The Roaring Season

I have purchased an interesting vehicle and am looking to understand its past history
The car is registered as 01/01/1968 – seems old for an Escort
The shell has the old early style handles and latches so 1969 or earlier
Currently
Engine P76 with Holly Vac sec and the right headers that go up and over the bell housing to the left side
Gearbox – Borg Warner 4 speed
Diff – Toyota was drum brake Capri 3 litre LSD
5 link rear with turrets
Bilstien front (Wheel base is standard)
Body
Fabricated front end from the bulkhead forward, tunnel set into the floor for exhaust protection. Bubble flares on rear, roof has been replaced with one from a purple car.
Bulkhead is modified and moved back.
Currently yellow with large blue stripes
Bonnet is a fibreglass item on standard hinges – has scoop off set to the right
Boot lid is fibreglass with a bolt on spoiler
Bulkhead is modified and moved back.
Currently yellow with large blue stripes
Fuel filler in left C pillar
Interior
6 dial dash
6 point cage
Fibreglass seats (Unknown manufacturer)


Purchased in Tauranga from a chap who used it for club events.

How about a couple of pictures phranc?

I know it's a long shot but here's an SS2000 car at Taupo 14 years ago:



Other than that it's a yellow Escort with blue stripes and some of the sponsors are Rotorua based (not a million miles from Tauranga), there's not much else that matches your list. Let me know if you think it might be your car, I have a couple more photos.

Malcolm

Wow, really interesting. Would love to see some photos.

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Looking at set up and bracket on front, it may have been a hillclimb/rally which convert to track with wheel change etc.
If it has gravel rash under that will tell, look at spring hangers etc.
Tidy looking car.

EA2103 was at one stage owned by Nev Nash in Whangarei.I have a photo of it on my garage wall and remember a ride in the back seat area years ago at over 100mph no seat belts, nothing. It was turbo charged P76, I think built by Graham Baker?????.

Hi

Thanks for the information – any idea when Nev Nash owned the car and what colour it was at the time?
Yes it has been used off seal.
Curious to learn who put the fabricated front on the car?
Have heard Graham Baker built the car? For some reason I was under impression that his car had Triumph front suspension grafted in – Despite the complete front being fabricated the suspension is fairly standard Group 4 with the rack relocated forwards. The car is reputed to have had a turbo on the P76 motor.
Some one has said the car was previously a very dark green and may have been used at Mystery Creek for rally cross.

The dark green one was Max Irwin and he has it back in his posession now.

Believe the Max Irwin car was unflared and had some sort of 5 stud Morris or similar rear axle.
Years since I have seen that car – was his so dark it almost looked black?

Current engine bay



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Phranc wrote:Hi
Have heard Graham Baker built the car?

Gerard Barker?
He ran a P76-engined Mk1 around 1980. Came from Rotorua, which isn't that far from Tauranga...

There was also a Graham (Graeme?) Barker who rallied in the 1980s. At one point he ran an RX7 fitted with one of the V6 quad-cam motors either from the Fahey or Halliday Capri's.

Phranc wrote:Current engine bay



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Those headers are impressive!

Hi,The front suspension was changed my Neville from triumph to g4 in his ownership.Nevs phone no is 027 484 1814 for the full info.
Peter

photos from march 1983, hillclimb just outside of Rotorua.

Graeme Barker - P76 V8 turbo Escort,

Rod Grimwood wrote:The dark green one was Max Irwin and he has it back in his posession now.

Max Irwin, Mystery Creek rallycross series back in 1983 & earlier this year at the Leadfoot festival.

Steve Holmes wrote:There was also a Graham (Graeme?) Barker who rallied in the 1980s. At one point he ran an RX7 fitted with one of the V6 quad-cam motors either from the Fahey or Halliday Capri's.

Quad cam and also run a 4WD system shoe-horned into it (somehow), hence the number plate - 4x4x4

I think the Barker car was from Ross Baker and before him Wayne Huxford,who built it with a 3.5 Rover

Thanks for that photo Martin. I remember seeing this car on tv one year doing the Ashley Forest Sprint. It sounded amazing!