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IN ITS CURRENT GUISE, MATT'S MK2 IS BEST DESCRIBED AS A ROAD LEGAL RACE
CAR"
We first
featured Matt and his Signal Yellow Mk2 way back in 1998 when it was
powered by a hot Pinto, and at the time it was just a modified road
car. Since then it has changed a lot, having a spell with an naturally
aspirated Cossie before arriving in its current guise, what is best
described as a road-legal race car.
I've no
doubt that many of you will be looking at the pictures and thinking,
okay so it's just another Group 4 rally car, and to be fair that's exactly
what Matt wants you to believe. "I've built the car to look how
I want it to - like a tarmac rally car - buts it's built to race on
the track in sprints." Clearly this Escort is full of surprises
and is quite removed from your average rough-and-ready rally slag.
Now there's
been a huge amount of debate over the last 12 months or so regarding
the worth of the Duratec as a serious contender in the world of performance
engines, but we reckon that Matt's current set-up could put all those
arguments to bed. In fact you only need to ask our Editor, Mr Woolley
about how well this car performs after Matt took him for a spin out
on track at last year's Ford Fair. "I don't think there was a part
of the roll cage that Simon didn't try to hang onto," laughs Matt.
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Quick
Change
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But
with a tried and tested NA Cossie on the go, why go to all the
bother of fitting Duratec? "Well there was definately a bit
of 'I've done that already', but it was also a lot to do with
the fact that I'd had it for along time and wanted to try something
different," say Matt. "I'd seen and spoken to a lot
of new Duratec owners and they had nothing but praise, the main
thing being the torque that it produces compared ot their old
engines - XEs, Cossies, BDs. "The weight reduction was always
a big lure too as it's free horsepower effectively. I also wanted
more power - who doesn't? And I knew I wasn't going to get big
power from the YB as it doesn't have a long enough stroke to produce
the torque. And besides it would have cost me a fortune,"
explains Matt.
So
following a conversation with Steve Broughton at SBD, Matt put
an order in for a Duratec and offloaded the Cossie to help pay
the bill. The engine in question was a bit of a test bed for Steve
and actually appeared in our February issue where it was dynoed
at 304bhp whilst running eight injectors. The Duratec's critics
will mention the suspect crank, but this engine uses the stock
item yet still pushes out a confirmed 294bhp (it's now only running
four inectors) and a massive 189lb.ft of torque, and will happily
rev to 9400rpm.
Compare
that to the figures on Matt's old YB and you will see an increase
of 75bhp and 50lb.,ft of torque, which makes a huge difference
to the way the car drives. "My first impressions were how
smooth it was and it's ability to produce the power from so much
lower down and with less need to wring its neck all the time to
go fast, and it revs so well too, it really does feel totally
different to my YB," says Matt.
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Drop
In
The installation
of the engine itself was relatively painless using SBD's new exhaust
manifold, (now finished in a matt black ceramic finish thanks to Peter
at Camcoat), their engine mount kit and a Retro Ford water rail, which
required just a small amount of clearance adding to the bulkhead. The
Duratec runs a PACE dry sump system with Matt opting to mount the tank
in the engine bay rather than the boot, reducing the amount of pipework
required saving a few pounds in the process. Matt is also using an electric
water pump and a small Denso alternator helping to make the whole installation
neat and tidy. Behind the Duratec sits a Quaife alloy case four-speed
dog 'box, now ultilsing a hydraulic clutch for smoother changes. This
modification, as with many other neat touches such as the alternator
brackets, were machined and fabricated by Matt himself.
"My
dad always wanted me to have a proper welded-in cage fitted but I've
never trusted anyone enough to work on my car. That was until I met
Gary." The work started with the removal of the old cage and the
delivery of a pile of tubes from the Roll Centre which Gary welded into
position. This has been linked into all suspension points and the A
and B pillars with custom-made gussets to produce an extremely stiff
shell - just check out the three wheel action shot! At the same time,
Gary also fitted new seat mounts, an exhaust tunnel to allow the pipe
to sit much higher up and a rather unique Watts linkage set-up. An Escort
uses a relatively low roll centre at the front as standard but the commonly
available Watts linkage kits have quite a high roll centre, located
around the middle of the axle, so between them they came up with a new
design that means the rear roll centre is now positioned around 4 inches
lower.
The result
is much less body roll and therefore increased rear end grip, which
inspires far more condifence when cornering at speed. In fact, Matt
is now complaining of too much understeer, although Gary has his own
theory: "I reckon it's just the way he drives!"
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Magic
Paint
With all
the fabrication work out of the way, the shell was sent off to Shaun
Potter at SP Racing Raint & Prep for the Kermit Grey interior and
Signal Yellow exterior respray. The shell was then shipped back to the
Retromotorsport workshop for the refit, which, thanks to the all new
wiring loom from fellow racer, Graham Millar, went without too many
hitches. Matt's attention to detail meant that everything fitted where
it should do and, as most of the parts had already been in situ, it
was a fairly quick process and Matt was straight back into competition
only a few months after starting the project.
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To
ensure that everything went as it should do, the car was shipped
back to SBD for its initial start up, which again thanks to the
preparation and attention to detail by Steve and the guys at SBD
the engine barked into life and was ready to run immediately,
a further nod towards the benefits of running a modern ECU and
throttle bodies. Matt is yet to get the full potential out of
the car having only competed in a handful of events but already
the car is considerably quicker and if anything it just grips
the tarmac too well. This was evident at the Anglesey sprint that
we attended with him where the other rwd Escort competing that
day spent most of its time sideways, while Matt, with more power
and torque, simply stuck to the black stuff like the car was on
rails. Perhaps not as entertaining to watch but it does make for
much quicker times.
As
the car is further developed, we are sure that it will just get
quicker and quicker and will prove all those Duratec critics wrong.
Matt would like to dedicate this latest version of the car to
his dad, Bob Downer who recently passed away. Bob was always Matt's
number one fan and had always supported his racing, travelling
to meetings up and down the courntry. "He was the reason
I got into cars in the first place, I owe a lot to him."
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Tech
Spec
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BODY
Mk2 RS2000 flat front, Gartrac Boreham Alloy arches, steel inners
and alloy front spoiler, Retromotorsport full weld in cage triangulated
to all suspension points and gusseted into shell, Retromotorsport
exhaust tunnel, Carbon Kevlar bonnet and boot, Signal Yellow and Kermit
Grey paintwork by SP Racing paint and prep, Carbon Kelvar interior
panels, Stack ST500R tacko, OMP wheel, plumbed-in mechanical fire
extinguisher and hand-held extinguisher, Motordrive seats re-trimmed
by Harrison timming in Dynamica fabric, Safety Alcantrara Dash top,
Electric power steering, RedTop 40 gel battery in Prepfab mount, Racetec
auxilliary gauges, Brise 40L alloy foam filled tank, Windy Millar
wiring loom.
ENGINE
SBD 2-litre Duratec with SBD Cams, taper throttle bodies, Saenz rods,
Omega pistons, SBD 4-2-1 manifold ceramic coated by Camcoat, SBD/Pace
dry sump systems, Pace 5-inch tall dry sump tank with SBD modified
breather, MBE992 ECU, direct firing coils, electric water pump, Radfab
radiator, SBD s/s exhaust silencer, Mocal romote oil filter, Goodridge
-6, -10 & -12 fitting for oil and fuel. Power: 294bhp, 189lb.ft
torque, max revs 9400rpm.
TRANSMISSION
Quaife alloy case four-speed dog box 2.2 first, Superclutch 7.1/4
double plate clutch, SBD ultra lightweight flywheel, Titan hydraulic
centre push, Rally and Comp equip propshaft, fully floating twin taper
atlas axle alloy brace, alloy hubs, ZF motorsport diff, 5:1 CWP
SUSPENSION
Front: Bilstien Group 4 short 2.1/4 tarmac struts, 300/70 insets,
300lb springs, Gartrac tension struts with remote anti roll bar, rose
jointed insitu adjustable TCAs, spherical bearing top mounts.
Rear: Work style four-link with Retromotorsport/Matt Downer low roll
centre Watts linkage, raised boot floor large diff tunnel, Bilstien
220/110 coilvers 225ln springs.
BRAKES
Front: Alcon WRC four-pot radial mount callipers, 304mm x 25mm discs,
Gartac alloy hubs, home made bells and calliper mounts, DS3000 pads,
-3 ss pipe throughout.
Rear: Escort Cosworth callipers DS3000 pads, AP tarmac discs.
WHEELS AND TYRES
Group4 8x15 Compomotive ML ET-12 on toyo R888s and Dunlop CR311s
INTERIOR
Motordrive bucket seats, OMP deep-dish wheel, Safety Devices harnesses,
hand-held fire extinguisher, Carbon fibre door cards, dash and instrument
panel, Stack gauges.
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SBD
Motorsport Ltd, Unit 15, Red Lion Business Park, Red Lion Road, Surbiton,
Surrey. KT6 7QD. Tel: 0208 391 0121.
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