One for the ford freaks.

[macas]

Many years ago I can remember Reading about a couple of mk 3 escort rear wheel drives,I think they were called gartrac's or somthing similiar,I'm sure they were a longer wheel base version of the mk 3,were these fords own products?any info or pics would be great as I can't seem to find any info anywhere.

[eko]

Remember the 1700T?

[macas]

I tell ya, pure porn!
What engines were used?and I take it theses wernt ford products then!

[macas]

Oh,didn't see the 1700T!

[eko]

I tell ya, pure porn!
What engines were used?and I take it theses wernt ford products then!

Happy reading

[macas]

Mk 3 escort +rwd=the ultimate road car for me,I would of loved to try one.
I loved mk 3 escorts,I still don't think that v6 2.8 would be that quick today tho but I bet would of been a handful in the wet!
Thanks eko!

[csl]

Remember the 1700T?

Yep.RS1700T ....Malcom Wilson has one in his collection.Well he did when i last went up there,in metalic blue.Also a guy from Kendal (Mr Nutter,IIRC!?!?...with a coffee shop at the time) used to rally an original white one.It kept loseing wheels,even when the nuts were wire locked tight!

[macas]

fook me! driving a rally car at them speeds knowing a wheel might come off??
you have got to have some balls!

[B7]

I used to have a peek at their goods when they were in Godalming. I used to hire the boats from Farncombe boathouse next door.

These were the Don back in the day!

[bdx]

Quattro killed the 17T project.

[B7]

Quattro killed the 17T project.

Quite rightly so.

Gotta love a UR turbo............ I still want one!!!

[bss325i]

The first Gartrac mk3 escorts were based on mk3 Capri floor pans and running gear complete with leaf sprung rear axel.

Later Gartrac mk3's and mk4's were Sierra based and used the better semi trailing arm (similar to E30) set up.

The very first Gartrac mk3 used a wheel arch design similar to mk2 escort "forest" arches but soon changed the the wider X pac style arches.

SPADGE on here owned a mk4 Gartrac that has been de-arched so looked just like a series 2 RS turbo and it had a cosworth YB turbo engine. He wrote it off by wrapping it round a lamp post.

A few have been featured over the years in mags including a mercury grey mk4 with a twin turbo 2.9 V6 colonge engine.

Andyboy on here did a feature in Fast ford mag way back when on a red mk4 CABRIO! Gartrac with a cosworth YB turbo.

I would absolutely LOVE a wide arched Gatrac mk3 escort!

[bss325i]

Here is a pic of the earlier type wheel arches.



Some pics of the shell fabrication here.

http://www.gartrac.com/company/g3escort.htm

[bss325i]

A 4wd version was made for competition use in rally cross, check out the youtube vids in the link.

http://www.gartrac.com/company/schanche.htm

[bss325i]

More info on the road cars.

http://www.gartrac.com/company/gartracG6.htm

[bss325i]

[bss325i]

Yep.RS1700T ....Malcom Wilson has one in his collection.Well he did when i last went up there,in metalic blue.

This one.

[macas]

More info on the road cars.

http://www.gartrac.com/company/gartracG6.htm

omfg! That White escort looks the bollox!
But rear drum brakes??I wouldv thought they would have uprated to discs!
And......a fookin convertible ??bet that handled well!
Some very good info there Barry thanks!

btw,have you ever had a chance to drive one of these?

[Blitz]

I want one of these. I might say cooler then a E30 M3

[320iAN]

in a word "BEAST"
ive a rally driving freind who still has a Gartrac .. it was one of his first rally car's and to this day he recons if it was allowed to rally "properly" it would be in the mix! he also has an original HS Chevette that he still uses for classic & historical rally events and he has proven a few times that it was also a car that was well ahead of it's time, he's killed of many: scoob's, evo's, MKII's.. etc with his HS.

[macas]

[quote="Blitz"]I want one of these. I might say cooler then a E30 M3 [/quote


I would deffo agree with you there!

but it would have to have the suttle lines of that white g6,to be honest those arches and side skirts are not that far from the m3 looks wise!

Bet they still have the fuel pump relays in the drivers side footwell that used to fuck up all the time aswell like the xr3is!

[agd931]

I remember reading about the "Kendal" RS1700T in Performance Ford, I think it was around 1991/92, I recall from the article, that it was lack of development funds within Ford that finally killed off the car. I think with sufficient resources it would have been a great car.

Oh, and having an anorak moment,... the Kendal RS1700T registration number was A170RST.

[csl]

I remember reading about the "Kendal" RS1700T in Performance Ford, I think it was around 1991/92, I recall from the article, that it was lack of development funds within Ford that finally killed off the car. I think with sufficient resources it would have been a great car.

Oh, and having an anorak moment,... the Kendal RS1700T registration number was A170RST.

Somewhere i have a complete build list of RS1700T Escorts.Each one is listed, alongside its eventual fate.

[polsta]

awsome thread, have a real love for mk3 escorts, and still own one my 1st ever car on the road

[spook]

This one.

[/quote]


Fook me a Barryboy special.

[agd931]

Doesn't this just look absolutely drop dead...

[macas]

awsome thread, have a real love for mk3 escorts, and still own one my 1st ever car on the road

Get some pictures up then!

I seen an rs 1600i yestarday,mint it was,you don't see any mk3s on the road anymore,I nearly wet myself trying to take a picce whilst driving!

[The_Haywood]

awsome thread, have a real love for mk3 escorts, and still own one my 1st ever car on the road

Get some pictures up then!

I seen an rs 1600i yestarday,mint it was,you don't see any mk3s on the road anymore,I nearly wet myself trying to take a picce whilst driving!

i saw TWO series 1 rs turbos today i was gob smacked as both looked mint condition. But i agree you don't see many now

[polsta]

awsome thread, have a real love for mk3 escorts, and still own one my 1st ever car on the road

Get some pictures up then!

I seen an rs 1600i yestarday,mint it was,you don't see any mk3s on the road anymore,I nearly wet myself trying to take a picce whilst driving!

your right mate, dont see any ever, rare to see an e30 on the road whilst out but see the odd one and parked up etc, but a mk3 escort are a rare occurance to see, here she is

its a 1986 laser II rosso red, a rare mk3 in its own right, had a 1982 non inj xr3 in the garage that rotten away to a state it wasnt viable to fix, stripped every morsel and scrapped it sadly, hunted around and got this laser 33k 2 owners, a mint un welded un molested car original battery tray and fuse area all intact, all been undersealed underneath and the shell if glorious, no rust or rot anywhere !!

its a project that still needs finishing, the e30 put it on the back burner really but now im near done with that, the escorts next, only finishing touches

as it stands- its still got the laser 1.3 engine, but xr3 interior (grey red stipes), xr3 bumpers and rear spoiler, hella fog lights,koni shocks, xr3 clover leaf wheels

to finish it it needs the 1.6 xr3 engine put in (i bought another engine thats good to go) , black xr3 front bib and rear spat body kit bits,door mouldings, sills painting black, de chrome the side windows and paint tailgate black and put in a black screen seal, and lowering springs, and a lovely chrome rs1600i back box i have, all put on,i have all the parts here ready to go on it,plus a garage full of parts-spare doors,boot,bonnet,doors,interior bits and all sorts , had a sekurit bronze front screen put in couple of weeks ago with a black rubber seal

not a lot really, or as it stands- it can be put back to the original laser state, ive kind of been dithering weather to sell her or keep her , and if to sell if to put back to a laser or not, she lives in my garage all nice and dry and carpeted and under a cover, i was looking at it this afternoon and think im just gonna press ahead and finish it and enjoy it

shes a minter

[macas]

Very Nice mate!
You still got the 2 spoke xr3 steering wheel? Love them steering wheels,any pics of the interior,did u change the clocks?

[polsta]

cheers mate, yes its got a mint xr3 2 spoke in there i love it

il take some pics of the inside, interior is ok, its got the hard plastic dash, and light grey carpet, as it was so mint i decided to leave it rather than put in the old darker grey carpet, seats are a bit worn and ive been looking for a nice set since ive had it, but not managed to find a nice grey/red stripe set, just the odd black/white set in worn has came up, worn drivers bolster etc , or been thinking maybe get some recaros in there, used to love them seats when mates had them years ago in xr3s and 2s

the laser interior was/is mint mind, il post some pics of the car when i got it...

[polsta]

[polsta]

[polsta]

thats the xr3 seats when took out the old car,they cleaned up ok and had the bolster repaired a bit although its worn away again and needs another top coat of fibres, but ideally a new set, the laster seats are a bit "old man" as was the car in its state

ive since got the black screen rubber in and a bronze tint screen

got the rear rubber to go in, but will be done when the tailgate is painted black

you can see the nice original condition of the car, its kind of a shame to change that, but its a bit old man and boring as it was, if i had a big nice 5 car garage and space, id put it back to the laser state and leave it sat there and take for th odd drive, but xr3 always my fave car as growing up, and after the 1st one rotting away and never getting licence, i had to drive one as my 1st car on the road

its also got a mint xr3 black front grill in now , not the red one, which color coded was a grill specific only to the laser model