Classic Ford February 2022

THIS ISSUE Out and about with our band of Blue Oval-loving writers and photographers. ANDY SAUNDERS ART EDITOR Andy photographed Gary York’s Mk3 van for this issue — a superb build that takes us right back to the ’90s. See his photos on page 36. BEN SZANTO CONTRIBUTOR Ben’s chasing lower temperatures for his turbocharged Cortina project so the bonnet’s got louvres courtesy of Mike. Page 88. MIKE JOHNSON CONTRIBUTOR After a Summer of shows, meets and runs, Mike’s identified a few areas of improvement on his Mk1 Fiesta, like the driveshafts… Page 86. How To Contact Us Telephone: 01959 541444 Email: classicford.ed@kelsey.co.uk Write to: Classic Ford, Kelsey Publishing Ltd, The Granary, Downs Court, Yalding Hill, Yalding ME18 6AL, UK…

Welcome I well known that out of all the classic Ford models, the Escorts are the most popular — even after all this time. But even if you’re not a fan you can’t help but appreciate how Ford got both the design so right. It’s a simple but amazingly handsome design, with the tunability of standard equipment and the swapability of other parts which all add up to make it one hell of a car — and with the motorsport heritage to back it up, too. To celebrate the Escort then, this month we’ve brought you 38 pages of Escort goodness to get your teeth in to. You’ll read, you’ll stare, you’ll drool and I guarantee by the end you’ll want one or want to crack out the spanners on…

Grafters your projects: escort xr3i RE-BORN SLIPPY Your projects: A veteran of many a classic Ford project, Simon Booth is really going the extra mile with this Duratec-powered, rear-wheel-drive-converted Escort XR3i! Words and Photos Jon Cass Simon Booth is certainly no stranger to building a modified old Ford, but this latest project is certainly his most ambitious yet! Simon’s fascination with Fords stems right back to 1979 when he drove around in a Mk1 Escort van, but incredibly his vast array of fabrication skills are all self-taught. “My dad, Barry was a bricklayer by trade, and he persuaded me to become a plumber,” Simon smiles, “I’ve always been into tinkering with cars and motorbikes in my spare time though.” In 2009, Simon began a major restoration and rebuild of a Tawny…

FRONTEND YOUR EYE ON THE WORLDWIDE CLASSIC FORD SCENE ANTI-MODDING THREAT RECEDES Efforts by the FBHVC have helped remove a looming threat to modified classics. Regular readers will be aware of the alarm initially raised after the publication by the Department for Transport’s Future of Transport Regulatory Review. Designed primarily to future-proof vehicle regulatory standards in the light of expected technical developments in fields like autonomous driving and safety systems, the proposal aims to overhaul legislation to ‘address areas of transport regulation that are outdated, a barrier to innovation, or not designed with new technologies in mind’. However, some aspects of the proposals had set alarm bells ringing among enthusiasts of both classic cars and modified vehicles. The proposals also contain a subject specifically devoted to ‘Tackling tampering’ and it’s…

COMING UP INSIDE YOUR MARCH 2022 ISSUE The March issue, on sale January 21, is looking firmly forward with our pick of the Fords you’ll be drooling over at the shows and events in 2022 — from a stunning Capri 3-litre Ghia restoration to a classic street racer-look Mk1 Cortina, and much more besides. Plus we reveal what to look for when buying a Mk3 Zodiac, and examine what might have been if the RS1700T had been given the go-ahead as a production car. The March issue hits the shelves on Friday, January 21 — why not subscribe to make sure you don’t miss out? Turn to page 28 for our latest subscription offers.…

RUSTY CORNER Terminally-rotten old Fords This month’s find comes courtesy of Tim Mattison and his Rusty Cars Down Under page on Facebook (see www.facebook.com/RustyCarsDownUnder), and this time he’s stumbled across an Aussie-market-only gem: “It’s a Falcon XD S-pack that not so long ago was just another old Ford but now they are becoming a very collectible car,’ he reckons. Spotted an unloved Ford on your travels? Email photos and details of your find to classicford.ed@kelsey.co.uk or you can write to us at the address on page 4.…