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CONCOURS FOCUS RS MK1: CLEANEST FORD OF ALL?

Steve Evans has poured countless hours and endless amounts of dedication into his concours Focus RS Mk1 – an effort that’s been rewarded with trophies, lots of trophies!

Feature from Fast Ford. Words: Ben Birch. Photos: AS Design

Concours competitions are a huge test; of precision planning, an eagle eye for detail and most of all, an unwavering dedication to the cause. To place anywhere in an event is a serious achievement, but to win two of the most prestigious Ford concours honours in the same year, is truly remarkable.

Well in 2019 this concours Mk1 Focus RS did just that – it not only won the Overall Gold Cup two years running in 2018 and 2019, but it won the RS Owners Club National Day ‘Car of the Show’ in 2019 too! “Winning National Day is our proudest moment yet,” smiles owner Steve Evans, “it’s a real historic trophy, and usually won by really beautiful older Fords… my wife Kate and I didn’t expect it, and we’re both still on cloud nine to be honest!” As we listen to the couple’s story, we realise they’re actually being very humble – many years of blood, sweat and tears built up to these well-deserved wins, and it all started with a Ford Orion… fitted with fish tanks!

Back in the late ‘90’s Steve and Kate competed in shows and sound system sound-offs (remember those?), in a silver and blue Ford Orion. In those days the wilder and crazier a car was, the better, and Steve has always been able to come up with unique ideas to make his cars stand out. “It had a big ICE install in it, complete with fish tanks” he laughs, “we had great fun in that car and the silver and blue theme lives on with the Focus… but my wild ideas have calmed down a bit nowadays!”

Steve bought the Focus as a present to himself back in 2006, following the sale of his business. “We worked so hard for twelve years building a company up,” he explains, “and wanted something to show for it at the end”. They had always liked the shape and colour of the Mk1 Focus RS, so the search was on for a minter… but after twelve months of disappointing viewings he was getting despondent. “We looked at a few and even back in 2006 finding a good one was really hard,” he remembers, “eventually I found a 9,000 mile example up in Leicester, and we shot up there to take a look”. Steve was initially sceptical as the old boy had only owned it for a month, but further investigation revealed that an RS Owners Club member had owned it previously, so Steve gave him a call. “It all checked out, thankfully”, he continues, “so we bought it, and simply enjoyed driving it to shows with the only modification then being a Superchips remap”.

Over the next ten years, the car was driven, entered into Show and Shine events, and subtly modified as funds allowed. One such early modification were the Sierra Cosworth bonnet vents, which Steve and his paint man laboured over to make perfect, as surely they were a unique touch? “Our first show out with the bonnet vents was the West Wales RSOC show in 2013,” he smiles, “I drove in feeling proud, but to my amazement we found another two Focus RS’s at the same show, with the same vents!” An exhaust and air filter, under-bonnet colour-coding and US-spec rear lights were slowly added to the spec list, but it wasn’t until 2016 RSOC show at Castle Combe when things got really serious.

“We’d initially entered into the Show and Shine as usual,” remembers Steve, “but at the last minute decided to enter concours for the first time with the Focus RS Mk1.” The couple cleaned, polished, dusted and preened, and were feeling happy when Paul Cox judged the car. “We won first place in the “Novice – Post ’81 class”, he continues, “but when we asked Paul for a candid assessment of what could be improved, it dawned on us just how far behind the curve we actually were”. The experienced judge pointed out there was still dust in the seatbelt webbing stitching, dust behind the pedals, and there were little water marks in the roof gutters. Far from this putting the couple off, it actually spurred them on! “The other concours competitors were so lovely to us that day,” remembers Steve, “everyone was so helpful and kind and welcoming – we not only got inspired by the levels they took their cars to but we also had a great time, so we decided to join the concours family for good!”

Over the next year or so lots of concours events were driven to, and successes enjoyed in both the Novice and Intermediate Modified classes. It wasn’t all plain sailing however, as one day Steve forgot to pack the hoover hose! “I had to run around the traders stands, buy a Sierra Cosworth coolant hose for £25, then gaffer taped it to the hoover”, laughs Steve, “with that time lost, I didn’t remove the wheels to clean them, and was marked down to second place because they were still a bit dirty… lesson learned!”

It was a slice of inspiration from another concours car, that took the Focus into a new stratosphere of cleanliness completely. “We saw Paul Stonebridge’s stunning Imperial Blue Escort Cosworth,” explains Steve, “the painted underside and colour coding blew us away, and we took the Focus off the road in the winter of 2017 to give it the same treatment”. The couple had just finished a new garage to house the car, and Steve spent countless hours in his new den stripping the underneath completely – “I only had two axle stands,” he laughs, “so I did the rear first and then the front… it was really hard work.”

Starting with the rear, the subframe, fuel tank, brake lines, discs, and suspension came off and most of it was sent off to the powder coaters. At the same time, he cleaned and sanded the underside ready for paint – we all know that meticulous prep is what gets good results when it comes to paint finish, and Steve’s elbow grease really paid off… just look at it! “The painter came over and used Imperial Blue, then lacquered it and finished it off with GTechniq Crystal Serum ceramic coating. It made a huge difference and I couldn’t wait to start building the car back up again!”

New parts included a KW suspension kit, with Steve getting the springs powder coated blue to match the subframe. He also bolted in a Reyland brake conversion to the front end, had billet alloy fuel line clamps made by concours friend Mr. Cox, and proceeded to send all new nuts and bolts off for nickel plating followed by chrome plating. The final build up with all of the shiny new components really gave the couple a huge buzz. “It was coming together and looking amazing,” Steve remembers with a smile, “Kate polished the exhaust system to a mirror finish and we refurbished all the heat shields… not a stone was left unturned.”

But after five months of work, when it was all finished, the couple stood back and realised the gravity of what they’d done! Their first competition was 9 hours away in Scotland, and the prospect of having to clean the beautifully mint underside regularly between shows, and maybe after rain, led to a big decision. “We made the leap to enter the ‘Expert’ class, and trailer the car to and from events” explains Steve, “which means we don’t actually get to drive the car at all nowadays”. To some, that may seem extreme but that’s one of the sacrifices to make at this level of competition. What I didn’t understand, was why bother doing all of the modifications if it was all about the condition? “In the Modified classes, each modification is actually worth an extra point,” explains Steve, “for example – we were losing points with the Ford headlights as they were worn and you can’t buy new from Ford any more. So we bought the twin headlight conversion – being new they can’t be marked down for bad condition, and being a mod they actually gain us a point.”

All of this meticulous thinking and prep paid off – just look at the ‘Honours List’ box for full details on how the car has been received by the concours scene. But what about average show-goers? “Some don’t like my style of colour coding, or mods like the headlights,” admits Steve, “but I have always been a bit unique with my taste. Most people do appreciate it though, and one of the biggest compliments was when a detailer came over at a show and said he’s never seen a car anywhere near as clean as this in his whole career… that was a lovely thing to hear!”

So after all of this success and fun with the concours family, what’s next for the car? “We’ve now bought a Mk2 Focus RS to get our driving kicks with,” he continues, “and the concours Focus RS Mk1 will get different wheels and tyres, a headlining colour change to something dark like the Mk2 FRS, and we’re going to install a sound system”. Hang on, a sound-system? Please tell us there won’t be any fish tanks… “no fish tanks, or fish”, laughs Steve, “I promise!”

Tech Spec: Concours Focus RS Mk1

Engine:

Milltek sports cat and exhaust system, K&N Gen 2 induction kit, Superchips Bluefin, Airtec charge-cooler radiator, Samco silicone hoses, full split loom change, DPC air ducted slam panel, braided fuel lines, stainless steel under bonnet plates, charge-cooler cover/cap, fuse box cover, brake fluid reservoir cover/cap, power steering reservoir cover/cap, screen washer cap/ cover, header tank cap /cover, wing top rails, billet strut top covers, full bulkhead cover, cambelt cover, manifold cover, coil pack bracket, polished throttle elbow, engine mount cap, blue Motorsport ignition leads, colour coded charge-cooler, battery box, slam panel and rocker cover

Power:

270bhp (estimated)

Suspension:

KW V1 ‘RS Edition’ coilovers, Powerflex poly bushes, Hardrace adjustable toe arms, Roadnutz adjustable drop links

Brakes:

Reyland 2-piece front brake kit, custom billet brake line brackets, HEL braided brake lines

Wheels & Tyres:

12.5mm rear spacer kit, OZ Racing 8x18in alloys repainted in high bright silver, 225/40R18 Michelin Pilot Sport 3 tyres

Exterior:

Sapphire Cosworth bonnet vents, colour-coded door handles, bumper vents/grille, Hella twin headlights, US rear lights and rear fog light, smoked front/side indicators, Maxton Design front bumper splitter, side diffusers, and rear spoiler lip, underside painted Imperial Blue, two-tone powder coated front/rear subframes, all nuts and bolts nickel and chrome plated, GTechniq Crystal Serum applied to underside and exterior

Interior:

Intermittent wiper stalk, Scangauge, RSOC logo Dinamica door pockets, carbon sill protectors

Source

May 27, 2021
BAGGED S15: AIR MAX DRIFTER

Some cynics will say that a bagged S15 is borderline sacrilege. But for Tim Tremlett, bagging his drift car turned out to be the turning point that helped him rework the project for maximum impact…

Fast Car magazine. Word: Dan Bevis. Photos: Joe Austin

The old maxim that you should build your car for you rather than to please anyone else is as true today as it’s ever been. Sure, it’s nice to win trophies on the showground, to have people come up to you in petrol stations and say ‘Nice car, mate,’ and so on – but the only person you need to please is the one behind the wheel. Your car, your rules. So anyone who casts Tim Tremlett the stink-eye for shoving an air-ride system into his S15’s undercrackers can collectively wind it in: he’s done this for logical reasons. Besides, he’s definitely more of a driver than a show tart, as his motoring history demonstrates. Graduating from the default first-car Corsa (boot full of subs, we all did it) to a tramp-drift Volvo 360 back in 2009, he had an early introduction to the world of drifting. After a winter of Scandinavian skids, Tim moved on to an E30 BMW, which he shoved a bigger engine into and enjoyed slaying tyres until he was old enough to insure something he really wanted. Something Japanese and turbocharged. Specifically, a Nissan S13.

“That ended up being a daily-driver, drift car and general project for the next four years or so,” he recalls. “Over this time, it was transformed from a multi-coloured rolling shell to a fairly respectable-looking street/drift car with a red-top SR20DET. Unfortunately, as with most UK S13s, it was rust that killed that car.”

Land of the rising fun

And with the scene colourfully set, it’s time to refocus our attentions on another chapter of Japanese folklore. Those of you who’ve enjoyed the rather sublime car-chase-with-a-bit-of-plot-attached movie Ronin will be familiar with the tale of the Forty-seven Ronin. In short, it references a true story that took place in Japan in the early eighteenth century, which is held up as a key example of bushido – the samurai code of honour. A group of samurai were left leaderless when Asano Naganori, their feudal lord, was compelled to commit seppuku after an altercation with a court official named Kira Yoshinaka. The Forty-seven Ronin planned for a year, avenged their master’s death by killing Yoshinaka, then committed mass seppuku themselves. It’s a story that’s since inextricably woven itself through Japanese heritage and culture, a symbol of persistence, loyalty, sacrifice and honour.

The S15-generation Nissan Silvia shares much with this folkloric troupe. The Silvia name itself stretches way back to the CSP311 coupe that debuted at the 1964 Tokyo Motor Show (under the guise of its alter ego, the Datsun Coupe 1500), and has graced a plethora of iconic models, from the wilfully odd Group B 240 RS rally cars to the ubiquitous S13 and S14 driftmobiles that enjoy such popularity in retro circles today. But the S15, the last of the line, was the model that saw the S-platform orphaned, abandoned, deemed superfluous by a corporate decision to streamline and update. After generations of loyalty to the platform, the Silvia was left without its feudal lord, condemned to stalk the lands and seek its honorific vengeance.

…and not many lands, either. As well as being chopped down in stature to meet the dimensions of the Japanese government’s ‘compact class’ – something which had been hurting S14 sales – the S15 suffered the ignominy of not being a widely-exported model, only being officially sold in Japan, Australia and New Zealand (although grey imports abounded everywhere else, of course). So, who is the S15 Silvia seeking to exact its vengeance upon?

Well, in the case of this particular example, the answer could well be tyres – but more specifically, let’s just say high-octane fuel. Tim was fully enamoured with the manner in which his S13 skidded about with wilful abandon, and it was time to level up to the true Ronin-hearted S15. “When I realised that my S13 was beyond repair due to the amount of rust on the shell and chassis, it seemed like natural progression to get an S15,” he reasons. “I’d actually decided to move away from drifting by this point, the costs of running and repairs were sucking the fun out of it and I really just wanted a car that I could enjoy driving, instead of constantly repairing. I had always dreamed of owning an S15, although a Spec R was still out of my price range. I decided my best option was to buy a Spec S and convert it myself, using the SR20DET from my old S13.”

A masterful plan indeed, and Tim began making inroads into the process of importing a stock Spec S auto from Japan; however, in a happy flash of serendipity, it transpired that Marshall at MnM Engineering had recently imported a manual Spec S in Pearl White for a customer who ended up not buying it. It was just what Tim was looking for, being completely mint and totally stock aside from some Cusco coilvers and WedsSport wheels – so he swooped in and scooped it up.

“The first thing I did was to replace the alloys with a set of 7Twenty Style 49s and wind the coilovers down,” he says. “After about a month of accumulating parts, I pulled the SR20DE engine out and replaced it with the red-top SR20DET from my S13. The swap was fairly straightforward and it all went smoothly, and within a few weeks it was back on the road – now with the power to match the looks! I was absolutely in love with the car, it was perfect. Apart from one thing…”

The speck of sand in the ointment here was the suspension: while Cusco coilovers are unquestionably a quality choice, Tim’s increasing move away from track-based hijinks meant that having a low-slung panscraper didn’t really fit in with how he was using the car. In order to have the car as low as he wanted, he was having to sacrifice just a little too much comfort and driveability, and this situation was (both figuratively and literally) beginning to grate. “I spend a lot of time driving the car on country roads around where I live,” he says, “and I knew that if I didn’t do something about the ride height, the underside of the bagged S15 would soon resemble my old, rotten S13.

Obviously raising the car wasn’t an option. So I opted for air suspension.”

You see, when he puts it like that, it’s perfectly reasonable. And once again, the spectre of serendipity was there to provide a helping hand: “I put together my own air suspension kit using the shocks, bags and tank from Ksport that, surprisingly, I found for sale on Driftworks,” he continues. “I replaced the Ksport manifold and controller with Air Lift V2 management, which is miles better. Yes, I was unsure about the air suspension idea at first, but in hindsight it was the best decision I made for the car – I can now drive it as low as I want without sacrificing my spine, I can raise it up for speedbumps, and I can drive fast on country roads without ripping the exhaust off! It transformed the S15 from ‘cool-looking but essentially useless’ to a perfect all-rounder.”

Bagged S15: Silvia lining

That really does sound like the sort of transformation you want to achieve; after all, there’s no point building a cool car if it’s just going to become a pretty ornament. (Well, unless that was your aim in the first place – but that’s a very different thing.) The bagged S15 became properly usable, and Tim continued to refine the platform to accentuate this. The old suspension arms were replaced with 7Twenty items, all the ageing bushes were renewed, a set of Whiteline ARBs was stirred into the mix, and he swapped in a helical LSD. “I also worked on styling the car to get it to look exactly how I wanted,” he says. “It came with the Aero sideskirts and spoiler, which was a massive bonus; I then added the DC2 Integra front lip, Origin roof spoiler, and ultimately replaced the Aero spoiler with a 326 Power Luxhane spoiler. Less-is-more has always been my way of thinking when modifying cars – I’ve never been one to just slap a load of parts on a car for the sake of modifying it.”

This economy of addition has paid dividends, as the finished result strikes just the right tone. This is also true of the interior, with a keen focus on usability; the seats have been replaced with Supra-sourced ‘confetti’ Recaros up front and a leather S14 bench in the back, and there’s a pleasingly tactile Nardi wheel. And all of this has led to the bagged S15 being reinvented as exactly the sort of car Tim had always hoped it’d be. “For now, I’m pretty content with it,” he smiles. “There are probably a few little things that I might change up over time; for example, I’d like to upgrade the turbo to a 2871R or similar at some point. I also plan on stripping and refreshing the whole underside of the car next winter, if I can find somewhere warm and dry to work on it. But the main plan is just to enjoy owning and driving it. I spent the first few years getting the car to look and perform how I wanted, now it’s time to enjoy the fruits of my labour.”

That’s what it’s all about, really. Form and function in perfect harmony, built on a strong bedrock of driver enjoyment and engagement. And yes, some haters will make snarky comments about the bagged S15, but it’s really none of their business. Tim built this car for Tim. It’s everything it needs to be.

Tech Spec: Bagged S15

Engine:

SR20DET straight-cam red-top (from 180SX), fully rebuilt (with Cosworth head gasket, ARP bolts, new piston rings, bearings, all gaskets etc), Kinugawa TD05 18G turbo, Nismo 555cc injectors, Z32 air flow meter, A’PEXi dual-funnel intake, GReddy front-mount intercooler, full Japspeed exhaust system (manifold, elbow, super-low twin downpipe, decat, twin 3-inch shotguns), A’PEXi Power FC standalone management, S15 Spec S 5-speed manual, ACT HD organic street clutch, ACT lightened flywheel, S15 Spec R helical rear differential

Power:

320-330bhp (est.)

Chassis:

9.5×18-inch ET18 (front) and 10.5×18-inch ET15 (rear) 7Twenty Style 49 wheels in custom chrome powdercoat (or Style 57 in matte anodised bronze), 20mm front spacers, 215/35 Nankang NS2s (front) and 245/35 Uniroyal RainSport 3s (rear), Project Mu brake pads, Ksport Airtech shocks and bags, Air Lift V2 management, Viair 444cc compressor, Ksport 5-gallon tank, 20mm-extended front lower control arms, 7Twenty front tension rods, Whiteline front and rear anti-roll bars

Interior:

Recaro ‘confetti’ front seats (from Toyota Supra), leather S14 rear bench, Nardi Classic 330mm steering wheel, GReddy 60mm electronic boost gauge, GReddy Profec B Spec 2 boost controller, AEM air/fuel ratio gauge

Exterior:

Aero sideskirts, Aero rear spats, Integra DC2 front lip, Dmax 50/50 rear lights (tinted full red), 326 Power Luxhane boot spoiler, Origin roof spoiler, Nismo tinted side repeaters, front and rear arches rolled and slightly pulled

Source

May 26, 2021
CUPRA BORN: RWD EV REVEALED

The Cupra Born represents the marque’s first all-electric vehicle and may well be an early look into hot hatch electric life. Oh, it’s also RWD.

Let’s get down to business. The Cupra Born is the manufacturer’s first electric car and comes with a range of different sized batteries with differing power levels. At the bottom of the range is the 45kWh Cupra Born, which gets a lukewarm 148bhp with a 0-62mph time of 8.9 seconds. Mileage range is roughly 211 miles.

Next up is the 58kWh battery-powered Born, which gets 201bhp as standard and a 0-62mph time of 6.6 seconds. This Cupra Born also gets Cupra’s new e-Boost, which will momentarily produce 228bhp if you mash the throttle for kickdown or if you’re using the Cupra driving mode. According to Cupra, the 58kWh battery has a range of around 260 miles, enough to not have you worrying where the next charging point is.

If you are worried about range and less bothered about performance figures, there is also a 77kWh battery that will extend the range to 335 miles on the WLTP cycle, however, you lose 0.4 seconds from the 0-62mph time due to the increased weight. The other benefit to the bigger battery is access to 125kW charging, which can offer 60 miles of range in around 7 minutes of charging.

Underneath resides MacPherson struts at the front and multi-link suspension at the rear. Adaptive damping is available as an option and gains all the driving modes we are used to from VAG products, but tailored towards the EV: those include Range, Comfort, Individual and Cupra.

Cupra is reporting near 50:50 weight distribution as well as the trademark low centre of gravity that an electric motor offers. Speaking of which, the aluminium frame that holds the motor is bolted directly to the MQB platform to help with body rigidity.

While you will be able to switch traction control off for some sideways action, between the rear wheels is a standard differential, rather than a limited-slip job, so don’t expect 90-degree angles on roundabouts…

Inside it’s business as usual, sharing most of its design with the VW ID.3. As a result, you get a 12-inch touchscreen that controls pretty much everything. Those looking to appease environmentalists will gladly learn that the bucket seats and seat material upgrade options are all made from recycled plastics and t-shirts. This is all in pursuit of Cupra’s promise that the Born will be delivered to customers net CO2 neutral.

Are we looking at the future of the hot hatch?

Source

May 26, 2021