Possible Mk II Escort Purchase

[Cheggers]

That is class in a glass - best of luck!!

[Mash]

Tell you what I'd do with that - paint the doors white and source a roof box - instant Panda car.

 

Fred will get you loads of work then!

 

EDIT: Actually thinking about it, is it white already and the poor light is playing tricks on me??

[trigger]

That's well nice innit.

 

You could paint a white stripe on the door and play cops n robbers, 1970's styley.

 

[Richard]

Actually isn't the ultimate minegbag spe'd model as I recall they did a Popular and a Popular Plus? I think the latter had such luxury accessories such as a passenger door mirror and coach lines.

I imagine even a driver's door mirror would have been optional at first, I don't think they were legally required until about 1977. I seem to remember the first Popular models cam with crossply tyres.

[Minimad5]

Buy that Escort and keep it as is - Simples

 

And Richard, your avatar is the best

 

All round goodness i would say !

[FredTransit]

That is laaarverly! Please please don't change it if you get it.

[Pete-M]

CHANGE IT. 1.1s are non-servo drum braked, 12" wheeled crocks.

 

Jeezus. I adore MkIIs (I've had around 30 of 'em, mainly RS2000 / Mexico flavour) but the 1.1 poverty spec ones really aren't worth keeping shite when they're so easy to make so much better. Even the 1.3 is borderline (The high spec 1.3s aren't so bad, Weber carb, four branch manifold, better camshaft. 71 throbbing bhps..)

 

In fact, if you're going to keep it standard, sell it to me instead. It'd be an excellent RHD donor shell for my Sport.

 

As for Pop Vs Pop Plus, the Pop Plus had inertia reel seat belts...

[FredTransit]

Pete has a point. When i said don't change it, I meant visually. Drum breaks? Static seat belts? Yeah they can go. Bubble arches or X peck? No thanks!

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

WILDCARD: Make it into an RS2000 replica but keep the current engine, drum brakes and static belts.

 

Seriously though that's a very nice looking car.

[FredTransit]

fook that, I prefer the panda look

[retrogeezer]

AWESOMEZ!

[In The Pit]

Actually isn't the ultimate minegbag spe'd model as I recall they did a Popular and a Popular Plus? I think the latter had such luxury accessories such as a passenger door mirror and coach lines.

That is the bottom of the range model its a Popular both the Popular and Popular Plus had cheaper black steel bumpers and door handles as oppose to chrome also no chrome around the doors and both had static seat belts and no wing mirrors.

 

Ive got the 1977 brochure out to double check the differences between the Populars and Popular Plus's the Popular had no carpets, no reverse lights and no passenger parcel shelf, had 12" wheels with bright hub caps and were only in 2 door, the Popular Plus had (over the Popular) carpets, reverse lights, passenger parcel shelf, dipping mirror, sound insulation, fabric trim, Popular Plus script on facia and had 13" wheels and came in 2 or 4 door. Later cars had upgrades and the Popular gained extras from the Popular Plus.

 

My classic on the road is a standard 1300 L and that is plenty fast when I first drove a 1300 MKII I was well impressed how quick they were for a 1300.

 

The fact is that there is loads of interest in the RS cars today but they were never popular and sold poorly (apart from the MKII RS2000 which sold moderately) they were not special edition cars they were mainstream models (albeit through RS dealers) and many of the models were dropped dur to very low sales just 109 RS1800's. But the Escort Popular and Popular Plus sold in huge numbers.

 

I would love to see someone take on this Escort and keep it how it is but in reality it will probably just get smashed up on a rally, sad thing is there will be no 2 door MKI or MKII cars left in afew years and only then will people start thinking maybe we should have saved afew when we could.

[ashmicro]

In The Pit - rather pessimistic, bud sadly probably correct.

[Angrydicky]

That is lovely, please keep it original as it is almost unique now, an unmolested 2 door MK2 Popular

[seth]

I do hope this gets saved from the inevitable for the time being and left exactly how it is. It might be easy to upgrade but why bother? Should be enjoyed for what it is. Its easy enough to wang a 1275 and Marina brakes on a Minor to make it a "better" car but they've not all got them and most are still rolling around with 948/1098 lumps.

 

But I reckon the inevitable will come. Might not be for 10 years but unless this is squirreled away in a private collection or a museum it will end up being raced one way or another.

[In The Pit]

I do hope this gets saved from the inevitable for the time being and left exactly how it is. It might be easy to upgrade but why bother? Should be enjoyed for what it is. Its easy enough to wang a 1275 and Marina brakes on a Minor to make it a "better" car but they've not all got them and most are still rolling around with 948/1098 lumps.

 

But I reckon the inevitable will come. Might not be for 10 years but unless this is squirreled away in a private collection or a museum it will end up being raced one way or another.

I agree with that its a shame more Escort owners were as sensible as Minor owners. I love MKII's they've been part of my life since I was a kid but im getting abit fed up with the Escort scene if im honest its seems to attract alot of idiots of late, I tend to hang with the Cortina people they are so nice and genuine and not as clicky as alot of the Escort people.

 

Anyway this car is now on ebay if I had the money and space i'd be sticking a bid on to try and save the car.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1978-FORD-ESCORT- ... 1c141577b6

[seth]

Anyway this car is now on ebay if I had the money and space i'd be sticking a bid on to try and save the car.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1978-FORD-ESCORT- ... 1c141577b6

At a 3k start (and a reserve presumably above that) then its next owner will be rallying it as its only them that would spend so much on a povo spec car - well over the top of a shiter's budget I imagine.

[Angrydicky]

What a shame

[messerschmitt owner]

how much is a ratty 4 door 1.3 worth? One of my neighbours has one - daily drive for the past three decades I think.

[Pete-M]

The reason there were only 109 RS1800s sold is obvious. They were no quicker than the RS2000, less reliable and a lot more expensive. That doesn't mean the RS models didn't sell well. My local Ford dealer was an RS dealer and they sold a lot of RS2000s and Mexicos over the years.

Yes, they sold more Pops, but that is probably more to do with a pop being about half the price than to do with RS's being unpopular, because they were anything but.

[Pete-M]

how much is a ratty 4 door 1.3 worth?

2/3s of fuck all. Four doors have never been sought after. 1.6 Ghias may pick up in value at some point but pretty much all of the rest won't. They're unloved pretty much everywhere, you can pick up mint 4 dr MkIIs for the price of a scabby 2 dr bare shell.

 

I've always used 4drs as donor cars. Sent loads of solid ones over the bridge.

[AnthonyG]

If you can get it to West Wales a Mot'd 4 dr's worth about a grand. They are used for road rally cars, no one gives a toss about the extra doors when they only have banger money to spend.

[Torsten2001]

It's not mine yet, I'm waiting and hoping to hear back, we'll see. If it does end up as mine I think it will be a keeper, the more I look at it the more I like it exactly as it is. I honestly don't see the need to do anything to it to change the way it is other than cosmetically and that would be to bring it back to original.

I have got daily access to 200 mph supercars so why on Earth would I need to drop a Pinto in it, it's a fascinating and rare car and important as part of our social history. If it becomes mine it will remain a 1.1 Popular, although I may get magnetic Police signs so Fred can use it though!

[pogweasel]

If it's being advertised at £££££'s by some recovery monkey I think it's safe to assume you're out of the running T.

[Torsten2001]

That's a big pile of cock!

 

It's fate is sealed I guess!

[Cavcraft]

It's not mine yet, I'm waiting and hoping to hear back, we'll see. If it does end up as mine I think it will be a keeper, the more I look at it the more I like it exactly as it is. I honestly don't see the need to do anything to it to change the way it is other than cosmetically and that would be to bring it back to original.

I have got daily access to 200 mph supercars so why on Earth would I need to drop a Pinto in it, it's a fascinating and rare car and important as part of our social history. If it becomes mine it will remain a 1.1 Popular, although I may get magnetic Police signs so Fred can use it though!

Nice one, hope it works out though Pog is probably right I'm afraid.

 

I'm pretty sure some people were so desperate for two door Escorts they welded up the rear doors to make them into two doors, have certainly seen a handful on teh interwebz in the past.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

I reckon someone ought to set up a Charles Ware style operation in Sri Lanka or China or something making dimensionally accurate 2-dr escort shells, if you could buy a brand new decent quality shell for £4k or something there'd be a steady stream of buyers. You could even get a bit of modern CAE analysis done to lose a bit of weight and gain some rigidity. If you could claim that the shells were in some way technically superior to the Ford effort, but (obv dont advertise this bit) accurate enough for a moneyed up digger drivers to be able to easily ring the ID on from a genuine escort without it being too obvious, theyd be queueing right out the door I reckon.

[Pete-M]

Hopefully it'll end up with someone who appreciates it fully and drops full RS running gear and interior into it.

 

You know, after this thread, I might just do that to my Sport now. 2.0, 5 speed, 3.54:1 diff, Bilsteins etc.

 

I'll finish the resto as a 1.3 but start collecting the bits as of today.

Anyone got an Ally sump and bellhousing?

[Mr_Bo11ox]

I've got a big pile of em, but i'll be melting them down and using the alu to make iPhone components later on today i'm afraid

[seth]

I'll be sure to be totally underwhelmed by your creativity Pete!