Elvis

iTrader: (1)

Just wondering today...

kosienutter

lower lip spoiler and extra bit on top spoiler. Slighlty uprated supsesion, t4 turbo,rs500 intercooler,8 injector set up but 4 used in road cars, bigger plenum, bumper splitter, orange air hoses on the rs500. I think thats it?

nellyscossy

different front bumper (top edge has air inlet) and lower splitter. had grilles in place of the front fog lamps
different top rear spoiler (has an upward lip on the edge)
lower rear spoiler fitted
rear suspension had some extra mounting brackets fitted(but not used on road cars)
8 injectors
t4 turbo
bigger inlet pipes
different intercooler
different engine block (stronger)
car had an extra 20bhp on production cars
think thats it!!

Cossy Mike

iTrader: (4)

Front bumper differs in two places, the cut out bit below grill and also the 'scoop' either side of the number plate.

Also had a safety switch on the electric aerial. This was for the lower boot spoiler, when boot is opened the aerial would go down as it would catch.

pin stripe.

Cragrat

iTrader: (4)

battery tray has a cut out for plenum

slightly difrent thermostat housing

oh and circa Ł12k!!

any more?

Mike1

Do you know what the differences were exactly? The revised mounting points for 8/9 degree trailing arms weren't used on road cars.

I was aware that they had moved to the different front ARB ( H14 type ) by then to give an extra degree of caster but I thought the later 3-doors had those on as well? Or were the non-RS500 3-doors that had them fitted all retro-fitted rather than in production?

I know that some dealerships changed 3-doors to the later front hubs to reduce 'straight-line nervousness' but only ever heard of it being done at customer insistance on cars that had already been sold.

The pre-release 3-doors had solid plastic inner TCA bushes and different gearing on the TRW steering rack gears but they changed them for mainline production after unfavourable reception from journalists on the launch.

RS500/364

500 difence is i have one and some just dream i have no job and still keeping it my dream car
but feels slow even 450BHP version !!
and sure this has been arepost AGAIN
And the hoses were bigger not just ORANGE !!

tabetha

And some don't dream about the RS500 and see it as nothing more than a badged up special, bit like a popular plus instead of just popular, certainly doesn't warrant any more money from me.
I just can't get my head around buffty people who lock thier car in the garage and never use it, except for cleaning and polishing.
tabetha

Paul_RS

iTrader: (4)

There are loads of differences

different thermostat housing
different rad hoses
different boost hoses
different alternator bracket
alternator drop bracket
inlet manifold
turbo
fuel reg
intercooler
bumper
spoliers
rear beam

probably lots i missed.

tabetha

Some came with the TICKFORD badge as well, I'm sure but think the badge was an option ?
tabetha

AndyPen

iTrader: (24)

Not an unusual mistake to make Tab - the badges that you see fitted were designed for MG cars and not Fords mate. Most of us have retro fitted something but Tickford never did it. (I am the rs blokey in the Tickford club btw - thats how I found out)

Dont think anyone has mentioned the oil pump and delivery system btw? There also some bracket differences and bits and bobs like that.

Paul Reg did start a thread here...

http://fordrsforums.co.uk/viewtopic....fef573a#p12563

Basically its a set up ready to be abused with little effort - lol. See next Fast Ford mag for details

Lambchop

iTrader: (1)

Unfortunately you've just come across as a right cock mate

I doubt it was your intention but it doesn't read very well.

The difference between the 2 is that you own 1 that others dream of? wtf

Mike1

So, no actual suspension differences then Andy other than the H14 ARB (which early 3 doors didn't have originally) and the brackets tacked on the rear beam which weren't utilized on the road versions but which had to be there for homologation?

an1mal_69

lol..

Captain500rs

Come across that way to me aswell, dont read well.

I thought the plagues fitted to RS500's were actually issued by the RSOC and not fitted from new could be wrong tho.

Lambchop

iTrader: (1)

Yeah they were not there from new.

rsnissan

iTrader: (9)

heres one for you...............ariel retracts when the rear tailgate is opened

i'll try and think of a few more not so obvious ones.

rsnissan

iTrader: (9)

extra dowel on the head to support the 8 injector plenum cover

Mike1

Nice feature Andy - just reading it now!

joffy

iTrader: (1)

battery tray corner missing to clear the inlet plenum??

rsnissan

iTrader: (9)

5th post down mate

Harris.

4th one down mate

rsnissan

iTrader: (9)

balls didnt see that

cozmeister

iTrader: (1)

The battery tray was modified to allow the extended plenum and fuel rail to be fitted. All the RS500s were RHD, and were originally supposed to all be black, but the work experience boy was on, so some White and Moonstone ones found their way into the '500 pen'.

The aerial was automatically retracted when the boot was opened (well, unlatched), otherwise the lower spoiler would bend or break it.

The 8 injectors were fitted, but the secondary set were not connected to the ECU. The L1 ECU was the same as the 3 Door's ECU, but with a map suitable for the T4, and 4 yellow injectors.

The 205 YBD block was specially cast for the RS500 and was not a regular production item, as with the 205 YBB blocks.

The fog lights were supplied as a dealer installable option - the customer could choose whether to have the brake cooling duct grilles installed at delivery instead. The front splitter was also installed at the dealer, so that it wouldn't be broken as the car was taken onto and off the transporter.

Did you know that all the RS500s had to have new water pumps installed because the originals corroded? They were left idle, outside, for 6 months after they were originally built while the designs and delivery of the new body parts etc were finalised and consequently installed.

joffy

iTrader: (1)

fair point, didnt read them all, just got excited that i might know one of the answers and got typing!!!

Glenn_

iTrader: (1)

Some interesting facts here.I knew a few of them but not them all.I also thought the plaques come fitted from the factory too boooo.

Mike1

Didn't they originally have the idea to do them all silver, then changed their mind to black?

I thought it was because they dilly-dallied on the colour that thay ended up with a few white and moonstone ones as Genk hadn't got 500 black bodies available in time?

cozmeister

iTrader: (1)

Let me check my horse's mouth

As we already know, out of the 5500-odd that were built, 500 were shuffled away to a storage plant....I'll finish the story when I get back.

More info from the Horse's mouth, aka Mike Moreton who was put in charge of the Sierra Cosworth 'evolution', ie, the RS500. You'll find this in a fantastic book called Rallye Sport Fords - The Inside Story, incidentally, by Mike Moreton. There's a stonking big chapter about the RS200 too.

500 black ones were requested, but a handful of White and Moonstone interlopers slipped through the net. They were stored at Frog Island in Essex, one of Ford's holding areas where they waited, still in '3-Door' form. They then got shipped off to Tickford at Bedworth for conversion. The parts that were swapped, like the front bumper, intercooler, etc, were sent back to Ford to go in the spares bin.

AndyPen

iTrader: (24)

The plaques were sorted by club rs500 in time for the 10th anniversary at the Syon Park meet. The club is effectively now the rs500 part of the rsowners club.

Mike - aint got my copy yet - out tomorow as per my 1000 post - cant wait Suspension was identical pal. There is a special build sheet that you'll see around with all the different parts, including inner air dams and stuff like the special bar mounted amal bracket that aint been mentioned here as yet. No suspension 'extra' in the list, just the brackets which were already tacked on to the beam

Mike1

I suspected as much Andy but I was interested to hear just in case there were any subtle differences.

I know they used the later H14 ARB as distinct to the early 3 door which used the H13 ....but seeing as the RS500s were made from later 3-door cars, the later non-RS500s had the H14 as well. Wasn't sure if the guy was referring to that....which obviously added an extra degree of caster

Mike1

.....and the engines they removed went into the first of the 4-door Sapphires.

Good info cozmeister!

155lee

iTrader: (10)

another fact,a few folk who had a sierra back in the day had an rs500 that they smashed and it had 500 bhp at least.the amount of times i have heard that old chestnut.

cozmeister

iTrader: (1)

All were right hand drive, because they would only be sold by Ford UK. There's no such thing as a left hand drive RS500. The ones that raced in the BTCC were merely converted to RS500 spec, ie, the suspension, bodywork and engine changes.