We all have that one experience we like to talk about because it's something not many people have done. For some, it's running a marathon while for others, it's petting a shark or jumping out of a plane. With a parachute, of course, or they wouldn't have too long to talk about it.
Well, after watching this clip, we can safely say that for Officially Gassed's Jamie, that experience is now riding shotgun in a built Mark 1 Ford Escort designed for one thing and one thing only: drag racing. Helping him with that were two things: one, the fact they were driving the car on public roads—all legally—and second, the fact the Escort was driven by a mad man.
A very jovial and funny mad man, but a mad man, nonetheless. His name is Owen, and he, together with his father, is the reason why this 1971 Ford Escort drag racing machine exists in the first place. He's also a third of the people behind the YouTube channel "Motor Addicts," one we suspect is going to get a lot more subscribers after the stunts and faces pulled by Owen in this clip.
So, what's so special about this build? For one thing, it's a purpose-built drag racing machine made in Europe, which instantly makes it a rarity. We're pushing things a little, but there's no question the drag racing scene there is nowhere near as big as it is in the States.
Second, it's not really a Ford Escort. It has a tube frame with a Mk. 1 Ford Escort body on top. Actually, most of the body isn't original as the panels (doors, hood) have been replaced with fiberglass copies for obvious reasons. The result is a vehicle that weighs just 1,760 lbs (800 kg), and that's despite having a Ford 6.8-liter V8 and a C6 three-speed auto with transbrake. Oh, and a nitrous system to boot.
How does all that translate into performance? Well, according to Owen, the thing can run the quarter-mile in the low tens (10.2 seconds) without any help from the nitro, and in the high nines (9.50) with a spray. Not exactly earth-shattering, but still pretty impressive for a vehicle put together on the cheap side.
After going over the car's features (or lack thereof, though it does have a dumbbell welded in the trunk where they add weights for balance during launches) it was time to take it out on the roads. Despite its appearance and total lack of safety, the Escort is still road legal, so Owen and Jamie strap into the thin plastic seats and boldly head out.
Watching the clip, you get the feeling that if something was going to happen and the car went off into the trees at 100 mph (161 kph), Jamie would still be smiling, happy to have experienced the ultimate thrills of his life. And you can totally understand that. They seem to be having the time of their lives and bear in mind that, while this was completely new for one of them, the other had done it many times before, but that didn't keep him from laughing like a lunatic. Oh, and we didn't even mention the indoor burnout that filled the cabin with more smog than you would need to make all the salmon in the world smoked salmon. Trust us; this is one fun clip you don't want to miss.
"Boy meets car, boy loves car, boy gets journalism degree and starts job writing and editing at a car magazine" - 5/5. (Vlad Mitrache if he was a movie) Full profile
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