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Planning to build a Champion book Locost
acb2713 - 19/4/13 at 06:37 PM

Hi, the amount of knowledge available here, and so freely given, never ceases to amaze me. It is with this thought in mind that I kindly ask for help.

I plan to build a Champion book Locost, using running gear from a Mk1 Escort with Cortina uprights. This will be purely a sunshine enjoying, road car. First of all, am I correct in thinking that the steering rack has to be from a Mk2 Escort and not the Mk1?

I also currently have two Mk2 Fiestas to dispose of shortly. Would you say that there is anything I could use from these cars, before they are sent away for scrap? Would the steering column be worth keeping, to use in my Locost? I ask specifically about the steering column, because of the way it is in two parts, with the lower half engaging the upper half through two bushes, rather than a UJ.

Would you suggest that there is anything else worth keeping, that can be utilised in my build? Any thoughts/suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks and regards,

Albert

Peteff - 19/4/13 at 07:04 PM

All the wiring, relays and switches if you are making your own loom and wheels for rolling your project round on.

mark chandler - 19/4/13 at 07:34 PM

MkI or mkII rack are both fine, one is imperial, the other metric.

You can use fiesta switch gear, column etc without any issues as you make it all fit the car anyway, mine has a sierra column as it was to hand.

As above strip the loom etc, if nothing else it will provide bits and pieces you can use.

Just build the bones with more caster than the book and have a search on bump steer, although I have an escort rack it has been shortern we.

Good luck

spiderman - 19/4/13 at 08:42 PM

From what I remember the MK1 steering rack has a different taper on the track rod ends to the MK2 and they don't fit the Cortina uprights. I have based my build on MK1 bits with Cortina uprights but have swapped the steering rack and rear axle as the wheel studs were different as well.

Not Anumber - 19/4/13 at 08:47 PM

Are you choosing a Ron Champion book car because you have a rwd Escort donor ready to go ?

acb2713 - 19/4/13 at 08:53 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Not Anumber
Are you choosing a Ron Champion book car because you have a rwd Escort donor ready to go ?


Yes, that is the reason.

As it happens, I have three Mk1 Escorts, one to be restored to original condition, another with slight frontal damage, bought to be used as a donor for the Locost while the third one was bought for its screenwash bottle. The complete car was the same price as the screenwash bottles were going for, on ebay.

acb2713 - 19/4/13 at 08:54 PM

quote:
Originally posted by spiderman
From what I remember the MK1 steering rack has a different taper on the track rod ends to the MK2 and they don't fit the Cortina uprights. I have based my build on MK1 bits with Cortina uprights but have swapped the steering rack and rear axle as the wheel studs were different as well.


I thought that somewhere I had read that there was a problem with using a Mk1 Escort steering rack.
Never mind, a new Mk2 rack is not that expensive.

acb2713 - 19/4/13 at 08:56 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Peteff
All the wiring, relays and switches if you are making your own loom and wheels for rolling your project round on.


I thought about that. Only problem is, it will be quite a job getting the complete loom out.
But I shall try.

I had planned to keep the wheels and tyres, as there is still a lot of tread left on them.

[Edited on 19-4-2013 by acb2713]

[Edited on 20-4-2013 by acb2713]

steve m - 20/4/13 at 07:54 AM

MK 1 escorts over here are worth a lot of money, so would be a shame to scrap one for a locost

acb2713 - 20/4/13 at 07:59 AM

quote:
Originally posted by steve m
MK 1 escorts over here are worth a lot of money, so would be a shame to scrap one for a locost


Unfortunately, rust has no respect for value. Hence the reason for using them as a donor.

However, I do plan to save as much as I can from the both of them, to keep as a source of spares for the one I plan to restore.

Even locally, they are now fetching quite a good price. Glad I got mine a few years ago.

britishtrident - 20/4/13 at 08:16 AM

MK1 rack is no use because the threads do not fit Cortina 3 to 5 track rod ends BUT if you have access to a scrap Cortina Mk3 to 5 rack you can make make a Mk2 Escort rack by combining Cortina & Mk1 Escort parts.

This may also be possible to combine the Escort rack with Fiesta Mk1 or MK2 rack parts but I don't know if the parts are compatible, the track rods may also require extenders fitted

acb2713 - 20/4/13 at 08:25 AM

quote:
Originally posted by britishtrident
MK1 rack is no use because the threads do not fit Cortina 3 to 5 track rod ends BUT if you have access to a scrap Cortina Mk3 to 5 rack you can make make a Mk2 Escort rack by combining Cortina & Mk1 Escort parts.

This may also be possible to combine the Escort rack with Fiesta Mk1 or MK2 rack parts but I don't know if the parts are compatible, the track rods may also require extenders fitted


Thanks for the info, but it sounds like too much work for little or no gain. Easier to go for a Mk2 rack straight away, in that case.

[Edited on 20-4-2013 by acb2713]

britishtrident - 20/4/13 at 10:40 AM

quote:
Originally posted by acb2713
quote:
Originally posted by britishtrident
MK1 rack is no use because the threads do not fit Cortina 3 to 5 track rod ends BUT if you have access to a scrap Cortina Mk3 to 5 rack you can make make a Mk2 Escort rack by combining Cortina & Mk1 Escort parts.

This may also be possible to combine the Escort rack with Fiesta Mk1 or MK2 rack parts but I don't know if the parts are compatible, the track rods may also require extenders fitted


Thanks for the info, but it sounds like too much work for little or no gain. Easier to go for a Mk2 rack straight away, in that case.

[Edited on 20-4-2013 by acb2713]


Not an enormous amount of work just changing over the track rods.