"Modern" tarmac-specification Mk2 Escort - YEG 158T
Mostly built in a single garage by London Irish Motor Club members Paul Alexander and Lee Robins, YEG158T is proving to be one of the finest 2.0 litre Escorts in the country...
Grp4 bodyshell by Bob Dowen Rally Services. Additional gearbox tunnel, fuel tank mount and roll-cage modifications by Retro Motorsport.
Lightweight windows by Plastics 4 Performance. Carbon fibre roof vent.
Carbon fibre front quarter bumpers and rear bumpers. Lightweight bumper brackets front and rear.
Carbon fibre bonnet with integral Subaru WRC bonnet vents and rear cooling vent. Lightweight bonnet hinges.
Carbon fibre boot lid with integral spoiler and lightweight hinges. Custom lightweight boot stay. Carbon fibre spare wheel tray.
Ralloy 11 gallon foam filled fuel tank. Twin Bosch pumps mounted with inline filter. Rollover safety valve. Grp4 Fabrications dry-sump tank with integral catch tank. All fuel oil and brake lines made using genuine Goodridge high performance products.
SBD 2.0 litre Duratec engine – high-spec, producing just under 300bhp. Custom-made 3” throughout exhaust system with single, re-packable silencer.
AH Fabrications Grp4 big header radiator. Laminova oil-to-water cooler. Electric water pump. Brise high-performance alternator. AP multi-plate, hydraulically operated clutch.
Quaife 60G 6-speed sequential gearbox with modified Grp4 Fabrications lever. SBD flat-shift system with digital gear indicator. Custom-made 2-piece prop-shaft.
Fostek-prepared fully floating Atlas axle with Gripper diff, 5:1 CWP, Watts linkage and ally brace. Ultimate-spec driveshafts by Xtrac.
Alcon WRC-style 4-pot front brakes, 4-pot rear brakes, and Tilton floor mounted, adjustable pedal box. Castrol SRF Racing brake fluid.
Grp4 fabrications Modular WRC front suspension with Bilstein dampers and custom Irish-spec front anti-roll bar. Bilstein rear dampers.
Compomotive 8” x 15 or Revolution 8" or 9" x 15" competition wheels, shod with Hankook or Kumho rally tyres.
Variable rate, adjustable power-steering. Removable steering wheel. Grp4 steering knuckle.
Custom made Motordrive carbon fibre “Endurance” seats with wrap-around protection. 6-point harnesses. Carbon fibre drivers and co-drivers foot trays, carbon fibre door cards, flocked dash.
Lifeline Zero360 plumbed–in extinguisher plus two handhelds and harness cutters.
Aircraft-spec wiring loom pop-out breakers. Stilo WRC intercom. Stack auxiliary gauges – change colours for low/normal/high ranges.
Clear lens headlamps with HID internals within carbon fibre bowls. Carbon–fibre lamp pod housing PIAA pro-series lights mated with HID internals. Single windscreen wiper system.
Aluminium strut brace by Grp4 Fabrications. Kevlar sump guard – modified Mitsubishi Evo8 item.
All brake, fuel and oil hoses from Goodridge performance hose and aluminium fittings. Engine bay oil lines in Kevlar lightweight braid. Remote oil filter.
This car has been built from a bare to a very high standard, and has been with both reliability and performance in mind. Its current insurance value is £50,000, with future planned upgrades including an ATL race fuel cell (£2500), Reiger 3-way adjustable front and rear dampers (£4000), lightweight axle (£4000), an improved, lighter wiring loom (£2500) – and one day, a 2.3 litre engine (£18,000!).