keefr2

For some unknown reason, I really want the Maestro....?! (& I promise I won't rally prepare it, or stick Minilites on...!!)

Boo!!

Unfortunately that means I'm about £20K short for just the shell....!!

The majority of historic rally cars are built from standard road cars. 'Restored' competition cars are generally ex-works jobs that will cost you more than a brand new Lamborghini. Or two.... I'd still happily 'ruin it', as I'd prefer to see it actually out competing in a rally, race or hillclimb than sat on a field in a 'classic car show' which bore me to tears.... My son, three year old grandaughter & I were out watching the Harry Flatters Rally on Epynt in the pouring rain yesterdy - Escorts, Minis, Avengers, Cortinas, TR7s, an M3, Delta Integrale & many others being thrown around teeming wet tarmac stages - wonderful !! But, I'll say it again, each to his own....

Some dodgy looking geezers in that bus queue too - just come out from seeing 'Lustful Lady' by the look of them....!!

I'd be quite happy to 'ruin it', as I find competition cars far more interesting than wheezy, bog standard run of the mill family saloons - but each to their own, eh?!

No bother for a rally car

....getting closer....

If that shell is sound it'll be an excellent base for a historic rally Tiger replica!

Yes, sorry, I should have said on the 'puter databases!

It will be, but the general public can't access it via Gov.UK

You can never have enough Minis...!!!

I couldn't agree more with that!

I enjoy what you post Nidge, & looking at your 'likes' I'm not alone. Keith

There's been more than a bit on boring Citroen barges too. Maybe there's a pair of elephants here....

I bet someone on here will! Has it got a different colour front offside wing?

It needs arches though!

That would be the one the mercenary Welsh archers used to demonstrate they still had the fingers required to draw the string of their longbows back? I also get the error message on Faceache Chris... Keith

I did about half an hour's research (ie googling!) earlier using as many search parameters Icould think of to try & find any Mk1 4 door rally (or indeed any competition) Escort & the only 4 doors that came up in any search were Mk2's. These are obviously getting more popular with the increasingly stupid prices of 2 doors. I also re-discovered one build where somebody is converting a 4 door Mk2 into a 2 door with much cutting & shutting! Wonder if anyone's considered doing that to a Mk1?

Nope. Be just as boring as one on Citroen automatic transmissions, I'd think....

I built 5 of my own in my dad's single car garage & helped build/maintain/repair at least 6 others belonging to motor club friends, did road and stage club rallies both in my own Escorts and navigating in others and never, but never, saw a 4 door Mk1 rally car... Maybe there were some in different areas of the country, but I've never seen a photo or article about one either. Used to have a subscription to CCC for donkey's years - gave them all away a few years ago. Another SWMBO 'suggestion' I wish I'd not listened to! (After we bought the Mini I recalled an issue that had an article on Will Sparrow's Motoring News rally winner - managed to find out what one it was & found it on e-bay. Cost me £6.99 for an issue with a cover price of 15p IIIRC!) I'd be interested to see the CCC articles you mention, I'll google later to see if I can find anything...

No, don't think so. All 'proper' Mk1 rally cars started as two doors that were then built into strenghened 'Type 49' shells using an AVO Boreham kit. The works cars & 'replicas' of such, went much further than that with seam welding, rear suspension turret kits, steel 'bubble' arches etc. The two door shell was inherently stronger as it had two less big holes cut in it! The Type 49 kit was a fairly simple weekend welding job, even including hoisting the engine out to weld in the front suspension top mount re-inforcing plates. You could also order bare shells from any RS dealer & they'd weld the kit in for you. Mexico's, RS2000's and 1600's all came with Type 49 shells as standard and thus were often the choice for a club rally car - bolt in a cage, some Bilsteins, hot cam & twin 40/45 Webers & a few other bits & bobs and you had a basic competitive rally car! As I said earlier, I've never seen a 4 door Mk1 rally car, but I wouldn't be surprised if they're out there now given the price of 2 doors, but back in the day no one would have looked twice at a 4 door Mk1...!!

Or the rather more rare 109E Consul Classic...

There are quite a few Mk2 'more doors' being used/built as rally cars - and now decent basic 4 doors are getting rarer - & hence ever more expensive! Personally I think the Mk2 looks OK, but the Mk1 4 door was certainly never a design classic, & I don't think I've ever seen one rally prepared. I do have a bit of a soft spot for them as I passed my test in one. Doesn't mean I'd ever buy one though!

If you see one it'll likely be a four door - the vast majority of the two doors will either be rally cars or Mex/RS2 'replica's'. Although I did see a lovely original purple velvet 1300E two door a few months back - although that wasn't exactly a base model when new!