The March feature in the MH 2026 Calendar is Tom’s red Mk2 Escort more-door — a car that perfectly represents what these cars are all about when they’re owned by someone who actually drives them properly!
It started life as a South African import, totally standard, and importantly it was a genuine honest car that needed minimal welding — the kind of solid base every Escort owner dreams of finding. But the story of this car isn’t about how clean it was when it arrived… it’s about what it became after years of chasing the perfect setup.
Tom’s build has been a proper journey of trial-and-error, with one clear goal: find the engine combination that delivers the excitement he wanted every time he got behind the wheel.
The original 1.3 Crossflow wasn’t enough, so it stepped up to a 1.6 Crossflow on 40s. Still not enough. Then Tom built a mildly tuned 1.6 Crossflow and tried again — but even then, the car still lacked the buzz he was chasing. So the Escort moved into its next chapter: Pinto power. A couple of different Pinto setups came and went, and even when Tom built a really nice Pinto, it still didn’t give him that feeling of “this is it.”
Then came the turning point — Tom’s mate Shaun donated an ST170 lump, and that changed everything. Tom built it properly with GSXR motorbike throttle bodies, Retro Ford sump and mounts, an HPE 4-branch exhaust, and a ME221 ECU to run it. This setup finally delivered everything Tom wanted from the car.
And the way this Escort is used proves it. It gets abused every time it’s out — rain or shine — sitting on the limiter constantly and loving life. It’s been used for maximum fun, including drifting in “Mexico”, and it wears that attitude proudly. That’s exactly how a Mk2 Escort should be treated: driven hard, enjoyed properly, and never left sitting still for long.
The designs featured in this collection capture Tom’s Mk2 Escort exactly where it belongs — sideways in “Mexico” 🤪 It’s a snapshot of the classic Ford culture we all love: mates helping mates, builds evolving over time, and cars that exist to be used the way they were meant to be used.
For anyone who understands the appeal of a proper Mk2 Escort — especially a 4-door with attitude — this car needs no explanation.
It speaks through noise, response, and the way it gets driven.
