At first glance it looks like a very smart Escort MkII. But a quick glance inside the car tells you that this is no ordinary Escort. The kill switch, hydraulic hand brake and the purposeful looking tachometer tells you that there is something potent lurking under the hood. Ajith Hemachandra, the owner keeps me guessing for a while longer. He shows me inside the boot. Half the boot is taken up by a racing fuel tank in stainless steel. Finally we open the bonnet hood. Inside is a Twin Cam with the cam cover painted in red. And it’s a twin spark. And there is a turbo charger. And… its obviously not a Ford engine although there is a Ford sticker on the cam cover.
Ajith
Hemachandra is considered a top notch Automobile Engineer repairer and has been
at the forefront of motor racing, having competed and won in several events,
mainly driving Minis. Ajith acquired this Escort a few months ago in running
condition, and decided to do this upgrade / restomod with the involvement of
his two sons who he is keen to see get involved in his passion for cars.
First
the engine… in the engine bay of the Escort sits a Toyota 3TGTE engine. The
Toyota T Series was a family of inline-four cylinder engines which began in
1970 and was built for production vehicles through to 1985; though some
licensed, after-market T Series engines are still being made today. T Series
engines are well-known for two things: solid reliability and performance
output.
The 3TGTE was the engine that allowed Toyota to enter the racing arena as the first Japanese automaker to compete in the World Rally Championship. The twin OHC twin spark turbo charged engine introduced knock control as well as serious turbocharging through the CT20 Turbo, taken directly from the T Series diesel variants. It became the first turbocharged, twin cam petrol engine ever built in Japan. The 3T-GTE was used in the Celica and Carina TA63 models as well as the Corona TT142 model.
The engine is mated to its original 5 speed Toyota gearbox. And all that power needs to be reined-in; so it has been fitted with all four disc brakes. And that hydraulic hand brake will surely assist in doing hand-brake turns if and when taking part in a rally or autocross! It has a high energy Telefunken ignition system. And to keep things cool, it has an alloy radiator ex Escort RS2000. The suspension upgrades include adjustable front shock absorbers and adjustable camber arms, and it sits on 13” alloys with semi slicks.
When you first start the car it idles smoothly and seems even docile. Rev it up; and it still doesn’t sound harsh with the locally fabricated exhaust system doing its job to keep a “low profile” on the road! Ajith says that on the road you need to be careful with the throttle when you’re driving it. There is so much of “kick” from the rear wheels, that you could easily loose it if you are not careful with the throttle and steering. He says that under full throttle, it will spin the wheels in first, second, third and fourth! If you have a clear head nerves of steel, you could have loads of fun with this Escort!
As one can see, no short-cuts had been taken in carrying out this fabulous build. Kudos to Ajith Hemachandra for building such a nice looking, yet potent Ford Escort…
TECH SPECS
Engine;
Toyota 3TGTE Twin Spark, Twin Cam
1.8
turbo managed with racing ECU
5 speed
gear box
All
four disc brakes
Remote
servo
Adjustable
front shock absorbers
Adjustable
camber arms
High
energy Telefunken ignition system
Fuel
regulator
Alloy
radiator
Racing
fuel cell
13”
alloys with semi slicks
Engine
oil cooler with aircraft-quality braided hoses
Hydraulic
hand brake
Auto
gauge RPM
