Escort dizzlers..............

[Rocket88]

How grim are they, been offered one fairly cheaply [£150] are they THAT bad?

[Rod/b]

Mk V? I had an Orion 1.6 petrol and I thought that was shit. Then I drove a diesel...Just my opinion.

[Rocket88]

'98 1.8 turdo weezel. Needs a battery, c/locking doesn't, nice nick otherwise

[dieselnutjob]

I think they are the ones that snap timing belts alotwhen they were new Ford actually ran out of cylinder heads because so many people destroyed them when the cambelt brokeI also remember a test drive that found the turbo ones to be quite okay to driveI also remember someone tuned a 1.8 td and stuck it in a caterham type thing and it was actually quite quick

[Rocket88]

I have an irrational hatred of Fords, ever since a nasty incident with a Mk 2 Cortina, a high kerb, and a pair of rotten strut tops................Might buy it, and run it until the cambelt snaps....................probably about Thursday week.

[Cavcraft]

Hateful heaps of wank and only for the utterly desperate. It's cheap enough assuming it's MOT'd but once you've bought the battery and pissed about with anything else it's at it's money.

[Rocket88]

I'll offer him £80...especially as I'm going to have to get a couple of new battery terminal thingies for it............

[meggersdog]

Think those later ones had two belts,one for the cam and one for the injector pump.The earlier single belt type would snap anywhere between 25-30k miles.The injector pump belt sits behind the cambelt so if that snaps it makes the cambelt jump teeth by getting tangled up underneath it.When the belt snaps on those TD's they tend to break camshafts,usually in three places between the cam carriers.

[Timewaster]

Pretty unpleasant things really.Not unbelievably slow once warmed up, but from cold the ones I've driven would barely move.Try to get any sort of progress out of them and MPG will be down into the 30's.'98 onwards ones dont handle too badly, unless the bottom arns are fecked.(And they will be)£150 doesn't sound too bad for a useable car though, however nasty.

[pogweasel]

90hp intercooled ones will lick along at a fair rate but still take some time to get there. They also seem OK on fuel too from my experience, and will take sustained abuse. As mentioned above anything with worn out bits in the steering / suspension departments will be spectacularly grim to drive, and given the typical owner profile there's about 98% chance of that being the case. Also, likely to have serious decay and hideous interior.

[Pillock]

#150 for a usable car?(Tenner for a battery from a scrapyard, get one out of a Escort so the terminals are right natch!)Sounds alright. I've not driven the Escort 1.8TD but I've driven a Mondeo 1.8TD - same engine I believe? It was horrible, but better than both the bus and walking. I'd imagine the Escort to be just slightly less ponderous, and probably with more intact bumpers.Hundred and fifty notes doesn't even get you a return peak ticket to London from here these days so for a whole car to yourself.... get it.

[trigger]

I had this L reg 4-door 1.8TD once and didn't mind it, It drove along quite well and handle alright.

 

The Injector pump belt give give way though on the way to Bluewater one day in Chelmsford which was a right bugger as i need to be towed home.

 

[scruff]

#150 for a usable car?(Tenner for a battery from a scrapyard, get one out of a Escort so the terminals are right natch!)Sounds alright. I've not driven the Escort 1.8TD but I've driven a Mondeo 1.8TD - same engine I believe? It was horrible, but better than both the bus and walking. I'd imagine the Escort to be just slightly less ponderous, and probably with more intact bumpers.Hundred and fifty notes doesn't even get you a return peak ticket to London from here these days so for a whole car to yourself.... get it.

+1 especially if you're haggling. And if its on Jersey I'm guessing its not leik you'll be smoking down the M6 every morning.

[Richard]

Think those later ones had two belts,one for the cam and one for the injector pump.The earlier single belt type would snap anywhere between 25-30k miles.The injector pump belt sits behind the cambelt so if that snaps it makes the cambelt jump teeth by getting tangled up underneath it.When the belt snaps on those TD's they tend to break camshafts,usually in three places between the cam carriers.

All the 1.8s have two belts. That's why they fail, they are about half the width they need to be- and I believe the valve springs were a bit strong too.When the cam belt on my Escort TD failed I measured the valve clearances, decided that there can't have been contact and just fitted a new belt. The car went better than before.ETA- If you get it run it into the ground, don't even think about trying to do it up or even maintain it. NOTHING sucks money like the last generation of Escort.

[Mr Lobster]

They are pretty bad. But if its got a bit of test left and you can use it for a few months without incurring any other expenses in maintaining it then weigh it in once the test runs out then it must be worth it surely.

[Milford Cubicle]

I had an Escort 1.8D (no turbo) for a few weeks, that was a pretty dismal experience until the head gasket blew and I scrapped it.I imagine a 1.8TD with power steering isn't that bad, my uncle recently bought a Mondeo 1.8TD and it seems a fine car.

[shite_meister]

They are pretty bad. But if its got a bit of test left and you can use it for a few months without incurring any other expenses in maintaining it then weigh it in once the test runs out then it must be worth it surely.

No MOT nor Road Tax in Jersey matey one of the few joys of living here. Agree that they're hateful things but for porno mag money its worth a punt...maybe, just imagine the Polaks queing up to purchase that from you

[Guest]

for porno mag money its worth a punt...

I have to say I've never bought a car from a railway siding, or filmed my dodgy exploits in HD.I spose you wouldn't be able to see her face for the diesel smoke, let alone speak to her

[whitevanman]

I am gonna have to diagree with most of you...they are great motors, handling is typical front wheel drive diesel, plenty poke for general use out of the TD ones, 45+ MPG, weak point is the belts, service interval 36,000 miles, change them every 24,000 and they will be fine..........now the caveat, also change the tensioners, the break down and cause the belt to snap or slip....say goodbye to the valves if it does, I've had loads to look after and almost every one fucked the tensioner or ripped a belt after 24,000...at the price, buy it do the belts and enjoy cheap motoring

[Rocket88]

Just driven it, drivers door won't open [inside or out] rear arches on the way out [although not hanging] paint flat as a witches tit on the bonnet. Rest of it not bad, offered him £75. If I buy it, I'll run it until it explodes..........no MOT over here [just as well as airbag light is on] No noise from C.V s or wheel bearings though

[warren t claim]

I've not had much experience with Scrot dizzlers but I have had a fair few Mondeos with the same engine. 380,000 miles before having to get rid wasn't too bad! Injection pumps can be a bit iffy and I think there are three different ones to choose from.

[Rocket88]

Just bought for the princely sum of £68..........

[CortinaDave]

I dont think the 1.8 TD engine is a bad lump really, seems eager enough in the capri and im seeing up to 50mpg. All that spoils it rerally is the smoke and the london taxi noise when you're idling.Mk5 escorts are fairly nasty if its the early H - K reg era, absolutely built down to a cost and thouroghly uninspiring to drive. Late ones ( N reg on) are fairly decent all rounders IMO, I've had a couple and had no complaints.For sixy eight big ones you're laughing.

[trigger]

£68!!, What a bargain!, What age is it and lets see the photos!.I'm quite a fan of the old 1.8D myself having had that black Escort and a N reg Mondeo 1.8TD, Both proved to be decent cars, My dad had a P plate 1.8TD Escort for 5 years and he sold it last year with 35000 miles on it still for £800 and he never had a problem once with it (mind you he had only done 5000 miles in it in that 5 years)We ran a couple of ex BT Escort van's at the old motor factors i worked for years ago, One of them was a P plate and had done 400000miles and was still on it's original exhaust system and clutch though the cambelt snapped a couple of times resulting in a head rebuild and a few valves, Easy enough job according to the garage that kept getting the van in for work.