White 1969 "SuperSpeed" Escort V-6 Reg No. 11-WY
Discussion
Many many years ago when I was about 16-17 the guy who lived next door to my nan used to own OLA 122L the white and black striped superspeed, his name was Richard Puddifoot and he took me out in the superspeed a couple of times.
That memory has never left me to this day and im now 50, most amazing car to have been driven in, I used to sit in my nans living room and look out daydreaming about it watching Richard work on it and used to go out and plague him with questions on it.
I have been to the last few AVO days and the current owner has let me sit in it on each occasion and fire it up.
This is without doubt the car that has left the biggest impression on me throughout my whole life its great to have a thread about these on Pistonheads.
That memory has never left me to this day and im now 50, most amazing car to have been driven in, I used to sit in my nans living room and look out daydreaming about it watching Richard work on it and used to go out and plague him with questions on it.
I have been to the last few AVO days and the current owner has let me sit in it on each occasion and fire it up.
This is without doubt the car that has left the biggest impression on me throughout my whole life its great to have a thread about these on Pistonheads.
This thread has brought back memories of the seventies with my own version of the Escort Mk1 V6.
In 1973 I bought one of the last RS /Mexico bodyshells in grey primer that Ford AVO were selling for £250.
At the local scrap yard was a burnt out Gilbern Invader which looked a mess but the engine and gearbox were hardly damaged apart from a melted Carb and various seals.
I was only nineteen at the time and my father gave permission for the build as long as I fitted a full roll cage.
I replaced the melted carb with a Weber DFI5 and put a piper cam in. Mobelec Electronic Ignition and Kenlowe Fan.
The gearbox was from a Capri 3 litre but had a Laycock electric overdrive on the back of it. and a modified transmission tunnel was necessary for the linkages. RS front suspension and brakes with uprated springs and shockers and the rear axle was from a Cortina Estate, which meant that the 185/70 x 13 radials just fitted nicely within the rear flared arches with the front end remaining standard RS. The rear axle was located with two radius arms and a Panhard rod to assist the leaf springs. The diff ratio was 3.09 : 1 which gave 28 mph/ 1000 in top gear overdrive
It had twin Peco silencers at one time which went under the rear axle but I was told off for them being too loud by the local constabulary so changed them for baffled versions.
The rear lights were from a Capri Mk 2 as I thought the standard ones were a bit mean and had no reversing light in them. This shot was taken just before I took it apart.
It lasted ten years, cannot remember being overtaken by anything. It handled so well and the brakes were very good. The engine had so much torque you could nearly just drive it in top and overdrive. and metamorphosed into a Dutton which brought a new level of performance with the same running gear in about half a ton!
I rather regret giving away the old bodyshell to a grasstrack racer as it was not in too terrible a state, and then I see the prices Escort Mexicos are fetching now!
Hi cbg thanks re Hughendens, mad that that Superspeed was close by ! My pals blue one OLA 111L stayed only a short distance from Superspeeds place all of it's life it seems, until we think it was stolen.
Vanin what a great story ! To build a car like that and at such a young age was a real achievement !! I seem to recal that the Gilbern Invader used the engine and I drive box from the Zephyr / Zodiac ? Did you make the dash ? Never seen one like that in an Escort before ! Shame you stripped it.
Re your Dutton, in the early 1980s circa 1983, a dealer aquaintance in Chadwel Heath bought in a Dutton that had been fitted with a V6, the thing was very quick and aparently would swap ends !
Vanin what a great story ! To build a car like that and at such a young age was a real achievement !! I seem to recal that the Gilbern Invader used the engine and I drive box from the Zephyr / Zodiac ? Did you make the dash ? Never seen one like that in an Escort before ! Shame you stripped it.
Re your Dutton, in the early 1980s circa 1983, a dealer aquaintance in Chadwel Heath bought in a Dutton that had been fitted with a V6, the thing was very quick and aparently would swap ends !
Both the Escort and the Dutton were very benign in the handling/roadholding department. I think the Escort was helped by having the wide and well located Cortina axle with 3.09 diff.
The Gilbern gearbox had three levers on the side and I think as you say they were linked to the column change on the Zephyr/Zodiac range. The Capri 3 litre had a slightly clumsy tunnel mounted gear lever which was only adequate and not as slick as the Ford 4 speed boxes.
It did not matter too much as it was hardly necessary to change gear.
I remember spraining my ankle during a game and driving home hardly able to push the clutch down. I drove the whole way in third and third overdrive and went right through a major town
without stopping, the lights were all green!
The Dutton could not take the Cortina axle so I fitted a Capri 3 litre one. Again the handling was fine and I never swapped ends in either car. I still have the Dutton.
The Gilbern gearbox had three levers on the side and I think as you say they were linked to the column change on the Zephyr/Zodiac range. The Capri 3 litre had a slightly clumsy tunnel mounted gear lever which was only adequate and not as slick as the Ford 4 speed boxes.
It did not matter too much as it was hardly necessary to change gear.
I remember spraining my ankle during a game and driving home hardly able to push the clutch down. I drove the whole way in third and third overdrive and went right through a major town
without stopping, the lights were all green!
The Dutton could not take the Cortina axle so I fitted a Capri 3 litre one. Again the handling was fine and I never swapped ends in either car. I still have the Dutton.
In the seventies, my father owned a repair business in Chadwell Heath, called Charles Adey Ltd. He did a lot of work for Ford Motor Company at Warley, Brentwood. Mainly prep work for ' specials '.
20 Cortinas for the England team in the World Cup, when they went to Mexico and Bobby Moore was captain. The reg numbers were GWC 1 H through to 20, for Great World Cup. Capri 3 litre for Joe Bugner, all stuff like that.
He also bought many of the Ford test cars, one of which was a Cortina mk3 with a V6 engine that was developed by Dunton for the City of London Police to test. It was trialed against the Triumph 2.5 PI . The Cortina was an XL model, white with black plastic interior. It had a big power bulge on the bonnet for the air filter, which was the only feature that was different from a bog standard car.The Triumph was white and black leather trim, and very much more up speced and based on the production car.
The Triumph was selected as the prefered model and they were supplied in big numbers. I remember seeing them flying around the city, all stickered up and two way radio aerials.
My father bought the Cortina from Fords, at the Frog Island auction site, then totally up speced it to the GXL trim, fitted Wofrace wheels and twin through exhausts. What a beast. I think there was one or two other made as well.
Later, Geoff Uren went on to build them as a conversion , but these were a genuine Ford product, with Dunton Specialist chassis plates.
20 Cortinas for the England team in the World Cup, when they went to Mexico and Bobby Moore was captain. The reg numbers were GWC 1 H through to 20, for Great World Cup. Capri 3 litre for Joe Bugner, all stuff like that.
He also bought many of the Ford test cars, one of which was a Cortina mk3 with a V6 engine that was developed by Dunton for the City of London Police to test. It was trialed against the Triumph 2.5 PI . The Cortina was an XL model, white with black plastic interior. It had a big power bulge on the bonnet for the air filter, which was the only feature that was different from a bog standard car.The Triumph was white and black leather trim, and very much more up speced and based on the production car.
The Triumph was selected as the prefered model and they were supplied in big numbers. I remember seeing them flying around the city, all stickered up and two way radio aerials.
My father bought the Cortina from Fords, at the Frog Island auction site, then totally up speced it to the GXL trim, fitted Wofrace wheels and twin through exhausts. What a beast. I think there was one or two other made as well.
Later, Geoff Uren went on to build them as a conversion , but these were a genuine Ford product, with Dunton Specialist chassis plates.
neutral 3 said:
A pal had a very Hot blue one of these in the mid 80s, what a tool , very quick , it would smoke its tyres for ages and as for sideways......
Just found an advert for a white 1969 one from a 1973 Motor Mag. Any one recognise it and is that reg no on something else now ?
My brother owned the white escort 11wy in the late 70's I think it was. I remember him using large inch thick like glass grinding circles to flatten the head and he painted it 2 tone sea blue with velour interior and he sold it to a garage in Middleton in Teesdale . It had MK1 Cortina radiator, 2000E gearbox and the engine was mounted on the chassis with the original mounting were removed from the cross member. This was done to make it fit neater. I have some old photo's but can not find at the moment.Just found an advert for a white 1969 one from a 1973 Motor Mag. Any one recognise it and is that reg no on something else now ?
Hi Chaps
Deon Morison here from Cape Town South Africa.
I have just joined.
I have just read the thread on the Superspeed MK1's. I found in while looking for support for my current project, a MK1 with an Essex V6. I have been getting a lot of resistance saying, oooo no you must use the 2.0 pinto etc etc.
After reading the superspeed thread i am more convinced than ever that i will revive the spirit of the SS!
Thanks for the chaps that shared their stories and tech info, it helps!!
I would love to hear your thoughts,ideas and suggestions.
I will keep you up to date with the progress.
Deon Morison here from Cape Town South Africa.
I have just joined.
I have just read the thread on the Superspeed MK1's. I found in while looking for support for my current project, a MK1 with an Essex V6. I have been getting a lot of resistance saying, oooo no you must use the 2.0 pinto etc etc.
After reading the superspeed thread i am more convinced than ever that i will revive the spirit of the SS!
Thanks for the chaps that shared their stories and tech info, it helps!!
I would love to hear your thoughts,ideas and suggestions.
I will keep you up to date with the progress.
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