711M 1600 Crossflow — classic Ford simplicity at its best

The 711M Crossflow is one of the defining engines of classic Ford culture.

Introduced around 1970 as a stronger development of Ford's Kent Crossflow, the 711M block gained thicker cylinder walls, square main-bearing caps and revised valvetrain and sealing details, making it a particularly popular base for both road and competition engines.

In 1600 form, the engine became closely associated with cars such as the Escort Mexico, Cortina and Capri, while the same basic Crossflow architecture also found its way into Caterham, Morgan and TVR applications. Burton Power's current 711M application data explicitly includes the Escort Mk1 1.6 Mexico, Escort Mk2, Cortina Mk3 and Capri Mk1.

Its architecture is beautifully simple: a cast-iron inline-four with camshaft in the block, pushrods and rocker arms, and Ford's Crossflow cylinder-head arrangement with intake and exhaust on opposite sides. The post-1970 711M version also moved fully to the flat-head / bowl-in-piston combustion design.

This GasketKeys piece recreates that distinctive four-cylinder head-gasket profile as a compact stainless-steel tribute to one of the most recognisable engines of the classic Ford era.

Engineering & Craftsmanship

• Industrial Grade Build: Precision laser-cut from premium 304 stainless steel with a brushed finish.
• Protective Frame: Presented inside a 3.3 mm CNC-machined PLY frame.
• Technical Precision: Cylinder bores, coolant passages and key gasket features are digitally mapped from the original gasket geometry.
• Letterbox Friendly: Slim under-5 mm packaging keeps UK delivery simple.

These construction requirements follow the supplied GasketKeys framework.

A subtle classic Ford memento

The Crossflow is especially well suited to GasketKeys because it is an engine people remember for what it was, not just which badge appeared on the boot.

For Escort Mexico, Cortina and Capri enthusiasts, the gasket profile represents the actual engineering underneath the car.

Rather than conventional logo-based merchandise, it becomes a small mechanical memento of classic Ford ownership, restoration and motorsport culture.

7. Technical Specifications