HOMEBUILT HERO
Gavin’s built a fair few classic Fords but the Escort van is his biggest-specced to date.
Pinto or an ST170 conversion. “I settled on the ST170 as they are durable and strong engines and I managed to get hold of a low mileage one from my friend, Chris Walker,” he remembers. Before fitment, the engine was completely cleaned down and painted which included respraying the cam cover in satin black. “Fitting the ST170 unit was fairly straightforward using the Retro Ford conversion kit,” Gavin points out. “This includes the sump, engine mounts and water rail with silicone hoses.”
Up the upgrades
As you’d expect from one of Gavin’s builds, the engine itself has been upgraded and now runs with Jenvey individual throttle bodies (ITBs) on an inlet ported to match the head, which in turn has been ported and polished. A 20 per cent larger water pump pulley produces less water cavitation and helps to prevent overheating and the need of an expansion tank. That Airtec big-header radiator also helps the cooling while Gavin has also fitted an oil catch tank with braided hoses connected to the crankcase and rocker with AN fittings.
“I chose to run a DTA S60 ECU with a custom loom which was all done at AP Racing Engines,“Gavin explains. “We ran it on the rollers and I was chuffed to see the van produce 192 bhp.” That ceramic-coated Piper manifold and full exhaust system with custom back box not only looks the part, it sounds the nuts, too. The original four-speed
gearbox was never going to be an option here and Gavin has elected to use a Type-9 straight-cut ’box connected to a 3.77-plated LSD set to competition spec and again built up by AP Racing Engines. Not only does this help out with the handling, it’s also pretty handy for burnouts!
Strong and stable
The van chassis had already benefitted from extra strengthening, which was one less task on the list, though Gavin opted to weld in his own extra gussets on the chassis legs for good measure! Vans are generally not known for their handling prowess, but Gavin was determined this one would be on par with a well-built saloon. GAZ coil-overs sit up front while Avo dampers and decambered leaf springs with 2 inch blocks take care of the rear. Meanwhile the whole chassis has been polybushed all round and eccentric top mounts are used. Even the front end has been switched to a tension strut set-up — the same style used for Tarmac rallying. “Another bonus that comes standard with the Mk2 van are 9 inch rear drums,” Gavin smiles. “I’ve left these in place, and fitted Group 4 hubs along with Willwood four-pot callipers up front.” Along with the bias pedal box with direct-mount reservoir cups, this set-up certainly improves the van’s stopping power. This effective system also meant Gavin could retain 13 inch wheels though the JBW steels in gloss black, which have a much more aggressive look than the standard rims the van originally wore!
The chosen colour may appear familiar as its Nitrous Blue as more commonly seen on the Mk3 focus RS. “Luckily the shell itself needed very little work, I just had to remove the top hood from the roof as it looked like a chimney,” Gavin laughs. “The headlights and rear windows have been tinted slightly and I colour-coded the Ford badge in the centre of the genuine grille to break it up a little.” This is a mean looking Mk2 van, no mistake!