PROJECT CARS

FA ST FORD PROJECTS

See what fast Fords we’ve got in the garage, and what we’ve been up to with them

JAMIE EDITOR MK3 FOCUS RS

Jamie takes a trip to Essex to see FJRS for the RS’s annual service and a good going over. DAN WILLIAMSON SUB-EDITOR MK3 FOCUS ST ESTATE

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 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

ADE BRANNAN PHOTOGR APHER SAPPHIRE COSWORTH

Ade’s been moving workshop and found himself repairing 100-year-old buildings rather than Fords lately. DAN WILLIAMSON SUB-EDITOR FOCUS ST170

Dan’s low-budget Focus project is put to one side while he restarts his Sierra and buys another old Escort. PAUL COWLAND CONTRIBUTOR MUSTANG GT

Paul’s been busy buying classics for TV restoration shows, but the Mustang will be back out again soon. DAN WILLIAMSON SUB-EDITOR SIERRA COSWORTH

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

After years of being asleep, Dan’s Cossie was understandably slow to get going again

DA N S I E R R A R S C O S WO R T H

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

Will it see the open road this year? Who knows, but we hope so

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.

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?