The greatest modified cars are not really modified cars at all. The use of such a term would indicate that the initial vehicle largely remains and for the best Fords at Ford Fair this was most certainly not the case. When people take cars to extremes it’s building rather than modifying, and every year the boundaries are pushed. The base car becomes more and more irrelevant and just as the type of canvas may dictate the paint used for a work of art and little more, what is wheeled into the garage initialy takes the same function - a platform to build on.

Dave Jackson has been competing in the UK Time Attack championship for a number of years now in an Escort Cosworth, but new for the 2013 season is this Focus Cosworth. The unsuspecting platform for the car was a 2007 1.6 Sport that had been in a minor front-end smash. After repairing the damaged chassis leg a new floor and transmission tunnel was welded in, designed to accomodate the gearbox and engine shifted back for better weight distribution.

The body panels were replaced with carbon and kevlar items and a full multipoint roll cage was welded in.

Interestingly, the Cosworth YB engine uses an alloy block with which replaces the cast iron of the original 1980s design. These are taller for a longer stroke and increase the capacity to 2.2 litres.

Frustratingly, the car was located in possibly the worst location to shoot - inside and stuffed into a corner, head first. Hopefully I’ll be able to catch it next year in a more open location, and of course in action!