Sideways Mk2 Rally car

[Sideways]

Ok, a wee bit of history and info about my mk2 Escort rally car.....

I have owned the car since 1985 when it was a bog standard Mk 2 1.6 litre RS Mexico apart from a rear cage and a pair of the usual Cibie super Oscar spotlights and big bore exhaust for that street racer look. About this time I was regularly spectating on road rallies in my area and thought "I can do that" and as they say "the rest is history" when in 1987 I took the plunge and entered my first road rally along with my good friend Iain Douglas on the maps which if my memory serves me correct was the Coalville Car Club road rally in Leicestershire, all I can remember is we got totally lost somewhere and ended up going home. Also about this time the engine was swapped for a standard 2.0 litre RS2000 engine.

Auto windscreens road rally in Derbyshire somewhere.....



We continued to do more road rallies and actually managed to finish some! With the best result being 3rd in Class and 15th O/A on a Welsh Event (The 1990 Markates Briedden I think) and the car slowly got upgraded as time went on i.e. billies, lsd, quick rack, 5 speed box, sumpguard etc.

Splashing through Tissington Ford


And round the popular "Dunn Cows" hairpin, which is a light tighter than it looks in the pic, and only a few people can manage to get round it in one go, which I did of course :-)


In 1990 the car was converted to make it legal for use in both road and stage rallies i.e. full cage, firewalls, extinguishers etc.
I plucked up the courage and entered my first single venue stage event, which was the DAT stages at Manby in October '90 along with Steve Hallmark (who incidentally is a paramedic which may have come in usefull) standing in for Iain, as he had other commitments that weekend. The car was still in road rally spec with full interior trim still fitted along with second hand road tyres and single carb. We were lying 8th O/A when one tyre blew on the stage and we lost a lot of time, however we managed to crawl back to 13th O/A and 3rd in class, a great result for my first event.

First stage event at Manby


It’s easy this stage rally lark a pot first time out I thought, you cant get lost, just follow the arrows lol!

I continued to enter in quite a few more road and stage events with mixed success, the car still in the road rally spec.
Little did I know that the car was to become a bottomless money pit as the car slowly evolved and I chucked even more money at it. Road rallies were eventually knocked on the head as I was having more success on the stages and the interior was binned along with a change of engine for a more powerful unit complete with twin carbs, change of rear axle to astronger baby atlas as I was continually breaking the English half shafts (which resulted in many non-finishes) plastic side windows turreted rear shocks and a straight cut 5 speed gear box.
We completed in this spec and had a few ‘minor incidents’ for a few years winning my class on quite a few events and winning class 3 in the East Midlands Championship for single venues in '94 & '95, my best result was 5th overall 1st in class at Twyford Wood in 1996.

Wilbarston


Stafford County Showground



Swinderby


Twyford Wood, on the way to 5th o/a 1st 2wd



However in early 1997 I decided single venues were getting a bit boring and needed a new challenge so we decided to enter the world of multi-venues. How wrong I was when we entered our first multi-venue (Tour of Lincs) and my world was turned upside down literally! It was all going well whilst we were in the top ten, 8th overall, when we rounded a sharp 90 corner on one of the farm track stages only to find some gravel, slide wide and end up upside down in a water filled dyke. "Oh dear!" (Or worse to that effect) I thought as I clambered out, & I clearly remember Iain’s comment was "I didn’t like that vinyl roof anyway!" (But I'm sure there is a cheaper and easier way to remove one!). Although the roll was slow, it was enough to damage the roof skin as we landed on top of the only wooden post in the dyke!, the rear window, fibreglass boot lid, door skin and the front wing were also damaged. The car was righted and pulled out of the dyke by some friendly spectators, but although the car was still drivable (just) we were OTL and decided to call it a day and go and drown our sorrows. A photo even appeared of us in Accident Blackspot in the old RallySport magazine. This roll was the second one in two years on this event for my navigator Iain, as on the previous years event he ended upside down with Mike Gilman in his Talbot Sunbeam, Jinxed or what!

Scanned from Rallysport magazine


Anyway this put us out of action until the back end of the year whilst I repaired the car, when I completed in the '97 Flookburgh Challenge which consisted of four rallies held at Flookburgh airfield in Cumbria, in which I managed to finish 2nd overall and 1st in class 3 and also equalled my best result on one event of 5th o/a first two wheel drive without damaging the car! I then managed to finish a multi-venue and competed in a few more single-venues until the rallying had to take a back seat as funds were tight due to me moving house (bigger garage!) and getting married, then the arrival of children has delayed the rebuild and me from getting back out onto the stages,

Manby


Flookburgh


During this "enforced" break & whilst the car was off the road I took the oppertunity to tidy her up, however this was a big mistake as I have since thrown even more money at it as it progressed to 5-linking, better engine, carbon dash, speed sensitive electronic power steering, better brakes, better suespension, new seats, alloy fuel tank, plus lots more little mods and repairs including new paint as time allowed.

I have since competed in a few more rallies and also a few old school track day events since the rebuild....

Wilbarston earlier this year



Rockingham Stages in December






So what’s next? Well I hopefully more stage rallies mixed with a few track day outings as funds permit.
Also I would love to take my car over to Ireland to compete on some Irish tarmac events, just need to save some pennies up....

keep it sideways..........

Cheers
Steve

[tim]

nice read there steve, nice black line ur puttin down in the first rockingham pic

[Med]

keep it rollin' dude!!!~ :clap: :clap: :clap:

[Sharon]

21 years you have owned the car And raced it top stuff

[steveo_mex]

Great story

Nice to see it progress from the early days to what it is now, im sure your wallet would agree

[Kevmk2]

Very interesting read Steve! Well done mate

[GP4]

I've never seen the car in the flesh, but having watched the latest rebuild via Steves website over the last couple of years, I'd have to say that it looks like one of the most immaculate and professionally prepared Escorts I've ever witnessed. I know people with more expensive cars, and much bigger budgets than Steves...but I reckon that his car puts the vast majority of them to shame.

It's a real credit to you Steve...top-notch job mate

[Lee S]

Ive seen this car in the flesh and it is proper nice and well prepared!

Do you remeber me Steve? I came with my brother on what was probably the coldest night of the year to buy a rad and prop off ya!

Im trying hard to convice my brother not to sell his mk2, so we can hopefully do some road rallying when I finish uni!

[Retromotorsport]

I've never seen the car in the flesh, but having watched the latest rebuild via Steves website over the last couple of years, I'd have to say that it looks like one of the most immaculate and professionally prepared Escorts I've ever witnessed. I know people with more expensive cars, and much bigger budgets than Steves...but I reckon that his car puts the vast majority of them to shame.

It's a real credit to you Steve...top-notch job mate

Exactly what Simon said.... and a cracking read with all the pics and History.

Catch up with you this summer Steve

[PIG]

as above really excellent read m8,hope things keep getting better for you and the car

[mrjimbo]

Excellent reading m8, keep up the good work

[escort greg]

well done and i thought i had my escort a long time great read

[FOSSIE]

Steve - who is that young bloke driving your car in those early pictures? Not the same Steve Tew that i know, surely? Sorry mate.

Yeah, beautiful car and nice write-up too. I love that picture of it arse-down in the ditch. Still, at least it gave you a good reason to lose the vinyl roof.

We seriously want to get over to Ireland too mate - how about Killarney later this year? Or Donegal? We'll enter as "Team Turbosport".... Foster -vs- Tew? You'd have to promise not to beat us though.
Failing that, we'll just have to go head to head at Weeton popcorn:

Oh yeah, and if you don't do anything else, you've got to do Otterburn! You won't be dissappointed, honestly!

cheers
Tom

[Sideways]

Thanks for your kind comments guys

glad you enjoyed reading it, its just a little something I knocked up in my lunchbreak lol

TIM
I dont think all that rubbers mine mate

Sharon,
yep, had it that long I cant bare to part with it, part of the family you might say, my wife always says "there's three of us in this relationship, you, me and that damn car!"

Si
Cheers mate, but its not that immaculate, its still got plenty of battle scars to show

Popee
How can I forget you? it was -10 outside and you turn up at my house wearing a short sleeve t shirt and your overalls rolled down to your waist!

Gary,
yes mate, catch up with you sometime this summer

Fossie
yer cheeky git that was back in the good old days when I was young free and single, & before I had the stress of a mortgage and mithering kids

BTW that sounds like a challenge mate I really would love to go over to ireland just for the experience & to say Ive done it, also as Ive got a mate over there with a Rothmans replica who said he would help out, but pennies are tight so we may have to make do with weeton

Cheers all
Steve

[GavinR]

Yep good story and pics there - like me I'll never part with my rally car either - luckily my wife is as keen on it as I am

You'd enjoy Ireland, having been over there a few times over the years, its worth every penny but you'd need to reckon on £1500-£2000 for a 2 day event inc ferries, B&B, Entry Fee, Insurance, etc

[david_white]

Great to see the car looking better than ever. Saw it at bruntingthorpe and was well impressed by it.

Nice colour scheme too with the blue stripes

[pitbull]

thoses light pods on the bonnet look really good.neaver seen them before.

[Sideways]

A few pictures of how the car looks now......








And one from the Old School Track Day @ Bruntingthorpe last year


Cheers
Steve

[tim]

lookin good steve,whens ur nxt rally

[Sideways]

Forgot to add this one of the engine



Tim,
I dunno whats next mate, I was planning on doing weeton, but unfortunately plans have changed

[david_white]

Such a neat build this, real credit to you. So often rally cars with all the right bits on them end up looking messy or complicated, Not this one!

Superb

[M11rf]

Very Nice mate

[Sideways]

Thanks Guys

Cheers Dave, from the start I decided to keep it neat and simple and more importantly reliable. A liitle bit of time and thought spent making things quick release or easy to get at and strong enough for the job pays dividends in the long run, well that was the plan



Cheers
Steev

[windy]

You ever considered doing Mull?

[Sideways]

You ever considered doing Mull?

often mate, I would love to do it, a big gang go up every year from my local motorclub and rave about it.
unfortunately young kids mean a week or so away from home rallying is a no no at the minute, in fact getting a pass out for a weekends rallying is a task these days

one day maybe with a bit of luck

[Sideways]

I found a file on my pc today with the car spec on, so I thought I would post it up for all to see as I know you lot like your tech specs popcorn:

Bodyshell
Unarched seam welded & gusseted Genuine 1976 Mk 2 Mexico shell with large gearbox tunnel 4 Link rear boxes with cross braces, Rear turrets, Watts’s linkage towers, boot floor modified to clear exhaust/watts linkage, exhaust tunnel fitted to passenger side.
Quick lift Jacking points fitted to sills.
Grp4 strut top plates & under wing strut tower reinforcing.
Strengthened & braced radiator supports.
Weld on (brackets) alloy strut brace.
Double skinned and reinforced bulkhead. Front & rear chassis skids. Rear firewall.
Full Safety Devices cage with diagonal with additional multi-points, and extra bracing to front and rear suspension turrets, plus extra brace to transmission tunnel.
Chassis mounted alloy 10mm sumpguard.
Alloy petrol tank with steel base welded to boot floor.
Heated and laminated front screen.
Bronze tinted Perspex side and rear windows c/w sliders. Fibreglass boot & bonnet with cut down cosworth vents moulded in.
All interior trim removed. Carbon fibre door panels, dash and centre console.
Alloy Grp1 front spoiler, Carbon fibre front quarter bumpers and rear bumper.
Carbon Fibre drivers door mirror.
Kaylan mud flaps
Signal Yellow paint with blue RS1800 side stripes + sponsors logos.
Bonnet mounted quick release lamp pod with 4 Cibie 100w virage lamps.

Engine
Dave Brooks built 2.2 pinto. (2220cc)
Ultimate spec head with Holbay roller rocker cam kit & Holbay race spec Cam.
Steel vernier timing wheel.
205 sierra injection/cosworth block, rebored/honed and decked.
Offset ground Sierra injection crank.
Fiesta Diesel rods, Accralite forged pistons with cut-outs to clear valves.
Lightened, double dowelled steel flywheel with AP racing twin plate paddle clutch.
3D distributor less programmable ignition by DTA with cosworth crank sensor, throttle position potentiometer and water temperature sensor.
Twin coil wasted spark coil pack.
Twin Weber 48 DCOE’s on Dave Brooks fabricated manifold & Dave Brooks Kevlar cool air airbox with internal itg filter and ducting to front of car.
Twin Facet red top fuel pumps mounted in boot of car.
Radtec alloy radiator, with spal front mounted electric fan & silicone hoses.
19 row oil cooler mounted in front of radiator.
3-piece Grp4 exhaust manifold with further modifications By Dave Brooks and 2.5" Tony Law DIY twin box system with re-packable rear silencer box.
Rolling road Tuned @ 219bhp & 195ftlb of torque

Gearbox
Quaife 5 speed professional Dog box, with rose jointed quick shift gearlever.
RS 2000 alloy bellhousing converted to quick release, breather bottle fitted.
Hydraulically operated clutch.


Axle
6-linked thick tube Baby Atlas fitted with Quaife semi-floating big hub bearing and Grp4 half-shaft kit.
4.6:1 Crown Wheel & Pinion & Motorsport spec Limited Slip Diff c/w Grp4 side gears.
Alloy brace, diff guard, & Grp4 studs.

Suspension & steering
Front: Grp 4 Bilstein struts with adjustable spring seats 250lb 4"dia springs. Rose jointed two-piece alloy top mounts.
Grp4 World Cup Cross Member with modified engine mounts.
Adjustable rose jointed TCA’s
Gartrac tension strut kit with anti-roll bar kit.
2.2 Quaife quick rack with speed sensitive Electric Power Steering from Vauxhall Corsa and Quick Motorsport EPS control unit.
Rear: 4 Link kit. Watts Linkage. 145 lb Multi leaf slipper springs with PTFE slipper kit. 105E rear shackles.
Turreted coilover Grp 4 Bilstein’s with 50lb assister springs.

Brakes
Front: AP racing radial alloy 4 pot callipers mounted on machined alloy brackets. AP racing vented discs with separate alloy mounting bells.
Alloy Grp 4 RS hubs with Grp4 studs.
Rear: XR3 front brakes on vented cross-drilled discs.
Hydraulic handbrake. All brake lines in Braided steel


Interior
Striped out interior with Carbon Fibre dashboard with Stack ST700 rev counter + additional water & oil pressure gauges.
Carbon Fibre centre console & door cards. Flocked dash top.
Carbon Fibre false floor on drivers side
Sparco suede steering wheel.
Magnum Pro FIA competition seats.
Willians 4 point FIA quick release harnesses.
Gel racing battery mounted in alloy tray behind drivers seat.
Helmet box. Peltor intercom. Map light + plotting light.
Safety Devices 2.25L AFFF electrically operated Plumbed in fire extinguisher + 1.75L AFFF hand held.
Bespoke wiring loom made from scratch to suit car using lightweight wire and aircraft spec connectors.
Plastic coated aluminium fuel lines with anodised aluminium fittings.

Wheel & Tyres
Tarmac: 7"x13" Group 4 competition Revolutions in white (ET0) with 200/530/13 Dunlop moulded slicks or factory cut wets in various compounds.
Gravel: 6"x13" Group 4 competition Revolutions in white (ET16) with 165/80/13 SP61 or 185/70/13 SP82 Dunlop gravel tyres in various compounds.


CheeRS
Steve

[Tezza2]

Hi Steve, very nice car & an impressive spec... bang tidy..

just dont let gary at (Retro) near it, or you'll have massive wheels and arches!!

only kidding gary...

[para144]

I know this is an old thread.

The car looks really well prepped .

Did fitting the tension struts make a big improvement?

[Joe-Tait]

Great read and a great car youve got there

I loved reading up on it when you had your magazince feature some work has gone into that car over the years

[Sideways]

Great read and a great car youve got there

I loved reading up on it when you had your magazince feature some work has gone into that car over the years

Cheers Joe

Yes its changed quite a bit over the years a "labour of love" you might say

its obviously had the Elite sequential box in it for the last few years and may get a few more changes this year if I can ever finish off the seemingly never ending work on my house.

I know this is an old thread.

The car looks really well prepped .

Did fitting the tension struts make a big improvement?

Cheers Mike

I noticed you posted about these recently on the british rally forum, I found the tension struts to be an improvement, they seem to make the front feel more positive & solid (probably due to all the rose joints) and also feels more stable under heavy braking. At the end of the day they are a bolt on item and don't require welding brackets to the shell, so you can always revert back to the std ARB set up if you wanted too.
If you do go down this route make sure you get the correct arms as the std ones supplied with the kit are for use with the 'short' tarmac struts. you will need the "forest" spec arms if your using std length struts.

Cheers
Steve

[para144]

Cheers Joe

Yes its changed quite a bit over the years a "labour of love" you might say

its obviously had the Elite sequential box in it for the last few years and may get a few more changes this year if I can ever finish off the seemingly never ending work on my house.



Cheers Mike

I noticed you posted about these recently on the british rally forum, I found the tension struts to be an improvement, they seem to make the front feel more positive & solid (probably due to all the rose joints) and also feels more stable under heavy braking. At the end of the day they are a bolt on item and don't require welding brackets to the shell, so you can always revert back to the std ARB set up if you wanted too.
If you do go down this route make sure you get the correct arms as the std ones supplied with the kit are for use with the 'short' tarmac struts. you will need the "forest" spec arms if your using std length struts.

Cheers
Steve

Cheers for the advice Steve. Ever do events in South Wales?

[Sideways]

Finally decided to put my rally car up for sale

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2812031863...84.m1555.l2649

[redhf]

Stunning car. Glwts

[Forest_rallying]

i have just read the thread. it`s very nice Car you have but I think you might have a better chance of a Sale if it had a set of Alloy Arches fitted.

The Photos remind me so much of the times we were Road Rallying in the 80s and Single Venue Events in the early 90s.

[sholdowa]

does anyone have an idea how much delivery would cost... seems like the best part of 30 years development would be worth it!

[marshyboy2002]

nice thread mate and looks like the car loved every minute of it sound

[simonc68]

Update.

Bought Steve's old car last year, complete minus engine, box and engine management.
I'm at present converting it back to a road rally car.

Funny as I used to live next door to Steve and the car 20 odd years ago.

The car is a great spec car with hundreds of hours of work put into it by Steve, I look forward to getting it out in the lanes whenever that happens

[Sepp]

Congratulations! Looking forward to hearing of new adventures.

[Forest_rallying]

Update.

Bought Steve's old car last year, complete minus engine, box and engine management.
I'm at present converting it back to a road rally car.

Funny as I used to live next door to Steve and the car 20 odd years ago.

The car is a great spec car with hundreds of hours of work put into it by Steve, I look forward to getting it out in the lanes whenever that happens

Good luck Simon, what engine Pinto? Whether there'll be any such thing has Road Rallies after the plague I very much doubt but you never know.

I need to have a trip to Mr Gilman's for a RR session once my car's on the Road after the pandemic.

[simonc68]

I've managed to get a Dave Brooks built 2.1 pinto bottom end, had a new SRD big valve head built with their cam and exhaust manifold, in the process of putting that together, will be running it on split 48 dellortos. Have sourced a 5 speed quaife pro box so getting there gradually. I'll post some current pics up.