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INTERIOR & EQUIPMENT
8/10
Hop over the low sills protected
by special stainless steel kick plates and slide your feet down to those
inviting pedals and the first thing you notice about this car is that you are
sitting low, very low. In fact aside from the longer wheelbase (which meant
that, being only 5'8", I had to enrol the help of an extra seat back to enable
me to reach the pedals), the other main feature of the new chassis is that the
floor is lowered by 1½ inches. It may not sound like much but, believe
me, it makes all the difference. Visibility through the sidescreen windows is
now very clear, a feature added by the fact that the black edging on the top of
the window has actually been significantly reduced.
DJ's latest
contoured dash is a very professional affair trimmed with smart black vinyl and
decorated with yellow stitching to match the full gallery of natty colour-coded
Smiths instruments, all of whichare in easy view. A Momo steering wheel is
always a delight and this black one with matching yellow centrepiece is no
exception. Standard Sierra stalk controls protrude from the wheel below a neat
display of warning lights.
The lack of a handbrake on the wheel trimmed
centre tunnel (instead it's situated under the scuttle above the driver's
knees) keeps the interior fuss-free and allows the gearshift to become, the
focus of attention, this one complete with a trick gearknob and chrome trim
ring. The lowered floor means that you actually look through the windscreen
rather than over it and the SVA-friendly wing mirrors look like part of the car
rather than a stuck - on afterthought. They also provide good rear
vision.
DJ's specially made padded seats are instantly comfortable and
promise good extra shoulder support to hold you round those tight corners. Our
car featured Willans four-point racing harnesses, amplifying the sporty feel of
the car, although inertia reel belts are still an option. The driving position
is generally very good although the steering wheel does appear to be set quite
high, probably due to the lower sitting position. Down in the footwell the
company's well spaced pedals are instantly comfortable and you are raring to
go.
Overall, the fully carpeted interior is a delight to be in, the
black and yellow colour scheme looking very smart while tying the whole cockpit
together. It's easily the nicest Rush cockpit we've ever seen. The only slight
niggle we had was that we didn't like seeing the washer motor wires showing
underneath the dash in the passenger footwell.
PERFORMANCE &
BRAKES 7/10
Twist the key and the four-pot
is up and running in a second. With this engine fitted no-one would be
expecting a firecracker; however, there is no questioning the fact that this is
a fast car thanks to the car's light weight being hustled along by 115bhp of
injected Pinto power. The Pinto engine, whilst being a heavy unit, is renowned
for its bulletproof strength and respectable torque and is probably the most
popular kit car fitment. The injection unit used in this car is one of the more
refined Pinto engines and runs very smoothly.
Depress the clutch, select
first and you're ready to go. This is a very easy car to drive, with smooth
clutch action and before you know it you're soon heading for the limit. Drop a
gear, press the throttle firmly and the car that was in front is now
behind.
Acceleration through the gears is excellent as long as you use
the revs right up to 6,500. It is maybe not as quick as it could be due to the
long throw (and slightly loose mounting) of the gearstick but shifting action
is very smooth and easy, even into reverse.
A quick check revealed a
0-60 time of around 6.5 seconds although I am certainly no lightening-quick
up-shifter. The torque only comes in after around 3,000rpm but it is very
usable in all gears apart from fifth where there is not an awful lot
left.
Throttle response is instant with a smooth, progressive action and
you can charge on relentlessly up to a comfortable 90-100mph, whilst top speed
is likely to be in the region of 120mph. This is an excellent cruising car
which I could quite comfortably drive all day - in fifth at 3,000rpm you are
happily bombing along at 70mph and add another 500rpm and you're at
80mph.
With the excellent sidescreens in place, the seemingly higher
windscreen protects you from virtually all wind buffeting and low flying
insects and it's the first car of its type I've driven without needing to wear
sunglasses.
One added bonus of using an injection Sierra for your donor
car is that the disc brakes all round come as standard. These are well up to
the job, easily providing enough braking force for the car's power. The discs
bite progressively and the Rush pulls up confidently and cleanly. |
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