Gartrac produced its basic associate with David Sutton who was the brand new movie director from Clark & Simpson who have been Ford people when you look at the Sloane Square, London area. The vehicles were mainly simple with no move cages, yet not Gartrac given uprated suspension and you will powering hardware parts toward experiences.
Just prior to the start of this new rally Dave Bignold is requested of the Ford to search to Clark & Simpson and you will match butt surprise absorber turrets on Rauno Aaltonen’s Ford Escort 1850 GT. Installing the device was done easily more a sunday and you will Aaltonen’s automobile is actually willing to contend about rally.
On the very early 70s, Gartrac modified Escort Mk1 bodyshells to possess Clark & Simpson into the London
The fresh new London – Mexico Business Glass rally been on Wembley Stadium into the London area towards April 19th 1970 layer approximately sixteen,000 kilometers thanks to European countries and you can South america and you will finishing during the Mexico Urban area may 27th 1970. Case is very effective to have Ford that have Hannu Mikola and Gunnar Palm profitable the fresh new rally and you may Rauno Aaltonen and you may Henry Liddon finishing third.
Gartrac went on development pieces toward Escort Mk1 rally vehicles. In the early 1970s several other greatest victory try Hannnu Mikkola and you may Gunnar Palm’s 1972 Safari Rally win regarding the Escort RS 1600. The two create need an early lead that they never shed and turned into the initial low-African team so you can earn the newest Eastern African Safari Rally.
70s – The fresh new Performs Escort Mk2
Such variations was indeed generally fitting amaze absorber turrets, material ripple arches and you will reworking axle’s. Gartrac carry out customize dos-step 3 bodyshells per week for a lot of age.
Gartrac are growing for the profile and pure volume of performs meant that they must go from its quick workshop for the Farnham, Surrey. It quickly discover go to my site a unique huge working area when you look at the Godalming, Surrey, permitting them to accept a whole lot more employees, and for that reason its production grew drastically.
Ford got merely brought out the fresh Escort Mk2 and you may realised Gartrac’s quick growth. Ford was looking for a manufacturing organization that will build Escort Mk2 bodyshells and you may pieces for their performs rally group.
They wanted the fresh new Mk2 bodyshells getting similar with a kit away from parts one to installing all of the vehicles; this is not the case towards the Mk1. For every drivers’ mechanic would have their thought of a knowledgeable means to fix make an auto, meaning zero two autos may be the same. So it brought about issues whenever servicing the vehicles into the situations, due to the fact bits did not fit widely.
The really works Escort Mk1 bodyshells was in fact fabricated from the Gomm Material Improvements. These shells have been gas welded or nickel bronzed and this set great temperature and fret for the procedure, and therefore contributed to deformation and electricity troubles. Ford wanted the fresh new Escort Mk2 as welded utilising the the fresh new mig welding techniques. Gartrac is playing with mig welders for some time and therefore assisted secure an initial purchase for five bodyshells to-be produced on the direct specs.
Gartrac properly complete the order and you may Ford try so happy with the caliber of this new workmanship it instantly developed Gartrac to entirely generate Escort Mk2 bodyshells towards work group.
Ford and additionally commissioned Gartrac to create bits which may standardise the fresh new mechanic’s make process. It fabricated an enormous gang of pieces such as for example axle’s, distance rods, pedalboxes, fuel tanks and oil tanks and you will suspension system section.
Gartrac gotten a free rule at that time to give suggestions about just how Ford make the cars most useful in addition they used its information slightly conveniently since autos was in fact becoming shorter, stronger and much more reliable.
The patterns was switching for hours. Gartrac will make changes for the shaft adjust grip, Ford carry out after that revision illustrations to provide the changes. They’d after that make various other differences for Tarmac and you will Tree software. An identical techniques was utilized to grow other areas such as new system crossmembers, sump secure set, pedalboxes and you can suspension system bits.
