12 September 2019
Sean’s Escort RS Turbo
As unoffi cial spokesperson for SOS, Sean reveals
he also comes in for a bit of ribbing — especially
when he fi rst turned up with this 1989 Series 2 RS
Turbo back in 2013. “It was hanging,” he reveals,
“but I was fi ne with that as I’ve always wanted
one, and I got it at a good price!”
Sean immediately stripped the car down at
home and steamed into a body restoration,
replacing the sills, rear arches, front wings, and
sections of the fl oors.
“The rebuild took a year or so, then a friend
repainted it for me in 2015. It’s been a rolling
project ever since, and I’ve replaced or
reconditioned parts as and when needed. The
suspension was totalled so there are KYB
dampers on there now along with Spax springs.
Luckily, the interior was fi ne, just needing a repair
to the driver’s seat fabric and I’ve added the
Cosworth steering wheel as I prefer it.”
“By last year the engine was getting tired, so I
decided to tackle my fi rst ever engine rebuild
— with help ,encouragement and mickey-taking
from the other SOS members, of course. My
girlfriend’s Dad did the machining work then I put
it all back together along with a Stage 2 chip and
Mongoose system. The club has been great for
stuff like that — I fi tted the system at home but
couldn’t get it to hang quite right, so we put it on
the ramp at Garry’s and were able to tweak it and
get it hanging properly. There’s always stuff to do
on the car — it’s not mint, but that’s the way I
prefer it, as it means I’m not afraid to drive it.”Paul’s Mk1 Escort
“My fi rst car was a 1300E and I always wanted
another,” says Paul. “The Fiesta fi lled a hole for a
while and I guess it’s my fi rst love, but then this
Escort came up for sale in Kirkcaldy, at a price that
I could afford. It was an RS2000 originally, but it’s
been mucked about with over the years and
would probably be too much work to return to
original — even if I wanted to. I can’t take credit for
the build — that was down to one of the previous
owners back in 2011 or 2012. It’s a really great
shell to which they fi tted the ST170 engine on
throttle bodies, along with a Type-9 with Racetech
internals. It’s got Bilsteins all-round with Wilwood
brakes up front and Escort Cosworth discs and
callipers at the rear.”“THE RS IS NOT
MINT, BUT THAT’S
THE WAY I PREFER
IT, AS IT MEANS I’M
NOT AFRAID TO
DRIVE IT”The 1600 CVH was rebuilt by Sean — his fi rst ever
engine build and he’s pleased with how it’s turned out.Having access to the workshop means members like Sean
can tackle some of the bigger jobs on his RS Turbo.