CHRIS BEACHIM
SERIES TWO ESCORT RS TURBO
One of our favourite cars of the day had to be this perfectly executed Series Two RS Turbo track car built by Chris Beachim. It not only looked the part but performed impressively too.
We first met Chris years ago when he owned a grey S2, and he mentioned plans back then to turn it into a track car.
“I was offered this shell over a decade ago and decided to turn my attention towards this instead,” Chris explains. “It was a bare rust-free shell, making it an ideal black canvas.”
It turns out Chris had already bought and paid for the RS shell around three years before he had chance to pick it up from the barn where it had been stored. He adds, “It took another seven years to build it. Although much of the credit is thanks to the boys at NMS.”
With the aim to keep the appearance OEM-plus, Chris has managed to retain the iconic RS Turbo looks, complemented only by discreet carbon detailing and a set of gold Compomotive rims.
Even inside, the RS Turbo dash and steering wheel remain, but you might have spotted the neatly installed AEM digital display and dials, which nestle inside the original binnacle. In contrast, the NMS-fitted roll cage, bias pedal box and Recaro bucket seats are a world away from a stock RST.
It’s under the bonnet where the most significant changes have been made, bringing the Escort’s power up to a staggering 350bhp.
The engine is a combination of an NMS favourite, a ZVH: part CVH, part Zetec. That sees a big-valve CVH cylinder head mated to a Mk1 Focus RS Zetec-based bottom end, and there’s a T38 turbo, ID105OX injectors and water injection all thrown into the mix for good measure too.
The rose-jointed chassis has seen upgrades to match, with Leda coilovers, AP Racing four-pot brakes and an RS1600i crossmember; as a package this all adds up to a rapid track car with cool retro looks. Quite possibly the perfect combination for any RS fan.
QUICK SPEC Carbon Delights carbon fibre extras, Mk2 Focus RS M66 six-speed ‘box, big-valve NMS CVH head, Mk1 Focus RS Zetec bottom end, AEM stand-alone management, T38 turbo, ID105OX injectors, NMS twin Cosworth intercooler, Tilton adjustable bias pedal box, AP four-pot callipers, Leda coilovers, RS1600i front crossmember, rose-jointed, AEM digital display, Recaro seats, NMS roll cage, water injection, approximately 350bhp