Ford Escort Mk1 Targa Rally Car

Highlights

- Full targa rally spec

- Successful competition record

- 2 litre Pinto and 5 speed box

- New world cup cross member

- Fully adjustable suspension, set up by professionals

Overview

Have you ever dreamt of sliding around a mark 1 Escort on a gravel stage? Well, join the club. Sadly, the budget needed to do that in a full on stage rally is beyond the reach of most. But fear not, there is a cheaper alternative.

Targa rallying offers a good chunk of the excitement of full on stage rallying but at somewhat lower speeds. Slower, more technical tests mean less to spend on car preparation and personal safety equipment, making it much more affordable. In terms of smiles-per-pound, it’s hard to beat.

And whether you’re an experienced competitor or just getting started, the lure of rallying a classic Escort is strong. When out competing, Escorts remain a firm favourite with marshals and competitors alike.

Bought a few years ago to enter in the Cotswold Motor Sport Group championship, this car scooped up the novice award in its first year, partly thanks to ongoing development work. Although now fully sorted and ready to go, it’s sadly not had a lot of use of late due to increasing work and personal commitments.

Now is therefore your opportunity to pick up a competitive car (with some top 10 finishes under its belt) which can be used immediately. It will naturally require some ongoing maintenance but it’s an easy commitment to make when you experience how much fun it is viewing the world through the side windows.

History and Paperwork

- Registered 18 May 1971

- There’s not a great deal known about the car’s history until it entered the hands of the previous owner

- He acquired the car as an unfinished rally car project with the engine and gearbox swap completed and finalised the build to targa rally spec

- Since acquiring the car in May 2022, the current owner has fitted a world cup cross member (essential to avoid the engine trying to escape out of the bottom of the car over jumps), ironed out the niggles and had the suspension set up with a professional motorsport company based in Hereford

- At its last visit, it was thoroughly inspected and was fuelled and ready to go on its next event before the entry had to be pulled due to other commitments

- V5C in owner's name

- Collection of invoices for work carried out in current ownership

Interior

- Built to compete in the most demanding targa events, the car has a custom half cage and firewall

- OMP bucket seats and 3 inch harnesses

- Suede deep dish steering wheel with important centre-marker

- Desirable world cup spec double cowl dashboard

- Brantz tripmeter, ancillary power supply and voltmeter

- Fire extinguisher (hand held)

- New set of instruments including a GPS speedo, though the rev counter and oil pressure gauges are not currently working as they should (revs at zero, oil pressure reads max)

- The dashboard also has a set of custom switches installed for the fuel pump, lights, and spot lights, together with a motorsport cut out switch

- New carpet as of 2023, and the headlining is still in place (essential for targa/ road rally events)

- Fuel and brake lines inside car

- The boot houses the rally fuel tank, separated from the cabin by a proper firewall, together with the battery, fuel pump a post installed to house 2 spare wheels

Exterior

- Classic Coke bottle styling

- Four door shell with the rear door handles removed at some stage (rear doors can be opened from the inside)

- Finished in white with a matt black fibre glass bonnet

- Red stripes which match the Mexico/ GT livery

- Solid shell, but important to note that it’s not a show car as it’s been rallied

- Although it’s been garaged over the last couple of years, there are a number of small areas of corrosion the bodywork that could use some preventative work

- Fully undersealed

- Spot lights included

- Five RS-style Ford wheels painted black and four ‘Linnet’ style wheels

- Genuine Escort mirror provided (with cracked glass) to replace the aftermarket item installed on the passenger side

- Chunky 10mm aluminium sump guard and skidded Ashley exhaust

Mechanical

- 2 litre Pinto engine with Bestek competition electronic ignition system

- Weber DGAS twin choke carburettor

- Foam competition ITG air filter

- Believed to be good for around 120bhp

- High capacity aluminium alloy cooling radiator

- 5 speed Type 9 gearbox with short shift kit

- Limited slip differential

- Front brakes 2.8 Capri upgrade

- Rear brakes Fiesta 1.1 front brake upgrade

- Hydraulic hand brake

- Quick steering rack with Group 4 steel steering knuckle

- Bias adjustable brake pedal setup with twin brake master cylinders

- Adjustable front suspension, castor and camber, and adjustable track control arms, set up by Escort rally specialist

- Bilstein adjustable platform front suspension

- Bilstein rear suspension

- Strengthened English rear axle casing with 4 link attachments

- Starts well, even after sat for a while

- Weighing in at around an estimated 850kg, it’s genuinely quick and surprises a few modern cars

- Great handling

Summary

For someone looking to get into the sport or an existing competitor who might want to switch to rear wheel drive, this is a great opportunity to acquire a race-ready classic Escort. Although built for targas, it could be taken road rallying as well, and has all the spec you need to be an absolute blast. It might not be the prettiest up close but it’s a riot to drive and everyone loves it.

Event photos courtesy of Andy Manston, M&H Photography