Its seems the is this Escort Cosworth a motorsport shell questions seems to come up weekly at the moment. I think we should put our heads together and try and work out exactly where these people stand. I gathered a small amount of info to try and solve this issue.
First up the price guide:-
This states there are four choices of Cosworth:- Motorsport, Standard, Luxury Cloth and Luxury Leather. It also says the metalic and black are options but only availible for the Standard and Luxury models.
The brochure:-
This states that the Motorsport version is
only availible in diamond white. So I think you can safely say if you motorsport shell isn't white is was either resprayed or built up from a 909 motorsport supplied shell.
The dealer supplied motorsport's didn't have recaros.. this is a motorsport seat made by Karman:-
It looks like a Recaro but isn't badged as so and doesn't have the same shape as this real Recaro:-
Along with no sunroof a motorsport also doesn't have rear opening windows, front fog lights (lucky gits had RS500 grills
) it had wind up windows, manual locking, non-body colour wing mirrors and a whole host of other interior mod cons missing according to the listing above.
Now where I think the problem seems to be with owners questions are the fact they may have some of the lux item's such as rear opening windows and body coloured wing mirrors but lets be honest these aren't exactly hard items to find or fit so many have gained these parts over the years which is probably why all these questions come about.
So what if you have a motorsport Escort Cosworth?
Well to be honest if it was factory built and dealer supplied I can't see the problem in terms of value and its every bit as original as a Lux. obviously it won't be worth as much as a Lux but thats because its not as well equipped and your only limited to white. The issue is more whether it was a 909 shell built up from parts by someone outside the Ford Factory.
So the voice of concern will genually come from the fact it doesn't have a sunroof, as this can't be added afterwards and if it doesn't have a sunroof it becomes a bit of a mine field it could have either been ford built or a private build up. I think the concerns of whether its a private build up using a 909 motorsport shell is because A; it wasn't built in the ford factory and there for the quailty of the build up would depend on the individual who did it. B; it was cheaper and easier to build them up using Saphire 4x4 running gear. C; They could be lower spec possibly with parts missing. D; it may even have been 'used' shell and possibly weaker from racing/rallying. E; it may be a left hand drive converted shell.
Now this is where I need the help and peoples inputs, the only way's I can think that will distinguish a 909 shell would be chasis numbers and the fact that 909 shells where supplied minus seam sealant and under seal as for motorsport purposes this makes them lighter and easier to seam weld a bare shell, its also for this reason that a bare shell would be very easy to change the colour off and look very factory.
The only other tell tell signs for concern I can think off is a mix and match of Escort Cosworth parts from different specs for example if it has large turbo parts on a small turbo shell or small turbo parts on a large turbo shell ie:- having a large turbo engine on a N or P-reg shell with tear drop wings mirros and a fuel flap... or the earlier wing mirrors and no fuel flap but a small turbo engine etc
In most cases a few pictures to a geek like me can tell whats original and whats not in terms of age related parts.
I know that all this was different for the LHD market and quite a few where made without sunroofs abroad but I'm only concentrating on the UK market using a UK brochure and price quide (which applies to the Large Turbo)
Please feel free to correct me on any points and add any comments or addional information especially regarding the chasis numbers.
Hope this helps someone
