C855 YVM is based on a Ford Sierra - the exact car was a 1985 1.8 GL which was sound mechanically (albeit with a worn engine & box) but whose bodywork has seen it's last days. Initially we ditched the Sierra engine and used a separate tuned 2.1 Ford OHC engine (a.k.a. Pinto) with 4 speed manual gearbox and about 130 bhp (maybe a smidgen more). This engine died in 1999 so we are currently doing an engine conversion and putting a Rover K-Series engine into the car. This is, as far as we're aware, the first Robin Hood that will be K-Series powered (if we ever get it finished!!). You can follow the conversion process in the 'Fitting a K-Series engine' section.

Otherwise the Hood is fairly run of the mill, with vented disc brakes at the front, large 2.0L-model drum brakes on the rear and two plain seats in the middle! Steering is quick-rack equipped and the car runs on 13" custom-sized Weller Motorsport rims with 185 section tyres on the front and 205 section tyres on the back (the rear rims are wider and offset accordingly). Exhaust is a Custom Chrome silencer on a custom-made manifold. Rear suspension is standard Sierra independant with 3.6 diff, standard springs and standard shocks. Front suspension is Robin Hood supplied coil-overs with lower Sierra track control arms, McPherson strut and custom-made adjustable tie-bars (as opposed to the usual Sierra anti-roll bar). P100 TCA rubbers are used, as these are slightly stiffer than standard saloon spec.

Optional extras on the Robin Hood kit comprise the vented bonnet, the swept front wings (as opposed to cycle arches), the "roll over bar" (more cosmetic than a safety feature), the two-piece rear arches and the GRP colour (Royal Blue was a cost option over the standard yellow). Oh, and the stainless steel monocoque of course - the default is mild steel but that needs painting... to hell with that.