CHARLIE TIFFIN ESCORT COSWORTH
We caught up with Charlie at last year’s Takeover, when his stunning Series One RS Turbo scooped the massive trophy for Car of the Show – a car that we subsequently featured in the May 2019 issue! Well, this year Charlie’s back – as an Islander you’d kind of expect him to be when a show this good is on your doorstep – but alongside the RST a menacing-looking Escort Cosworth caught our eye. “That’s mine too,” laughed Charlie, “it’s a bit rough around the edges compared to the RS Turbo, but it’s a work in progress.” Looks more than good enough to us! And if this is a ‘work in progress’ we can only imagine what a beauty Charlie has his sights set on. “I originally wanted a Sierra Cosworth, but I couldn’t find a nice one,” remembers Charlie, “so I gave up looking, and then I stumbled across this on eBay. I went and bought it and drove it back just before Christmas a couple of years ago.” The spec is already quite formidable, including a PJ Motorsport-built fully forged bottom end, ported head with lairy cams, GT3076 turbo, and toys such as anti-lag and launch control. In its current state the EsCos is running around 400bhp, but Charlie admits he wants to take power to over 500bhp in the future. “But first, the gearbox and diffs will need uprating to take the abuse,” he smirks telling us he’s already ordered the front diff strengthening plate to get the ball rolling. Thankfully, the massive Tarox 10-pot brakes are already up to the job of hauling things up again, and the GAZ gold coilovers keep things steady through the corners too, so as soon as the transmission is suitably beefed-up it’ll be all go on the power front. “I’ll tidy a few things up as I go too, it won’t be quite as pristine as the ‘Turbo as I want to keep it useable, but I can’t help myself,” Charlie confesses. This is one we can’t wait to see progress, it’s sure to be another stunner!
QUICK SPEC Cosworth 2.0-litre YB, forged rods and pistons, ported head, BD8 exhaust and BD14 inlet cams, wasted spark, GT3070 turbo, Scorpion exhaust, Tarox 10-pot brakes, GAZ gold coilovers, 18in Compomotives, carbon splitter, Morette twin lamps