1
ST
FOR FORDS
SNEAKY DIESEL
MOD IT: FIESTA ST
250bhp ST TDCi track weapon
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T H E U K’S N U M B E R O N E F O R D T U N I N G M AG A Z I N E
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Beneath the subtle style lurks over 400bhp of pure perfomance and a sorted chassis
MAY 2022 ISSUE 447 £5.50
TRACK GUIDE: CADWELL PARK MX-5 TURBO POWERED ESCORT REP TO RACE PROJECT UPDATES MK1 FIESTA XR2 BUYING GUIDE LIVING WITH THE MUSTANG MACH 1
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I S S U E 4 4 7 M AY 2 0 2 2
CONTENTS 08 REGULARS
82
15 NEWS What's new in the Ford world?
16 WHAT’S ON? Details of Ford shows and events coming up in the weeks ahead.
58 19 FORD PRODUCTS Hot goodies for your Ford.
20 CLUB PROFILE We catch up with the Mk4/4.5 Focus ST Owners’ Club.
88
42 PRINT MY FORD Your Blue Ovals in full print glory.
52
76
48 PROJECT CARS See what’s been going on with the Fast Ford project cars.
52 REP TO RACE CAR The build begins with a full service and new exhaust.
94 SUBSCRIBE Fantastic deals on the mag.
97 FORGOTTEN FORDS We discover a forgotten cousin of the famous GT40 race car.
62
98 NEXT ISSUE What's coming up in Fast Ford...
19
4
FAST FORD MAY 2022
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CONTE NTS
34 22
TECH
FEATURED CARS
74 FACTS AND FIGURES
08 SUBTLE ST
Swot up on your fast Ford’s vital statistics with our guide.
Beaneath the OEM-plus finish lies a 400bhp tearaway.
76 MODIFYING GUIDE: FIESTA ST180 How to tune one of the most popular fast Fords ever built.
22 MUSTANG MACH 1 We see what it’s like to live the track-spec Mustang in the UK.
28 FOCUS ST TDCI 82 BUYING GUIDE: MK1 FIESTA XR2
Once a frugal daily commuter has evolved into a full-fat track weapon.
Looking to buy the first fast frontwheel-drive Ford? Here’s how.
28
34 BIG-SPEC ESCOS Rebuilt from a bare shell, now packing over 500bhp and RWD!
88 MX-5’D MK4 ESCORT Our wildcard is running full Mazda MX-5 gear... with a turbo!
MOTORSPORT 58 FORDS IN MOTORSPORT Another new BTCC livery unveil, plus club rallying updates.
62 BASTOS RS500 The full story of the RS500 that won the Spa 24-hours in 1989.
68 TRACK GUIDE: CADWELL PARK Confidently take on the mini Nurburgring with our guide.
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INTRO
SUBSCRIBE AND SAVE! WWW.FASTFORDMAG.CO.UK Kelsey Publishing Ltd, The Granary, Downs Court, Yalding Hill, Yalding, Kent, ME18 6AL EDITORIAL EDITOR Jamie King (jamie.king@kelsey.co.uk) ART EDITOR Mark Field SUB EDITOR Dan Williamson CONTRIBUTORS Ade Brannan, Dan Williamson, Paul Lawrence, Simon
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WELCOME ISSUE 447 - MAY 2022 an you remember what car it was that first sparked your love for fast Fords? I don’t mean which model you lusted after, I mean which individual car it was that triggered something in your brain and set you off on the path of Blue Oval ownership? I can. When I was about 10 or 11 years old I remember sitting in my dad’s mate’s Sierra RS500 Cosworth (my dad was replacing the windscreen in it), and from that moment I became a fast Ford fan, when other lads my age were lusting after Skylines and Evos. The point I’m making is that everyone remembers the car that ignited their love for fast Fords. For the owner of the brutal Escort Cosworth on the cover, Adam Faver, it was an Imperial Blue EsCos that blasted past one day when he was walking through a local village. About the same age as I was when I discovered fast Fords, Adam was immediately hooked and spent the next few years of life planning how he could make owning one for himself a reality. As you can tell from his appearance in this issue, it’s a dream he managed to fulfil, and the story of how he got there is a compelling one. See for yourselves over on page 34.
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There’s a few other hidden surprises in the issue too: Daniel Freeman’s Mk2 Focus may look like a stock ST on EsCos style rims, but look deeper and you’ll find 400bhp and a sorted chassis too; Nick Osborne’s Mk3 ST TDCi was bought as a frugal commuter and is now a full-fat track torque monster; and Robert Thompson’s Mk4 Escort is quite unlike any other we’ve ever seen, thanks to full Mazda MX-5 engine and running gear, and a whacking great turbo added to that too! This month also throws up another little surprise – I got my own hands dirty swinging the spanners. Teng ones to be precise, as work gets underway on the Mondeo Rep to Race Car build. See the latest update on page 54. It’s all going on this month! Enjoy the mag!
Jamie
GET IN TOUCH! EMAIL fastford.ed@kelsey.co.uk FACEBOOK facebook.com/fastfordmag INSTAGRAM @fastfordmagazine
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NEXT ISSUE ON SALE 13 May 2021
MAY 2020 FAST FORD
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MK2 FOCUS ST
hen modifying a car, it’s very easy to fall into the trap of thinking bigger is better. You might start off by upgrading a few parts here and there and feel you have things under control, but attend a few shows with like-minded petrolheads and you soon get caught in a cycle of unending oneupmanship, where no spoiler or eye-popping graphics are quite wild enough. And while there’s nothing wrong with this overtly attention-seeking approach, it’s certainly not the only way to make your car stand out from the crowd. Dan Freeman, the 39 year-old owner of this immaculate Electric Orange Focus ST admits. “I’ve modified every car I’ve ever had.
W
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FAST FORD MAY 2022
In fact, the ST was originally bought as a daily driver while I restored an S550 Mustang that I’d bought as a project. But I soon got carried away with this one too.” At first glance, you’d be forgiven for wondering what Dan is referring to. His Focus doesn’t exactly scream its modifications from the rooftops, with only the 18in Autostar Legend alloys the obvious hint that there’s more going on than meets the eye. Dan says, “I like to think of original ways to make the car stand out but keep things looking subtle. I think it’s very easy to go overboard with exterior styling, stickers, and crazy add-ons to make a car loud and brash. “But I prefer to keep a standard OEM look and focus on lots of little unique details. And,
of course, a suitably powerful engine, as part of a more complete modifying package.” Dan credits much of his modifying skills and style to his dad, who has worked in the motor industry for over 50 years as a coachbuilder and now works for Dan as part of his successful vehicle accessory and security business. So, it’s clear to see there’s some serious modifying pedigree running through Dan’s DNA, which he has used to great effect to create his own slice of automotive perfection with his Focus. “I bought the ST back in December 2018, when I saw it on the forecourt of my local Ford dealership,” Dan says. “But it very nearly didn’t happen, not only as I had to persuade my wife to let me by another car, but also
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SHOCK VALUE
esaelp ,ediug elyts eht retirw siht
Dan Freeman’s Electric Orange Focus ST may look standard, but dig deeper and you’ll be startled by dynamic tweaks and a high-voltage 400bhp motor Words and photos DAN SHERWOOD
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MAY 2022 FAST FORD
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MK2 FOCUS ST
“The KMS Section 18 system was immense, and I loved it. But the 6.30am cold starts meant the neighbours were less impressed” because the dealer was hesitant to sell it, as it was too old for them to give a warranty.” Luckily, Dan doesn’t give up too easily, and after badgering his missus for two days straight and numerous pleading phone calls to the dealership, the tangerine machine finally ended up on his driveway. Dan laughs, “I started the modifying process by ordering a Group A induction kit, full Mongoose exhaust and a GFB diverter valve before I’d even collected it. By New Year’s Day it also had a Kenwood head unit, an OEM-style reverse camera and even a Vibe Audio sub banging out bass in the boot.”
BARS AND BRACES With 400bhp at his disposal, Dan has ensured all of the ST’s extra ponies can be used to the full with a host of transmission and suspension upgrades. The ST clutch has been upgraded to a beefier RS item and a Quaife ATB drafted in to transmit all the extra torque to suitably torture the tyres. Add to this a mixture of Hardrace anti-roll bars and drop links and a JW Racing strut brace to help keep the ST on the black stuff and out of the green, and Dan’s Focus has all bases covered.
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FAST FORD MAY 2022
So, he was off to a strong start, but it was when Dan joined the ranks of the Electric Orange ST Owners’ Club (EOSTOC) that things really started to escalate… Dan remembers, “I attended a local meet with the club and met Rob Hughes, an equally passionate Electric Orange ST owner, who was at a similar stage with his build. “To cut a long story short, three weeks later, Rob started working with me and, from then on, we spent much of our working day discussing mods we could do to our cars and bouncing ideas off each other.” This two-headed attack meant the build started to snowball with even greater urgency and Dan’s Mk2 was soon graced with a set of anthracite Bola B1 wheels, a Maxton dress-up kit, new door speakers and a Reiger rear diffuser. These were then joined soon after by a Superchips Bluefin handset, a 3in downpipe, hydro-dipped engine covers, an Anembo inlet plenum and a K-Sport big brake kit, which Dan managed to bag as a second-hand bargain. He laughs, “I also went through three different exhaust systems at the time. The KMS Motorsport Section 18 system was immense, and I loved it. But the 6.30am cold starts meant the neighbours were less impressed. So, I eventually settled on a 3in Scorpion Red Power system with 4in tailpipes, which still sounds great, but is a bit more civilised on start-up.” It was then that his mate Rob made the jump to run new software, a move that prompted Dan to follow suit and upgrade to a set of larger 440cc injectors. Dan recalls, “I was never happy with
OEM-plus ST3 cabin is stacked with details
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RS Mk3 Recaros look shockingly good
TECH SPEC
MK2 FOCUS ST ENGINE 2522cc five-cylinder, 20v turbo, steel ductile liners, Wiseco forged pistons, K1 conrods, King main bearings, Anembo plenum, 550cc injectors, RS spark plugs, DeatschWerks fuel pump, Pro Alloy crossover pipe, Pro Alloy aluminium radiator, Pro Alloy RS-spec intercooler with alloy boost pipes, Airtec Group A-style air filter, orange and black Pro-Hoses boost and coolant hoses, RS oil cooler, Airtec header tank and power steering reservoir, GFB diverter valve, Turbosmart actuator, RS turbo and all genuine Ford lines, genuine RS vacuum lines, 3in downpipe, de-cat, Scorpion Red Power 3in exhaust system with 4in tailpipes, hydrodipped engine covers in carbon-fibre finish, carbon under-bonnet plates, Airtec gearbox torque mount POWER 400bhp (owner’s estimate) TRANSMISSION Focus ST M66 six-speed manual gearbox, RS clutch, Quaife limited slip differential SUSPENSION Yellowspeed Racing coilovers, JW Racing front strut brace, Hardrace drop links (front and rear), rear arms and subframe painted gloss black, Powerflex rear trailing arm bushes, Whiteline rear suspension arms, Whiteline anti-lift kit, Hardrace rear anti-roll bar, corner weighted by SCC performance BRAKES Front: K Sport eight-pot callipers with 356mm M-Tech grooved discs and EBC Redstuff pads; rear: standard discs and pads; Goodridge braided brake lines all round
Bomb-proof build tickles out 400bhp
All tanked up
WHEELS & TYRES 8.5x18in Autostar Legend alloy wheels with Custom centre caps, ET35, 5x108, with 235/40x18 Uniroyal Rainsport 5 tyres EXTERIOR Electric Orange pre-facelift Focus ST, factory plastics (front grilles, fog surround inners) painted in Ford Magnetic Grey, fog surrounds painted matt black, Reiger rear diffuser finished in Magnetic Grey, rally flaps to rear, Maxton matt front splitter and side skirt splitters, Red 5 carbon-fibre badges and B-pillar replacements
Shiny PAS cap
INTERIOR Black Recaro CS front bucket seats from a Focus RS with matching rear bench, custom-trimmed door cards to match boot build, Red 5 carbon-fibre gearknob insert, leather gear gaiter, leather centre console cover, modified and trimmed Royal steering wheel, air vent boost gauge, A-pillars finished in black alcantara, custom parcel shelf with ST logo and LED accents, Red 5 carbon-fibre door sills, full custom boot build, Kenwood 8019DABS wireless Car Play head unit, Audiotec Fischer Director in centre consul, Audiotec Fischer Helix P Six DSP amplifier, Audiotec Fischer M One X subwoofer amplifier, Audiotec Fischer Helix Q 12 W 12in subwoofer in custom sealed enclosure, Vibe CVEN63C-V4 three-way sound quality component speakers, Ground Zero and Vibe cabling, Anti Vibe sound deadening, Synergy RVC10 OEM-style reverse camera Dan’s carbon knob
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MK2 FOCUS ST
DRIVER SPEC
DAN FREEMAN AGE 39 Quality and quantity: audio install reflects the ST’s intention
JOB Owner of South Essex Automotive Accessories FIRST FORD Mk5 Pumapowered Fiesta FAVOURITE FORD “Got to be a three-door RS500. Although a Mustang with a supercharger would be fun…” WHAT’S NEXT “More carbon and a full freshen up of the paint” THANKS “BRC Performance for their patience in the engine build and Robert Hughes for the constant badgering to work on the car, not to mention Martin Goode and Rob for persuading me to get silver wheels. Also thanks to Paul at Gibbos Garage for all his help and advice along the way, Ryan at Airtec Motorsport, Chris at Pro Alloy Motorsport, Alan at Midbass distribution, and of course, the long-suffering wife deserves a mention too”
Cossie-style 18s add OEM-plus appeal
the performance of the car at this stage, as it didn’t feel anywhere near as potent as I expected. And this feeling was confirmed after an EOSTOC dyno day revealed the car was only making a paltry 299bhp, which was way down considering the supporting mods at the time.” Disappointed, but far from beaten, Dan continued his quest for ST perfection, and used the enforced downtime of the first Covid lockdown to get cracking on his own car while his business was shut. He started by renovating the ST’s underside with a full set of polyurethane bushes, painting the subframes and installing a set of Yellowspeed coilovers. The engine also got a makeover, with a Pro Alloy intercooler, Pro Alloy radiator and a host of dress-up parts from Airtec, plus carbon bonnet plates and Stealth LED lighting. The lack of grunt was still an issue, so Dan decided it was time to bite the bullet and go for a hybrid turbo. “The new blower needed 550cc injectors and a custom remap. Unfortunately, that’s when the issues started,” Dan sighs. “Driving it home, there was smoke coming off-boost and a slight misfire. It wasn’t looking good.” Dan enlisted the help of his mate Paul from 12
FAST FORD MAY 2022
a local garage, who tried new plugs, a new water pump and even re-timing the cam belt to try and rectify the issue – as it was found to be one-tooth out – but unfortunately nothing seemed to rectify the problem. So, with winter on the way, it was decided to take the car off the road and focus on building a comprehensive custom audio install instead. While the interior was out for Dan to install new sound deadening and run the wiring for the new system, he acquired an ST3 leather interior, which found its way into the car along with retrimmed door cards, A-pillar builds and a custom parcel shelf. Dan says, “The audio system was all hand-built and has been designed and set up with sound quality in mind, not just outright quantity. But it’s still plenty loud enough when I want it to be.” But as much as he was enjoying his car’s latest aural addition, there was still the engine issue that was spoiling the driving experience, so Dan dropped the car at BRC Performance to get to the root of the problem. Dan shrugs, “After a thorough inspection, the fault was traced to cracked cylinder liners. So I was forced to make the choice between either breaking the car for parts or shelling
out on an expensive rebuild of the engine.” With so much already invested in the car, Dan made the wise choice to stick with his ST and instructed BRC to rebuild the engine with steel ductile liners, Wiseco forged pistons, K1 rods and King bearings. This bulletproof bottom end was then joined by an RS-spec turbo, a high-flow DeatschWerks fuel pump and a Turbosmart actuator, all controlled via MSD400 software and a host of other supporting modifications. “The car came back from BRC with the poor-running issue sorted and a brutal 400bhp under the bonnet,” Dan beams. “It is so much quicker now and has transformed the way the car drives, so I celebrated by installing a set of RS Recaro CS seats and the 18in Autostar legend alloys, which I feel suit the car perfectly.” Dan is now ecstatic with his subtly-styled but shockingly fast ST, as it has been built exactly how he wants it to be. Without bowing to the pressure to follow the herd and live up to the ASBO orange paint, he has shunned the lairy life of constant one-upmanship for slice of cool OEM-plus attitude where the devil is most definitely in the details.
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WH AT ' S N E W
NEWS See what’s going down in the world of fast Fords... Ex-McRae Focus sold at auction recently
MCRAE FOCUS WRC SELL FOR £423,300 ilverstone Auctions recently had the privilege of dropping the hammer on one of the most sought-after Fords of all time. The M-Sport Focus WRC that Colin McRae took to victory in Acropolis Rally in 2001 was the
S
star of the company’s latest auction sale at new venue, RAF Museum London. The car was freshly built for the Acropolis Rally in 2001, but is equally as famous for being the car in which McRae spectacularly crashed out of the Network Q Rally of Great
Britain in the final round of the championship that year, handing the title to Richard Burns in his Subaru in the process. As such it generated huge interest from collectors and rally fans in the weeks leading up to the sale, and went on to break all records for the highest price for any Focus WRC at auction, at £423,300! The same auction also saw McRae’s 2001 race suit go under the hammer too, which sold for £16,650.
Ford’s line up of EVs will include two new models based on the VW platform
NINE ELECTRIC FORDS BY 2024 ord has recently announced it plans to bolster its range of electric vehicles to include nine different models by 2024. We already know about the Mustang Mach-E and the five Transit models, and there’s a
F
fully electric Puma due soon too, but what about the other two? For now, Ford’s official releases simply refers to them as ‘Mediumsize Crossover’ and ‘Sport Crossover’, but we also know that the company has been working closely with VW and that these cars will be
based on the same MEB platform as VW’s ID.4 and ID.5 models. A Ford spokesperson has been quoted saying the new cars will look and drive like Fords. We’re expecting a further announcement soon, and we’ll keep you updated as soon as we hear more.
ESCORT COSWORTH COMMEMORATIVE POSTER his year sees the mighty Escort Cosworth celebrate its 30th birthday. To commemorate the occasion, automotive artist and illustrator Terry Putman has designed a special poster. The clever piece of artwork combines all ten Escort Cosworth colours into a single image, with the name of each colour and a
T
commemorative ‘30’ subtly spot-varnished in high-gloss. The effect means in some lights you can’t see the text, while in others the colour names are clearly visible. The poster is limited to just 30 pieces, and costs £100. The same artwork is also available on mugs, coasters, and T-shirts. More details at https://linktr.ee/illustratormaker
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MAY 2022 FAST FORD
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SHOW DATES See what fantastic shows and events are coming up for Ford fans in weeks ahead
IOW TAKEOVER 2022 MAY
JULY
MAY 6-9
JULY 2
CLASSIC FORD TOUR
RS COMBE
Dover UK to Bruges Belgium www.sceniccartours.com
Castle Combe circuit, Wiltshire www.rscombe.com
MAY 21-22
RETRO RIDES WEEKENDER Goodwood Circuit, Chichester www.retroridesweekender.com
G ORGANISIN A SHOW OR EVENT AND WANT IT E? LISTED HER details the Email us with elsey. – fastford.ed@k co.uk
JULY 10
CLASSIC FORD SHOW South of England Showground, West Sussex https://classicsworld.co.uk/classic-ford-show/
MAY 21
FORD VILLAGE BELGIUM Leopoldsburg, Belgium www.fordvillage.be
JULY 17
FIESTA IN THE PARK March Showground, Cambridge www.facebook.com/groups/49805557115
MAY 21
IOW TAKEOVER
JULY 17
Royal County Show Ground, Isle Of Wight www.iowtakeover.co.uk
XROC MIDLANDS & NATIONAL MEET, AT OLD FORD RALLY
MAY 22
British Motor Museum, Gaydon www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk/whats-on/ old-ford-rally
SIMPLY FORD Beaulieu, New Forest. www.beaulieu.co.uk/events/simply-ford/
t’s nearly time for the annual pilgrimage to the Isle of Wight for the Takeover event. The sights and sounds are not to be missed as countless modified fast Fords descend on this pretty little island just off the mainland. This year, the Takeover is open to all modified and performance cars and many show-goers use the event as the perfect excuse for a mini-break away with the family. There’s plenty to see and do on the island, but doing it with likeminded modified car fans makes things all the sweeter. Convoys of Blue Ovals on some of the best driving roads you’ll find anywhere in the UK are commonplace, and the island offers loads of fantastic photo opportunities too. More info at www.iowtakeover.co.uk
I
AUGUST
AUGUST 14
FORD FAIR
JUNE
JUNE 11
COSWORTH DRIVERS CLUB DAY AT BROOKLANDS Brooklands Museum, Weybridge www.facebook.com/ groups/404389203272642
Silverstone Circuit, Northants. https://www.fastcar.co.uk/ford-fair/ AUGUST 26-28
THE CLASSIC Silverstone Circuit, Northants. www.silverstone.co.uk/events/the-classic
JUNE 18-19
PLAYERS CLASSIC Goodwood Circuit, Chichester www.players-show.com/playersclassic
SEPTEMBER
SEPTEMBER 11
TRAX SILVERSTONE Silverstone Circuit, Northants. https://www.fastcar.co.uk/trax-silverstone/
JUNE 23 -26
FESTIVAL OF SPEED Goodwood House, Chichester www.goodwood.com/motorsport/festivalof-speed
SEPTEMBER 25
SCOTTISH FORD LIVE Knockhill Circuit, Dunfermline, Fife. https://www.knockhill.com/events/fixtureScottish-Ford-Live-id350
*CHECK BEFORE YOU GO! – While all dates and details were correct at the time of going to press, we urge you to double check info with event organisers before heading off! 16
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NEXT ISSUE ON SALE MAY 13 Coming up in the June issue we’ve got a monsterous 850bhp supercharged Mustang S550. Fast, loud, and screaming road presence, this fast Ford bosses both the road and the track. In addition, we’ve got some awesome old-school Blue Ovals too in the shape of an immaculate S1 Escort RS Turbo, plus a Zetec’d Fiesta XR2. Plus loads more! Pre-order now: https://shop.kelsey.co.uk/ issue/View/issue/FTF449
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FORD PRODUCTS
HP TUNERS
REMOTE TUNING DEVICE £POA
AUTO FINESSE
EXTRA LARGE 2.5-LITRE SIZES From £19 For a fast Ford fan, cleaning your car isn’t something you do just once. In fact, during the summer months it becomes a weekly ritual, and that means that you need a lot of products to keep your precious paintwork looking its best. Auto Finesse realises that, and has released its most popular wash products in extra-large 2.5-litre sizes to bridge the gap between previous 1-litre consumer and 5-litre trade bottles. Dynamite Traffic Film Remover (£19), Avalanche Snow Foam (£23), and Lather Car Shampoo (£23) still offer the same great features as ever, but are now available in bigger sizes so you won’t have to restock quite so often. For more details head to the website. www.autofinesse.com
The HP Tuners RTD+ (Remote Tuning Device) interface is a powerful OBDII interface device that allows owners to capture ECU files and send them directly to their tuner via the TDN (Tune Delivery Network). The tuner, in turn, can recalibrate the files and return them to the owner. The new files are transferred back to the RTD+ using Bluetooth and a smartphone app, and are then flashed back into the ECU. Basically, this allows customers to remotely provide vehicle read files and data logs, and allows tuners to remotely deliver recalibrated files, all via the TDN app. The browser-based TDN software fully is compatible with VCM Scanner and Pro Feature Set. It also prevents customers from changing or viewing custom tune files, and offers easily data logging from your phone app. www.hptuners.eu
FORD STUFF Useful gear for your beloved Blue Oval REVO
MK4 FOCUS ST STAGE 1 SOFTWARE AUTO FINESSE
CERAMIC SPRAY WAX £20
MOUNTUNE
PUMA ST GPF-BACK EXHAUST £699.00 Mountune says its new GPF-back exhaust for the Puma ST gives the three-cylinder EcoBoost an improved soundtrack, reduces back-pressure and enhances vehicle aesthetics at the same time. It’s made from 60mm diameter stainless steel and like previous exhaust systems to come from Mountune, features a Helmholtz resonator and has been designed to deliver performance gains without creating any unwanted drone or boom. The exhaust comes supplied with a new exhaust valve assembly, so you can easily swap your actuator across to retain full valve control to work with the ST’s different driving modes. The Mountune exhaust is available with either a polished stainless or carbon fibre tailpipe trim and includes an adaptor to connect to the OE exhaust too. www.mountunestore.com
Auto Finesse says its Ceramic Spray Wax is an hydrophobic ceramic coating that repels dirt and offers a high-gloss finish with extreme waterbeading characteristics. It’s been specially designed for ease of use; simply spray on to the clean car and buff off with a microfibre cloth. The clever SiO2-based formula instantly bonds with the paint (or vinyl wrap) finish to give a slick, glossy ceramic protection layer. For full details, check out the website. www.autofinesse.com
£478.80 Revo is a name well-known in fast Focus circles, and the company has just added to its range of software upgrades for fast Fords with this Stage 1 tune for the Mk4 Focus ST. Revo says the Stage 1 software increases power to 335PS (330bhp) and 520Nm (383lb.ft) torque, but as with other Revo products, the company says it’s all about the way the car drives over peak power figures. Revo says development focussed on getting the perfect balance of performance and driveability, without comprising on reliability too. That means they have also looked at things like the grille shutter parameters and even the temperature routine for the cooling fans, to ensure temperatures remain under control at these higher performance levels. For all the specs and details, head to the website or give Revo a call. www.onlyrevo.com
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CLUB PROFILE
MK4/4.5 FOCUS ST OWNERS GROUP We catch up with club founder Louise Rowlands to find out more about this rapidly growing group When was the club first founded? We formed this group in October 2019 after a club I had joined folded. I wanted to be part of a group specifically for the new Focus ST and there were not many out there. With the support of my husband Derek and some fellow owners, the group was created. I can’t thank my team (Derek, Angela, Lee, and Jamie) enough for their continued support with running the group.
introductory post about themselves. They are pointed in the direction of all of our club discounts, and we have regular events from major shows to smaller local meets to be part of. They get the amazing knowledge of all our members, including the admin and group experts. And they can get some good old merchandise for representing the group too.
How many members does the club have? Currently we have 815 members, based all over the world; the UK, Europe, Taiwan and Australia. The group is continuing to grow, and is exclusively for Mk4 owners. From the start, we asked what members wanted and the response was a group purely for owners of the Mk4, so that they could share their experiences with fellow owners. We have over 1000 followers on Instagram and offer those followers that are not in the Facebook group the opportunity to join us at shows and events.
Can you describe a typical club member? Approachable, helpful and friendly with a wicked sense of humour. Goes the extra mile to help everyone no matter where they are.
Which models does the club cater for? Mk4 and Mk4.5 Focus ST only (both petrol and diesel), but it doesn’t matter if it’s standard or heavily modified, all are welcome. What does the club offer new members? All members are welcomed into the group by one of the admin team and are asked to do an 20
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What shows and events does the club usually attend? Before Covid changed everything, we managed to get to a few shows such as Fast Show, Ford Power Live and Ford Fair. This year the program is bigger and better with 10 shows including Ford Fair. Our Events manager Jamie has got us a fun packed season that’s for sure! What’s the best thing about being a member of the club? If I may use quotes from some of our members: ‘A friendly community who are respectful to each other.’ ‘You have got this group right, it’s like
belonging to a massive family.’ ‘This group has kept me going through some difficult times.’ ‘A place where I feel safe, and no-one disrespects each other.’ ‘The best bunch of crazy people with awesome cars.’ ‘Everyone is willing to help each other out, whether on a post, DM or a Face Time.’ ‘I used to have money until I joined this group, all the members are bad influences when it comes to trying to keep a car standard!’ Where do you see the club in five years? Larger than a lot of similar clubs out there. A group that everyone wants to join not just because of their love of the car they own but because we put our heart and soul into everything we do. We are not just any car group – we are a family.
VITAL INFO NAME Mk4/4.5 Focus ST Owners Group FACEBOOK www.facebook.com/ groups/522413018593725 INSTAGRAM @Mk4FocusSTOwners EMAIL Mk4STOwners@gmail.com MODELS COVERED Focus ST Petrol and Diesel Mk4 & 4.5 COST TO JOIN Free
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LIVING WITH
LIVING WITH
FORD MUSTANG MACH 1
The latest special edition is the most track-biased Mustang to come from Ford, but what’s it like to live with in the UK? Words MIKE RYSIECKI / Photos LEIGH JONES, MEL CANN & SIMON BUCKLAND
he external appearance of the current Mustang Mach 1 sets the tone for the rest of the car. We recently ran a new-model Mach 1 for a week to find out how well its ‘just enough, but not too much’ approach fits with a British winter. Now, assuming we include the anniversary, pace, race, commemorative, local/territorial, dealer, tuner and third-party variants, there have been 686 special editions of the Ford Mustang up until this latest limited-run model. This newest iteration of the Mach 1
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derivative is the fifth body shape to carry this famous Mustang sub-brand. Just as on the original 1969 version, the 2022 Mach 1 can be specified with or without the external identification stripes pack, but it’s beyond the immediate appearance that the Mach 1 reveals its true intentions.
RETURN OF THE MACH The sixth-generation switch from live-axle to independent rear suspension was always going to take the Mustang’s road and circuit credentials to a level higher than ever before.
Both ends of the new car carry model-specific styling, the front is unique to the Mach 1, while the rear is shared with the North Americaonly GT350. Buyers sacrifice the adaptive cruise control and rear parking sensors for such uniqueness, but the reversing camera remains. A discreet grey boot spoiler, modelspecific alloys and an available cost-option wheel design add to the sense of occasion. This is a best-of compilation, which offers buyers the chance to experience just how Ford’s chassis engineers think a Mustang should drive. There is a £9000 and 10bhp
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There was strong competition for Mach of the day
ORIGINS OF THE MACH 1 After USAF pilot Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier in 1947, expressions like Mach-speed, supersonic and jet-age entered everyday language. Ford had previously used the Mach 1 name for a pair of styling concept cars before bringing it forward on a production specialedition Mustang in 1969. With no less than seven V8 variants on offer across the range, one GT badge was not enough to cover the ground. The Mach 1 was originally offered starting with the 5.7-litre, 351cu in small-block Windsor V8 and occupied the space between the 5.0-litre, 302cu in GT and
the NASCAR-homologation Boss 429. The visible Mach 1 differentiators included an upgraded interior, appearance enhancements and reflective body stripes. Rear window louvres and a boot-lid spoiler were later added as dealerfit options. Back in its heyday, the 1969 Mustang Mach 1 smashed 295 speed and endurance records at Bonneville Salt Flats. On the Trans-Am race circuits, the Boss 302 Mustang may have claimed the honours but it was the Mach 1 that earned back-to-back SCCA Manufacturer’s Rally Championships for Ford in 1969 and 1970.
difference between the UK Mustang GT and the Mach 1. But can you feel the difference, and is the difference worth the higher price? To find out, we borrowed one for a week. Our Mach 1, chassis number 2828, came in the popular Fighter Jet Gray with the appearance pack and optional 19in Y-spoke alloy wheels. Underpinning the tasteful and understated appearance is a perfectly integrated combination of suspension and cooling improvements, which take the car to the next level. Can you feel the extra 10bhp? Yes, particularly as the power delivery is so smooth to the 7500rpm redline and the upgraded subframes and suspension deliver a new confidence-inspiring tautness; that is the secret sauce in the Mach 1. The perfect way to meet your Mach
BORN SLIPPY Our road-test period coincided with some very damp and greasy conditions, with Britain’s A-roads covered in salt when there had been little rain to wash away the build-up. The Mach 1 utilises the GT350 front subframe, tweaked springs and anti-roll bars with rear axle cooling, rear toe-link and rear diffuser from the GT500. It is further enhanced by a model-specific calibration of the adaptive MagneRide damper software from the Shelby- badged Mustangs. On a slippery A4, the Mach 1’s traction control was quite happy with rear-wheel
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LIVING WITH
slip, so long as both were spinning at the same speed, reserving its intervention for when one spins faster than the other. A midweek visit to the Motoring Matters group in West Berkshire for lunch at the Halfway Inn confirmed the appeal of the car to drivers who love a rear-wheel-drive V8. Halfway Inn owner Nick Moreton is a car enthusiast with lots of high-power RWD experience; he accommodates car fans with great food, warm hospitality, and the sort of spacious car park that we all love for car-talk. And the Mach 1 certainly gained approval.
A DESIGN FOR LIFE The Federation of Historic Vehicle Club’s annual Club Expo conference at the British Motor Museum provided the perfect venue for our old-and-new photoshoot with Dr Ian Murray’s classic 1969 Mach 1. As you would expect from an audience of mainly classic Ford fans, the ’69 original stole the show. En route to Gaydon in Warwickshire, we were able to fully experience the unique exhaust tuning, enhanced power steering and the effect of the GT350 airbox and intake manifold. The short-throw Tremec gearbox (also from the GT350) has been upgraded with rev-matching, which reproduces perfect heel-and-toe downshift throttle blips.
The gearbox is great to use and encourages maximum shifting simply to enjoy the perfectly spaced ratios. It’s is a leap forward in sophistication from the more agricultural MT82 manual fitted to the regular GT. What we couldn’t experience at normal road speeds was the claimed extra 22 per cent of downforce from the extended underbelly and improved underbody aero control. That, along with the GT350 oil-to-air engine oil, transmission and LSD cooling, is for track days during a warmer season. Our final on-test destination was a Sunday morning cars-and-coffee meet at Podium Place in Newbury, where the Prestige and Performance Car group were gathered for the type of car-centric discussions that we all enjoy. The Mach 1 instantly drew in the performance car crowd, armed with questions and demands for more details. There, we met Mustang owners Matt Cook and Paul Tucker, who were more than ready for a shotgun ride while their own cars drew more than their share of admirers. As a previous-model Boss 302 owner, Mustang buying guide author Matt was quick to acknowledge that the Mach 1 has surpassed Ford’s previous best efforts for road and circuit capabilities. Meanwhile, Paul was so impressed that he leapt straight to
“The finesse of the steering, the precision of the gearshift, the sound of the extra power from the variable exhaust, are multiplied when combined with the freshly calibrated suspension settings”
A 454bhp shouting match
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Mustang wins – game, set and Mach
figuring out which body colour best suited the Mach 1’s appearance package. Grabber Blue was his favourite on the day.
YOU’RE GORGEOUS
TECH SPEC
2022 MACH 1 ENGINE 5036cc (307cu in),V8, quad-cam, 454bhp @ 7500rpm, 390lb.ft torque, dual electronic fuel injection with open air induction, 87mm throttle body, oil-to-air cooler TRANSMISSION RWD with Tremec 3160 sixspeed manual gearbox, limited-slip differential, both with additional cooling SUSPENSION MagneRide adaptive suspension with unique Mach 1 calibration BRAKES Six-pot Brembo front callipers WHEELS & TYRES Unique Mach 1 optional 19in Y-spoke wheels, Michelin Pilot Sport 4S 255/40R19 (front) and 275/40R19 (rear) tyres INTERIOR Black leather with unique Mach 1 orange stripe identification, white cue-ball manual gearknob on short-shifter EXTERIOR Mach 1-specific front bumper cover, front splitter, belly pan, rear spoiler and rear diffuser, Mach 1-specific appearance pack PRICE From £56,955 (as tested £59,255)
To describe the Mach 1 by a dry list of its spec updates over an ordinary GT would be to miss the most important characteristic of this evolution of the Mustang. The key to understanding this car is by driving and enjoying the way in which the enhancements have been tightly integrated into a single model. The finesse of the steering, the precision of the gearshift, the sound of the extra power from the variable exhaust – each fine enough on their own – are multiplied when combined with the freshly calibrated suspension settings. Ford’s suspension engineers have pulled a master-stroke as each step through the normal, sport and track modes produces a small but still meaningful change, while the leap from the bottom to the top of the settings stack is truly purposeful. That this is accompanied by a matching set of exhaust tunes is even more satisfying. The real trick to this car is its sophisticated mechanical and electronic integration in which all of the upgrades and improvements support and enhance each other in harmony. With the most common Mustang upgrades
taken care of in the Mach 1, Ford has left an obvious gap for aftermarket vendors to fill. For example, the pop-out blanking plates in the front grille are a nod to the previous Boss 302 – with scope for fitting driving lamps or brake cooling ducts depending on the owner’s personalisation preferences. Other than the preferences around appearance, the only real decision buyers need to be aware of is seat choice; the standard heated and cooled seats are ideal for comfy cruising, but given the Mach 1’s handling capabilities, we would urge you to opt for the much more supportive Recaro upgrade instead.
BRITISH MOTOR MUSEUM Our thanks to the British Motor Museum for the use of the venue for photography. The museum is known for having one of the top car collections in the world, but it is much more than just a motor museum. From a comprehensive archive and picture library, education and learning programmes, a spectacular calendar of specialist motoring events, clubs, rallies, group visits, corporate team-building and conference facilities, there is a lot more at the venue to be discovered. The museum has announced an increased schedule of more than 30 events for 2022 including the Old Ford Rally celebrating 35 years of the Capri 280 on Sunday 17 July.
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, 2 2 0 2 T S U G U A H T 4 1 Y A D N U S T I U C R I C E N O T S R E SILV BOOK YOUR TICKETS
TERMS AND CONDITIONS *booking fee applies. Under 18s must be accompanied by an adult. All attractions are subject to change. Advance public tickets sales close Midnight Friday 12th August 2022. Warning motorsport can be dangerous.
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NEW
LITTLE EFFORT
F O C U S S T T D Ci
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FUELLING THE FIRE Once a frugal oil-burner, this ST diesel now blasts around tracks while drinking from the dirty pump Words SIMON HOLMES / Photos JASON DODD
he modern world always seems to be pushing the idea that we should recycle and reuse where we can, and it’s a concept that can be applied just about everywhere, including modified cars. Nick Osborne’s Focus ST diesel is a prime example. Having been purchased as a sensible daily driver, over the years it’s evolved to become something very different. With 370lb.ft of torque on tap, a plated LSD, pumped-up arches and a track suspension setup, the mean and menacing Focus now surprises people on road and track. Nick confirms, “I initially chose a diesel for the fuel consumption, due to commuting at the time. But now I use it for nothing other than track days and car shows.” When Nick bought the car five years ago, he never intended for it to end up this way, but the build is a tale of fate. Having previously owned several Fords, including a Focus ST and RS, Nick needed a new car to cover his long commute so was naturally attracted to the facelifted Focus. But he admits he was out of touch with fast Ford models by then, so was initially
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DRIVER SPEC
NICK OSBORNE AGE 44 JOB Company director FIRST FORD Sierra Sapphire Cosworth replica BEST MODIFICATION Coilovers FAVOURITE FORD SHOW OR EVENT? Rally Day Castle Combe TRACK DAY OR SHOW & SHINE? Track day Focus RS Mk3/ Yellowstuff stoppers
SIERRA RS500 OR FOCUS RS500? Sierra RS500 WRC OR BTCC? BTCC LESSONS LEARNT FROM THIS PROJECT? “Thinking”
AET Motorsport did the underbonnet business
THANKS “Huge thanks to AET Motorsport, APM Bodyshop, Auto Specialists, S6 Wraps and most of all, Sean Alp for helping me along the way. I would like to dedicate this feature to my dad, Allan Charles Osborne, who passed in 2021 and helped me do things on the car”
Super-aggro widearch stance comes from custom arches
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No smoke, all poke – 250bhp and 370lb.ft
after a Titanium. In fact, it was the salesman who mentioned there was a sportier diesel available, so Nick soon found himself back in an ST once again. “I was doing 100 miles a day, five days a week at the time, so needed something that would be good on fuel,” he remembers. “The ST was the best of both worlds for me; a nice drive to work but still economical.” When he collected the car, it was completely standard, and the plan was to keep it that way. But that slowly started to change, as Nick learned there was a thriving community of ST diesel owners making their cars stand out and perform better. Nick recalls, “I fell into modifying it when I began meeting other enthusiasts. That’s when it got a bit out of hand. I saw the easy gains others were getting, as the engine is very strong on these cars.” Attracted by huge leaps in performance, Nick found himself at AET Motorsport for a hybrid turbo, uprated intercooler and custom exhaust, among other additions. The result is approximately 250bhp and hugely usable 370lb.ft of torque to go with it, which transformed the car’s ability, and a series of other simple modifications soon followed.
“The biggest reaction I get is people’s disbelief in it being diesel. It lacks in the top end, but it has plenty of punch out of the corners” At this point it was still a daily driver, but the build took a more serious turn after a trip to the iconic Nürburgring, as Nick explains: “I never had an intention for it to become a track car, or even go on track with it. But I went to the ‘Ring with a good friend, and after a few laps I soon realised that the diesel was actually good fun on track. So I soon started doing track days with the car.” As fate would have it, at the same sort of time, Nick’s work circumstances changed and he was given a company vehicle to use, so the Focus soon went from being a daily driver to being parked up in the garage. That meant the transition to further develop it into a more focused track car naturally occurred. Back then it was on lowering springs,
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Burning oil and burning rubber, this ST derv is set for track action
...Party in the back
Business up front...
so Nick changed to a coilover setup and fitted uprated anti-roll bars and suspension braces. A custom meth injection kit helped to keep a lid on intake temperatures and complement the engine modifications, and Nick wisely invested in a plated LSD in an effort to harness the low-down torque. Braking was also improved, with the use of Brembos from a Mk3 Focus RS. That just left the matter of the look and feel of the car, inside and out. Nick reveals, “I think the arch kit is one of my favourite parts of the car and I made them myself. As a youngster, my dream car was an X-Pack Mk2 Escort RS2000 as I used to walk past one every day on route to school, so I guess this is my modern-day replica of that.” Nick started with a set of ABS plastic arches and, after adapting them to fit nicely, he took the full step of cutting the metal behind the front wings and rear quarter panels to ensure they didn’t just look the part but also allowed functionality. The 100mm increase in width allowed the 8.5x19in wheels and wholesome 235/35x19 tyres to provide extra grip and, along with an assortment of other finer detailed additions, Nick created a unique look. “I have spent four years evolving this look,” he reveals. “I like to do my own thing, and there’s nothing out there the same as this.” It’s a similar story when it comes to the 32
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interior, as Nick found a contrast of strippedback trim, together with custom touches and added creature comforts, made a perfect package. As a result, there’s a roll cage in the rear but the front cabin space has been upgraded with a custom steering wheel and upgraded Sync infotainment. With a comprehensive all-round package, it’s not surprising that Nick tells us his Focus is surprisingly capable on track. He says, “I think the biggest reaction I get is people’s disbelief in it being diesel. “It lacks in the top end, as diesels do, but it has plenty of punch out of the corners. I did think about increasing the power, but I like the reliability level it’s at, so decided not to mess with it. The coilovers and the plated LSD made a huge difference to the way it handles, although it’s not great on the road, as the roads are terrible.” There are still plans afoot to do more to the car, with the next development being an interior revamp that will see it tip a little further into track car territory, as Nick says: “Next I would really like to fit bucket seats and have some interior parts flocked.” With further additions on the cards and plenty more track days booked, look out for Nick’s repurposed Focus diesel at a track day near you.
TECH SPEC
FOCUS ST TDCi ENGINE 1997cc TDCi, hybrid turbo from AET Motorsport, Airtec Motorsport intercooler, Cobb carbon air intake and K&N filter, custom dualexit main exhaust by PipeCraft, custom sports cat, Cooling Mist UK meth injection system, Mountune boost hoses and stainless crossover pipes, uprated lower engine mount POWER 250bhp and 370lb.ft of torque (owner’s estimate) TRANSMISSION Focus ST six-speed MMT6 manual gearbox, Kaaz plated LSD, quickshift SUSPENSION Gaz Gold coilovers, front strut brace, rear K-brace, Hardrace anti-roll bars, Whiteline adjustable drop links BRAKES Front: Focus RS Brembo callipers with Godspeed J-hook 350mm discs and EBC Yellowstuff pads; rear: Mazda enlarged brake conversion using Godspeed J-hook discs and EBC Yellowstuff pads; braided brake lines all round WHEELS & TYRES 8.5x19in DGT alloys, ET35, 5x108, with 235/35x19 Michelin Super Sport tyres EXTERIOR Mk3 Focus ST, custom wide-arch conversion, S6 Wraps roof wrap, custom bonnet vents, custom rear diffuser INTERIOR Focus ST spec, Auto Specialists Clubsport roll cage, Alcantara steering wheel carbon inserts, Sync 2 sat nav upgrade, Powerbase speakers
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E S C O R T C O S WO R T H
still remember it like it was yesterday,” says Adam Faver as he tells us where his Escort Cosworth obsession began. “I was 12 years old, walking in a local village, and all of a sudden the loudest and fastest car I’d ever seen came blasting past me. It literally stopped me in my tracks, and my mind was completely blown.” Inspired, young Adam found out that the car in question was called an Escort Cosworth, an Imperial Blue one to be precise, and from that moment on he embarked on a single-minded mission to own his very own. He says, “From that day onwards I started
“I
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buying all the car mags religiously, and honestly my whole life has been geared towards achieving that boyhood dream. Young kids go through fads and phases of different hobbies and desires, but all through my childhood and adult life I was deadly serious and focused on what I wanted.” During these years of working and saving money, two things happened. First, Adam became heavily influenced by the modified car scene, the wilder and more unique the better. Second, Escort Cosworth values skyrocketed. Both of these factors played a role in his decision to think outside the box when it came to finally buying a car.
“I came across this as a completely bare shell,” explains Adam. “It was an affordable route into ownership and there was no point in me buying a really nice complete car for £50k just to strip all the parts off and replace them. It just didn’t make any sense to do that.” This Escort’s history is interesting. It was stolen and recovered in the 1990s, as many were, and a racing driver bought it from the police auctions as a spare shell for his rally car. He never used it, though, and sold on it to someone who sold it on... And that was the theme for the next few years of the car’s life. As it kept getting transferred to new owners, the already threadbare shell lost
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DRIVING AMBITION This stunning 500bhp, rear-wheel-drive weapon is the result of one young lad’s all-consuming ambition to own a modified Escort Cosworth Words BEN BIRCH / Photos ADE BRANNAN
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“With the block capable of big power, we thought we might as well treat it to an appropriate touring car-spec head and cams”
Cossies have been Adam’s favourite since he was a kid
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TECH SPEC
Carbon makes a bonnet event
ESCORT COSWORTH ENGINE 1993cc Cosworth YB, 200 block, ten long-studs, Nikasil liners, WRC oil-spray jets, forged pistons, WRC long connecting-rods, bigwinged baffled oil sump, MAS Tuning touring car-spec cylinder head and cams, Newman Cams valve springs, Quaife cam pulleys, 2WD Cosworth exhaust manifold, Garrett GTX3071R turbo, MAS Tuning turbo damper, MAS Tuning exhaust system, Raychem wiring loom, wasted spark conversion, uprated oil breather system, MAS Tuning under-car twin fuel pumps and swirl pot cradle, Group A-style air filter, Pro Alloy RS500-style intercooler, Direnza alloy radiator, SPAL twin fans, Roose Motorsport silicone hoses, Fuel Lab fuel pressure regulator, AS inlet manifold and fuel rail, Siemens 83lb fuel injectors, Aeroquip fuel lines and oil breather hoses, Pro Alloy satin black tanks, oil cooler, power steering cooler, L8 ECU, Wizards Of Nos nitrous system POWER 500bhp (owner’s estimate) plus 100bhp shot of nitrous TRANSMISSION Rear-wheel-drive conversion, Elite Evo six-speed sequential gearbox, 7.5in Gripper LSD with 3.9:1 ratio, diff cooler SUSPENSION Gaz coilovers, six-degree adjustable rear beam, polyurethane bushes, front strut brace, adjustable front TCAs BRAKES Front: AP Racing six-piston callipers with 360mm Reyland discs and Ferodo DS2500 pads; rear: AP Racing four-piston callipers with 330mm Reyland discs and Ferodo DS2500 pads, MAS Brembo rear handbrake calliper conversion; braided lines, in-car bias adjusting valve WHEELS & TYRES 8x18in Compomotive TH2 alloys in bronze, ET35 offset, 225/40R18 Continental Sport Contact tyres EXTERIOR Escort Cosworth in Imperial Blue, Morette twin headlights, smoked indicators and side repeaters, Nomad smoked rear light clusters, WRC rear spoiler, de-locked, carbon fibre bonnet vents, carbon fibre splitter, de-badged carbon fibre grille, RS500-style fog light grilles INTERIOR Escort Cosworth trim, carbon fibre banana pod, OMP steering wheel, MAS Tuning gearknob, MAS Tuning nitrous control panel, Engine/ECU monitor, Gizmo boost controller, Cobra Daytona seats, Stack auxiliary gauge
Trick bits by Aeroquip
more and more parts until Adam rescued it, when it was a bare skeleton with two doors. He laughs, “People thought I was mad to take the project on. When these things get stripped for parts it seems lots of nuts and bolts and clips simply get tossed in the bin, so I was permanently on eBay, as well as owners’ club forums, not just looking for running gear and other big stuff, but for thousands of little pieces too... It was a nightmare, but I never once got distracted from the goal.” Somewhat sensibly, he bought a basic Mk5 Escort donor to rob for parts, and alongside his mechanic friend he did a great job of building the Cossie back up in his garage, in a mere 20 months. Adam explains, “We used manuals for guidance, and asked people to take pictures of their builds so we could work out where everything went. I’d never seen inside an
Comps on a Cossie. Of course
Escort Cosworth before, let alone put one back together, so our learning curve was basically vertical.” With all that effort comes reward, that being the massive buzz Adam experienced when driving the car for the first time. Not least because he’d made it identical to the Escort he’d seen all those years ago: Stage 3 power, whale-tail, Oz Super Turismo wheels and – of course – gleaming Imperial Blue paint. Adam was in heaven, and this high lasted a year-or-so of enjoying car shows and sunny Sunday blasts before fate would take the Escort’s evolution to a whole other level. Adam explains, “The engine was getting a bit tired, and I had a chat with someone about checking it over. They’d helped me out with some unobtainable bits during the build and knew what they were talking about, so I hoped they could breathe some fresh life
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DRIVER SPEC
ADAM FAVER AGE 36 JOB Self-employed FIRST FORD 1.4 Ford Fiesta Zetec THREE FORDS IN YOUR DREAM GARAGE? Escort RS Cosworth, Fiesta RS Turbo, Sierra RS500 FAVOURITE THING ABOUT YOUR FORD? “Tricky… The gearbox is another level of cool” FAVOURITE FORD SHOW OR EVENT? “All of them, as long as there is track time available” TRACK DAY OR SHOW & SHINE? Track day SIERRA RS500 OR FOCUS RS500? Sierra WRC OR BTCC? WRC LESSONS LEARNT FROM THIS PROJECT? “It’s worth it in the end” WHAT’S NEXT “More power, and a bigger diff” THANKS “Thanks to my wife and family for supporting me, my best mate Dean for helping me build it from a shell, MAS Tuning for taking it to the next level and beyond. You are all heroes”
into the old YB.” That someone happened to be Mike at MAS Tuning – a Cosworth specialist who has built more than his fair share of big-power Escorts, so it was no surprise that once the car entered his Crewe workshop it was never to be the same again (in a good way). Mike’s diagnosis was that the engine needed a full rebuild, and when he told Adam, the pair started to open up the Pandora’s box of Cosworth tuning. “One of Mike’s customers was selling a freshly built, long-studded, Nikasil-linered block,” recalls Adam. “They’d bought a Smith and Jones alloy block for their race car, so the 200 block was just sat on Mike’s bench. It seemed too good an opportunity to pass up.” Anyone who’s owned a Cosworth knows what came next – the we-might-as-well spiral. “With the block capable of big power, we thought we might as well treat it to an appropriate touring car-spec head and cams, 38
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a nice GTX turbo, and before you know it I was going from a 300bhp Cossie to a 500bhp one,” laughs Adam. He wasn’t laughing for long, though, because big power in a 4x4 Sapphire or Escort requires big investment into the transmission without it breaking into smithereens every time you tickle the throttle. Adam says, “Gearboxes, front diffs, rear diffs… To properly kit out an Escort for 500bhp you’re into five figures. That could have been a bit of a worry, but Mike came up with a great solution.” One of Mike’s other customers had a 4x4 Sapphire fitted with a trick RWD sequential gearbox from Elite and a diff complete with plated LSD and 3.9:1 crownwheel and pinion. “The guy wanted his Saph converted back to standard with 4x4 running gear, so Mike brokered a straight swap,” explains Adam. “My Escort’s 4x4 running gear in exchange for his trick RWD parts. It was a no-brainer
Adam favours Cobra buckets over the usual Recaros
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“It’s transformed from a quick road car into a hard, raw track animal that bombards every one of your senses. It’s hard to describe, but it’s buzzing with energy and rawness”
The smartest way to keep your Cabernet up to temp?
Flat Eric gets randy with a Adam’s stick
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Ambition fulfilled
for me, not just from the perspective of bulletproofing the car basically free, but also in terms of the extra fun of rear-wheel drive.” Thankfully, Mike also advised on uprating the suspension and stopping power, so while the powertrain and drivetrain transformation was happening he fitted AP Racing six-pot callipers up front, four-pots at the back with big discs at each corner, plus a set of coilovers to help control all of that horsepower. The car hasn’t been dyno’d yet, but it’s been set up on the road and runs a 32psi peak boost pressure with 30psi held, so it’s sure to be knocking around the estimated 500bhp figure, and must not only be a hoot to drive but properly capable on track too. Adam agrees, “It’s a completely different driving experience to its first incarnation. With the engine and sequential ‘box, it’s transformed from a quick road car into a hard, raw track animal that bombards every 40
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one of your senses. It’s hard to describe, but it’s buzzing with energy and rawness.” If it comes across like Adam has a reaffirming life experience every time he turns the key and plants his right foot, it’s because he does. Just think about the journey he’s been on. It’s really quite special, because not only is the end result utterly wild but the levels of sentimentality attached are vast. “ He says, I still have the A4 scrap-book that I started filling with magazine cut-outs and pictures of Escorts as a boy, and that I continued to refer back to for ideas whilst building the car. “I was always inspired by the most bonkers and highly specced cars like Martin Hadland’s LOONY, Ian Howells’s white WRC-style Racetek car, and Stian Hafsengen’s blue car from all the Gatebil posters, to name a few. And you can see some of these influences in my build, such as the Compomotive wheels,
WRC rear spoiler, bucket seats and Stack instrumentation. To have my own highly modified and unique interpretation of an Escort Cosworth after poring over pictures of these legendary cars for so many years is an absolute privilege.” As we wrap up the shoot and the Escort fires into an off-beat edgy burble, we can’t help but imagine Adam going back in time and giving his 12-year-old self a passenger ride; what would the young lad say? Adam chips in, “Well, people usually hear the sequential ‘box screaming up the road, stop, turn around, and you can see them thinking ‘what the F is that?!’ So probably something similar...” One thing’s for sure: there will be a few young Cosworth fans putting this 500bhp, rear-wheel drive, sequential gearbox monster in their dream scrap-books today. And a few not-so-young ones too.
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Ignite your BLUE.
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#PRINTMYFORD See your very own fast Ford in full printed glory! Ever wanted to see your car appear in all its glory in the printed pages of a Ford tuning magazine? Well, if so, all you need to do is ask! Simply email us, or post a picture of your car on our Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram pages and add the hashtag ‘#printmyford’, and each month we’ll choose our favourites and print them in this aptly named feature.
DAN KENNY
Alternatively, drop us an email with a couple of pics, a full spec list of any mods and upgrades, and a few details about your time with the car to fastford.ed@kelsey.co.uk with the subject heading ‘print my ford’ and we’ll pick our favourites for a slightly more detailed review each month too. In order for us to print your Ford please ensure
ZETEC.S16
all images are of print quality, show the whole car, are free from watermarks, and you have permission from the photographer to use them in the magazine (*by submitting an image, you assume full liability and Fast Ford accepts no responsibility for any copyright infringement). Now go on, get posting! And don’t forget to add the tag #printmyford.
JAMES MCWHIR
ADRIAN ABDILLA
ROADHOG_ADE
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
ADAM SPICER MK6 FIESTA
Adam’s taken a 16-year-old Fiesta and given it a new lease of life. He admits he’s gone for the ‘show, no go’ approach but has also tastefully applied some unique mods to make his Fiesta stand out from the rest. They include a smoothed ST front bumper with Mk1 Focus RS side vents, air ducts in the lower front grille, Mk2 Focus RS-style bonnet vents, and custom headlights. It’s a similar tale at the back too; smoothed boot lid, RS-style spoiler, Maxton Designs diffuser with twin-exit exhaust, and an F1-style brake light all help to create a unique look. The fact it’s all finished in stealthy black and sitting on purposeful 15in Team Dynamics alloys shod with sticky track day rubber just adds to the aggressive, non-nonsense appearance.
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CHRIS LOWE
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#PRINTM Y FORD
BEN COWAN
CHRIS WARREN IN THE SPOTLIGHT
SHAUN HILL SIERRA THREE-DOOR
STEF_ST200
It looks like a Sierra Cosworth, but it’s not. It’s possibly even better. Shaun sent his 24-valve V6-powered Sierra to see the guys at Top Boss Performance in Derby with the clear instruction ‘I want Cossie-beating power’. Thanks to the addition of twin turbos, plus a whole host of other upgrades, the dyno printout already reads 490bhp, which is more than enough to worry all but the hardest of Cossies. But Shaun says that’s just the start. “That 490bhp figure was with just 200 miles on the engine. A bit more running-in time and some further tweaks and that engine will produce more,” he says. “I’m not going to go crazy, but it would be nice to just nudge it over 500bhp. I’ll settle for that.” All that grunt is sent straight to the rear wheels via a Cosworth T5 gearbox, which means it’s huge amounts of fun. Shaun is keen to exploit all that performance on a few track days later this year too. It’s clear from his enthusiasm that Shaun is over the moon with how his project has turned out and looking at the photos and that impressive dyno graph, it’s easy to see why.
FINLAY HARRISON
ELLIOT GOLDFADER
DEAN LEAVER
CHRIS HAYWARD
GAVIN CAWS
THAT_BLACK_MK3_RS
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FORD 22 MAY 2022
Be part of the action:
beaulieuevents.co.uk 01590 614614 New Forest | Hampshire | SO42 7ZN
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#PRINTM Y FORD
MARK GEORGE
OLIVER HAYWARD
MARLOW1992
GRANT NEWELL
KRISTIAN TAYLOR
PAUL DRINKWATER
JOOVOE
ROBERT GRIEVE
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
LEWIS HIGHAM TRANSIT CONNECT
JOHN BAKER
White van man has got bit of a dodgy image in the UK, but if all delivery drivers were smoking about with over 300bhp-odd of tuned EcoBoost under the bonnet like Lewis is, that would soon change. While it looks like a Transit Connect, this van has had all its running gear, and even interior, replaced with Mk7 Fiesta ST stuff. Think of it as a Transit ST. And because it’s running a Fiesta engine and running gear, that means this Transit is just as tuneable as any Mk7 Fiesta ST. So, it’d be rude not to bolt on a few go-faster bits, right? Lewis might have got a tad carried away there – as it’s so easy to do with the Fiesta ST – and his Transit now sports a full X48 turbo upgrade kit, with all the supporting hardware to go with it, and is pumping out around 340bhp! Blimey, we bet he’s never late for a delivery!
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TRACY DEWSNAP
D7_LFN
MARTIN CORNFORTH
STEPHEN COOK
STEVEN TOOTS TURTON
WILL THURLOW
TRISTAN WALLIS
SCOTT RICHARDSON IN THE SPOTLIGHT
PHIL DOUGLAS MK7 FIESTA ST
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There’s plenty of options to choose from when it comes to tuning the Mk7 Fiesta ST – you only need to take a quick look at our modifying guide in this issue to see that. And while it’s often simplest to stick with one specialist’s kit or preferred products, that’s not the only way to go about it. You can take more of a mix-and-match approach like Phil has, choosing the best bits from different brands or suppliers. Under the bonnet of his Fiesta, you’ll find a raft of performance upgrades from a multitude of specialists. A prime example of this is the Mountune-sourced hybrid turbo usually found as part of the company’s m265 package, coupled to Collins Performance CP2 software, an ITG intake kit, and an Airtec Stage 2 intercooler. The same ‘greatest hits’ ethos can be found all over the car: the brakes are Brembo four-pots from a Renault mated to Focus ST170 300mm discs; the suspension is a blend of Whiteline, Powerflex, and SiCo goodies; and the gearbox is robbed from an ST200 and has been treated to a Quaife ATB along the way to. What an awesome mash-up.
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FAST FORD PROJECTS See what fast Fords we’ve got in the garage, and what we’ve been up to with them
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JAMIE EDITOR MK3 FOCUS RS
DAN WILLIAMSON SUB-EDITOR MK3 FOCUS ST ESTATE
Jamie takes a trip to Essex to see FJRS for the RS’s annual service and a good going over.
Already filthy after last month’s waxing, the Fondeo’s still proving it’s a perfect everyday dog wagon.
Before fitting a nice new oil filter too
Johnny drains the old oil...
JAMIE FOCUS RS
TOP SERVICE Jamie’s RS gets some TLC ahead of a packed summer schedule QUICK SPEC Mountune m400R ■ Velgen Classic5 alloys ■ H&R lowering springs ■ 3M wrap ■ Mountune axle-back and sports cat ■ H&R anti-roll bars ■ Tarox brakes ■ Mishimoto intercooler, intake kit, and oil cooler kits ■ Quaife ATB
Flicking through the various Facebook groups and clubs that I’m a member of, I couldn’t help but notice a common thread among disgruntled owners citing examples of the poor service they had been subjected to when taking their beloved Blue Ovals in for regular service updates or routine maintenance. Thankfully, this is not something I’ve experienced personally, as I’m fortunate to 48
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have a circle of specialists that I trust and use. And, for me, that T-word is the key – trust. Ford fans are lucky enough to enjoy an outstanding army of specialists based all over the country, so make use of it! Whereas other scenes may only have one or two specialists to cover the entire population, the depth and breadth of the fast Ford fraternity means a reputable specialist is never far away. And even if they are, just jump in the car and go for a drive. It is a car, after all. You shouldn’t need any excuse to enjoy a drive in
your car, but having someone you know and trust working on pride and joy has got to be worth the extra effort, surely? That’s exactly what I did when I took my Focus RS from the West Country across to Essex to see FJRS for a thorough once-over and annual service. Having known Fred and Johnny for several years, I know first-hand the care and attention they take with customers’ cars. And you only need to take a quick glance around their workshops to see the kind of cars this work ethic attracts – my five-year-old, 17k-mile Mk3 Focus was by far the scabbiest car on the premises. In fact, on the next ramp over, another Mk3 RS was in for an underbody makeover; Fred and Johnny were eliminating any traces of corrosion and restoring all the underside components to a better-than-new finish. I was so impressed, I’ll be coming back with a boot full of camera gear to grab some proper photos so we can show the job in more detail in a full feature in the next issue. While I was gawping at their handiwork, Johnny got my RS up in the air and gave it a thorough visual inspection. Nothing major to report, but he did spot that the little rubber
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ADE BRANNAN PHOTOGRAPHER SAPPHIRE COSWORTH
DAN WILLIAMSON SUB-EDITOR FOCUS ST170
PAUL COWLAND CONTRIBUTOR MUSTANG GT
DAN WILLIAMSON SUB-EDITOR SIERRA COSWORTH
Ade’s been moving workshop and found himself repairing 100-year-old buildings rather than Fords lately.
Dan’s low-budget Focus project is put to one side while he restarts his Sierra and buys another old Escort.
Paul’s been busy buying classics for TV restoration shows, but the Mustang will be back out again soon.
You know how Cossies have a habit of breaking down even when they’ve been nowhere? Yes? Well, that...
Source of leak confirmed as the bead of the tyre
Wheels are removed for a thorough inspection
The Focus receives some TLC ahead of the summer
mounting brackets on the hot side boost pipe (the one that runs under the sump) had split. This is most likely because of track use last year and is another indication that I really should invest in a lower torque mount to stop the engine rocking back and forth. Everyone says it’s one of the best and easiest mods to make [it is – DW], yet I’m ashamed to say I still haven’t got round to it. It’s on the list for 2022. Another spot from Johnny was the small oil leak coming from the head gasket. This will come as no surprise to early Mk3 RS owners, but basically after all the head gasket trouble a few years ago, it turns out that a small blob of sealer is needed at one corner to prevent oil from seeping down the block. Previously we thought it might be the copper washers in the banjo bolt for the turbo oil feed pipe (RS owners, this is your cue to say ‘me too’), but closer inspection shows it’s coming from the head gasket. This is something that I could ask FJRS to sort out for me. But considering it’s a head-off job, and that means half-way to fitting forged internals, I think it’s time to break open the piggy-bank and start counting the pennies. In the meantime, it won’t cause any issues but it’s annoying because I know it’s there. Before the RS was given a clean bill of health, there was one more thing. Remember that flat tyre I had a few weeks ago? Well, I asked Johnny to investigate for me, and it turns out it’s not seating properly on the rim. It’s only a small leak, but enough to deflate over time and something that needs the tyre coming off the rim to sort out properly. So, that’s my first job for next month. For now, though, I know the car has been treated to fresh oil and filters and had the expert FJRS eye cast over it to make sure there’s nothing nasty waiting to rear its ugly head. Oh, and a bonus to travelling so far for a service is the three-hour drive home in the sunshine and a sorted fast Ford. I am so ready for the summer now, and thanks to FJRS, so too is the RS.
THANKS FJRS 01271 320510 www.fjrs.co.uk Fresh oil going in
Johnny notes any recommendations
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FA S T F O R D P R O J E C T S
After years of being asleep, Dan’s Cossie was understandably slow to get going again
DAN SIERR A RS COSWORTH
Will it see the open road this year? Who knows, but we hope so
SLOW STARTER After 11 hours of tinkering, the Cossie springs into life for the first time in years QUICK SPEC YBB with 205 block and Stage 3 chip ■ RS500 intercooler ■ T34.48 turbo ■ Gaz GHA coilovers ■ Powerflex bushes ■ Hose Technik brake hoses ■ RS500-type splitter ■ Compomotive MO5 7.5x17in rims ■ Momo rear wheel spacers
Cosworths deliver fun and frustration in equal measures. If you’ve ever owned one, you’ll know they can choose to break down in less time than it takes you to say ‘misfiring YB’. One moment it will be running beautifully; the next it will be stalled at the side of the road with oil trickling from some random cavity or bits of drivetrain scattered across the tarmac. Sometimes they just stop working for no reason other than to laugh at their owners. Admittedly, it had been a few years since I started up my Sierra, but the last time I drove it, I’d come straight home from a two-hour trip to visit my friendly MOT tester. It was working perfectly. 50
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So when my mate Richard offered to lend a hand with getting it back on the road, I didn’t expect it to take 11 hours just to get the damn thing starting up, idling and moving under its own steam. First, after a few preliminary checks and a gallon of fresh juice, we discovered the Sierra was sparking fine but wasn’t getting any fuel. There was no buzzing from the pump – and no voltage at the terminals – so we rigged up a temporary 13v supply to get petrol flowing to the injectors. And then there was no spark. Cleaning up the crank sensor got it firing, but then the fuel supply suddenly stopped. And so began a merry-go-round of battles with 30-odd-yearold Ford wiring. It turned out that a previous owner had
run a fused lead from the battery directly to the pump, and the cable had failed in several places. So we ripped it out, replaced it with fresh wire, and Richard expertly soldered it into the relay wiring near the ECU. Of course, we then lost a spark again – this time due to crumbling wiring at the crank sensor. But with temporary spade connectors in place and a beer beckoning, the Sierra finally fired up and idled on all four. To be honest, I’d forgotten what a smooth, sweet-sounding YBB it is. I’m itching to get it back onto the road. But with so much cable chaos under the bonnet, it would be stupid to try anything without the new engine loom that this car so obviously needs. Any recommendations for the best supplier?
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REP TO RACE CAR Liqui Moly Motor Cleaner helps remove oil deposits from inside the engine
New air filter was part of the service, but will be upgraded soon
Old oil was drained...
REP TO R ACE CAR
GETTING STARTED The Rep to Race Car project build begins with a full service, followed by a Scorpion Red Power turbo-back exhaust upgrade Words JAMIE / Photos JAMIE & JULES TRUSS
ast month we introduced our new Rep To Race Car project; a somewhat crazy idea to see if we can turn a lazy but comfy rep-spec Mondeo Titanium into something that’s harder, sharper, faster, and capable of tearing up racetracks across the UK. That’s not going to be an easy task and is going to require a lot of work to pull off, so this month we’ve wasted no time in getting stuck into the transformation. We’ve already got support from Teng
L
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Tools – backing the project and providing the necessary sockets and spanners to complete such a build – plus Mark Sargeant at Ford Parts R Us, who will be skilfully wielding those spanners to make our vision become a reality. But before we could get carried away with fitting all the performance upgrades, we needed to make sure the basics were all in place. The car has a full service history and came with wads of receipts for previous work, so we thought we’d bagged ourselves a good’un. Yet there’s nothing like getting it up
on a ramp and having a good old poke around for yourself. Thankfully, despite the grime and dirt, everything looks solid. And evidence of the car being well cared for and regularly serviced was even more apparent when we removed the old air filter; it had clearly not been in for long. Still, we were covering all bases and ordered all the parts for a good service: oil filter, air filter, cabin filter and even two new auxiliary belts as the old ones had started squeaking on the alternator and power steering pump – not any more. We even treated the engine to a good flush out with Liqui Moly’s Motor Clean. This clever additive is designed to dissolve old oil deposits and nasty build-up from inside the engine – perfect for a 120k-miler that’s spent most of its life cruising up and down the motorways. Just add it to the oil, run the car at idle for ten minutes to let it do its thing, and then drain it all out with the old oil. This left us with a nice clean engine, which we topped up with Ford-spec 0w40 oil. Then, to add future protection – and hopefully free up a bit more performance along the way – we topped the system up with Liqui Moly’s Ceratec additive. This is like a ceramic coating for the inside of your engine, reducing friction for added protection and improved performance too. Just the job for this Mondeo. With the car fully serviced and given the thumbs up from our resident mechanic,
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I N A S S O C I AT I O N W I T H W W W.T E N G T O O L S .C O M And old oil filter binned
New oil filter going in
Full Scorpion turbo-back exhaust ready to fit
Topped up with fresh 0w40 Liqui Moly oil
Ceratec should give added protection and better performance
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REP TO RACE CAR we were given the green light to get stuck into the upgrades. First on our list, as with many modified cars, was the exhaust system. There were plenty of reasons for choosing to ditch the OE system: it’s a huge restriction when it comes to future tuning (especially the standard downpipe and catalytic converter); it sounded terrible – the five-cylinder five-pot should have a snarling off-beat growl, but the stock exhaust system muffled all of that; and finally, the original exhaust was rotten – one of the hanger brackets had already rusted away and broken off, and the rest of the system wasn’t far behind. The perfect solution came in the shape of Scorpion Red Power’s stainless system for the Mk4 Mondeo. We’ve opted for the full turboback system, which means a high-flow 3in stainless steel downpipe coming straight off the back of the turbo. This will be needed later on when we start engine tuning work, and will allow the turbo to get rid of those exhaust gases much faster.
Coupled to the downpipe we’ve fitted a Scorpion sports cat. We could have opted for a de-cat pipe (which is significantly cheaper) but while the car is being built to take on racetracks, we still want to be able to drive there legally. A sports cat offers the best of both worlds. Finally, the cat-back system bolts up to the sports cat and follows the original routing of the factory system, meaning it attached neatly to all the OE fixing points using the original rubbers. Our car did require some minor trimming to the rear bumper for tailpipe clearance – the system is designed to fit with the X Sport rear bumper, but we quite like the way it looks with the original Titanium X bumper. Plus, we may look to add a custom diffuser later in the build. With the exhaust system fitted, we couldn’t wait to fire up the car to hear what it sounded like. What a difference! As soon as it bursts into life it has a much deeper growl and more meaningful burble at idle.
New exhaust bolted straight up
Old auxiliary belts were past it
New belts stopped the annoying squeak
Jamie couldn’t help but get stuck in and get his hands dirty when fitting the upgrades
Our Mondeo now has a sting it its tail...pipe
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I N A S S O C I AT I O N W I T H W W W.T E N G T O O L S .C O M
Full system sounds awesome, and lays the foundations for future tuning too
Give it a blip of throttle and it barks and howls like that much-loved five-pot should. After a run, and when everything’s nice and warm, you get a few spits and crackles on the overrun too – nothing like a pop-and-bang map, but some nice organic snaps and hisses that deliver plenty of audible encouragement. Inside the cabin, it strikes the perfect balance of being sporty without being intrusive. It’s not at all offensive or too loud but has really beefed up the soundtrack to our car – perfect for our goal of being able to drive to a racetrack in relative comfort and
then being able to set a blistering lap time. It’s all moving the right direction, but we’ve still got a long way to go yet. As you can see from some of the photos this issue, we’ve recently taken delivery of some motorsportinspired wheels and track day tyres – which we will cover in more details and show you being fitted in the next Fast Ford – and then the car will be off for its race-style wrap shortly afterwards. We’ll keep you updated each issue, but make sure you head to our Facebook page for the latest updates as they happen too.
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FORD PARTS R US PERFORM ANCE AND RE TRO FORD SPECI ALIST S
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T H E U K’S N U M B E R O N E F O R D T U N I N G M AG A Z I N E
GET FEATURED! Your car could be on these pages next month… Think your car is worthy of a feature in Fast Ford? Send us a brief description, a quick spec list, and a few photos (no more than 5!) to fastford.ed@kelsey.co.uk and we’ll take a look! Your pride and joy could soon be splashed across these very pages…!
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FORDS IN MOTORSPORT The latest racing updates from Blue Ovals competing all over the globe By JAMIE AND PAUL LAWRENCE
Apec Racing With Beavis Morgan cars complete Motorbase Performance’s four-car line-up
APEC RACING WITH BEAVIS MORGAN FOCUS ST UNVEILED Motorbase Performance completes a four-car line-up for the 2022 BTCC with Apec Racing With Beavis Morgan Words JAMIE & M-SPORT / Photos M-SPORT
s the start of the 2022 BTCC season draws ever closer, Motorbase Performance has recently revealed a partnership with Apec Racing With Beavis Morgan for the Focus STs that will be driven by Ollie Jackson and Sam Osborne. At a recent BTCC test event (we will bring you full details and the drivers’ feedback in the next issue) the Motorbase squad unveiled the car’s new livery just before getting into the serious business of testing and preparing for what is sure to be a hotly contested season of racing. The striking new red-and-black livery certainly stands out, and links nicely to Motorbase’s heritage in touring- and saloon-car racing. The names on the side
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of the cars should be familiar too: Apec is widely established as the leading specialist braking supplier to motor factors across the country, while Beavis Morgan, of course, has a long-standing association with the team and multiple BTCC race winner Ollie Jackson. Oh, and there’s a certain Ford tuning magazine logo on there too... Motorbase team principal Pete Osborne said, “Having a brand as highly regarded as Apec on board demonstrates the pull factor that BTCC has this season. This is just the start of what we hope will be a fruitful partnership and we can’t wait to see how the car looks when it hits the track.” In terms of Motorbase’s presence in this year’s BTCC Teams Championship battle,
Jackson and Osborne will score points for Apec Racing With Beavis Morgan, while Ash Sutton and Dan Cammish will score for NAPA Racing UK. With four competitive drivers in the stable, each with a proven race-winning car underneath them, the Motorbase team will have their work cut out this season. But it’s a challenge the whole team relishes, and we’re confident they will rise to the occasion and continue to win races in 2022. Of course, we’ll keep you updated throughout the season in the mag and on our social channels. Next month, we’ll have the drivers’ feedback on the new hybrid cars, plus all the action from the opening round of the championship at Donington Park on 24 April.
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David Henderson has already scored a hat-trick of rally wins this year
Words and photos PAUL LAWRENCE
HENDERSON SETS ASPHALT PACE e cut his motorsport teeth as a youngster in Formula Ford racing and later marked himself as a highly competitive rally driver in a Puma, but after a long sabbatical David Henderson is now showing his class in a Fiesta R5 rally car. Through February and March, the 47-yearold father of four from Durham scored a
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hat-trick of asphalt rally wins: two on the racetracks of Snetterton and Donington Park and one on the closed public roads of the first running of the East Riding Stages Rally in Yorkshire. Gearbox problems on the North West Stages brought the winning run to an end. “I had nearly a 20-year break from the
sport,” said Henderson after making a racing comeback in 2019. But rallying had always been a passion and he soon got himself a full-spec Ford Escort Mk2 projectile. The new R5 Fiesta followed soon after. “When I got the R5, we did a back-to-back test with the Escort and the R5 was 3.5 seconds a mile faster.”
Stephen Petch put down a marker in the Fiesta Rally2
Words and photos PAUL LAWRENCE
PETCH POUNCES IN THE LAKES rmed with the latest customer version of the four-wheel-drive Fiesta rally car, Stephen Petch put a marker down for 2022 when the BTRDA Rally Series opened in the forests of the Lake District in mid-March. On the Malcolm Wilson Rally, former
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champion Petch had his first competitive run in the latest Fiesta Rally2 built by the team of experts at Wilson’s nearby base. Typically, challenging conditions and a bumper entry got the BTRDA season off to a great start and Petch used all experience to good effect to take victory.
Not so fortunate was young Elliot Payne, who was expected to set the pace, but whacked a front corner off his similar Fiesta Rally2 on an unforgiving Lake District rock. Instead, second of the Fiesta pack in fourth overall was young Perry Gardener with a great performance in his older Fiesta R5.
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FORDS IN MOTORSPORT THE STORY OF
SPA 24-HOUR-WINNING
SIERRA RS500 This legendary Sierra RS500 Cosworth won the gruelling Spa 24-hour race in 1989 sporting the famous Bastos colours. But there’s much more to the tale of this car than that... Words JAMIE / Photos ADE BRANNAN
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S I E R R A R S500 C O S W O R T H
uilt by Eggenberger Motorsport to compete in the European Touring Car Championship in the iconic Texaco colours, this legendary RS500 then went on to win the gruelling Spa 24-hour race 1989. But its incredible achievements on track only tell half the story of this car; the tale since it was retired from official works Group A duties is just as interesting (and, at times, just as bizarre) as any that retell its time from the paddocks in the late Eighties. To help us untangle the tale we called on the help of RS500 guru and friend of the mag, Paul Linfoot. Paul’s the go-to man when it
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comes to anything RS500, and even more so when it comes this particular car… Because he now owns it. But how and when Paul came to become personally involved with the car comes later in the story. For now, let’s start at the beginning. Paul explains, “Eggenberger Motorsport built six official works cars that would run in the Texaco colours in 1987 and 1988. These has the chassis numbers 99261 to 99263 (the 1987 WTCC cars) and 99267 to 99269 (the 1988 ETCC cars).” Anecdotally, Paul also explains the missing three chassis numbers ’64, ’65, and ’66 were: Grab Motorsport’s Speedware-livery car
(that Klaus Ludwig won the championship in), a Ringshausen-prepared Texaco car, and the Ringshausen Lui-sponsored car – all competing in the DTM series in 1988. “The story gets complicated if we start to factor them all in, though, so for this one we’ll just concentrate on the six Texaco-liveried Eggenberger-built cars that ran in 1987 and 1988,” says Paul.
BORN IN THE EIGHTIES This car you see on these pages is chassis number 99268. Paul explains, “It was built for the 1988 season. We believe its first competitive
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FORDS IN MOTORSPORT race was in Monza at the opening round of the ’88 season, where it was driven by Klaus Niedzwiedz and Armin Hahne – Hahne drove for Wolf Racing later in 1988 but was called in to replace Klaus Ludwig at the opening round after the German found himself snowed-in at a ski resort in the Swiss Alps. “With the help of my friend and fellow RS500 fanatic Roy Diederen, we’ve been able to identify which drivers raced which chassis by looking at period photographs and recognising subtle differences between the cars. As such, we now believe this car was
driven by Armin Hahne, Klaus Niedzwiedz, Klaus Ludwig, Steve Soper, Pierre Dieudonné, Gianfranco Brancatelli and Didier Theys during the 1988 season.” While it was driven by several greats throughout ’88, it was most frequently used by Soper and Dieudonné, and was part of some epic battles throughout the course of the season. One of which was the Silverstone Tourist Trophy, which saw the RS500 powerhouses of Andy Rouse, Dick Johnson, and Eggenberger all do battle on the same track at the same time; Soper and Dieudonné
finished second in this car. Fast forward to 1989, and just like the World Touring Car Championship had been cancelled at the end of 1987, the FIA pulled the plug on the ETCC at the end of 1988, citing spiralling costs of the evolution special models such as the BMW M3 Evo and, of course, Sierra RS500 Cosworth as the reason; urban legend has it that the sport’s organisers were bowing to pressure from other manufacturers to ban the all-conquering Fords, or they would walk away from the sport and splash their cash elsewhere. TECH SPEC
SIERRA RS500 COSWORTH
Bias pedal box has separate fluid pots for front and rear brake circuits
Eggenberger cars had the suspension geometry perfectly set up
The real deal – chassis 99268
ENGINE 1993cc YBD, Eggenberger-spec Group A engine, RS500 205 ‘small core plug’ block, original rods and crank, Eggenberger-spec pistons, RS500 inlet with twin fuel rails but only running four Porsche 1200cc injectors (four ‘yellow’ Bosch injectors fitted in second fuel rail but not active), ported head to Group A regs, original valve sizes, Eggenberger-spec cams, side-exit exhaust, RS500 intercooler, twin engine oil coolers, Bosch 1.7 ECU with Eggenberger mapping, adjustable boost switch hidden behind ECU cover on dash, full copper wiring loom. POWER 480bhp in race spec (560bhp in qualifying trim) TRANSMISSION Group A-spec Getrag fivespeed with dog-leg first gear, Eggenberger-spec 7.5in ZF rear diff with spool, Group A two-piece propshaft and Group A driveshafts, cableoperated paddle clutch SUSPENSION Front: Bilstein Group A dampers with Eibach springs, Eggenbergerspec uprights and spindles (different from Rouse-spec), compression struts, adjustable TCAs, Eggenberger (non-bladed) steel front anti-roll bar, Eggenberger top mounts, nonpower steering quick-ratio steering rack with Eggenberger-modified steering arms; rear: solid-mounted modified beam, Eggenbergerspec aluminium rear arms, Eggenberger spindles, Bilstein dampers with Eibach springs, Group A-spec anti-roll bar; fully rose-jointed throughout
Group A-spec dump valve uses metal internals and strengthening braces
BRAKES Front: 330x32mm two-piece discs, AP Racing four-pot callipers; rear: 315x28mm vented discs, AP Racing four-pot callipers; bias pedal box with in-car adjuster, braided flexis WHEELS & TYRES 9.0x17in BBS split-rims all round, centre-lock wheel nuts, with Michelin 24/61-17 slick tyres EXTERIOR RS500 Group A shell, air jacks, full FIA-spec safety equipment, twin roof aerials for endurance racing, ran in Texaco livery in 1988 and Ford Motorsport/Borbet/Bastos livery in 1989 (currently in refreshed 1989 Bastos livery)
Old school T4 still delivers the goods... Or boost!
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INTERIOR RS500 motorsport shell, Sparco in-date race seat (original was carbon Recaro seat), in-date Sabelt six-point harnesses, Matter Group A-spec multi-point weld-in steel roll cage, original Bosch VMG monitor, AP Racing brake bias digital display, Eggenberger rev counter, additional fuel/water/boost/oil gauges, brake bias adjuster, Lifeline plumbedin fire extinguisher system, 120-litre bag-type fuel tank, two Facet lift pumps, fuel swirl pot, two Bosch 044 fuel pumps, braided fuel lines, motorsport battery THANKS “To Joanne for putting up with it all”
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S I E R R A R S500 C O S W O R T H
The YB ‘only’ produced 480bhp in race trim, but qualifying engines were said to be over 560bhp
NEW ROLE Therefore, chassis 99268 was used in the German national DTM series for the 1989 season, before being outlawed from that in 1990. But with the RS500s slowly being banished from all the major Touring Car championships, Eggenberger looked to use the cars in high-status 24-hour endurance events. The team entered the Nürburgring 24-hour race in 1987 and won, the first time a turbocharged car had won the event. In 1988 the team returned, looking to do the double, and chassis 99268 was one of the cars chosen. Unfortunately, it was forced to retire from that event but that was not to be the end of this car’s endurance adventures; it returned to the Nürburgring in 1989, this time wearing traditional Ford Motorsport blueand-white livery, where it came third overall in the hands of Gianfranco Brancatelli, Alain Ferté and Thomas Lindström.
WINNER! But better was yet to come. A few weeks later, Eggenberger entered the car in the Spa 24-hours race, where it was driven by Brancatelli, Bernd Schneider and Win Percy, and raced in the famous Bastos livery. Paul explains, “Because the car was mostly
“At the time, he said he’d never sell it. He wanted to keep this one as it was the first one to win at Spa, and I think he always had a soft spot for this particular car above all the others” driven by Soper and Dieudonné throughout 1988, and their driving styles were said to be kinder on the car, Rudi Eggenberger personally selected this car for events like the Spa 24-hours.” Paul goes on to recount a myth that says Bastos wanted two completely new builds for the event, but Eggenberger only built one (which, according to the legend, was originally intended for a private customer but was cancelled at the last minute so the shell could be used for the second Bastos entry to Spa 24-hour), and recommissioned chassis 99268 for the event. Looking resplendent in its new livery, Bastos bosses would never know that their ‘new’ car was in fact last year’s ETCC contender revamped. Mind you, they wouldn’t have cared either – not when it went on to win the race, becoming not only the first RS500 to do so, but also the first
turbocharged car to win the Spa 24-hours. No longer being eligible for DTM in 1990, the history gets quite vague as to which races the car competed in during 1990. “One event we do know about is the Spa 24-hours in 1990,” Paul says. Eggenberger wanted to use this car again, and again the choice proved fruitful; it may not have reached the highs of the previous year, but a third place overall for Roland Asch, Frank Biela and Lindström was certainly no mean feat; they still won their (Group A) class too.
RETIREMENT AGE After that, Eggenberger retired the car from competitive racing, and for many years it stayed in Rudi Eggenberger’s personal collection at his home in Switzerland. Paul says, “At the time, he said he’d never sell it. He wanted to keep this one as it was the first one to win at Spa, and I think he
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always had a soft spot for this particular car above all the others.” It wasn’t until a divorce many years later that the car emerged from Rudi’s private collection; it was sold off with its complete spares package in 2006 and was later used in hillclimb events. Thankfully, it was only used in a handful of races, and wasn’t subject to any modification or upgrade. “Luckily it ran exactly as it was when it left Rudi’s,” explains Paul. “It even entered the hillclimbs still in the Bastos livery.”
BACK IN ACTION A few years after, in 2015, a former Eggenberger mechanic bought the car and set about restoring it to its 1989 Spa-winning glory. Fully refreshed, it was then offered for sale complete with the original spares package, which was bought by Peter Sturgeon over in New Zealand. In 2016 the car then found itself on the other side of the globe, but not wanting to hide such an illustrious piece of motorsport history away forever, Peter arranged for the car to compete in prestigious events such as the Silverstone Classic, Oulton Park Gold Cup and Nürburgring Classic. Not only did the car compete, but Peter successfully reunited it with period drivers such as Gianfranco Brancatelli (who drove the car to victory at Spa in 1989) and Eggenberger team boss, Rudi Eggenberger. And it was at one of these meetings where Paul’s involvement with the car stepped up a notch. 66
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He adds, “Obviously I’d always known about the car, and was lucky enough to have met Peter, Rudi and Gianfranco, and even help them work on the car at race meetings. But at the Oulton Park Gold Cup race in 2017, I was about to get the opportunity of a lifetime; Gianfranco had to rush back to Italy for a family emergency, and Peter asked if I would like to drive the car in the race.”
Comprehensive roll cage links to the suspension points too
LIVING THE DREAM Paul continues, “I was gob-smacked, nervous and excited all at the same time. But it wasn’t something I could pass up. When I was called in to pit, Peter and Rudi were laughing and asked ‘were you having fun out there?’ When I replied ‘yes’ they just giggled and told me they had been trying to call me in for the last seven laps... I was concentrating so much that I never saw the pit board. “I tell you what though: coming down the pit lane and seeing Rudi Eggenberger waving me into the pit box was surreal. This man was my hero, and here I was driving one of the most famous cars he’s ever built while he was crew chief in the pits.” Sadly, Rudi passed away the following year, which technically makes Paul the last man ever to race an RS500 for Rudi Eggenberger, and he has only fond memories of the man he admired. Rudi was a quiet man, but once you got to know him, he enjoyed a laugh and practical joke, and was an entertaining character. It was clear there was mutual
Paul took the car on track at Ford Fair last year, and aims to be out again in 2022
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S I E R R A R S500 C O S W O R T H
respect between them, as Paul recounts: “I’ll never forget that he mentioned he thought we should build a car together; I’d helped repair the door panel after Gianfranco had a bit of a bump in it, and Rudi said, ‘we should build one together – I’ll do the engine and you do the body’.” High praise indeed.
NOT THE END Additional gauges were fitted later
Original seat has been replaced by an in-date item to go racing
Then the story takes a final twist. In 2020 Paul was offered the chance to buy the car, but the spares package had been sold to Dick Johnson Racing in Australia. Paul smiles, “DJR was planning to build two new cars – what would become DJR 7 and DJR 8 – and wanted to use the spare shell and spares package to build up one of the cars. Incidentally, the other car would be based on converting an old promotional car that was living in a museum in Australia, but we’ll come on to that a bit later.” But things change quickly in the word of motorsport; the man who had intended to build DJR 7 and 8 (the then-DJR team principal, Ryan Story) bought the DJR team from Roger Penske at the end of 2020. So, plans to build DJR 7 and 8 were abandoned so Story could concentrate his efforts (and funds) on the V8 Supercar championship in Australia. Last year, Paul received a call from Story asking if he wanted to buy the spares package, so now the Bastos car has been
reunited with its Eggenberger spares too. But the story has one final development. Paul explains, “Ryan is too busy to build the new RS500s he had hopes for, but he is still keen to see DJR 7 get built. After chatting about it, he then asked me if I would be interested in building the car on his behalf. Of course, I said yes, and it wasn’t long before the promotional car was in a container and on its way to the UK. My next big project is to build RS500 chassis DJR 7 for Dick Johnson Racing.” And, given that Paul also owns DJR 1 – the very first car built by Dick Johnson – that’s a rather fitting end that particular tale.
WHAT’S NEXT? But what about the Spa-winning car? What are the plans for it? Paul says, “At the moment I just want to use it for demonstrations and show the car off at events throughout the year, but I don’t have any plans to enter it into any more competitive races.” But given the company Paul keeps includes household names such as Steve Soper, Klaus Niedzwiedz, Gianfranco Brancatelli and Karl Jones, we would suggest a never-say-never caveat is applied to Paul’s last statement. If you want to see this car in person, then head to Ford Fair at Silverstone on 14 August, where Paul is planning to showcase the car as part of the Fast Ford stand. It’s a true piece of motorsport history, and not to be missed.
“Seeing Rudi Eggenberger waving me into the pit box was surreal. This man was my hero, and here I was driving one of the most famous cars he’s ever built while he was crew chief in the pits” Settle down into the ‘office’ for 24 hours
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C A DW E L L PA R K
The Mountain is Cadwell Park’s signature piece
TRACK GUIDE
CADWELL PARK We guide you around the UK’s version of the Green Hell
THE KEYS TO CADWELL PARK ■ Build your pace: there’s no tarmac runoff anywhere, just grass and tyres, so small mistakes have big consequences.
■ Plan your lap: each corner has its own demands; sections such as Charlies or the Mountain require a degree of aggression, but they’re followed by corners such as Park or Hall Bends where the same approach will result in you losing time.
■ Be brave (or don’t): leave a bigger margin of error than you might at other circuits. There’s such a high chance of damage when you’re flat out at Cadwell, it’s just not worth the risk if you aren’t driving competitively.
Words ALEX NEVILL Photos JONATHAN FLETCHER & FAST FORD ARCHIVES
nown as the mini-Nürburgring, Cadwell Park presents an incredible challenge for drivers. It’s extremely narrow and offers a fantastic combination of blind crests, big elevation changes and some really rewarding cambers. As a racetrack it’s better suited for bikes (it really is that narrow), but for a pure driving experience it’s unrivalled, making it a great track-day venue.
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1 - COPPICE The first turn is Coppice; a fast left-hander that climbs uphill steeply. You need to carry as much speed as you can through the corner. There’s a cut-through for a shorter version of the circuit to the driver’s right on approach – 68
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you want to use that as a marker for turning in. Try to be soft and smooth with your steering inputs to help keep the momentum high and, if the car allows, try to keep left on the exit to set yourself up for the righthanders at Charlies.
2 - CHARLIES Charlies features two right-handers, but the straight between them is too long for this to be considered a double-apex. As with Coppice, momentum is key as it leads on to the longest straight on the circuit. You’re still climbing at this point, so the first turn will only need a lift or a dab of brakes. The apex is the kerb on the inside, and from
there you’ll want to run back out to the left. The crest of the hill is between the two corners, which of course means the second turn is downhill. It’s a tricky corner, and lacks any markers, so you’ll need to develop a feel and a rhythm for the corner. With braking downhill, there’s limited weight on the rear of the car, so you’ll want to be sensitive with the brake pedal to manage the weight transfer. Turn in early and hug the inside through the corner; it’s an easier way to keep the minimum speed high.
3 - PARK STRAIGHT & CORNER After a blast down Park Straight you arrive at Park corner, an awkward 90-degree right-
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hander that’s slower than you think. There are brake marker boards to the left, but it pays to find some other reference points in case other drivers ‘move’ the boards. Get your braking done in a straight line and clip the inside kerb halfway around the corner for your apex. On the exit there’s a kerb on the outside, but you’ll only want to kiss that, otherwise it gets a bit bumpy.
PARK CORNER
3 4
4 - CHRIS CURVE Shortly after Park you have Chris Curve, a long, flat corner that you accelerate through. Gently roll the car into the curve to minimise how much you affect acceleration, and hold the car to the inside. From there you can release the car back to the left but be aware that the track never fully straightens before the Gooseneck.
PARK STRAIGHT
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CHRIS CURVE
CADWELL PARK
GOOSENECK
6
MANSFIELD THE MOUNTAIN
7
HALL BENDS
8
HAIRPIN
9
5 - GOOSENECK The Gooseneck is the most daunting corner on the circuit. There’s positive camber in both curves in this S-bend, meaning you can attack it and carry a lot of speed. But you also must be inch-perfect with your line. There’s a very fine line between getting it right and having a big accident here. The approach to the Gooseneck is one continuous curve, and the closest you get to a reference point is a slightly tighter kink in the road. From that point you should be working on your entry to the corner; you’ll need a brush of the brakes but again bear in mind that you won’t be fully straight. There isn’t really a clear turn-in point, so turn early and slowly instead of late and sharp. Use the kerbs; aim for the start of the kerb on the right and keep tight until it ends. There’s a slight crest before the left-hander that means the apex is hard to spot, but after a few laps you should know where it is. Once you’ve reached the end of the kerb on the right, turn in to the left. The crest drops down
2
CHARLES
1 10
COPPICE
BARN
into a dip, and the lowest part of the dip is your apex. Try to use as much kerb as you can on the apex and get back to full throttle as soon as possible to keep the momentum up.
6 - MANSFIELD Having survived the Gooseneck, you then dive downhill into Mansfield. The gradient doesn’t flatten out until you get to the apex, which means the entire braking zone is downhill and it’s difficult to slow the car down. Again, finding markers for your braking point is difficult, and while still learning the track it’s better to slow the car slightly too
early than it would be to brake too late and miss the apex. The apex is early, just after the start of the inside kerb, so that you can get on the throttle early and hard for the run down to the Mountain.
7 - THE MOUNTAIN The Mountain is Cadwell’s signature piece. At the foot of the mountain is a left-right chicane; you need to keep your minimum speed high for your best run up the Mountain itself. On the approach to this section there’s a slight curve in the road; you’ll want to cut back to the left to shorten your distance. Once
Its tight and twisty nature makes Cadwell a brilliant venue for track days
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MAY 2022 FAST FORD
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FORDS IN MOTORSPORT
that’s done, head back over to the right of the circuit and into the (very bumpy) braking zone. If you get enough of a feel for them you can use the bumps as reference points for your braking, and there’s a cut-through road to the right that you can use as a turn-in point. The circuit climbs uphill again through the left turn, which means you can carry more speed into the corner than you might think. The apex for the left is within the first half of the inside kerb, and from there you’ll want to hold the car to the left on the exit. There’s the smallest of straights between the two corners, so instead of trying to straight-line this section it’s better to hold the car to the left briefly and turn in later for a straighter line through the corner. This gives you the best acceleration up the Mountain. The second corner is roughly a 90-degree angle, so the apex is the corner of the inside kerb. Use the kerb but only the flat part; avoid the sausage kerb on the inside. Climbing the Mountain itself is really straightforward, but just make sure you cut back towards the middle of the track as you reach the top; this will enable you to travel the shortest distance.
C A DW E L L PA R K
8 - HALL BENDS After passing the paddock and the clubhouse on your left, it’s onto Hall Bends; a rightleft-right series of esses. There’s nothing to be gained time-wise through the first right specifically, but it is important as it sets you up for the rest of the section. The corner itself is flat on the throttle but it’s on a crest, which makes the approach to the left afterwards difficult. You need a mid-late apex here; keep to the right of the circuit on exit for the best line through the left. Use the exit road from the assembly area on your left as a turn-in point and aim for the widest part of the kerb. Run your right wheels over the kerb and hold the car within the right-hand side of the circuit. At this point you’ll need a dab of the brakes before turning in to the left. Between the two corners you only have the wheel pointed straight for a fraction of a second, which is the best time to brake. You’ll therefore need to time your braking correctly, but also make sure you brake hard enough so that you can come off the brakes before you turn in to the left-hander, having slowed enough to make the apex.
The apex of the left is halfway around the corner, and you’ll want to use as much kerb as you can to straighten your approach to the second right. You won’t need the brakes for the second right, although depending on your line and your car you might need a slight lift. But if you get it right, you’ll be flat through here. The apex is late, just before the crest, and again don’t be afraid to use the kerb on the inside.
9 - HAIRPIN The braking zone for the Hairpin begins as soon as you’re over the crest. It’s one of the slowest corners you’ll find anywhere, with an incredibly difficult approach over the crest, downhill, and on a left-hand curve. This combination makes it very difficult to get the car stopped in time for this tight right-hander. If you’ve got the end of Hall Bends right, the car will naturally be placed on the left as you go over the crest – exactly where you want to be. Hug the white line on the left until the road straightens, at which point you need to start looking to turn in to the corner. The tightest part of the corner is your apex; kissing the kerb with the right wheels will shorten the distance you travel, but it’s also quite a big kerb so it will be bumpy.
10 - BARN
Cadwell is often referred to as the UK’s miniNürburgring
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FAST FORD MAY 2022
Barn corner is the last on the circuit, and because it follows the Hairpin it’s a slow approach. This makes it feel a little underwhelming, but it’s important to carry as much speed as you can through it and onto the front straight. You’ll need a dab of brakes, and the apex is the start of the kerb on the right. Hold the car to the inside until the kerb ends, and then use all the track on the left for the best run down to the finish line.
0e479381-0069-45af-b2a9-c0a37e1e14de
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PUMPS
OTP 017
Competition £54.08
(P3017.1) Replaces: Bosch 0580 464 070
MOTORSPORT OTP 020
High quality, reliable, quiet Used by professionals
(P3020.1)
£62.02
240 LTR/HR 210 LTR/HR @ 3BAR Replaces: Bosch 0580 254 909
MOTORSPORT OTP 018
£57.24 (P3018.1) Replaces: Bosch 0580 254 911
OTP 979 (P3979.1)
£72.20
264 LTR/HR 228 LTR/HR @ 3BAR
Replaces: Bosch 0580 254 979
OTP 019 (P3019.1)
‘IN-TANK’ FUEL PUMPS
£62.05
Replaces: Bosch 0580 254 910/941/942 ALL PRICES EXCLUDE VAT @ 20%
Tel: 01784 493 555
www.glencoeltd.co.uk
MOTORSPORT OTP 044
£78.10 (P3044.1) 378 LTR/HR 318 LTR/HR @ 3BAR Replaces: Bosch 0580 254 044
Email: sales@glencoeltd.co.uk
0e479381-0069-45af-b2a9-c0a37e1e14de
ALL MAKES & MODELS&SERVICED & REPAIRED MODELS SERVICED REPAIRED
• MOT Preparation/Test Arranged • Performance Parts • MOT Preparation/Test Arranged Parts nged • MOT Preparation/Test Arranged • Performance Parts • Performance • P erfo •& Alloy Tyre Packages • Alloy Wheels Tyre Packages • Supplied Fitted es• Supplied & Fitted • AlloyWheels Wheels Tyre Packages • Supplied & Fitted • Supp • RS/ST Parts • Modification &• Track Preparation RS/STParts PartsModifi Modification & Track Preparation • • RS/ST • Modification &• Track Preparation
• Ford Parts Supplied • Cosworth Parts • Ford Parts Supplied • Cosworth Parts • Cos w • Cosworth Parts • MOT Preparation/Test Arranged • Performance Parts • Ford Parts Supplied
7
• Alloy Wheels Tyre Packages Supplied & Fitted Unit •11a Enterprise Park, Beck View Road, Beverley HU17 DJT
11a Enterprise Park, View Road, 0JT Unit•11a Enterprise&Unit Park, Beck Unit View Road, Beverley HU17 0JT Beverley HU17 0JT 1 •Beck RS/ST Parts Modification Track Preparation
01482 860019 Unit 11a Enterprise Park, Beck View Road, Beverley HU17 0JT • Ford Parts Supplied gsmotorsportuk • Cosworth Parts www.gsmotorsportuk.co.uk www.gsmotorsportuk.co.uk www.gsmotorsportuk.co.uk
www.gsmotorsportuk.co.uk Unit 11a Enterprise Park, Beck View Road, Beverley HU17 0JT PHONE 01375 378606 SPECIALISED
SE ENGINES LTD.
EMAIL: specialisedengines@talk21.com WEB: www.specialisedengines.co.uk
www.gsmotorsportuk.co.uk
FORD ONLY exchange reconditioned standard and modified units, 12 months guarantee, to fit any FORD ENGINED vehicle, Such as: ANGLIA, FIESTA, ESCORT,CORTINA, ORION, CAPRI, SIERRA, GRANADA, TRANSIT, GILBERN, GINETTA, MARCOS, MORGAN, QUANTUM, SCIMITAR, TVR, PANTHER, + any KIT CARS, Standard engines examples: Pre-cross-flow £1795. Cross flow £1795, OHC £1795, CVH £1795, CVH Turbo £2095, ZETEC £1995, 2.0 DOHC 16V £2095, V6 3.0 £1995, V6 2.8 £1995 V6 2.9 £2195 all unleaded
MODIFIED ENGINES All Pre-Cross-flow All Cross flow CVH XR2 XR3 etc CVH Escort /Fiesta Turbo Zetec E1.6 1.8 2.0 Zetec S1.25/1.4/1.6 2.0 DOHC 16V OHC 1.6 2.0 Pinto V4 Essex 1.7/2.0 V6 Essex 2.5/3.0 2.8 Cologne 2.9 Cologne
Stage 1 £2,095 £2,095 £2,195 £2,395 £2,195 £2,195 £2,395 £2,095 £2,150 £2,295 £2,295 £2,495
Stage 2 £2,295 £2,295 £2,395 £2,695 £2,395 £2,395 £2,650 £2,325 £2,450 £2,550 £2,595 £2,795
Stage 3 £2,475 £2,475 £2,795 £3,050 £2,995 £2,995 £3,195 £2,695 £2,750 £2,895 £2,895 £3,195
Stage 4 £2,695 £2,695 £2,995 £3,295 £3,295 £3,295 £2,995 £3,050 £3,195 -
MODIFIED HEADS Stage 1 £695 £695 £695 £695 £875 £995 £995 £695 £795 £995 £995 £995
Stage 2 £795 £795 £795 £795 £1,095 £1,095 £1,250 £795 £895 £1,095 £1,095 £1,095
Stage 3 £895 £895 £1,195 £1195 £1,495 £1,695 £1,795 £1,195 £995 £1,195 £1,195 £1,195
Stage 4 £995 £1,295 £1,295 £2,450 £1,295 £1,150 £1,295 -
We can do all the work on you original engine if you wish to retain the original engine number, and we can do a full digital photographic rebuild on any of the engines, all at no extra charge. All machine work done on in our own factory. We sell a full range of pistons and bearings and gaskets, valves all engine parts. Fitting from £350.00 all plus V.A.T
ALSO 3.0+, & 3.1 + CONVERSIONS FOR 2.8 SIERRA, CAPRI ETC FROM £2750.00. 1.9 + For all the C.V.H. Escort, Fiesta, Orion, Ginetta, Morgan, Panther, Quantum, Scimitar S.S.1 + any Kit Cars, Based on the American 1900 Engine. BORED WITHIN FORD TOLERANCES. NOT a massively over bored 1600 as all other conversions are. It is the strongest, and most reliable on the market. FROM £2,150.00 + VAT ALL THE ABOVE ARE COMPLETE ENGINES INCLUDING: CYLINDER HEAD, SUMP, OIL PUMP ETC. WE PREFER YOU TO SEE THE ENGINE BUILT UP. All our modified and big engines for small are for normal fast road use. Togive added B.H.P. whilst retaining reasonable economy and tractability, these Engines can include as Flowed Cylinder Heads. Larger Valves. Modified Cams, ARP Bolts, Balanced and Over bored etc.
1.9+ TURBO BLOCK ASSEMBLIES, INCLUDES CRANK, RODS, PISTONS OIL PUMP: £1795.00 MACHINING: REBORING, REGRINDING, BEADBLASTING, EX. CRANKS, HEADS, PIPER AND KENT CAMS, CARBS ETC. Please email for engine brochure or details
15 CURZON DRIVE, GRAYS, ESSEX RM17 6BG
0e479381-0069-45af-b2a9-c0a37e1e14de
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Fiesta ST MK8
Owning our own RS MK3 has given us the opportunity to spend countless hours in research and development to get our products to perform to the highest possible standards.
Radiator
Header Tank
Intercooler
New Intercooler Kit - Visit our website for the latest releases
0e479381-0069-45af-b2a9-c0a37e1e14de
Boost Pipe Kit
FF TEC H
FAST FORD
FACTS AND FIGURES Swot up on your Blue Oval knowledge with this little lot… MODEL
BUILT BETWEEN
ENGINE
POWER
SIERRA RS
1985-1986
1993cc YBB
SIERRA RS500
1987
SAPPHIRE 2WD
1987-1990
SAPPHIRE 4X4 ESCORT T34 ESCORT T25
TORQUE
TOP SPEED 0-60 MPH
PRICE WHEN NEW
PRICE NOW
204 BHP 205 LB.FT
149 MPH
6.2 SEC
£15,950
£30,000 to £50,000-plus
1993cc YBD
224 BHP 206 LB.FT
154 MPH
6.1 SEC
£19,950
£60,000 to £115,000-plus
1993cc YBB
204 BHP 205 LB.FT
150 MPH
6.1 SEC
£19,000
£15,000 to £30,000-plus
1990-1992
1993cc YBG/YBJ 220 BHP 214 LB.FT
150 MPH
6.6 SEC
£20,064
£15,000 to £30,000-plus
1992-1994
1993cc YBT
227 BHP 224 LB.FT
140 MPH
5.9 SEC
£21,379
£30,000 to £50,000-plus
1994-1996
1993cc YBP
217 BHP 217 LB.FT
140 MPH
5.7 SEC
£23,495
£30,000 to £50,000-plus
1980-1982
1596cc CVH
95 BHP
110 MPH
9.6 SEC
£5123
£3500 to £15,000-plus
COSWORTH
ESCORT MK3 XR3
98 LB.FT
MK3 XR3i
1982-1986
1596cc CVH
104 BHP 101 LB.FT
118 MPH
8.8 SEC
£6030
£3500 to £15,000-plus
RS1600i
1982-1983
1596cc CVH
115 BHP 109 LB.FT
118 MPH
8.7 SEC
£6750
£10,000 to £30,000-plus
S1 RS TURBO
1985-1985
1596cc CVH
132 BHP 133 LB.FT
128 MPH
8.3 SEC
£9583
£10,000 to £30,000-plus
S2 RS TURBO
1986-1990
1596cc CVH
132 BHP 133 LB.FT
128 MPH
8.2 SEC
£10,028
£5000 to £20,000-plus
MK4 XR3i
1986-1990
1596cc CVH
104 BHP 102 LB.FT
118 MPH
9.4 SEC
£7854
£3000 to £12,000-plus
MK5/6 RS2000
1991-1996
1998cc I4
148 BHP 142 LB.FT
129 MPH
8.2 SEC
£16,073
£3000 to £12,000
MK5/6 RS2000 4X4
1993-1996
1998cc I4
148 BHP 142 LB.FT
128 MPH
8.6 SEC
£16,493
£3000 to £12,000
1998-2002
2544cc Duratec
167BHP 160 LB.FT
140 MPH
8.2 SEC
£21,005
£1000 to £3000
MK1 XR2
1981-1983
1598cc Kent
84 BHP
91 LB.FT
106 MPH
9.4 SEC
£5150
£3500 to £15,000-plus
MK2 XR2
1984-1989
1596cc CVH
95 BHP
98 LB.FT
112 MPH
8.7 SEC
£5731
£2500 to £12,000
MK3 XR2i
1989-1992
1596cc CVH
108 BHP 102 LB.FT
119 MPH
9.0 SEC
£9995
£1500 to £9000
RS TURBO
1990-1992
1596cc CVH
133 BHP 135 LB.FT
129 MPH
7.9 SEC
£11,950
£5000 to £15,000
RS1800
1992-1995
1796cc Zetec
130 BHP 119 LB.FT
124 MPH
8.3 SEC
£12,712
£3500 to £9000
MK5 ZETEC S
2000-2002
1596cc Zetec SE
101 BHP 107 LB.FT
113 MPH
10.2 SEC
£10,820
£500 to £1500
MK6 ZETEC S
2005-2008
1596cc Zetec SE
98 BHP
107 LB.FT
114 MPH
9.9 SEC
£11,432
£750 to £2000
MK6 ST (ST150)
2004-2009
1999cc Duratec
148 BHP 140 LB.FT
129 MPH
7.9 SEC
£13,595
£750 to £4000
MK7 ST (ST180)
2013-2019
1596cc EcoBoost 180 BHP 177 LB.FT
137 MPH
6.9 SEC
£16,995
£7000 to £15,000
MK7 ZETEC S
2008-2019
1596cc Duratec Ti-VCT
118 BHP 112 LB.FT
120 MPH
9.6 SEC
£12,595
£1000 to £8000
COUGAR COUGAR 24V FIESTA
MK7 1.0 140 PS
2014-2016
999cc EcoBoost
138 BHP 155 LB.FT
125 MPH
8.7 SEC
£16,615
£5000 to £12,000
MK7 ST200
2016-2019
1596cc EcoBoost 197 BHP 214 LB.FT
142 MPH
6.5 SEC
£22,895
£10,000 to £18,000
MK8 ST
2019-on
1497cc EcoBoost 197 BHP 214 LB.FT
144 MPH
6.3 SEC
£20,700
£12,000 to £17,000
1966-1968
4727cc V8
360 BHP 330 LB.FT
164 MPH
5.3 SEC
UNQUOTED
N/A
FORD GT GT40
74
GT
2005-2006
5401cc V8 (s/c)
550 BHP 500 LB.FT
205 MPH
3.6 SEC
£120,000
£200,000 to £250,000-plus
GT
2017-on
3497cc EcoBoost 647 BHP 550 LB.FT
216 MPH
N/A
£450,000
N/A
FAST FORD MAY 2022
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FA S T F O R D FA C T S A N D F I G U R E S
MODEL
BUILT BETWEEN
ENGINE
POWER
TORQUE
TOP SPEED
0-60 MPH
PRICE WHEN NEW
PRICE NOW
ST170
2002-2005
1998cc Duratec ST (Zetec)
171 BHP
145 LB.FT
134 MPH
7.9 SEC
£15,910
£750 to £3500
MK1 RS
2002-2003
1998cc Duratec RS
212 BHP
229 LB.FT
144 MPH
6.4 SEC
£19,995
£10,000 to £25,000-plus
FOCUS
MK2 ST
2005-2011
2522cc Duratec
222 BHP
236 LB.FT
150 MPH
6.5 SEC
£17,995
£1500 to £7000
MK2 RS
2009-2010
2522cc Duratec
301 BHP
325 LB.FT
163 MPH
5.9 SEC
£24,005
£18,000 to £25,000
RS500
2010
2522cc Duratec
346 BHP 339 LB.FT
165 MPH
5.4 SEC
£35,450
£30,000 to £60,000
MK3 ST
2012-2018
1999cc EcoBoost 247 BHP
250 LB.FT
154 MPH
6.5 SEC
£21,995
£6500 to £20,000
MK3 ST TDCi
2015-2018
1997cc TDCi
295 LB.FT
135 MPH
8.1 SEC
£22,945
£12,000 to £20,000
182 BHP
MK3 RS
2016-2018
2261cc EcoBoost 345 BHP 347 LB.FT
165 MPH
4.5 SEC
£31,000
£25,000 to £30,000
MK4 ST
2019-on
2261cc EcoBoost 276 BHP
310 LB.FT
155 MPH
5.7 SEC
£29,495
£22,000 to £35,000
ST24
1996-2000
2544cc Duratec
168 BHP
162 LB.FT
139 MPH
8.0 SEC
£19,190
£500 to £3500
ST200
1999-2000
2544cc Duratec
201 BHP
170 LB.FT
141 MPH
7.8 SEC
£22,945
£750 to £2500
ST220
2002-2007
2967cc Duratec-ST
223 BHP
203 LB.FT
155 MPH
6.8 SEC
£21,745
£1000 to £5000
ST TDCi
2004-2007
2198cc Duratorq TDCi
153 BHP
266 LB.FT
137 MPH
8.7 SEC
£22,145
£500 to £2500
ECOBOOST
2015-on
2263cc EcoBoost 312 BHP
319 LB.FT
145 MPH
5.8 SEC
£31,745
£22,000 to £30,000
GT
2015-on
4951cc Coyote
415 BHP
391 LB.FT
155 MPH
4.8 SEC
£35,745
£27,000 to £35,000
RS200
1984-1985
1803cc BDT
250 BHP
215 LB.FT
140 MPH
6.1 SEC
£49,995
£150,000 to £200,000
RS200 EVOLUTION
1986
2142cc BDT-E
500 BHP 350 LB.FT
140 MPH
3.07 SEC
unquoted
£225,000 to £275,000-plus
1983
1778cc BDT
200 BHP
unquoted
140 MPH
unquoted
N/A
N/A
1.7
1997-2001
1679cc Zetec SE
123 BHP
115 LB.FT
126 MPH
8.8 SEC
£14,550
£500 to £3000
RACING PUMA
2000
1679cc Zetec SE
152 BHP
119 LB.FT
126 MPH
7.9 SEC
£22,750
£8000 to £15,000
1982-1985
2792cc Cologne
150 BHP
161 LB.FT
130 MPH
8.0 SEC
£9656
£3500 to £15,000-plus
MONDEO
MUSTANG
RS200
RS1700T RS1700T PUMA
SIERRA XR4i XR4X4
1985-1988
2792cc Cologne
150 BHP
161 LB.FT
125 MPH
8.4 SEC
£11,914
£3000 to £9000
XR4X4
1989-1993
2933cc Cologne
150 BHP
172 LB.FT
129 MPH
8.2 SEC
£14,706
£2500 to £9000
XR4X4
1990-1993
1998cc I4
124 BHP
128 LB.FT
119 MPH
9.7 SEC
£17,330
£2000 to £6500
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MAY 2022 FAST FORD
75
FF TEC H
MODIFYING GUIDE
MK7 FIESTA ST
It’s one of the most fun-to-tune fast Fords ever made, and with so many performance modifications available it’s easy to tweak the Mk7 Fiesta to suit your needs Words JAMIE Photos FAST FORD ARCHIVES
he Mk7 Fiesta ST will go down in history as one of the most tuneable hot hatches ever. As standard it isn’t shy; even a factory example gives us more grunt (200PS/197bhp on overboost) than the quoted 180bhp that earns the car its ST180 nickname. Yet, ample as 200bhp in a fiery front-wheel-drive hatchback is, the Mk7 Fiesta’s excellent chassis means it’s just plain rude not exploit it by extracting more power; more than double the factory power is within relatively easy reach, and we’ve recently seen cars producing over 500bhp! Furthermore, the 1.6-litre EcoBoost has proven to be incredibly robust, and even at nearly double the factory power outputs the engine remains reliable, and compliant
T
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FAST FORD MAY 2022
enough for everyday use. Of course, the gem of an engine is only part of the ST story. One of the main reasons tuners pushed so hard and so far with engine performance was because no matter how powerful the ST became, the chassis just lapped it up. The Mk7 Fiesta is widely praised for its fun and chuckable handling characteristics across the range, and the ST is understandably the best of the bunch. Yes, it can be a bit stiff and choppy, and the lack of a limited-slip differential can mean it’s entertaining trying to put all that power down, but these are easily remedied with bolt-on upgrades. The fundamentals of the chassis itself is sublime, and with the right tweaks in the right places the ST can be whatever you want it to be; anything from aired-out show-
stopper to race-winning motorsport machine, and everything else in between. And then we get to what is possibly the best bit about tuning the Mk7 Fiesta ST: it is supported by so many fantastic tuners and specialists that can cater for your every need. Many have been working closely with the ST since it was launched in 2013, and the model has been their staple diet ever since, meaning they really know these cars inside-out. By quizzing the experts, we’ve been able to pull together a picture of what works, what doesn’t, and what you should do to get your ST performing the way you want. Over the next pages, we’ll go through it all, so sit back, relax, and get your credit card ready, because big power and even bigger performance is only a few clicks/calls away…
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M O D I F Y I N G G U I D E M K 7 F I E S TA S T
TRANSMISSION
Sports steering wheel is ideal for track cars
Bucket seats replace the heavy OE Recaros
INTERIOR
Digital gauges integrated into the air vent
The ST came well-specced from the factory for a car of its size and price point, and there’s not too much it really needs. It’s certainly a case of working with what you’ve already got rather than reinventing the wheel. A steering wheel and gearknob upgrade is always a good starting point; not only do these tactile parts improve the way it physically feels to drive the car, it also means you’ll not have Ford’s version of Roland Rat staring back at you at all the time. Subtle mods like the P3 Gauges unit that integrates neatly into the air vent and plugs into the OBD port to provide real-time data are a clever, OEM-plus upgrade. Retrimmed, painted or dipped interior pieces can also be used to good effect. Bucket seats are always a welcome move for cars that spend a lot of time on track, and roll cages can add styling and performance gains simultaneously – just be aware that some insurance companies (especially the high-street brokers) tend not to like roll cages in road cars, so it’s worth checking if it will affect your premiums first.
The Fiesta ST’s Getrag B6 gearbox is incredibly tough and seems to be able to cope with power – and abuse – rather well. One thing that it does respond well to is a quickshifter kit, and there are a few to choose from. Prices start at around £50, and many even offer different reductions in throw. We’ve seen plenty of big-power STs used hard and regularly on track without the stock gearbox so much as breaking a sweat. Even the OE clutch (which is an AP item) can handle the power and hard use without fuss. As the cars get older and the original units have covered more miles, though, you may need to start thinking about a clutch replacement. If you’re a regular track-day fan, you might want to invest in a proper mechanical limitedslip diff, which is said to make a huge difference to the way an ST behaves. Which you choose will depend largely on how you use the car; a Quaife ATB is traditionally the most common and works well on road and track, but there are other options too. Wavetrac is a brand that seems to be going down well in ST circles and, unlike other torquebiasing diffs, won’t lose drive to one wheel if it’s unloaded, while plated-type diffs from the likes of Kaaz, Gripper and Cusco prove popular with hardcore and regular track day users. At the same time as fitting the diff you’d be wise to replace the clutch and flywheel. Likewise, if the clutch needs replacing, it’s the ideal time to upgrade the diff. A quickshift is an easy upgrade
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ENGINE
The stock intercooler will need upgrading
The 1596cc EcoBoost four-cylinder in the Mk7 Fiesta ST is a true gem. Unlike other engines from the same series, the 1.6 can handle significant increases in power and torque without having to touch it – over 360bhp is achievable with just bolton upgrades. Before we get to the good stuff though, the first thing to do is fit a new fuel pump bucket shim. The high-pressure pump runs off the camshaft, and the bucket shim is prone to wear. Excessive wear can result in low fuel pressure, which can cause all kinds of (potentially catastrophic) running issues. The good news is they are cheap and easy to replace, and many specialists now replace them as a matter of course at service intervals. If your ST is in good health, you can start tuning to more than 300bhp without too much to worry about. The first step is usually a remap, ideally coupled with a performance air filter. This will give around 220-to-230bhp and typically costs between £300 and £500, but adding some hardware means an even more aggressive map can unlock even more potential. After the initial remap, the next steps should concentrate on breathing and efficiency, so upgrades such as intercoolers and big boost pipe kits, exhaust systems with high-flow downpipes (sports cat to remain street legal, or de-cat for a cheaper, less restrictive option) and a suitably tweaked remap will see a strong 230-to-240bhp. At this point, the stock Borg-Warner KP39 turbo runs out of puff. The good news is there are plenty of bolt-on options to choose from, and most specialist ST tuners now offer a hybrid or big turbo upgrade package. You’ll probably want to swap the original airbox to a proper induction kit if you haven’t done so already, and depending on the spec of intercooler you chose earlier you may need to level up here too (Stage 1 and 2 items don’t cope well with repeated runs at this higher level, so a full-height Stage 3 item is required). But it’s still all bolt-on stuff, and relatively affordable too; Collins Performance’s CP5 package (which includes CP5 software, ITG
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induction kit, Airtec Stage 3 intercooler, sports cat downpipe, Turbo Technics S280 turbo, and uprated Bosch fuel injectors) is currently available for under £3800, serves up between 340 and 350bhp, and is huge amounts of fun. Similar offerings from all the big players in ST tuning are available, with power ranging from 260 to 350bhp-plus, and prices starting under £3000 and running to over £5000. From there, you really should start to look at a full rebuild with stronger internals. We have seen cars pushing 400bhp on stock internals, but by the time you get to this level you’ll want to pull the engine apart to make upgrades in the search of power (such as porting the head, bigger cams, better oil control etc) so it makes sense to add forged rods and pistons at the same time. We’ve just seen a collaborative effort from Laird Performance and SiTech Racing produce 459bhp at the wheels, which is well over 500bhp at the engine. There’s clearly more to come from this brilliant little engine in the future too.
From 200bhp to over 350bhp, it’s all available to bolt onto the 1.6-litre EcoBoost
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M O D I F Y I N G G U I D E M K 7 F I E S TA S T
SUSPENSION Famed for its superb handling even in factory spec, the Mk7 Fiesta ST has the perfect base to build a real performance monster from. The standard ride can be a bit choppy, and from an aesthetics standpoint sits far too high; a set of lowering springs (Eibach and H&R are the most common) will set you back £150-200 and offer improvements to the ride and handling, as well as giving a much meaner stance. Couple these with some polyurethane bushes in key areas (the lower torque mount is a must for any hard-driven ST) and some stiffer anti-roll bars, and you’ll have a well sorted ST that’s compliant enough for daily use but firm enough to keep up with more exotic stuff when the road gets twisty. Lowering springs and bushes will be enough for most road users, but more serious drivers may want the adjustment and stronger damping offered from a good-quality set of coilovers. Bilstein’s B14 (£900), KW’s Variant 3 (£1500), and ST’s XTA (£1000) kits are generally preferred by most tuners, but you could blow the budget on a set of AST 5300s for £4500 if you want full-on three-way adjustable units for a track or race car. If you are going to that level, you’ll want to invest in some chassis bracing to ensure everything remains where it should. Alternatively, if you’re building a show car there are options for air ride kits from the usual suspects too, with prices starting around £3000.
Coilovers can really transform the handling
You can be as wild as you like with the styling
Induction kits help unlock more power potential
STYLING Like all modern fast Fords, the ST is a blank canvass upon which you can express your personality. Whether it’s perfecting the factory finish, showing the world your fetish for carbon fibre, or plastering the whole car with a lairy, in-your-face, custom wrap design, the Fiesta ST can do it. Typically, subtle OEM-plus style upgrades to splitters, spoilers, and lowline kits are the starting point for most. Delta Styling offers a range of upgrades, including an RS-style rear spoiler and full lowline kit. For the ultra-aggressive approach, you can opt to fit a wide-arch kit like the type Auto Specialists has fitted to its track/ demo car. The company also now offers a range of Clubsport lightweight panels for track and race cars looking to shed some factory weight. From show queen to hardcore racer, there’s plenty of options when it comes to styling an ST.
Subtle styling tweaks work well
Oooh, carbon fibre!
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Lightweight wheels will help improve performance...
BRAKES
There are several big brake kits available
If there’s one area of the Mk7 Fiesta ST that’s not able to cope with huge increases in power and performance, it’s the brakes. The OE stoppers are tiny by modern performance car standards at just 280mm diameter. Thankfully, some decent pads and uprated discs will cope fine with moderate performance upgrades, but for anything serious you’d want to bin the OE callipers and fit bigger discs too. Big brake kits start at around 300mm and range through to 330mm; budget kits cost less than £1000, but the more popular 330mm/four-pot offerings from EBC and Revo cost between £1500 and £2000. Tarox also offers a six-pot calliper with 330mm disc kit starting at £1400. The Italian brake specialist also offers a big brake kit for the rear; this uses a spacer bracket to relocate the OE callipers so they will work with 295mm rear discs. Running bigger discs and callipers often means a minimum 10mm spacer is required to retain the OE 17in wheels. Also, it’s worth noting that many track drivers say the ST handles better on 16in wheels (and drag fans often drop to 15in wheels), so just be aware that bigger brakes might mean compromises need to be made elsewhere. Track day fans say 16s are the best compromise
WHEELS AND TYRES There’s nothing wrong with the stock ST alloys from a styling point of view, but like all OE wheels they are heavy, and that affects performance. Fitting a set of lightweight alloys will reduce unsprung mass by a considerable amount, helping improve all areas of the car’s handling, steering, braking and acceleration. A motorsport-influenced wheel will also have better brake clearance and mean you don’t need to run spacers when a big brake kit is fitted. Standard size is 7.0x17in with an offset of
ET47.5, and there are several aftermarket wheels to choose from (stick with offsets from ET45 to ET35). Ideally, you’ll also want to stay with 205/40x17 tyres, unless you’ve fitted wide arches to allow for wider wheel/tyre combos without fouling on the bodywork. Track fans say that dropping to 16in wheels gives a noticeable improvement to the handling, especially when fitted with slightly taller-profile semi-slick tyres, but just be aware of clearance issues over bigger brake kits.
CONTACTS AET MOTORSPORT www.aetmotorsport.com
COLLINS PERFORMANCE
collinsperformance.com
MOUNTUNE www.mountunestore.com
WAYSIDE PERFORMANCE www.wayside-performance.co.uk
LAIRD PERFORMANCE
WANT TO BUY ONE? Has this guide whetted your appetite for a tuned Fiesta ST? Are you now looking to buy one?
laird-performance.co.uk
Check out our most recent buying guide feature in the December 2021 issue – back issues are available at shop.kelsey.co.uk/FTF
www.oc-motorsport.co.uk
OC MOTORSPORT AIRTEC MOTORSPORT www.airtecmotorsport.com
WHAT WE WOULD DO… JAMIE, EDITOR: “I love Fiesta STs – mine would have 300bhp-plus and an LSD to use it all. Then I’d concentrate on chassis tuning: coilovers, poly bushes, DNA lightweight arms, and well-placed braces should do the trick. I’d want a 300mm, four-pot brake upgrade and then squeeze on some 16in alloys wrapped in trackday rubber. Inside I’d go for lightweight bucket seats and a P3 Gauges air vent gauge. I’d choose a Frozen White car, and would complement the OE finish with small carbon-fibre additions and wrap the roof black. That would be an awesome little road or track weapon.”
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DAN WILLIAMSON, CONTRIBUTOR: “The 1.6 EcoBoost is such an incredible little unit; I see it as the future for retro-fitting into older Fords. So the first thing I’d do is stick the engine into an Escort. Seriously, though, I wouldn’t want to spoil a Mk7 ST with too much of anything, so I’d start with a big brake conversion (on spacers; I like the stock 17s), followed by poly bushes, H&R springs and bolt-on engine upgrades for around 300bhp. Either that, or a wild wide-arch conversion, running 500bhp and sequential gearbox. And four-wheel drive too. Why the hell not...”
DELTA STYLING deltastyling.com
SCC PERFORMANCE www.focusrsparts.co.uk
REVO www.onlyrevo.com
TURBO TECHNICS www.turbotechnics.com
TAROX www.tarox.co.uk
STEEDA UK www.steeda.co.uk
BILSTEIN www.bilstein.com
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SPEED MATTERS USE CODE: WELCOMESTEEDA
STEEDA CO UK CHECK OUT OUR SOCIALS
@SteedaUK @SteedaUK
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BUYER’S GUIDE
FIESTA XR2 MK1
Ford’s first XR2 was a featherweight buzz-bomb from which all fast Fiestas evolved. Now an ever-appreciating classic, the Mk1 XR2 is a pure performance icon that can still be bought, used and enjoyed – if you know where to look… Words DAN WILLIAMSON Photos FAST FORD ARCHIVES
WHY YOU WANT ONE… ■ Every fiery Fiesta can trace its roots back to the Mk1 XR2, so its heritage as a piece of iconic Ford history is set in stone. ■ XR values have taken their time to reach RS levels, but they’re now not far behind – and the rarer models (such as Mk1 XR2) are becoming important cars for fast Ford collectors. ■ Just look at it. The sense of fun brought on by driving a 40-year-old roller-skate is equalled only by the cheeky little smile of a Mk1 XR2 poking its nose out of your garage.
WHY YOU DON’T… ■ Never the quickest hot hatchback even when new, the Mk1 XR2 is positively pedestrian by today’s standards, and will be left standing by an MPV packed with a family of seven. ■ Although the Mk1 Fiesta is perfectly practical, it’s impossible to overuse for fear of it getting stolen or becoming damaged. Rust, in particular, is always keen to take hold. ■ Most XR2s have led hard lives, so loads have been abused and crashed. Plenty have also been reshelled into existing 1.1 Populars – and are now worth considerably less cash.
HOW MUCH TO PAY PROJECT: £3000-£6000 It’s unlikely you’ll find a Mk1 XR2 with any hope of being restored for less than £3000. If you do, it’s most likely to have loads of missing parts or a dubious history. Don’t be surprised to see a shell that didn’t originally begin life as an XR.
GOOD: £6000-£12,000 Few average-condition Mk1 XR2s around; most tend to be in need of restoration or already restored. But you might find a roadworthy example, ideally needing just mechanical problems repairing rather than body and trim.
CONCOURS: £12,000-£20,000-PLUS Show-worthy XR2s cost five-figures, with the most money for low-mileage, low-ownership, factory-original cars. First-class restorations are valuable, but sellers of ultra-low-mileage machines will be able to name their price.
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IDENTITY An XR2’s value is tied to its identity. Although there’s nothing wrong with a replica or recreation, it’s not worth as much as the real deal. Ringers and reshells should be treated with extreme caution. Start by checking that the VIN number on the logbook matches the chassis number stamped into the driver’s-side inner sill/floor, visible through a slot in the carpet. If it’s not there, it could be dodgy or simply rusted away. The same number should be seen on the VIN plate in the engine bay, attached to the offside bulkhead; the VIN number on any Mk1 XR2 should start with VS6 (the code for Valencia, where all XR2s were assembled), followed by BXXWPFB plus two more letters and five digits that relate to the unique chassis number, as also found on the engine. The engine itself should have a casting reading 771M-6015-CA, along with T7 stamped under number four exhaust port, next to the gearbox. Check the rest of the VIN plate. The engine code should read L3, the transmission code should be T, and the axle code P (3.58:1 ). The XR2 bodyshell was unique, with certain key spots to check it’s authentic. Ensure it’s a facelift bodyshell with two-bolt bumper mounts on the front and rear panels (as opposed to single holes on pre-August 1981 Fiestas); if the bumpers have had a fixing removed, suspect it’s not an XR2 shell. The XR2 front panel was different for the circular headlamps, and the rear valance was also unique, being factory-pressed prior to assembly – unlike the Supersport, which was modified in situ; both have a spare wheel bulge visible below the back bumper. Crucially, there should be strengthening plates affixed to the chassis rails under the front floorpan with four 13mm-headed bolts. The XR2 also had a reinforcing plate in the nearside front inner wing for a top gearbox mount, which was fitted to all 1300cc Mk1s; if it’s missing, you’re probably looking at a Fiesta 950/1100 bodyshell, and it’s time to walk away. If in doubt, check with the XR Owners’ Club; membership is essential for any XR2 owner or buyer.
VITAL STATISTICS MADE 1981 to 1983 PRICE WHEN NEW £5150 POWER 84bhp @ 5500rpm TORQUE 91lb.ft @ 2800rpm TOP SPEED 105mph 0-60MPH 9.3 seconds
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INTERIOR Mk1 Fiesta cabins were built on the cheap. Don’t be surprised to see scuffed or broken plastics, loose or missing trim. Dashboard tops tend to crack, and they’re difficult to repair; decent second-hand replacements are pricey. Make sure the instruments are pukka XR2 bits: a 140mph speedometer and rev counter in grey binnacle with red surround. The centre console should have a similar grey finish. The switches are durable but the symbols wear off; they’re standard Mk1 bits, so not difficult to source. Dashboard lights often seem dull due to blown bulbs and perished plastic covers. The XR2’s Storm and Crushed Velour upholstery is relatively hard-wearing but stains easily. The driver’s seat bolster is prone to tearing and its foam collapsing; check it’s not been replaced with a passenger seat. Both fronts should have A-frame headrests, although padded centres were optional and worth the extra cost. Check the door cards to make sure the vinyl isn’t separating and that the door bins aren’t damaged. The rear parcel shelf may be sagging or cut for speakers; replacements can be expensive. Beware of cheap-looking carpet – the XR2’s was a plush Ghia grey matt, and is not easy to find in good condition. Make sure the rest of the spec is XR2 too: you’ll need to see an illuminated glovebox and fag lighter. Don’t forget to look up: XR2s had a black headlining with twin sunvisors, roof-mounted digital clock and three grab handles. If bits are missing, question the car’s authenticity or prepare to start spending; it’s usually cheaper to buy a car with mint interior rather than replacing all the important trim.
HISTORY JUNE 1976 Ford Fiesta goes into production in Valencia, Spain, as Ford’s first frontwheel-drive supermini. It includes transversely-mounted Kent engines in 957cc or 1117cc, new gearbox, MacPherson strut front suspension, rear beam, and front disc brakes.
FEBRUARY 1977 Fiesta goes on sale in UK, with model options of base, L, Ghia and S, with 1298cc engine now available. Fiesta S includes 53bhp 1.1 or 65bhp 1.3, uprated springs, rear anti-roll bar and brake servo.
Ford went to no expense on the twospoke wheel
JULY 1980 Fiesta Supersport launched, based on the regular 1300S with 1298cc Valencia, Series-X spoilers and wheelarch extensions, four-spoke 6x13in alloy wheels, circular driving lamps, bold decals, and Carla cloth upholstery.
SPRING 1981 Fiesta Supersport no longer available.
DECEMBER 1981
Stock trim stains easily
Dials had red surround
“XR values have taken their time to reach RS levels, but they’re now not far behind “
Fiesta XR2 launched in UK, developed by Ford SVE and featuring Escort Mexico-based 84bhp 1600cc Crossflow engine, four-speed gearbox, ventilated front disc brakes, 6x13in alloy wheels, circular headlamps, XR2 decals, body-coloured door mirrors, black paint around the windows, Storm cloth cabin, black headlining and two-spoke steering wheel.
JANUARY 1983 Fiesta XR2 Mk1 discontinued after 20,003 UK sales.
JUNE 1984 Fiesta XR2 Mk2 introduced, based on revised Fiesta three-door body and 1.6litre CVH engine.
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TECH SPEC
FIESTA XR2 MK1 ENGINE 1598cc four-cylinder OHV Kent with cast-iron block and head, single GT camshaft, 9.2:1 compression ratio, Weber 32/34DFT twin-choke carburettor, four-into-two cast-iron exhaust manifold TRANSMISSION Front-wheel drive, BC fourspeed manual. Final drive ratio: 3.58:1 SUSPENSION Front: MacPherson struts with uprated coil springs and integral shock absorbers, tie rods lowered 25mm, spring seats lowered 15mm; rear: uprated coil springs and telescopic shock absorbers, trailing arms, Panhard rod and larger-diameter (14mm) antiroll bar. Unassisted rack-and-pinion steering BRAKES Dual-circuit braking with vacuum servo assistance; front: 239.5mm discs; rear: 177.8mm drums WHEELS & TYRES 6x13in Wolfrace Sonic 12-hole alloy wheels with 185/60HR13 tyres (typically Pirelli P6) EXTERIOR Fiesta Mk1 three-door hatchback with strengthening plates, circular halogen headlamps, black front and rear spoilers, wheelarch extensions and fuel filler, bodyside decals, black window surrounds, tailgate decal, front driving lamps, bumper overriders, body-colour door mirrors (remote-control on driver’s side), indicators in front bumper, laminated windscreen, tailgate wiper and heated rear window. Colours: Diamond White, Black, Sunburst Red, Strato Silver, Caspian Blue. Optional electric aerial, tinted glass, windscreen shade-band, opening front quarter windows, pop-up sunroof INTERIOR Shark Grey interior, reclining seats in Storm and Crushed Velour cloth, A-frame headrests, Storm fabric door cards, two-spoke steering wheel, 140mph speedometer, rev counter, sports gearknob, centre console with grey finish and push-button P21 radio, door bins, illuminated glovebox, cigar lighter, roof-mounted digital clock, black headlining, twin sunvisors (passenger side with vanity mirror), Shark Grey carpet. Optional headrest pads, push-button radio/cassette player, rear seat belts
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ENGINE XR2 power came courtesy of an old 1.6-litre Kent (Crossflow) engine – a repackaged version of the unit found in Ford’s Escort Mexico of 1970. By now, some of its 84bhp may be missing, and you’ll certainly notice the loss, especially if it won’t rev. A tired Crossflow will burn oil – usually breathing from the oil filler when warm or billowing out blue smoke through the exhaust. If so, the pistons, rings and cylinder bores will probably be worn; symptoms show up as early as 60,000 miles, but a Kent will generally keep going forever, albeit getting slower. Don’t be concerned about a puff of smoke at start-up or the overrun, which suggests the valve stem oil seals need to be replaced. Oil leaks are also very common – especially from sump and rocker cover gaskets, particularly if they’ve been overtightened. Crossflows are relatively simple engines to work on, but parts aren’t as cheap as they once were. Regular oil and filter changes are very beneficial, and it’s worth refreshing the coolant when you get chance. Many XR2s have by now received an unleaded cylinder head conversion, but we’d advise keeping clear of new E10 petrol. Listen for nasty noises from the engine. It’s inherently a rattly unit due to the timing chain and valve gear, but if it sounds like a typewriter, the tappets probably need adjusting. Heavy clacking could be a slack chain or broken camshaft followers and scored cam, which will mean the engine needs a rebuild. Misfires and starting difficulties are pretty common but unlikely to be serious – usually pointing to a knackered distributor, ignition amplifier, coil, or old spark plugs and/or leads. Poor performance and rough running may also come from a tired or badly-adjusted carburettor, especially if the auto-choke mechanism is sticking. It’s well worth buying a new Weber to save yourself loads of grief. Don’t be surprised to see a modified motor under a Mk1 XR2’s bonnet. The Crossflow is capable of producing much more power with a high-lift cam, flowed head, tubular exhaust manifold and bigger carburettors; just remember standard cars are worth more cash, so budget accordingly.
“Ignore anyone who insists the bubble will burst: XR values haven’t yet peaked”
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WHAT DO I NEED TO KNOW? HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO INSURE? Not a lot, unless you’re especially young. The Mk1 XR2 isn’t exactly high-risk and, thanks to being 40 years old, now a certified classic. You’ll need to seek a specialist broker instead of a high-street insurer for limited-mileage and essential agreed-value cover. Try one of the insurers approved by the XR Owners’ Club.
WHERE DO I FIND ONE? Most XRs are now with enthusiasts, so you’ll need to trawl classic car websites or eBay. It’s also wise to contact the XR Owners’ Club, whose members might know of a suitable XR2 for sale. If you’re looking for a mint machine, keep an eye on collectors’ car auctions and specialist dealers.
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO RUN? Not much – but you’ll not be using it very often anyway. The old Kent Crossflow engine isn’t especially frugal, but the XR2 weighs only just over 800kg, so it doesn’t need much lugging around, nor are maintenance parts subjected to excessive wear. They’re generally cheap to service too.
WILL VALUES RISE OR FALL? XR prices are on the up, and the Mk1 XR2 is one of the most desirable models. Ignore anyone who insists the bubble will burst: XR values haven’t yet peaked, so this car is a verified investment.
SHOULD I MODIFY IT? Not any more, unfortunately. Although the Mk1 XR2 loves a bit more power and better brakes, values of standard cars far outweigh modified examples. Not only that, but it’s impossible to improve on the factory-original appearance, don’t you agree?
TRANSMISSION
SUSPENSION AND BRAKES
All Mk1 XR2s were fitted with a BC four-speed manual transmission – if you find a five-speed under the bonnet, it’s been retrofitted. While handy for motorway driving, the conversion involved fitting the BC5 from an XR3/XR2 Mk2 and involved cutting out the nearside front chassis leg to accommodate the bigger gearbox. So if you’re looking at a supposedly original car, check the inner wing and chassis rail to make sure it’s never been modified. The standard four-speed was able to cope with an XR2’s torque, but mileage and lack of maintenance can lead to problems. Take a test drive. The gearshift isn’t particularly pleasing, but difficulty changing cogs suggests a problem: it could be worn selector bushes in the linkage or poor adjustment. Crunching when selecting reverse is normal, but between forward gears points to synchromesh failure. If you hear vibrations or whirring, dip the clutch pedal; if the noise stops, it’s from a worn thrust bearing; if it continues, it’s probably from worn differential bearings in the differential; if it’s accompanied by a non-working speedometer, the bearings have collapsed and it’s time for a rebuild. Check for clutch slip by driving in fourth gear at 30mph, then hammering the accelerator. If the revs go up but the road speed doesn’t increase, the clutch is most likely slipping. But check the ratchet on the back of the pedal isn’t in need of adjustment and that the cable isn’t stretched.
It’s all very straightforward beneath a Mk1 XR2, with MacPherson front struts, beam rear axle with coil springs, telescopic dampers and largerdiameter (14mm) anti-roll bar than regular Mk1 Fiesta 1300s. Check for leaking dampers, and examine the strut top mounts for excessive play. Vibrations and knocking from the front will be caused by worn lower ball joints or track rod ends, while vague steering suggests tired track control arm bushes. The driveshaft and steering gaiters tend to tear, so look for leaks. It’s all cheap to repair. A worn steering rack (all Mk1s were nonassisted) will exhibit sloppiness from the front. Make sure it’s the proper XR2 rack, which has lock stops to save the 185-section tyres from catching on the wheelarches; examine the inner wings for shiny metal where they’ve rubbed. Wallowing and poor handling tends to result from knackered dampers or snapped coil springs; the latter will often be accompanied by the XR2 leaning to one side, but could also point to rotten rear axle spring cups, which force the spring into an odd angle; a repair will mean removing the axle from the car. Noises from the back may also be due to broken anti-roll bar drop links or worn trailing arm bushes. XR2 brakes included small front discs and standard-sized Mk1 rear drums. Drivers of modern hot hatchbacks may be alarmed by a vague brake pedal; it’s naturally spongy but much worse when there’s wear in the linkage between pedal and servo, which runs across the bulkhead. Brake parts are cheap and easy to source. The fronts may be juddering due to contamination on
the discs/pads or a sticking calliper – especially if the car pulls to one side. Ensure the rear drums aren’t seized, which is common when the car’s not used very often. Check the rear wheel cylinders aren’t leaking and that the handbrake works – the cable could be stretched or badly-adjusted. For safety’s sake, make sure the brake lines aren’t rusty and the rubber hoses aren’t perished, split or ballooning.
Pepperpot rims – nothing else suits an XR2
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Is that a bulge in your valance, or are you just pleased to see an XR2?
KEY POINTS BODY A rotten Mk1 can be a bankemptying nightmare. Make sure the shell hasn’t been consumed by tinworms.
INTERIOR Find a car with decent trim and you’ll save yourself loads of grief. Ensure all the proper XR2 bits are in place – yes, even that awful two-spoke steering wheel.
ENGINE It’s probably rattly, but that’s normal for a Kent. Be more concerned if it’s smoking from the exhaust or breathing from the oil filler cap.
SUSPENSION
XR2s were famed for rollerskate handling. If it’s vague there could be simple bush troubles, but you may also be looking at broken or rotten suspension components or even a rusty bodyshell.
IDENTITY All too many XR2s have been reshelled or faked. There are certain pointers to an authentic XR2, so do your homework before viewing.
EXTERIOR Mk1 Fiesta bodywork often has more perforations than a teabag. Repairing a rusty XR2 can be an extremely involved task (which explains why so many reshells are kicking around). Search everywhere for tinworm: start with the front valance and front panel, looking from beneath the bonnet and ensuring it was built for circular headlamps; new panels are tricky to find. Check the leading edge of the bonnet and its underside, then the inner wings, suspension towers, battery tray and bulkhead. Examine the front wings, particularly behind the wheelarch extensions, then inspect the sills, jacking points and entire floorpan, notably the chassis rails and suspension mounting points. Lift the carpets to check the floors and inner sills.
The windscreen pillars, scuttle and door window seals could be crusty, as could the A-pillars – severe rot will result in the shell flexing when you open the doors. The hinge pins also wear, allowing the doors to drop when opened. Doors rust along their rear edges. If there’s a sunroof, see if the aperture is flaky. At the back, look for rust around the fuel filler, and check the tailgate for corrosion on the edges and around the window seal. Inspect the boot floor, which disintegrates due to leaking tailgate/seals, and look around the rear washer bottle, where a felt pad soaks up water. Crucially, pay particular attention to the rear valance, which is a factory-pressed panel unique to the XR2 (not the same as a Supersport’s), featuring
CONTACTS
WHAT WE SAY JAMIE, EDITOR: “The genesis of all fast frontwheel-drive Fords, the original XR2 is a motoring icon. As such, it’s one of the very few cars I wouldn’t want to modify, not massively anyway. Personally, I wouldn’t mind the five-speed conversion as I’d rather have the extra usability of the fifth gear, but I’d have to stick with the original factory Kent engine, tempting as Zetec or CVH turbo swap is. The interior and body would have to be as close to original as possible to retain that iconic Eighties’ charm. It’d never be a daily or a track hack, but a Mk1 XR2 is an ideal show car that’s guaranteed to draw crowds at any event you attend.”
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a bulge to make room for the 13in alloy spare wheel. Rot is common, and replacements are rare. The polyurethane bodykit can still be found second-hand, but prices are on the rise. Examine the fixings on the wheelarch extensions, which cause the plastic to blister outwards when rotten. Make sure the rear spoiler hasn’t been bent by people prodding it. Don’t worry if the decals are scabby – topnotch repros are available – but panic if the front driving lamps are missing or corroded. Carello 591s (with correct ball-and-socket fittings) are extremely pricey, and even the brackets cost loads. The unique XR2 7in circular headlamps are also expensive, so check your car hasn’t been adapted to take VW Golf units.
DAN WILLIAMSON, CONTRIBUTOR: “Being an Escort bloke, the Fiesta was never really my thing. But the Mk1 XR2 is different: it’s exciting in a buzzy basic way, and it has the heritage of being SVE’s first hot hatch, which paved the way for so many Blue Oval legends. Mine would have to be Caspian Blue with factoryoriginal bodywork and interior (except that awful steering wheel). But there’d be a stock-looking 1760cc Crossflow under the bonnet, a set of Bilstein dampers and a pair of four-pot callipers behind those Pepperpot rims. Either that, or I’d keep it standard just to look at and smile.”
XR OWNERS’ CLUB www.xroc.co.uk
FIESTA MK1 FORUM www.fiesta-mk1.co.uk
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FIESTA OWNERS’ CLUB www.fiestaownersclub.com
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M K4 E S C O R T
GUESSING GAME WILD CARD
With 300bhp, rear-wheel drive and Mazda MX-5 underpinnings, this amazing Escort will question your sanity Words SIMON HOLMES / Photos ADE BRANNAN
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ver the years, we’ve learnt not to judge a book by its cover; after all, there are so many understated sleepers around, hiding virtually every engine combination. But of all the unsuspecting builds we’ve come across, we don’t think anyone would guess what’s hiding beneath the surface of Robert Thompson’s humble-looking Mk4 Escort. To guess it might be hiding turbo power wouldn’t be unusual, but making well over 300bhp and putting it down through the rear wheels with complete Mazda MX-5 underpinnings is certainly a new one for us. With that in mind, it will be of no surprise to learn that this Escort has been built with a single purpose in mind: to have fun. Its owner Rob says, “It’s no show car
O
and gets driven hard. I usually go through three gearboxes and two diffs a year. But I always muck about in it and it gets driven everywhere; from car shows and meets to on track at Knockhill or drag racing at Crail.” Rob is no stranger to a rear-wheel drive Ford, having owned many Mk1 and Mk2 Escorts, but more recently he had given the car scene a break as kids took over. About five years ago, and keen to get back into Fords, Rob built a Mk2 ST with 320bhp. But after a few weeks on the road, he found himself giving the car to his daughter and finding something more to his taste. He says, “I was thinking of a Mk1 or Mk2 Escort, but you just can’t drive those hard anymore. I wanted something I could drive like an idiot and if I bent it, I could walk away
and build another.” That’s why this Mk4 Escort caught his eye when he saw it advertised on eBay as an unfinished project. The car was rolling and didn’t run but, on the surface, didn’t appear to need a lot, so he decided before he got there that if it was structurally sound, he would buy it. Rob was able to inspect the car on a ramp and was pleasantly surprised by the way it had been put together by a mechanic. He recalls, “It had been built well but needed a lot of finishing. It was basically just mocked up and the subframes only had a couple of bolts holding them in place.” It may have needed a lot of work but, on the plus side, most of the hard stuff had been done. It had even been painted, although Rob ended up having to redo some of that.
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The conversion itself had been done well and it wasn’t just the top of a Mk4 Escort plonked on top of a Mazda MX-5 chassis. The front end had been adapted to fit the Mazda subframe, which allows the entire MX-5 front suspension, steering setup and engine to mount in place. Further back, the original Ford floorpans remain in place with a transmission tunnel added, and at the rear, the Mazda subframe had been fitted to allow the complete rear axle to fit. The car also featured the Mazda wiring loom, including the clocks and instruments. “It drives just like a normal car,” Robert says. It also looks like a normal Escort inside and out, thanks to the black bumpers and Bonus trim, complete with carpeted interior over the new gearbox tunnel and rear seats fitted in place. Despite the odd tell-tale, it would be hard for anyone to ever guess what was underneath, which is what makes this car such an awesome build. But although everything had been fitted nice and straight, Rob wasn’t happy with
TD04 turbo was chosen for response
some of the strength in places. And, having been a professional mechanic in the past, he knew his way around a car – although he’s now a semi-retired fisherman, which means he has plenty of free time on his hands. Rob confirms, “It needed extra strength, so I remounted the rear subframe with 30mm box section like we did with stock cars years ago. There were a few other bits and bobs to go over, and then I did the same at the front by strengthening the subframe. I then lined it all up as best as I could with strings.” With the car up and running in just
WILD CARD
“It’s great fun in the dry but dodgy in the wet. At 70mph it will spin the wheels and go sideways, which is a bit sketchy...”
Longitudinally-mounted MX-5 engine raises a few questions under the bonnet
TECH SPEC
MK4 ESCORT ENGINE 1839cc Mazda BP DOHC engine, over-bored to 2.0-litre capacity, custom MAL pistons, Manley Performance steel conrods, high-pressure oil pump, ported and flowed cylinder head, mushroom-style air filter and custom intake pipe, 640cc fuel injectors, G19 Engineering turbo manifold, TD04 turbo, custom exhaust system, ME221 ECU POWER 315bhp at the hubs TRANSMISSION Rear-wheel-drive conversion using Mazda MX-5 NC six-speed gearbox, uprated clutch, Mazda MX-5 rear axle with limited-slip differential SUSPENSION BC Racing coilovers all round BRAKES Mazda MX-5 brakes all round, with uprated discs and pads, remote brake booster, and external reservoirs WHEELS & TYRES 7x16in Lenso D1R alloy wheels, 4x108, with 205/45/16 tyres EXTERIOR Escort Bonus three-door, rear spoiler, bonnet vents, clear front indicators, tinted rear lights INTERIOR Trimmed interior, Bride bucket seats, Bonus rear seat, Mazda MX-5 clocks and dash instruments
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An MX-5-Escort mash-up. Now, that’s a bonus
Mk4 dash incorporates Mazda instruments
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WILD CARD
DRIVER SPEC
ROBERT THOMPSON AGE 54 JOB Semi-retired fisherman FIRST FORD Escort BEST MODIFICATION Turbo kit FAVOURITE FORD SHOW OR EVENT? Knockhill TRACK DAY OR SHOW & SHINE? Track day SIERRA RS500 OR FOCUS RS500? Sierra WRC OR BTCC? WRC LESSONS LEARNT FROM THIS PROJECT? None
Rare photo of Rob in a straight line
Lenso 16s hint at Japanese underpinnings
Bride buckets were married to the Mk4
a few short weeks, Rob took to the roads to enjoy it. But unfortunately that didn’t last too long, as in standard form the Escort didn’t quite have the fun factor he was looking for. He recalls, “I drove it for 14 days before deciding it needed more power. So I fitted the G19 Engineering turbo kit, which came with a turbo, intercooler, downpipe, all the lines and fittings and a standalone ECU.” The car made respectable 250bhp in this new guise, and in doing so, transformed the way it drove, dramatically improving the hooligan factor he was looking for. It was good enough to stay that way for some time too, but eventually Rob found himself wanting more. So he rebuilt the 92
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engine to a far fancier spec, with forged internals, a ported head and capacity increased to 2.0-litres. Fitted in place together with a much larger TD05 turbo, it ended up making an impressive 400bhp, but the driveability suffered. Rob remembers, “You had to redline it in every gear to stop the turbo dropping off during a gearchange. So I decided to put a smaller TD04 turbo on it, which makes it more driveable and it still makes a solid 315bhp at the hubs.” The result from all that power in a lightweight Mk4 Escort shell and rear-wheel drive is a car that keeps him on his toes… And that’s the way he likes it.
Rob laughs, “It’s great fun in the dry but dodgy in the wet. At 70mph it will spin the wheels and go sideways, which is a bit sketchy but I used to race motorbikes and I love rearwheel-drive stuff.” But after five years with the car and untold amounts of fun, Rob admits he’s not sure what to do with it next. “I was going to sell it, but then I drive it again and it puts such a smile on my face. Even my daughter likes to drive it,” he explains. We can’t imagine anyone would grow tired of surprising people with a Mk4 Escort Bonus that looks the way it does but drives in such a wild style, so we can’t imagine it’s going anywhere soon.
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FORGOT TEN FORDS
J-CAR
As development of the GT40 continued, the J-Car chassis was built to meet the FIA’s Appendix J regulations
FORGOTTEN FORDS T H E B L U E O V A L S Y O U ’ V E ( P R O B A B LY ) N E V E R H E A R D O F…
The GT40 is one of the most iconic fast Fords from history, but the story didn’t stop with victory at Le Mans in 1966 he original GT40 may be one of the best-known Fords of all time, but a very closely related cousin – which in many respects was better – is almost unheard of. We’re talking about the J-Car. That codename came from the fact it was designed and built to comply with the FIA’s Appendix J regulations introduced in 1966. The J-Car was a development of the Le Manswinning GT40 racer; it retained the 7.0-litre V8 engine but featured a radically new chassis construction: using honeycomb aluminium bonded together to form a tub. The J-Car was
T
a full 140kg less than the Le Mans-winning GT40 Mk2. The first J-car was finished by March 1966, and despite setting the fastest time at the Le Mans trials earlier in the year, Ford decided to run the race-proven GT40 Mk2 at Le Mans that year. It proved the correct decision, as Ford claimed not only its first victory at the event, but a 1-2-3 finish that really stuck two fingers up at bitter rival Ferrari. Progress on the J-Car development resumed almost immediately afterwards. Unfortunately, though, during testing the car suddenly lost control at the end of a one mileFrom the J-Car emerged the GT40 Mk4
long straight. Sadly, the driver (and influential engineer on the project, and a big reason for the GT40’s success) Ken Miles was killed immediately – just two months after Ford’s famous victory (which he orchestrated) at Le Mans. The aerodynamics caused too much frontend lift at speed, and the new honeycomb tub simply shattered upon impact. Later cars had a comprehensive steel roll cage, and a more traditional style body was developed. Those later developments of the car were known as the GT40 Mk4. Nine J-Car chassis were built, but only two were ever known as the J-Car; six were called the GT40 Mk4 (which only competed in two events, both in 1967; the 12 Hours of Sebring and the Le Mans 24 Hours – winning both events) and one was known as the G7A (which raced in the CanAm series in 1969). Tragedy nearly struck again in 1967 when Mario Andretti crashed out of Le Mans quite violently – the steel roll cage that had come under so much fire for increasing the car’s weight was credited with saving the life of the then-promising NASCAR driver and future F1 world champion.
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INSIDE THE JUNE 2022 ISSUE… ■ If you like fast Fords with plenty of power, then the 850bhp supercharged Mustang on the cover of the June issue is right up your street. It’s fast, it’s loud, and we love it! Read the full feature for all the juicy details. ■ It’s not all modern muscle cars next month though, we’ve also got some awesome old school Blue Ovals too. Matt Davis’s impeccably clean and period perfect Escort RS Turbo shows what the OEM-plus approach is capable of, while Lee Jiggins has removed the bodykit from his Fiesta XR2 and then swapped the CVH for a screaming Zetec on throttle bodies for ultimate thrills! ■ With summer shows just around the corner, now is the ideal time to get your fast Ford looking its best. But these days, it needs to look just as good underneath as the shiny paintwork does — we follow FJRS as they get a Mk3 Focus RS’s undercarriage looking better than new.
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