Awesome car mate, I'm doing something similar with my car red 4 door ghia although the work hasn't started yet :/. Great video footage by the way, very well done.
Awesome car mate, I'm doing something similar with my car red 4 door ghia although the work hasn't started yet :/. Great video footage by the way, very well done.
cheers, great to get some use out of them instead of faffing about going to shows etc in my opinion too many retro's not being used for some fun!
few more pics.
my poor group1 alloy spoiler which was brand new before the event
Great write up Mark. The Birr club really know how to run an event !
thanks Dave!
Hi guys, just a quick update and a few pics after a fantastic event yesterday. It was based around the forests and farm lands around Wicklow, with 18 tests, about 90% of which was on the loose – gravel, mud, pine needles, all the fun stuff! The escort performed faultlessly all day, and drove 1.5hours home after. Trusty crossflow got terrible abuse, and just keeps taking it again and again.
After a fail, a few penalties and major f-ups on my part (yes I blamed the navigator I ended up 11th overall, 4th in class so happy enough. Had an absolute ball, it really is the best form of budget motorsport out there by a long shot in my opinion.
Going back into the workshop for some development and tweaks before the next event, a pad and disk upgrade in definitely on the cards, an anti-dive kit, and a few other bits and pieces.
Some great pics from the day thanks to peespeed photography
Some great pics there car looks great
thanks!!
Does it have to be road rally spec?
nope! the emphasis is on standard road going cars, however it must have harnesses and cannot be 4wd,turbo etc, or commercial.Originally Posted by redhf
modifications are pretty much free but it must have a full interior, and be in factory colours (no sponsorship)
depending on the modifications, engine size etc determines the class.
Nice car mate looks like you're having lots of fun
thanks! sure am, how could anyone not be happy sliding an escort around a forest?!? its probably the best thing you can do in life
You are right there when I'm in my escort all my worries disappear
Cant believe I haven’t updated this since last year! Too much going on to be writing stories, but heres a quick run down of 2014 so far.
First up was the TDC mvat in mondello, probably my favourite event of the year, its great ot have parts of the track to use, tests are great fun and all in one location, its just simply a super event. Ended up in the middle of the field, the weather and the tests didn’t really suit the escort, but I just love it for the fun factor (and the amount of hang time around the long corners)
After that it was the TDC’s mvat in Wicklow, and I have to say the best mvat I have ever done hands down. It was based around the forests and farm lands around Wicklow, many of the tests shortened down versions of what we experienced in the TDC endurance in 2012. With 18 tests, about 90% of which was on the loose – gravel, mud, pine needles, all the fun stuff! It was absolutely brilliant. The escort performed faultlessly all day, and drove home after. Trusty crossflow got terrible abuse, and just keeps taking it again and again.
After a fail, a few penalties and major f-ups on my part (yes I blamed the navigatorI ended up 11th overall, 4th in class so happy enough. Had an absolute ball, it really is the best form of budget motorsport out there by a long shot in my opinion.
Going back into the workshop for some development and tweaks before the next event, a pad and disk upgrade in definitely on the cards, an anti-dive kit, and a few other bits and pieces.
Some great pics from the day thanks to peespeed photography
After a great outing at the TDC event, we had JJ’s charity Mvat, another annual and fantastic event.
The weather was warm dry and dusty, a good combination for most cars, but this event has quite a lot of grippy tarmac and concrete tests, leaving my arms simply hanging by the end of the day and a pulled a muscle in my back. Enough was enough, for this form a sport a quick rack without power steering is not a go-er. So hopefully for the next event at the end of august il have that sorted.
This event didn’t start the best for me, half way through the second test 20ft from the finish the throttle cable snapped. As the car runs on bike cars and the how tight the setup is, changing it is an absolute pig.
Anyway we pushed the car over to the corner of that test and managed to get it working somewhat, but it was never right, it had 3 positions, idle, half throttle, and full throttle…sometimes.
So with test 2 failed, test 3 a disaster trying to get it setup, we decided to write off the day from a results point of view, and spend the day having fun and going as sideways as possible :lindenvillage::P:P
We ended up dead last, due to a heap of unnecessary donunts in many of the tests and basically acting the maggot, which I think the spectators enjoys anyway, as we very much did. My rear tyres didn’t thank me though! Great day was had by all.
Next up, Declans Mvat 31st of august!
Another small update, I said I may keep this going for my own records if nothing else
So the most recent event was Sunday just gone, Declans charity Multi-venue – a renound event on the Calendar, known especially for great tests, craic, burgers and sausages.
Just before leaving my house at 7.45, nice and shiny!
Many backroaders were in attendance which made for good fun on and between the tests – the banter was mighty!
First test was in Declans yard, a short fun test around the ground of the farmhouse, most of us got through without mishaps, some were not so lucky
The power steering conversion is an absolute god send, I don’t know how I managed without it. It’s a fantastic addition to the car, especially for the throws, and quick change of direction, I was really enjoying it.
Second test was a fantastic test around another farm yard, with a great mixture of everything – tight parts/open parts/ nice throws/wet/dry/slippy/gravel/sh1te/concrete.
It started well but then went a bit pear shaped for me, I followed last year’s route in my brain and went a bit wrong, but got back on track quickly. Came to the finish jumped on the brakes and BANG, handbrake was wedged against the dash and my foot went to the floor and I overshot the finish. Not good.
I thought my day was run at this stage as I didn’t know what had actually happened. I was raging it was all over at the second test.
I limped to rathsalagh house for the next test to find piers as we had only been discussing a very similar issue happening to him that morning.
He gladly had a look (thanks piers!) and we found that the circlip that holds the piston rod in had snapped clean out. Luckily the dash had stopped the whole lot from shooting out of the master cylinder.
I’ve a lot of experience (sadly) with repairing old cars on the roadside with limited resources so after a bit of head scratching I decided to use the small ratchet strap I had holding the spare wheels down to hold the bits back into the handbrake which would be strapped in by the lever.
Top my surprise, it worked and I had a decent foot pedal, but no handbrake. Still, I was delighted I could continue on and have some fun! I had the mechanical handbrake still attached which was crap at best, non existent on grippy stuff but it helped on the slippy throws so all was not lost.
From then on we had a blast and as much fun as we could, I really just love getting old cars out and using them to have fun!
on the way to a test
The rest of the day went relatively ok with some great test around loads of different farm yards, cattle sheds, sandpits and some farm lanes thrown in for good measure, these were great!
Fast forward to the afternoon when we got to one of the annual tests in a farm yard but someone apparently left a hose running which soaked the already slippy concrete in water and sh!te.
Ronnie G requested a show and called me out, so I had to do my best on this one. Sustained some damage by clouting a bank on the way back round the back by being a bit too enthusiastic, but had so much fun and got a round of applause at the end so it was worth it ! :P
As always thanks to peespeed for the fantastic pics
Back home for some well needed TLC and prep for the Birr endurance in a few weeks’ time. Looking forward to that!
Car looks stunning and seams to be running faultless! Really makes me want to paint my mk2 more door now :-/
Good to see escorts being sbused and lived too.
cheers! its running great, but im dying or more power and torque, im at a crossroads whether to sink more money into the xflow which will really only push the power further up the rev range and make it even more unsuitable for autotesting, or go something along the lines of XE or toyota 4AG or even an mx5 lump.
As you know yourself, its not like having a track car, low down grunt is everything with autotesting!
to be honest, i really think you should put your car back to olympic blue all over. its my favourite colour, if i wasn't in such a rush to get mine on the road o would have painted it Olympic blue, regretting it now!
Great pics mate, good to see someone actually competing!
Looks great mate some proper action shots I also liked the photographers name design Peespeed (PEE PEED
When I grow up I will have a MK1 Escort
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I must be all growed up now then and paying for it!
So the last event just gone on Sunday was our clubs first event of 2015 TDC’s (trial drivers club) multi-venue autotest in Mondello Park.
Always a real favourite with everyone including myself, as you get to use nearly all the track at different stages, the tests are quick, open, simple and fun.
The atmosphere is great, as it’s all in the one location, it’s only a few meters to each tests, and it’s just fantastic craic all round.
My day started pretty ok, first 5 tests went without too many problems, I was fasted in class on test 1 and 2, and a second behind on test 3 and 2 seconds on test 4. The lack of grunt was hampering me on these long tests as I knew it would, I was really wringing the poor crossflows neck to keep up with the two 2L mk1’s and the manta. but she took it well
On the first test of the second lap I got the start of the test behind the grandstand spot on, but as I was about to come out onto the circuit the gearbox jammed halfway between neutral and second and the clutch was nearly on the floor, I rolled onto the track trying with both hand to free the box. I eventually got it into 2nd and finished the test.
When I got to the end of the test the clutch was back up and the box was ok – I was raging. At this time I still don’t know what happened, il have to investigate. I suspect it was some sort of issue with either the clutch cable or selector fork that got a rock stuck in it or something, I’ve no idea.
With that issue and a silly pylon penalty I ended up 3rd in class, 3 seconds off 2nd, so happy enough with the day overall.
As always happened when sing a classic car for motorsport, a few gremlins reared their head, half way through the day the exhaust manifold completely broke in half, killing power even further, and it’s still spitting large amounts of oil into the catch tank which I need to sort out, the only solution I think at this stage is a windage plate in the sump.
Diff oil also decided to make its way out if the axle at the half shaft and ruin my brake shoes, so that needs to be repaired, plus a load of other crap , the joys of classic motorsport!
Next event is the Almc Endurance rally in February, which should be good, 10 minute stage though luttelstown in the dark is the crowd pleaser for this event, a stage I got completely lost in last year and arrive out on the road at the back of the forest somewhere
Car looks great, always enjoy reading your updates
Looks like another brilliant skid! You have got to love the little gremlins that pop up too.
Thanks guys, yep killed two new rear tyres in the one daythose things are always going to crop up with old cars, it's constant maintenance, repair and development, but that's half the fun!
Always look best sideways
sure does! cheers
thanks Andy!
Update:
So Saturday 28th – ALMC’s spring endurance trial incorporating the now legendary luttrellstown stage run twice – once in the
daylight for the fist stage and last stage in the darkness of night – can only really be described as about 20 mins of pure
forestry rally driving – it was absolutely epic on both occasions. More on that later.
before:
We arrived at about 9ish or so and headed straight to scrutiny – we had a few concerns but got through without a hitch so
headed in to the golf club to sign on and get our Pack for the day.
Our out time was 11.40 so we had plenty of time to get ourselves sorted and see what lay ahead. There was over 50kms of
competitive driving, over 12 stages, many done multiple times and in reverse/dark.
At 11.40 we left the start and headed the short journey around the outside of luttrellstown estate to get in the back gate
across from fort lucan to the start of luttrellstown 1 - 20 mins of flat out forestry rallying of loose but surprisingly
very smooth but extremely slippy muddy forest tracks – I had waited 2 years to attack this again! It didn’t disappoint
either, it was absolutely fantastic from start to finish, we had a few hairy moments where all I could see was trees out my
windscreen as we came into some slippy corners fully broadside from braking on the glass like greasy mud – the escorts tail
was swinging like a pendulum throughout the whole stage, we were grinning from ear to ear at the end – there was grit, mud,
tarmac, grass, hairpins, bridges, you name it it was in this test – it worth the entry to do this alone. we were 9th
quickest overall at the end, the other half doing a great job on the notes to keep me in check as I can be susceptible to
the red mist at times – both quarters of the escort intact.
A Short drive over to chadwicks in Lucan village for the second short test through chadwicks and out the other side. This
was a bit of a tricky one as we came into a yard blind and had to go up the yard and back down and out around 2 cones.
Tricky, but not impossible if you read it right. We were one of two crews in our group of 16 that got it right, but were a
bit annoyed that we took the time to get it right, and because so many people failed it and had a bit of a moan, the test
was wiped – this is still annoying me to be honest, and it would have really brought us up the rankings, but however.
After this we hit the road, heading towards the midlands – enfield/moyvalley area – we would stay in this area for the rest
of the day doing the rest of the stages before heading back to lucan in the night.
Our only real mistake of the day which was my fault to be fair to herself, was missing a code board on test 4 which gave us
a 60 second penalty, if I had of realised earlier the penalty was so big I would have been much more vigilant – we went by
the board at about 40mph with all four wheels locked but there was no way I was stopping for it – we had to continue to the
finish and take the penalty.
She blamed me, I blamed her back – all was normal
on the road:
We headed on to the quarry test then which was a bit of a disaster – there was a 2 way traffic setup with stop marshals’ and
stuff, it just didn’t work like the organisers thought it would – we were the first group to this test, so after our run
through it was scrapped in favour of a more straight forward re-route, which to be fair I was happy with – the deep sandy
stuff out the back did not suit the escort and we were getting bogged down needing first to get through it.
The second and third run through were actually great fun after the modifications, the test started with a straight run into
third gear, bit of a flick drop into the second and full throttle completely sideways the whole way round the big long
sweeping left hander around a smooth banked gravel rooster tails flying out the back (yes I did feel like Ari Vatenen… in my
own head)
lunch halt the rain had washed off alof of mud at this stage
We went from there to moyvalley hotel for a full tarmac sprint with chicanes around the outskirts of a golf course, which
was great fun, especially the square right at the end J we then did this backwards and forwards another 2 times alternating
by going back to the quarry each time with lunch in the middle of all that and another test through a long farm lane which
was good fun also.
waiting for the tarmac test:
After this we hit the road again and headed back to lucan via chadwicks to do the short test 2 backwards in the dark, before
getting to the cream on top of the cake, what everyone was waiting for, luttrellstown 2 in the dark – 20 minutes of intense
concentration forest driving in the dark pitch dark, the only light in the forest coming from the cibie Oscars hanging on
the front.
We had such fun through this time, we had a couple of brown pants moments, where I though the escort would be coming out a
2ft thinner at the back than henry intended, but luckily we got through without any damage at all, hammering though forests
in the night, the rear swinging about and the scream from the trusty 1600, it just can’t be beaten. We got held up twice on
this run by slower cars which was really frustrating, we were on a real mission this time round and were hoping to improve
our time, we finally got by after a long wait but it had put a decent dent in our pace.
Thankfully we made it to the end of the day with no damage, and massive grins all round.
We finished second in class, and got a nice award for the efforts.
back in bed for some TLC
Great effort and pics . What sort of entry fee are these events ?
cheers! for the endurance events its about 200euros, due to the amount of land (stages) needed and fixing them after etc
this includes insurance etc etc
the multi-venue autotests are about 80 euros
small update:
so, i got totally sick of driving everywhere with 4 gears, and with the Classic retro coming up in a few weeks and due to the RX8 6speed needing more engineering/research time, this happened on saturday:
so for now im just going to throw in a type-9 5 speed, although this is no straight swap either as one might imagine on an old ford, in fact i was very surprised how much work is involved in this.
to make this fit an escort, ive to modify the tunnel in 3 places, get a new propshaft, release fork, clutch plate, gearbox mount, gearstick and speedo cable.
the belhousing hits the tunnel in a number of places (this can be avoided by using an RS alloy belhousing from a 4speed RS2000) but i cant afford the premium so il be modifying the tunnel. the mounts have to be cut off the shell and moved back, and gearstick comes up 3 inches further back, so a new hole has to be cut for that too.
after a few hours on saturday i have the old box out, tunnel modified, and ready to go, im waiting on a clutch plate so cant go any futher, should be done by the weekend i hope
Possibly time for a small update!
So, days after I finished the conversion, I headed down to help/marshall at the 2015 Irish classic retro. I would have loved to be competing in it, but we are just no experienced enough for the type of navigation that would be involved, maybe next time! The event is make up of special tests (fastest time around a course in a farm/quarry/farm lanes/forests etc, the fun bit!) and jogularities, regularities and night navigation. (the brain melting bit!)
The event ran from Friday night until Sunday, and we had a blast rushing around from point to point in the escort setting up our time points for the competitors to arrive.
Its great to see so many classic cars out and getting used, and people enjoying them.
I did I think around 650km in the escort over the weekend, and it ran faultlessly, it was massive fun – I did however have a horrid vibration in the car since I fitted the 5 speed, which was so bad I couldn’t go over 70mph for fear my eyeballs would pop out. More on that later.
It was great to have the 5th gear though, it made such a difference on the motorway.
Some pics from the event:
So that was great, but the vibration was horrific – I went through a lot of possibilities, I was first thinking it was the new prop out of balance, but the more I thought about it, props normally come in and out of balance at the speed increases due to harmonics, so I kind of ruled that out. The vibration becomes noticeable at 50mph and gets steadily worse and worse. Same story for wheels, but anyway I was in the dark so changed wheels – did nothing. Changed one half shaft at a time in case I bent one, nothing, then I was worried was it a diff problem or the box. This can sometime be caused by a gearbox tail shaft bearing, so checked that, all seems grand. For a few hours I was really scratching my head, so I decided to go right back to basics and see was it anything that I had done during the conversion. I checked gearbox to tunnel clearance, fine, prop to tunnel clearance fine, then I noticed that the box was higher up in the tunnel than the 4 speed was, so it was a lot closer to the floor. I fed my fingers up totally blind trying to feel the top of the box and what do you know – 2 of the bols coming through the floor for the hyd handbrake were about 2mm from the top of the box. This had to be it at motorway speeds. Changed the bolts to shorter ones – perfect.
It takes a problem like this sometimes to remind you not to always jump too quickly to serious conclusions and check the stuff that’s under your nose.
There was 2 things concerning me however – one was the difficulty I was having selecting reverse quickly, and the other was the gear ratios.
I know already 1st gear is not ideal in a t9 is a well know and universal problem, but I didn’t realise it would be THIS bad. Since im running a 4.1 diff, the problem is amplified even more. It was bordering unuseable for motorsport, especially this type of motorsport where 1st is so important.
The t9 comes with a 3.65 first gear, and a 1.97 second gear.
In the real world, this basically translates into my leaving the line, instantly hitting the rev limiter at 15ish mph, pulling second and the revs drop to 3000, out of the power, car bogs down, back into first. This was a cycle that was to plague me at the next event – JJ’s mvat in meath.
Hq was at puddenhill activity centre, weather was good. Having just come back from usa the day before I was jet lagged to bits, and not really feeling it, not to mention having done nothing with the car but anyway I was out for a fun day.
After the first test in puddenhill, I knew I was in for a nightmare. The first gear problem in practice was even worse than I expected, and reverse was nearly impossible to select with any sort of haste.
This was annoying me more and more at each test, so the red mist came down, I drove harder and harder, making more mistakes until in one of the gravel quarries this happened, woops.
Havent really seen a failure like this before, ive yet to strip it down and investigate it fully, it looks like the piston has broken inside the damper.
So that was my day cooked, I was nearly happy I was so frustrated with it. So thanks (Major thanks) to Daveboy since I drive to the events, I loaded it up on his trailer and took the car home and was back before the event ended.
So, what now..
Another bag of money to be spent, as the car just is not set up for this sport as it is.
Problems:
The engine setup is not ideal, too much top end power, not enough torque, and this is only highlighted even more by the gearing.
Gearing is useless as it is, and needs to be sorted
Reverse selection – more than likely a worn selector shaft, not the end of the world.
Shocks too weak for forestry tests.
Solutions:
Revise the engine setup from fast road/rally to autotest high torque – il be fitting a specially developed kent high torque cam, revise the cam timing and fitting high compression pistons, revise ignition to suit.
Strip the box and fit a new burton power main shaft and long first gear kit (2.97)
Fix reverse
Fit these forestry bilstein shocks
Some pics thanks to speedy before it all went wrong
So, what a week!
I suppose il start at the beginning...rewind two weeks ago and my plan had been to install the iginiton system for Declans, and rebuild the engine and box over the break.
However in an unexpected turn of events, i sold mt M3 2 weeks ago, so with a small bit of spare capital i had i decided to dive in and get the box done before the event on Sunday, and scrap the new iginiton system until afterwards.
I ordered the gear kit, the usual seals and bearings and 1st and 2nd synchro rings.
the parts arrived from the UK late last week, so i was going to be a bit stuck for time to say the least. Its a bit against my ethos to farm any sort of work out whatsoever bar engine machining duties, i like to do everything myself, even if it takes twice as long and costs more in the process - however i was too stuck for time with other stuff going on in work to have time to completely rebuild the box.
So i decieded to get the gearkit installed by a gearbox guy - a decision i later regretted funnily enough.
i pulled the box out last friday night, stripped it down to its bones and dropped the box off with the gearkit.i was also hoping to Find something obvious as to why i was having incredible difficulty getting it into reverse, and i did.
the reverse gate was damaged where the gear lever slots into when the stick is pushed down. this made it nearly inpsosible to select reverse without fidding with it for a few seconds, never mind in the middle of a test! i tried to fix it as best i could, but i wasnt too confident - it needed more time and thought put into it than i had to spare.
while the box was away, i had plenty of other jobs to tend to, so i cracked on
Due to me snapping the shock last time out i upgraded to inverted bilsteins, it would take a bit of hitting to break these! i built up these with new shock bushes, new springs and new wheel bearings and installed them on the car.
At the same time i put (yet another) pair of track rods on, with new discs and a new pair of ferodo DS11 pads. i had a load of other crappy time consuming jobs to do also like new exhaust brackets, new throttle linkage, bleed brakes etc
I also had to exhange the excort speedo cable for a sierra item, the sierra item being longer as the escort cable wont stretch to the new location on the Type-9
By wednesday i still had no gearbox, so i was getting a bit anxious.
as the car sat on thursday, foreman less than impressed
I had got an AP clutch from a rally car that had done 20 stage miles before rolling, so it was practically brand new. i put this on in prep for the box.
Unfortunately, the guy forgot to tell me the flywheel had to be machined about 1mm on the face where the pressure plate bolts on - this 1mm was later going to haunt mt dreams. More on that later.
So i got the box back thursday night, at this stage i had been out in the workshop until at least 12 each night... and tonight was going to be more of the same. i started when i got home from work about 7 and put the bellhousing on etc and got the box ready to go back in. after alot of grunting, F-ing, to-me to-you, with the help of my brother we got it in.
next number of hours were spent bolting everything back up etc, the usual.
Filled it with oil, put in the gearstick to run through the gears and...it wouldnt go into 5th gear. hmm.
i thought perhaps there was just a bit of self alignment the box had to do after a few turns and all would be ok. a very simple box afterall very had to get wrong.
so after alot more faffing about, i started it and ran it through the gears in the air, and tried to go from 4th to 5th... nope. goes half in and makes all sorts of not nice noises.
i felt like things couldnt get any worse until i realised the reverse fix i tried did practically nothing and due to the clutch issue i described earlier, the pressure plate was only barely gripping the disc, and would surely slip under load. FFS.
I thought long and hard at this point about packing it in, i still hadnt driven the car to even bed in the new brakes and the event was in less than 24hrs.
But no, not one to quit easily i perservered and decided to go anyway, come what may. i drove the carfor the first time on saturday evening to bed in the new brakes properly, the clutch was definitely slipping on the dry from a standing start, all i could hope is that most of the take offs were on the loose and the clutch would last.
box felt ok in 1-4, the long first gear kit a massive improvement at least!
sat evening test drive
I was really dissapointed in how the car was now as i was really hoping for a decent result this event after spending the last 2/3 years deveoping the car.
anyway, thats motorsport so we left for Declans Mvat early sunday morning out in blessington. there had been some very bad rain on saturday but it was dry sunday, so mixed surface conditions were to be expected for the day.
first two tests went ok, each one only had one reverse each so not too much time was lost.
tests 3/4/5 however it all went to pot, and i then realised my day was over and a decent result was not going to be on the cards.
I just couldnt get the car into reverse, which was frustrating me so much that instead of looking where i was throwing the car i was looking down at the gearstick, leading to me knocking down pylons like skittles.
the only saving grace to my sanity was on test 12, the only test with no reversing i was .1 of a second off fastest time in class and around 9th fastest overall,
so the car is capable of getting results even with it being the least powerful car in class by a good shot, so all is not lost.
I think i would have pipped the fastest time in class if the clutch wasnt slipping as this was a full concrete test.
I had also fitted a set of used but regrooved Yokohama A021R's for the first time and now i see why everyone around me has been running them for so long, what an amazing tyre for these events. the braking grip is incredible as is traction on the varying surfaces.the Suspension was also working really well and the car is now handling at least the way i want it.
So at least that im happy with, and of course still had bags of fun on the day thowing the old girl about. the good thing about doing these events in a fun rwd car is that if things dont go your way, you can still throw caution to the wind and have almighty craic for the rest of the day, and we certainly did that...as can be seen by the regular amoumt of flora and fauna i collected with my rear bumper throughout the day
Now its back to the R&D dept where il take back out the box with the engine this time, send the box back for rectification and rebuild the engine to suit what im actually doing instead of a fast road/rally engine.
some pics throughout the day and pics of the tests thanks to speedy
and just before leaving for home
Im going to copy you with the gearbox mod
A long first gear is definitely needed
My engine once I got through the teething problems is brilliant lots of low down qrunt and plenty of revs
Hopefully the rebuild will give you this aswell
Hexham and District Motorclub
alot of people were telling me not to do it and save and buy a tranx etc etc but honestly its the best Mod ive done to the car, especially for what we do. Its fantastic, its like driving a different car.
until other issues affected my day, it completely changed the way i was able to attack a test. i went from being way down in past events to getting a top ten overall time up with the big boys in the FWD cars .1 of a second off the fastest time in class, the rest of the escorts all running pintos. I'd recommend 100% doing it.
now with the first gear, 185/70/13 tyres and 4.1 diff i can get all the way down a 80/100m farm lane constantly accelerating in 1st before i hit the limiter where id be pulling second and dropping right out of the power band before.
The only problem now is the lack of low down grunt as you said in my engine, alot of the time especally circling pylons or 180° haripins im needing to dip the clutch sometimes to keep the revs up or it will bog down
whats your engine spec again?
234 cam
1300 pistons
And ported head with biggest valves you can get
Made 125 on rollers but power comes in nice and low
Cam timing made a big difference
Hexham and District Motorclub
cool thanks, 40's i assume also?
Aren't yiou tempted by the much cheaper, newer and stronger mazda gearbox?
I'm glad your nearly there with the car now. It won't be much longer and she will be perfect.
i did long and hard, but the ratios just wont work with my engine for what im doing. a 2.98 is perfect for me now, just enough to keep the wheels spinning circling pylons etc and enough top speed in most places.
with the rx8 id still be in the same position. would be great for trackdays or road rallying but with a 3.76 first and a 2.36 second id be in a worse position that i started for what i need to use it for -changing from 1-2-1 like a yoyo
You could change diff ratios? Then you could have a cheap gearbox and about the same top speed with the longer top and the lower diff ratio then. It suits me perfectly though i guess as i have a lot more torque.
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