Spec-R BARN FIND!Rare Geoff Woods Mk1 Hart Escort Special Saloon

[celes1]

Pete @ Spec-R, I cannot see any reason why your Escort can't get below 49 seconds at Brands Hatch Indy when it is all set up. And I would put money on it to be a lot quicker than the Ex Gerry Marshals Vauxhalls. I do the Indy in about 46.8s and your Escort will do very well with your power to weight ratio, especially with the right driver.

With the right set-up in geometry, new splitter and rear downforce and a reliable 300bhp by Hart, not a lot will touch you in the Special Saloons of the era.

[SPECR]

Originally Posted by celes1

Pete @ Spec-R, I cannot see any reason why your Escort can't get below 49 seconds at Brands Hatch Indy when it is all set up. And I would put money on it to be a lot quicker than the Ex Gerry Marshals Vauxhalls. I do the Indy in about 46.8s and your Escort will do very well with your power to weight ratio, especially with the right driver.

With the right set-up in geometry, new splitter and rear downforce and a reliable 300bhp by Hart, not a lot will touch you in the Special Saloons of the era.

I really hope so Iam sure and i hope all you members and veterans out there that all the very hard work and detail that iam putting into this escort will be worth it.But its got to be right!!
This Mk1 Escort is part of our Motorsport history never to be repeated so,
with all the knowledge and decades of Motorsport expertise thats out there and on this forum i am always open to pointers along the way.So please feel free to comment and guide us along the way.
As my father always said to me,theirs always someone who knows more than you, so dont be afraid to ask.
Thank you and all have a great weekend and ill post up more pics etc soon.
Cheers Pete@Spec-R

[celes1]

I hear Pete that the Escort is coming on well, all stripped down and specialist contractors undertaking some serious work. I was attending a Ford meet last weekend and your space framed Escort was a hot topic, with many agreeing that the Escort will look superb in the Geoff Wood colours, not Andrews dark blue, who last raced it in 1979. It was also agreed that Geoff Wood working with Cyril Malem and Len Terry F1 engineers, knew the car would be very advanced for the year and several would want to try to copy it in the future.

The later Zakspeed cars were the nearest anyone got to your ex Geoff Wood fully space framed Escort, the early ones only being part space framed, still gorgeous though. But I will say this If I had to have a rare car, then I would look no further than your ex Geoff Wood car. It will be well worth spending a three figure sum on restoration, the rewards will elate you.

[AnnecyRacer]

I am very new to the forum and have spent days reading and re- reading news of the Escort. I remember with great fondness the mid 70's special saloon series and it was such that kindled my interest in motorsport forever more. Memories of Weekends at Thruxton as a young teenager with glazed eyes and a dreamy brain watching the Wendy Wools championship forever etched in my memory. Used to et in free as a good school pall of the day was a BARC Marshall.
Sorry to hi-jack this thread but seem to remember another good friend, John Farmer who I believe also knew Cyril M very well. John ran a FF1600 which I know Cyril worked on and set up if my memory serves me right.
To my point, and not sure if this is OK to ask, if anybody is in contact with Cyril could you find out if he remembers John Farmer and if he is still around, we would have lost contact late 70's and it would be great to make contact again. John helped me back in the day and at that time was racing 125cc karts.
Please accept my apologies if this is not the place or question to ask.

[SPECR]

Hi not a problem if you would like to give me your full name I will contact Cyril and check first if it's ok to pass his number on cheers Pete @spec-r.my number if you want to keep this private is 07879471021

Originally Posted by AnnecyRacer

I am very new to the forum and have spent days reading and re- reading news of the Escort. I remember with great fondness the mid 70's special saloon series and it was such that kindled my interest in motorsport forever more. Memories of Weekends at Thruxton as a young teenager with glazed eyes and a dreamy brain watching the Wendy Wools championship forever etched in my memory. Used to et in free as a good school pall of the day was a BARC Marshall.
Sorry to hi-jack this thread but seem to remember another good friend, John Farmer who I believe also knew Cyril M very well. John ran a FF1600 which I know Cyril worked on and set up if my memory serves me right.
To my point, and not sure if this is OK to ask, if anybody is in contact with Cyril could you find out if he remembers John Farmer and if he is still around, we would have lost contact late 70's and it would be great to make contact again. John helped me back in the day and at that time was racing 125cc karts.
Please accept my apologies if this is not the place or question to ask.

[Mike Bell]

There is the PM 'Private Message' facility on this forum as well. Saves having to publicise phone numbers or email addresses to the world if you'd rather not.....

(If you click on username above the poster's avatar on the left it brings down a small menu, which includes 'send private message' )

[AnnecyRacer]

Probably safer, thanks

[celes1]

Pete at Spec-R, when you have finished the refurb of the Escort, have you decided which discipline of motorsport you wish to enter. There are some great racing championships out there, especially with the BARC and BRSCC who cater for your specialist space framed Escort. You are lucky that your ex Geoff Wood Escort had already competed in the national special saloon car championships of the 1970's, alongside the Tricentrol Ford Capri's, Gerry Marshalls Vauxhalls, Mann's Escort and others, so no one can say your car is not eligible.

It should be no problem getting entries to any decent race event that already caters for these cars. I hear the CSCC run a race series for these 1970's Special Saloons and Sports and they even allow replica's and more modern space framed machinery in, so you will have no trouble at all getting an entry, they cant say otherwise, unless someone gets a little anxious because they have recently paid very good money to buy a Ford that had previously won several 1970's events and your car comes along and beats them. That's racing for you, best car and driver wins overall, most times. Anyway pick your events and join a club that has pedigree, because once your car is on the entry list you will have a lot of spectator interest and I for one will be most interested in seeing your car out there, racing and winning
.

[celes1]

I hear that one of the original Special Saloon grid cars that Geoff Wood raced alongside in 1974 has just been sold in auction for a record price. Was it one of the Tricentrol / Zakspeed Ford Capri's ??

Anyone know and how much it fetched.

[chunterer]

Originally Posted by celes1

I hear that one of the original Special Saloon grid cars that Geoff Wood raced alongside in 1974 has just been sold in auction for a record price. Was it one of the Tricentrol / Zakspeed Ford Capri's ??

Anyone know and how much it fetched.

Which auction, a Bonham's or Nick Whale job?

[WeBuyAnyRaceCarDotCom]

Forgive me, I've not waded through all the tributes in this thread but just wanted to say, what a story and what a find!

It just goes to show what's still out there waiting to be unearthed

'Shed and Buried' in its truest sense.

[celes1]

Originally Posted by chunterer

Which auction, a Bonham's or Nick Whale job?

To be honest, it came up in club conversation that recently one of the rare Special Saloon 1970's Ford Capri's sold in auction for a record amount. I was hoping a forum member would know.

It may have been a restored example, what was said was that it was a race winner.

[Mike Bell]

Originally Posted by celes1

To be honest, it came up in club conversation that recently one of the rare Special Saloon 1970's Ford Capri's sold in auction for a record amount. I was hoping a forum member would know.

It may have been a restored example, what was said was that it was a race winner.

No idea. To my knowledge, the only Capri that raced in SS and that has been sold in the last few years was Vince Woodman’s Broadspeed car. That was by private sale though. I tried a bit of googling and came up with nothing recent, but that’s not to say a car hasn’t been sold!

[Mike Harte]

Originally Posted by Mike Bell

No idea. To my knowledge, the only Capri that raced in SS and that has been sold in the last few years was Vince Woodman’s Broadspeed car. That was by private sale though. I tried a bit of googling and came up with nothing recent, but that’s not to say a car hasn’t been sold!

Wasn't there also a Strawson one, or is that the same car? Or is my imagination running wild?

[Mike Bell]

Originally Posted by Mike Harte

Wasn't there also a Strawson one, or is that the same car? Or is my imagination running wild?

Pretty sure not same car. Vince’s was in Gp2 spec when sold and it’s a few years ago now. It was his Broadspeed car updated to GAA Cologne spec in period, then kept and raced by him until sold. Quick check on the interweb doesn’t bring any reference to the Strawson V8 car selling recently....

[morninggents]

If my memory serves me well I think Tony Strawson's Capri was the ex-Mick Hill car and I'm fairly certain it was not an ex-anybody (other than Mick Hill) car.

Re Celes's post re Tricentrol/Zakspeed the Hill car was sponsored by Tricentrol but, as stated, I don't think it was an ex-works car. I'm pretty certain there was no involvment by Zakspeed in any of the Special/Super saloons.

[Mike Bell]

Originally Posted by morninggents

If my memory serves me well I think Tony Strawson's Capri was the ex-Mick Hill car and I'm fairly certain it was not an ex-anybody (other than Mick Hill) car.

Quick check suggests built by / for Mick Hill, then bought by Strawson after the car was briefly in Ireland, lastly sold to George Potter in the latter '70s by Strawson.

Originally Posted by morninggents

Re Celes's post re Tricentrol/Zakspeed the Hill car was sponsored by Tricentrol but, as stated, I don't think it was an ex-works car. I'm pretty certain there was no involvment by Zakspeed in any of the Special/Super saloons.

We went through a period few years ago where anything Ford and outrageous was a historic Zakspeed! No, they didn't have anything to do with UK SSS, but as their later Gp5 cars were very similar in build and appearance, you can see why easy to think...

[celes1]

I spoke to COYS, Bonhams and RM and there was a rare racing Ford Capri being requested to go into an auction with a staggering reserve price of £500k, it was coming from a collector restorer, but my contact said it sold privately. I have looked through numerous recent national and overseas adverts and nothing shows.

[Mike Bell]

Originally Posted by celes1

I spoke to COYS, Bonhams and RM and there was a rare racing Ford Capri being requested to go into an auction with a staggering reserve price of £500k, it was coming from a collector restorer, but my contact said it sold privately. I have looked through numerous recent national and overseas adverts and nothing shows.

It could be that JD Classics have sold Vince’s Broadspeed car then. They bought it from the great man and have raced it over the last few seasons. The price would be about right for a car with that provenance. (I know how much JD paid for it ) A modern built Cologne spec Gp2 car also changed hands quietly last year, but don’t think for anything like that suggested money. IMHO a Special / Super Saloon would not be worth anything like your figure, even with known history and provenance. Despite their performance and looks, they have limited appeal and limited opportunities for racing. Again, my opinion.....

[morninggents]

Pretty much as I would see it too, Mike.

P.S. Is that Vince's car behind you in your avatar?

[Mike Bell]

Originally Posted by morninggents

Pretty much as I would see it too, Mike.

P.S. Is that Vince's car behind you in your avatar?

Ah, yes it is! That was Mallory few years ago when CSCC had the modsports / SS revival race day. Photo courtesy of David Stallard.

[andy97]

Originally Posted by Mike Bell

Ah, yes it is! That was Mallory few years ago when CSCC had the modsports / SS revival race day. Photo courtesy of David Stallard.

You should bring it out to play in CSCC SS/Modsports again, Mike. Only 4 double header meetings this year, I think.

[celes1]

Originally Posted by Mike Bell

It could be that JD Classics have sold Vince’s Broadspeed car then. They bought it from the great man and have raced it over the last few seasons. The price would be about right for a car with that provenance. (I know how much JD paid for it ) A modern built Cologne spec Gp2 car also changed hands quietly last year, but don’t think for anything like that suggested money. IMHO a Special / Super Saloon would not be worth anything like your figure, even with known history and provenance. Despite their performance and looks, they have limited appeal and limited opportunities for racing. Again, my opinion.....

Like many serious collectors around the world, some are prepared to own a car that is special, especially if it is a one off and has been built by well known designers and fabricators, then the sky is the limit to have what no-one else has got.

[Mike Bell]

Originally Posted by celes1

Like many serious collectors around the world, some are prepared to own a car that is special, especially if it is a one off and has been built by well known designers and fabricators, then the sky is the limit to have what no-one else has got.

Yes, but I think it’s wishful thinking to include a spaceframe silhouette Escort in that description....

And you really need more than one person desperate to buy to get a high price!

Not being negative, that’s just my opinion as a racer and collector.....

[celes1]

I have sold a few Grp B cars through COYS and RM, some only just getting my money back after catalogue fees, commission etc and a couple making good profit, enough to pay for a holiday home, all because two people fought for them.

I have asked about this Geoff Wood Escort and figures given to me unofficially was between 180k and 240k, so even-stevens for Spec 'R' if they fully restore it to a good quality. As you say Mike, it all depends on who is bidding and who is determined to own such a rare beast and for certain I would like to own it.