Innholdsfortegnelse for August 2023 i Classic Ford

What is Restomod? At the high end, it’s dedicated specialists creating professionally-engineered, bespoke classic cars, but Restomod can be applied to more down-to-earth projects like ours, too. In essence, a Restomod consists of two distinct components: restoration and modification. The car’s bodyshell is usually restored so it appears to be in a standard state. Looking at it solely from an exterior standpoint, it shouldn’t be obvious that the car didn’t just roll off the assembly line a few moments before. The second part of the Restomod concept is where the vehicle is modified. This centres on improvements made in the name of handling, braking, performance, and other elements. Since the vehicle has been both restored and modified, it’s now a Restomod. Simple! If you’ve enjoyed poring over some of the…

GOT A PRODUCT YOU'D LIKE US TO FEATURE IN CF? EMAIL THE DETAILS TO: CLASSICFORD.ED@KELSEY.CO.UK TRANSIT SLOT CARS From £65 Pendle Slot Racing Pendle Slot Racing have a knack of sourcing muchwanted classic Ford slot cars, their latest offerings especially so — Mk1 Transit vans. Available as the body-only, or complete with slot car chassis, the 1/32-scale Transits are supplied in unpainted kit form and two liveries are currently available — police van or Boreham service barge. Choose from two kit options -Body Kit, or a Body and Chassis Kit at £90 which includes all the parts needed to build a complete slot car for use on Scalextric and other brands of analogue 1/32 tracks. Contact: www.pendleslotracing.co.uk TOP-ADJUSTABLE STRUT INSERTS £125.47 each GAZ Shocks GAZ now offers GAI top adjustable…

MULTIVALVE ENGINES Pros: cheap, modern power Cons: cost of conversion parts can add up Ford have always been kings of partsbin engineering. It’s what makes our cars so easy to modify, and ultimately so popular. They’ve even been known to borrow engines from so-called ‘alien’ manufacturers to slot under the bonnets of the blue oval range in more recent years — engines which are in reality just part of the huge Ford global brand. As far as we’re concerned, this means there’s now a huge range of alternative engines to play with that still come under the blue oval moniker. Zetecs and Duratecs (a Mazda engine, lest we forget) are now tried and tested routes to readilyavailable performance and reliability, and fitting one has never been easier thanks to off-the-shelf…

The term ‘restomod’ is a bit of a moving target, and it’s one that’s come to particular prominence in recent years, with the advent of high-end premium modernisations of classics by boutique specialists. If you fancy dropping six-figures (or maybe more) on an old-school Porsche 911 with an ultra-premium interior, a much more powerful motor that’s also efficient and reliable, and 21st-Century brakes and suspension, you get on the blower to Singer. If Jaguar E-Types are your bag for the same type of treatment, it’s Eagle you should be calling. Alfaholics are your lads for a 105-series Alfa. And so it goes across the classic car spectrum — the Lancia Delta Integrale, the Ford Bronco, the MGB, they’re all getting the treatment right now. Of course, people have been doing…

Why would you need offset top mounts? If you’ve lowered your car pretty radically, then the angle of the original top mounts could well reach the point where they bind up. That’s not good, as it’ll strain every time it goes over a bump potentially causing damage. The answer is spherical top mounts, which will allow more movement. There are two types available: ones that are pretty much conventional and carry the top mount in the centre — these are concentric top mounts. The units we’re fitting though are eccentric top mounts which have their centre-mounting offset to one side, so that when they’re rotated, they’ll allow adjustment to both caster and camber. This is great for initial set-up — the multiple fixing holes around the circumference correspond with the…

QUERY OF THE MONTH Five-speed for Anglia? Q I am running an Anglia fitted with a Mk1 Lotus Cortina engine and matching semi-close ratio gearbox, and 3.9:1 limited-slip diff. It’s a great car but is very low geared and the ‘box is not the easiest to use on the road. Do you know if the Type-9 fivespeed fits in the car without any major bodywork? Matt Roberts UK A The Type-9 doesn’t fit without tunnel mods sadly — it’s too tall and wide. You need to cut the tunnel out and fabricate a new one (or use the Retro Ford one). The MX-5 ’box is slightly narrower (and has better ratios) but it’s still too tall so you’ll still need to cut the top of the existing tunnel off and…

Info Contact: Wood Auto 01484 439000 www.woodauto.com Since making the starting handle obsolete, the starter motor has been solely responsible for engaging with the engine’s flywheel and rotating it until the engine fires up, before disengaging silently. Although several different methods of engagement exist, the simplest — and cheapest — inertia type has now become outdated, despite the immense popularity it once enjoyed. When the starter motor begins to rotate, its pinion lags behind, and the force of inertia causes it to ride along a spring-loaded sleeve, until its teeth mesh with those on the flywheel. Once the engine starts, the starter motor is momentarily driven by the flywheel, which causes the pinion to disengage and return along its sleeve. Otherwise, the unit works in the same way as a…

As the blurb on the Players website says, this is the weekend where modified cars can be found ‘Disrupting the manicured lawns and tranquillity of Goodwood Motor Circuit’. Hard to believe that the first Players Classic was way back in 2013. It quickly became a must-attend fixture on our calendars. The fact that tuner cars are now welcome at Britain’s premier historic motor racing venue is no small feat. Slowly but surely public perception of the modified car scene is changing. The creativity, style, ingenuity, and above all else, atmosphere that is evident in Lord March’s backyard over the now two-day event has done wonders for the gravitas and changing face of the movement and that is in no small part due to the careful selection, liaison and hard work…

Show us yours! Email hi-res photos and details of your pride and joy or project to classicford.ed@kelsey.co.uk, or write to us at the address. Jarek Korultzyk From: UK Car: Taunus Coupe “I love American cars,” says Jarek, “and the style of this is similar, only a lot cheaper!” Found by a friend in Poland in a sorry state, the Taunus was trailered back to the UK with Jarek getting straight on with the bodywork restoration — sourcing many of the panels from Germany-based specialist, Motomobil — before respraying the whole shell in custom red metallic. A trimmer by trade, he went to town on the interior, with acres of cream leather, swapping to Cortina front seats at the same time, and an alcantara headlining, too. The suspension’s been fully rebuilt,…

What’s been done this time: Began building my dream Sierra! Next on the to do list: Need to get the metalwork done to move forwards Thanks to: Colin Ginn Since the age of 16, I’ve dreamed of owning a modified RS500. I owned a 2WD Sapphire Cosworth when I was 21 and although that was a bitter-sweet experience, the desire to create my dream three-door Sierra has been building since. But with the cost of anything Cosworth-related steadily growing, it was becoming a now-or-never decision, so having sold my last project to free up some funds I went on the hunt for a Sierra. I knew I wanted to build the car to a very specific plan which was relatively simple, but I was still on a budget. It has…

Deciding to take on a restoration is a major milestone in the career of an enthusiast. Some may reach this point because their beloved classic has either been bought as a runner or has grown too tired to keep on the road, while others see buying a basket case as a way to work gradually towards their dream car. Fear not, however: regardless of starting point, with a bit of planning even the most complex of cars can be restored. Understand the basics, know where to go for help and advice, and be ready to hand some jobs over to the professionals when you reach the limit of your abilities; anything is possible if this basic formula can be adhered to. It may well be a world of blood, sweat…

The name Rob Colton should be familiar to regular readers as just last year we featured his stunning, white Fiesta Mk1 Supersport. A rare car in itself, it took Rob a long time to find a suitable unmolested candidate on which to base a sympathetic restoration, but finally in 2021 that project became complete. “I’d had a great response with the Supersport, but I was eager to get back in my garage and begin work on another project,” Rob smiles, “fortunately there was one inside already waiting for me!” We briefly mentioned Rob’s Fiesta Fly previously and just as promised, once the Supersport was finished, all his focus returned to the XR2 convertible patiently awaiting its turn for attention. “I’ve always liked the styling of the Mk1 Fiesta, especially the…

“YOU DIDN’T EVEN NEED TO SCRATCH THE SURFACE TO DISCOVER ITS WORLD-BEATING MOTORSPORT ASPIRATIONS” Launched in May 1992, the Escort RS Cosworth was the result of Ford’s quest for a rally car that would allow them to not only keep pace with the competition but literally leave it in a cloud of dust. Lancia’s all-conquering Integrale was the car to catch, and Ford had a clever idea of how to do it, pulling all the bits it needed from a highly specialised parts bin. That said, the components needed quite a bit of fettling to work together, with Ford’s new rally weapon basically consisting of a much-modified three-door Escort body shell mated to a shortened Sierra RS Cosworth 4x4 floorpan and inner wings. Despite the obvious similarity to a cooking…

Who: Paul Linfoot Age: 52 Job: Boss of Paul Linfoot Racing Location: North Yorkshire Car: 1988 Group A Sierra RS500 Start condition: Stripped shell and boxes of parts Time taken so far: 4 years Estimated date of completion: July 2023 The name Paul Linfoot needs little introduction, remaining synonymous in the world of Group A RS500 Touring Cars as he has for a few decades now. Highly regarded as the man in the know for anything RS500 related, it’s no surprise Paul was number one choice for Andrew Kirkley when it came to a full restoration of his 1988 Andy Rouse Engineering-built Touring Car. Driven by Laurence Bristow in 1988 along with Tim Harvey and Robb Gravett as co-drivers, and in Cam Shipping livery, this RS500 went on to have…

Old Ford Rally Where: July 23 When: British Motor Museum, UK What’s going on: The Old Ford Rally is back for 2023 and this year’s show will enable fans to see around 400 classic Fords, aged between 50 – 100 years old. There will be a huge range on display, from Model Ts to the cars of the pre-war austerity years as well as the more luxurious post-war Zephyrs, Zodiacs and Granadas, plus the fan-favourite Anglias, Mk1 and Mk2 Cortinas, Capris, Escorts and Fiestas. Clubs that will be attending include Deuces of Britain, with their collection of 1932 Fords, and the XR Owners Club, who will be bringing over 30 vehicles from their range. On the day, the Museum will also be playing host to a massive Meccano exhibition, in…

For some people, building a project car is the fun part, but it’s rare to find someone that seems to enjoy the process quite as much as Craig McLean, the owner of this immaculate, restomodstyle RS2000. “There’s nothing I enjoy more than cutting out corrosion or previous bodges and putting the car back to how it should be with all the seams and spot welds in the correct places, and looking like the day it left the factory. And, in many cases, much better,” he confirms. It will be no surprise to learn that this isn’t Craig’s first restoration as he previously restored a classic Mini that he still owns and tells us that gave him the realisation that he had a love for metalwork. “The Mini still looks amazing…

DURATEC Pros: Modern, light and clever design Cons: Zetecs are cheaper to buy and fit Ford’s Mazda-derived, all-aluminium engine introduced in the 2001 Mondeo is the one to fit, albeit at a cost. You won’t pick one up as cheaply as a Zetec but they’re good for 200 bhp without taking the head off. Even then, it’s 220 bhp before you need to swap the rods, crank and pistons. Weigh it all up and that power level’s pretty cost effective. A 2.3 version is obtainable over here, but more common in the US, while a 2.5-litre’s become available there. Its swap potential’s a touch more tricky — you need a conversion bellhousing for a non-Mazda transmission and a strong gearbox. Plus there’s induction and a water rail to consider as…

There tend to be two types of Granada owner; the ones who race them around oval tracks on a Sunday afternoon, and the ones who instead spend their weekend restoring the cars back to perfect condition. Rod Tebble is one of the latter, “Though I’ve nothing against banger racers,” says Rod, “I’ve known a few over the years and bought parts from them. They’re mostly a good bunch of lads.” But Rod is very much a restorer and he’s applied his talents to this 1975 Consul 2000L Decor. “I’ve had Granadas all my life and used them as dailies in the 1980s and 1990s when they were £25 each. I’ve driven company cars and my wife’s cars, but Granadas are all I’ve actually owned. The Ford Granada Mk1 & Mk2 Drivers’…

SAFE TECH When working on cars and using tools of any kind — especially power tools — always use protective gear: goggles, gloves, ear defenders, masks and a decent set of overalls are essential. A fire extinguisher is also advisable. Never work under a car without supporting it with axle stands and if you’re not completely confident of your ability to complete any task safely, leave it to the experts. A rolling road is not a means of proving to your mate how powerful your motor is. It’s a proper opportunity to set your car up under load for everyday driving conditions. If you’ve spent thousands on your engine, a session on the rollers is just as important as getting the right parts in the build in the first place.…

What’s been done this month: Bought a Mk2 Escort four-door Next on the to-do list: Transplant all the Escort bits into the Anglia My best-laid plans to build a killer Anglia for my wife had barely been finalised, and they are now screwed up and in the bin. The truth of the matter is that as a middle-aged man, with late-teen kids, life is moving very fast right now. This means that any plans to commit to a longterm build on the Anglia are just not going to work for me, financially, physically and so forth. It’s time for Plan B. The shell is about a 6 out of 10 in regards to condition. I can use it, I can save it, but it is not a candidate for a…

CONTACT Spa Classic www.spa-classic.com The 11th edition of the Spa Classic was eagerly awaited by both drivers and spectators who subsequently arrived en masse to this great event. This magnificent forest circuit in the Ardennes gave to all the visitors the opportunity to watch the spectacular races from a variety of new grandstands, to explore the paddock and even to make a short walk trough the woods to reach the far trackside with its tight bends and sweeping curves. Numerous races were on the programme but the most spectacular was indeed the Heritage Touring Cup with no less than 18 Blue Ovals racing, from the Escort RS1600 through to the Capri RS2600 and RS3100, plus the Falcon and Mustang as well. In the Classic Endurance 1 Group race, half a…

MORE THAN JUST TRAFFIC With the expansion of ULEZ in London a current hot topic, we rewind to 1975 when motorists heading into London from Essex on the A127 had no such concerns. However, it wasn’t the most savoury of occasions, with drivers being stopped by police to help with enquiries into the disappearance of a haulage contractor and his son. Nevertheless, it does give us a great insight into the popular cars of the period, and we’re pleased to say the majority are Fords, with stalwarts like the Mk1 and Mk2 Cortina (the former an early Estate) , Mk1 Transit, Corsair, Anglia 105E, Mk1 Escort van and saloon, and Mk3 Cortina.…