Table of contents for November 2023 in Classic Ford

Classics less than 40 years old face another Ultra Low Emissions Zone Cthreat: that of local borough council scrappage schemes. Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, called for further support from the 32 London councils in replacing non-compliant vehicles on top of Transport For London’s (TfL’s) own £110m, £2000-per-car scrappage initiative, which was opened to all Greater Londoners and those in the City of London from August 21. If enacted, local scrappage offers could be combined with TfL’s to anyone with a qualifying vehicle. However, few local authorities have had the time, or the funds, to implement any schemes of their own as yet, sister title, Classic Car Buyer found. A recent survey by car sales website, Carwow, revealed that, on average, owners of non-compliant cars were getting more for their…

The Classic Ford Show was one of the highlights of the summer, with The Great Unveiling at the show seeing some incredible builds that debuted for the first time in public. In the forthcoming December issue we bring you full, in-depth and exclusive features on the cars with stunning photography by our own Andy Saunders and the story behind each build. And as if that wasn’t enough, we’ll also be revealing how to enter for the 2024 Unveiling, what we’re looking for and advice from previous participants on how to make sure you get that build finished on time. All this plus a whole lot more in the December 2023 edition, available in print and to download from Friday, October 27. Why not subscribe to make sure you don’t miss…

Ian McLaughlin now resides in South Wales but his classic Ford story starts when he was just six, living in the shadow of the fabled Donington Park Racing Circuit. “The Ford thing is just something you have in you. As a kid growing, up my Dad had big Zephyrs and Zodiacs. We used to go and watch the racing and on one occasion I saw a Mk1 Escort in the Alan Mann Racing livery and I just absolutely loved it. The rallying Escorts obviously enjoy legendary status but people forget how successful the platform was in racing right back in 1968.” Ian has an extensive car and motorcycle history. After enjoying bikes from childhood, his first foray into four wheels was with a Sunburst Red Escort XR3 when he was…

Base spec: 1600GT, Weber 32/36 DGV twin-choke carb, stock air filter This engine can deliver excellent horsepower gains, but the components you inherit can either be reasonable or downright weak depending on the version you have. The regular GT-spec, almost bolt-on, route everyone takes though, often glosses over the weaknesses — start revving the engine beyond the norm (which is what’s required with the most basic of cam swaps) — and most of it will break. Therefore you’ll need to add steel components to the top end at least, and at higher stages of tune, the bottom end too, to make it all hold together. Plus, you need to ideally replace the entire exhaust system to free it all up — the GT-style manifold may be a four-branch affair, but…

Base spec: Silver Top, 45 mm carbs or throttle bodies, ECU and exhaust manifold. Zetecs are the opposite of the previous two engines featured — you have to bolt something on to make them work in a rear-wheel-drive situation. You can adapt the standard factory stuff — it is bolt-on after all — but you also need to know what you’re doing! Our assumed power baseline is about 130 bhp and just bolting on a pair of either 45DCOEs or — better still — throttle bodies will give excellent power gains, eclipsing the other two engines by miles. With just this change of induction, you should have power between 165-170 bhp. Prices have now dropped and some throttle body kits almost match that of buying new sidedraughts complete with manifold,…

The problem with the standard manufacturer set-up using a single throttle body and plate is that it relies on the design of the shared plenum and manifold to feed all of the cylinders. Even though they’ve spent millions of pounds developing the manifold and no matter how well it’s been designed, it will always cause a restriction to the airflow. As all the cylinders breathe through one shared area it also increases the chances of cylinder robbing, which occurs when one cylinder consumes more air than another. While not a major problem with standard cams, cylinder robbing can cause poor idle and low load performance with wild cams. Throttle body conversions cure this by using a manifold that can space a throttle plate directly in line with each of the…

We’ve seen The Great British Car journey Museum in Derbyshire hold numerous events over the past few years and they’ve certainly proved to be very popular. As you’d expect, a blue oval-themed day was always bound to remain an essential part of the calendar and with the date set in early June, interest from various clubs soon snowballed. Fortunately, the weather couldn’t have been better and as usual for a GBCJ event, the atmosphere was relaxed and friendly. Titled Fiesta Of Fords as a celebration of the Fiesta model’s impending departure, an astonishing display of 168 blue ovals soon filled the spacious car park. Visiting clubs included the High Peak Classic Group, XR Owners’ Club, Mk2 Cortina and Capri clubs along with East Midlands and North Staffordshire RS groups resulting…

As Northern Ireland’s premier seaside town, trying to find a parking space in Portrush in the summer months is a task. Thankfully, Causeway Coast Ford Fair has a large dedicated space for the day in question for those arriving in the marque. And arrive they did, in their hundreds. Organised by Trust Ford, the contacts are there to make this the must-see show at what can only be described as Ford fever. Modern mixed with classic; there are no prizes for what we concentrated on. CONTACT Causeway Coast Ford Fair www.facebook.com/CausewayCoastFordFair…

Email hi-res images to classicford.ed@kelsey.co.uk or post them up on our Facebook page.…

SAFE TECH When working on cars and using tools of any kind — especially power tools — always use protective gear: goggles, gloves, ear defenders, masks and a decent set of overalls are essential. A fire extinguisher is also advisable. Never work under a car without supporting it with axle stands and if you’re not completely confident of your ability to complete any task safely, leave it to the experts. The ABC of tuning U is for… unleaded Withdrawing leaded Four Star petrol from general sale in 1999 gave owners of classic Fords real headaches. The problem was, and remains, that these engines were designed to run on fuel containing lead — or, more accurately, tetraethyl lead. If older engines are run without modification on unleaded fuel, the exhaust valves…

What’s been done this month: Checked both Crossflows over and scrapped one (sadly a 711M block)… Next on the to-do list: Port-match the inlet and exhaust ports on the 691M engine’s head There is nothing quite like a warm, dry garage to work on your classic Ford, and I am blessed with a two-car hideaway during the colder Aussie months for tinkering on the Anglia. The little 105E is up on stands, stripped and ready for the magic wand of resurrection to be waved. I am starting under the bonnet, and have taken a critical look at both my 1600 Crossflow engines to choose the best one to build. The 1600 from the Mk2 Cortina turns over freely, and had been sitting for about 10 years in dry storage. After pulling the…

The Nürburgring Classic is hailed by the organisers as the only authentic successor to the inaugural race in 1927. Thrilled by racing on one of the world’s most famous race tracks, by the retro feel in the paddocks, the family-friendly race programme, the colourful special races and more than 300 classic automobiles, sports cars and racing cars it’s a great weekend either way. More than 20 races attracted visitors to the traditional circuit in the Eifel. First of all we had the Vintage Meeting with the pre-War cars including a Ford Speedster Special from 1931. Drivers in high-powered racing cars were engaged in the Touring Car Golden Era series with a second place in the two races by ex-DTM driver Roland Asch in a Sierra RS500, and the legendary victory…

A really common rot area on plenty of classic Fords — not just the Mk1 Cortina used here — is the panel behind the rear wheelarch. An attempt had been already made on this project car and to be honest it was patches over rust. Handily, the repair section to do the job properly is readily available from Ex-Pressed Steel Panels. The more we got into this area though, the more we found the wrong side of borderline. This area is double-skinned with a panel behind, which, once we’d zipped off the front skin, showed the one beneath to be even worse. What’s more, the adjoining panel in the boot was holed, plus the chassis rail beneath was a touch crusty at its outer edges. This bit mounts the bumper…

It doesn’t matter if the engine in your Ford is a true classic or something more modern, it can be improved in some way, and the good news is, someone has already worked out how. Production engines assembled on a mass scale are compromised for all sorts of reasons, but it’s pretty straightforward to refine them to get more of what you want (and let’s face it, 99 per cent of the time that’s more power). In this special issue we show you exactly how to do that with tuning recipes for all the big Ford hitters including the Crossflow, Pinto (above), Essex and, of course, Zetec — from mild to wild and everything in-between. You’ll also find in-depth guides to induction (from traditional carbs to fuel-injection) and fuel systems,…

KENT HT1E PINTO CAM £560.95 (kit) Kent Cams Kent Cam’s HT1E grind for the Pinto is still way up there if you need big power. Originally developed for racing, it’s now proven its worth in all manner of disciplines. Available on its own, or as part of a kit (shown). Contact: 01303 248666, www.kentcams.com K&N AIR FILTER From£75.00 DemonTweeks K&N’s range of bolt-on, performance air filters is huge and covers almost all of the Weber/Dell’Orto carbs fitted to classic Fords. They come pre-oiled and are available in varying heights to suit. Just the job. Contact: 0845 3306251, www.demon-tweeks.co.uk PINTO ALLOY VERNIER £129.50 Kent Cams Allowing you to accurately dial in your choice of camshaft, Kent’s adjustable pulley for the Pinto is manufactured in hardened lightweight aluminium, and comes complete with an…

Base spec: 2.0S or RS2000, Weber 32/36 DGV carb, standard exhaust manifold More modern than a Crossflow, the Pinto already has plenty of tough components to build upon but it can do better right from the start — not least of all, to make it feel more lively and to free up the simply choking factors that were highlighted by simple RS upgrades. The cast exhaust manifold alone released around 10 bhp — that was a great bolt-on mod — but components are now scarce and we can do better for the future… In the £1000 category, you have a choice — you could slot in a cam kit and upgrade to the traditional 38 DGAS carb, then book a rolling road session. Or keep the induction and opt for…

Think about the options for classic Ford induction and it’s extremely easy to take what we have for granted, because the sidedraught carburettor has always been there hasn’t it? It’s the norm to think of whacking a pair on your engine for instant performance. But consider this; a sidedraught is actually a totally dedicated racing carburettor that’s almost infinitely adjustable for fuel delivery. The likes of the Weber sidedraughts (plus the less popular, yet equally performing, Dell’Ortos) effectively provide one barrel for each cylinder, which means you can tune for the requirements of each one. Now that, if you stop and think, is pretty amazing — one carburettor for each cylinder. We should give more respect to such an asset. However, the choice of which make and model is a…

All carburettors are distinguished by a number preceding the type code and suffix. For example, you can have a 38 DCOE or a 48 DCOE. The number refers to the bore of the barrel at the throttle plate — the most common has a 40 mm casing (as in 40 DCOE). Within the barrel fits a series of main venturi — commonly called chokes in Europe (nothing to do with the fuel-enrichment cold-starting device though). The job of the venturi is to speed up the passage of air, which it does by gathering the air into a tunnel that suddenly tapers in. This bit of the carb is important — get the it wrong and the engine can be extremely flat. The main chokes are available in a range of…

When the family driveway is consistently full of old Fords, it’s hard not to be influenced by the scene you walk past every day. For Lewis Wilcock, his dad, Steve’s passion was a dream come true while he grew up and it was inevitable, he’d later follow in his father’s footsteps. “When I was just four, my dad came home with a Series 1 Escort RS Turbo which I vividly remember,” Lewis smiles. “He’s always had old Fords since buying a Mk1 Escort to use as his first car.” Various other Escorts came and went including a Mk2 Ghia, Mk4 XR3i and a Mk1 RS2000 not to mention countless Escort vans before Lewis’s dad became a little more ambitious, tackling a full restoration of a Mk1 Escort 1100L. “He stripped…

If we compiled a list of cool things you don’t see enough of, a period-modified Mk2 Capri would be up there with free bars and canned ULEZ plans. Once almost the forgotten Capri, Mk2s have all but disappeared — even at shows they’re a rare spot. Thankfully, we owe the Piaskowski family a debt of gratitude for bringing this particular road and show-ready S replica to our pages. “My dad bought it in 2006 and used it almost daily, so by 2014 it was getting slightly scruffy,” says Bryan, who explains that his dad sadly passed away in 2017. They had begun the rebuild together prior to his passing, which inspired Bryan’s decision to fully restore the car as his dad had always had it. A perfect tribute to the…

Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show November 10-12 SEPTEMBER Spa Six Hours September 27-October 1 Spa Francorchamps, Belgium https://www.spasixhours.com/en Capri Swarm September 28-October 1 Beech Bend Raceway, Kentucky USA www.capriclub.com OCTOBER Newark Autojumble October 22 Newark Showground, Nottinghamshire UK www.newarkautojumble.co.uk Classic Ford December issue on sale October 27 https://shop.kelsey.co.uk/classic-ford-magazine NOVEMBER Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show November 10-12 NEC Birmingham, UK www.necclassicmotorshow.com Newark Autojumble November 19 Newark Showground, Nottinghamshire UK www.newarkautojumble.co.uk DECEMBER Newark Autojumble December 10 Newark Showground, Nottinghamshire UK www.newarkautojumble.co.uk 2023 Autosport International January 11-14 NEC Birmingham, UK www.autosportinternational.com Race Retro February 23-25 Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire UK www.raceretro.com Practicval Classics Classic Car & Restoration Show March 22-24 NEC, Birmingham UK www.necrestorationshow.com Best Of British April 27 Turvey House, Bedfordshire UK https://events.prestigeandperformancecar.com/best-of-british best-of-british Enfield Pageant May 25-26 Enfield Playing Fields, Enfield UK…

Nearly every classic Ford up until the late 1980s was originally fitted with a conventional fuel delivery system, which means a carburettor fed by a simple tank using a mechanical fuel pump. Converting to an electric pump is pretty straightforward and we’ve covered it several times before, but fuel injection is a different matter. For a start we need to use a higher-pressure pump — since fuel injection runs way above that of conventional carb-fed systems. And that pump needs to be fed with a constant supply of air-free fuel, too. On mass-produced cars that’s fairly simple, there’s often an in-tank pump meaning no air can get to it. To supply a fuel-injected Zetec on throttle bodies, for example, we have a couple of choices. We can either fit the…

Whether you like your classic Fords concours clean and clinically prepared to factory standards, or prefer a more performance orientated path with competition in mind, whatever your route to motoring Nirvana, the chances are you’ll have come across the name Burton Power. Since it opened its doors in 1963, with Lionel ‘Burt’ Burton at the helm, the Ilford-based firm has specialised in all things Ford, although in its early years it also catered for a large assortment of other marques including BMC, Hillman, Triumph, Jaguar and Lotus. Originally focussed more on providing specialist race engine services, a throwback to Lionel’s skills and experience in the modification and tuning of competition powerplants, the company’s reputation for innovative engineering soon grew, and demand for a ‘Balanced by Burton’ engine became a must…

QUERY OF THE MONTH Bike carb manifolds Q I’m currently building a 1600 CVH engine for my XR2 and I would like to run bike carbs on it. I would like some advice on which carbs to use and where I could obtain a manifold. Do I also need a motor bike fuel pump and regulator? Neil Hannon UK A For a CVH application you want to aim for carbs with 36 or 38 mm chokes — ones from a 1990s Honda CBR600 or Kawasaki ZSX6R would be ideal for this. Bike carb specialists, DanST Engineering would be able to supply you with a suitable inlet manifold for the CVH. You don’t need the specific bike fuel pump to match — you can use a typical electric fuel pump such as…

Back in the late 1980s and early 1990s, in an era when most young drivers were often found honing around in Minis, Fiestas or Escorts, Rob stepped away from the popular trend and bought himself a Mk4 Cortina. It appears he must have been quite impressed with that first example as he’d go on to own another four Mk4s and Mk5s in quick succession. “Some were 1600s, others were 2-litres and I also had a 2.3-litre Ghia automatic,” he smiles. As the years progressed and Cortinas started to become harder to find, Rob took the logical step and moved on to other models, though all those happy memories meant Ford’s trusty saloon would always stay in his blood. Fast forward a few decades and Rob soon found a touch of…

There aren’t many people who can say they’ve owned a car for as long as James Newins has, who first bought this Mk2 Escort way back in 1993. But Jim, as he’s better known, has not only owned it all the time but has been steadily rebuilding it since taking it off the road in the mid-1990s. Jim has owned a huge variety of Fords over the years, from Escort vans to a Cortina with cool Holbay turbo Pinto, so is no stranger to a Ford. But this Escort has the best tale to tell, as he explains. “I first picked the car up from a friend,” he recalls. “It was a rally car that was arched on 8x13 wheels, had a full bolt-in roll cage, a 1700 Crossflow, four-speed gearbox and…

A. Mk1 Escort Owner: Kevin Keating Featured: December 2022 It took Kevin 25 years to complete this Mk1 but it was so worth it, debuting at the Classic Ford Show with the look and feel of a proper 1990s-modified Mk1 for the street, strip and sprint track. B. Mk3 Capri Owners: Mick Skipp and Graham Clarke Featured: March 2023 A real crowd-pleaser when it debuted at the Classic Ford Show last year, Mick and Graham’s dedicated restoration on this über-rare GT4 is something else. C. Mk2 Fiesta Owner: Nicky Brazier Featured: December 2022 Who modifies a Fiesta van these days? Nicky does, that’s who and his fresh take on the pint-sized commercial is a track regular too — complete with Zetec power.. D. Mk1 Cortina Owner: Kevin May Featured: December…

How much bang for your buck is the question on everyone’s lips — but in many cases it’s not as simple as pouring cash in and getting whopping horsepower figures out. In plenty of cases, it’s necessary to strengthen what you’ve got to release the potential the Ford Gods gave us in the first place. It’s also conjecture — where do you start? With a worn-out motor that needs a rebuild — or something that’s already got a bit of poke? What we need is to establish a bit of baseline first.In most cases we’ve assumed you’ve done the basics. Most 1600 Crossflows aren’t standard — it’s a common mod to start with a GT cam, twin-choke Weber carb and basic four-branch exhaust manifold. And with something like a Zetec,…

Base spec: 3.0S/Ghia, 38DGAS carb, standard exhaust manifolds Very much like an American V8, these engines are pretty lazy in standard form and there’s not a lot you can do to wake them up with a little money. At the lower end, again it’s building blocks — the exhausts are tubular but they’re also restrictive. Fit bigger-bore manifolds plus a meaty exhaust system and it’ll release some power — but it’ll also sound good, too! A decent pair of cylinder heads will do wonders for the breathing and the standard carb will fuel it to an extent. Eventually though, you’ll need to replace it although off-the-shelf components for the Essex are a bit scarce or very expensive — triple Webers are way off budget — but you can buy an…

Throttle bodies are seen as part of the new breed of tuning, and rightly so — carbs have slowly been making way for them as the modern equivalent for simple, bolt-on power. We’re seeing more and more classic Fords run them on a regular basis, but to many they still a thing of mystery, and to some utterly confusing. So what is the deal with them? Are they simply the fit-and-forget solution that people make them out to be? And the all-important question; are they better than carbs? For this we spoke to the experts for an unbiased opinion and to give us the cold, hard facts in an easy to understand way. Read on! What are they? Put simply, throttle bodies are another method of supplying fuel and controlling…

PAY LESS AND NEVER MISS AN ISSUE! SEE PAGE 134 The Great Unveiling cars in detail ON SALE October 27! Are split Webers worth it? K-Jet tricks! Stunning Mk2 rebuild Meanwhile, get your classic Ford fix at https://linktr.ee/classicford Ask for it in your friendly local newsagents, or call us now on 01959 543747 NEWSAGENT ORDER FORM Dear Mr/Mrs/Ms Newsagent, I want a copy of Classic Ford magazine! Please reserve/deliver* a copy of Classic Ford on a regular basis, commencing with the next issue. *delete as appropriate IF YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS AN ISSUE: One of the best ways to ensure you receive every issue of Classic Ford is to place an order with your local newsagent. Once set up, your copy of Classic Ford will be held for you…

As well as partaking in a Burton Power track day, run in conjunction with Motorsport Vision at a variety of circuits across the country, you can also live out your circuit slaying dreams in the EnduroKA race series, which is supported by Burton Power who developed the cars and also run a team in the competitive single-make series. Kas eligible to compete are those produced between 2002 and 2008 and equipped with the later overhead-cam engine. No engine modifications are allowed and cars must remain standard with the exception of controlled modifications to the suspension and braking systems, wheels and tyres and, of course, a roll cage. There are currently six rounds of the series penned for 2023, including one at the home of the British F1 GP at Silverstone.…

Can it really be 36 years ago since the Sierra Cosworth first appeared in rallying? And 37 years since Phil Collins first drove a Brooklyn Ford car on a rally in Wales? When Ford was still in deep gloom following cancellation of Group B and the ambitious RS200 programme? Yes, it is — so perhaps it’s time to recall how the whaletail stepped in to a form of sport for which it had not really been designed. The Sierra was a car originally intended to dominate on tarmac, specifically in circuit motor racing. This it did — and it won hundreds of touring car races. But the cars also won hundreds of rallies too. Didier Auriol won the World Championship Tour de Corse in one, Jimmy McRae became British Rally…

1. Don’t just renew It’s all too easy to let the direct debit continue and sign up for another year with your existing insurer. Before you do though, have a look at quotes from other insurers. If they come in cheaper and you don’t want to switch, call your existing insurer, quote the cheaper prices and quite often they will be able to bring your renewal quote down to a similar level. 2. Look at classic insurance They’re often tied into Agreed Value, limited-mileage polices but classic insurance specialists can offer some great-value policies. Most class a vehicle eligible for classic insurance as being over 20 or 25 years old, but some allow exceptions for modern classics, so do your research before you dismiss a classic insurance policy out of…

With the Scorpio starting to show its age by the late 1980s, Ford literally doubled down on its efforts to breathe new life into its flagship executive express, unveiling the much-improved 24v model in 1991. As its name suggested, the latest version of the Scorpio was devoid of the 12-valve Cologne motor, with its generous engine bay instead being filled by a 24-valve unit that had been tickled by Cosworth. While the new BOA engine was streets ahead of the ageing Cologne, it actually owed a lot to the earlier V6, with Cosworth using the latest 2.9-litre version of the 12-valve powerplant as its basis. The BOA consequently shared the same bore and stroke, but was topped by two aluminium cylinder heads, with chain-driven twin overhead camshafts and four valves…

PICK ‘N’ MIX There was a time when the end of summer would have us all looking out for cars sporting the latest registration letter, while used car buyers could benefit from a fresh influx of second-hand motors. This August 1971 image shows the choices available in Bristol Street Motor’s Bristol dealership shortly after the introduction of the K-suffix. In the foreground is an early G-plate Capri in what appears to be GT spec, and available for just £999. Meanwhile, £849 was enough to get you a G-plate Cortina 1600 Super. Another £20 would have bought you the Mk2 to the left but £1089 was needed for the newer, H-plate Capri!…