Sophisticated cars

Press, 12 July 1979, Page 19

Sophisticated cars

The cars that the top Europeans will drive in the Motogard Rally may look like their everyday, around-town cousins, but under the skin they are highly-stressed, sophisticated machines. Here are some facts about the cars that give them their startling performance on all kinds cf road surface. FORD ESCORT RSIBOO The Escort has a drysumped twin over-head camshaft alloy motor of 1993 cu cm, which has twin ' side-draught Weber carburettors and produces 260 b.h.p. at 8500 r.p.m. This power is handled by a triple-plate clutch and five-forward-speed steel ZF gearbox and heavyduty limited-slip differential.

Dunlop tyres ranging from extra-wide, hand-cut racing tyres to narrow snow tyres are available to the works Fords and these, are fitted to light, alloy wide wheels. The RSIBOO has gas/oil shock absorbers all round and the engine’s power is put on the ground effectively by the four-link rear suspension. Braking is handled by 10 3/Bin discs on all wheels.

The Escort RSIBOO is the latest in a long line of Ford competition cars to be developed at Ford’s competitions centre at Boreham, Essex. VAUXHALL CHEVETTE DTV

The Chevette has a 2279 cu cm twin-cam drysumped motor with twin Dellorto carburettors and produces 240 b.h.p. at 7000 r.p.m. Transmission, is handled by a tripleplate clutch and five-speed ZF gearbox.

Suspension is by gasfilled shock-absorbers all round and braking by four-wheel discs. Rear suspension is trailing arm with coil springs and Panhard rod. The Chevette runs on Dunlop tyres in a wide variety of compounds fitted to lightweight magnesium alloy Campagnolo and Minilite wheels. Additional spotlights are Bosch.

The Chevette’s biggest advantage over the Escort is the better torque from its larger motor. After the Motogard rally Pentti Airikkala’s Chevette will be converted to righthand drive and will remain in New Zealand to be driven in nationalchampionship and club rallies by the Aucklander, Steve Millen. The rally Chevettes are built at Bill Blydenstein’s Dealer team Vauxhall workshop at Shepreth, near Cambridge. DATSUN 160 J Both the Escort and Chevette are group four cars (group four is for highly modified sedans and only 400 units need built every two years). The Datsuns that will be driven here by Salonen Dawson are group two cars, which means that 1000 must be built each year, and modifications are limited.

However, the rally Datsun 160 J is a very strong car and comes into its in tough going and bad weather. The car has a 1951 cu cm wet-sump single overhead camshaft motor with twin Solex carburettors and produces 195 b.h.p. at 7400 r.p.m. A single-plate clutch links the engine with the five-speed closeratio gearbox.

Front suspension is Macpherson strut and the live axle is located by four links. The Datsun has coil springs and gas shock absorbers all round. The car has ventilated disc brakes at the front and finned drums at the rear.

The Datsun uses vari-ous-sized wheels depending on the type Of Dunlop tyre being used — for the Motogard no less than 187 wheels and tyres will be available to the two works cars.

The Motogard Datsuns were prepared at Nissan’s competitions centre in Japan.