Classic Ford – August 2019

Zakspeed-stylearchesaresuper-wide.

Broadspeed/VMWliveryis spot-on.

Very neat, angled box houses

essential switchgear and start button.

Mag Minilites wear super-sticky Avon race rubber.

Le Mans-style twin fuel fillers

replicate the Broadspeed originals.

The rs1600 may have been dragged out of retirement,

but the level of prep is superb, even on the inside.

August 2019 79

racetrack. Sourcing parts from this era may
sound daunting to some but as Paul explains,
“There is a good supply of remanufactured stuff
now for these cars — they are old enough that
people are making parts for those who want to
keep racing them.”
Despite the Escort’s new lease on life both
inside and out, the beating heart of the race car
is much as it was previously, and lifting the
bonnet reveals the 2-litre BDG still sitting in
pride of place. The only real change is that the
engine now carries period-correct Lucas
mechanical injection that links through to an
orchestral quad of slide throttles. The rear end is
linked up courtesy of the original four-speed
Rocket dog ’box as Paul had raced with
previously while disc brakes in both front and
rear provide more than enough stopping power
to pull the 730 kg Escort up “Most of the
components are as they were 26 years ago. We
rebuilt the suspension, but the bones are as per
it was built.”
With a timeless mix of tried-and-tested
simplicity yet superb performance, this makes