1992 Escort Van
Discussion
Back on topic (as if one of my threads ever goes off topic 
) I'm off to collect the £20 Focus rear sub frame I'll get the tape measure out and see how much work it'll take to make fit. In the meantime Carl at Wisbech Engineering has just bought a ratty Mk3 Fiesta and a Mondeo 1.8 TD engine. I think this idea may be catching on.
Lightweight car + 200+ Torques = Quick?
) I'm off to collect the £20 Focus rear sub frame I'll get the tape measure out and see how much work it'll take to make fit. In the meantime Carl at Wisbech Engineering has just bought a ratty Mk3 Fiesta and a Mondeo 1.8 TD engine. I think this idea may be catching on. Lightweight car + 200+ Torques = Quick?
Liquid Knight said:
Back on topic (as if one of my threads ever goes off topic ) I'm off to collect the £20 Focus rear sub frame I'll get the tape measure out and see how much work it'll take to make fit. In the meantime Carl at Wisbech Engineering has just bought a ratty Mk3 Fiesta and a Mondeo 1.8 TD engine. I think this idea may be catching on.
Lightweight car + 200+ Torques = Quick?
Nothing to strip from inside. lots of black smoke. and when you've abused it, can use it for work? ) I'm off to collect the £20 Focus rear sub frame I'll get the tape measure out and see how much work it'll take to make fit. In the meantime Carl at Wisbech Engineering has just bought a ratty Mk3 Fiesta and a Mondeo 1.8 TD engine. I think this idea may be catching on. Lightweight car + 200+ Torques = Quick?
Liquid Knight said:
Back on topic (as if one of my threads ever goes off topic ) I'm off to collect the £20 Focus rear sub frame I'll get the tape measure out and see how much work it'll take to make fit. In the meantime Carl at Wisbech Engineering has just bought a ratty Mk3 Fiesta and a Mondeo 1.8 TD engine. I think this idea may be catching on.
Lightweight car + 200+ Torques = Quick?
Be intresting to know how easily this fits i would love to go a bit silly with my van & getting it to handle well would be a good start ) I'm off to collect the £20 Focus rear sub frame I'll get the tape measure out and see how much work it'll take to make fit. In the meantime Carl at Wisbech Engineering has just bought a ratty Mk3 Fiesta and a Mondeo 1.8 TD engine. I think this idea may be catching on. Lightweight car + 200+ Torques = Quick?
A escort van that handles like a Focus with @ 200bhp would be awesome as a dailey driver for me & the dog
I mananged 170bhp with twin carbs from the old zvh (was juicey though) so i think with better induction & a good cam 200bhp would be within reach, a escort turbo gearbox will fit (needs to be a seris 1 or mk5 escort onwards casing to bolt straight in) this give an lsd.
Hmmmm.....
...not as straight forward as I first thought (is anyone actually suprised?).
The van floor is nice and flat.
The shocks line up, but they are mounted behind the vans axle and inline on the Focus sub frame.
So I need to either fabricate a sub frame for the sub frame so it can be mounted to the van floor or modify it to fit.
Modifying it to fit would be easier, but from the sounds of things I'm not the only one interested in the end result. So if I can make a frame that bolts on to the Focus sub frame I can make them for other people as well.
We have a saying round here "If it doesn't work in theory it'll work in Norfolk". Time to get the tape measure out.
...not as straight forward as I first thought (is anyone actually suprised?).
The van floor is nice and flat.
The shocks line up, but they are mounted behind the vans axle and inline on the Focus sub frame.
So I need to either fabricate a sub frame for the sub frame so it can be mounted to the van floor or modify it to fit.
Modifying it to fit would be easier, but from the sounds of things I'm not the only one interested in the end result. So if I can make a frame that bolts on to the Focus sub frame I can make them for other people as well.
We have a saying round here "If it doesn't work in theory it'll work in Norfolk". Time to get the tape measure out.
crack on. Be interested to see the results. And at £20 for the Focai bits, not a costly "mistake" if goes wrong
Keeping it as simple as possible I have two plates that bolt straight on to the top of the sping mount, has a spacer for the front mount and sits on top of a lengh of 1 1/2 Inch box section connecting te two inner mounts. Eight holes would need to be drilled in the van floor (six bolt holes and two for the Focus locator pins) with the bolts dropping through into my sub-sub frame and Focus frame. The pivot arms would either have mounts bolted throgh the floor or welded in place. I'd hope to avoid welding to the vans floor/chassis as it would effect the DVLA/SVA points system and need a £400 M.O.T
The shocks can either be mounted on the new frame or replaced with coilovers.
Edited by Liquid Knight on Friday 8th July 09:12
You can't get rear coil overs for the Ford Focus so they'd have to be made. If I were going to do that I'd weld a pair of mounts into the spring holders so the geometary is uneffected and easier to get to behind the hub for adjustment in place.
In the mean time I've made a template for the top plate.....
...and when trial fitting it....
...realised I don't need the extra box sectional bracing as the sub frame will be mounted using its existing mounting points (as Ford intended). Any extra bracing would just add weight. The existing radus arm mounts can be adapted to fit the van chassis rail as well with something like these....
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Mopar-B-Body-Dana-60-8-3-4-L...
...either bolted through the floor or welded in place.
I'm tempted to make the sub frame brackets out of Stainless Steel as I have blown this months toy budget on a TIG welder.
Budget being the biggest restriction and I'm back to work for six days tomorrow so it may take a while to get the project rolling again.
In the mean time I've made a template for the top plate.....
...and when trial fitting it....
...realised I don't need the extra box sectional bracing as the sub frame will be mounted using its existing mounting points (as Ford intended). Any extra bracing would just add weight. The existing radus arm mounts can be adapted to fit the van chassis rail as well with something like these....
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Mopar-B-Body-Dana-60-8-3-4-L...
...either bolted through the floor or welded in place.
I'm tempted to make the sub frame brackets out of Stainless Steel as I have blown this months toy budget on a TIG welder.
Budget being the biggest restriction and I'm back to work for six days tomorrow so it may take a while to get the project rolling again.
neiljohnson said:
Be intresting to know how easily this fits i would love to go a bit silly with my van & getting it to handle well would be a good start
A escort van that handles like a Focus with @ 200bhp would be awesome as a dailey driver for me & the dog
I mananged 170bhp with twin carbs from the old zvh (was juicey though) so i think with better induction & a good cam 200bhp would be within reach, a escort turbo gearbox will fit (needs to be a seris 1 or mk5 escort onwards casing to bolt straight in) this give an lsd.
Burtons do a specific cam' for the ZVH based on a reprofiled 285 one, with a set of CBR1100XX Blackbird car'b 205bhp all day and better mpg as well. A escort van that handles like a Focus with @ 200bhp would be awesome as a dailey driver for me & the dog
I mananged 170bhp with twin carbs from the old zvh (was juicey though) so i think with better induction & a good cam 200bhp would be within reach, a escort turbo gearbox will fit (needs to be a seris 1 or mk5 escort onwards casing to bolt straight in) this give an lsd.
Edited by Liquid Knight on Friday 8th July 18:04
Liquid Knight said:
Over complicated design. I'm re-thinking as you read this.....
I was under a mk 3 mondeo estate yesterday & noticed that the shocks mount at a very similar angle to the standard escort van ones it's a separate subframe like a focus but may before suitable to adapt ?!!
I was under a mk 3 mondeo estate yesterday & noticed that the shocks mount at a very similar angle to the standard escort van ones it's a separate subframe like a focus but may before suitable to adapt ?!!
I think I ruled the Mondeo out as it would mean I'd have to fit wide arches (going for stealth). Definately do-able though. I went for the Mk1 Focus as the anti-roll-bar is integrated as part of the subframe where as the later ones had a separate anti-roll-bar mounted on the car floor and subframe and would require more mounts on the van floor. More points for the DVLA/IVA/SVA/etc. Also it was £20.
The 2.5 Transit/Granada/Scorpio engine I mentioned earlier won't fit but the newer 2.5 Duratorque front wheel drive Transit one could be a possibility. It's the same block as the Mondeo 2.2 and a few tuners swapped the 2.2 for the 2.5 already. Just need to find one and get my Yard stick out.
I went for the Mk1 Focus as the anti-roll-bar is integrated as part of the subframe where as the later ones had a separate anti-roll-bar mounted on the car floor and subframe and would require more mounts on the van floor. More points for the DVLA/IVA/SVA/etc. Also it was £20. The 2.5 Transit/Granada/Scorpio engine I mentioned earlier won't fit but the newer 2.5 Duratorque front wheel drive Transit one could be a possibility. It's the same block as the Mondeo 2.2 and a few tuners swapped the 2.2 for the 2.5 already. Just need to find one and get my Yard stick out.
I've actually looked at this....
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/FORD-ESCORT-Mk5-COSWORTH-STY...
....and this...
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/FORD-ESCORT-VAN-Mk5-Mk6-Mk7-...
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/FORD-ESCORT-Mk5-COSWORTH-STY...
....and this...
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/FORD-ESCORT-VAN-Mk5-Mk6-Mk7-...
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