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Thread: HC Viva / Escort steering rack?

  1. #1
    NSRA member Str4wB34ry's Avatar
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    Red face HC Viva / Escort steering rack?

    Hi guys, I'm trying to find info for 'Pop Tanner' a New Zealand rodder with an Anglia (Pop).
    His vehicle has an HC Viva front end and has developed a bad habit of wandering when driving. His local trusted mechanic has taken a look and says it's play in the rack so he's after another for spares or repair. Pop believes that a MK1/2 Escort rack may be the same or very similar (would GM & Ford of bought the same rack for use on their cars mid 1970's?)
    His car is RH drive, with a 2L Pinto up front and live rear axle. His registration document says it was first registered in 1938, but it has a boot, so must have had a body swap at some time and he fitted the 48 grille and bonnet to make it different!

    A part number would be fabulous and if anybody knows where to get hold of spares, or if if you know someone with GM parts knowledge I can put him in touch with, that would be would be much appreciated too.

    Over to you lot...
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    "There are only two types of Fordson Gasser... those that have rolled over... and those that are going to!"

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    NSRA member Captain Scarlet's Avatar
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    I have never heard of HC Viva rack being the same as Escort,unlikely i would have thought as the outer tube mounts would have been specified by the car company if they outsourced to a supplier, but maybe the internals may be the same if they used the same supplier.
    I would have thought HC Viva would be wider than an Escort ,but maybe its been modded.

    I found this on the net where a guy is using parts from an escort and viva rack for his GT Viva HB,may not be of any help

    https://www.annteak.com/update-of-wo...th-the-the-gt/

    There is a HC Viva rack on the well known auction site at the moment,and does not seem to resemble an Escort one from the image posted on there.

  3. #3
    NSRA member brading's Avatar
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    Would be good if Pop could take a picture of the rack to help ID it.

  4. #4
    Moderator jsf55's Avatar
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    I fitted a HC to my first pop, I also narrowed it by about 2" and it still needed wider wings, actually flip front to be able to cover the wheels. The rack mounting for the viva are different to the escort so this would have to be taken into consideration. Rally design should be able to supply racks or numbers to suit. The critical part of all of this is getting the rack pivots inline with the intersecting lines of the wishbone inner pivot points, i'll find a picture !

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  6. #6
    NSRA member Str4wB34ry's Avatar
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    Thanks for your feedback, I thought the chances of finding another one with an HC front end would be slim pickings.
    He's had the car for a number of years, likes to cover some miles in it and New Zealands roads aren't the best either so it must work pretty well!
    I'm passing all this info back to him, but as you say getting geometry right on hot rods is important if they are ever going to drive right. There's an HC rack for sale on Fleabay, so I've sent him the link to that as well.

    Quote Originally Posted by jsf55 View Post
    I fitted a HC to my first pop, I also narrowed it by about 2" and it still needed wider wings, actually flip front to be able to cover the wheels. The rack mounting for the viva are different to the escort so this would have to be taken into consideration. Rally design should be able to supply racks or numbers to suit. The critical part of all of this is getting the rack pivots inline with the intersecting lines of the wishbone inner pivot points, i'll find a picture !
    Last edited by Str4wB34ry; 21-03-20 at 07:40 PM. Reason: Updating reply
    "There are only two types of Fordson Gasser... those that have rolled over... and those that are going to!"

  7. #7
    NSRA member Str4wB34ry's Avatar
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    I've asked for photos, we'll see what turns up?
    Quote Originally Posted by brading View Post
    Would be good if Pop could take a picture of the rack to help ID it.
    "There are only two types of Fordson Gasser... those that have rolled over... and those that are going to!"

  8. #8
    NSRA member Str4wB34ry's Avatar
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    Thanks for that Ian, I found the guy with the GT Viva rack using Ford parts, but I wounder if the mechanic in NZ had Googled it like us and passed the info onto Pop in the first place? Looking at the track widths Escort MK1 49" 1245mm, Escort MK2 49.5" 1257mm and Vauxhall Viva HC 51.42" 1306mm, that inch per side could be different length track rods as escort is Macpherson strut.
    Quote Originally Posted by Captain Scarlet View Post
    I have never heard of HC Viva rack being the same as Escort,unlikely i would have thought as the outer tube mounts would have been specified by the car company if they outsourced to a supplier, but maybe the internals may be the same if they used the same supplier.
    I would have thought HC Viva would be wider than an Escort ,but maybe its been modded.

    I found this on the net where a guy is using parts from an escort and viva rack for his GT Viva HB,may not be of any help

    https://www.annteak.com/update-of-wo...th-the-the-gt/

    There is a HC Viva rack on the well known auction site at the moment,and does not seem to resemble an Escort one from the image posted on there.
    "There are only two types of Fordson Gasser... those that have rolled over... and those that are going to!"

  9. #9
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    You may find viva and ford use different splines.
    You can use any rack to replace the old one.just narrow it to suit the dimensions of the original.

    You may have to redo his it's mounted,but that's hardly going to be an issue,on a car that was scratch built anyway.

    Prob easier than trying to find a new 50 year old viva steering rack.escort racks are available new .

  10. #10
    NSRA member Str4wB34ry's Avatar
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    Thank you, lots of sound advice there.
    Quote Originally Posted by Nobody View Post
    You may find viva and ford use different splines.
    You can use any rack to replace the old one.just narrow it to suit the dimensions of the original.

    You may have to redo his it's mounted,but that's hardly going to be an issue,on a car that was scratch built anyway.

    Prob easier than trying to find a new 50 year old viva steering rack.escort racks are available new .
    "There are only two types of Fordson Gasser... those that have rolled over... and those that are going to!"

  11. #11
    NSRA member kapri's Avatar
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    Just a tip, a photo of the front suspension to confirm it's HC would help .

    When I worked in car parts a bloke came in and asked for a clutch cable for an HC. He came back saying it didn't fit .

    It was numbered as the correct way BUT I thought may have been labelled incorectly so ordered a replacement ....which was identical to the first.

    I asked him if he was sure it was an HC ?

    He looked out the window and pointes at a Vauxhall out in the road " It's just like that " he said

    " But that's an HB?" I countered.

    " Nope " he said " DEFINITELY HC , say so on the rocker cover ".
    Galations 6:7

  12. #12
    NSRA member kapri's Avatar
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    By the way it can all generally just be dismantled , cleaned regreased and adjusted up . That's all that remanufacturers do and it's dead simple , even wear in the end of the body can be adjusted.
    Galations 6:7

  13. #13
    NSRA member Str4wB34ry's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by kapri View Post
    Just a tip, a photo of the front suspension to confirm it's HC would help .

    When I worked in car parts a bloke came in and asked for a clutch cable for an HC. He came back saying it didn't fit .

    It was numbered as the correct way BUT I thought may have been labelled incorectly so ordered a replacement ....which was identical to the first.

    I asked him if he was sure it was an HC ?

    He looked out the window and pointes at a Vauxhall out in the road " It's just like that " he said

    " But that's an HB?" I countered.

    " Nope " he said " DEFINITELY HC , say so on the rocker cover ".
    "There are only two types of Fordson Gasser... those that have rolled over... and those that are going to!"

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