I'm not really a fan of one-marque shows but I'm a firm believer in keeping an open mind. When it comes to modifying cars you can't afford to be blinkered can you? With this in mind I loaded up a cleaner than usual Cressida and headed in the direction of the hallowed tarmac of Santa Pod. On my arrival I took a spin around the campsite before finding myself briefly hanging out with the Busraser crew who had made their way over the Channel especially for the show bringing with them, not the Taunus Transits that wowed the crowds at last years show but an equally special
Granada Coupe (complete with Euro-spec coke-bottle hips) and
Thorsten's inconceivably splendid Taunus resplendent in it's factory two-tone grey paint and rolling on a set of 17" Americans. Don't worry TT fans - Rochester-based Grizz brought along his newly
UK-registered example to keep you happy.
There's still a large amount of Classic Ford owners content to drive cars that tick all the usual boxes - RS2000/Mexico replicas and the like (and good luck to them!) but personally I find rows of Olympic Blue Mk1s somewhat uninspiring when they're all together and it was a welcome sight indeed when I stumbled across a group of Mk1 Fiestas tucked right at the back of the club displays. Here was a bunch of budget minded dudes producing some fine rides taking inspiration from more than just the standard modded Ford rulebook.
The 'Fiestank' sums these guys up perfectly - having fun with cool cars is what it's all about. There was another rather special retro-styled Mk1 in attendance but hopefully you'll see more of that one soon once we've tracked down the owner!
No, my camera isn't broken - those windows are actually that colour. I think it's safe to assume that the four-cylinder lump left the engine bay of this MKII a long time ago.
One aspect of the show I really liked was the unveiling that took place at midday in front of Classic Ford Magazine's stand. Editor Simon had selected an impressively eclectic bunch of cars (oh, and a
van!) to make their debut. Most notable, in my opinion, was this MK1 Escort:
Rat-look paint (the owner cited
this Dauphine as inspiration), red perspex windows and a hot Crossflow nestling in an immaculate, cream-painted engine bay made for something mind-blowingly different. We'll look forward to seeing this one on the strip soon.
Was it worth the trip? Without a doubt, yes. A massive amount of quality cars (and just enough bending of the rules to keep the scene alive) mean I'll be back next year.
Classic Ford Magazine
Santa Pod Raceway
Check out the gallery on RSM's Flickr stream here.
Posted on: May 31, 2009 05:13