Gartrac made the earliest associate having David Sutton who had been the newest movie director off Clark & Simpson have been Ford dealers during the Sloane Square, London area. The cars had been mainly important and no roll cages, although not Gartrac supplied uprated suspension and you may powering methods section into skills.
Before the beginning of the fresh rally Dave Bignold is actually expected by Ford to search doing Clark & Simpson and you will complement rear amaze absorber turrets to the Rauno Aaltonen’s Ford Escort 1850 GT. The installation are complete quickly more than a week-end and Aaltonen’s auto try willing to participate about rally.
On the very early 70s, Gartrac modified Escort Mk1 bodyshells having Clark & Simpson for the London
The latest London – Mexico World Cup rally started at the Wembley Arena in the London on the April 19th 1970 layer just as much as 16,000 miles thanks to Europe and South america and finishing from inside the Mexico Area on may 27th 1970. The function try really winning getting Ford that have Hannu Mikola and Gunnar Palm successful the latest rally and you can Rauno Aaltonen and Henry Liddon completing third.
Gartrac went on development bits on Escort Mk1 rally automobiles. During the early seventies another well-known winnings are Hannnu Mikkola and you may Gunnar Palm’s 1972 Safari Rally victory in the Escort RS 1600. The two carry out grab a young head that they never lost and you may turned into the original non-African team in order to earn the East African Safari Rally.
seventies – New Really works Escort Mk2
These types of changes was in fact mostly installing amaze absorber turrets, steel ripple arches and reworking axle’s. Gartrac would customize dos-3 bodyshells weekly for a number of decades.
Gartrac is increasing inside character while the pure volume of work created that they must move from their quick workshop inside the Farnham, Surrey. They rapidly receive a special big working area during the Godalming, Surrey, helping them to undertake more professionals, and for that reason the productivity became substantially.
Ford had only introduced the brand new Escort Mk2 and you will realised Gartrac’s fast gains. Ford wanted a manufacturing team that may write Escort Mk2 bodyshells and you will pieces due to their really works rally party.
They wanted the new Mk2 bodyshells becoming identical having a package out of bits that installing every vehicles; it was false towards the Mk1. For each drivers’ auto mechanic would have their concept of an informed cure for build a motor vehicle, meaning zero several automobiles may be the exact same. This triggered difficulties whenever upkeep escortlook.de decisive hyperlink the vehicles to the events, as the parts did not match widely.
The newest functions Escort Mk1 bodyshells was indeed fabricated because of the Gomm Metal Improvements. These shells was basically gasoline welded otherwise nickel bronzed hence put high temperature and you may stress on the question, and this led to deformation and you may electricity difficulties. Ford need the fresh Escort Mk2 as welded using the brand new mig welding process. Gartrac got playing with mig welders for a while which aided safe a first acquisition for 5 bodyshells become produced on their direct specs.
Gartrac properly done your order and you may Ford is actually thus pleased with the quality of the artistry they instantaneously contracted Gartrac to help you entirely write Escort Mk2 bodyshells toward work people.
Ford including accredited Gartrac which will make pieces that will standardise the fresh new mechanic’s generate processes. They fabricated a massive group of pieces such as for example axle’s, radius rods, pedalboxes, stamina tanks and oils tanks and suspension system components.
Gartrac received a totally free reign at the time to provide suggestions about how Ford can make the vehicles better as well as accompanied their information slightly readily given that autos was as faster, stronger and more reputable.
New patterns was indeed altering for hours on end. Gartrac tends to make variations towards the axle to switch grip, Ford create then up-date illustrations to include the changes. They might following develop more differences for Tarmac and you will Forest programs. A similar process was utilized to develop the rest such as the newest system crossmembers, sump shield sets, pedalboxes and you may suspension system parts.
