Ford Escort RS1600i/RST Grp A/N

[chunterer]

Ah I think this answers part of my question in the RS500 thread!!!

Looks resplendent!

Brilliant restoration job there, well done!

[KA]

Originally Posted by chunterer

Ah I think this answers part of my question in the RS500 thread!!!

Looks resplendent!

Brilliant restoration job there, well done!

From what Graham (Racing RSi) has told me, it's very original, having been in storage after it was last raced in New Zealand, and hadn't been hacked about like a lot of old Group A racers.

There are a few pics of it after it came back from NZ a couple of pages back in the thread, and this shot of it during the 1986 Nissan-Mobil 500 series- http://www.flickr.com/photos/8021817...7606882601980/

[Racing RSi]

Many thanks Chaps..... Fantastic Pictures KA (I have sent you a email. .tesco..)

Richard is back so all things being equal they will both drive it next year ;-)

yes it is very original.. only the fire extinshuier system is new.. everything else is as it was in 84 -85.. even the tyres in those latest pictures lol.. but there are a set of new tyres on rimes when Richard and Alan have a propper chase in it...

[Jesper OH]

..and here's another person to appreciate the return of the Datapost RSi. I suspect the car stayed in the original red during its New Zealand period? Richard Longman has naturally been brought up, and this might have been asked before - these days I'm having a feeling of forgetting more than I'm remembering - but why did he leave the BTCC as a driver, entrant and preparer after the 1986 season? As a Ford man at the time, perhaps not as official as Andy Rouse, he could have continued to be a force in years to come with the RS500.

Jesper

[Racing RSi]

yes the car has always been Post Office Red, only the front os wing has been replaced.

Good point ..Why did Richard give up driving after 1986.. I will ask him when we next meet up... Who knows what he would get in BHP out of a RS500!! bet Andy Rouse would have had a harder time in keeping winning!!!!

[davyboy]

Originally Posted by Racing RSi

yes the car has always been Post Office Red, only the front os wing has been replaced.

Good point ..Why did Richard give up driving after 1986.. I will ask him when we next meet up... Who knows what he would get in BHP out of a RS500!! bet Andy Rouse would have had a harder time in keeping winning!!!!

Wasn't he involved in the MG Metro Challenge or something ? That's totally off the top of my head... so I could be miles off.

[Racing RSi]

yes your are right Davyboy.. he was involved with the Metros.. both the cars are still about,, in Asia.. but the Metro days were long before the Escorts.. I beleave that Richard's last 'tin top' was the RS Turbo in 1985 and 86..

[KA]

Originally Posted by Jesper OH

..and here's another person to appreciate the return of the Datapost RSi. I suspect the car stayed in the original red during its New Zealand period? Richard Longman has naturally been brought up, and this might have been asked before - these days I'm having a feeling of forgetting more than I'm remembering - but why did he leave the BTCC as a driver, entrant and preparer after the 1986 season? As a Ford man at the time, perhaps not as official as Andy Rouse, he could have continued to be a force in years to come with the RS500.

Jesper

That's an interesting question. I'm sure I remember him driving Minis in historic racing in the 90's (pretty sure he's made at least one appearance at the Goodwood Revival, and IIRC he was involved with at least one Mini in one of the FIA historic series in the 90's)

As an engine builder, didn't he do a fair bit of Peugeot work later on? IIRC some of Peugeot UK's rally projects used Longman engines- and I wouldn't swear to this, possibly some of the BTCC cars?

[Jesper OH]

Originally Posted by KA

As an engine builder, didn't he do a fair bit of Peugeot work later on? IIRC some of Peugeot UK's rally projects used Longman engines- and I wouldn't swear to this, possibly some of the BTCC cars?

That would have made it 1990s 405 Super Tourings then, as the only 1987-1990 Peugeot I can think of would have been the '89-Jordan 309 GTI.

Ecurie Ecosse sported Data Post colorings during their 1987 World Sports Car campain - would that be a clue? Longman quitting big time racing, leaving a sponsor or a sponsor leaving Longman, who then decided to quit the BTCC?

Jesper

[KA]

Originally Posted by Jesper OH

That would have made it 1990s 405 Super Tourings then, as the only 1987-1990 Peugeot I can think of would have been the '89-Jordan 309 GTI.

Ecurie Ecosse sported Data Post colorings during their 1987 World Sports Car campain - would that be a clue? Longman quitting big time racing, leaving a sponsor or a sponsor leaving Longman, who then decided to quit the BTCC?

Jesper

Yes, I'd have to dig out some old Autosports, but I think some of the ST Peugeots may have had Longman engines, and possibly some of the 406 Coupes and 307s from 2001 onwards.

Re: Ecurie Ecosse, yes, that's a good thought- I'd forgotten about the Royal Mail sponsorship on the Ecosse C2 in '87, though I thought that was usually Swiftair..
http://www.sportscar-racing.thesaxbys.co.uk/bh872.jpg

Maybe a change of marketing strategy at Royal Mail, to promote a different Royal Mail division or service in sportscar racing resulted in the Longman team losing their main sponsor? IIRC, in the 1986 BTCC thread, I mentioned a magazine article from Cars & Car Conversions magazine discussing the problems (small grids and shortened races) in the BTCC at that time, in which I'm sure Datapost were mentioned as one of the team sponsors who had expressed concern about the state of the series.

The Datapost BTCC deal had been a long-running one, going right back to Alan Curnow's Mini in the late 70's, then lasting through Fiestas, Metros, RS1600is and the RS Turbos:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/1678887...7624382877618/
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/martin.essam/btcc.htm
http://www.flickr.com/photos/1678887...7624382877618/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/1678887...7624382877618/

[billycooper]

Jus posted some more pics on my flickr site

http://www.flickr.com/photos/16788879@N02/

[Jesper OH]

Pick your marque and you're in heaven? Been looking at this and the GTV6 thread for never before seen pictures (my eyes at least). This type of happening tends to occur every once in in a while on 10-tenths. Welcome on board billycooper, and plese feel free to tell a story behind the pictures.

Jesper

[Racing RSi]

fantastic pictures turning up! keep them coming!

[KA]

Trying to work out how many individual RS1600is actually appeared in the BTCC...What I don't know is how many cars some of the longer-running teams (especially Brooklyn and Datapost) actually used

According to the entry lists we worked out in the individual season threads, they were as follows:

1983: all new cars,
2x Datapost (Richard Longman/Alan Curnow)
1x Brooklyn (Chris Hodgetts)
1x Pegasus Mouldings/Julian May (Jock Robertson) first appeared mid-season
1x Lloyds of Stafford (Rob Hall)
1x Abbott Racing (Lionel Abbott)

1984:
2x Datapost (Longman/Curnow)- were these new cars, or the '83 pair carried over?
1x Brooklyn (Hodgetts)- again, the '83 car, or a new one?
1x Pegasus/Julian May (Robertson)- presumably the original car, which first appeared mid-season in '83
1x Lloyds/Universal Grinding Wheels (Rob Hall)- run by John Maguire I think. Same car as in 83?
1x Total Oils (Barry Lee)

1985:
1x Datapost (Curnow) Longman ran an RS Turbo, and I think Curnow's RS1600i was Longman's 1984 chassis?
3x Brooklyn (Hodgetts/John Morris, plus Alex Moss late season. Presumably at least one of these was a new car. The Hodgetts car was shunted at Thruxton and a new one built. Hodgetts also used Tim Hill's Group A rallycar for at least one round. Was the Moss car new, a rebuild of the wrecked Hodgetts original, or the Tim Hill car?
1x John Jeffreys Engineering (Richard Belcher)- think this was an ex-Longman/Datapost car
1x North Essex/Julian May (Patrick Watts) crashed at Thruxton and a new one built
1x Marshall-Asquith (Karl Jones) a one-off at the GP- think Gregor M. told me on another forum that this was a car leased from Richard Longman, so presumably an ex-Datapost?
1x Barry Lee- just a couple of starts in his 1984 car.

As we know, Curnow's Datapost car and the Belcher/John Jeffreys car were both sold to New Zealand at the end of the season, and appeared in the 1985/6 Nissan-Mobil races.
IIRC, there was another ex-Datapost car in NZ which also ran the Nissan-Mobil races- which one was this? Curnow's 1984 car?

1986

1x Brooklyn (Paul Taft)- the 'new' Hodgetts car from mid-85
1x North Essex/Julian May (Belcher/Phil Dowsett)- the replacement car post-Thruxton '85
1x Abbott Racing (Lionel Abbott)- an early-season one-off- I guess this was his little-raced 1983 car, which I think was being advertised for sale during '86?

1987
1x North Essex/Julian May (Dowsett/Watts/Keith Norman- same car as 85
1x AJG Transport/Alan Gaunt (Belcher/Mark Goddard)- the ex-Hodgetts/Taft Brooklyn car from 85/6

1988

1x North Essex/Julian May (Vic Lee/Jeremy Rossiter/Barbara Cowell- the usual car dating back to 1985
1x AJG Transport/Alan Guant (Goddard) same car as 1987

[Racing RSi]

This was at Brands on 02-10-11.. needs a fair bit of work to be fully race preped. very original.

[James280]

Hello everyone. I have posted elsewhere but thought I would update this thread also.

I am the new owner of the EX BTCC Barry Lee RS1600i.

I have bought the car with the intention to restore it.

It has a lot of original features including the alloy cage!

It was raced in 1984 and 1985 by Barry Lee in BTCC and then sold on to a fellow Hot Rod racer (either Mark Homer or Tony Marren) and raced up until 1989 in the modified saloon series with an all steel Burton CVH on carbs.

Since then it sat in storage for years only seeing one or two track days hence why the alloy cage is still fitted. The engine met it's end on the last track day kindly preserving the underside of the car in a thin coat of oil!

I have received the car in hand painted Burton Power livery (complete with old telephone number!) with Tony Marren's name on the sides.

The car is still largely Group A specification including all the suspension setup.
With the exception of some internal panels removed for weight saving the shell is in fantastic condition! These will be returned as I believe Group A wouldn't allow.

I hope this makes for interesting reading!

One thing I am after is original Group A regulations from 84/85. As I want to make sure the car complies with these throughout the re-build.

Can anybody help with these?

Barry is hopefully going to help me with some images, but if anybody has photos other than the ones already posted I would be very grateful! Even if its from its mod saloon days.

cheers

James.

[rallycrosscraig]

Originally Posted by billycooper

Jus posted some more pics on my flickr site

http://www.flickr.com/photos/16788879@N02/

superb pictures here, some good memories from these (like the 85 RAC) thanks for sharing the pics.

[chunterer]

Originally Posted by Racing RSi

This was at Brands on 02-10-11.. needs a fair bit of work to be fully race preped. very original.

Please see this thread for an outlet if you can get her ready along with the atmo version maybe?

Same also goes for James 280!

Event catering for your cars at the Silverstone Classic next year - entries needed by end of this month.....

http://tentenths.com/forum/showthread.php?t=130844

[James280]

Thanks for that link Chunterer.

Might be a bit tight for that date though. We shall see!

[Racing RSi]

I am under the impression Chris Hodgetts has put me forward for this.... As for Richard or Alan.. not sure.... but to be honest one car in battle will age me dramatically.. so 3 isnt likley

[KA]

Just picking this thread up again- We seem to have a fair idea of what happened to a lot of the UK-based Group A Mk3s, but there are a couple of cars that are a bit of a mystery to me- a rarely-seen BTCC RS1600i, and a mystery RS Turbo

First of these is Lionel Abbott's RS1600i- this appeared in a handful of 1983 BTCC rounds, then seems to have disappeared until it had a single outing at Thruxton early in '86. Maybe in support of an attempt to sell it- the car was certainly being advertised in Autosport at some time that season (don't recall the year)

Second, and the one I know absolutely nothing about, is a Richard Longman RS Turbo that seems to have raced at Macau in 1986. All I know about this one comes from an ad in Autosport, when the car was for sale late the following year.

The ad describes it as a car built new in November 1986 for Macau, and only raced once, so it's looks like it's not one of the ex-BTCC Datapost cars- but does any one have more of an idea on this one?

I don't even know who drove it- the 'C(G?)2000' sponsorship in the picture might be a clue though- the Kaliber Sierra Andy Rouse took to Macau in 1988 had the same sponsorship.
The Rouse Sierra was then sold on to Adrian Fu, who entered it the following year- still with the same sponsorship, as has been discussed in the RS500 thread.
Does this sponsorship appearing on both cars suggest that Mr Fu was involved with the RS Turbo entry as well?

[Racing RSi]

Great to hear from you Kevan, (when are you coming round? to see these cars ;-)

I will ask Mr Longman about this one...

[Racing RSi]

Originally Posted by Racing RSi

Great to hear from you Kevan, (when are you coming round? to see these cars ;-)

I will ask Mr Longman about this one...

Spoken to Mr Longman about this.. it was made for a Adrain Foo.. The car was simular build spec to Richards 44 car. but what the car did after it left the UK isnt known. so obviously where it might be now also isnt known,

but its big Sister is alive going through a major over all.. back to full race..(300+ bhp)

[KA]

Thanks Graham- Adrian Fu's name seems to turn up in most of the Ford touring car threads we've done....

Apparently, he was in the hotel business in Hong Kong, and seems to have been a Macau regular around that time.
He came 2nd in 1982 in a BMW, but after that it looks like he was very much a 'Ford man' for the next few years- the Escort makes 3 Group A Fords we've been able to link his name to- all cars that came from the UK.

He apparently bought one of Andy Rouse's Capris in 1982/3...
http://www.fotop.net/Reis/Reis36/83_Capri_001
...the RS Turbo from Richard L. in 1986, and the ex-Guy Edwards Rouse/Kaliber RS500 for 1988- Rouse drove the Sierra in 1988 (3rd), and 'Gio Fan' in 1989/90.
http://tentenths.com/forum/attachmen...1&d=1318960149

I think this is him http://www.supercarclub.com/detail.php?292 although the career history lists him as being 'retired' 1985-90, so maybe he entered the Escort for another driver?
On the other hand, someone did say in the RS500 thread that the 'Gio Fan' in the Sierra wasn't a different driver, but a pseudonym that Fu raced under...

[chunterer]

Fantastic unearthing there guys, a rogue RST that has escaped the net!

Would be great to find out where it is now. Wonder if Fu kept it or whether it was sold back to Europe or anything like that. Although that advert does list Richard as the contact even when it was in HK?

OT quickly, I wish we could find more of the images of the cars that competed in the Guia race in the early Group A years as illustrated in that fotop.net link.