Escort Experts out there?

[Frank de Jong]

In my quest for the history of the BTCC I have arrived at the first race of 1970, when Vince Woodman raced an 1.0 Escort. Martyn Jones' book states that this car had a twin-cam head, which I could hardly believe. So I had a look at the homologation papers, where I found a twin cam head on the form allright. It's not particulary clear but it seems to be homologated as early as 1/4/1970 - and it's not only a twin-cam head but a full 16-valve BDA arrangement. Vince could use this head from race 4 1970 on then.
But.
The RS1600 was homologated on 1/10/1970, 6 months later!
Why on earth would Ford take the trouble to homologate this item for the 1.0 Escort, while the TC never received the same threatment and the 1300 only in 1973?
Anyone?

[big andy]

were ford trying to stop the 1.0 mini cooper S in a poorly supported class from winning the championship so one of there cars in the larger class would walk away with it???

[Frank de Jong]

Yes, and the Sunbeam/Hillman Imps - but in the 1300 class they could have had the same problem with the Mini or even the Alfa GTAJ; but they did not act there.

[Rod Birley]

It was to stop the Bevan Imp driven by Bill McGovern from continually winning the class. Great little team, they built their engines in a garden shed.

[Frank de Jong]

That seems possible, but then again the Bevan Imp started winning from race 2 in 1970 - a few days before the homologation of the 16-valve Escort 1.0 took place... Ford might have feared a decent 2002 or GTAJ even more...

[Anuauto]

Graham Robson wrote an article in the last but one edition of "Classic Ford" Magazine about the 1300 BDJ Escorts (also driven by Woodman) but it didn't mention the 1000cc class.
I guess Ford had the 1300 (Broadspeed crossflow semi-downdraft head) and 1600 (twin cam) classes sown up prior to the arrival of the RS1600 (BDA homologated at 1601cc) so 1000cc was the only class that could completely ruin their championship?
1970 was the first year of the BSCC/BTCC running to Group2 again after 3 years as Group5 wasn't it? That would have required the homologation of a specific alternative head to allow its use, whereas the interpretation of Group5 seemed to allow different heads if available. The Holbay 16v head was homologated for the RS2000 in 1974 in much the same way (and hardly ever used "in period", although half the Escorts in current "Post Historic" UK rallying seem to use it!).
I don't have Robson's Cosworth book but there must be some mention there?
An 1098cc Escort won its class on the RAC rally in, I think, 1969 but that was an ordinary crossflow engine, not the BDH.

[Carlos Guerra]

Frank,

Which is the number of the Recognition Form where you found the 1-litre twin cam head?
Thanks & regards.
Carlos

[Mike_Wooshy]

I was led to believe this engine was A Ford BD? engine, similar to what Anuauto was saying. There is a section on wikipedia about under cosworth, under the BDA engine part here

[Frank de Jong]

Carlos,
it's nr 5256; the modification is number 24/23V

Mike,
in Group 2 the head could be swapped but not the engine. But the assembly might have a Cosworth designation.

[RTH]

Originally Posted by Frank de Jong

Carlos,
it's nr 5256; the modification is number 24/23V

Mike,
in Group 2 the head could be swapped but not the engine. But the assembly might have a Cosworth designation.

Coswoth didn't make a BD smaller than 1098 , surely ?

[Frank de Jong]

I guess not, running through the cosworth designations. So no designation, but it looks like a Cosworth head on the homologation form - with 4 valves per cylinder.

[Mike_Wooshy]

Could this be using kent engine ? but wouldnt that mean alot of messing about to convert to OHC from OHV ???

[Anuauto]

I think 1100 and 1300 crossflows were the same block? There was no 1000 Escort produced in UK but there must have been one for a time in Europe to obtain homologation at 1000cc. Fiestas were produced in Valencia with the 1000 and 1100 crossflow (not CVH or later) engine until comparatively recent years? In theory, the BD head would thus have fitted a 1000 engine.

[Anuauto]

Originally Posted by Mike_Wooshy

Could this be using kent engine ? but wouldnt that mean alot of messing about to convert to OHC from OHV ???

Yes (original BDA was the Kent 1598 block homologated at 1601 to allow more rebore in next class) and yes it was complicated on the 1300BDJ, requiring a different height front timing belt casing (or whatever the correct name is) according to the recent Robson article - but those 1300 (1297?) bits may have been same for 1098 and 1000 (not sure actual 1000 capacity, think it was slightly less than earlier 997 engine?).

[Frank de Jong]

The homologation form states a standard capacity of 940 cc, 81 mm x 45,5 mm bore/stroke, pushrod engine. This means the same block as the 1100 with a shortened stroke.

[COLIN STUBBS]

does anyone have a pic of the one litre? at that time there was a lot of 1000cc MAE? ex F3 one litre screamers around. only one i ever saw in an escort was David Wraggs northern saloon club racer and i have a pic posted of it on the racing70s website.

[Rod Birley]

I think Vince Woodman drove the BTCC version (probably wasn't called BTCC back then!)

[glyn parham]

I cannot make the link work at present, but go to "The Mike Heyward Collection", find Touring cars and have fun searching his archive for 1969 races at Thruxton and you should find race photos of Vince Woodmans Escort.

Glyn

[profjohn]

Originally Posted by Anuauto

Graham Robson wrote an article in the last but one edition of "Classic Ford" Magazine about the 1300 BDJ Escorts (also driven by Woodman) but it didn't mention the 1000cc class.
I guess Ford had the 1300 (Broadspeed crossflow semi-downdraft head) and 1600 (twin cam) classes sown up prior to the arrival of the RS1600 (BDA homologated at 1601cc) so 1000cc was the only class that could completely ruin their championship?
1970 was the first year of the BSCC/BTCC running to Group2 again after 3 years as Group5 wasn't it? That would have required the homologation of a specific alternative head to allow its use, whereas the interpretation of Group5 seemed to allow different heads if available. The Holbay 16v head was homologated for the RS2000 in 1974 in much the same way (and hardly ever used "in period", although half the Escorts in current "Post Historic" UK rallying seem to use it!).
I don't have Robson's Cosworth book but there must be some mention there?
An 1098cc Escort won its class on the RAC rally in, I think, 1969 but that was an ordinary crossflow engine, not the BDH.

An interesting aside there about the 1098 Escort in the 1969 RAC. Any more information on what spec it ran in? Group 1 or Group 2? Does anybody know how much cross over there was between race and rally Escorts in the late 1960's? I can imagine that there was much more than is currently accepted in modern historic rallying circles.

[morninggents]

Originally Posted by Frank de Jong

The homologation form states a standard capacity of 940 cc, 81 mm x 45,5 mm bore/stroke, pushrod engine. This means the same block as the 1100 with a shortened stroke.

.........and bung in a set of Cosworth 83.5 twincam pistons and what do we have? Oh, a nice convenient 997cc!