Does this deserve to be saved?

[HillmanImp]

It's £2500 for a log book and VIN plates, that's what it is.

 

Great cars but quit over rated and it seems to me they fetch stupid and unwarranted levels of scene tax from fan boys.

It'll be back up for sale in 6 months time as an original car, of which 99% will be anything but.

 

Yeah, just wang the VIN on this:

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ford-escort-mk1-4-door-1973-1300xl-/171305411299

 

 

 

[scruff]

If you want a cheap Mk 1 get to the Balkans, that 2 door I brought over from Belgium had made it's way from Bosnia where they can be picked up out of the classifieds for sub-£500. The only problem is, it's a bastard long way away!! 

[michael1703]

What's a quick way of telling a Mexico for us ford haters?

 

Not trim etc but body pressings/stiffeners?

[Junkman]

What's a quick way of telling a Mexico for us ford haters?

 

Not trim etc but body pressings/stiffeners?

 

"Type 49 shell", which it shared with the RS1600 and the RS2000.

 

- In the boot or under the boot floor, there should be a row of bolts coming through the centre of the boot floor. On early cars, there should be a stone deflector mounted on these bolts, or not, or it's rusted away, or wasn't fitted due to the mood/being on holidays/sick leave/can't be arsedness of the factory worker on the particular shift.

 

- The axle should have anti tramp bars which run forward and attach to mounting points at the end of the chassis rails. However, no self-respected Escort has any chassis rails left after the first Winter.

 

- It should have a 6 instrument dash panel, not four further holes cut into a 2 instrument dash panel.

 

- The strut tops should be reinforced with another layer of plates on them. There are also some stiffeners on the inner wings beneath the arches.

 

There could be more (and I will sure as fuck stand corrected within the next few minutes), but that's how we cretins identified them before we cut them up for racing/scrap/fun.

[Pete-M]

Late ones aren't necessarily type 49 but most were. They're also easy to spot as they had the battery in the boot. RHD meant the battery had to go on the other side under the bonnet on later ones. On these ones the spare wheel strap bracket is flat on the floor instead of in the well.

[warren t claim]

If it's the real deal then it's worth the money and preserving but I feel it'll just end up a bit like Triggers broom.

 

I still think it'd be a decent investment for someone and I've seen FSOs in worse condition restored by shiters.

[Pete-M]

If it can be proven to be the real deal - which I'm struggling with, frankly - then it's definitely worth saving. 

They're not hard to do, they're just hard to do properly. You'd probably have to get some bits shipped from Malta as 4dr bits aren't exactly sought after.

[vulgalour]

I do actually quite like the look of Mk1 Escorts, particularly the four door like that burgundy one posted earlier and the two door estates.  If it weren't for the value placed on them I'd probably own one.  As it is, I can find a plethora of other vehicles I'd rather own in better condition for less money so that's what I do.  Of course, seeing how prices have gone I still regret being talked out of purchasing a pretty solid beige Mk2 Escort for £100 when I was teenager.

[PhilA]

It's the UK equivalent of this. In fact, seeing the picture reminded me of it, which I see every day at the end of my street.

 

IMAG0905 by renault9gta, on Flickr

 

It was probably engine-raped to build up a six-pot ragtop into something that it was not.

 

Save it? Sure. For that much coin? Hardly.

 

--Phil

[Cavcraft]

What's a quick way of telling a Mexico for us ford haters?

 

 

 

 

One is a 1300 with a 1300 log book. The other is a 1300 with bigger engine, a stripe down the side, a log book that's more ringed than a smackhead's coffee table and is ten times the price of a real 1300.

[Fraz]

Pfft. Bit of t-cut, a quick blow over and a nice set of Halfrauds bargain wheels and your laughing.....

[purplebargeken]

If it's genuine it would be worth a punt as lotsa money could be asked at the end.It's a hell of a lot of work to do properly though. Genuineness would need to be 100% proven. 

[Magnificent Rustbucket]

I like these old Fords. I wouldn't want to own one, but I can see why they go for big money with the right spec.

 

I agree with Pete-M and others. If you can prove the car's history, it is a game changer.

 

Restoring it for the love of it is perfectly reasonable for people who enjoy the process, but it makes an enormous difference if you can recover everything you spend - or even make some money back for your (considerable with this car) efforts.

[Guest Bobster]

Good morning !!

 

This Post was forwarded to me for comment about the car's authenticity.

 

The Police in Liverpool used Mk. I Ford Escort Mexicos as Traffic Patrol Cars circa 1974/5.   They were 2-door models, the only version in regular production.   The Registration Numbers were in the series HKF 8**L.   They bought a few more in 1975, also 2-door, in the Registration series GKA 16*N.

 

The Police in Jersey DID have a couple of the 4-door Mexicos, however, so the two stories may have become confused in the mists of time.

 

Hope this helps, and if you buy it, BEST OF LUCK !!!