Any idea what class i would be allowed to roll in?

[ontheway]

well i have a mk3 escort (originally they came with a max 1600cc engine) mine has a 2.0 ZVH any ideas what it would be allowed to run in?.. it's only the block that is different to a factory escort spec

[SteveSlowboy]

In Scotland you'd be in C0 (A saloon libre class) as the engine is changed.

Other areas you're likely to be Sports Libre and requiring the relevant harness/roll cage additions?

Steve

[Radical]

Sorry,

The change of engine block pushes you out of the production ("road") classes, and indeed also from the Modified Production as the block must remain as originally fitted. If you search through the old threads on here you will find this is the subject of much debate and disapproval of the rules. You are not alone in being caught out by what is common place in the "real world" but currently not understood and frowned upon by the MSA.

That only leaves Sports Libre, and to run in that it will need the safety cage to comply and have 6 point harness (belts) fitted. The plus side is that you could then strip out all the trim and unnecessary weight and run on decent tyres etc.

It will of course not be competitive in Sports Libre against more specialised machinery, but if the engine is the only change it would not be truly competitive in any class.

Don't let it put you off as most of us are really only competing against our own previous times and getting out in almost any car will let you know if the sport is really what you want to do. If so then after a while you may well be able to change to something built to make the best of the rules and class structure.

The Blue book is available on-line.

Steve,
C0 is a Sports Libre class, the safety regs (Cage and belts) also apply, it just runs as a sub class to exclude the likes of my Radical and give the saloons a chance to play amongst themselves.

[mog158]

Proably correct in the case of an Escort, but it is interesting that Road-going Specialist Production cars (Class B in the Midlands) can change the block (Blue Book 10.10.2), whilst Road-going series production (Class A) and all Modified Production have to retain orriginal engine block.

[fiestajohn]

As has already been stated you need to use the engine block type originally fitted to the car for the road or modified classes. I (and others) have long been asking for the modified regs to be changed to allow engine swaps, but unfortunately it seems to be falling on deaf ears.

The C0 class in Scotland uses the current Special Saloon regs (plus a few others) which are basically the regs for Modified Saloons but without the engine block regulation.

[Bobwick]

Not directly a reply, but WHY do we have this constant discussion regarding people who have built/ bought/ modded cars then want the rules changed to accomodate them????

[volvo27]

probably because the blue book is so vague and contradicts itself especially when someone is new to the sport and is trying to build a car to regs with so many grey areas

[SC-southwest]

As a competitor who has only been involved for 3 years or so I can fully understand someone who already has a car and is interested in having a go at the sport being slightly put off by the cliquey and exclusive nature of the rules and regs.

I actually think there should be space for a 'run what you brung' (that's brought for the rest of you, but it doesn't rhyme) for people who want to dip there toe in the water without committing too much.

The answer on offer has generally been a 'Standard car' class, but this is largely useless to the very people who would be interested in the sport as they tend also to be interested in tinkering with their cars.

[fiestajohn]

In my defence, I built my car to suit the Scottish road car regs at the time, it was only when the MSA categories became mandatory that I had to move to Sports Libre.

[andylaurence]

Originally Posted by SC-southwest

I actually think there should be space for a 'run what you brung' (that's brought for the rest of you, but it doesn't rhyme) for people who want to dip there toe in the water without committing too much.

Isn't that Sports Libre? If the car you have doesn't fit into a production class, then that's your fall-back. If you find you like it and want to be competitive, then build a car to suit the regs. Very rarely will anyone turn up at an event in a car that they just happened to own previously and suddenly appear on the top of the timesheets. Don't most people look at the regs before deciding on what car they want to run? I bought my ADR because it was the most competitive car I could afford.