READER’S BUILD | GCS HAWKE58 September 2019 http://www.completekitcar.co.ukunit, Drew’s engine is now producing over
270bhp and there’s still more to come. As
he had worked on the original motor’s
ECU, Drew knew how to remove the
environmentally focused aspects of the
map. Noise concessions were swiftly lost
too, and as the car breathes out through
its twin Cherry Bomb silencers today, it
generates a terrific growl which is only
just under the legal limit. It all makes for
a finely tuned balance between old school
character and modern performance.
Inside, the sprayed wooden dashboard
is awash with traditional white-on-black
dials which originally saw service on
engine testbeds at Lucas. Drew admits
that nowadays they could all be replaced
by a single touchscreen – but where’s the
fun in that?
When Drew first completed the car
just before the SVA was due to change,
at the dawn of the millennium, he admits
that he got most of his enjoyment out of
tinkering with the Hawke in the garage.
Work commitments often meant that
whenever the weather was good in the
UK, Drew would be somewhere like
Death Valley, doing hot weather testing.
As the car was only taxed for six monthsof the year, he couldn’t take advantage of
the odd sunny winter day either. But now
both Drew and Julie have retired, the
Hawke is set to see much more of the
road 20 years after it first hit it. With this
in mind, Drew has softened some of the
GCS’s hard edges over recent years, with
particular attention being paid to the car’s
stiff and low sporting suspension. Now, the
car sits a little higher than it did originally
and has much more forgiving springing,
which in reality on the not so brilliantly
paved roads we have in the UK makes it
more enjoyable to drive – and possibly
quicker – in the real world. The GCS is also
fitted with the fuel tank from a Triumph
TR8, which is much more capacious than
the standard Escort van fitment on other
Hawkes, so he stops for fuel half as often
when out with the club.
Inside and out, this is a well thought out
car. It just goes to show what is possible
when you’re willing to go your own way
and alter a kit to suit your own tastes, as
opposed to those of the traditionalists. I
count myself lucky that I have had a good
run of modified and unusual classic kit cars
to feature recently, and I hope this trend
continues well into 2020.Rover parts: Rimmer Bros, Lincoln,
Lincolnshire. T: 01522 568000.
E: [email protected]
W: http://www.rimmerbros.comFord parts: Burton Power, Ilford, Essex.
T: 020 8518 9136.
E: [email protected]
W: http://www.burtonpower.comUSEFUL CONTACTS
GCS
HAWKEENGINE: 4.6-litre Rover
V8 EFI built to Callaway
specification.
GEARBOX: MG RV8
R380 five-speed.
SUSPENSION: Front- Double wishbones,
coil-over dampers.
Rear – Mk4 Ford Cortina
derived rear axle with
coil overs and Panhard
rod.
BRAKES: Vented discs
all-round.
INTERIOR: Leather
upholstery, wooden
dashboard.
EXTERIOR: Modified
yellow GCS Hawke 2+2
shell, LED fog lighting
and black roll-over bar.
LED lighting is a recent touch.Fuel cap is on the opposite side to usual.“NOISE CONCESSIONS WERE
SWIFTLY LOST”
054 GCS Hawke.indd 58 31/07/2019 3:15 pm