Someone, somewhere was the first person to look at a Cosworth YB and think, ‘That would be very easy to fit into a Pinto’d Escort, but I don’t want any of that fuel-injected, turbocharged gubbins.’ Removing the primary source of extra oomph to then spend more money attempting to replace that power is not an obvious train of thought, but if that visionary were here now, we’d buy them a pint. Or 12.
Trends change, tastes evolve and technologies advance, but we reckon that a YB into a classic Ford remains one of the best transplants around.
Big power, turbocharged YB’d Fords may offer the best of both worlds with speed and driveability in a wide range of conditions, but there’s something inherently special about a naturally-aspirated lump. Whether it’s the misty-eyed association with Cosworth’s BD-series engines of yesteryear or the guttural
