How To Modify: Escort Mk6 - Fast Ford

How to modify:
/ modifying guide / MK6 escort/
escort mk6
Not as pokey as RS-badged
Escorts, but with the right bits
the late 16-valve Zetec models
can mix with the best of ’em.
Despite
the absence of the
legendary RS badge, lastof-the-line
Escorts still had some pleasant surprises.
They’re a cracking second-hand buy with a cockpit full
of goodies, and a gutsy Zetec 16-valve up front, but
without the price tag of an RS-branded model.
There are a few Mk6s you should avoid, namely
the 1.3 and 1.4-litre models, which use the older, and
frankly slow, CVH engines. Stick to the 1.6 and 1.8-litre
Zetec 16-valvers and you’ll be on to a winner. Obviously
the fastest Mk6 in standard form is the RS2000 with
150 bhp on tap, but we’ll stick to looking at models that
won’t have your bank manager going crazy.
EnginE
Even though in this guide we are only
looking at the 1.6 and 1.8-Zetec
versions, there are still a number
of different variations. There are
three different 1.8-litre Zetec engines
available. Firstly there was the ‘pre-
98’ Zetec, which had hydraulic lifters
and smaller valves than the solid
lifter equipped ‘post-98’ Zetec. That
same engine was found in the Fiesta
RS1800, which had 130 bhp.
For the benefit of this guide,
and to make sure things don’t get
too confusing we’re going to stick
with the most common engine; the
115 bhp ‘pre-98’ 1.8-litre Zetec. If you
have one of the other Zetecs under
your bonnet don’t panic, the same
work can be carried out and similar
bhp gains can be expected.
Right, now we know which engine
we’re talking about let’s get on with
upping the power. First on your
shopping list will be a decent induction
kit and exhaust so you can get more air
in and out faster. Vulcan Engineering can
supply you with a K&N 57i kit for £78, a
four-branch 2.25 inch Ashley manifold
for £160, and a 2.25 inch complete
exhaust system for £175.
It may seem a bit expensive for
the first step, but will see gains of
around 6-8 bhp, make a lovely noise,
and set you in the right direction for
future mods. If you add in an uprated
chip from Collins Performance at £235
you can squeeze out another 10 bhp.
With the air flowing freely, it’s time to
look at getting more fuel into the engine.
Vulcan offers its Maxiflow 1 head for
£650, which comes with brand-new
valves and guides, and will give you an
extra 12 bhp thanks to the porting,
polishing and gasflowing. Nail in a set
of Kent cams at £390 and you’ll have
another 6 or 7 bhp at your disposal.
The next step would be a Maxiflow 2
head, which includes bigger valves as
well as all the porting and gasflowing
work. They come in at £795 but will gain
you 20 bhp, if you’ve made the exhaust
and induction mods. You can then
couple this with a set of slightly more
aggressive cams at £390 for another
12-15 ponies.
After this stage you’re going to be
looking at digging deep into your
pockets to fund a set of throttle bodies.
A cheaper option would be to source
the single throttle body and plenum
from a 2-litre Zetec, as this will gain
around 10 bhp on top of the other mods.
For a throttle body kit you can expect
to pay around £2200, which sounds a lot
but you do get plenty of kit for your
money. The kit includes Jenvey throttle
This GTi’s owner has done a great
job of turning it into something a
bit special. Good effort sir!
bodies, an Omex management system
and all the wiring and gubbins needed
to make them work. A session on the
rollers may be required at this point to
make the most of the mods, but you can
expect to see an increase of 20 bhp.
With all the mods mentioned so far
you should be looking at around 175-
180 bhp for your Mk6, which is probably
enough for everyday road use. However,
if you did want to go crazy Vulcan can
build you an engine to your individual
spec, just don’t forget your chequebook.
If you didn’t fancy tuning the N/A way
you could always opt for a turbo. Engine
Advantages offers the forced induction
conversion on a ‘drive-in, drive-out’
basis for £3000. For this you will get a
T25 turbo, front-mount intercooler, all
the necessary pipework, an uprated
chip to run with the turbo, and a session
on the rollers to ensure everything’s
working. Typical bhp gains for
whacking on a turbo are about a 70-80
bhp. You could opt for a high boost
turbo conversion capable of 400-plus
bhp, but that’s a major rebuild and will
be very expensive.
Another quick and easy way to get
more out of the Zetec is to bolt on a
bottle of N20. A standard 1.8 Zetec will
be able to cope with a 50 bhp shot of
nitrous without any problems, and it’s
fairly cheap at around £1000 fitted.
That’ll give you something to talk about
down the pub...
EnginE swaps
The most obvious engine transplant
is to drop in the RS2000 I4 lump, as
this will provide 150 bhp in standard
trim and will fit straight in without
too much trouble. The only problem
is finding a decent I4 engine at the
right price. You don’t see many on
the road let alone in the scrap yard,
and if you do find a bent one, the
chances are someone has already
robbed the engine.
Another option would be to fit
the engine and ‘box from a Focus
ST170. This gives you more power
than the RS2000 engine, and also
has the advantage of a six-speed
gearbox already hooked up on the
end of it. The only headache with
this transplant is that the Focus is
wider than the Escort, so you would
need a pair of modified driveshafts for
it to work.
The ultimate transplant also
involves robbing bits from a Focus,
the RS model. The 2-litre
turbocharged engine is tunable to
around 350 bhp without too much
Words: Jamie King
Photos: Gerard Hughes
effort, and will drop into the hole
where your 1.6 or 1.8 Zetec used to
live.
With the RS having an even
wider track than the normal Focus,
the driveshafts will need looking at
again, but put simply you just need
to chop more out of them than you
would if fitting the ST170 set-up.
The Focus RS motor will fit without much bother
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0130
Transmission
The IB5 ‘box found in the Zetec models is
fairly strong in standard form, so unless
you’re bolting on a turbo and going for
massive power there’s not much to do
here. If you are intent on big power
Competition Transmission Services can
supply a Quaife gear set for £1225.
One thing worth looking at if you are
increasing the power is the diff. The
Zetec models didn’t come with an LSD
so you may have a few traction issues.
CTS can do you a Quaife ATB diff for
£495, which is seriously worth
considering if you use the car everyday.
Other than that you can speed the
gear changes up with a B&M
quickshifter for £165.
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EXTErior
Any mods will depend on the look you’re after. Cosworth replica kits are
available for the Mk6 if you want to go down that route, or you could
try one of the modern and more adventurous kits.
There are loads of different style bonnets, light clusters and
decal kits currently available, so making your Mk6 truly custom
shouldn’t be a problem. Have a quick look through the pages of
FF and you’ll find all the stuff you’re looking for, and more.
Sleek bonnet vent helps
cool the blown motor

inTErior
The interior design depends largely on
your taste. If you want the inside to look
like Henry built it, but don’t want the
nasty standard trim then think about
robbing the interior from a dead RS2000.
The half leather Recaros add a bit luxury,
and are fairly cheap if you can get a
decent second-hand set.
Other than that, the options of
aftermarket bucket seats, dash kits,
gauges, lighting and other interior styling
products are endless, from a stripped-out
track slag to a blinged-up cruiser. Give
specialists like Essex Racing, Demon
Tweeks, and ESP Design a bell.
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Standard interior is quite funky,
but even better with a retrim
Standard GTi skirts work well
with the ST24 rear bumper
You can even watch
your fave flick while
on board this tidy GTi
Quality ICE install lets the
neighbours know Luci is home

BrakEs
How mad you need to go on your
stoppers will depend how much
you’ve tuned the motor, and what you
use the car for. At the very least you
should be looking at a decent set of
pads. LPS offers a set of EBC Green Stuff
pads for £40, and if you’re after a set of
drilled and grooved discs, these come in at
£110.
If you want monster brakes you can
get brackets made up to allow fitment
of Cossie discs and callipers, but for real
stopping power you want a set of Tar-Ox
278 mm discs and six-pot callipers,
which LPS can do for a very respectable
£750 for the complete kit.
There are insane brake conversions
out there, like the Tar-Ox 330 mm disc
and 10-pot calliper kit, which cost a
fortune at £1900, and really are too
much for Fast Road use, but if your
Escy is a track animal it may be
worth considering.
If you’re going to play with the
fronts it might be worth looking at a
rear disc conversion too. The most
common, and cost-effective, way to
get rear discs is to rob them off an
RS2000. The beauty of this is that
most of the parts are still available
from Ford, so refurbing them
before refitting isn’t a problem.
wHEELs & TYrEs
As with most Fords there is a wide
range of alloys that will fit, and more
importantly suit the style you’re
going for. You don’t have to stick
with aftermarket rims, as there are
plenty of genuine Ford items to
choose from.
Loud and low, just
how we like ’em
Big brake kits all-round:
look good, stop better
A set of 17s will fit under the Escort
arches without any problems, but
bigger than that and you’re looking at
chopping away at the side of your car.
There are dealers who will give you
exactly what you want, so flick through
the mag and make some calls.
suspEnsion
What you use your Mk6 for will
greatly influence your choice of
suspension. The Escort’s handling in
standard form was a bit wobbly to
say the least, so a decent set of
dampers and lowering springs will be
high on the to-do list. Any of the big
names like AVO, SPAX, and KW will be
able to supply you with a decent
lowering kit. We’d recommend not
just going for the lowering springs, as
they won’t match the shocks and will
simply lower the car, not necessarily
improve the handling.
To firm things up more you could
go for a front and rear strut brace, if
you haven’t filled the boot with ICE,
and fit a set of polyurethane bushes.
If you want anything stiffer than
a lowering kit, or if you use your car
on the track, you’ll be looking at
shelling out around £500 for a set
of coil-overs. Although they may be
a bit harsh for everyday road use,
they are essential for the track
as they offer adjustable ride height
and damper settings.
Fast Ford november 2006
0135

minE aLL minE...
Luciano Pini has owned this sorted
Mk6 1.8 GTi for eight years now, but
tells us that it was standard up until
four years ago. “It wasn’t until I started
going to the shows that I thought
about doing the car up properly; turn it
into something special.”
Luci’s motor has come a long way
is those four years, as he explains: “It
started out just by changing the lights,
and it kind of snowballed from there.”
The Escort’s first mods were
mostly external, with the addition
of a bonnet scoop, bad-boy bonnet,
Prowler front bumper, ST24 rear
bumper, blue tinted headlights, and
Lexus-style rear lights. Not surprising
when you learn that Luci is a
bodyshop man by trade, so does most
of the styling mods himself.
With the looks taken care of, Luci
decided he wanted more grunt so
opted for a turbo conversion. Prism
Motorsport carried out the job, and
the Escort now features a T25 turbo,
chargecooler, ported and polished
head, high lift cams, Powerboost
valve, K&N induction kit, and a
Superchip, and now turns out 197
bhp. The exhaust is a one-off jobbie
made by Powerflow, and to help the
exhaust flow even more Luci is
getting a custom manifold made up
by Primary Designs, which should
give him a few more ponies to play
with.
Stopping is taken
care of by a Cossie bigdisc
conversion with
Hi-Spec four-pots at
the front, and a
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disc conversion at the rear, whilst
the handling is kept in check thanks
to a set of Gaz coil-overs.
Luci’s Mk6 has still got the original
GTi electric seats in place, but they
have taken a trip to A1 Trimmers for
a full retrim in grey and silver leather,
as have the door cards. Staying
inside, Luci’s filled the Escort up with
a host of toys, including a DVD
player, a 12 inch monitor in the boot,
a PS2, and sat nav.
He’s looking at putting the Escort
in concours competitions next year,
and has even gone to the extent of
painting the underside of the car. “I
belong to both the FEOC and
FordSport and do the shows with
them. I’ve won seven competitions
so far, but now I want to go into
concours the car will be coming off
the road in December for me to
clean every nut and bolt on it, ready
for next year.”
With one sorted Escort,
Luci has definitely got
something to smile about
SPECIAlISTS
AVO UK
01604 708101
www.avouk.com
BPJ Services
01432 351006
Collins Performance
01260 279604
www.powerchips.com
Competition Transmission Services
01582 840008
www.gearboxman.co.uk
Engine Advantages
01376 502522
www.engine-advantages.co.uk
LPS
01473 610102
www.lpsauto.co.uk
Vulcan Engineering
020 8579 3202
www.vulcanengines.com
TYPICAl PRICES
Uprated chip £235
Ashley 4-branch manifold £160
Ashley exhaust system £175
Big-valve Maxiflow 2 head
(exchange) £795
Fast Road cams
(pair, exchange) £390
Tar-Ox 278 mm discs and
six-pot callipers £750
AVO coil-overs £500
Quaife ATB £495
ClubS
Escort Evolution
www.escortevolution.
co.uk
Ford Escort OC
www.feoc-uk.com