Between 2017 and 2019, the UK restomod workshop Retropower turned an original Mk1 Escort shell into a road-going restomod for Gordon Murray, the engineer behind the McLaren F1. It was filmed episode by episode, from the first meeting to the rolling road, and in 2022 The Late Brake Show filmed the finished car on the road. This page pulls the whole series together: what went into the car, how the build ran, and every episode with our own write-up.
The brief was simple to say and hard to do. Gordon wanted a car he could use every day that looked like a period Lotus Twin Cam Escort, not a hot rod, but drove like something far more modern. Almost every part of the car was redesigned to make both true at once.
The spec at a glance
Every item below comes from the episodes themselves; the episode in brackets is where it’s covered.
| Area | What the car has |
|---|---|
| Shell | Original right-hand-drive Mk1 shell from South Africa, rebuilt on a jig with new sills, floor and tunnel, seam welded and stiffened (Ep 3, Ep 4, Ep 17) |
| Engine | Cosworth-built Ford Duratec with throttle bodies and a dry sump (Ep 1, Ep 5) |
| Power | 245hp on Northampton Motorsport’s rolling road, against Cosworth’s quoted 250hp (Ep 16) |
| Gearbox | Six-speed from the third-generation Mazda MX-5 (Ep 1, Ep 12) |
| Suspension | Custom Nitron struts at the front; independent rear suspension on Chapman struts in place of the live axle (Ep 2, Ep 11, Ep 17) |
| Exhaust | 4-2-1 system built by BTB (Ep 14) |
| Panels | Carbon bonnet and boot lid; the doors stayed steel (Ep 2, Ep 6) |
| Wheels | 13-inch steel wheels with chrome hubcaps, for the Twin Cam look (Ep 11) |
| Interior | Scratch-built dash, Opel Manta steering column, Speedhut gauges, no rear seats, a hint of Murray tartan (Ep 5, Ep 6, Ep 13) |
| Weight | About 910kg, by Gordon’s own estimate (Ep 17) |
| Registration | Re-registered through an IVA test (Ep 16) |
How the build ran
- Late 2017: the brief, the donor shell and the case for independent rear suspension (Ep 1–2).
- Early to mid 2018: jig work and rust repair, new sills, floor and tunnel, the seat fitting with Gordon, the Cosworth visit, then the rotisserie and a full dry build (Ep 3–8).
- Second half of 2018: final metalwork, zinc spray, paint, and custom Nitron struts (Ep 9–11).
- 2019: engine and gearbox in, fuel, wiring and trim, the public debut at Retro Rides, first fire-up, IVA and the rolling road (Ep 12–16).
- 2022: the finished car on the road with Gordon and Jonny Smith (Ep 17). Gordon says it took a further year after the build to sort out, mostly chasing driveline slack that turned out to be a faulty clutch.
Every episode
The dates are when each video was published on YouTube. Episodes 12 and 13 keep their original web addresses from the old site.
- The Brief & the Donor Car – Retropower Gordon Murray Mk1 Escort Ep 1
Episode 1 of Retropower's Gordon Murray Mk1 Escort restomod: what Gordon asked for, the Cosworth Duratec and six-speed plan, and how the donor shell was chosen. - Bare Shell Verdict & IRS Plan – Retropower Gordon Murray Mk1 Escort Ep 2
Episode 2: the blasted Mk1 shell is assessed, panels are chosen (carbon, aluminium, new pressings) and Retropower makes the case for independent rear suspension. - Jig, Rust Repair & Interior Design – Retropower Gordon Murray Mk1 Escort Ep 3
Episode 3: the Mk1 goes on a jig, the scuttle rust trap is redesigned, accident damage is straightened, a dummy Duratec is fitted and the dash design takes shape. - Sills, Floor, Tunnel & Seat Fitting – Retropower Gordon Murray Mk1 Escort Ep 4
Episode 4: scratch-built sills, a full floor and raised tunnel, a front end shaped for dry-sump plumbing, the IRS diff carrier, and Gordon Murray's seat fitting. - Cosworth Visit & Duratec Build – Retropower Gordon Murray Mk1 Escort Ep 5
Episode 5: Retropower visits Cosworth to see how a Duratec is built for Gordon Murray's Mk1, then plans the dash, tartan trim, belts and rear-end styling with Gordon. - Metalwork, Dash & Rear Suspension – Retropower Gordon Murray Mk1 Escort Ep 6
Episode 6: carbon bonnet and reworked wings, steel door skins instead of aluminium, a scratch-built structural dash, Opel Manta column and Freelander-strut IRS mock-up. - Rotisserie, Binnacle & Dry Build – Retropower Gordon Murray Mk1 Escort Ep 7
Episode 7: Gordon Murray's Mk1 comes off the jig onto a rotisserie, gains a steel instrument binnacle and stiff rear turret structure, and Retropower explains its dry build. - Dry Build Review with Gordon Murray – Retropower Gordon Murray Mk1 Escort Ep 8
Episode 8: Gordon Murray's Retropower Mk1 Escort sits on its wheels for the first time. Gordon checks the driving position, controls and new rear suspension. - Dry Sump Tank, Plumbing & Zinc Spray – Retropower Gordon Murray Mk1 Escort Ep 9
Episode 9: Retropower finishes the metalwork on Gordon Murray's Mk1, designs a custom dry sump tank, plans every pipe and wire, then blasts and zinc sprays the shell. - Paint Prep to the Booth – Retropower Gordon Murray Mk1 Escort Ep 10
Episode 10: Retropower's bodyshop takes Gordon Murray's Mk1 Escort from bare metal to the paint booth, with epoxy, polyester, Raptor, alignment and wet sanding explained. - Painted Shell & Nitron Struts – Retropower Gordon Murray Mk1 Escort Ep 11
Episode 11: Gordon Murray's Mk1 Escort comes out of paint, gets wet sanded and polished, and Retropower visits Nitron to see the custom struts being built and dyno tested. - Rolling Shell, Engine & Gearbox In – Retropower Gordon Murray Mk1 Escort Ep 12
Episode 12: Gordon Murray's Mk1 Escort becomes a rolling shell with its Cosworth engine and MX-5 gearbox in, plus hidden-mount tanks, a Quaife diff and adjustable rear toe. - Fuel Tank, Dash & Power Distribution – Retropower Gordon Murray Mk1 Escort Ep 13
Episode 13: Retropower fits a foam-filled anti-surge fuel tank, sealed boot, Manta column, Speedhut gauges and a programmable PDU to Gordon Murray's Mk1 Escort. - Exhaust, Dry Sump Tank & Interior Trim – Retropower Gordon Murray Mk1 Escort Ep 14
Episode 14: BTB builds the 4-2-1 exhaust, Retropower fabricates a billet-and-sheet dry sump tank, and interior work starts on Gordon Murray's Mk1 Escort. - Retro Rides Debut, Wiring Loom & First Fire-Up – Retropower Gordon Murray Mk1 Escort Ep 15
Episode 15: Gordon Murray's Mk1 Escort makes its public debut at Retro Rides, Retropower finishes the loom and PDU setup, and the Cosworth Duratec fires for the first time. - IVA Test, Detailing & Rolling Road Mapping – Retropower Gordon Murray Mk1 Escort Ep 16
Episode 16: Gordon Murray's Mk1 Escort passes its IVA test, gets about 40 hours of paint correction and ceramic coating, and makes 245hp on the rolling road at Northampton Motorsport. - The Finished Car Driven – Retropower Gordon Murray Mk1 Escort Ep 17
Episode 17: The Late Brake Show's Jonny Smith rides with Gordon Murray in his finished Retropower Mk1 Escort, then drives it. Engine, IRS, ergonomics and the verdict.
Where is it now?
By Gordon’s account in Episode 17, the car lives in his collection and gets used, including for the drive to work. He hasn’t tracked it, wants to resist stiffening its soft road set-up, and calls it a keeper.
Retropower has also posted follow-up videos on its own channel. We haven’t written these up yet, so the titles below are exactly as published:
- Retropower Uncut Episode 33: NEW PROJECT ARRIVAL! Gordon Murray’s Escort Driven & Mustang Gets Paint
- Caffeine & Cortina – Retropower Cosworth Duratec MK1 Build
- Caffeine & Cortina 2 – Retropower Cosworth Duratec MK1
- GORDON MURRAY Asked Us To Build Him Another Car!
All videos are by Retropower, apart from Episode 17 by The Late Brake Show. The official playlist is Gordon Murray’s MK1 Escort Build.