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Dan Kantrow
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It started life as an ordinary 1991 Escort GT that Ford Motor Company Engineer Dan Kantrow bought new as daily transportation. Innocently enough, it served it's purpose well until Dan decided that this car would make a great foundation for a fun track / time trial / drivers ed car. In 1996 it was outfitted with a set of BFG sticky track tires, GAB shocks, A stainless Tri-Y header by Watson Engineering, a LSD transmission and headed to the track to embarrass some rather fast Porsches, Mustangs, and even a few SVT Focus drivers ed cars. "How is he so fast in that thing?" was commonly heard in the paddock.
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Not leaving well enough alone, Kantrow, a well known race car fabricator and builder of several top performing cars including an American Iron Mustang and a friends scratch built Ford GT40 decided it was time to up the ante and enter the competitive NASA Super Unlimited III (under 2.0L) category where he could compete wheel to wheel while his wife Mary Ann (also a Ford Engineer) could run the car the same weekend in the drivers ed classes. Dan & Mary Ann had put 4000 track miles on the car with plenty of time to think about the "upgrades" yet to come!
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The list of modifications is both extensive and impressive. The engine sports a ported head, adjustable cam gears, mild cams, JE forged pistons, Ford Motorsports breather, Carillo rods, nitrated crank, and a custom built 4 into 1 stainless header of Dan's own design. The suspension was enhanced with the Ford Motorsports ZX2 Race Suspension Kit suspension kit similar to M-3000-ZXM which was sold specifically for the ZX2 (part is no longer available) which included struts, springs and rear sway bar. The rear suspension was also updated with Ford ZX2 components allowing improved toe adjustments.
Dan designed and fabricated the rear suspension upper mounts to eliminate the stock rubber pieces. As a Ford Engineer, Dan's pursuit of continuous improvement meant the car itself would need a full chrome-moly cage - a good choice when high strength with minimal weigh gain is the goal - and the final product is spectacular - the tig welded joints look like artwork. Further modifications of the car itself included Recaro seats, Shroth 6 point belts, De-contented wire harness, removal of all unnecessary weight, quick release steering wheel, plexi-glass side windows, carbon fiber hood, and many other "tricks" to make this Escort GT one fast track car.
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Plans for the future include an even higher horsepower engine keeping it under 2.0L with larger 84mm CP pistons, higher compression, high flow 323 GTR injectors, full ARP studs, and Fidanza Cam gears and Alum flywheel. Watch next year as Dan's "Giant Killer" Escort GT embarrasses a few of the more expensive track cars at road racing circuits across the Midwest.
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Who says Ford Engineers don't know how to have fun!
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FOCUS DYNAMIC DAMPER AND SPRING KIT - M-3000-ZXM
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