X-PACK ESCORT RS2000 TURBO
It only took one teenage joyride in a Cosworth-powered Mk2 Escort to turn Sam Ashby into a lifelong fan. And after years of saving, a lot of work, and a kaleidoscope of emotion, he’s finally able to enjoy one of his very own.
A teenage joyride in a Cossie Mk2 turned Sam Ashby into a lifelong fan, and after a lot of work, he’s able to enjoy one of his very own.
Emotion is a huge part of classic Ford ownership. Building your dream car from scratch forms a particularly strong emotional bond, and the highs and lows that come with such an endeavour are sure to keep your passions ebbing and flowing.
“Owning this Escort has been rollercoaster,” says Sam Ashby, “and when I pack it away for those hard winter months I often think about selling it… however, when spring hits and I get that feeling of being a 17-year-old again, scared witless because of the boost, it just makes me fall in love with it all over again!”
Yes, what you’re looking at here isn’t just an X-Pack Mk2 with a hot YB — it’s a dreamweaver, lovingly crafted to satisfy the yearnings of youth. Back when he was 17, Sam was given a wild passenger ride in a mate’s YB-powered Mk2; at the time he had very little knowledge of either old Fords or Cosworth engines, but at that point a firm decision was made. “I knew I just had to have one,” he grins. “Six months later I picked up an RS2000 shell, and soon discovered the history behind these cars — specifically, that they really like to rot. I was chuffed to bits to have the shell, but after some further investigation work I realised that it was literally held together by filler — lesson learnt, and onto the next one!”
“WHEN I GET THAT FEELING OF BEING A 17-YEAR-OLD AGAIN, SCARED WITLESS BECAUSE OF THE BOOST, IT MAKES ME FALL IN LOVE WITH IT ALL OVER AGAIN”
“I’D ALWAYS WANTED AN X-PACK RS2000 I COULD PUT MY OWN STAMP ON, AND THIS ONE WAS IN GREAT CONDITION”
Fast-forward to the present day, and Sam’s seven years into X-Pack Mk2 ownership. And it’s safe to say that this project’s moved on apace in comparison to that initial dip into the murky waters of Blue Oval restoration. “Again, I purchased this one as a rolling shell,” he explains. “I knew the car really well, and I’d always wanted an X-Pack that I could put my own stamp on, so the option to buy just the body gave me this. The shell was in great condition, having been seam-welded all round, and the paint had been freshly done so there wasn’t any need to get involved with nasty bodywork repairs, where I’d had my fingers burnt in the past.”
YB inside
The plan to fit a Cosworth engine was always firmly inked in, thanks to the memories of that teenage thrill-ride glowing undimmed in Sam’s affections. He found a YB locally, and set about collecting together all of the parts he’d need to fit it into the Mk2. However, with limited funds available, he soon realised that the project was going to cost quite a lot more than he could comfortably afford — so the parts-hoarding turned into a rather more protracted affair than planned, stretching out over four years. “It was torture,” he recalls with a grimace. “I was desperate to get the car finished, as driving it was always more important to me than the build — I just wanted to relive that teenage thrill!”
Having paid his dues and pooled his resources, the time eventually came to start giving some real thought to how the project was going to be completed. “I knew my mechanical expertise was going to be stretched,” says Sam (whose day job is in commercial insurance), “and had recently met Tom Slater — who runs CLC Sussex — at a local Ford meet. He was building a Mk2 Escort YB himself, and with some persuasion over the following six months he agreed to help.”
So over the next half-year or so, Tom set about putting the giant jigsaw puzzle together, carefully explaining each step of the process to Sam so that he’d be confident in how it all works and how to repair and upgrade in the future. This exercise proved to be a strong bonding experience and the two became firm friends. Throughout the build process, Sam was keen to retain the feeling of a classic Escort rather than turning it into a full custom. This is most evident in the interior, where he’s kept the original dash (flocking it for practicality), and eschewed the modern path of fitting a digi-dash in favour of installing some more sympathetic Stack gauges instead. You’ll also note that, despite the racy theme, the front of the car is still carpeted. “Keeping the interior original-ish but with a twist was the idea,” he says. “The steering column was also flocked, with the power steering dial mounted in the ignition key location.”
False start
With all this going on, the drivetrain was also coming along splendidly — although, once the car was together, it was not without its dramas. “The first outing was an interesting one,” Sam remembers. “Having waited four years to get it all together, I was ready to debut it at the Jolly Farmers show local to me… and 20 minutes into the journey, the engine cooked itself! Coolant everywhere, and 3 hours on the side of the motorway waiting for a recovery. I was
“THE COMBINATION OF DROOPSNOOT, SIGNAL YELLOW PAINT AND WIDE-HIPPED X-PACK KIT IS AN ALL-TIME CLASSIC”
gutted. It turned out I had spun a shell and the crank was also pretty knackered.” But ever keen to spin crises into opportunities, Sam saved up for a bit (well, a year) and commissioned Nick Watling of AMS Ditchling to build a fresh new engine from the ground up — 200 block, new crank, ported head, the works. The formidable spec now provides a solid and reliable 420 bhp, which is plenty when there’s an excitable 17-year-old inside your head, yelling at you to get your toe down. After a decent run-in, it was good for an 11.1-second pass at Santa Pod, which isn’t to be sniffed at.
All of this firepower is wrapped up in a truly glorious body too, while the shell was strong as-bought, it’s the detail of the finish which now shines through. The combination of droopsnoot, Signal Yellow paint and wide-hipped X-Pack kit is an all-time classic, and it looks fabulously mean on its 9 inch-wide wheels. “With an X-Pack, the wheels are always key,” he says, “and it was difficult with so many to choose from, but the Image Classic four-spoke split-rim just fitted it nicely — and again retained some idea of originality. The car then had the RS2000 decals and stripes applied as a finishing touch.”
This is very much a sympathetic build with next-gen tech rather than a concours resto, but every single decision Sam’s made has been the right one to create something flawless. The looks, the performance, the spec, everything just works. “And seeing blokes hanging out of their vans with their thumbs up has become part of the fun,” he laughs.
This, then, is so much more than a beautifully finished project. It’s the fulfilment of a teenage dream — a high-octane thrill-ride, fuelled by memories of youth and pure emotion. Sam may claim he occasionally thinks about selling it, but we know that’ll never happen. It’s not just a car, it’s a part of him.