What I particularly love about the PH community is the support and help given out to members of our motoring world. It can be anything from large charity giving like the helicopter we helped fund back in 2006, to getting a PHer back on the road when their Porsche caught on fire. For me, from the last report on the Mk1, I had two members reach out to help - not at the scale of those previous examples, but very helpful nonetheless - first though we needed to get the car ready for British roads.
The nice people at Lanoguard had sent over a kit, and armed with some gloves and the full applicator gubbings we had a go at sealing the underneath for a season of roads, mud, and whatever else we hope to throw at the Twinky. In the kit is moto grease, so I worked through bolts and any other patches that need extra protection - definitely was worth warming it up to help application and sacrificed a brush in the process too as the stuff is pretty sticky and goes everywhere.
On to the actual liquid part of the process and the applicator worked really well, though it was hard to know how much to spray on so I did end up going a little over the top - but thought it is better to overdo it than under. The main ingredient of Lanoguard is lanoline, so being sheep based it does turn your garage into eu de farm yard for a week afterwards - and glad I put down a sheet on the floor to protect any of the flooring from becoming sheep wool covered.
Luckily the Lanoguard Underbody Rust Protection Kit was all spot on to cover the whole car, so if you fancy doing the same we have a link here that gets you £5 off, and - in the theme of PHers helping charities - doing so will also give some cash to charity as well.
Back to the generosity of the PH community. First to reach out was Noor Ali, the chair of Classic Marques Speed Championship. As I look to get competitive miles in the car, but not at full-blown Roger Albert Clarke Rally length (still a long-term aim), Noor came up with an alternative route to test the car and myself and start to get up to speed. The championship has 36 rounds across all the big-name venues for sprints and hill climbs in the UK, and with eight counting towards the championship table there is potential anywhere.
The point system is interesting too as it is all about weight and power ratios, with some adjustments for tyre compounds, rear axle mods, and further suspensions… plus it caters for just the type of cars I like - it being rear-wheel drive stuff only. So, on a sunny Saturday morning, I headed to NMS in Northampton to get the car weighed and rolling roaded for the official figures. The car performed beautifully and weighed in at 990kg and produced 155bhp, so all set for a season of fun.
The second person to reach out was PHer MarkOneTank. Checking his garage history on his member profile he has had an enviable list of cars I would love to own, including several Escorts of Mk1 and 2 variety… heavily rallied. Generously he travelled up the M3 for 30 miles to spend the morning looking over the car to suggest setup tips.
After a cup of tea and a chat on different ownership experiences, Mark clambered over the car checking out the condition and suspension setup and started to impart his knowledge. Looking at the chassis legs the car actually isn’t too far off being level, which then left a worry that the arch is on too high (as a few people commented in the previous report) - but a quick measure at a recent auction of other big wing Mk1s and they are the same - hoping with new 1B tyres for the sprints it looks better.
Mark suggested that the rear looked pretty spot on, but it was worth dropping the front and experimenting with the ride height - some adjustable four-inch dampers would be the way forward here over the Group 2 homologated two-and-quarter inch versions on now as it needed to drop a further inch. Spring rates also needed upping a little to trial starting at 250 lbs, along with making sure we have 10 degrees of toe-in at the front.
That left me at a crossroads in modifying the car to be a more competitive platform with adjustments, or preserving the FIA Appendix K status - so the only solution I could reasonably choose was to take it on track as is and see how it goes.
For now, I’m massively appreciative of our members for sharing their wisdom, advice and years of knowledge as I learn this car. The first test day has been sorted at Curborough for a little play and shakedown. With the first sprint at Mallory Park a month later, and the historic Prescott Hill Climb shortly after that, hopefully this gives me time to sort any final niggles and the lovely Twinky rewards the charity shown across our community.
FACT SHEET
Car: 1971 Ford Escort Mk1 Twin Cam
Run by: RacingPete
On fleet since: April 2024
Mileage: 200 (though probably 50,000 if dials weren’t replaced)
Modifications: FIA Historic Group 2 Specification
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