How do you choose an engine for rallying? What do I need for it to fit into my mk2 Escort?

There are many things to consider when making the move to modern spec power, and I'm under no illusion that this could be a huge task for my modest skill set, but I set out to research which engines I could fit in the Escort anyway. Using the power of Internet, I found a handful of guides for tuning some of the more popular 2 litre 16v units. These included the Zetec E from the Focus ST170, the Duratec from the Fiesta ST150, and the Vauxhall C20XE as fitted to the Astra GTE etc.

All three engines are perfectly adaptable, and each has its own strong points for choosing it. The Zetec E has solid lifters, steel rods, waisted valves and variable valve timing. The motor went on to power the Mk1 Focus RS, although a turbo was added. The Duratec has an alloy block, and while the crank is strong, the pistons are cast and not forged. The aluminium head has big ports and bigger valves compared with the Zetec E. So, that brings us to the Vauxhall C20XE, with its forged pistons, as well as big valves and ports. There's no right answer here, you pay your money, you take your chance.

After some time talking with friends who had previously done conversions with the C20XE, I decided this would be my engine of choice. After all, there's a wealth of knowledge there waiting to be tapped into.

A good friend of mine was in the process of building an Escort with a Vauxhall lump, but due to health reasons, had to give up the project. So, a fair price was agreed and I had the kit that I needed to get things moving.

At this point, we currently had four weeks until our next rally, so the Pinto was disconnected and lifted out. I'd like to give the engine bay a tidy up, but with time running out, myself and my friend Steve decided to offer up the Vauxhall engine to see how easy fitting would be. Nothing is straight forward!

Once the engine was in situ, the sump was resting on the steering rack and we couldn't get the engine and gearbox to mate due to the head hitting the heater bubble on the bulkhead. As I'll be running the motor without a distributor, it looks like we have two options here. Use a blanking plate where the dizzy would be and weld a small box section into the bulkhead. Or, take the head to get the dizzy housing machined off. Either way, removing the heater bubble would be a good idea.

Another evening passes, and along comes another friend, Ben. He's been here before, having once had a C20XE in his Escort. He tells me I need a different cross member, one with lower steering rack mounts, so a quick phone call to my preferred motorsport kit supplier and another reason for overtime was purchased.

So that brings you up to date, with three weeks to go, this build will be cutting it fine. But that's Rallying!