The expression “old school ford” it will have a completely different meaning depending on where you live in the world.
If you’re from the land of freedom and cheap gas, you’re probably picturing V8 Ford Mustangs and Gran Torinos laying flat tires at a moonlit Detroit intersection. If you’ve arrived underground, you might imagine an XB Ford Falcon thundering down the Gold Coast Highway with a thong-wearing man behind the wheel. Britain brings a very different flavor of old school Ford to the table, and what we lack in cubic inches, we make up for in attitude.
Rob Maeer’s 1975 Ford Escort L – a car I came across at Tucked At The Museum – is a prime example.
It’s impossible to look at a Mk2 Escort without imagining it flying sideways through a forest with gravel from the rear tires. Or at a rural Irish crossroads while munching on a doughnut, your head spins.
The Mk2’s bluff nose, boxy greenhouse and sloping tail are iconic, so most owners choose to leave the body lines as they left the factory.
Rob’s car is particularly original, requiring very little restoration work after being found locked up in a garage in Sussex.
As a result, the Escort is covered in curiosities from past years, preserved by the lack of UV radiation and moisture. Car crime was rife in Britain in the late 20th century, so of course there are stickers to discourage would-be thieves from trying their luck with this little Ford.
Elsewhere, a reminder that a previous owner really cherished his Escort, although the service seems a little late…
Even the original dealer sticker on the rear window remains intact – a highly sought after detail in today’s classic car market. Not that Rob insists on originality, by any means.
Who remembers itineraries? Family outings during the day; mom frantically unfolded the map while dad reached the boiling point of frustration in a foreign city.
The interior of the Escort is just as period as the exterior of the small Ford, except for a few repairs and updates.
The vintage Cobra bucket seat stands out not only because all the remaining vinyl seats are original, but also from a broader perspective.
More and more classic car owners are installing modern bucket seats in their cars, which have larger supports and a more complex design. These often contrast with the fine lines and simplicity of the cars, which in my eyes can cause a clash.
The color scheme paired with the Britax straps is oh-so-retro, and how cool is the old Cobra font?!
The carpets look like they were taken straight from an East London market stall, while three gauges emerge from under the dash, hinting at something a little more serious under the hood than the original 1.1-litre mill.
The “Clunk-Click” decal on the dashboard is another retro nod to the 70s government campaign to remind drivers to fasten their seat belts every time the doors are closed. The whole tagline was “Clunk-Click Every Trip”! American readers may remember a similar campaign under the slogan “Click-it or Ticket”.
Let’s go back to the exterior and just look at those mighty little magnesium Compomotive Turbo-Mag wheels. Rebuilt with Image Wheels lips and cylinders, measuring 13 x 9.5 inches at all four corners, Rob’s setup is extremely aggressive for a factory-curved Mk2. They are barely under the small two-door body.
Wilwood brakes lie behind the wheels, in this case connected to a hydraulic handbrake.
Lower rake and ride height are available thanks to a GAZ Gold coilover kit, although due to the car’s solid rear axle, more work has been done at the rear to match the Compomotives.
If you dare to peek under the rear of the Escort, next to the exhaust barrel, you might be surprised at how much modification Rob has put the Escort through.
Narrowed, strengthened and equipped with a ZF limited-slip differential, the Atlas axle now lives between the rear wheels, while power is fed to a BorgWarner T5 transmission. Compared to almost agricultural standard articles, the difference is night and day.
Heavy-duty 18-tooth driveshafts are located within the axle casting to handle the power through the drivetrain, while a Watt link mounted on the differential case minimizes side-to-side “drift” of the rear axle.
What kind of engine needs such a strong rear end in such a small car? Well, a screamer pipe mounted flush with the hood is a giveaway that it includes forced induction.
Being a British old-school Ford build, it’s only right that the Ford Sierra RS Cosworth now has a 2.0-litre DOHC 16-valve turbo engine instead of the original Crossflow.
This is a highly sought-after engine swap on the Ford scene, due in part to the relative simplicity of the conversion, as well as the expected performance increase. The ‘YB’ was based on the earlier Ford Pinto engine block (unrelated to the American car and prone to misfires). Iron block and motorsport technology make a very effective combination.
Not only that, but brand loyalty is very strong among many British Ford owners. The Ford/Cosworth product is a big advantage for those who would otherwise be put off by the idea of changing engines.
As if the nearly 100% increase in displacement wasn’t enough, Rob decided to keep the YB engine turbocharged, now with an upgraded Garrett T38 bolted to the side of the Cosworth-designed head.
However, a big turbo means very little without supporting modifications.
Low-compression pistons, aggressive-profile Kent camshafts, upgraded injectors, and Ford Escort Cosworth L8 engine management allow the little coupe to produce 380 horsepower at 28 psi. The pipe exiting the hood originates from the TiAL external drain.
To many international Ford fans reading this, that may not seem like much. Not if you’re used to a big-block V8 or a Barra inline-six comfortably capable of 1,000 horsepower or more.
But in the UK we have learned to do more with less. Our roads are small, our fuel is expensive and our culture is much more reserved. 380bhp in a car under 1000kg (2204lb) is a very healthy number and enough to get you into a lot of trouble very quickly.
Having grown up buying from both regularly Classic Ford and Fast Ford Magazines, I always thought I had a good ‘basic’ understanding of what the Ford scene was like in Britain. The common theme has always been immaculately restored companions, often converted into Mexican replicas, with either the original engine rebuilt or a turbocharged powerplant in the bay.
Cars like Rob take the tried and true British old school Ford recipe and change it up just enough to keep it fresh and interesting.
Years of charm in the form of patina and memorabilia, a heavily upgraded powertrain and chassis, and an owner who turned a clean shell into a noisy little rocket ship to have fun with. If Goldilocks had a Mk2 Escort, this would be it. Not too serious, not too silly. It’s this little Ford just fine.
Mario Christou
Instagram: mcwpn
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