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.....system was made up for the DR3 by TDC of Kingston-on-Thames.
As it barks away from the line, this engine sounds positively inspirational, especially when compared to the comparatively harsh and flat sounds of the suddenly mundane BDA. The Formula Two 420R is a motor of delectable quality, and its 300bhp (in this guise) is delivered with the sort of smoothness and lack of fuss you would expect only from a purpose built engine of this nature. In the light of a power unit like this one, you can all too easily appreciate the BDA's humble Anglia-inspired origins, remarkable though the latter unquestionably is.
Twin fuel tanks reside either side of the engine - "they're heat exchangers really; fuel cooled, just like Concorde's!" - and most of the hollow areas of the car, including the inner skins around the arches, are foam-filled to keep out dust, dirt, mud and - bearing the engine's position in mind - potentially dangerous fumes.
The gearbox is an all magnesium alloy FG400 built by Hewland, and the fact that the car weighs comfortably less than 1000 kilos complete with lights, petrol, oil and spare wheel; and.despite the fact that so far there has been absolutely no attempt to lighten it -only to strengthen it- gives you some idea of what the discarding of an iron block, a ZF box and a solid rear axle can do for your all-up weight.
Brakes are standard Group Four Escort discs with four pot calipers, all round.
One of the first points to appreciate about this car is that it has been designed not as a tarmac racer but as a general purpose machine; a fact that Mike Stuart, who now works for Paul Windsor, and who has been promised some forestry outings, acknowledges with ill-disguised relish.
One of the team's principal problems is that there are so many variables to adjust that it's difficult to know exactly which way to go - a common enough problem for clubmen, even when they are trying to deal with a conventional car, let alone a magic machine of this calibre.
So far, the question of anti-roll bars has not even been discussed, only the spring rates have been altered. Yet the car has driven spectacularly well from the moment it was completed-totally confounding the many doubters (againl) who professed that it was not going to steer; that it wouldn't go round corners and that it wasn't going to turn in.
These same self-styled cognoscenti were convinced that it would be unbearably noisy inside, but, as Windsor remarks in his unmistakably Scouse accent, "that's not the case at all. In fact it's the exact opposite. There's so little noise from the engine, and the independent rear end soaks up the ruts and potholes so well, that the peace and quiet is quite uncanny.
'There's no hopping around at the back like there is with a solid axle G4 Escort and our weight positioning seems to be good because it handles very well and seems very forgiving.
'The biggest single problem in learning to drive it is that you approach corners so much faster than you're used to. The generally increased all round speed of the thing, and its fantastic response rate take a lot of acclimatising to."
John Brunskill has the last word; it's another of his typically laconic self-deprecating Scouse remarks, heavily laden with a unique brand of endearing cynicism "...only another 199 to go!"
A bootful of BHP - Fred Henderson is our man behind the wheel
As I slipped into the seat of Robin Clark's Fiesta I realised once again what an ad vantage it would be to be 5' 2" in height, as thislittle car is certainly a tight fit for everything including the driver. Nevertheless, once in the seat it is quite comfortable, and even with knees a little bent, there is plenty of room for heel-and-toe operation.
Apart from the seat belts, all controls are easily to hand. A slightly dished steering wheel obstructs none of the vital instruments, and the neat and purposeful dash houses a lO.OOOrpm rev counter, oil pressure and temperature gauge, and also a water temperature gauge, besides the usual speedo, warning lights for oil, ignition, etc. The normal Fiesta indicator/wipers and light switches are retained and to the right of the dashboard is the now common brake balance adjustment.
Once the key is turned the engine bursts into life with just a little more vibration and noise than a normal Group Four Escort. The centre mounted gearstick, while being easy to hand, suffers from a sloppy linkage, but Robin was quick to point out the lack of a centre bush where the long and complicated connections pass the bell housing, and with this corrected the extent of travel would probably be halved.
I selected first gear (with some difficulty) and drove off. Intact, that was the last time it was necessary to use first gear as the engine showed no signs of caminess, and second gear took it from a standing start just as well. Besides, first gear is out on a dog leg in this particular transmission, and with my somewhat limited ability to master the gearshift, it was best missed.
Although I never really mastered the gearbox, the ratios are satisfactory, even if fourth and fifth are too close together. It is also worth noting that with the dog type action, cleaner, quicker gearchange can be made without using the clutch.
As the speed increased so the amount of noise is considerably reduced, and certainly at 60m ph the vehicle is much quieter than a normal rally car. The actual handling of the car is quite good although I was always very conscious of the fact that this is a short (square) car. The traction is superb, although this particular engine didn't seem to develop the sort of power that it should and I suspect that another 70/80bhp would have been necessary to spin the rear wheels as the rear suspension seemed to work extremely well considering the extra weight imposed on it, and the Fiesta is probably better suited to rough ground than Paul Windsor's Escort.
As the tyres started to warm up, it became obvious that the weakest link was the front suspension, which apart from suffering bumpsteer under braking, was also allowing the car to understeer. (This understeer in fact helped to stabilize it through fast bumpy corners at Cadwell.)
It is possible (on tarmac) to drive this car a little sideways and still feel in control, and the brakes although not stretched during our session, proved more than adequate; after all if they were designed for a CanAm car, they should stop a Fiesta. Overall, I would say that if radial racing tyres were fitted, the front suspension sorted, and perhaps the engine perked-up, this car could become at least as successful as the present club Group Four Escorts, and should in theory get much better.
The highest admiration has to be given to this project, a car that has been built by a family, none of whom has any engineering qualifications.
As John Taylor said, "this car wasn't designed, that would have taken too long and been too difficult. It was just built."
I personally regard this sort of engineering as part of the kind of thing that made England great and will continue to do so. After all, anyone can work to a drawing, whereas this vehicle has been built by eye.
As Peter Newton mentions elsewhere, think of the best prepared Escort, double the effort, and you have something approaching Paul Windsor's DR3 Escort. Everything about this car is superb, right from the thousands of millimetres of Aeroquip pipes to the deep pile black carpets that line the inside, and the extremely comfortable driver and passenger seats. Just sitting in the driver's seat gives you that experience and luxury feel normally associated with something like a one-year-old Ferrari.
The seat itself and the belts were immediately adjustable to make the driver feel more at home, and I liked the large left foot rest, something I personally regard as a must, but something which is often missing from competition cars.
The dashboard is a converted Mk 3 Escort unit and like the Fiesta, sports the usual rev counter, oil gauges etc., including a 150mph speedometer. Again, like the Fiesta, the gearshift is in the normal saloon car position (remember Formula One cars using these boxes take the easier route - the gearlever is situated on the right hand side) but this time the gear movement is absolutely positive with the actual gearshift returning to its spring-loaded central position when a gear is selected. So the trick required to make a good and swift gearchange is to simply push the stick into the next position (without the clutch) as quickly as possible.
Before starting, it is necessary to flick a switch which brings into operation a supplementary fuel pump. This pump should be switched off once the engine bursts into life (remember those Le Mans Pit Boards which scream PUMPS OFF?). Throttle response and the smoothness of this power unit immediately confirms the quality of workmanship, not to mention a total lack of excessive engine noise and vibration. John Brunskill quickly explained that the gear positions were reversed, with first, third and fifth being forward, and second and fourth.....
Captions -
Top-Left - "With the sort of power that Paul Windsor's Escort possesses - say around 3OObhp - it needs more rubber, but it's still a delight to drive." John Taylor. Escort DR3's engine installation abounds with professional touches.
Bottom-Middle - Our man Mr. Henderson, sitting comfortably and preparing to get down to business.
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