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Ford Escort Mk II RS1800 Group 4 – A Road-Legal Rally Car

This Ford Escort Mk II is a road-legal historic rally car with significant racing history to its name, it’s a Mk II RS1800 Group 4 and it’s powered by the historically significant 2.0 litre Cosworth BDG engine capable of over 275 bhp in race trim.

The Mighty Mark II

The Mark II Ford Escort, or Mk II as it’s better known, is one of those rare instances in the automotive world when the successor to a popular model becomes just as beloved as its forebear. In this case of course it was the Mark I Ford Escort that came first, retroactively renamed the Mk I. This first Ford Escort was both affordable to the average blue collar worker, and it was wildly successful on the race tracks and rally stages of the world.

With the Mk I Escort Ford knew they had struck gold, they built over two million of them from the model’s release in 1967 until 1974 when its successor was launched. The pressure was on in the early 1970s to design the new Escort, money was tight at the time and so much of the core structure of the M I was kept in place, and a new more modern body shape was fitted.

As it happens this turned out to be a great strategic move, as the racing prowess of the Mark I was essentially transferred into the Mark II. Despite the fact that it used a live rear axle on leaf springs the Ford Escort RS1800 proved wildly successful in World Rally Championship (WRC) events taking over 20 victories as well as the 1970 Championship – in fact it took all three places in the 1979 standings.

This was a remarkable effort from the Ford Escort RS1800, it was competing against the likes of the Lancia Stratos HF, the Porsche 911 SC, the Renault 5 Alpine, the Fiat 131 Abarth, and the Mercedes 450 SLC 5.0. With its live axle rear end and leaf springs the Escort was by far the most old-fashioned of the cars in the field, but somehow it proved more than the sum of its parts on countless race outings – beating the most impressive rally machinery of its day.

Above Image: The Mark II Escort is a cult classic in Britain and much of the world markets where it was sold new in the 1970s.

Ford would keep the Mark II Escort in production from 1974 until 1980 when it was replaced with the less popular third generation model. Today the first and second generation Ford Escorts occupy and almost mythical place in the car culture of Britain, Australia, New Zealand, and the other regions where it was originally sold.

So profound is the impact that these cars had that you can still buy brand new unibody shells for them, along with every other part you need to build one essentially from scratch over 40 years since the last one left the production line.

The 1978 Ford Escort MK2 RS1800 Shown Here

The car you see here is a road-legal racer equipped with a 2.0 litre Cosworth BDG inline-four built by Alan Sherwood, coupled to a 5-speed ZF manual transmission. Many historic race cars like this one have been subject to restorations over the years, with some receiving a full new body shell to bring them back to as-new condition – this is one such car.

New body shells always trigger Ship of Theseus philosophical debate in the classic car community. No one car argue that they make the cars more exact and arguably stronger, but some prefer the original shells for the sake of authenticity. I belong to that former camp personally, in fact I have a classic in the garage with a new bodyshell and I have to say, it’s fantastic.

The 2.0 litre Cosworth BDG is an inline-four cylinder engine that remains in very limited production today through certain performance tuning houses. It’s an engine that was developed by Cosworth back in 1969 using the Ford Kent engine block as its starting point.

Above Image: This is the Cosworth BDG engine, a mighty 2.0 litre unit with DOHC and 270+ bhp when in full race trim.

Unlike the pushrod overhead valve Kent, the Cosworth variant had a new head with double overhead cams powered by a belt drive. The first of these engines was the 1601cc BDA (standing for “Belt Drive A“), followed by the BDB, the BDC, the BDE, the BDF, and of course the BDG – which would be the largest capacity engine in the series with a new block cast from aluminum to match the pre-existing aluminum head.

In full race trim these Cosworth BDG engines could produce over 270 bhp, and when paired with a 5-speed transmission and a vehicle like a WRC championship winning car like the RS1800, it creates a machine very hard to beat in the right hands.

The car you see here is the ex-Malcolm Wilson and Terry Harryman “Total Team Gold” RS1800 from 1978. First registered on 17 February 1978, this RS1800 has five previous keepers on the V5C log book. Piloting ‘FFV’ with its original shell in 1979, Malcolm Wilson secured some notable results during the season, including third overall on the Phonepower International Welsh Rally, and second overall and first in class on the RAC MSA Scottish Rally.

Much more recently, and sporting the replacement shell, it was driven in numerous events between 2012 and 2015, largely in the UK, including the Ulster Historic Rally, the Jim Clark Historic Rally, and the Rally Isle of Man. It was acquired by the current private owner in July 2019.

Today the car is presented in excellent condition, ready to race and registered for the road should the new owner wish to go out and destroy some B-roads on the weekend. If you’d like to read more about it or register to bid you can click here to visit the listing on Collecting Cars.

Images courtesy of Collecting Cars

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from Silodrome https://silodrome.com/ford-escort-mk-ii-rs1800/
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CforCROSSSTITCH – Immortalize Your Car In Cross Stitch – £125

CforCROSSSTITCH is a new project that creates custom cross stitch artworks for petrolheads, you just send in some pictures of your car and they set to work creating a bespoke cross stitch for you.

The company is a family affair run by brother and sister Craig and Ashley, Ashley runs Stitchy Mumma and Craig is an automotive designer as well as a talented artist and photographer. They spent the past few months perfecting the art of translating cars into the pixel-like art required for cross-stitching

Each piece requires significant work, once they receive the images of your car Craig sets to work drawing it pixel by pixel, once he’s happy with it he passes it to Ashley who cross-stitches it by hand at her home in England. Once completed the 10″ x 10″ square is then uniquely numbered, framed and sent to the customer.

Despite the fact that CforCROSSSTITCH is an almost brand new enterprise they already have a small waiting list and each one takes a few days to make as Ashley is also a full time mother.

If you’d like to see more examples of their work or order your own and support the project you can click the red button below to visit the online store, each piece costs £125 which includes framing.

Visit The Store

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from Silodrome https://silodrome.com/cforcrossstitch-car-cross-stitch/
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Sir Malcolm Campbell’s 1939 Mercury Eight Overlander Is For Sale

This 1939 Mercury Eight has a fascinating history, it was ordered new by land speed record breaker Sir Malcolm Campbell and sent by him to the coachbuilders Windovers to convert it into an estate car (station wagon) with room to sleep two in the back.

As it happened the car was mostly used by Britain’s biggest pop star at the time, George Formby, who bought it from Sir Campbell and used it as a camper while touring the Allied fronts and entertaining the troops during WWII.

Sir Malcolm’s original plans for the vehicle were that it be used by his crew, and likely himself also, for transportation and accommodation duties in the various remote locales they needed to travel to for their record-breaking adventures on land and water.

Various iterations of the name “Blue Bird” were used by Sir Malcolm Campbell to name his record-breaking cars and boats including a Sunbeam 350HP, a Napier-Campbell, a Campbell-Napier-Railton, and a Campbell-Railton. As a result of this you’ll notice the word “Blue Bird” has been stenciled onto the forward roof of this car just above the windshield.

After he sent this car off to Windovers they set to work increasing the height of the roof and added a full station wagon-style back to the car. They also ensured that the rear seats would fold into the floor to provide a flat sleeping platform with space for two – this would allow mechanics and engineers to have mobile accommodation and even work in 24 hour shifts when needed.

Above Image: The car still carries its desert military colors, with plenty of patina as you would expect from its adventures.

1939 was the first year of the Mercury Eight Series 99A, Mercury was essentially an upmarket member of the Ford family a little below the Lincolns. The beautifully art deco styled car came as either a two door coupe or a four door sedan, with convertible or tin top versions of each available.

As the name suggests, the Mercury Eight was powered by a V8, and not just any V8 but a Ford Flathead V8 – the one that’s credited with getting America to fall in love with the engine configuration in the first place.

With a swept capacity of 239 cu. in. (3.9 litres) and 95 hp the Mercury Eight Series 99A was notably more expensive that a Ford V8 however it came with that beautiful Mercury styling, a luxurious interior, and it even came with hydraulic brakes as standard.

A good-looking, aerodynamic car with a V8 under the hood appealed to Sir Malcolm so much that he bought a brand new “overseas market” example of the car shortly after its 1939 launch. Sadly 1939 would also coincide with the outbreak of World War II and as a result Sir Malcolm Campbell was never able to use his Mercury for its intended purpose.

As a pilot from World War I and a Knight of the Realm, Campbell commanded the military police contingent of the Coats Mission whose job it was to evacuate King George VI, Queen Elizabeth, and their immediate family from London in the event of German invasion from 1940 till 1942.

Above Video: George Formby performing “Our Sergeant Major” for the troops during WWII.

Rather than letting his custom built Mercury go to waste Campbell sold it to Britain’s highest paid musical performer, George Formby, who was off to embark on a 53 day ENSA tour (Entertainments National Service Association) in August 1943 to perform for the troops in Italy, Sicily, Malta, Gibraltar, Libya, Tunisia, Egypt, Lebanon, and Palestine.

The vehicle was modified by the REME (Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers) prior to departure, they gave the car a new military livery, larger wheels and tires for use on sand, and partially painted windows to reduce the sun’s glare.

Formby and his wife would sleep in the back of the Mercury for much of this trip, it’s believed that he entertained over 750,000 on this specific tour and a total of 3 million throughout the duration of the war – sometimes climbing into trenches close to enemy lines to chat to the soldiers, tell them jokes, and play them songs on his famous Banjo Ukulele.

Formby sold the car on after his tour and it ended up passing through some fascinating collections over the intervening decades, including ownership by the president of the George Formby Society and Earl Peel.

It’s now due to roll across the auction block with H & H Classics on the 14th of April with a guide price of £25,000 to £35,000, or approximately $34,300 to $48,000 USD, if you’d like to read more or register to bid you can click here to visit the listing.

Images courtesy of H&H Classics

The post Sir Malcolm Campbell’s 1939 Mercury Eight Overlander Is For Sale appeared first on Silodrome.

from Silodrome https://silodrome.com/sir-malcolm-campbell-mercury-eight-overlander/
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For Sale: A 1,114 hp Porsche 928 Land Speed Record Holder + Pikes Peak Racer

This is officially the fastest Porsche 928 on Earth, it set the world Porsche 928 speed record at 234.434 mph in 2020 at the TRC Proving Grounds. It’s not just a one trick pony however, the car has raced multiple times at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, setting the fastest time of any two-wheel drive car in 2009.

The Porsche 928 – The Replacement For The 911

The Porsche 928 was originally released in 1977 as the intended replacement for the aging 911 model. Unlike the 911, the 928 is powered by a liquid-cooled, front mounted engine and was intended as a modern grand tourer that would appeal to Europeans and Americans alike.

Porsche changed direction of course, and the 911 would remain in production, however the 928 would perhaps be a clearer forefather of most modern Porsches. The majority of cars built by the German automaker now are powered by front mounted, liquid cooled engines and they typically favour luxury over the more performance-oriented early 911s.

Although it would never replace the 911 the 928 did stay in production for a remarkable 18 years from 1977 to 1995, going through significant upgrades over this time and earning an important place in Porsche history.

The Megalodon – A 1,114 hp Porsche 928

Much of the secret to this car’s success lines under the hood, it’s powered by a custom built 6.54 litre Porsche 32 valve V8 engine built by the team at 928 Motorsports. They increased the capacity by boring and stroking it from its original factory displacement of 5.4 litres and power output of 345 hp.

In its current form the engine is turning out a remarkable 1,114 hp with 956 lb ft of torque, vastly more than any of the original Porsche engineers had ever anticipated, requiring a slew of custom parts and a years-long testing regimen.

The engine now has GF-Nylon composite high-flow intake runners, a custom intake system with 12.6L twin plenums, an Electromotive TecGT Engine Management system, Wiseco custom forged pistons with Graphite impregnated sleeves, the heads have been extensively ported and flow-benched, it also uses stainless steel valves, beehive race springs, copper, and beryllium seats.

As you may have guessed, that’s not quite the full list of performance parts – the engine also has custom camshafts from 928 Motorsports, and a Vortech V7 YSi supercharger with a cogged belt drive. This engine is mated to a 6-speed Tremec TR6060 transaxle with close-ratio gearset receiving power via a Tilton triple-disc clutch and a lightweight aluminum torque tube by 928MS.

When it comes to any car it’s common knowledge that you can’t just increase engine power when seeking better performance, you also need to look into other aspects of the vehicle like its weight, brakes, aerodynamics, suspension, and wheels/tires.

This 928 has seen a vast array of modifications – as is plainly apparent by looking at it. The car is fitted with Forgeline 13 x 18 three-piece modular wheels, Hoosier 315/30/ZR18 front tires and 345/35/ZR18 rear tires, Brembo 355mm vented cross-drilled 4 piston brake calipers, and PRO double-adjustable shocks on all four corners with a 928 Motorsports Hypercoil spring kit.

Much of the cars interior and sound insulation has been removed for weight reduction purposes, it’s fitted with a Halon fire suppression system and a full internal 9-point roll cage. It’s using a 928 Motorsports GT-1 wide-body kit and rear wing, the doors, hatch, and complete front clip are all removable without tools.

The car’s front chin splitter made from sacrificial composite and the complete bottom of car has been aerodynamically panned. Impressively the car’s weight is approximately 2,850 lbs wet, vastly less than the ~3,500 lbs of the original car.

So far this car, nicknamed “Meg” for “Megalodon”, has accrued the following major race and land speed results:

– Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, 3rd Place in the Open Division, 2007

– Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, 3rd Place in the Open Division, 2009

– Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, Fastest 2WD car, 2009

– Bonneville Salt Flats, World Porsche 928 record set at 216.63537 MPH, 2011

– Season Points Leader, NASA GTS series, Unlimited Division, 2016

– TRC Proving Grounds, World Porsche 928 Speed record, 234.434 MPH, 2020

– TRC Proving Grounds, World Closed Course Porsche 928 record, 234.434 MPH, 2020

If you’d like to read more about this 928 or register to bid you can click here to visit the listing on Mecum, it’s due to cross the auction block in mid-May.

Images courtesy of Mecum

The post For Sale: A 1,114 hp Porsche 928 Land Speed Record Holder + Pikes Peak Racer appeared first on Silodrome.

from Silodrome https://silodrome.com/porsche-928-race-car/
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The Weekend Warriors: A Drag Racing Documentary

This documentary gives a fascinating and detailed look into the highly competitive world of American drag racing in the 1960s. The film covers the 10th annual NHRA Nationals, the AHRA Winter Championship, and the AHRA Winternationals featuring some of the biggest names in the sport at the time.

Drag racing is a distinctly American form of motorsport where competitors line up side-by-side two at a time to race down a 1/4 mile of asphalt to see who’s fastest. The concept sounds simple enough but the engineering and technology that goes into building the cars, and specifically the engines, is remarkable.

With a run time of over one and a half hours this film offers a unique and thorough window into what life was like for drag racing professionals and amateurs alike, with many competitors cross crossing the country by road each year with their mechanics and the competition car on a trailer.

As with most forms of motor racing, it’s believed that drag racing started happening very shortly after the automobile was invented. Early races were loosely organized and happened on public roads, whether they were illegal or not is open to debate as legislation surrounding the automobile trailed the adoption of the new form of transport significantly. The automobile was invented in 1886 but the first American driver’s licenses weren’t issued until Massachusetts and Missouri began requiring them in 1903, and even then you didn’t have to pass a test to get one.

Nowadays of course you need special race licenses to take part in legally sanctioned motorsports like drag racing, and the level of safety has vastly improved since the era when this film was made.

If you’d like to read more about the history of drag racing you can click here.