Spec-R BARN FIND!Rare Geoff Woods Mk1 Hart Escort Special Saloon

[celes1]

The Hart Escort of Geoff Wood shows the two colours that were always known on the car. The light blue is the original colour that Geoff Wood was known to have, which I prefer to the dark blue, and I like the half doors that are all original and made to compensate for the low-line of the chassis when fabricated.

[morninggents]

Originally Posted by Everilda

I have looked through my 1976 results and can find nothing for Geoff Wood.

Phil Winter raced his Mini throughout the year.

Found your name (Peter Wray, Ford Escort) mentioned several times.

Generally fairly well down the field unfortunately. Although we had a good engine (1970cc FVC) by this time our car was quite heavy being all steel shell (with fibreglass doors, bonnet and bootlid) and by now racing against spaceframe cars like Geoff's and John Robinson's or plastic Skoda bodied Chevron or Lola sports racers. After one trip on the weigh bridge at a race meeting we weighed 795 kg. I will be interested to see what Geoff's Escort weighs when it is rebuilt.

[celes1]

Originally Posted by SPECR

Found some more history on the Escort when Andrew Grover raced her at Castle Combe.I have the programs for all of 79.Heres a picture of Andrew coming round Quarry at the May Bank Holiday meeting. And also a copy of the e-mail Pete Stowe sent me(Historian and Archives @Castle Combe).

Hi Peter

As discussed, I’ve attached the information I have on Andrew racing the Escort at Combe in 1979.
He was entered in the Special Saloon championship races at each of the five meetings that year, winning the final race on 27 August outright, and becoming Class B (1300 to 2500cc) Champion.
1979 was the only time he was entered in the Escort at Combe. His only other race entry at Combe was on 30 August 1976 in a 1293cc Mini in Special saloons.
Geoff Wood does not appear to have entered any races at Combe.

1979 entries
Castle Combe Special Saloons
Andrew Grover, Ford Escort, 1975cc

16-Apr-79, Special Saloon cars, #9, 2nd in class
7-May-79, Special Saloon cars over 1000cc, #14, 1st in class
28-May-79, Special Saloon cars, #7, DNS or retired
7-Jul-79, Special Saloon cars over 1000cc, #15, DNS or retired
27-Aug-79, Special Saloon cars over 1000cc, #8, 1st overall, 1st in class

1979 Special Saloon Championship Class B – 1st


We don’t have any photos of the Escort in the Circuit Archive.
The photo by John Gaisford that appeared in the 7th July programme was from the 7th May meeting.

Hope that helps.

Regards
Pete

Pete Stowe
Archivist & Historian to Castle Combe Circuit

Just a query. The entry you put in the email to Pete, you stated that he entered a race August 30th 1976 at Castle Combe. Was this Andrew Grover in a 1300 Mini for one race and could Phil Winter have raced that year in a 1300 Mini or Escort.

Was this 1300 a BDA Mini, as it was indicated the Hart Escort had a 1300 BDA fitted for one race and raced by Phil Winter in 1976 ?? its always possible cars were being borrowed or bought and sold between drivers and from what I have read here the 1840 Hart Escort got sold to Andrew Grover late 1977, early 1978.

[celes1]

Originally Posted by SPECR

This is bringing up History of the Escort as i find it as i thought you would all like to know and the cars on the Grid of that era

It looks as though all the removable body is fibreglass over the full space-frame and the front screen surround is an original Escort metal panel surround, cut and shaped. Does this detach from the chassis or is it welded to the chassis and cage.

Is the front screen plastic or glass Pete.

[Mike Harte]

Originally Posted by celes1

It looks as though all the removable body is fibreglass over the full space-frame and the front screen surround is an original Escort metal panel surround, cut and shaped. Does this detach from the chassis or is it welded to the chassis and cage.

Is the front screen plastic or glass Pete.

Hopefully I'm not putting my foot in it, but I do believe that it is a requirement of the MSA that all circuit racing saloons are fitted with laminated glass front screens.

All other windows can be Perspex or laminated glass at the discretion of the rule makers of particular series.

[MGDavid]

Originally Posted by Mike Harte

Hopefully I'm not putting my foot in it, but I do believe that it is a requirement of the MSA that all circuit racing saloons are fitted with laminated glass front screens.

All other windows can be Perspex or laminated glass at the discretion of the rule makers of particular series.

BB 5.20.8 seems to permit plastic screens of min 4mm thickness - unless another reg overrides it?

[Mike Harte]

Originally Posted by MGDavid

BB 5.20.8 seems to permit plastic screens of min 4mm thickness - unless another reg overrides it?

Apologies, you are correct. Maybe the rules have changed over the last 50 years.

However, unless the properties of plastic/Perspex has changed in the intervening years, trying to keep them in good condition would be a nightmare especially in the rain because they scratch so easily unlike glass.

[Mike Bell]

Originally Posted by Mike Harte

Apologies, you are correct. Maybe the rules have changed over the last 50 years.

However, unless the properties of plastic/Perspex has changed in the intervening years, trying to keep them in good condition would be a nightmare especially in the rain because they scratch so easily unlike glass.

It's appendix K and the FIA that have an issue with 'other than laminated glass' screens. There is a dispensation / grey area for cars when a glass screen is not able to be purchased for the model. I know two cars running 'plastic' in FIA races, and they still get queried by Scrutineers.

The modern stuff they use for plastic screens nowadays is far superior to that of a few years ago, thanks to coating techniques. Even then, resist using wipers!

The Escort being discussed looks like it has a normal shape and size opening, in which case- if the car is going to be raced- a heated screen would be my choice!

[SPECR]

Originally Posted by celes1

It looks as though all the removable body is fibreglass over the full space-frame and the front screen surround is an original Escort metal panel surround, cut and shaped. Does this detach from the chassis or is it welded to the chassis and cage.

Is the front screen plastic or glass Pete.

The front screen is 5.5mm Perspex and the screen surround incl scuttle panel is all steel Mk1 Escort with the front part of roof bonded to it.
Also this surround in question is completely detachable from the chassis
I will post up some pics to show this.
Regards Pete.

[SPECR]

Here are pics ref the detachable screen surround.

[Dan Rear]

Peter, thanks yes I recall meeting you at Cadwell some years ago. I said 'Morning Gents' to someone near your car, the chap (may have been son Dan I guess), looked at me non-plussed! Your Escort was a regular on the Northern scene mid-70s I recall, Agent Plant Hire rings bells? You didn't get to Mallory very often I remember, and I went nowhere else til late '77, and then only to Donny. Great days though!

[morninggents]

Yes, we had Agent Plant Hire sponsorship for 1977 only - orange and gray paintwork. We got £1,000 for the year which included repainting in their colours from the white, red and blue previous colour scheme. We contracted to do 6 specific meetings - 4 at Brands and 2 at Silverstone where they took guests and a mobile hospitality unit, but ended up doing 18 race meetings including 3 at Mallory. Not much change out of the £1,000.

Sorry to have gone off topic.

[SPECR]

Originally Posted by celes1

It looks as though all the removable body is fibreglass over the full space-frame and the front screen surround is an original Escort metal panel surround, cut and shaped. Does this detach from the chassis or is it welded to the chassis and cage.

Is the front screen plastic or glass Pete.

5.5mm plastic with an all steel detachable Mk1 Escort surround and scuttle panel,with several inches of the roof bonded on to it. It's completely detachable from the chassis so they could get to the BDA lump etc without taking the shell off.Perfect!👍Forgot to say the screen is held in by Zeus fasteners also for quick removel!

[celes1]

Originally Posted by SPECR

Here are pics ref the detachable screen surround.

Pete of Spec-R, I'm sorry mate but I am in love with your car and there's no room for the wife.

This Escort will be awesome and mean as Hell when refurbished, I forgot just how well it was made.

[SPECR]

Originally Posted by celes1

Pete of Spec-R, I'm sorry mate but I am in love with your car and there's no room for the wife.

This Escort will be awesome and mean as Hell when refurbished, I forgot just how well it was made.

😊

[GWOOD1170]

Ive just been kindly passed on these 2 photo's of my fathers car via his friend /spanner man who helped us out for 5 years. Said to be Silverstone 74 in his email, I believe the Cortina in blue in the background could possibly be Peter Sheltons V8 weslake (which was originally white )
GW

[Dan Rear]

Lovely pics, GWOOD! They show just how lowline the car was. Nice old Aston in the background, and the Scorpion Racing FF transporter too. I agree on the Shelton Cortina, he usually raced at S'Stone as I recall. I wonder if it could be '75 though?

[GWOOD1170]

Thank you, I thought it may have been 1975 too, purely because I believe Sheltons Cortina was not blue in 74 but maybe others will know on that ! GW

[morninggents]

I remember Pete Shelton's car being blue but not white. I think he lived in Northampton so not surprising he favoured Silverstone. None of the results I have showed Geoff as no. 15 and Shelton as 26.

[celes1]

Looking at the pics, it shows the rear quarter windows out, this was most certainly to relieve hot air pressure built up in the cabin as I remember seeing the lower rear screen corners cut out at a later date to allow cabin air out.

Also I have noticed the front spoiler was quite small and vertical, this must have had a bad effect on the handling as the air pressure pushing down on the rear boot spoiler would have made the front lighter and possible lift the car slightly at high speed. This may account for some of the weird handling traits when Geoff Wood raced it.

Most certainly a splitter, even if its part hidden under the front end will benefit and work well with the original boot spoiler, it certainly helped our cars from going light at the front at speed.

[grantp]

Originally Posted by celes1

Looking at the pics, it shows the rear quarter windows out, this was most certainly to relieve hot air pressure built up in the cabin as I remember seeing the lower rear screen corners cut out at a later date to allow cabin air out.

Good point but one does wonder where the exhaust fumes might have gone with the window out.

Unless the pipe was a dummy and the window was the outlet.

(I assume that is an exhaust just in front of the nearside door.)

[GWOOD1170]

Check out the earlier pictures in the thread, the pipe was definitely no dummy......if that rear side window was taken out for that event it would be as said in previous comments because my father was getting quite ill at that time when driving the car so may have been to try clear the fumes on that day. The rear window already had 2 sections taken out at the sides of it, he always had holes in the rear window of his earlier cars too.The pipe was only altered to what it is now when the car moved to news owners and the noise regs came in .GW

[celes1]

Originally Posted by GWOOD1170

Check out the earlier pictures in the thread, the pipe was definitely no dummy......if that rear side window was taken out for that event it would be as said in previous comments because my father was getting quite ill at that time when driving the car so may have been to try clear the fumes on that day. The rear window already had 2 sections taken out at the sides of it, he always had holes in the rear window of his earlier cars too.The pipe was only altered to what it is now when the car moved to news owners and the noise regs came in .GW

Fumes are deadly in a closed cabin and many of us racers had sore throats and headaches due to lack of ventilation.

It might pay for Pete at Spec-R to put a breather exit vent or pipe hidden under the cars floor at the rear of the gearbox tunnel, it builds up there or vent through a pipe on n/s engine cover to outside. Also to soundproof and seal the engine and gearbox cover next to the driver, for future Historic events.

The heat, noise and fumes must have effected Geoff considerably. Geoff was a great engineer but would have forgone any extra material to achieve ultra lightness, but todays materials are so light that they would not effect the weight.

[celes1]

Originally Posted by SPECR

Does anyone recognize who may have fabricated this exhaust manifold and system.Does it look familiar to anyone ??
Thank you

I think we remember seeing this system only when Andrew Grover raced the car in 1979, we have looked for images of Geoff Wood, there's nothing on Phil Winter and it only shows the top wing header.

So it's more than likely this system was fabricated for the 1979 season when the MSA were requiring lower decibels. It is very nicely made in steel by a competent engineer.

[celes1]

Spec-R have you still got the rear wing that is shown on the image, I cant make out if it is separate from the boot lid or made as one with the boot lid, although I can see Duez clips. Usually they are one piece for easy access.