For Sami Hietanaro, there was never ever any concern about which car brand name he had actually promise his obligation to. That may sound a bit significant, however when your moms and dads are passionate Ford lovers, the enthusiasm grows on you.
From a young age, Sami read Ford Escort sales brochures, and rapidly comprehended that those bearing the ‘Cosworth’ name were the ones to keep an eye out for. In 2013, on the cusp of the legal driving age in Finland, Sami stumbled throughout a 1994 Ford Escort RS Cosworth with a huge turbo setup. To top it off, the cars and truck was covered with a white and red Repsol WRC livery as a homage to Juha Kankkunen’s cars and truck in the Neste Rally Finland 1997. The offer was too excellent to skip, so the purchase was made.
On top of the huge turbo, the Cossie had a number of other adjustments, consisting of an aftermarket ECU and a really loud exhaust. At that time, the Ford was making a dyno-proven 350hp on 1.3 bar (19psi) increase, however as Sami didn’t have his motorist license, it was his daddy who took pleasure in the cars and truck. To be reasonable, Sami was frequently in the guest seat.
In Between 2013 and 2017 the YB engine was offered a modified turbo upgrade and a brand-new consumption manifold. An Oppliger Motorsport transmission likewise discovered its method into the cars and truck, as did a huge brake set. However in spite of these rewarding upgrades, the Escort still had some worrying faults, and prior to Sami or his daddy understood it, the bare chassis was holding on a dolly.
Removing the Escort right back to its frame exposed a number of rusty locations. After metal was bonded into the issue areas and other little bodywork flaws were looked after, it was time to pick the paint. Sami states that there’s something unique about red Escorts, so Ford’s ‘Race Red’ is a fitting option.
To install the brand-new turbo, a custom-made exhaust manifold with billet collector was made by good friends at Luisu’s Garage, a familiar name in the Finnish fabrication scene. On top of the collector lives a Garrett G30-770 turbo (G25-660 at the time images were taken) that blows a large 1.8 bar (26psi) of increase.
Fitting the previously mentioned consumption manifold supplied a little bit of a headache. A plenum setup would not fit, so Sami relied on Jarno Kauppila who 3D-modeled and flow-tested a special carbon fiber variation that fits with simply millimeters to spare.
The Escort’s OEM fusebox is notoriously undependable, so it was updated to RacePak’s PDM (power circulation module) together with all the circuitry. A MaxxECU Race engine management system is now providing the shooting orders. And lastly, the driveline was uprated with with an Oppliger front and Ford Scorpio 7.5-inch rear differential, with Gripper LSDs at both ends.
When the brakes were updated with a 330mm AP Racing front set, Compomotive TH wheels were included, total with Ford Motorsport sticker labels and turbofans in advance to finish the appearance. In the suspension department you’ll discover GAZ coilovers and uprated control arms.
The factory Recaro-appointed interior has actually been left in its spick-and-span, stock condition, with the exception of a Sparco deep-dish wheel, a brand-new rally-style shift knob, and a Haltech/RacePak IQ3 digital dash.
In July in 2015, the Cossie was launched for the very first time because its restore. Sami remained in test mode for a while, securely driving with 0.3 bar (4.5 psi) of turbo pressure. All of the unknown noises from the competition-spec (and pricey) transmission were unpleasant initially, however all that broke was a wheel bearing, so absolutely nothing significant was at fault.
Well, not up until the cars and truck’s very first appropriate shakedown, a drag racing occasion, which occurred on the day of this shoot. The turbo’s compressor wheel provided, so this was the driver for Sami updating to the larger G30-770 later on.
The cars and truck was still drivable, so we took the chance at the airfield place to shoot our images in front of a famous Douglas DC-3, which is still functional to this day.
In the middle of the shoot, Sami’s buddy rolled by in his Sierra RS Cosworth, so I made them a household picture.
After the brand-new turbo was set up, Sami took the cars and truck for another competitive shakedown. While the engine’s precise power figure is not presently understood, it remains in the 500hp area– a 3.9-second 0-60mph time on a moist track is evidence that this cars and truck isn’t brief on grunt. Ever since, the Escort was driven flawlessly for more than 3,000 miles in 2020, so it’s safe to state it’s been developed right.
Now that 2021 is here, Sami is all set to appropriately take pleasure in the very best of what Ford UK and Cosworth needed to use in the ’90s– with some additional efficiency for excellent step.
Vladimir Ljadov
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