oldfordpartsbkk: Mitsubishi Colt Lancer 1600 GSR , 1st place, 1974 WRC Safari.

This little car really suprises me, whenever i take it off road i am reminded that this car is from the same era as a Mk1 Escort but the difference in the standard cars is really something else.

I loath driving a standard escort, but the Lancer comes with a 5 spd gearbox disc brakes , suspension that in standard form is way better than Fords offering, shame about the recirclating ball steering system though not quite your Mk1 escort steering rack.

Its not possible to compare a modified escort against this but its still a very good car of the era and performs well as a classic rally car..

The 1973 Southern Cross rally was the Lancer GSR debut and after coming home in 1st driven by Andrew Cowan it claimed 2nd and 3rd as well.

Then it was off to the Safari to really test its worth.

1974 saw Joginda Singh win the Safari and again in 1976 with another 2 Lancers in 2nd and 3rd position.

I restored this particular model to replicate the 1974 WRC Safari winning car.

Some very rare parts have been sourced from Mitsubishi's pre Raliart rally division known as Coltspeed, the engine has been rebuilt to C1 spec with a 200cc overbore, porting raised compression ,C1 spec camshaft and tubular manifold.
The rear axe is fitted with a heavy duty LSD and 4.6 ratio final drive.
Suspension is heavy duty C2 spec.
A 1/2 cage follows the original Lancer gsr 1974 car's spec.

Interestingly Andrew Cowan established Ralliart after campaining the lancers in the 70s and 80s and was still one of the senior directors until his recent retirement.