels of finish, outlandish engines or clever body mods, each car is a shining example of what’s so great about the old Ford scene — one that we are immensely proud to be part of. And if…

A new restoration-themed show and autojumble is poised to launch at the Bath & West Showground near Shepton Mallet on October 27, with a diverse array of attractions designed to appeal to both seasoned restorers and newcomers alike. The National Restoration Show and Autojumble is set to feature live restoration demonstrations from industry experts, seminars and workshops, classic car displays and club stands. You’ll also find trade stands and an autojumble — a treasure trove for enthusiasts searching for rare parts and unique finds to complete their restoration projects. The event runs from 10 am until 3 pm, with advance ticket holder entry from 9.30 am. For more information and to buy tickets visit restoration-show.co.uk.…

A. Mk3 Cortina Owner: Antti Tiltinen Featured: April 2024 The Mk3 two-door’s sublime muscle car looks get added muscle car power thanks to perfectionist and flying Finn, Antii, with a modern Ford V8 and many trick touches. B. Mk1 Escort Owner: Nigel Baker Featured: December 2023 Nigel turned his ex-hillclimb and sprint Escort into an all-out circuit monster with a supercharged ST170 that went down a storm at the 2023 Great Unveiling. C. Mk1 Fiesta Owner: Luke Sumner Featured: February 2024 Luke built the Fiesta the only way he knew how — with the finest ingredients including a sweet Crossflow, and a show-winning exterior with perfect-fitment wheels. Lovely. D. Mk1 Cortina Owner: Perry Rolls Featured: March 2024 Period looks on the outside maybe, but Perry’s cafe racer-style Mk1 rocks a…

Good things come to those who wait. Especially if you use that time wisely. We don’t, we’re impatient, procrastinate and spend too much time looking at dubious things on the internet. Mike Wilson, on the other hand, is blessed with patience, an enviable collection of classic Ford parts that he’s assembled over the decades, and the skill to assemble said parts with breathtaking results. “I was always around Escorts in the 1980s and I bought this rolling shell in 1990 for £50,” Mike tells us. “I have been collecting bits for 20 years and it sat until a few years ago, waiting its turn.” Glance at the photos and spec sheet and you could be forgiven for thinking that Mike’s April 1968 Mk1 is a mega-money chequebook build, but that…

There’s a lot to be said for humans taking a step back and letting nature do its thing. Yes, we like perfectly manicured lawns, but allowing a few weeds and wildflowers to peep through is good for the bees, isn’t it? And if there’s one thing the world really needs right now, it’s more bees. However, life in all its disparate aspects is primarily about balance. Nature and nurture working hand-in-hand. Take the humble banana, for instance — the Cavendish banana you find in the supermarket literally could not exist in the wild; every single banana you’ve ever eaten has been an asexual clone, artificially inseminated by humans in a process called parthenocarpy. And vanilla — the act of impregnating vanilla orchids (using a blade of grass to open the…

Simon Williams was 19 when he visited the Capri Jamboree with his father, Gordon and first laid eyes on our feature car. “Dad’s owned three Capris,” explains Simon, “including a 2.0S he showed at various events. He sometimes competed against this 1984 2.8i with a Turbo Technics conversion and we became friends with the turbo’s owner, Les Cornick.” Simon initially bought a red 2-litre Capri Laser. “I always dreamed of owning a low-mileage example and later bought a 3.0S with 5000 miles I put a lot of effort into detailing.” We featured that 3.0S in 2009. “Capris were becoming classics and I wanted dad to make his a concours example. Then in 2006 I was reading Auto Trader and spotted Les’ turbo for sale at a dealership in Derby. “They…

Andrew Sygrove From: UK Car: Mk2 Capri Amazingly, Andrew first spotted this Mk2 1.6L languishing in a barn five years before he was able to buy it. Luckily, no-one else had grabbed the opportunity in the meantime which meant Andrew was left responsible for returning the previously modified and neglected Mk2 into the factory-spec showstopper it is today. A full bare-metal resto, full respray and many hard-to-find replacement parts were all required and other than fitting the vinyl roof, he’s done the whole lot himself. The result is simply stunning, and Andrew is quite rightly very proud he’s managed to restore now very rare Mk2 to such a high standard. Celedonio Foncueva From: Spain Car: Fiesta 1300S You can’t beat a works rally-spec Mk1 Fiesta and as you can see…

Crossflow sumps aren’t exactly race-orientated are they? But the option is to spend loads of money and go dry sump instead. And that of course means a big, fat wad of cash which we can’t justify right now. So we thought we’d apply some race technology into the sump we’d got, which is destined for the underside of one of our project cars. Our next port of call was Dave Colledge of Retro Ford so he could apply his vast amount of expertise into the black oily tank that will feed our engine in a slightly more efficient way. The result is that Dave’s designed a complete sump baffling system, which is now available as a kit — and in so doing, he guided us through the process of the…

Part 2 of 2 We embarked on a simple job last month of replacing the chassis kick-up section on a Mk1 Cortina, which of course turned out to be harder than we thought — isn’t it always? Not only was it rotten but the main chassis rail that joined it was riddled with MoT-type patches — and when lifted they were rotten too. But it got worse because the chassis rail they joined into, the main one running transversely and over the gearbox tunnel, was also patched and rusted out as well. We showed how we repaired that with a replacement section from Ex-Pressed Steel Panels last month. For the remainder of the repairs, we’ll use another Ex-Pressed Steel Panels replacement section — CF12 — which is handed; ours is…

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The Classic Ford Show — Europe’s largest classic Ford event — will take place on Sunday, May 11, 2025, once again at the South Of England Showground in West Sussex. If you love your classic Fords you will love what this show has to offer. Expect a huge trade village offering everything from panels to engines, a massive club area, and The Great Unveiling where five builds will be uncovered. There will be demos from the best in the business, hundreds of standout show cars on display, and we haven’t even touched on all the special feature areas at the show! Make a weekend of it, and arrive on the Saturday night, camping over and taking advantage of the entertainment available, too. So start working on those project cars now…

Inside your December 2024 issue Autumn is in the air… so what better time to give you a Buying and Tuning special, packed with pages of expert advice on what (or what not) to do to make sure that there’s a classic Ford parked in your garage with all the right credentials. Plus there’s a full guide to buying a Mk3 Fiesta, your guide to replacing sills, one of the best Mk2 Granada restoration projects we’ve seen, and more. The December 2024 issue of Classic Ford hits the shops on Friday, October 25. Why not subscribe today to make sure you don’t miss it? Check out the latest subscription offers on page 22. ON SALE October 25!…

Around 15 years ago, I can remember the first couple of highly-modified Mk1 Fiesta builds to start appearing that changed the way people looked at the model as a whole. For the first time, we started seeing humble Fiestas being built with the same level of attention, detail and specification usually associated with high-end Mk1 and Mk2 Escort builds. They marked a turning point and I’d argue that Dan Thorne’s Fiesta pictured here marks a new era for the Mk2 in a similar way. Perfectly finished, it’s got the underpinnings of an all-out track car, complete with fully-fledged HT Racing engine build. Plus there are the race car touches and feel — both inside and out — combined with a daring look unlike any other, thanks to that colour amongst…

Fate has a funny way of presenting itself to classic Ford fans. If, for example, it wasn’t for a workmate, Tony Stacey wouldn’t have bought a Mk1 Escort. If it wasn’t for that Mk1 being a bodged-up rotter, he would have never met Kelly and Neil at Panelcraft. If it wasn’t for meeting Panelcraft, he wouldn’t have discovered this Mk2 Mexico. And if wasn’t for this Mk2, the crowds at 2024’s Classic Ford Show wouldn’t have witnessed its first public outing. What’s more, if it wasn’t for The Great Unveiling — and all the folk we’ve just mentioned — we wouldn’t be reading about this car today. Then again, if it wasn’t for his family owning Fords, Tony might never have thought twice about Escorts in the 21st Century. As he…

SEPTEMBER FordFest September 22 Mallory Park Circuit, Leicestershire UK www.fordfestshow.co.uk Spa Six Hours September 25-29 Spa Francorchamps, Belgium www.spasixhours.com/en/ OhSoRetro Show September 29 The Rec, Margate, UK www.ohsoretro.co.uk OCTOBER Coffe & Chrome October 13 The Impney Estate, Worcestershire UK www.footmanjames.co.uk/coffee-chrome-collective Newark Autojumble October 20 Newark Showground, Nottinghamshire UK www.newarkautojumble.co.uk Classic Ford December 2024 issue on sale October 25 https://shop.kelsey.co.uk/classic-ford-magazine Ultimate Stance October 27 Telford International Centre, Shropshire UK www.ultimate-stance.co.uk NOVEMBER Rallye Prescott November 2 Prescott Speed Hillclimb, Gloucestershire UK www.prescotthillclimb.co.uk/event-details/rallye-prescott-3 Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show November 8-10 NEC, Birmingham, UK www.necclassicmotorshow.com Newark Autojumble November 24 Newark Showground, Nottinghamshire UK www.newarkautojumble.co.uk 2025 Autosport International January 9-12 NEC Birmingham, UK www.autosportinternational.com Race Retro February 21-23 Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire UK www.raceretro.com Classic Car & Restoration Show March 21-23 NEC, Birmingham UK www.necrestorationshow.com Drive…

Now in it’s tenth year, Hagerty’s Festival of the Unexceptional’s popularity is going from strength to strength. Before I attended for the first time last year I had my reservations. ‘Unexceptional’?! The cars involved are anything but! Plus a static show run by an insurance company in the grounds of a stately home hardly sounds like it’s going to set the world alight. The idea of snobs scoffing at exactly the type of simple old cars I love so much did nothing but make me sceptical before going anywhere near a ‘FOTU’ event. Thankfully I have been proven very wrong. The name will still attract jibes from the non-car tabloid clickbait press, but the reality is surprisingly one of the best car events the UK has to offer! The theme…

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…

With the RS Cosworth and XR models relegated to history, the late 1990s weren’t the happiest of times for fast Ford fans, but there was a glimmer of hope when the swoopy Puma broke cover in February 1997. Cynics saw little more than a Fiesta-based, Vauxhall Tigra rival that was rushed through in record time — advanced computer design seeing the Puma evolve from a scamp to the finished article in only 135 days — but they were soon silenced when they got behind the wheel. While the Puma might have shared the underpinnings of the baby Ford, the Fiesta happened to be one of the best handling in its class. Better still, Ford’s engineers didn’t just rely on the competence of the existing chassis, choosing to stiffen the rear…