two 16 year olds in one afternoon!

[retro80sboy]

..in a purely Autoshite way, obviously.

 

Following on from a thread a couple of weeks ago about finding it tough to find 'bottom of the barrel' throwaway motoring - I managed to pick up 2 yesterday!

 

First up is a 1994 (L) Ford Escort MK 5b

 

 

11 Months MOT

3 Months Tax

2 owners from new

80k on the clock

Miserabley underpowered 1299 cc engine.

White with 'Ford rust' patches included as standard.

 

£175.

 

The last owner has had it from 1997, he lives next door to the parents of a friend of mine who informed me of its availability. Door locks need sorting, other than that, its good to go. Ill use this as a runabout until the Capri is fixed as ive now sold the grey XR3i and am taking the Cabriolet off the road for the winter months.

 

Next up -

 

1994 (M) VW Polo Match Coupe.

 

4 Months MOT.

5 months Tax

2 owners from new

70k on the clock

1 litre engine, 4 speed gearbox

Was Red - now typical 1990's faded pinky colour.

 

£175

 

Bought this for my brother in law and sister as they needed a cheap, low tax bracket/cheap to run 2nd car. Got it from a mate of mines dad. My mate runs a garage and has maintained it throughout so I know its been looked after. Ill upload a pic later.

 

all in all an autoshite resullt!

[greengartside]

That white Escort looks cracking! Is it pov-spec without the side rubbing strips? Mr Rootes snapped a Fiesta that was registered L622 TMB a while back.

 

Linky - http://www.flickr.com/photos/leicester- ... 898834283/

[retro80sboy]

yeah, proper pov spec.

 

they are generally an unloved breed these escorts - even the mk 4's have a following, yet the mk 5s are generally lambasted it seems.

 

Ive heard this model called a 'mk 6' before, but according to wikipedia this is wrong and they are a mk 5b.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

There would be something cool about having a mint early Mark 5 on an H plate. I hired a few of these when they were new from a Ford dealer (the now departed and flattened Skippers of Darlington) and I didn't think they were bad. It was no worse than my Mum's Mark 111 Golf 1.6GL which was another unremarkable but basically okayish new car.

 

Tell you what though - for all the quality bollocks, I don't think those early Escort V's rotted any worse than Mark 3 Rolfs.

[Cavcraft]

They didn't, certainly agree on that. Mk3 Golfs seem quite prone to rust and when they do they do it in style.

 

You've had a bargain or two there Retro, the Polo especially is bloody good money for a small car with tax/test.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

Mk3 Golfs seem quite prone to rust and when they do they do it in style.

 

You're not wrong. Didn't the tailgate actually rust off that green diseasel you had?

[Cavcraft]

Hell yeah, and other places too

Still, thanks to probably scene tax it saw a nice return from someone who wanted the engine out of it.

 

I've also noticed lots of Polos circa 1996 rusting really badly, there's one not far from here I need to take a picture of, it's absolutely caked in holes/rust. I don't actually mind Polos too much in truth, seem fairly basic cars and maintenance isn't too bad.

[retro80sboy]

paintwork is poor on this Polo but the only bit of rust that needs attention is on the front wing, which il sort out with a rub down and a bit of hammerite.

 

talking of rusty 1990's cars - is there anything worse than a mk3 Fiesta for this? Everyone I see seems to be rotten around the full cap and rear arches - Rover Metros/100s are also as rare as hens teeth without both rear arches falling off.

[MK5 Escort]

That's a great price on the Escort. The 1.3's were dreadful in the Escort though. As much as I love these things (particularly the earlier mk5’s), the 1.3 let down what was a much, if not vastly underrated car in my opinion. Very clattery, underpowered and not particularly economical. Otherwise, it looks great for the money. I’ve experienced several MK5’s over the years of all ages and never once had a bad one... I’ve always been baffled as to why they’ve always been ‘snubbed’ - even on here.

 

I can't see the bottom of number plate clearly enough. Obviously it's a Chester plate, so nice and local to us! Is it an M53 Ford jobbie? If so, it's come only a little over a mile away from me...!

 

The MK5's were the earlier non-oval grille models (as per my avatar) which ran from 1990 to late 1992. The MK5b’s were he oval grille models which went from late on a 'K' plate though to 1994 on the 'M' plate. The MK6 were the final models from there on, with the smoother bumpers, different door mirrors e.t.c... Some fans refer to it as the MK5c.

 

There would be something cool about having a mint early Mark 5 on an H plate. I hired a few of these when they were new from a Ford dealer (the now departed and flattened Skippers of Darlington) and I didn’t think they were bad.

 

That’s because, in my opinion at least, they were decent motors. The company my father worked for back in the 90’s bought early mk5 Escorts by the sheadload, all from Furrows in Shrewsbury. Most were 1.4 LX’s and were kept for four/five years. In that time, just about the lot of them went around the clock with few or no problems at all. The ‘H’ plate example my father had from new was eventually sold to one of his colleagues who remains a friend and still has it to this day. It’s just clocked 326k and still going well... He's even got plans on taking it to local classic shows over the next few years. It’s outlived about five other cars he and his missus have had in that time, including an early Nissan Almera. One of the Escort’s ‘sisters’ (similar plate, only last number difference) was also sold locally and I used to see that pottering around until about a year or so ago. I did also spot another one of it’s closer ‘sisters’ (one number difference) coming around Battlefield Roundabout in Shrewsbury about two months ago too! It found it’s way back home somehow...! Sadly, it looked very ropey.

 

Mk3 Golf’s were awful. My father did have one of those a year or so after he had his second mk5 Escort. In his words, it says it was like stepping back a decade in comparison to the Escort. A heavy, lumbersome thing with fresh air being about the most useful of standard features. Oh yes, and a four speed gearbox... He didn't keep it that long.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

I prefer the Mark 5 to the later ones. I did a spell as a valeter for Skippers in 1993 just as the original Mondeo (a fabulous car) was being launched. Used to valet the hire cars, nearly all red or dark blue 1.4LX's. They rode and handled okay and were very good motorway cars. Some of the trim was a bit crap (but so was the Astras) and the CVH wasn't the greatest engine. But it did the job it was meant to do. The 130 bhp XR£i was pretty good.

I think the Mark 6 was worst for rust - you see plenty of S-T platers with really ropey arches in the same way the Mondeo Mark 2 was nowhere hear as good as the original. Ford cutting costs? Surely not!

[Guest Leonard Hatred]

Both of them need binning to be honest.

[Owain-328i]

I like the Mk5 Escort / Orion.

 

I had the top-of-the-line Orion a few years ago, a 92 K reg. Orion Ghia Si, the 1.8 16v (130ps model, rare) with 130bhp, and i tell you what it was a cracking car, well equipped, and i thought the interior was better screwed together than my current BMW e36.

 

It came with a cassette player and a cd player in the dash, and a heated windscreen , oh and it was a real Golf GTI killer, as well as many other things. Some people slate early zetec engines, but i tell you what, if you get one thats been serviced correctly they are a real peach.

 

She had 61k when i got her and 82k when i sold it on. Had it 2 years and it was faultless, driven hard but looked after correctly.

[dollywobbler]

Another useful contribution from Mr Hatred. Wrong forum perhaps?

 

I quite like the Mk5 Scrotes. Early ones. My Dad hired a 1.4 GLX in metallic Jade Green and it seemed pretty decent. Then he got a 1.6, which was quicker but quite raucous.

 

The first facelift - when they desperately tried to tart them up with a boot spoiler and clear indicator lenses - was successful, but the oval grille/baboon arse treatment ruined them IMHO. Like the Mk1 Mondeo. Quite nice to start with, then the ruined it with a crap facelift, especially the saloon.

[Owain-328i]

The mk1 Mondeo was a sensation in 93, i had an early K reg LX one of those too, my experience of early ones is they dont rust and are very well made. I liked it.

[cms206]

My mate replaced his 06-plate Fiesta shed with an L-reg Escort 1.6 Cabrio last year, thoroughly decent motor it is too. Driven various Mk3s though all of the van variety with varying miles between 38k and 160k and without fail they were utterly dire. Not at all comfortable to drive, but I suspect that's because I like to sit quite high up. Mk2 Golfs seem to be the same in that respect.

 

My dad, before he died, had a T-reg 1.6 Finesse hatchback in panther black which I still to this day think is a fine looking car, and depressingly one I would like to own one day. If it's an Escort it has to be Mk5a or Mk5c/Mk6; if it's an Orion Mk5b. Preferably a diesel, in red...

[CreepingJesus]

The Mk5b's were about the best 'Scorts of the FWD generation, I'd say. I've owned a few Mk3/4's over the years, and they seemed poorly built, rusted up quickly in the cosmetic areas, and often had electrical gremlins the Italians would have been proud of.

I found the 5b's to be a much nicer car to drive, and the 1.8 GTi sold me on them once and for all. Pity there's no good cheap GTi's left!

Excellent buys tho', good work.

[garycox]

The GTi was the Mk6/5c wasn't it?

[Torsten2001]

Both of them need binning to be honest.

 

Please, shut the fcuk up if you can't write anything that isn't pointless, offensive shit

[alfetta]

I still don't get why people buy CAB scrotes. Trulely hateful scuttle shake heaps!

[In The Pit]

I've always liked the MKV facelift (MKVb) Escorts I had an 1994 M reg L TD and it was a great car me and the girlfriend at the time drove from Wales to Scotland taking in many parts of England for two weeks camping and it was an excellent and very economical.

 

The problem with them as far as classic interest goes is that they look too much like the MKVI which was available up until X reg and some on a Y and I think the vans made it to 51 plates, so its too modern to be of interest. The original MKV's will become almost extinct and will be a lucky find at any classic car show in 2020. I'd love a special edition MKVb Mistral (not the cab one) as I remember in about 1994 seeing it advertised along with the Sapphire and I think Equipe? and thinking it looked a nice model.

 

As for MKIII Golfs a very dull ugly car that seems to rust everywhere, however im sure someone loves them and if thats your thing thats fine with me I wouldnt knock anyone for whatever car they like.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

The mk1 Mondeo was a sensation in 93, i had an early K reg LX one of those too, my experience of early ones is they dont rust and are very well made. I liked it.

 

You're not kidding. It was the first Ford for years that went above being just ordinary to being exceptional. The first time I drove one I couldn't believe how good it was. Was it really a Ford?

Same with the Ka and the Focus Mark 1, both much better than they needed to be.

[Guest Leonard Hatred]

Both of them need binning to be honest.

 

Please, shut the fcuk up if you can't write anything that isn't pointless, offensive shit

 

It's only through my experiences of both of those cars that I offer the binning advice. The Escort looks especially dismal.

[retro80sboy]

The Escort looks especially dismal.

 

yep, it sure is.

 

isnt that a part of what makes autoshite though?