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CONCOURS FORD SIERRA RS500 COSWORTH: BLACK MIRROR

With 450bhp on tap, this Concours Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth is a very dark (and shiny!) horse that’s taken home a title.

Feature from Fast Ford. Words Ben Birch. Photos Jason Dodd

Few Fords look more menacing in your rear-view mirror than a black Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth. In the 1980s, whether you drove a Porsche 911 on the street or a BMW touring car on the track, Ford’s ultimate Sierra left a terrifying impression on anyone it pushed out of the way.

Kev Murby’s experience of the whale-tailed icon was slightly less visceral, but no less memorable. “I had a very unique picture on my wall at work; it was of a black Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth parked in front of a futuristic-looking glass building. Every single day I looked at that picture, and promised myself that I’d own one,” he remembers.

Fast forward a few decades and Kev has fulfilled that promise while at the same time bringing this particular example back to its former glory. As he explains, “I came into some money around 2014, and wanted to finally scratch my RS500 itch, but prices were on the increase already and there was no way I could justify spending £100,000 on what is still a Ford Sierra.”

Kev was determined to buy a solid car but not a minter, at a sensible price. Oh, and it had to be black. He says, “Over the years, I’ve owned a black Mk3 Cortina, a black XR4i, a black JPS Capri, and I’ve got a black rear-wheel-drive Sapphire Cosworth at home, as well as the RS500. Black cars just look better than any other colour – when they’re clean,
of course.”

Most of us would have failed in finding such a unicorn, but after years of competing in concours events with his Saph, Kev was well connected on the RS scene. He received a friendly tip-off about a Sierra RS500 from well-known Cosworth aficionado Paul Linfoot.

Kev explains, “I think Paul wanted to keep it for himself, but he was in the process of buying a very special RS500 at the time, so sold this one to me to free up some cash.”

Although the car was tired and had been badly painted, it was very straight and honest, and all the important numbers matched – including the engine block and head. At £30,000 it was also good value, so without having even viewed the car, Kev organised for it to be picked up and delivered to his home, where the rebirth of an icon could begin.

Kev didn’t hang about: within a week the engine was out of the bay to be assessed by Dave Pritchard of DP Motorsport, and the car was up on axle stands, where a long and arduous love-hate relationship began between the garage floor and Kev’s back.

He groans, “I spent around three hours every night for months on end, laid down, looking up at the floorpan, cleaning the underside with my little Dremel. It was horrific work and I wouldn’t do it again for all the tea in China, but once the red oxide and paint was on, the result was worth it.”

By now, Dave Pritchard had dismantled the engine and discovered some good and some bad news. The good news was some trick head work had been done back in the day, by Dave Brodie of BBR. Kev says, “It was superb work, but unfortunately the rest of the engine needed a rebuild, as internally it looked like it had been sandblasted.”

The discovery offered Kev the impetus to rebuild it to better-than-new condition. “DP asked what I wanted from the rebuild, and I said to be driveable and quick. We ended up making 447bhp and 396lb.ft, and although you need to stay above 4000rpm to really keep it on song, it is very quick indeed.”

The concours Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth runs four big Siemens injectors, and the T4 turbo has been rebuilt with billet wheels because the originals are hard to get hold of nowadays. The whole ensemble is kept in tune with a retrofitted Level 8 ECU, live-mapped by PJ Motorsport to a maximum 28psi of boost. Kev doesn’t see a need to go any further, and he sums up the experience of a 400bhp-plus T4-equipped rear-wheel-drive Cosworth road car perfectly: “Hit the right revs, and all hell breaks loose.”

The engine went back into an already-mint bay, as Paul Linfoot had previously conducted one of his underbonnet restorations. The rest of the bodywork desperately needed attention, but an initial respray ended in tears.

Kev explains, “I’d wanted Wayne Parrott to do it, but he was busy with work. So I took it somewhere else, and a year later, the whole car micro-blistered.” In fact, when Wayne assessed the damage, he was able to peel the paint off in strips with a razor blade.

Kev was wounded, but after a second respray, by Wayne this time, the car is still in stunning condition five years later. So much so that Kev has enjoyed entering it into concours competitions alongside his Saph.

He says, “My son and I drive the cars to the events, show the cars and then have some great drives home. They do get used hard, which surprises some people, but life’s too short not to enjoy these cars properly.”

Kev swaps the CXN wheels for a standard set of genuine RS500 items to enter concours, and with such a relatively standard-looking car he has won his fair share of events.

He smiles, “My proudest moment was winning the best-presented standard car at RSOC National Day. It genuinely bought a tear to my eye with pride.

“The RS500 ownership experience is much like owning other Cosworths. I get immense pleasure out of driving it, and the cars deserve to be brought to the best condition they can – striving for that goal can also bring their owners so much pleasure.”

So much that Kev has now become the RSOC RS500 registrar. Does that mean he can officially value his own car? “Unfortunately not. But even if I could, it’s not about the monetary value – I’ve finally got the car from that poster, and that’s priceless.”

Tech Spec: Concours Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth

Engine:

BBR polished and ported head with larger valve guides, DP Motorsport exhaust cam, Isky double valve springs, Mahle pistons with valve cutouts, H-section conrods, high-pressure oil pump, -31 actuator, 3 bar MAP sensor, four Siemens black 83lb injectors, T4 turbo with billet wheel

Power:

447bhp and 396lb.ft

Transmission:

T5 gearbox with toughened gears, competition clutch and flywheel

Suspension:

Standard springs, Koni adjustable dampers, partially poly bushed

Brakes:

Standard callipers, drilled discs

Wheels & Tyres:

Front: 9x17in Compomotive CXN wheels and 215/40R17 Toyo tyres; rear: 9x17in Compomotive CXN wheels and 235/40R17 Toyo tyres

Exterior:

Original Sierra Cosworth RS500 in black

Interior:

Original Sierra Cosworth RS500

Source

July 15, 2021
MODIFIED TOYOTA COROLLA AE86: HIGH ROLLA

This was only ever meant to be a quick and easy tidy-up. But, as we revealed in a world-exclusive back in March, when Toyota superfan Phil Jones and Corolla specialists AE86 World get together, a masterpiece of high-end automotive artwork is the result as this modified Toyota Corolla AE86 will now demonstrate.

From Fast Car. Words: Dan Bevis. Photos: Dan Sherwood

It’s often the case that one sole decision is enough to set off the domino effect that transforms a simple project into a really complicated one. For Phil Jones, it was the age-old AE86 question: Levin or Trueno? There are other considerations, naturally – three-door hatchback or two-door coupe; original ‘zenki’ or ‘kouki’ facelift – but the face is all-important… the Levin had fixed headlights, the Trueno had pop-ups. So you make your choice between lightweight simplicity or oh-so-eighties style.

The decision made here was to swap this Corolla’s factory-original Trueno nose for a Levin setup – something which, as you can see, didn’t happen. There are, of course, many checkpoints along the timeline between that point and this – suffice it to say that Phil has gone all-in. We’ll spare his bank manager the palpitations of revealing the total cost of the build, but let’s just say that for the same outlay he could have a shiny new Supra sitting on the drive right now, plus a new GT86 to match, instead of this old hachi-roku. Passion trumps logic every time, doesn’t it?

Whichever way it went down, however, Phil needed a Toyota AE86 in his life. And that’s not hyperbole – this was no mere frivolous desire, this was a deep-seated and fundamental life requirement. “Growing up in Ireland, in the middle of one of the greatest car cultures possibly anywhere in the world outside of Japan, meant that you couldn’t put the bins out without seeing something special passing by,” he recalls. “The car scene and the meets were huge, we would take over whole towns at the weekend. And one vehicle always stood out, and still does today – ‘the twin-cam’, as we called it, was just head-and-shoulders above the rest, and it was something every young car enthusiast dreamed of owning!”

At this time the import car scene was really exploding in Ireland, and through his twenties Phil owned a couple of AE86s as well as a Nissan 180SX, Toyota Starlet Turbo, MR2 Turbo, Celica GT-Four… the stuff that JDM fantasies are made of. And now, relocated to England and a decade or so more grown-up (in relative terms, at least), it was time for another. Sourced from Classic Imports in Bradford a couple of years ago, the latest acquisition is a 1986 Trueno; it arrived in fairly tidy condition, with a few interior bits missing but the potential to make a nice project.

The car in question is in GTV spec, and it’s worth a momentary aside to explain what that means. You see, various spec levels were offered in different markets, and in its native Japanese market you could buy the 4A-GE-engined AE86 in three levels – GT, GT-APEX and GTV. The first of these was the base spec, while debate has raged ever since about which of the latter two is preferable: the GT-APEX came with electric windows and mirrors, power-steering, foglights and a boot spoiler, while the GTV had none of those things. They also had different wheels, steering wheels, sticker packs, gauges, grilles and seats. In essence, the GT-APEX is the fully-loaded one, and the GTV is the more pure and motorsporty one.

“I originally intended just to change the front bumper and leave it at that – how differently things have turned out!” he laughs. “It’s consumed my life, every day in some shape or form, for the last couple of years.”

At this point, we ought to introduce the other key player in the story, Chris Gray at AE86 World in Ireland. Few enthusiasts can boast the hachi-roku expertise of this fella (see boxout), and when Phil first contacted Chris to order up a new front bumper, it was never destined to be a soulless transaction.

Chris takes up the story: “Rather than simply sell him parts for a Levin conversion, I talked it through with Phil to see what he actually wanted from the car. I persuaded him to keep the Trueno front, due to it being rarer now than ever. Phil was toying with the idea of building a show car; we hit it off and had regular lengthy chats about the show scene, AE86s, and Phil’s dream to wow the scene with his dream car. Fast-forward a while and we’re having a meeting in person to discuss a spec list, from wheels and kit to engine specs, and the overall look to go for. From day one, he’s been a pleasure to work with – we’re on the same level, and our ideas complement one another’s. Being in charge of this project to an extent let me also create one of the best AE86s in the world.”

Well, you won’t hear any arguments from us on that one. With a finger in every Toyota-flavoured pie, Chris had the contacts and the know-how to cherry-pick the best parts from the OEM and aftermarket options, and source them all from legitimate places to ensure the car could be done right.

“There were constant shipments arriving from Japan,” he grins. “Phil gave me full freedom to show just what we can do at AE86 World. Guiding him with the best parts available, we came up with a combination like no other: from Run Free Japan aero to carbon panels and custom-made parts, the detail in the car is incredible.”

Chris’s long history in the scene has helpfully given him a lot of clout, and AE86 World has real influence and a lot of direct connections; as a result, the guys were able to convince J-Blood to create a custom carbon bonnet at short notice, and once this had been FedEx air-freighted to Ireland, it wasn’t long before the new wheels were following on another plane. Phil had a very clear idea of what he wanted in terms of style, dimensions, fitment and finish, and Chris made it happen – he got on the blower to WORK Wheels Japan and had a set of one-off Meister CR01 split-rims made up, with WORK allowing them to leapfrog to the top of the order list. These connections, they pay off. You can’t buy your way into this sort of specialist treatment, it’s hard-won by honour and respect.

When it came to assembling the body into its fresh new image, MW Bodyshop in Olney was charged with the task of making sense of this supremely high-end and geeky jigsaw puzzle. “They did an incredible job,” Chris enthuses. “Phil and I both have such high standards that second-best simply would not do. It had to be right, and that’s why the project only involved the best in the country to build this car to this level. Just look at the detail! The CBY arches, for example – although they’re very good to begin with, they were never were made to fit like this; MW panel-gapped the car to perfection, and the arches and kit to the millimetre.”

With the bodywork done and painted in Toyota 041 White, thoughts turned to graphics. Phil and Chris shared a vision for the car, it needed to look fresh, unique, and like nothing else out there; a ’90s-style race car, built to a modern-day standard and finish. Chris only had one name in mind for the design, and that was Andrew at AWS Graphics in New Zealand; what followed were many, many hours of late-night calls, Skype videos and magazine research – they sketched, analysed, modified and altered, and finally nailed it. The graphics were fully designed up, and then they entrusted the application process to 3SixtyWraps.

“Having been involved in the car scene for twenty years, and running AE86 World, I’ve seen near-enough everything,” says Chris. “And I have no doubt that this is one of the best! Being a part of it, and working with Phil to make this car, has been my honour. Despite Covid-19 and more, we planned and made everything run as smoothly as possible, and for a build of this quality the planning paid off; I can imagine the spectators walking around the car at shows and just seeing more and more detail. With all the bespoke touches and rare parts inside, outside and under the bonnet, it’s a work of art. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I have being a part of it!”

There’s no doubt about it – there are AE86s and there are AE86s… and then there’s this modified Toyota Corolla AE86. An otherworldly, unique, astonishingly detailed and beautifully crafted example of the breed, paying respectful tribute to the past while looking toward the future.

The final word must go to Phil, as he stands beside the physical manifestation of his wildest dreams with a look of wonder on his face. “I’m really just a normal everyday guy,” he says. “I don’t have an Instagram following and I’d still rather call than text – I’m into old-school car modification as it was when I was a kid! I’ve never taken on a build to this standard before, and I think it’s gone really well for a first attempt… What inspired me to go this far? I got carried away and became obsessed with making it into the best possible example it could be.” And he’s not kidding. So fastidious is his quest for perfection that until the day of the shoot, Phil had never even sat in the driver’s seat. And not only that, but the immaculately rebuilt and modified engine has never been fired into life, as Phil doesn’t want the hot engine gases to tarnish the flawlessly fabricated exhaust manifold. Hell, there’s not even any fluid in the brake lines as he wants the discs to remain free from friction marks! This is truly a show build like no other, an exquisite piece of automotive artwork to be enjoyed with the eyes, rather than the seat of the pants. That’s right. If drooling over these pictures has you hankering to see this race-ready machine flying sideways, vapourising rubber and screaming like a banshee round some circuit or another, you’ll be sorely disappointed, as that’s about as far from Phil’s future plans as you could get. “For me, it’s all about enjoying the car for the flawless piece of sculpture that it is. I’ve invested so much time and money into getting it to this level and get such an enormous amount of pride and enjoyment just from looking at the thing, that I’ve really no intention of driving it. If that makes me a bit weird, then so be it, as I’ve built the car for me and no-one else. I’m just hoping that I’ll be able to get it to as many shows as possible this year, in both the UK and Europe, and have some fun. It’s been a long, hard slog to build it and my goal was always a Fast Car front cover. I think that’s secretly every car guy’s dream!”

Well, we’re pleased to oblige. This stellar Trueno has more than earned its place. Phil’s project was never meant to go this far, but we can all be very happy that it did.

Tech Spec: Modified Toyota Corolla AE86

Engine:

1.6-litre, 4-cyl, 16v twin-cam 4A-GE, Toda 82mm pistons, new 42mm Toyota crankshaft, Toyota gasket kit, ACL bearings, ported and polished head, Toda 272 / 288 cams, Toda uprated valve springs, new Toyota oil pump with Toda internals, Mikuni 44mm carbs, HKS cam pulleys, HKS timing belt, custom CNC pulley kit, Powercraft Japan Tornado manifold, Reinhard titanium exhaust system, Koyo radiator with twin fans, new radiator hose and brackets, carbon cooling panel, all new Toyota water pump, starter motor, alternator, brake and clutch cylinders, TRD ignition leads, TRD oil filter, fully dressed engine with all new bolts and seals, distributor heatshield, titanium bonnet prop, JAZ fuel cell with AN fittings, uprated fuel pump and filter, relocated Odyssey race battery

Transmission:

Toyota T50 gearbox, TRD gearset, custom billet shifter, Toda flywheel, ORC clutch, TRD 2-way LSD, 4.77 final drive

Suspension:

Blitz front coilovers with camber-adjustable top mounts, YZ Sports rear coilovers with custom springs, Panhard rod, Cusco front and rear carbon strut braces, full AE86 World bushing kit, rebuilt steering rack, new Toyota boots

Brakes:

Wilwood 6-pot (front) and 4-pot (rear) calipers, drilled and slotted discs, N2 servo delete kit, hydraulic handbrake

Wheels & Tyres:

9x16in ET-51 (front) and 9x16in ET-66 (rear) WORK Meister CR01 three-piece split-rims (custom bronze, polished dishes, matt centres, chrome bolts), 30mm spacers, 195/45/16 Toyo T1-R tyres, longer wheel studs and custom titanium nuts

Interior:

Painted in Toyota 041 White, custom Cobra Motorsport carbon seats with AE86 World embroidery, custom rails, full Candy Red Cusco rollcage, carbon dash, OMP steering wheel, custom CNC gearknob, gauges mounted to rollcage, Sparco Racing pedals, OMP plumbed-in fire extinguisher, custom air ducting, custom door panels and rear boot panels

Exterior:

Painted Toyota 041 White, full custom livery by AWS Graphics, Run Free Japan front bumper and sideskirts, custom carbon diffuser, FRP front wings with CBY N2 flared arches, CBY FRP bootlid and spoiler, J-Blood carbon bonnet, carbon roof, carbon doors, carbon headlight panels, carbon windscreen wiper cowl and rear spats, custom carbon mirrors, OEM Trueno grille, new Toyota corner lamps and clear lenses, redline rear lights, window seals, trims and wipers, custom carbon canards and splitter, custom carbon sideskirt extensions, front and rear tow eyes, tinted Lexan windows

Source

July 14, 2021
BAGGED VW GOLF MK4: MUM’S THE WORD

When life dealt Harley Kitt a cruel blow he sought therapy through the dark times in creating this ground-breaking bagged VW Golf Mk4 in loving memory of his late mother.

From Performance VW. Words: Graham Leigh Photos: Mark Rodway

VWs have always been a big part of 29-year old Harley’s life: “Growing up all I’ve ever known is Volkswagens; my parents had a fleet of T4 transporters for their business, which were replaced with T5s. We also had a Mk3 Golf and a VW Crafter”.

It’s, therefore, no surprise that the Paignton-based Telecommunications Engineer ended up with a T4 as his first vehicle. The practicality they offer was welcome to Harvey who, in addition to his VW addiction, is a keen surfer and angler. The plucky T4 went all over Europe taking in the best surfing hotspots which only strengthened the love affair with the brand. Harvey has predominantly stuck to Wolfsburg’s finest since with a couple of dalliances with Bavaria. Currently, a T5, that has been in Harley’s family from new, takes care of daily duties as the Mk4 Golf now resides firmly in show car territory. Both vans were fitted with coilovers and aftermarket wheels but it was with the resulting bagged VW Golf MK4 that the modifying bug really took hold.

Harley takes us back five years where the love affair with the Golf began: “I sold my previous car, which was the BMW 320CD, as I started a new job and they gave me a company vehicle which I could use for personal use but after a few months I missed having my own car and with the BMW money burning a hole in my pocket the hunt began for a 1.8T. I searched everywhere and then my one came up for sale in a garage in Middlesborough. This car had covered just 80k miles and had only two previous owners”.

A sigh of relief was taken when the garage door was opened to a cherished example, making the seven-hour train journey to Middlesborough feel more than worthwhile. The car was already modified with a genuine R32 bumper, side skirts, aftermarket exhaust system, Recaro heated leather and 18” Porsche Cayenne alloys. With the stress of a job that saw Harley regularly working away from home, the initial plans for the car were quite simple. New wheels, lows and a remap giving him a car to attend shows with friends on well deserved weekends off.

A couple of years down the line in 2017 Harley decided that the car could do with repainting. Having seen the Porsche Olive black hue in the flesh, his mind was made. The car was stripped and prepared for its makeover. Tragically during this process, Harley lost his mother to breast cancer. The hurt and anger surrounding her untimely death was excruciating and Harvey believes that his Mk4 was a positive focus.

Harley poured all his spare time and energy into the build. On receipt of the freshly painted car expertly laid down by Autospray, Lifton, next up was the reassembly process where two years of hoarding rare parts paid dividends. Air Lift V2 suspension, carbon roll cage, reupholstered Mk6 tartan front bucket seats and door cards, rear seat delete with twin Kicker 12” subs and kicker amp, black Alcantara false floor, and a set of elusive Porsche ETA BETA wheels were all fitted. The rims were split down, polished and rebuilt and the results speak for themselves. This incarnation of the car was taken to most shows in the UK and even travelled to Europe three times. Over 10,000 miles were completed in 2018 alone.

Enthused by what he had seen on his considerable travels, Harley wanted to take the VW Golf Mk4 to the next level. The engine was duly removed and Harley worked tirelessly to smooth and tuck the bay. Plans for the 1.8T AUQ drew inspiration from across the pond: “Custom pie-cut pipework was something I had wanted for years after first seeing it on American cars. This style of routing was something I wanted as it was different and looked amazing”. The creation of the FMIC system took around nine months and 150 individual pie-cuts. Richard at RB Metal Works is what you might call a perfectionist. He also fabricated a custom power steering bottle which is in the place of the deleted A/C pump. Harley plumped for ECS engine mounts which contrast nicely with the gloss black engine block. A brake reservoir sock was made from matching Mk6 tartan, ABS has been fully deleted in favour of a brake compensator system with a cockpit based valve adjuster to control front and rear bias, battery and screen wash have been relocated to the boot and the heater matrix has been fully removed and welded up. A 12V race heater now takes care of demisting duties. All these ingredients add to the hot rod level of attention to detail under the bonnet.

Exterior styling is a mixture of OEM touches and high-end period styling enhancements. The R32 bumper with a Cupra R splitter, R32 side skirts with extensions and Euro rear bumper are joined by an Oettinger grille and ABT rear spoiler. The perfect stance is achieved with Air Lift V2 Suspension system with their Slam series struts. A Chassis notch and arch liner delete allows the Mk4 to get even closer to terra firma with the gorgeous ETA BETA splits sitting pretty wrapped in Nankang NS-2.

Inside the evolution continued with the bucket seats being swapped out for a Mk4 Anniversary interior including rear bench. Mk6 tartan was sourced and upholstery wizards Darren and Jean at Wedgies Workshop worked their magic.

Overall, the process has been a steep learning curve for Harley taking in fabrication skills as he went: “I’ve learnt a lot along the way, from fitting air suspension, shaving the engine bay or even doing the wiring loom for the engine myself”.

So what lies ahead for this bagged VW Golf Mk4? Well, the Coronavirus situation has stopped attendance at the majority of shows for 2020 so Harvey is hoping to get out and enjoy the car in 2021.

Harley explained that there were times with this build where he just wanted to throw in the towel. His pals jokingly remind him that at certain points his catchphrase became “I’m quitting, I’m breaking it, I’m done”. However, he was keen to point out that his friends have stepped up and helped him at his time of need and for that, he will remain eternally grateful.

Back at the 2018 stage of the build, Harley wrote a message on his socials that read “Mum, I made it” alongside a photo of his car. He was overwhelmed by the response and reassured that his mother would have been proud of what he had achieved through hard work. Fast forward to 2020 with an Ultimate Dubs Top 20 Trophy and a PVW feature, the car is a credit to Harley and a fitting tribute to his mother, Sarah.

Tech Spec: Bagged VW Golf Mk4

Engine:

1.8T AUQ, 6-speed manual, fully tucked and smoothed engine bay, Ram Air induction kit, Toyosport intercooler, REVO stage 2 map (240BHP), custom FMIC system in alloy pie cut and welded including rubber elbow joint deletion and metal joints with internal ‘o’ rings and custom nipples for N75 valve, custom power steering bottle in the former A/C pump location, ECS mounts, tartan brake reservoir sock, battery and screenwash bottle re-located to boot, heater matrix delete, 12v race heater.

Chassis:

Porsche ETA BETA 18” 8J et34 front, 9.5J et42 rear, Nankang NS-2 tyres, 312mm brakes, ABS delete, brake compensator system with interior-mounted brake bias adjustment valve control, Airlift V2 suspension with Slam bags, chassis notch to clear driveshaft, arch liner delete.

Exterior:

Resprayed in Porsche Olive Black, genuine R32 Front bumper with Cupra R Splitter, R32 sideskirts with extensions, custom Built Headlights, Oettinger Grill, Shark fin aerial, ABT rear spoiler, Euro-spec rear bumper, R32 Side skirts.

Interior:

Mk4 Anniversary interior retrimmed in Mk6 tartan with matching gear gaiter.

Source

July 13, 2021