RE: YKYWT: 1980 'Zakspeed' Ford Escort RS2000

[Dodge76]

I've always loved the MK2 Escorts, and always dreamed of owning a RS2000. I used to love the noise they made.... and still do!

I was lucky enough to own one about 12 years ago. A black example from 1978 (BGJ906S). I only owned it for 6 months, and due to finances I had to sell. I traded it for an XR2, got next to nothing for it! Hindsight is a wonderful thing....

It wasn't the best example ever (I bought it with no MOT), cost me a fortune in repairs and was hard work at times. But the way it drove, the way it sounded.... I loved it!

How I miss my RS2000! I will own one again someday! Hopefully....

[engineer666]

aeropilot said:

Ex-Aveley worker....

As a former committee member of the Ford AVO Owners Club I can but offer a

Were you there in the proper FAVO days from '70-'75?...would love to hear any annecdotal stories if so.

One of my old RS2000's (and yes it was a factory black car)

Nice black RS2000 you had then although I don’t remember seeing any black ones apart from one custom Mexico MK1 wide arch model which belonged to one of Charlie Mead’s relations which I once serviced at a tender age, does that count as anecdotal lol.

Yes I was there from 73-79 but worked for the Aveley Pilot Plant not AVO which folded in 1975, hence the X-Pack and RS1800 connections.

Currently running a few Volvo T5’s and a Jaguar S Type R all Ford connections lol.

[aeropilot]

engineer666 said:

aeropilot said:

Ex-Aveley worker....

As a former committee member of the Ford AVO Owners Club I can but offer a

Were you there in the proper FAVO days from '70-'75?...would love to hear any annecdotal stories if so.

One of my old RS2000's (and yes it was a factory black car)

Nice black RS2000 you had then although I don’t remember seeing any black ones apart from one custom Mexico MK1 wide arch model which belonged to one of Charlie Mead’s relations which I once serviced at a tender age, does that count as anecdotal lol.

Yes I was there from 73-79 but worked for the Aveley Pilot Plant not AVO which folded in 1975, hence the X-Pack and RS1800 connections.

Black was never listed in the brochures of the time, but was available, and was quite popular.....certainley not the rarest colour.

A mate of mine at the time also had a late reg'd factory black custom pack Mexico.

I wonder if it was the black big-wing Mex that appeared on the front of the Mexico brochure, with the flared trouser wearing suited gentleman leaning against the bonnet...? (from a diming memory, IIRC, it was an AVO employee rather than a actor/model.....for some reason the name Alan Wheeler is sticking in my mind as to his identity..????)


Pilot plant....? Was this the part of Aveley that did all the 'specials' such as the Mexico camper, Mexico estates, 4-door Mexico, those 2 'special' Granadas (V8 and turbo V6) and other such interesting toys...???

[rallycross]

Here's a pic of a similar car in action on track in the 70's Walter Robertson's mk2 special saloon;

http://www.racing70s.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/images/S...

[CG Trading]

A message from the seller:

Hi, just an update on our investigations re the manufacturer of this chassis:

Awaiting the list of previous registered owners from DVLA.
When we have these we'll try to contact as many as possible & maybe one of them will have the information we're after.
Possibly located the CCC magazine issue but won't know until it arrives in the post, we believe it still refers to the car as a Zakspeed though, as does the article in Performance Ford. Journalists can only write what they're told so aren't necessarily correct.
The Zakspeed Gp5 chassis of circa 1977 still had inner wings but later ones were pure spaceframe with alloy fabricated front inner wings...I have pictures but can't post/attach on here.
Our chassis bears more resemblance to Nick Whiting's than Zakspeed's & does look like it has the 'scaled down' version of NW's bodywork which was available.
There's a 2nd 'chassis' plate which reads: LDK01RR
Anyone recognise this number?
Dyno used was an independant rather than Burton's who actually built the engine & yes it probably would read lower on a rolling road.
The weight was 560kgs, with fluids + minimal fuel, when fitted with a 1600 crossflow but we've added 90kgs to allow for the 2.2 Pinto now fitted. Zakspeed's own 1977 Gp2s & Gp5s weighed 780 & 735 kgs respectively both with steel inner wings etc, so 650kgs is quite achievable for this car.
We may try to contact F1's race director Charlie Whiting as he might have close up pictures of his late brother's cars.

Cheers
Clive

[rallycross]

CG Trading said:

A message from the seller:
We may try to contact F1's race director Charlie Whiting as he might have close up pictures of his late brother's cars.

Cheers
Clive

There are a few people on 10/10's who may know what this car is if you ask the experts to be found here;

http://www.ten-tenths.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1...

[CG Trading]

rallycross said:

There are a few people on 10/10's who may know what this car is if you ask the experts to be found here;

http://www.ten-tenths.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1...

Cheers, I've tried registering with them, hopefully by tomorrow I can post the question.

Clive

[DBSV8]

aeropilot said:

Ex-Aveley worker....

As a former committee member of the Ford AVO Owners Club I can but offer a

Were you there in the proper FAVO days from '70-'75?...would love to hear any annecdotal stories if so.

One of my old RS2000's (and yes it was a factory black car)

I had the exact same model

[MadDog1962]

Ah memories. This sort of thing is bloody wonderful I reckon. So what if you could get a decent Porsche for same money. These kind of 70s track cars are pretty special things to drive. Most "youngsters" won't quite understand unless they are ever lucky enough to experience it.

[rallycross]

CG Trading said:

Cheers, I've tried registering with them, hopefully by tomorrow I can post the question.

Clive

Glad to see you are getting some useful contacts about it over there.

[CliveGT]

rallycross said:

CG Trading said:

Cheers, I've tried registering with them, hopefully by tomorrow I can post the question.

Clive

Glad to see you are getting some useful contacts about it over there.

Yes thanks, we now think it was Walter Robertson's BRDC championship winning car from 1978, built by John Robinson Racing Services(who alo built Nick Whiting's chassis)hence the RR in the 2nd chassis plate 'LDK01RR'.

I've had to change my id on here to CliveGT to obey the rules re company names.

Thanks again.
Clive

[y2blade]

No thanks, MK2's leave me cold.......MK1's on the otherhand