Hi all, we've got a 1997 Escort 1.6 LX with Zetec engine for a banger rally in September. Ive been out of car tuning for too long, Whats the best bangs-per-buck engine mod we can do to give her some more oomph?

 

If its for a banger rally its utterly pointless tuning it, even more pointless than tuning a 1.6 zetec normally is. Just give it a good service and focus on reliability!

 

nos

 

decat + remap

 

drop in a 2litre zetec ya have swap few bits over but probably cheapest option

 

Prob easier to sell that and just buy a 130spec xr3i

 

Sell it and buy something else or fit a 1.8/2.0 engine.

Tuning the 1.6 isn't worth the hassle.

 

Like people have said rather keep it standard or sell it for a bigger engined escort.

 

I don't think you get it. A banger rally has a maximum car buy price (Ł250 in this case). There is no limit on preparation costs, the objective is to make something from (very nearly) nothing. I'll look elsewhere.

 

I do get it, the object is also to get from a-b. The extra 10-15bhp you *might* yield from the 1.6 with enough effort wont make any difference at all to your actual pace, but will affect reliability and IMO any time you can spend on the car should be focussed on making sure it gets there in one piece, so plugs, cambelt, filters etc first, check bearings, balljoints etc.

The no limit on preparation costs is because when they used to be limited the cars were often verging on unsafe so it was decided to free it up so at least people could get safe tyres etc.

 

I need to get a couple of wires from the engine bay through to the cabin to wire a radiator fan override switch. Everything seems to be double skinned and impossible to reach without a major strip out. Any ideas where the easiest place is to drill through and grommet?

 

theres bound to be a rust patch that you can use

 

Last question, what tyre pressures would you recommend? we have 195/50 15" fitted.

 

You can run wires up over the bulkhead on the passenger side, tuck them down the side of the bonnet hinge, in the panel gap for the passenger wing and they will apear in the passenger door shut, at the top of the door shut is a rubber grommet, stick the wires through this and your in. This is the way 90% of people with Mk 1 focus run their power supply for amps etc into the cabin because as you say its very difficult and the way i described is totally hidden apart from an inch or 2 of wire in the door shut.
32-34 PSI for tarmac