An Estelle with a Fiat Twin Cam conversion I noticed whilst browsing the net.

 

http://www.wizbangfabrication.co.uk/page32.php

Looks ok, but £3750....never! Think this is the car that's been for sale about 3 times in the last few years...will go well enough but it's not going to keep pace with modern cars and it's too young for classic classes.

Edited 19 April, 201412 yr by hawkeracing

This was it in 2011 - £1500 http://www.gumtree.com/p/cars-vans-motorbikes/skoda-road-rally-car-fiat-engine/87367634

 

In 2012 - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1990-SKODA-120-L-BLUE-ROAD-LEGAL-RALLY-HILL-CLIMB-/150783733315?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item231b692e43#ht_785wt_932&clk_rvr_id=621784726958

 

and in October last year - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1990-SKODA-REAR-WHEEL-DRIVE-TWIN-CAM-RALLY-CAR-/281196294800?clk_rvr_id=621783330884&nma=true&si=9Kw7T5vvNrF9gCl1OXyzSViisJo%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

 

and it's been for sale at least twice before that in the last 10 years.....I suspect it's not a great car!

I think wizbang have upgraded it to full FIA spec for stage rallying now, as stated above though in a class of Escorts with much more power it would never be a winner.

 

 Thanks for sharing the history.. 

Seats, belts and sticker removal I reckon....I guess the seats and belts will add up to the best part of a grand though. Gonna get killed by Escorts as you say, but I guess it's a load cheaper.

I did the original conversion on the car.

It was a replacement reshell after I'd wrapped my previous Estelle round 2 trees on a rally.

I'd ended up using a Lancia prisma engine on fuel injection as the webber carbs on the twincam kept flooding on hard cornering.

The final engine installed was a 1600 block with a Tipo 2.0L 16 valve head and sequential fuel injection, it was too powerful for a group B Sachs clutch....

I still have that engine and a couple of the injection prisma engines in my collection.

Compared to an escort it's more fun and was easier to play with the set up compared to what was available at the time. If you are comparing it with modern cars it's like comparing a steam loco with a Virgin Pendalino..... As for escorts they are astronomically expensive now, and to make one handle as well as the Skoda did at the time was a challenge. The Estelle has adjustable camber as standard, try that on an escort without shelling out a fortune on a front subframe and to lower the Estelle at the rear gust chop a coil out of the spring.

It's good to see it's still about. Last time I saw it it was at Douglas Valley salvage near Wigan, so it's travelled about a bit in recent years.

Edited 27 April, 201412 yr by andyownerjag

I hear what you are saying, the Estelle is a very good price for somebody wanting to get started in stage rallying, Escorts do command a high price!

 

 There are quite a few 325 BMW's rally prepared going for sensible money now too.  

 

 I know the guys who have the Estelle now and the purpose of this thread was to find some history on it, thanks for telling me a bit more about the car.

Hi James

If there's anything more that I can fill in then I'd be happy to help.

 

Cheers

Andy

The camber on an Estelle is barely adjustable....there are shims on the front but you can't add very many at all without modifying and even then it's limited. The rear is not adjustable without fabrication....I know I've had all this stuff done in the last few years. HAving said all that.....Escort rally cars start at £10k for something not that great so it is a massive bargain.

Hi, I set the camber by unlocking and dialling in the amount of camber by adjusting the lower wishbone bolt which is eccentric.  Didn't need any shims.  The rear tended to get more camber with the use of shorter sprigs.

 

Must say that the Estelle was fun to rally, I had a Group N GT4 Celica as well

and the Skoda was more laughs per £.  

The lower wishbone bolt set to maximum is almost nothing and as soon as you lower the rear you have dialled it out. On the subframe at the front the top arm has some adjustment with shims but again it's pathetic as standard....it's possible to work at it and get a bit more but it's not what I would call an adjustable set up. It has 'fine tuning' adjustment.

Without want to veer too much off topic, you can correct the rear camber by raising the mounting point on the control arm where it meets the gearbox cross member. This takes out some of the massive rear camber you gain when lowering the rear by a couple of inches.