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.....condition and comparative competitiveness.
While determining to rent it out on an event-by-event basis, he made up his mind to build something with a spectacular specification - for Paul, fast cars are the name of the game after all - yet also something 'on which he himself could control the price.
A mid-engined Fiesta had already been considered and rejected in favour of the G2 project when it was deemed that the chance to compete on internationals was of paramount importance. But following his experiences with a car which, he felt, possessed some inherent design faults in its G2 specification, and mindful of the fact that he could neither afford a Group B car nor even buy one if he was financially able to, Paul and John set out to go their own way, both men of the opinion that "in any case, the way things are going at the moment, international events may soon have to run a prototype class".
A front engine, rear wheel drive conversion kit involving an Escort Mk3 shell was discounted for a number of reasons, not least the fact that others (like Gartrac and TB Motors - see CCC June '82 issue) had already pioneered the idea; but also because both men reckoned, with considerable justification, that a number of the Mk2's more obvious limitations - like its front suspension and steering (two factors which applied especially on tarmac), and the heavy axle with its limits on high power transmission, had been retained on the Mk3 conversion kits.
It was time to step out into the unknown. But at the same time it was decided to go for the very best... as usual.
In November of last year, the lathes turned and the big 'ammers struck hard at the embryonic DR3 programme. To date, only the Fiesta rear hubs, which are being replaced, have proved inadequate from a design point of view.
Paul and John began with a new, untrimmed XR3 shell, equipping the front end with an aluminium and plastic Citroen CX radiator plus a Kenlowe fan, while raising and strengthening the suspension pick-up points to achieve as much travel as possible. (The strut turret tops virtually touch the underside of the bonnet.)
Hot air from the radiator is carefully ducted out via a low pressure area above the bonnet, and a left hand drive high ratio Escort Mk2 steering rack is neatly turned over and round to place the steering wheel on the right hand side of the car-this is because the rack is situated behind the front wheels, rather than ahead of them. A tension front strut suspension arrangement is employed.
At the rear, exceptionally neat rear turret boxes have been fabricated for what is, in essence, a typical Ford front suspension turned back to front (it's a Fiesta-style strut and hub assembly with a lower wish bone), while the inner wings have been retained - purely for convenience. More suspension travel is available should it be required.
Behind the front seats a stout piece of channeling is welded in place, complete with equally stout crosspieces on which the rear suspension picks up.
Chassis rails have been extended to make new floor pieces for the rear of the car, which gives more clearance and adds strength. On each side of the car a chassis rail runs north to south, forming a strengthening member, within which is set another rail and a tunnel to accommodate engine and transmission.
A comprehensive multi-point roll cage is tied into suspension top mounts and back into the turret boxes to give additional strength.
The rear floor has been cut away right to the back panel (in which the oil cooler is mounted) and the entire bulkhead behind the seats is braced to support the car with the utmost rigidity.
Gartrac fabricated the aluminium arches to Paul and John's own design - they wanted something different and different especially from Gartrac's Escort G3 conversion. They also wanted a design which would give them a front air scoop.
In keeping with the ph ilosophy of the rest of the car, its powerplant is an unmitigated delight - an all-alloy Brian Hart designed 420R racing engine originally built for and campaigned by The Toleman Group during their successful 1979 Formula Two championship chase.
Since then the motor has been rebuilt with a new crankshaft and pistons, expecially for Paul by former Hart employee, David Wild. It now boasts the latest 2.3 litre hillclimb specification. (In fact, as hillclimbers and CCC readers will know, a 2.5 specification also exists for the 420R, but it has not yet been tested over a sufficiently high mileage to guarantee the sort of rally reliability required By Paul and John.)
This magnificent piece of equipment, running on Lucas fuel injection and full race cams, is nevertheless superbly tractible, developing enormous amounts of torque from well below 9OOOrpm to its Windsor-imposed rev limit of 9000rpm. (It is in fact rev limited at 9700.) A chunky one-off exhaust manifold and.....
Shortly after we completed this track test, and just as we were preparing to go to press, we heard the shocking and appalling news that young Robin Clark had been tragically killed in a road accident near his home while taking the Fiesta to a weighbridge on a quiet weekend afternoon.
That the story detailed elsewhere on these pages has gone ahead is entirely due to the wishes of his devoted family who wanted it to be, in some small way, a tribute to their son. Photographer Norman Hodson, Fred Henderson, and I only met the enthusiastic and genial Roberts Petroleum rally team the once, ut in even that short time we rapidly came to appreciate their tremendous dedication and enthusiasm, their love of the sport, and their great kindness to us.
So it's to some of the best people you would be fortunate enough to meet that we offer our sadness and most sincere condolences.
To Robin's widow of just a scant few months, his close friends, like navigator Andrew Taylor, and his family, we only nope we have done his memory some justice here, because sometimes it appears as though there isn't much justice around. Peter Newton
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