Pick ‘n' Mix

Don’t be fooled into thinking that this is a rebadged ST170 – you’re looking at a fast Focus that’s heading north of 330bhp thanks to a heavily modifi ed chassis designed to house the engine, transmission and suspension of a donor Sapphire RS Cosworth 4x4…

- Dan Furr

As far as ambitious restomod projects go, David Richards’ Focus ST170 is up there e with the best of ‘em. Packing a tuned Sapphire RS Cosworth 4x4 powertrain and Focus RS body parts (not to mention a tidy lick of fresh paint), this seam-welded d stunner has been a three-year labour of love for its creator, although it’s far from the first big build he’s carried out.

“I bought a Mk2 Escort 1.3GL that became a flat-fronted RS2000 replica,” says the 44-year-old from the West Midlands. “The car was totalled in a regrettable accident, an event that led to the purchase of another Mk2 that I turned into a tarmac rally machine powered by a 1700 Crossflow,” he says, before furnishing us with tales of his time behind the wheel. “I wasn’t very competitive. The Mk2 was my only car, so I was always too afraid to go flat out in case I caused damage that would prevent me from driving home after a round of rallying!” he smiles.

Things are quite different today; David’s job as a mobile access engineer for a leading plant hire firm sees him drive a Transit most of the time he’s on the road. Having a workhorse to ferry him around during the week means that he’s been able to lavish time and attention on his ST170 during evenings and weekends without worrying about having to rely on the hot hatch as a daily hack. And with time to play with, he’s really gone to town!