Aussie rarity

[Dave Knight]

https://www.carandclassic.com/auctions/1970-ford-escort-twin-cam-avo-gDjLa4
 

One for you @Rally Pack 2000

The interior is something else. 👌

[Rally Pack 2000]

Its a bit of a beauty and good to see the original airfilter still used and intact.

There is always a bit of confusion between British Built Twincams and Australian built ones but they are probably the closest in spec to each other than any other model. The author of the ad is merging some facts with the British and Australian ones. He quotes a number of 1263 being built and blends that number as if that’s how many shells that came out of Halewood. Yet we know that figure accurately to be 883 so the 2 seem to be conflicting in the way he states it. Both figures are accurate in a way 883 British Twincams were made but 1263 Australian Twincams were made. So in actually fact just over 2000 Twincams were built. The CK prefix or Complete Knockdown term is the prefix for all Australian Escorts so even 1300s have that. It just means that Australia didnt make much of it and most of the parts and panels were shipped in boxes like a big jigsaw and we made additions to adapt to local conditions and preferences. Even RP2000 has a CK prefix and it was most definitely built here as it has unique body panels like the rear valence so as to accommodate the rear fuel filler system for the bigger tank. Twincam shells were assembled here just like all the others and that’s why they aren’t all white like the British ones. There were removed from the production line to have changes made like adding the Twincam Engines and other unique parts like the remote booster etc and given the CK49 designation.  They even ran out of shells at one point that they hastily shipped a number of shells destined to be 1300GTs from that line and turned into Twincams instead and thus we see CK48 prefixed Twincams out there. (Remembering all Australian Shells are strengthened shells making it easier to do stuff like that) If the shells had been sent complete from the UK destined for Twincams as suggested here then there wouldn’t have been a need to oxy out a piece of the slam panel to make the larger radiator fit after the shell was already painted. This dodgy cut is like a signature that differs from one Twincam to another. They didn’t even bother to paint it but just covered it with a triangle profile metal strip to make it look like a cleanly manufactured British one.

With colour we also offered a few interior trim colours and Deluxe packages (that seemed to vary on the day with what you got) that gave some fake wood and chrome strips for door, dash and rear sides. Some had Black around the side windows and some left body coloured. Mirrors changed year by year over the 3 years they were made and a good method to date one if original. The seats are definitely not original as stated. Australian Twincams never got sports buckets like that. A 1970 Twincam would would have the most basic tilt forward seats with no headrest.

While fully restored it does show that it was some time ago. The typical brake fluid leak at the reservoir shows the paint of the reservoir bracket looking like it was sprayed with paint stripper.  They say it hasn’t done many miles since restoration but the crackle finish on the cam cover is pretty worn which suggests is has done a fair few miles since it was restored. Unless they didn’t bother with the cam cover which would seem unlikely.

I have been fortunate enough to drive 16 Twincams. The first a kid at my high school had a yellow one. (Not a bad first car I remember thinking for a Provisional driver) The last one the guy was following me  home in a work truck and I thought I better stop round the corner rather than lead him to where the cars are housed so I pulled up and puffed my chest out and thought if this guy is bigger than me im stuffed, (which he was!) but he got out of his truck saying I didnt mean to scare you I just wanted to know if you wanted to sell your wheels (My Capri Lasers). He said he has just bought a Twincam Escort and did I know what one of those was? I replied "as a matter of fact I do" Ended up fixing his clutch slave cylinder that the circlip had fallen off and got a drive the first in quite a few years as their availability tapered off. Its easy when you have one to do swapsies with other owners for fun. Interestingly no two Twincams EVER drove alike with their hand built nature showing at every turn. But I always test drove them when I saw one for sale which I remember one was only the street over from me (photos below) just parked on the street with a sign. (wondering if you can do that in the UK these days? 😁) He wanted the equivalent of 3000 quid but it been modified for round headlights so ......... nah too expensive. Later bought mine for 2000 quid at least 5 years after that. I once found a Twincam with the Lotus engine removed and a 1600 Kent in its place at a used car dealer in Sydney for 700 quid. But hey without the engine how much can a complete original and registered and running shell be worth right? (slap me)

While Twincams do attract a great deal of sentimentality and I do love the car I would gladly swap it in a instant for a Mk1 RS2000. A bit of parts sharing with RP2000 wouldn’t go astray. But it can be a prima-donna. Shooting the hydraulic clutch pin out on a M4 off ramp as I was gearing down and it choosing that Australian temperatures were not too its liking as the fuel would pre-atomize or something and it would run like it was on 3 cylinders if the ambient temperature got over 35 degrees centigrade. Which is basically the whole of summer! I do buy parts for it every now and then when the bank manager stops laughing at me but those early wide dash switches are criminally expensive! Its mainly used to store wheels and stuff these days until i bother to tinker with it.

Fun fact - A NSW country farmer wanted a few vans for his deliveries but the biggest engine for Mk1 Vans was a 1300. He ask for and was supplied 4 Twincam Mk1 Vans by Ford Australia none of which are known to survive today.

Hmmm been a while since I went all long post anorak on you!

[Dave Knight]

Brilliant post James. The twin cam van sounds 🔥
 

I’m flying you over if I’m ever in a position to buy one. 😂 Maybe someone should reply to him with, yes it has done a few miles since the restoration. 😁

There’s an anorak in all of us.