Cosworth conversion

[kaisersolsay]

Hi chaps,

About to start this summers project - 1965 Airflow with 4x4 Cosworth block and running gear.

I have already mated a 4x4 Sierra floor-pan to the shell for easy installation, and I am now looking for the necessary bits and bobs required. (If anyone knows of a block and box, please PM me!).

Does anyone have any prior experience of such installations? I know that there have been quite a few done in the past, and its always nice to speak to someone who's gone through the niggles and frustrations to learn from their mistakes!!

I have been told to go for a hydraulic clutch instead of a cable system as the cabling can be a complete pain in the rear to route.....anyone got any input?

I will post some pictures later tonight and will add regularly to this post as I go along.

Cheers in advance!

Dominic - Perthshire, Scotland.

[jewels]

hi dominic and welcome :)

theer a few members here who have had done this conversion themselves
so im sure they can help you out

cosworths only ever came to australia in race cars or priovate imports so they are all but super rare here
and very expensive so its not a common choice for us aussies

but i to would like to follow your build

i do know most change to a rack and pinion

[Bertil]

As I understand you have taken a Sierra floor pan and mated it with a Cortina shell. A friend of mine have done this and he is currently fitting the car after spraying it.
He have been thru all hard parts, but it is difficult to expain them detailed in words. For example the Cortina shell will be to narrow for the Sierras wheel track width, you will have to: 1. widen the body in some way 2. fit wider wheel arches (will make the car look like shit a Cortina does not look good like the MkI Escort do with bubble arches) 3. narrow all you can in the front and rear suspension. My friend have gone for number 3. He have fitted adjustable TCA´s from Rally Design and moved the strut tops slightly inwards and have managed to get the wheels inside the arches. Rear he have machined every surface a couple of mm´s and have managed to narrow it all by about 5 cm / side. This along with widening the body by pressing it apart with an hydraulic crash repair device have made a car that looks like a Cortina MkI with Sierra Cosworth wheels. Splendid work I must say!!!
Alot of work and machining involved here, you can choose this way or the easy way using arches, you will end up with a good looking car or something that looks like an awful 70´s super saloon. Your choise.

For power he will use a 700 bhp YB 4x4 engine, ferguson box and quaife diffs at both front and rear. Only good expensive good stuff in this car, not a penny saved anywhere. I will post some pics when it is finished not a day before.

BTW, I don´t understand what say about the clutch...