Classic Fords

[Count Steer]

As a modern version of a classic (I remember an absolute animal Z on the RAC Rally)....I quite liked the look and sound of the 2019 Nissan 370z (last of the normally aspirated ones I believe) that was briefly behind me yesterday - then in front for the next 5 miles as I kept catching up when they met traffic and cyclists

That beast on the RAC Rally has stayed on my mind all these years...it popped, banged and crackled like a demented firework. Can't remember which number Z though. (240?)

[mangocrazy]

I went to take photos at one of the RAC Rally stages in the grounds of Trentham Gardens in the late 70s and my worldview was forever changed by seeing a couple of Lancia Stratos (Strati - Stratae - Stratoses ?) coming through. The sight and sound of them were so impossibly exotic and out of this world compared to the humdrum Escorts etc of the era that everything else was pretty dull after seeing them. But then a Ferrari Dino V6 compared to a 4-pot Ford crossflow and a handbuilt limited edition car with futuristic styling compared to something plucked off a Dagenham production line will do that to you.

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

Lancia Stratos, lovely looking, awful inside, a reputation for being horrible to drive, unreliable and should never have been allowed to rally as Lancia didn't make 400 of them, the rally Escort is a better car which doesn't have a crossflow, most of the world rally cars had 240 bhp 2 litre 16V Dohc Cosworth engines that sound nothing like a crossflow.

[mangocrazy]

Lancia Stratos, lovely looking, awful inside, a reputation for being horrible to drive, unreliable and should never have been allowed to rally as Lancia didn't make 400 of them, the rally Escort is a better car.

Depends how you define 'better' I guess. The Stratos won the World Rally Championship in 1974, 1975 and 1976. So definitely winninger than the Escort of the day... They weren't 'horrible' to drive, they rewarded precision - a big difference. And you don't win 3 WRCs on the trot by being unreliable.

Were you frightened by a Stratos when you were in your pram, perchance?

[KungFooBob]

Now this is a 'classic' Ford (if you're my age).

https://www.carandclassic.com/l/C1689018



Costs more than my house.

[Mr. Dazzle]

My old boss had one of them ^.

The top of the dash peeled in the sunshine

[Count Steer]

I went to take photos at one of the RAC Rally stages in the grounds of Trentham Gardens in the late 70s and my worldview was forever changed by seeing a couple of Lancia Stratos (Strati - Stratae - Stratoses ?) coming through. The sight and sound of them were so impossibly exotic and out of this world compared to the humdrum Escorts etc of the era that everything else was pretty dull after seeing them. But then a Ferrari Dino V6 compared to a 4-pot Ford crossflow and a handbuilt limited edition car with futuristic styling compared to something plucked off a Dagenham production line will do that to you.

I worked at a place in't Yorkshire that was a special stage and we got roped in to sort of Marshall (ie keep people where they should be and kick 'em out of where they shouldn't be). It was in the days that each of the Armed Forces seemed to have a Mini based team. Great fun.

The Datsun 240Z was spotted at a forest stage in Notts though.

[KungFooBob]

My old boss had one of them ^.

The top of the dash peeled in the sunshine

I wouldn't be seen dead in anything that didn't have tailored dash and door tops.

[mangocrazy]

I went to take photos at one of the RAC Rally stages in the grounds of Trentham Gardens in the late 70s and my worldview was forever changed by seeing a couple of Lancia Stratos (Strati - Stratae - Stratoses ?) coming through. The sight and sound of them were so impossibly exotic and out of this world compared to the humdrum Escorts etc of the era that everything else was pretty dull after seeing them. But then a Ferrari Dino V6 compared to a 4-pot Ford crossflow and a handbuilt limited edition car with futuristic styling compared to something plucked off a Dagenham production line will do that to you.

I'd take a special Ford of that era from their race development team all day long rather than a Lancia Stratos.

Your problem would be finding a special Ford from that era.

[ZRX61]

Almost time for this:

https://www.fabulousfordsforever.com/

https://www.facebook.com/FabulousFordsForever/


Thought about entering the F350, but it's the same day as the LA Kaw meet.

[mangocrazy]

Your problem would be finding a special Ford from that era.

There are plenty, just look for anything with RS in the title, but even though they're relatively attainable they're expensive now because of demand.

I suppose it's a matter of perspective, but if Fiat gave me loads of money and Ferrari gave me an engine and Bertone did a design for me, then I'd have something special in front of you in short order. You could argue that Ford bought people in as well, but for me they made a really decent blue collar motor into something that we could all buy, rather than something like the Stratos where even if you could get one the door would fall off by the time you got to the end of the road.

The Stratos was designed from the ground up to be a rally car. The Escort was a mass market car which then had to have everything taken off and replaced with rally gear and even the bodyshell had to be strengthened out of all recognition when compared to its road based derivative.

Now if you want a special Ford, get a GT40.

Like I said earlier you don't win three back to back WRCs by being unreliable. Or the doors dropping off. Where do you get this nonsense from?

[G.P]

Wibble

[Mr. Dazzle]

Now if you want a special Ford, get a GT40.

Actually a Lola

[mangocrazy]

Now if you want a special Ford, get a GT40.

Actually a Lola

Those were the ones that were crap. The good ones were designed and built in the USA.

[KungFooBob]

Having watched Le Mans 66, I wouldn't have a GT40, just because of the way Ford fucked over Ken Miles.

[Mr. Dazzle]

Ford may have made the GT40 actually good, but they're still all RHD and that always makes me smile for some reason.

[Mr. Dazzle]

The newest GT is arguably a more appropriate successor than the early noughties one was. It doesn't look as classic and it has (whisper it) a V6 engine.

But it's also a ground up race car, like the original.

[KungFooBob]

The newest GT is arguably a more appropriate successor than the early noughties one was. It doesn't look as classic and it has (whisper it) a V6 engine.

But it's also a ground up race car, like the original.

Or you could save a few quid and buy a C8 Corvette.

[cheb]

Can I have Supervan 3 please:

[KungFooBob]

The original Supervan was just a transit body on GT40 chassis.

All the supervans kinda remind ne of that Espace that Renault put an F1 engine in.