1976' Ford Escort

This is my Escort RS1600 mk1, it's a car that was "born" in March 1973 to race! Car intended for Roger Clark who broke his foot that year and did not line up, however it was bought in the competition department of Ford in England more specifically in Avley by the Portuguese pilot Larama. It is one of the 200 competition customer versions and is strictly as it was at the time. It is a full gr.2 spec that it had and still has today. As you know, this model won the World Rally Championship at the beginning of the 70s with Renault, Lancia, Saab, Porsche etç winning many times, we can say that this car is doing as well in rallies as a fish in water. Specifically, when this car "arrived" in Portugal, it soon made the Tap 73 rally still with English registration (OGF 916L) in the hands of the famous Angolan driver Larama (Manuel Amaral)! At his request, the Escord was converted at the factory to LHD, where he won the class in the 1973 TAP class 1600, Soon after the car went to Angola and registered with registration AAG-22-83 with Safari look where it participated in several rallies, namely in the Cota Cota rally in the neográfica rally in Bca among others where he won numerous rallies overall. However, with the independence in Angola (11/11/1975) the car came to Portugal specifically in 1976 to the island of the Azores and was legalized again, now picking up the license plate IU-76-71 where it won 2 laps to the Azores in the hands of Larama/ Horácio Franco thus won two victories for the Ford Lusitana in 1977 and 1978 and won all the championship rallies. In the middle of 1978 he still ran in the Rally TECNIAÇORES, team Horácio Franco / João Luís Oliveira and they were 2nd General. Later the Escort passed into the hands of another Azorean driver Mario Riley/Luis Gomes from the Apolo20 team, we are talking about 1981 where he participated in several rallies on the island. A to Z with all the legitimate material and Works of the time, the car is currently in accordance with the specifications of new 1973 according to Manufactures, this car has always been much loved by all Azoreans. Over the years and with the appearance of the Escort Mk2, the car became forgotten and obsolete in the face of other new and evolved cars. Here begins the "disappearance" of the RS 1600. I discovered the car in 1997 through a friend with no mechanics and very degraded. With luck and effort I managed to buy the car and my story with the RS began here. I bought an original mechanic in England and from here it was to do everything again from block, crankshaft, connecting rods, pistons, valves, a.cames, Exhaust , dry sump , intake everything but everything was new . It is at 1840c.c and develops 232 hp. Subject to a thorough restoration at all levels, from sheet metal to painting, mechanics and interiors. A lot of time dedicated and bytes around the car to be able to give it back all its originality. The gearbox is a Rocket with 4 straight gears as it ran at the time and the differential is a Salisbury with LSD , Quaife axle shafts and Gr.2 turnbuckles ! Bilstein suspensions with front and rear coilovers! The interiors are totally original with factory backets with respective headrest, Britax seat belts and Springalex steering wheel. The dial is in miles as it is at the factory and the tachometer is a Smiths ! The wheels are original Minilite 8 inches at the back and 7 at the front. BDA Engine 1842CC New AX block Crankshaft in fardon steel EN40B Flywheel Engine 3.1kg ultra ligth aluminum AP Racing double disc clutch ARP head and block screws Connecting rods in H long 5.26 Pistons Acraligt 86.5 forged Cometic multichime gasket BDA Big valve head all components of the new head X16 Inlet camshaft, BLF 14(9000rpm) L1 exhaust (8000rpm) Variable polys tuning Dry sump 5-port oil pump Webers carburettors 45 Complete Ashley exhaust line Bosch electronic ignition Cx Rocket gears with quick shift and Quaif Autoblo right sprocket kit