Ford Escort RS1800 by World Classics

Review by Phil Insull.

World Classics follow up the superb little Sunbeam Lotus with yet another gem from the rallying world the Ford Escort RS1800. Yes I know this car’s been done recently by Arrow slot, Evoslot, and Team Slot but this one really is the daddy of them all.

Let me explain, Arrow slots car was good but the Andrews Heat for Hire version was a bit let down by the transfers being a bit small. Evoslot was good but the chassis fit was often awkward for the have a go amateur builder like myself, and Team slots simply doesn’t look quite right, the roof line being all to pot. World Classics on the other hand has got it all correct body shape, easy to fit onto the Team Slot Escort chassis, and most excellent decals, and to top it all they’ve done some previously ignored liveries, all great but the Roger Clark / Stuart Pegg 1976 RAC winning Cossack sponsored car really is the so called canine love spheres! The Escort really is a rally legend and there’s too much history with too many world-class drivers to allow one of my humble “potted” histories but the RS1800 won the RAC five years in a row from 1975 to 1979 (The mk1 RS1600 had done it in 1973 & 74 as well!) and secured no less than seventeen world championship wins and Fords only manufacturers title back in 1979. Clarks win in 1976 was to be the last for a British driver until Colin McRea won in New Zealand some seventeen years later.

The kit comprises resin body shell interior and driver’s heads, white metal spotlights and wipers, plastic roof aerial, lexan windows, clear head and spotlight lenses, and the wonderful transfer set. The choices here are the aforementioned Clark/Pegg version, the 1977 RAC winning B.A. liveried mount of Waldegaard/Thorzelius, or the Monte Carlo 1979 Castrol version of Mikkola/Hertz. They all look exceptionally good but for the British fans the Clark/Pegg one has got to be a must. The kits are also available with a complete set of running gear from Pendle Slot Racing this comprises a Team Slot Escort Chassis, engine mount, Mabuchi motor, magnets, screws, guide, SCX axles and tyres, and the lovely GOM minilites wheels, for a few extra quid it really is a good deal. Right so equipped with all the gear off we go. First line up the chassis (No cutting or modification required) ensure its straight and drill the postholes. Next fit the running gear, the only small modification here is to the front axle which you’ll need to cut about 2.5-3mm off to ensure the front wheels fit properly under the wheel arches. I also fitted a couple of 1.5mm plastic washers between the wheels and the front axle locations to avoid any lateral movement that might occur. Trim the lexan glass and cement the driver’s heads in place, then do a full dry fit to make sure everything runs o.k. (It’s much easier to correct something at this stage before you paint the car up). This is a very easy kit to build and everything should fit together with no problems. Now disassemble the car for painting, the shell moulding is superb quality and mine didn’t even need a rub down with wet n dry. Drill a small hole in the roof for the aerial (also in the lexan or it will push it down when it’s in place) and drill holes for the front spotlights. Next spray the shell for the Clark/Peg version I used Plastikote Insignia red. Paint and detail the interior, grille, screen surrounds, rear lights, and paint the minilites with aluminium colour enamel. Reassemble the car and fit the transfers. These are excellent quality and fit exactly without trimming, you will need to perform a small cut on the Cossack roof decal to fit it around the roof aerial, or you could set the decal first and gently push the aerial base through the decal. Once finished the car looks stunning by far and away the best slot version of this car to date.

To the track for a run then and how does it perform, well on my small Ninco home track everything is fine, however the slightly bumpy main straight of Wolverhampton’s main track and the car suffers from “porpoising” with the front end bouncing up and down. A quick change to a spring loaded guide and some lower profile Proslot front tyres does the trick and the Escort now runs as smooth as she looks. Again unless you really want to tune up with slot-it bits and monster motors this is not a club racer, but for more gentle demonstration type racing against similar types the car performs pretty well and without the magnets the art of gentle drifting once more comes to the fore with the RS1800.

In conclusion this is a really fabulous kit, very straightforward to construct and will look great in anyone’s collection both on or off the track, the only problem now is I want to buy the other two versions to go with it.