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At RF we’re always on the lookout for the best cars and most interesting stories. It doesn’t have to be a multiple show winner - we’re after real people with real retro Fords. If you’ve got something cool on the drive, drop us a line. You never know, your car could be in a future issue!

Welcome to our Christmas/New Year issue. First and foremost, I’d like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and hope the big guy brings you lots of car stuff.

It’s another issue jampacked with Ford goodness.

From Calvert’s Lotus Cortina to Anton Martin and his RS Cosworth’s fantastic ‘Your Project’ feature. This month’s cover features

are brought to you by John and Andy. Rob C, alongside Your Project, brings you a collection of our readers’ cars.

Andy and John bring you two further features this month, the first of which is Andy’s Tennants meeting, followed by a report from the Battle of Britain, which took place at Croft circuit.

Julian’s Oval Owners feature gives us an update on the winter projects. In his inspect feature, Rob H shows us what to do with a Sapphire Cosworth. The Hot Rods back with another detailed racing report from Andy H.

Enjoy the big day and New Year’s Eve with your friends and family!

Have a great time over the festive period and see you in 2023!

The website is www.retrofordmagazine.co.uk or call the subs team directly on 07841 412199.

DAN EDITOR

JOHN

There’s plenty to read this month, including a retired Mk1 Cortina rally car that’s still doing good work, a Capri RS3100, and reports from Croft’s “Battle of Britain” and Tennants’ end-of-season show.

ANDY

This month’s issue includes a report and photos from my Retroford Tennants meeting, as well as the report from Croft on the Battle of Britain meeting. Once again, there are some stunning vehicles. Furthermore, I had the pleasure of photographing an immaculate RS3100.

dan@retrofordmagazine.co.uk

ROB C

When I paid our ‘Your Project’ owner and builder a visit this month, I got to drool over a staggering collection of cars. The cherry on top is his RS500 touring car replica! I’m also excited to bring you yet another varied selection of ‘Readers Cars’!

PHOTOGRAPHERS / CONTRIBUTORS

DESIGN Hype Creative

PUBLISHER

Silverback Publishing Ltd Publisher: Tom Saunders Managing Director: Andrew Crispin

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Retro Ford, ISSN: 1364-2502, is published 12 times per annum by Silverback Publishing Ltd. Annual subscription price UK £45, EUR £60, ROW £80.

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Retro Ford is published by Silverback Publishing for all owners, drivers and enthusiasts of Retro Fords. It’s entirely independent of manufacturers, dealers and associated clubs or affiliations. The views of our contributors are their own.

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While every effort is made in compiling Retro Ford the publishers cannot be held responsible for errors or omissions. Readers are advised to pay by credit card when ordering goods from the advertising pages as it is regulated under Consumer Act 1974, unlike debit or charge cards, which are not. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or any storage or retrieval system, without the consent of the publisher. Registered at Stationers Hall Copyright. Direct Input by Silverback publishing Ltd.

Julian Grattidge, James Webber, Matty Ingham, Neil Calvert, Andy Hankin, Scotstox, John and Kirsty MV Farlane and Rob Hawkins

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HISTORIC RALLY CAR. RETIRED

scenes footage on Instagram: @retrofordmagazine

WORDS: JOHN WAIDE AND NEIL CALVERT PICS: JOHN WAIDE

As you go to car shows and events you can see many sparkling examples of past desires and dreams, vehicles which evoke memories of youth etc. Occasionally you can spot cars that somehow look different, not the usual highly polished and lovingly prepared example designed to attract attention, and it was such a car which I spotted whilst browsing, a MK1 Lotus Cortina 1600, obviously a rally car, used, as the body gives evidence to. A closer look proved that this was no

ordinary example of the MK1 Ford Lotus Cortina, cosmetically it appeared at first glance to be, however, its interior stripped and equipped with the most switches and dials imaginable showed that this car was a fully-fledged and experienced “noholds-bared” rally car.

A short discussion with its owner, Neil Calvert, evidenced by the “achievements” which have been put along the roof and boot of the car soon led to the realisation of the history of this car in the hands of its team of Neil and Arlene Calvert, the husband

and wife team of driver and navigator who along with this car have competed in over 100 rally’s with many successful results and to date is one of the most successful Lotus Cortina’s in Historic Rallying in the UK and is the only Lotus Cortina MK1 to win a BHRC (British Historic Rally Championship) event outright.

Neil has been rallying since 1969, he started in night road rallies as a driver and navigator for a few years, and then in 1975 I was asked to co-drive on the RAC rally, he remembers it being a tough event

behind the scenes footage on Instagram: @retrofordmagazine

Neil co-drove again in 1978 and then bought his car and competed in the British Rally Championship from 1979 to 1984 winning the GP1 1300cc class in 1980 and then the GPA up to 2000cc in 1983, 1984 he only did the odd event in a variety of cars until 1995 when he decided to do the new exciting Historic Rally Championship, back then they were international events tagged on the BRC, tough two or three-day events, and he carried on until 2008. In 2000 and 2001 he used an ex works MK1 BDA Escort (another story altogether), Arlene Calvert, Neil’s wife, navigated from 1997 to 2008she was elevated from team manager to navigator at the 11th hour – except for 1 year, in 2006 when she kindly stepped aside to give his daughter

FROM

and going off in Glengap, they managed to dig themselves out and finished in 70th place but still managed to finish.

FROM

Michelle a full year in the navigator’s seat with him.

Since Neil started his rallying career he has competed in many rallies of differing disciplines and competed with and against some of the great names of the sport and overseen the sport develop into what we see today of course still maintaining a keen interest.

Neil told us a summary of the “teams” achievements:

“After a few years in Retirement from the British Rally Championship where we competed from 1975-1983, I decided to try Historic Rallying. I had a MK2 Lotus Cortina for a couple of years 1993-95 approx. and competed in the HRCR (Historic Rally Car Register) events, then in 1995 decided to enter the International Rally Britannia, I sold the MK2 and bought the MK1 Lotus Cortina EBA 888C, it was a new build by Bob Brain Developments of Cinderford and was built to International standards, fully seam welded shell, cage, Bespoke wiring loom, Bilstein Suspension, CR gearbox and limited slip diff. for a mixture of Forest Tarmac events. On the snowy Rally Britannia, we finished 7th overall and 1st in Class. In 1996 we entered the Safety Devices Historic Rally Challenge; this was the birth of the British Historic Rally Championship as we know it today. Tough International events tagged onto International Rallies, in Yorkshire, Wales, Scotland, Isle of Man and Ypres in Belgium, 8 events in all and this Championship we won outright in EBA (our nickname for the car).”

“In the following years, Arlene (my wife and co-driver) and I competed in the British Rally Championship with lots of class wins and Overall Rally Championship podiums.

2006    BHRC 3rd Overall & MSA Bronze Award

2007    Charles Golding Trophy (for the highest placed private entrant self-prepared car)

2008    BHRC 3rd Overall and MSA Bronze Award

2008    HRCR Tarmac & Gravel Rally Champions

- Arlene was the first co-driver to win all three awards, Tarmac, Gravel & HRCR o/all”

“In between all of the above EBA was the Course Car (0) for the ‘Tour of Mull Rally’ in the Scottish Island’s 3 days event, every year for 10 years.”

For 16 years EBA888C has been an important member of the “rally team” and has seen them through many exciting and memorable moments and has proved to be extremely reliable, she is a much-loved member of the family, now at 57 years of age, and retired, she has been refreshed and still gets out and about whenever possible with demonstrations and static shows, including Tim Nash’s Lombard Rally Tours and Brymore Pierce’s Rally Revivals receiving a terrific response from enthusiasts. n

behind

scenes footage on Instagram: @retrofordmagazine

TECH SPEC

The MK1 Lotus Cortina had its first International Rally win in 1965 when Roger Clark driving the Ford Rally Team Lotus won the Welsh International Rally. In 1966 Bengt Soderstrum and Gunner Palm had an outright win on the RAC Rally of Great Britain.

EBA 888C was a new build in 1995 and a sympathetic works replica of that era, only electronic navigation aids are different.

Engine, genuine Twin Cam Lotus 1600 (1599cc)

Fuel via – Twin 45 DCOE Weber Carburettors

Geared with 2000E close ratio gearbox,

English axle with 5:1 CWP for forest events and 4.7 for tarmac, and Limited Slip Differential, Billeted steel half shafts. Braking is by drums on the rear and disks on the front.

Shell, fully seam welded with roll cage Bespoke wiring loom Bilstein Suspension.

The standard road-going Lotus Cortina has about 105 BHP, this rally version is in the region of 165Bhp on the dyno.

behind

scenes footage on Instagram: @retrofordmagazine

TENNANTS RETRO FORD MEET

WORDS: JOHN WAIDE PICS: ANDY ELLIS

The September Show at Tennants Auction House in Leyburn, North Yorkshire, is not as large as the April Show, but it was pleasing to see so many cars attending, especially given that there were other events in and around the area, even though Tennants Retroford did attract around 130 cars, and there were some first timers around as well.

The parking lot where the show is held has been mostly resurfaced so that the cars can take

advantage of the extra space, with people moving around with ease on a fresh tarmac surface, which is always preferable to gravel. The weather remained comfortably dry, with no need for coats or jackets, and smiling faces of groups discussing cars, making new friends, and having fun. The staff in the on-site café, who administered refreshments to all who desired it, reflected the friendly atmosphere all around the cars, and the outside seating area was well occupied and a prime position to view the cars.

A full mix of some amazing Ford cars was there to be seen, from the earliest which was a Ford Model T from 1917 – obviously the oldest car on the day and brought by Jeff Huntbach. The display cars placed as usual in the entrance to the Auction Room were amazing, starting with Escort belonging to Mike Newton, (previously featured in Retroford Magazine) and next to it was the Yellow Escort 1979 1600 Sport belonging to Steve Allenby, this car was the car built by Goblin Works Garage as televised in series one, episode one and

our behind the scenes footage on Instagram: @retrofordmagazine

was looking in superb condition and received a lot of attention. Certainly a pair of vehicles showing what standard of excellence can be achieved.

In amongst the cars were new visitors, as previously stated, and frequent visitors, even a few which have been the subject of articles in the magazine, including Royster Townsend and his “Holy Grail” of a South African RHD Ford Taunus 20M RS, this being only one of two known to be in existence in Europe, both of which belong to Royster.

One car at this show has an amazing story. Leaham Hall attended the show in April with his very nice Escort which surprisingly has a SAAB Turbo engine. His day went well until it was time to go home.

Leaham takes the story from then:

“I pulled onto the A1 northbound and just after joining from the slip road, I saw a massive smoke cloud in my mirror and knew it wasn’t good. I managed to find a section without a barrier (smart motorways-no hard shoulder) and stopped, popped the bonnet to find flames. Full scale panic set in when I decided to run into the middle of the A1 trying to flag someone down with an

behind

scenes footage on Instagram:

extinguisher, the passer-by’s must have thought I was a lunatic. Luckily, one of the lads I was talking to at the show stopped and extinguished the flames (guardian angel).

So, sitting on the embankment waiting for the recovery truck the police arrived, followed by the fire brigade and Highway’s England. The fire brigade got out and went to wash my car with foam when I stopped them explaining the flames were out. The Sargent said the lads were upset cos I had spoiled their Sunday lunch The car got recovered to home where it got stripped and cleaned - oil feed from the pump blew a hose and had sprayed oil directly onto the turbo but luckily minimal damage, so, new pipes, turbo, actuator, and various small things, managed to get her back to running order, but then dropped a plug the night before ‘the lake’s tour’, so, the first good run out after everything was Tennants, and she didn’t miss a beat. It’s been a stressful summer , but as Ford stands for ‘Fix Or Repair Daily’. I wouldn’t want it any other way #fordforlife.”

The show at Tennants is an easy going no fuss show, which is a very pleasant way to spend a few hours with like-minded people. It, however would not be possible without the team involved, Andy Ellis of course is the organiser, his helpers Nigel Shaw and Ken Ellis plus the superb Tennants team and it is thanks to all for making it possible.

For April 2023 Sarah Crabtree will be on-site and checking out the cars again, no doubt she will be choosing the car of the show as she did before, so make a date in your diary for one week earlier and give yourselves time to get the polish out, the show will be on Sunday 16th April 2023. n

Chris Griffiths is a retired electromechanical engineer who has worked for many years in the oil and gas industry and latterly worked on coal-fired power stations. As a retired gentleman, it is almost certain that he is of an age where he can remember when the classic cars of today were still available as a new cars in the showrooms around the country and then later became the common “old banger” whose only future would have been the scrapyard, thankfully there are survivors for which the whole classic car scene is built.

Chris has a Ford history, his first Ford was a Prefect which has been followed by two Anglia’s, Mk2 Escort Estate and 1600GT Mk1 Capri and then on the 6th of July 1986 – (yes that is 36 years ago) - Chris bought this Ford Capri RS3100 when he saw the advert in the back of Autosport Magazine, he was looking for a fast affordable road car at the time. I wonder if he knew the future historic significance of the car for which at the time they were possibly regarded as a failure by Ford because at the time the RS3100 was being launched in 1973 there was an oil crisis, and the Mk2 Capri was about to be rolled out and indeed the RS3100 was expensive. It is recorded that only 250 were made at the Halewood plant and of that, some 50 were exported to Australia leaving only 200, and apparently, 22 of those were put aside for the sales reps to try and boost sales so actual availability in the UK for new cars was very limited. The RS3100 was based on the standard Capri 3000GT and used many of the parts used on the RS2600, brakes, suspension –although the ride height was increased - wheels and front spoiler, the engine was an over bored Essex 3ltr giving it the 3091cc. The body furniture

included a unique “Ducktail” spoiler which was designed to improve stability, the specifications declare a 148bhp and top speed of 124mph, with 0 – 60 in 8 seconds. The body striping was unique to the model and similar to that of the RS2600 with a few slight differences which would be more apparent if the models were both together for comparison.

Chris advised that in line with the sales and distribution method of this model, his RS3100 was indeed registered by Ford and handed to a manager to go around the dealers to sell it on, in this case, it was Mick Hill Racing. The car was sold to an American serviceman in 1974 and it was this serviceman who arranged for Mick Hill Racing to fit the Cologne arches which have now been replaced with new arches during the refurbishment.

When Chris bought the car he described it as mechanically excellent, but the paintwork was tired and so a restoration would be needed, it was started 30 years later and Stuart Baldy of Restore-a Ford advised Chris that the arches would need removing during the restoration as the edges were crazed, after all, they were the original Fibresport panels and as they were 32 years old they would not be suitable to be refit.

Fibresport suffered a fire a few years ago and lost the Cologne arch moulds in the fire and decided not to replace them. Chris ordered new panels from Smith & Deakin plastics in Worcester which are the only supplier still manufacturing these panels to order. They quoted him 6 weeks to manufacture and dispatch the panels which Chris duly collected and delivered to Stuart.

The reason Chris wanted the arches refitted to the car was when I first saw the car he thought it

scenes footage on Instagram:

was a much better shape than the standard Capri and if the car was being fully restored I wanted them on the car, purists told him that he would be devaluing the car but if you don’t intend to sell it you have nothing to lose.  Stuart’s response was “it’s your car and your decision, but it will make the car a marmite car as people will be split” (having seen the car, to be honest, unless you are a connoisseur it would not be the first thing you notice, they possibly make the car more unique). Incredibly when the arches were removed the “original” wings were still intact including the colour and stripes as per the car’s original livery. Restore-a Ford would be taking care of the bodywork etc, Chris considered the wheels and changed the size also, this made parking easier and, rather than the original fan, as there was a viscous coupling failure Chris settled for a Kenlowe option for the cooling since then he has had very little trouble with the car. So to the engine itself, Chris wanted a rebuild, but it had to be done to a high standard like everything else he was having done, there was no other option in his mind so it was sent to Rick Wood to do the business, all aspects of the build were discussed and Chris even arranged for the engine to be “Run In” on the bench before refitting, definitely old school.

In total it took 18 months for the restoration, and what a job, the car is looking as fresh as the day it was born and the most important part, the bit that is re-installed with every drive is the smile on face of Chris, he has his car which is sorted the way he wants it, and he loves every drive that he takes.

Chris did tell his story regarding an accident which occurred in 2019 and only 3 months after the restoration was completed, he was hit by a Vauxhall Vivaro Van which unbelievably was escaping after performing a robbery at a local merchant and was being pursued by the police with all the blues and twos going. This was

devastating as his car was due to be displayed at the Ford Head Office in Dunton for the 50th Anniversary and soon after that at Brooklands for a similar event. The damage was confined to the rear passenger quarter, a quick look possibly might appear to be not bad but upon inspection, the damage was far more severe with damage showing as far as the boot floor. The driver did not stop. Chris made urgent telephone calls, firstly to Stuart at Restore – A – Ford who had just done the initial restoration, the accident was on Friday and by Sunday it was in his garage on Monday morning the new rear wing etc was ordered. Tuesday and Chris were in touch with the insurance who wanted the car sent to their repair people, Chris explained what the car was, what the circumstances were, and why the car had to be done by Stuart. Wednesday and the assessor were there in the morning, and by the afternoon the go-ahead for the work to be done was received. It took Smith & Deakin 2 weeks to have a new wing and arch made, and as soon as the message was received Chris did not hesitate to jump in his car and go and get it, saving two days on postage which proved significant. Chris and his wife travelled to Restore-A-Ford and stayed overnight at a local hotel in Newhaven, this allowed them to collect the finished car the following morning and travel straight from there to the Ford Headquarters, it was a magnificent effort from Stuart Baldy and his team to have the car ready to attend this important event and also soon after the event at Brooklands on the famous track.

Chris told us a nice story about him and his RS3100, when Adam, his grandson, asked if the Capri could be the car to take him to the school graduation party, much to Chris’s pleasure although when Chris mentioned that it might be difficult to get the Grandsons girlfriend in the back with a fancy frock etc, “she is not coming in the Capri” he said, she will make her own way. Upon arrival and parading by the school which is becoming the requirement the Capri was received with much delight by the grandson’s friends who all thought the car was amazing and did not believe it was driven by a Grandfather, no doubt Chris was grinning all the way home.

Since joining the Mansfield and Notts Capri Club, Chris travels to shows with them, if you ever see their club stand at a show get over and you will probably find Chris and his RS3100, have a look you are certainly going to be impressed, but do not forget that this is a rare car, it may look like a MK1 which it is but the very limited production run makes it a really special car.

Chris wanted to thank Stuart and Alex at Restore-a Ford for everything they did with the car and for going the extra mile after the accident. n

WEEKEND AT JAY’S

WORDS & PICS: JAMES WEBBER

Following the huge success of his oneday BHP events across the country, Jay and the team decided it was time for a two-day extravaganza, bringing together a huge action-packed weekend that would cater to everything a car show should be. Ticket prices ranged from £40 for early bird two-night camping to £50 for regular admission. On the gate, day tickets were £25 and

camping was £60. To begin, top quality show cars from all over the country will be displayed in multiple indoor arenas. Extreme bike battle’s BMX Flatland, jump box, and trials bikes took up residence in another hall and put on various displays over the weekend. Several vendors, including Auto Perfection and Wagon UK, were set up inside and around the arena. Several food and beverage caterers were on hand, serving

everything from coffee and donuts to a welldeserved bacon bap after a night of partying.

Sub Zero Playaz, Evil B MC, DJ Brett Gray with MC Stallion, and headlining 90’s garage duo DJ Luck and MC Neat provided music on Saturday night. A fun fair was also set up for the kids to give the adults a break. The showgrounds on-site 71/4-inch Bath & West railway, which runs for 1/2 mile around the site, was another novel attraction.

our behind the scenes footage on Instagram: @retrofordmagazine

AT JAY’S

To get your adrenaline fix, Drift Outlaws, the Two Brothers Motorbike stunt team, the UK’s number one FMX rider Jamie Squibb, Brisca Heritage Collection and Lawn Mower Racing (yes, you read that right) showcased their talents at various intervals throughout the weekend.

We messaged Jay and partner Sam to get the scope on how the felt the show went being the first one, they told us:

“We decided to expand what our other events are and go for a two-day car show with Saturday night party. We realise there is much to learn and are always looking to improve in future years, but we feel that, for our first year, this was a huge success. Onto next year - Bigger, better, louder!”

We caught Brad from Wagon UK on Sunday who told us:

“For a first show it has been great, the entertainment on Saturday night was incredible, everyone loved the whole atmosphere and just had a great time without anything getting out of hand”.

Good friend Darren Chown who had his bagged 57 Chevy Pick up caught up with us and told us

“I’ve been here since Friday with the family and there has been something going on for all of us to enjoy and go and see, onwards and upwards for the next one”.

Awards were given out at 2pm on Sunday and these included Best In Show which went to Paul Foster and his BMW E21 racecar, Tony Forbes –Martin winning best bagged in his BMW E30 and others.

The show has great premise to become one of the UK’s premier car shows in the future and with it being open to all makes and models could hopefully encourage more clubs and owners who didn’t think they would be welcome or feel it is their kind of show to book in for next year. n

READERS’ CARS

WORDS: ROB CHEESMUR

CORSAIR John Davis

Look in the dictionary under the term ‘Cool’, and surely there must be a mention of the Corsair owned by John Davis! This car literally blew us away here at Retroford! Sure, it’s not 400 bhp, or wearing a turbo etc, but who needs all that when your car is this stunning? The Corsair is a 1500cc 1964 model with a Crayford ‘Airflow’ conversion! The Spruce green paint with Ermine white roof couldn’t be a better colour choice, and suits the wedge shape down to the ground! This is another car that had been stashed away in a garage for many decades before John bought it in 2019. In his hands, the Corsair has had a full ground up restoration including a bare metal respray. The pre-crossflow has had a rebuild, and the capacity enlarged to 1560 cc and a Kent A2 cam added to give it a bit more zip. A ported head sits atop this, with a Weber 28/36 carb taking on fuel duties. With the car lowered all round by 50mm, and body coloured banded steel rims and white wall tyres it really is a fantastic looking car.

our behind the scenes footage on Instagram: @retrofordmagazine

MK2 CAPRI 3.0L GHIA Ariph Shaikh

As Capri’s go, this is quite a rare beast! It’s a Mk2 3.0L Ghia with a manual gearbox no less! The auto trans models seem to be more common, and it was the manual cog swapper that attracted Ariph to this particular Capri. He bought it 16 years ago and admits that it was in a very bad way. With a lot of late nights later, and considerable elbow grease this is the result! A stunning car that’s mainly standard. Ariph reports that now the Capri is fully rebuilt it runs like a dream! He has fitted some period-correct looking 7x13 ‘’

four-spoke Revolution wheels that really set off the superb silver paint, and black vinyl roof. The inside looks ace as well, with the immaculate and comfy black Ghia interior. A walnut dash and deep-dish steering wheel are the only deviation from the factory. Ariph has kept hold of the original steering wheel and Ghia alloys though, and he has wisely stashed them away in case he ever wants to return the Capri to standard.

SIERRA XR4TI Marc McCaffery

Coming all the way from Australia, we have a very nice example of the Merkur Xr4ti! It’s an early 1985 car imported into Aus. in the early 1990’s, and then converted to RHD. When the car was first imported, it was owned by an engineer who signed off the approval of cars to be used there. He used it as a daily driver for a few years, then it sat in a garage for 15 years! This hibernation would go a long way to explaining the condition of the car. However, Marc does tell us that the car was a non-runner when he bought

it. Once he got it running, Marc took the 4ti to Tuxedo Fabrications who jumped at the chance of working on the rare car. First, they fitted an RS500 front mounted intercooler. Then a four-branch manifold, upgraded turbo and Haltec elite 1500 stand alone ECU later, and they managed to get the XR4ti putting out a healthy 247 BHP on the rollers! Happy with this, Marc added some 18” Compomotive rims imported from the UK, and the result is a super rare head turning car!

behind

scenes footage on Instagram: @retrofordmagazine

MK3 CAPRI LASER Michael Carpenter

It’s amazing that there are still cars tucked away in garages that have been there for decades! Take this D reg 2.0L Capri Laser for example. It has been in a garage almost forgotten about since 2002 when its elderly owner sadly passed away. Recently his family inherited the car they decided to find a new home for the car. Luckily, the Capri came into Michael ‘Trigger’ Carpenter hands, and with the help of his dad Steven they spent a couple of months giving the car a good going over to make sure that the Laser would be road worthy again. With

everything back working and the car looking respectable, the Capri was entered into its first MOT for 20 years! A nerve-racking experience, but Michael needn’t have worried, it passed with flying colours! So, now Michael has the winter to get the Paris Blue bodywork tidied up in time for some summer cruising next year, although we have to say the bone stock Capri already looks ace rolling on the original four-spoke alloys! n

WORDS: JULIAN GRATTIDGE PICS: VARIOUS

OVAL OWNERS CLUB CLASSICS

Our classic evenings are shelved until the spring but members have been ‘up to loads of stuff’ despite the weather!

Dave Hopwood and Paul Grattidge had a dirty weekend away with Dave’s YB Cosworth Mk2 Ford Escort rally car competing on the Mull Rally. This closed-road tarmac event held on the Isle of Mull draws over 150 crews to battle it out over some of the best bits of tarmac you’ve ever seen. There’s a great mix of cars with forty-year-old Escorts right next to modern WRC machinery! After a challenging rally with

wind and rain throughout, Paul’s work on the pace notes helped Dave bring the Escort home in 16th place overall and 5th in class – an incredible achievement given the cars they were up against!

As if to prove that our club classics still come out whatever the weather, James Parkinson picked up the award for Best Classic at our October monthly meet with his 320 bhp Ford Sierra RS Cosworth. The car looked mighty fine despite the miserable weather running AVO coilovers, Stage-three green injectors, EBC brakes and a very tidy Pioneer Apple CarPlay system. To be fair he should also have won an award for

best effort having undertaken a 214-mile round trip from Horncastle in Lincolnshire to attend the meet!

Anthony Nicholls has been hard at it since buying his first classic back in August; a Mk1 Ford Fiesta which has already benefited from new front springs, shocks, brakes, coolant sensor, lights, tyres, and alloys. Also busy on the project front is Darren Heart with his son James. Regulars to our classic meets are currently knee-deep restoring a Fiesta RS Turbo. After plenty of hard graft, they are now on final build-up… can’t wait to see this later in the year. Another build due

behind the scenes footage on Instagram: @retrofordmagazine

for completion in the summer is Adam Brown’s Big Wing Mk1 Escort. Adam is another regular to our classic meets in his Escort GTI (and his latest purchase, a 16v Probe) but his 1968 1300GT is the main course we are all waiting to see served up! It’s just back from the paint shop in period Maize yellow and is soon to be fitted up with a 1700cc Lotus Twin Cam engine along with period accessories.

Another project about to see daylight is Mark Burnham’s RWD Mk3 Escort ‘RS2000T’. For the last year, Mark has been busy with fabrication and welding to fit a Pinto turbo conversion with Cosworth pistons, Cosworth rods, Cosworth oil pump and spray bar. We look forward to seeing this at our classic meets later in the year.

Another regular to our classic meets is Mark Doherty, who has been out for a run with members of the AVO Owners North West Group in his big wing MK1 Escort RS2000 taking in some stunning scenery in and around the Peak District with a stop-off at Chatsworth House which offered a cracking backdrop for some photos along with Rick Burston’s lovely RS2000.

Last but by no means least is Darren Straker who has been out at various coffee meets of late in his stunning 200bhp+ Pinto-powered Venetian red Mk2 Escort. The car was restored in-house at JDA Resto Services with Bilstein Grp 4 front coilovers, Bilstein rear shocks, tramp bars, Panhard rod, discs all round with Wilwood fronts and Cosworth rears and a Gartrac pedal box. n

2022/23 SHOWS

DECEMBER 2022

GBS Christmas Cars & Coffee with mince pies event

3rd December, 10am-2pm www.greatbritishsportscars.com

Maun Way, Boughton, Ollerton, Nottingham. NG22 9ZD. UK

Le Jog Per Ardua Ad Infinitum Trial

3rd - 6th December www.heroevents.eu

Considered by crews as one of the most demanding and challenging events in Europe and a definite to be ticked on your “must do” events list! HERO’s Land’s End to John O’Groats Reliability Trial is open to cars of a specification built before 1986. Running in December, tough conditions are to be expected, but no-one crosses the finish line without a smile on their face. The event has been tackled and completed by novice crews in the past, however, we would recommend undertaking less advanced events as a preparatory measure prior to competing on Le Jog. Tel: +44 1656 740275

Newark Autojumble

11th December www.newarkautojumble.co.uk

Newark Showground, Nottinghamshire. NG24 2NY. UK

JANUARY 2023

Brooklands Museum

1st January 2023, 9am - 4pm www.brooklandsmuseum.com

New Year’s Classics Parade will take place over two days, and you will see 50 classic cars and motorbikes take part in vehicle displays and a ‘People’s Choice’ Concours competition, with the chance to win a Brooklands prize at the end of the event. All classic cars are welcome. Brooklands Museum, Brooklands Drive, Weybridge, Surrey. KT13 OSL.

Stony Stratford Classic Car Festival 1st January 2023, 10.30am - 2pm www.vintagestony.co.uk

This is a very informal gathering of like-minded individuals. All classic cars are welcome. Stony Stratford, nr. Milton Keynes. MK11 1BE

Yeovil Car Club Annual New Year’s Day event 1st January 2023, 10am - 2pm www.yeovilcarclub.com

The event is open to everyone, both members and non members. £3.00 per car. Haselbury Mill, Crewkerne, Somerset.

Autosport International

12th - 15th January 2023, 9am - 6pm www.autosportinternational.com NEC, Birmingham. UK

FEBRUARY 2023

Retromobile 1st - 5th February www.retromobile.com Paris Expo Porte des Versailles, France.

Bremen Classic Motor Show 3rd - 5th February www.classicmotorshow.de Messe Bremen, Germany.

Race Retro Stoneleigh 24th - 26th February www.raceretro.com

Race Retro brings together over 24,000 fans, drivers, preparers, traders and enthusiasts to enjoy a weekend of everything you need to prepare for the motorsport season ahead. Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire, UK.

The London Classic Car Show 24th - 26th February www.theclassiccarshowuk.com Olympia, London.

MARCH

2023

Mount Pleasant Classic Car Show 17th March, 12 noon start. www.mountpleasantwombourne.com Mount Pleasant, Staffordshire. West Midlands. WV5 8BH

Support us and subscribe online at: www.retrofordmagazine.co.uk

A602’s Cruise Night

20th March, meet at 7pm onwards. www.a602sstreetandstriprods.com

Big meet for Rods n’ Customs. There will be a short cruise of about 5 miles. A602’s Street n’ Strip Rods. The Three Horseshoes Watton Cross, Hertfordshire. SG14 3RY.

Practical Classics Classic Car & Restoration Show

24th - 26th March www.necrestorationshow.com NEC, Birmingham, UK.

APRIL 2023

Vintage Hot Rod Association Nationals Northants

13th April 2023, 8am - 4pm. www.santapod.co.uk

VHRA Vintage Nationals event promises to be the best get-together of traditional hot rods and customs seen on these isles!

Santa Pod Raceway, Airfield Road, Wellingborough, Northants. NN29 7XA.

Ford Granada 1234 Club Essex 14th April, 10am - 4pm. www.ford-granada-1234-club.com

Hardie Park, Stanford Le Hope, Essex. SS17 OPB

Goodwood Members’ Meeting 15 - 16th April www.goodwood.com/motorsport Goodwood Motor Circuit, Goodwood, Chichester, West Sussex. PO18 OPH. UK

The Garden Rooms at Tennants, Leyburn, North Yorkshire. DL8 5SG - April 16, 11am start. Free entry, ex Bangers and Cash star and now Evoke Classic owner Sarah Crabtree will be attending again and picking the car of the meet. Watch out for updates on the ‘Retroford Meet at Tennants Auctioneers in Leyburn’ Facebook page.

23rd April

www.fbhvc.co.uk

FBHVC continues to support the NSPCC’s Childline to raise money as an integrated part of ‘Drive it Day’ in order to use their movement to contribute to a section of society that has needed huge help and support during the pandemic. Lockdown has magnified all sorts of societal problems which has put vulnerable children even more at risk.

MAY

2023

Classic Ford Show

14th May 2023, 10am - 5pm. www.classicfordshow.co.uk

Vintage Hot Rod Nostalgia Nationals Northants 10th - 12th May, Fri 8am - Sun 5pm. www.santapod.co.uk

Santa Pod Raceway, Airfield Road, Wellingborough, Northants. NN29 7XA.

Classic Ford Tour May 26 - 29 Dover to Laon Historique, France www.sceniccartours.com

Oval Owners Club

Check the ‘Oval Owners Club’ Facebook Group for dates and info facebook.com/group/ovalowners or contact Julian Grattidge via Facebook or call 07713 621573

Techno Classica Essen 12th - 16th April Messe Essen, Essen, Germany.

WORDS: ROB CHEESMUR

YOUR PROJECTS

SIERRA RS COSWORTH Anton Martin

Growing up in the ‘80s was a great time if you were a Ford enthusiast, Ford was still a force to be reckoned with on the Motorsport scene, with good reason, as they had some great cars to compete with…

At the beginning of the decade, there were still some Mk2 Escorts sliding around the rally stages slinging mud everywhere! Then later there were turbocharged Mk3 Escorts tearing around the race circuits… think Datapost cars maybe? Sierra Xr4ti’s in touring car races piloted by the likes of Andy Rouse, battling it out with Capri’s, Vauxhall’s and BMW’s. Many an impressionable young lad at the local racetrack found that it’s a memory ingrained in their memories, standing on tip-toes

drivers and cars did battle!

One young lad who was mesmerised by the track action was the owner and builder of this month’s ‘Your Project’ Anton Martin. To say that he is a Blue Oval enthusiast would be a massive understatement, and he has a staggering collection of Cars and projects on the go! So, it was only right for us to visit him and see what he’s been up to?

“I have always loved the look of the old Fords they just look right to me, I have had all manner of them over the years, and In my opinion grew up through the best decades of Fords the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s, I still have quite a number of them now. A Lotus Cortina, RS turbo, Mk2 Escorts and Modified Escort vans to name a few. But it’s the race cars with the liveries that I love, I’m building a Datapost

term project, and I have had to do a lot of research, but I want it to be as close to the real deal as possible. Then there is this one, a Group One spec Sierra Rs Cosworth…” Says Anton

This car had always been a race car, but weirdly when Anton bought it, it had been converted into a rally car by a circuit racer….

“When I bought it, it had been converted to rally spec, complete with hydraulic handbrake etc.. but luckily hadn’t seen too much stage action and for this reason, the Motorsport shell was still in reasonably good condition. I hadn’t had it long though, and the oil pump went… stuffing the engine! Now I’m not into rallying, it’s circuit racing that floats my boat, so when I bought it, I was already planning to build it back into a classic

After a bit of research, Anton decided to build a replica of the Caltex car, campaigned by Colin Bond in Australia. There were a couple of reasons for this, the other liveries like the black and red Texaco for example have been overdone, so it great to be able to do something different, plus Bonds Caltex car had the shortest racing career of any RS500 touring car of the era… just seven laps at Bathhurst, ironically due to another oil pump failure! Just like Anton’s car!

“I think it must have been fate that I chose the Caltex car to replicate, I didn’t know about the Caltex cars pump failure until I did some research, so it almost seemed like it was meant to be!”

Laughs Anton

The original Caltex car still exists today…. despite being side-lined after its engine failure, as Bond decided to use his other car for his future races, leaving the virtually brand-new car neglected in the corner of a workshop. It sat there so long rats made a nest in it, and ate most of the wiring loom! Then the ill-fated car changed hands a couple of times, but recently turned up to race again in Australia fairly recently!

“A mate called me from Australia, and said look at this! He panned the camera on his phone, and there was the original car back at a race track! I got him to do a walk round video, so I could make sure that I had all of the stickers in the right place!”

Laughs Anton

The livery was put together by Luke at Uncle Luke’s sign and sticker shop in Swaffham. The stickers, though important to make the car look correct, are just the garnish really, what we need to know is what the rest of the car consists of, and Anton has really gone to town, and certainly done the original car justice…

“I’m the first to admit that this car was not an original RS500, but the thing is most of the ‘RS500’ touring cars weren’t either, even Andy Rouse will vouch for that. It really wouldn’t have made sense to start with a complete car as you would end up

behind the scenes footage on Instagram: @retrofordmagazine

throwing most of it in the bin. So, the race cars started with a Motorsport shell, and were like mine built up from there.”

The bodywork and paint were taken on by Premier garage in Newport for good reason as it’s owned by Rob Kirby an ex-BTCC driver so, he knew what would be expected from the car build. A lot of the panels had to be changed due to them, it was quite a bit of work….

“The red paint was as close as they could get to the original Caltex red. A lot of the panels had to be changed, as they were fibreglass. Then the rally-spec polycarb windows were removed and replaced with glass. Even a new roof had to be fitted due to a rally-style vent having been fitted in its rally days. Then the whole car was stripped, repaired, and replaced before it was then painted.”

Now, at the whale tail end, the car doesn’t deviate too much from the original, with a standard Cosworth diff casing, but Anton has installed a Gripper diff. Then there are up-rated drive shafts, and standard rear brakes with the reasoning being only 2/3rds of the braking is taken care of by the rear brakes. Gaz gold coil-overs and a standard anti-roll bar.

“The rear end is for steering anyway!” Laughs

Anton

Inside is all business-like with a substantial roll cage as allowed by the racing regulations, fire extinguisher, fuel cell, and seat and steering wheel. There are extra gauges for Anton to keep an eye on the engine’s vital statistics and he’s re-installed a proper handbrake.

The front end does have some modifications to improve the handling and braking…

“Up front, I have AP calipers with 12” discs and bells. Then there are rose-jointed adjustable track control arms and GAZ Gold coil-overs. Adjustable rose jointed steering arms and a quick rack, with a standard anti-roll bar. It’s nothing massively technical but it does the job. Please excuse the current rims, they are only fitted to move the car about, as I have some Image split rims on order in 17”. These temporary rims don’t fit at the front at all well and they won’t clear the front calipers without spacers, but like I said they are only to move the car about. The tires are 215/45/17” Toyo r888r and they will be going onto the Image rims when they arrive!” Reports Anton

Now another ‘temporary’ measure is the current engine.

“The current engine consists of a long studded 200 block, with a Group A spec ported head. BD16 inlet cams, BD14 exhaust cams, Mahle 7:2:1 low compression pistons with valve cut-outs. Then there is a steel multi-layered head gasket. I fitted a high-pressure oil pump and a big-winged sump. Now there is a coil pack set up instead of

our behind the scenes footage on Instagram: @retrofordmagazine

YOUR PROJECTS

the distributor, and that’s controlled by an Omex ECU and loom. Also, to try to keep the intake temperature down I have fitted an Airtec intercooler. This is all mounted on Vibratech engine mounts. This setup is only putting out about 300-350 BHP, which isn’t going to be enough, I kind of see this as a shake-down engine. So, I have a much more powerful engine being built at the moment. Which will be more like 500 BHP”

Now the eagle-eyed of us will have noticed probably the coolest feature of these saloon car racers… that Group A side exit exhaust! It might not be all stainless steel and shiny, just imagine it with flames licking out of this exhaust with the car on full chat!

Another neat feature of the build is the mirrors… they are the very early Mk1 Sierra mirrors that only mount at the top and can fold in?

“I used these mirrors as if they hit another car, they will just fold in rather than smash off like the more conventional Sierra mirrors. I found a pair of brand-new ones in a pile of parts I bought. Andy Rouse saw them and laughed, he said they took him back to his early Sierra race days in the Xr4ti’s.”

Anton’s build is very near completion now, with just the wheels to arrive, and that more powerful engine to install when it’s finished. He’s planning to get the car out onto the track early next year. We wish him every success, and can’t wait to see him battling with the other classic touring cars!

Hopefully, there will be some youngsters in the crowd on tiptoes watching that will be as blown away by the spectacle as Anton was in his youth… n

Coast Racing Services are pleased to now offer the latest technology in Vapour Blasting from their base on Field Farm Business centre in the heart of motorsport valley, based a stones throw from Bicester Heritage centre in Oxfordshire.

BATTLE OF BRITAIN WEEKEND

WORDS: JOHN WAIDE PICS: ANDY ELLIS

The weekend of August 20th /21st saw the competitors on two, three and four wheels converge on Croft Circuit for the traditional “Battle of Britain” race meeting organised once again under the expertise of Darlington & District Motor Club. Battle of Britain, although even as the name suggests it does not involve weapons except the vehicular type piloted by enthusiastic drivers and riders. The meeting is unique in as much, that it runs cars, bikes, and sidecars at the same meeting whereby competitors get the chance to race at North Yorkshire’s premier motorsport venue.

The racing on motorcycles and sidecars was thrilling and fast, full of action and thrilling to watch. The cars were divided into two classes: classic cars racing in the popular Northern Sports & Saloon Car Championship (NSSCC), which saw full grids across the races in the various classes, culminating with the prestigious Battle of Britain Trophy being awarded to the overall winner during an action-packed weekend, and the more modern Focus Cup, which, as the name suggests, used a Ford Focus Car, diesel engined in its own championship..

We watched the NSSCC races with interest, as they featured some amazing cars, such as BMW,

Honda, Porsche, and a number of Fords, including Phil House’s (Car 5) Mk1 Escort, which was featured in the November 2019 issue of Retroford Magazine with his superb Escort Mk2 Rally/track car. Other Fords included Harry Valkhard in his Escort Mk2 (116), (Harry Vaulkhard is a British racing driver who raced for Bamboo Engineering in the World Touring Car Championship in 2010), and two Sierra 4x4’s smartly dressed in similar livery and driven by Steven Kell (87) and Daniel Kell (87).

The mix of saloon cars in this round of the NSSCC event is broken down into classes as it the normal standard for this and the full list is below:

behind the scenes footage on Instagram: @retrofordmagazine

BATTLE OF BRITAIN

A1 / Saloon & Sports Cars with an engine capacity over 2000cc

A2 / Saloon & Sports Cars with an engine capacity up to and including 2000cc

B / Saloon & Sports Cars (Treaded Tyres) with an engine capacity over 2000cc

C / Saloon & Sports Cars (Treaded Tyres) with an engine capacity over 1600cc up to and including 2000cc

D / Saloon & Sports Cars (Treaded Tyres) with an engine capacity up to and including 1600cc

E1 / Kit cars unlimited capacity & modifications

Car derived engines

E2 / Kit Cars Motorbike Engine

Classes A & E raced together and the B,C & D raced together, an interesting mix of power giving an opportunity for some close racing

With the races being on Saturday and Sunday there was opportunity for the teams to reflect on the Saturday results and prepare for the Sunday and of course this meant two sets of results :Ford positions were recorded as below bearing in mind both the Sierra 4X4’s are in Class B whilst the Escorts Mk1 & 2 are Class C

Saturday - 11 laps = 23.1 miles.

Position Car No Driver/ car

5 87 Daniel Kell – Sierra 4x4

6 89 Steven Kell – Sierra 4x4

14 5 Phil House – Escort MK1

The mix of saloon cars in this round of the NSSCC event is broken down into classes as it the normal standard for this and the full list is below:

A1 / Saloon & Sports Cars with an engine capacity over 2000cc

A2 / Saloon & Sports Cars with an engine capacity up to and including 2000cc

B / Saloon & Sports Cars (Treaded Tyres) with an engine capacity over 2000cc

C / Saloon & Sports Cars (Treaded Tyres) with an engine capacity over 1600cc up to and including 2000cc

D / Saloon & Sports Cars (Treaded Tyres) with an engine capacity up to and including 1600cc

E1 / Kit cars unlimited capacity & modifications

Car derived engines

E2 / Kit Cars Motorbike Engine

Classes A & E raced together and the B,C & D raced together, an interesting mix of power giving an opportunity for some close racing

Sunday -10 Laps = 21.0 miles

Position Car No Driver/ car

4 87 Steven Kell – Sierra 4x4

6 89 Daniel Kell – Sierra 4x4

14 118

HarryVaulkhard–EscortMK2

15 5 Phil House – Escort MK1

Phil House kindly gave us a few words about his weekend races :“It’s been three years since I’ve had the MK1 out due to COVID and other obligations, and boy do I miss it!” I knew it would be difficult, up against a plethora of modern machinery in the Battle of Britain, but the old girl did us proud! In both races, I was up against a Civic Type R and an Audi TT! The car was flawless throughout, with the exception of a lot of rear brake pressure, which made for an exciting ride! My arms were pumping for two days after the heavy steering! After a fierce battle with my old instructing partner Harry Vaulkhard in his class, we finished fourth on day one and fifth on day two.

The winning cars from the days were a bit more modern machines, namely the Mitsubishi Evo and a couple of BMW taking the honours.

The Focus Cup which was also featured, is a Championship across multiple venues and presented itself as an “arrive and drive” affair. All cars supplied and maintained, you just drive. On the Sunday and part of the races was local celerity driver Max Coates (Mini Challenge, Clio Cup and a round of the BTCC at Croft), who was piloting one of the Focus diesel cars over two races, the first race being red flagged because of an accident,(by another driver), Max ultimately won the second race by a margin of three seconds.

Max told us of his exploits:

“I had a great time racing in the Focus Cup at Croft, the first thing you notice before you even get in the car is the friendly, welcoming, and inquisitive nature of the team and fellow drivers. The team could not do enough to make sure I was

happy with the car. I had a fair bit of learning to do and indeed fluffed half of the laps I did in the qualifying session by hitting the rev limiter on the way out of the final corner, ruining the lap I was on and the start of the next one. Fortunately, my final lap was good enough for third on the grid, only two tenths off pole.”

“Then came the starts, again a little new to me in the fairly unique diesel-powered car. You have to change gear much sooner in the rev range and that caught me out, so I was back to sixth. I was making progress and going for a move for the final podium spot when the safety car came out to recover Callum Eason (thankfully, he was okay after a big crash)! I hit the rev limiter exiting the final corner and lost more places after the restart so finished in fifth.”

“I tried to learn from the first race for the second and with some advice from the other more experienced diesel drivers I made a better start this time, only dropping to third. I also really liked

the reverse grid ruling that changes every block of six drivers. The risk of finishing seventh in race one is huge! I had a great little scrap in the first few laps and got back to the lead. From there I just tried to drive as close to the qualifying lap time as possible and despite a few attacks, I got a little gap and held it to the finish I was chuffed to get a win which ended a little bad spell for me in other Championships. A big thanks to Simon, Rob, and their Focus Cup team and all the drivers for being so welcoming”

The weekend was an entertaining time, on track the bikes, sidecars, cars both classic and modern all made a good showing of themselves, off track Croft is a friendly “Old School” circuit and you can get close to the teams and drivers who are always open for a chat. Thanks go to the organisers and marshals for keeping everything safe and sound over the weekend. n

behind

scenes footage on Instagram:

CLASSIC HOT RODS

WORDS: ANDY HANKIN PICS: SCOTSTOX, JOHN AND KIRSTY MV FARLANE

The pride among the Scots when it comes to racing often comes second to no one, they turn out some greatlooking cars in all forms of short oval racing and bring to the table worthy Champions. The Classic Hot Rods has been no different. North of the Lake District or a wee bit further than the Angel of the North depending on your route for a weekend’s racing.

Kenny Purdie having heard there would be no Open Irish Championship or the Annual running of the Jim Purdie memorial race for 2022, took it to the powers that be within the sport and asked could his late father’s memorial race be run at Cowdenbeath. The agreement was made and an extra day of racing was added for the Classic Hot Rods, who were already booked to race for the Annual Doug Farrer trophy plus The Cock of the North.

The next suggestion from Kenny was would the promoters be in agreement that in the form

of sponsorship he could be able to give travelling drivers a contribution towards fuel costs. This was all agreed at the heart of the sport and the factor added that there would also be a chance to fundraise for Andrews Hospice, something which is close to his heart as well.

With everything in place, the aim was to get twenty-plus on track. They fell just short of the figure but what a turnout and one that hasn’t been seen in Scotland since the first few running’s of the Scottish Open Championships.

John McFarlane may have retired from racing but he and Kirsty are always on hand to help out, they also manage the Scottish Classic Hot Rods Facebook page. The help came in the form of promoting the meeting and also during the meeting John was helping out in race control with the radio equipment. Whilst Kirsty would get some media up letting the fans know what was happening.

Cowdenbeath is an old-school raceway the

track is built around the outside of a pitch as was quite often the case, leaving the corners a bit square to endure but the speed carried around the track is immense. The track is situated between Fife and Kirkcaldy and was promoted by Gordon McDougall. Also referred to as Racewall for the obvious reasons of the outer wall that protects the public, some formulas have been known to use the wall to speed advantage in the past.

So what of the racing? And who turned up for the weekend of Classic Hot Rods. Almost half of the field was made up of drivers travelling from England to the Cowdenbeath raceway in search of some good racing and action. Amongst those who travelled up were newly crowned National Champion 33 Lee Wood, Kevin Gooding 156 is the ex-Richard Lee Mk2 Escort, he has settled in after a fiery first year in the Classics and will no doubt start to produce some decent podiums. 119 Dan Buckley is always keen to visit Scotland, where he produces some good results. The long-distance

behind the scenes footage on Instagram:

CLASSIC HOT RODS

travelers came in the form of 254 Richard Beere from Newton Abbott with one another Mk2 Escort. The ex-Brisca f2 racer has no doubt form at Cowdenbeath and is not shy of getting his foot down. Hughie Weaver 210 made the journey from less than four miles away from the Eastbourne raceway where he runs a public house. The veteran had suffered a heart attack a few years back and returned to racing after a bypass. The Mk1 Escort of Weaver has also had a few rebuilds; his last major win was in the Londo Championship at Wimbledon before the track was closed.

John Fitzgerald 431 was also making the journey as a recent newcomer to the English side of Classic Hot Rods. The car making its way back home, the ex-McFastlane Mk2 Escort has been adjusted and tweaked for more power in England.

The Scottish side, a bit like international football came with its star players. Kenny Purdie headed up the opposition with 300 John Buchan on the flank in a superb SHP-built Mk2 that already has taken wins, 871 Graeme Callender in midfield again an Mk2 Escort that has more than proven itself for the Ex-National Hot Rod star plus a Clitheroe of local talent with 162 Keith Chesher Mk2 |Escort, Jon Campbell 26 Mk2 Escort and Alec Wilson in another ex-Mcfastlane motor the Chevette that he entered the sport with several years back. The Chevette was one of the first

Classic Hot Rods to undergo the Zetec engine transplant and has taken Alec too many wins since.

New to the Classic Hot Rods in Scotland is Scott Jones 51 who already has found his feet in the formula with a podium finish, he currently has the ex-Trevor Harris Anglia. Another Anglia that has come to the Scottish scene is that of a newcomer and the youngest racer amongst the Scottish is 70 Kieran Johnson who has acquired the car from 70 Richard Lee.

One driver we haven’t mentioned yet on the booking list is the Scottish, English, Scotsman in the Austin A40 Graham Boyd. Often he takes a cattle truck with him and returns with an addition or two to his Highland Cattle on the farm.

Saturday night’s racing was overcast by the rain, something the Scottish Classic Hot rods are used to. Heat one once they got going the cars soon dispersed the water away to bring up the grip on the track, Richard Beere 254 took advantage from the front in the early laps before Wilson 58 was all over him and took over. Further back Purdie and Buchan were quickly moving through the busy traffic with the newcomers being made aware of lead cars coming through by the stewards on the radio. 871 Callender wasn’t too far behind Wilson as he made his way past Beere, with all three soon reaching the back markers

again. Bob Law 631 in the Ford 100e is still trying to find his feet with the car but looks to be getting there. Wilson went on to take the first win of the night.

Trevor Harris 12 had put together another Anglia and was on track but the car looked to be struggling on handling in heat one.

Heat two was a change of tyres and out came the wets as the rain increased. Wilson Again fought for the lead with Beere in the opening laps and the incident brought a pause. Beere pulled away but was being closely hunted down by a pack of our finding grip on the wet track. The pace picked up and the second winner of the night came through from further back on the start this time. Indeed 17 Kenny Purdie had got the Wee McSpanker wound up and singing to victory.

The two heats had produced some good runs for both visiting drivers and the locals, with the final luring and some time for adjustments whilst the other weekend’s headliners of Saloon Stockcars etc were on track.

Fourteen Classic Hot Rods took to the graded feature final for the Jim Purdie memorial race in honour of the man who sadly passed away following a heart attack in the pits during the Irish championship now a few years ago.

Richard Beer 254 and BoabLow led them away on a much drier track than heat two although the

behind the scenes footage on Instagram: @retrofordmagazine

dampness was still apparent. 119 Buckley was a casualty at turn three in the opening laps before the race settled down.300 Buchan had got past Purdie early on, and Purdie was flat-out giving chase. 445 Boyd exited turn two with 26 Campbell on his inside and the A40 sideways on, as Boyd tried to level out the 26 car went round and hit the wall later catching 51 Jones in the Anglia spinning him around. The stoppage came for a bit of track clearance; when they got back underway 300 Buchan was in position one with Purdie trying hard to close the gap. Purdie was reeling him in lap by lap what has been described as a throttle jam on the 17 car of Purdie, launched the 17 car at the rear quarter of 300 Buchan. Buchan was lucky not to have been taken into the wall. The Purdie car went full chat into the wall and came to a standstill. Kenny is on the mend at the moment having lost to the wall he’s a bit bruised. The Wee Spanker no doubt will be back in one piece before long having suffered heavy damage to the front corner.

The flag dropped for the remainder of the race, and Buchan maintained his lead to take the win ahead of 162 Keith Chesher and 254 Beere.

The drivers retired for the evening with hopes that the second day’s racing would be a little dryer, some had a few repairs to do and some wouldn’t make it the next day.

Tye Doug Farrer replica RS fronted Mk2 Escort

always makes a welcome appearance to the meeting for the memorial race. Another surprise was ready in the pits a freshly built replica in a modern style though for 93 John Campbell in the form of a Ford Anglia built by Classic Hot Rodder 12, Trevor Harris.

There was a lot to work through with the Doug Farrer memorial race plus heat and the ‘Cock of The North’ final as well.

Richard Beere 254 led the field away for the Doug Farrer memorial race and stayed out in front despite 871 Callendar and 210 Weaver trying to get close; they were having their race which electrified the atmosphere after the night proceedings and Kenny’s crash. Further back the cars were on pace with little change and no pushing and shoving. Marc Spence was unfortunate to have got turned around on the back straight but was unable to get going to rejoin. The top three finished as they were running Beere taking the win, Callender second, and Weaver third. The second heat of the day was going well until 162 Cheser who had made a move up on th156 Gooding car in a race incident ended up with a spin-out hard to the wall in turn three which brought stoppage. Once the cars were back underway it took little time for 300 John Buchan to get back on form and take another win.

The final race of the weekend was the ‘Cock of the North Trophy’, which always signifies the

end of the Scottish Classic Hot Rod season. With a good few contenders across the weekend favourite pre-race were John Buchan 330 and 254 Richard Beere.

Eleven cars got underway on yet again a damp track under the floodlights as night approached somewhat early. Richard Beere 254 broke free from the grading advantage to take out a good lead. Further back things were steady with 210 Weaver, 118 Buckley and 156 Gooding all shuffling off places. Weaver found something more on the bottom of his race bag of tricks; he cleared 119 Buckley and gave chase to Beere. Now, what didn’t look likely was Beere to be caught but somehow the Music Man gave it his best Song and dance and in the closing stages did not only catch Beere but passed him. Weaver went on to take the win and received the Cock of the North trophy. Well done to all that took part Thanks to Spedeworth and Racewall Cowdenbeath for allowing the Jim Purdie memorial to run.

A big thanks to Kenny Purdie for his encouragement at the meeting, and last but not least the photographs that come this month from ScotStox (on track ) and the pit shots from John and Kirsty Mv Farlane.

Till next time ROD ON. n

our behind the scenes footage on Instagram: @retrofordmagazine

LOW-MILEAGE INSPECTION

When we heard that Classic and Sportscar Centre in North Yorkshire had an RS Cosworth version of the Sierra Sapphire for sale, which had covered a little over 800 miles a year, we had to take a look. The car seen here spent its first 16 years in Japan, clocking up less than 20k, before being shipped to Canada and staying there for the next seven years. In 2012, it returned to the UK with a little over 22k on the clock and has stayed here ever since. It’s now for sale at £44,995 and we couldn’t resist taking a look underneath to see whether it’s as good as the rest of the vehicle. The following steps provide an overview of what we inspected and help to outline what to look for when buying a mothballed, low-mileage example.

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And here’s the evidence we were looking for to indicate that the exhaust system consists of genuine Ford parts; both of the rear silencers have the Ford logo stamped on them.

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More possible evidence of repairs and the desire to preserve genuine parts can be found at the front of the exhaust system, where there seems to be some welding repairs.

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With the Cossie on the four-post ramp at Classic and Sportscar Centre, we start at the rear and take a look at the exhaust system. It seems to consist of OEM parts.

The rear coil springs appear to have most of their coating still on them and we can’t see any signs of fractures.

Armed with a pry bar, there’s enough room to be able to check the lower mounts for the rear telescopic dampers. We also inspect the dampers for leaks and misting.

The brake flexi-hoses at the rear seem to be in just as good condition as the driveshaft boots, with no apparent signs of perishing or fluid leaks.

behind the scenes footage on Instagram: @retrofordmagazine

The fuel filter is located inside this cage on the underside of the bodywork, close to the petrol tank. Everything looks dry and clean around it.

Staying at the rear, we look at the driveshafts and pinch the corrugated rubber boots on the ends of them. They still feel supple and we can’t find any cracks or signs of perishing.

Waggling the ends of the rear anti-roll bar doesn’t detect any play in its mounting bushes or the droplinks.

The rear trailing arms look almost spotless and well preserved. There are some very light traces of surface corrosion, but overall, they seem to be in good condition.

From what we can see, the coating on the rear brake pipes is still intact and not showing any signs of hiding corrosion underneath. Are these the original pipes?

A light rub with a soft brush to remove some traces of dirt along the pipes helps to check their condition. We spot the seams of the rear trailing arm have some light corrosion.

We can’t find any movement in the trailing arm’s frontmost inner mounting bush when we lever against it with a pry bar, and…

…the large mounting bush shown here is also in good condition with no signs of perishing or splitting, as far as we can see.

Moving further along the underside, we find the brake and fuel lines, which are routed underneath the nearside floors. They all seem to be secure and solid.

The underside of the floors and sills appear to be almost spotless and seem to still have their original factory coatings.

Poking a screwdriver through the drainholes for the sills doesn’t release any dirt or water. These can get blocked, resulting in corrosion forming inside.

There’s some light surface corrosion around the rear area of the sills and on the rear crossmember.

Poking a screwdriver further along the sills doesn’t reveal any nasty surprises. There’s some light surface corrosion in places, but nothing that appears to be any worse.

However, when we get to the underside of the OSF floor, we spot a damaged section. Perhaps a small jack has been used to raise the vehicle and has caused this.

The NSF has the same type of minor damage. Structural corrosion doesn’t appear to have taken hold, but the paint protection has cracked and there’s some light rust.

scenes footage on Instagram: @retrofordmagazine

The gearbox’s lower mount appears to be intact and showing no signs of perishing or splitting. The exhaust pipe on the left seems to have had a small welding repair.

There’s just enough room to grab hold of the steering column UJ and waggle it to check for excessive movement. Asking someone to move the steering wheel also helps to check it.

Moving back a little, we spot the propshaft and give it a shake to see if we can detect any play in its universal joints. It’s just as clean as the exhaust system.

The ends of the front anti-roll bar are secured directly to the lower suspension arms (no droplinks are fitted), so we visually inspect the rubber mounting bushes.

Manoeuvring a torch over the top of the propshaft, we can see a couple of weights that have been added to help with balancing.

The front anti-roll bar is in full view from the underside, so armed with a pry bar, we check its mounting bushes and cannot detect any excessive movement.

There’s also plenty of room to be able to inspect the corrugated boots over the steering track rods. They both appear to be in good condition and securely fitted.

behind

scenes footage on Instagram: @retrofordmagazine

The front brake flexi-hoses can be inspected from underneath, along with the pipework. Similar to the rear ones, we don’t find any problems with perishing or corrosion.

There’s a single lower suspension arm at each front corner, with plenty of space to lever against its inner mounting bush to check for excessive movement.

The ball joints for the steering track rod ends can be inspected from underneath. There’s space to pinch each rubber dust cover to look for perishing and splits.

There are a couple of engine mounts which can be inspected from underneath the front of the vehicle. We look for perishing and splits in the rubber.

The thickness of the front brake discs can be measured from the inside of the road wheels using a Vernier caliper. There’s no noticeable lip around the outer edge of the discs.

Similarly, the pipework for the power steering fluid that’s routed across the steering rack appears to be in good condition with no signs of corrosion or leaks.

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The engine oil sump seems to be free of leaks, even from around the return hose shown here on the right side of our photograph.

And finally, we stick our fingers inside the frontmost chassis legs to feel for damp and dirt, but can’t find anything of concern. These legs seem to be in good condition. n

The brake pads are a little awkward to inspect, but there’s space to manoeuvre a brake pad thickness gauge into position to measure the depth of the friction material.

The brake pipes near the front brakes have a coating of dirt, but we don’t find any signs of structural corrosion.

The exposed underside of the front crossmember is a typical rot-spot, but this one appears to have been preserved as far as we can tell.

WORDS & PICS: ROB HAWKINS

TRIED &TESTED: LIGHTING

We tested a range of battery-powered LED work lights in the November 2019 issue and several slim lamps in the September 2020 issue of Retro Ford. Over the last two to three years, the technology of LEDs, lithium-ion batteries and their affordability has changed, so we’re keen to revisit this subject and provide some updates. As you’ll see over the following three pages, we’ve tested a new lamp from Clarke, and from the ones that we originally tested back in 2019 and 2020, we’re still using some of them, despite doing our best to see how much abuse we can inflict.

THIS MONTH WE HAVE SOMETHING NEW AND SOMETHING OLD FOR THE TOPIC OF LED WORK LIGHTS AND TORCHES.

CLARKE EXTRA SLIM SWIVEL HEAD LED WORK LIGHT NEW!

accidentally switch on, meaning you could easily flatten the battery if this happened when the light was concealed inside a bag. Clarke’s version seems to have tackled this problem because the switch is a little more recessed.

New

Available from Machine Mart, this new swivel head light from their Clarke range looks promising. It’s powered by a 3.7-volt lithium-ion battery, which is recharged using a dedicated mains power lead and should take a maximum of four hours. It features a COB (circuit on board) LED strip light for the main illumination, which produces up to 400 lumens via a small adjuster wheel on the back of the body. It also has a torch function, powered by an 80 lumens SMD (surfacemounted device) LED on the end of the swivel arm. This is switched on and off via a small, recessed button on the back of the body. When both lights are on and with the main illumination at maximum brightness, the battery should last for roughly three hours.

We’ve been using one of these lights for a few weeks and have found it very useful for working underneath a vehicle or inside an engine bay. There are magnets on the back of the body and its base, enabling it to be secured to metal objects in a number of configurations. And with the manoeuvrability of the swivel arm, illumination can be achieved in almost every situation, no matter how tight the space might be. What’s particularly useful is knowing how much charge is left in the lithium-ion battery, which is displayed by a series of small lights on the back of the body.

Whilst this design of light might be new to Machine Mart’s Clarke range, it’s not a completely new type of light. Ring has been selling their own version for a few years, and we tested it back in 2020 – it’s called the MAGflex Pivot. Our only gripe at the time concerned the button for the torch, which was too easy to catch and

We’ve been using Ring’s light for nearly three years, although strictly speaking, we’re on to our second because the torch on the first one failed. The current light is still working well, but the swivel arm now feels a little loose and doesn’t stay fixed in whatever position you set it. The two magnets on the back of the body became dislodged recently, so we reckon they are stuck to the underside of a car. We’ve not exactly pampered this light, having knocked and dropped it several times and even dropped it in a bucket of old engine oil. So, it’s surprising that it is still working.

Ring’s MAGflex Pivot has stood the test of time and it now has some competition from Clarke.

As for the new light from Clarke, at £32.39 from Machine Mart, we reckon it’s money well spent, although Ring’s equivalent torch can be found for less, such as on special offer at the time of writing at Demon Tweeks for £28.80 (normally £40).

In

Despite Clarke’s swivel head work light being recently launched, the design was used by Ring a few years ago and we’ve been using one since 2020. It now looks a little battered and bruised.

our opinion, this design of light is one of the most compact, versatile and useful types of torches.

from Machine Mart’s Clarke range is this swivel head LED work light at £32.39.

We’ve been testing Clarke’s new swivel head work light and have found it can illuminate the dark underside areas of a car to inspect components.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

UNDERBONNET WORK LIGHT

When we tested a variety of work lights and lamps in the November 2019 issue of Retro Ford, one of our favourites was an underbonnet lamp from Phillips. At the time, it was a little pricey at almost £130, and still is with some online retailers charging up to £200, but it’s worth shopping around for better deals and we’ve also seen an equivalent non-Phillips LED light that looks identical. We’ve been using ours for over three years and it’s still working well. It produces 500-1,200 lumens from 32 LEDs and can last up to 5.5 hours on a full 3.7-volt lithium-ion battery that takes up to two hours to recharge (red and green indicator lights on the side of the light show the state of the battery at all times).

At the time we tested it, this was the only underbonnet light that can be used while its onboard battery is being recharged (a five-metrelong power cable is supplied).

We also like the lightness of this equipment and our only occasional gripe is the fact that it has only one extendable arm, so we occasionally find the light isn’t positioned over an area of an engine bay we’re working on, but the 120° beam of light it produces helps to compensate for this.

SEALEY 360° RECHARGEABLE LED TORCH

We’ve been using this rechargeable torch from Sealey for at least five years. We included it in our group test back in the November 2019 issue, explaining that we had found it to be reliable and very versatile – and it still is.

Illumination is provided by a 2W COB LED that produces up to 220 lumens from a 3.7-volt 1.5Ah lithium-polymer battery, which lasts for 3-6 hours and takes around three hours to recharge via a micro-USB lead. Whilst the illumination is sufficiently bright and wide, it’s no match for the brighter and more modern torches, such as the Clarke and Ring swivel design shown on the previous page, which produces up to 400 lumens. However, this torch isn’t hopeless by comparison and still does its job, which is why we’re still using it.

Our torch is now looking a little grubby, although it can be cleaned to restore some of its original shine. It has been dropped several times and still works. The magnetic swivel base, which consists of a ball-and-socket design, allows the top half of the lamp to be manoeuvred to any angle, and it still works well and keeps the lamp positioned. This is the one feature that sets it apart from many other torches,

especially when it comes to positioning it inside an engine bay or over a brake disc.

We’ve also used the additional pencil torchlight on the top of the body, which is useful for directing a beam of light into an engine bay to look for a lost nut or bolt, or to look into a tight space where the main light is too widespread.

So, having lasted the test of time, we’re pleased to see that it’s still available and can be purchased through Machine Mart (product code 010810329) for £36.98.

You just don’t get that with modern cars. My love for Fords started with my first RS 2000, back in 1984. It’s just in my blood now; I’ve only ever owned RS cars since then. I’ve even got a tattoo of my car on my arm! Whenever you pull up somewhere, people always say the same thing - ‘oh, my dad used to own one of those,’ or, ‘my family used to own one’. It brings back lots of memories for people, seeing classic cars on the road, and that’s something which I think will always be special.