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Brakes
Original equipment on the XR2 came in the form of single-piston floating-type callipers, 240 mm vented discs and rear drums with larger 19 mm bore wheel cylinders. To keep down to a 13 inch wheel size, which many owners prefer, the size of discs cannot be increased, but swapping to drilled and/or grooved items plus a set of Mintex 1144s or EBC Green Stuff pads with better shoes in the rear raises brake efficiency to a level capable of handling massive power hikes.
Swap to larger diameter wheels and the choice of anchors multiplies dramatically. With a wheel diameter of 15 inches, Rally Design does a 280 mm vented disc kit with adaptor brackets to fit a wide range of callipers, including Princess/AP Racing or Wilwood four-pots.
For an ultimate fast road set-up, the Fiesta Centre has a rear disc conversion kit for £164.50, though with this fitted it's essential to have some form of front-to-back adjustable bias system plumbed in and a bigger master cylinder to push enough fluid through the lines.
The Mk1's handbrake was a real Heath Robinson affair with wires and pulleys causing endless grief as it aged. Converting to the Mkll cable set-up is an option. To avoid installation problems it's best to change the complete rear beam assembly, because the backplates are at a different angle.
Wheels And Tyres
Standard Pepperpot alloys are not everyone's taste, but looking just down the range, the 1300 Supersport sat on its own version of the RS four-spoke fitted with 185/60R13 radials. The Mkll XR2 had some nice options like RS-style seven-spokes. But don't try and fit any alloys from a RWD Ford, the offset is all wrong.
Supersport wheels are big enough to take the XR2 brakes but for bigger disc applications move up to 14 inch or preferably 15 inch rims with tyres of 195/45R15 size being the best choice to keep the rolling circumference right. Personal choice in the custom range takes over here with masses of styles to pick from.
Bigger wheels than this, usually 17 inchers (though there are a few out there on 19s), will need some serious alteration to the bodywork in the form of wide arch kits. The added unsprung weight can seriously affect handling and longevity of the suspension and steering components.
Gearbox
The standard XR four-speed unit is capable of handling big power figures spinning through the cogs. But five-speeds are the preferred option these days and the Mkll item is the obvious choice. Shoving in the five-speeder isn't a straightforward bolt-on job, though, as there's chassis section cutting and welding needed to gain acceptable clearance, plus new cross-members also have to be fitted.
The Fiesta Centre is the place to head. Its fitting kit costs £112 and includes full instructions and all parts to complete the upgrade. When sourcing a five-speed box, make sure you buy the original gear change mechanism. These changed during the Mkll's production run and are not fully interchangeable.
Clutches are robust in standard form, with a Borg and Beck heavy-duty kit costing around £100, while an AP Formula kit, capable of handling massive bhp, is approximately £200. An LSD is the top mod for the five-speed unit. These can be robbed from the Series 1 or 2 RS Turbo Escort. Expect to pay around £100 for a good second-hand unit.
Captions -
Middle-Left - Up to 15s will fit nicely, start arch chopping for bigger rims.
Middle-Right - Everything needed to fit in a five-speed box is available in kit form from The Fiesta Centre.
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