NjB's Belkits Ford Escort RS1600

[keefr22]

I have a serious dilema over this kit as £45 is above my price limit. Also it has a load of detail I just don't want, I'm a curbside model fan more than a super detail model fan.

But as Nick says, the value for money has to be relative. I've been itching to do a Mk1 Escort for years and I remember having a conversation with a modeller (who produced his own castings) on the IPMS Car SIG a few years back at Telford. I said to him "if you do a Mk1 body I'll have it, whatever the price".

Well, £45 is less than a limited run resin job would be and a damn sight easier to build. And yet I still stumble at the price, because if the kit didn't have all that extra detail (I hate working with brass), the kit would come into my price bracket.

But at least we do have a maintstream kit of the Mk1 and for that i'm grateful.

Have a look on e-bay. I got mine for £38 all in from Model Hobbies on one of their listings.

Keith

[Foghorn Leghorn]

Have a look on e-bay. I got mine for £38 all in from Model Hobbies on one of their listings.

Keith

Thanx for the info Keith

I had a bad experience with MH last year so i avoid them. Tiger Hobbies had it about £38 as well but the skinflint that I am, it's still above my self imposed price limit. I have to say though, if you like all of the extra detail, then £38 is not a bad price.

Also, netiher scheme floats my boat so I'm hoping that if it sells well then they'll release more schemes in the future. And then something may well float my boat

Neil

Edited April 19, 2016 by Foghorn Leghorn

[Nick Belbin]

Keith, I've just found a pdf on a website of the Boreham manual. It refers to short arms in 1974, these being 14.5 inches long; the lower attached to the body and the upper in a floor mounted box section just inside the cockpit. I'll measure the kits arms later this evening.

From 1975 onwards the longer 23" arms were used (pages 41 and 42).

Nick

[rs2man]

Remote reservoirs are a definite no on being fitting back then. They weren't invented. Same goes for hydraulic handbrakes. They weren't even fitted to top flight rally cars until the late 80's.

Ashley

You're wrong on hydraulic handbrakes . My mate's road rallying Escort RS1800 had one and he sold that back in 84 after BDAs were banned in road rallying . Not sure exactly when they were first invented , but it was well before the late 80s .

[griffsrw]

i like the work on the interior you have carried out. it is a process that i have used several times for my saloon racers' and it is very successful. i was thinking about using the mk2 revell floor and modifying it to suit.

the kick up for the rear axle looks shallow too, any thoughts ?

http://www.gartrac.com/escortbodyshell/bodyshellservices.htm

take a look here, they did and still do the works and replica cars. i will take a look through my reference books and photos to see about exhaust tunnel. i have some stuff on the works mk1's. as mentioned, all old racing cars are like 'triggers broom', only had 12 engines, 4 gearboxes, LH drive for it's first rally then reshelled 7 times to RHD, but it's the original car !

[MetroRacing]

You're wrong on hydraulic handbrakes . My mate's road rallying Escort RS1800 had one and he sold that back in 84 after BDAs were banned in road rallying . Not sure exactly when they were first invented , but it was well before the late 80s .

It appears that most of what I said was wrong. Plus I still haven't been able to find where I read about Exhaust tunnels. So I'm just going to sit in the corner facing the wall now lol.

I blame this damn cold I've got. Whenever I get a cold I always get nose bleeds, and so all this blood letting has mumbled up my jumble lol.

Ashley

[griffsrw]

http://www.doublegmotorsport.com/rsprep/prepindex.html

rally car prep manual available as pdf on this link

[Nick Belbin]

Thank you, griffsrw.

The floor above the rear axle has been flattened in the kit (as opposed to the void in the Revell kit). And I'm really not sure how far to take this because there is a blanking plate around the bottom of the engine - a quandary.

Thanks for the Gartrac link - I've already had a look there and there's no sign of an exhaust tunnel. That's for a 'modern' car as well so if it's not been incorporated for that then chances are it never was. Your post has just come through - I found that as per my post 28. I found the complete manual as one pdf. Thanks for that as well.

Ashley, don't sit there for too long!

Anyway, I've looked at some kit parts again, specifically the rear axle.

The lower radius arms are attached and measure 14mm - correct I'm now believing which means that I dropped a b*ll*ck when cutting out the slots as big as I did. Oh well, an easy fix and I'll still have to put a small box there when I can find some reference.

I've put a quick coat of primer on the inner wings I've built - couple of places to tidy up but I'm quite pleased at how they've turned out:

That's all for now - got some more research to do!

Nick

[griffsrw]

http://www.historicmotorsport.net/projects.php

another site shows some genuine works mk1's none appear to have an exhaust tunnel, and they appear to have 'short' 4 link boxes too. just had some spare time before i go into work. great work on your inner wings.

[MetroRacing]

http://www.historicmotorsport.net/projects.php

another site shows some genuine works mk1's none appear to have an exhaust tunnel, and they appear to have 'short' 4 link boxes too. just had some spare time before i go into work. great work on your inner wings.

In the pics of the Mk1 Appendix K build at the bottom. The underside pics show an exhaust tunnel alongside the gear tunnel. It doesn't look like the one belkits modeled and is more what I was expecting.

Makes you wonder what car belkits used to make their kit considering all the others have been hailed for accuracy lol.

Ashley

Edited April 19, 2016 by MetroRacing

[keefr22]

http://www.historicmotorsport.net/projects.php

another site shows some genuine works mk1's none appear to have an exhaust tunnel, and they appear to have 'short' 4 link boxes too. just had some spare time before i go into work. great work on your inner wings.

Oh for that lottery win! Some nice work being done there!

A thought struck me earlier (painful, doesn't happen often!), when we're talking about 'exhaust tunnels',we're not confusing those with the bigger 'tunnel' that you need in the front of the car to fit a 5 speed type 9 Sierra gearbox? The works cars using ZF boxes wouldn't have needed the tunnel enlarged.

Keith

[keefr22]

In the pics of the Mk1 Appendix K build at the bottom. The underside pics show an exhaust tunnel alongside the gear tunnel. It doesn't look like the one belkits modeled and is more what I was expecting.

Makes you wonder what car belkits used to make their kit considering all the others have been hailed for accuracy lol.

Ashley

Good spot Ashley, I missed that! Of course, Appendix K is a whole other can of worms!

There are lots of Mk.1's rallying in Belgium, so I guess they had plenty to choose from!

Keith

[keefr22]

Keith, I've just found a pdf on a website of the Boreham manual.

I'm glad of that Nick, as I couldn't get the flippin scanner to work! Tried downloading new drivers, nothing! It's probably sulking as I haven't used it for about 5 years!!

Keith

[Radleigh]

Looking forward to seeing progress on this, big Ford RS fan at heart.... I need to get one this year.

Edited April 19, 2016 by Radleigh

[griffsrw]

people look out for the 1300e auto bobyshell, it has a bigger tunnel

[Nick Belbin]

http://www.historicmotorsport.net/projects.php

another site shows some genuine works mk1's none appear to have an exhaust tunnel, and they appear to have 'short' 4 link boxes too. just had some spare time before i go into work. great work on your inner wings.

That's fantastic - thank you!! Here's the interior showing small boxes in the back interior: http://www.historicmotorsport.net/projects.php

And thanks for the compliment.

Edit to reply to crossing post: Yes, That's something I learnt about MkIIs whilst researching.

Jeepers, this is getting as bad as Spitfires!

[keefr22]

people look out for the 1300e auto bobyshell, it has a bigger tunnel

Yep, same as Mk2 Ghia autos.

[griffsrw]

the aftermarket decals are starting to show, reji models are bringing out 3 alternative decal sheets, one is 1969 monte, colibri lighters and a BP sheet from monte 1972.

Edited April 23, 2016 by griffsrw

[Nick Belbin]

Hmm, interesting - wasn't the '69 Monte Carlo car a twincam? But then if there's no engine in the kit, it won't make a lot of difference apart from some minor details. And that's part of the dilemma I have because this boxing of the kit should actually be a fuel injected car if I recall correctly.

I'm concentrating on the floorpan at the moment - rather laborious but should make quite a difference (if one can see it). So do I open it all up or not? That's the dilemma! I'll get a couple of pictures up in a few days.

Nick

[keefr22]

That's interesting Nick, I never realised that RC's '73 car had fuel injection...

Is the '69 Monte car the 68 Circuit of Ireland winner? X00 ???F (can't remember the full reg, it's an age thing, & I can't get at my books at the mo).

Keith

[MetroRacing]

I've found out my Works Escorts in detail book and the history of Roger Clark's '72 RAC car is very interesting.

LVX 942J was built in March 1971 as a Twin cam for the Safari rally that year. This and the other 3 cars built for the event were the last Twin cams built by Boreham.

Joginder Singh drove it on the event and then used it for further East African events before it was returned to Boreham at the end of the year when it was Stripped and scrapped.

In May 1972 a completely new RS1600 was built but given the old identity of the Twin cam. It was built to Group 6 spec with a 200hp 1.8 iron block engine. In July it was the first works car to use the new 2.0 Alloy block in competition but was then reverted back to the iron block afterwards.

The car was written off in October and a new Group 2 spec car was built for the RAC using a 240hp Lucas injected 2.0 Alloy block engine, again using the old identity.

Over the winter period it was rebuilt to Group 6 spec for the following season with a darker blue stripe at the request of Esso.

The car was sold towards the season end to Ford dealer Hamiltons of Belfast for driver Adrian Boyd to use on the '73 RAC rally. Whom crashed it necessitating another reshell. The Book doesn't cover any more of the 'cars' history as it only covers the period they were in Works ownership.

hope that helps somewhat lol

Ashley

Edited April 26, 2016 by MetroRacing

[keefr22]

Thanks Ashley, that's great info.! I probably would have known about the injected motor at one time, but like many other things, I've probably forgotten it. Now, what's my name again...?!

That book sounds intersting, not one that I have, shall keep a look out for it. If I remember....!

Keith

[MetroRacing]

That book sounds intersting, not one that I have, shall keep a look out for it. If I remember....!

Keith

No need. It's still available new

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/1906133441/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1461666949&sr=8-1π=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=works+escorts+in+detail&dpPl=1&dpID=51WACicDsbL&ref=plSrch

It's not laid out the best. It's in the build order of each car but as some cars weren't used straight away or were stored and reused months, sometimes years later the dates all get a bit confusing lol.

Ashley

[keefr22]

Cheers Ashley, I just had a look on Amazon & there's a second hand copy on there for a tenner - being a skinflint that appeals to me, but it doesn't sound in very good condition.So I'll get a new one out of next month's pocket money I think!

Keith

[mbdesignart]

Your build is coming along well with some excellent detailing. I've just received my copy of the Works Escort book and it is proving useful for info on team schemes and detail. The Historic Motorsport site also has some great info too re some decal schemes for Uk cars that will be in the offing 'ere long [wink].

Looking forward to keeping tabs on this build.