RE: Ford RS1700T: Spotted

[DelicaL400]

bloomen said:

I remember seeing a road ish one at M Sport on display. Not sure whether it's original.

Yes Malcolm's is original. It was still on display last time I was at M-Sport. I think Brian Bell (businessman who has rallied a few M-Sport WRCs) had it before Malcolm.

[s m]

fttm said:

A guy called Simon Nutter(?) used to rally one back in the day . .

The Motoring News writers used to love him when it was any type or gravel/forest rally as they could wheel out the headline


"NUTTER ON THE LOOSE!"

[aeropilot]

Boreham workshop during RS1700T builds.

[Buzypea]

Wow the RS1700T, forgot all about those. As a 12 year old kid while on holiday in Germany, I saw this radio control one in a toy shop and persuaded my Dad to buy it for me.

I had a thing for the MK3 Escort, as at the time my Dad had a silver 1.6GL estate and my Mum a yellow 1.1L. I took all the stickers off the radio control car, and to me as a 12 year old kid it looked awesome in silver and black. Sadly it met its end when I lost control of it and it ended up in a stream

[Evolved]

My pics of this rare beast.

[Evolved]

[PomBstard]

I always thought that Martin Schanche rallycrossed one of these, but the internet says otherwise - XR3 Turbo apparently. Regardless, great piece of Motorsport history and would love to see one for real.

[Pericoloso]

PomBstard said:

I always thought that Martin Schanche rallycrossed one of these, but the internet says otherwise - XR3 Turbo apparently. Regardless, great piece of Motorsport history and would love to see one for real.

It wasn't really an XR3 Turbo either ,more of a bespoke build into a MK3 shell.

Zakspeed engine ,the Xtrac 4x4 transmission as already posted about ,not much XR3 about it.

[DelicaL400]

The one at M-Sport:

[fttm]

Also one has just been built/rebuilt at BGMsport for an American collector of rally cars

[PomBstard]

Pericoloso said:

PomBstard said:

I always thought that Martin Schanche rallycrossed one of these, but the internet says otherwise - XR3 Turbo apparently. Regardless, great piece of Motorsport history and would love to see one for real.

It wasn't really an XR3 Turbo either ,more of a bespoke build into a MK3 shell.

Zakspeed engine ,the Xtrac 4x4 transmission as already posted about ,not much XR3 about it.

Thanks for that, thought someone here would know

[MCBrowncoat]

DelicaL400 said:

The one at M-Sport:

Nice, never seen this before, thanks

There's quite E36 M3 about the front end... or is that just me?

[gazza285]

MCBrowncoat said:

Nice, never seen this before, thanks

There's quite E36 M3 about the front end... or is that just me?

I suppose BMW need to find inspiration somewhere...

[aeropilot]

Pericoloso said:

not much XR3 about it.

Door handle and door mirrors probably about all

Schanche's car was often referred to as a Escort G4 (the shell being originally designed, modified and constructed by Gartrac as one of their G3's but 4 wheel drive) but I think it had to be production car for entries, hence the 'official' XR3 4x4 Turbo name on the entry lists only.

[mfmman]

Mr.Jimbo said:

Could well have been a Gartrak G3 escort, which were effectively Mk2 floorpans grafted into a Mk3 body iirc? .

I don't think there was too much taken out of a Mk2 bodyshell and put into a Mk3. More like bespoke sheet steel used to create bulkhead tunnel etc. Geometry was a bit different as well. (see the comments in the link about wider front and rear track). The one a mate of mine had ran what looked like Mk3 wings but actually had the arch mounted further fowards

http://www.gartrac.com/company/g3escort.htm

Schanche's G4

http://www.gartrac.com/company/schanche.htm

Gartrac did a road version the G6

http://www.gartrac.com/company/gartracG6.htm

There were loads of rwd Mk3s rallied with various descriptions similar to G3 that didn't have much/any Gartrac bits or input. Quite a few people made kits of varying quality (we bought one for a rwd 205 conversion, loads of it ended up being remade) Very few had a transaxle like an RS1700T though

ETA. Not all of the homebrewed conversions worked so well. I have been told that the extra width of the body shell compared to a mk2 meant that when the suspension layout was carried over like for like meant that the car didn't handle the same way as a result. Not driven either so couldn't comment

Edited by mfmman on Saturday 19th January 15:19

[skylineboy2002]

i know and walked around / seen 2,

1. malcolm wilsons blue example (seen it at RS shows which he gets M sport to bring for him).
2. a rally example, owned by a guy in his 70s, who also has a mint concours RS200, and does the RS club scene. this has the roof signed by vatenen etc and malcolm wilson is even said to have offered him 500k for the pair and he said no).

[StuntmanMike]

s m said:

GravelBen said:

It is Firefox, .

Remember to think in Russian......

Mick Jones rolled one at nearly 130 and survived OK

[Cyscrofer]

Hi all.

I used to own the genuine right hand drive RS1780 turbo.

The 1700Turbo was the baby.

The car I owned was the one that I converted to right hand drive....in white with full 4wd gatrac conversion.

Rare...oh yes.
I've never even heard or seen another anywhere but Scandinavia when fords were testing it.
As far as I am aware they were used on the Lombard RAC rally.
I also owned the Red full race GrpA speed version which got heavily beefed up running Nitrous
That too was 4wd Gatrac converted on CX501 ultra wide 3 piece rims.
That was produced as 1 of 19 cars by Ford specifically for the Lombard.
17 of which got battered to death....there was the Blue one and the Red one for shows and promos by Fords.
The Red one where ever she is was far nicer in looks compared to the Blue one.

I've owed several one off type of cars...this was one that specifically stuck in my mind.
Sadly I sold her after bending the geometry way back in the 80s.
As a youngster I couldn't afford to rebuild the back end and like a fool sold it all those years ago.

If anyone knows of the RED one I'd love to be put back in touch if at all possible.