RAPID COSSIE
7-speed saph is the Ultimate road weapon!
Wouldn’t it be nice if, once in a while, things went according to plan when working on your project car? Of course, there are those who seem to have all the luck in the world and sail through their builds without so much as dropping a spanner, but the majority of us have to put up with unexpected obstacles and walletemptying surprises in our quest for Blue Oval bliss.
Take former mechanic, Mark King, for example. The thirtyyear- old property developer has spent the past decade dealing with engine failures after treating himself to a lowmileage Nouveau Red Sapphire Cosworth that promised hasslefree motoring. “I was frustrated at the length of time that my Series 2 Escort RS Turbo restoration was taking and hoped that a new car would provide me with
some carefree fast-road fun while the work dragged on,” he tells us. The 1992 all-wheel drive Cossie bore the hallmarks of a sound investment thanks to its factory state of tune, a wealth of service history and a careful previous owner. Mark enjoyed six months of uneventful action behind the wheel of his new toy, and is happy to admit that he wasn’t overly concerned when the stock turbocharger showed signs of failure thereafter. “I considered it to be a victim of wear and tear and sent it away to be rebuilt before revelling in another half year of easy going motoring,” he says. Happy days.
Work on the Escort continued as planned, but progress was brought to a halt as the Sapphire’s two-litre lump was in need of a major service. Mark took the opportunity to apply a few tweaks to the engine, and it was soon wearing a T4 turbo, an RS500 spec intercooler and a host of other easily-reversible updates that were joined by an MSD chip and ignition system.
lagging behind
The resulting 420bhp was certainly a step up from the YB’s earlier power output, yet the fast Ford’s proud pilot was less than happy with the results of his handiwork. “There was a ridiculous amount of lag unless I was going hell for leather on full boost. Furthermore, the car registered its dissatisfaction with my efforts by shedding oil from every orifice. I was left with no choice but to haul the engine out and prepare for a comprehensive rebuild of its nuts and bolts,” he frowns.
Detecting an opportunity for further mechanical enhancement, Mark instructed an engineering shop close to his Bangor residence to port and polish his Cosworth’s cylinder head. The firm also supplied reprofiled camshafts which sat atop a parts pile that included a Mountune long studded block, forged pistons and DTA standalone management. Unfortunately, the company that supplied the new brain were ill- equipped to configure a fourwheel drive motor, and – to put it bluntly – buggered any chance that it had of operating reliably thanks to a decidedly shoddy mapping session.
Consequently, the upgraded powerplant gave Mark cause for concern just two hundred miles into its running-in phase. “Taking the needle past 3000rpm caused the engine to dump petrol everywhere. Moreover, fuel was making its way into the sump and would have caused a severe amount of under-bonnet damage had I not shut the power down as soon as I’d realised that something was amiss,” he sighs.
Help was at hand in the form of Derbyshire Blue Oval tuning outfit, Norris Motorsport. Head honcho, Karl Norris, had been offering his expertise and advice regarding the Escort
project, and he was only too happy to straighten out the Sapphire shaped mess that inhabited Mark’s garage. Subsequently, the car was shipped across the Irish Sea bound for England, and efforts to resurrect the fault-ridden Ford began as soon as it rolled into sunny Alfreton.
last chance saloon
Distressed at the prospect of another engine build, Mark was keen to ensure that this would be his last and loaded the Cossie with a stack of potent parts that Karl was instructed to make good use of.
Surprisingly, a brand new block and head had been sourced – items that were machined and modified to house Norris forged pistons, steel connecting rods, updated camshafts, solid lifters and an uprated valvetrain. A large Garrett turbocharger featured alongside a return to Level 8 engine management, while a Spec-R intercooler, an Auto Specialists inlet manifold, a Graham Goode breather system and a Mongoose 3.25in stainless steel exhaust system introduced significantly improved airflow.
Fuelling was finally kept under control thanks to Siemens heavy duty injectors, a trio of pumps, an Aeroquip adjustable fuel pressure regulator and a finely-honed Norris map. All in all, the car was looking good for a reliable 500bhp.
Mark was gagging to get behind the wheel of his revitalised ride and paid careful attention to it as he embarked on a series of gentle journeys designed to ease the new engine into active duty. Disaster was never far away, however, and a loud bang was heard immediately before a complete loss of power during an otherwise enjoyable outing.
“The timing belt had slipped and stripped itself free of teeth,” says the cursed Mr King. “It had bent a number of valves and snapped a camshaft in the process. I was gutted, but refused to be beaten. In the face of adversity, I returned the motor to Karl for yet another rebuild!” he laughs.
Being a ‘glass half-full’ kinda guy, Mark saw the latest episode in the ongoing destruction of his car’s drivetrain as the perfect excuse to try out another turbocharger. Karl was soon bolting a Garrett GT3076R in place, and we’re delighted to report that the engine has remained free of catastrophe following completion of this recent round of remedial work. In fact, Mark was so pleased to be in charge of a faultless Ford that he commissioned a local
“It runs an FFD sevenspeed sequential ’box”
bodyshop to undertake a restoration of its metalwork! New wings, replacement rear wheel arches, rebuilt chassis legs and a top-notch respray give this stunning Sapphire a factory-fresh appearance. An imitation RS500 splitter and Compomotive TH rims ( decorated in OZ Racing decals to confuse admirers into thinking that they’re looking at special edition EsCos Monte wheels) are the only exterior modifications that can be seen on the understated Sierra, although look closely and you’ll see genuine Ford Motorsport coilovers, AP Racing six-piston calipers and huge 362mm discs peeking out from behind the devastatingly cool 18-inchers.
The superb stoppers hint at this Cossie’s awe-inspiring abilities, though it’s a look inside the cabin that tends to generate the most excitement among intrigued onlookers (and we’re not talking about the professionally restored Raven leather upholstery!). Yep, you guessed it – that rally-ready gearstick controls some pretty gutsy gears. “I asked celebrated race car builder, Dominic McNeil, to fit an FFD seven-speed sequential gearbox as the MT75 wasn’t coping well with such a high-revving engine,” explains Mark. “Dom also installed a lightened flywheel, a beefed-up clutch and an R& D plated front differential that joins a Norris adjustable rear beam and nineinch rear diff,” he adds.
boxing clever
Managing the extra cogs took a bit of getting used to, despite the assistance of a gear selector indicator light that takes pride of place in a custom centre dash panel. A brace of Stack gauges, a nifty digidash and a Collins Performance engine monitor also provide essential operating information and give the interior a thoroughly modern feel.
home straight
Thankfully, Karl awarded the car a clean bill of health following an exhaustive evaluation and a tweak to its continually evolving map. You’d be forgiven for thinking that this was the end of the story, that Mark had been driving his incredible Rallye Sport street star without issue and that everything was just peachy in Sapphireland.
Not so, as its transmission cable snapped as soon as the photo shoot for this Fast Ford feature was in the bag! Repair work is extending to a refurbishment of the gearbox for good measure, but let Mark’s continued misfortune serve as a confidence booster the next time you round the head off a bolt or blow a gasket – if bad luck can produce a car that is this good, then there’s hope for the rest of us yet!