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Escorts have been around for quite a while now, and almost everything that can be done to one, has been done. What was considered by many to be ‘Modified’ is now so common place as to almost be classified as the new ‘Standard’. 1700 crossflows, 2100 Pintos and even Cosworth conversions are not exactly ‘rare’ nowadays. Many other engine swaps have been tried and few can really match the magic of a screaming crossflow or Pinto on full throttle. For maximum power, there is little to compete with a well sorted Cosworth, which is far superior to shear brute torque of big V8’s in an Escort, keep your V8’s where they belong, in trucks...
Modern engines do have a place in Escorts, but they are not ideally suited to extracting big power without resorting to replacing every internal component. This is due to the fact that modern vehicles are , by enlarge, computer designed, to give maximum efficiency with minimum cost. Each and every component is built to do its job with a minimal margin of safety, whereas crossflows and Pintos were built to last, with a high margin of safety built in. It is relatively easy and safe to double, treble or even quadruple the power output of a crossflow without having to change the major components such as crankshaft and con rods. A Zetec, for example, can only be improved by 60% or 70% before you have to start changing these items, thanks to computer design.
Putting a big V8 or V6 into an Escort to increase performance is a complete non-starter. For a start, £ for £, a V6 or V8 won’t rev as high as a small 4 pot, and revs make speed. You MAY accelerate faster due to the higher torque of the bigger engine, but that is only relevant on the Drag Strip, because when you get to a corner, your big, heavy V8 will want to go straight on. It is not impossible to make a GOOD V6 or V8 Escort, but very few, if any, will beat a properly sorted Cosworth engined car.
It is a sad fact that the vast majority of modified cars are CONSIDERABLY WORSE than the ‘standard’ cars they are trying to better. Poor engineering, lack of skills, lack of funds and a lack of pure common sense to do a safe and sensible conversion are just some of the reasons ‘Car Enthusiasts’ are frowned upon by the Police and others. ‘Shiney bits’ under the bonnet don’t really make up for the fact that the floor is rotten and the brakes don’t work.
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