mk1 ESCORT

[Richard]

I'm not a huge Escort fan but I do believe that motorsport died the day they stopped making the Mk2.

[fiatdaft]

why?

[mk1_4dr]

I'm not a huge Escort fan but I do believe that motorsport died the day they stopped making the Mk2.

 

Not too sure about that.

 

Sierra Cosworth seemed to be holding its own on the motorsport front 5years later, be that flying through a forest on gravel for WRC or wheel to wheel on tarmac for touring cars.

 

Thats before you start looking at firebreathing groupB rally monsters etcetc....

[mattblack]

The first car I had on the road was a 1973 1300 XL 2-door MK1. Cost £180. About 8 years ago I bought a 1968 MK1 1300 2-door for £350. Needed welding to the floors and bulkhead and the strut tops had some crappy plates on, but was all there and running. Decided to move it on and contacted various companies that advertised in the back of 'Classic Ford' magazine, no-one was interested, got my £350 back in the end of some loony who dragged it away to Peterborough (from Leicester) on the end of a rope. In the dark.

[Richard]

I'm not a huge Escort fan but I do believe that motorsport died the day they stopped making the Mk2.

 

Not too sure about that.

 

Sierra Cosworth seemed to be holding its own on the motorsport front 5years later, be that flying through a forest on gravel for WRC or wheel to wheel on tarmac for touring cars.

 

Thats before you start looking at firebreathing groupB rally monsters etcetc....

 

That's TV motorsport. It's not something that ordinary people can get involved in, either as spectators or participants.

[mk1_4dr]

Ah, I see. I know what you mean in that case, stuff where privateer teams can be nibbling at the heals of works teams.

Although, hasn't there been quite a close contest in WRC this year or last?

[dollywobbler]

Still plenty of Scrotes rallying around here! Though Pug 205/106s are taking over.

[eddyramrod]

Not difficult to find an Escort rallying over here either. Nor is there any shortage of Mk1 and 2 available, if you have enough dosh. Take your pick on doors, engines etc; I even know a Mk1 estate laying around waiting to be rescued.

 

But then on top of the price you can add shipping...

[Guest]

 

I think the other reason is that Ari Vatenen didn't chuck four door ones sideways through forests....

 

No such problem with an Amazon if you want to plough the rally furrow. Tom Trana and Ove Andersson hurled loads of four doors across Scandinavia and a more door 122S won the 1965 Acropolis Rally. The (2 door) 123GTs are coveted because of their extras, and can command insane money (there's a model specific three spoke steering wheel going for £700 at the moment) because of their rarity. £5k would still see you with a very nice 123GT.

 

There also isn't the same obsession with originality that pervades the ranks of OSF clubs. What there is instead are dullards who think they know what Amazon had what. I can distinctly remember telling two old duffers to fuck off because they reckoned my car didn't have the right door mirrors on it. There were four different sets to choose from in 1966. not counting the 123GT wing jobbies. The dealers would attach whatever mirrors they had from Volvo at the time.

 

People ask me constantly 'what's your Amazon worth' and I honestly say I couldn't give a flying fuck, because it's not for sale. Probably more than whatever insulting twat head offer they had in mind, and definitely more the '£250 because I'm feeling generous' cuntbox gardener that saw mine holed up in my gran's garage and rang to make an offer. I told him in no uncertain terms that if he went in there again and so much as touched any of my stuff, I'd be down there with two of my biggest mates making an emphatic argument with a baseball bat.

 

Cheeky bastard.

[CreepingJesus]

I'm not a huge Escort fan but I do believe that motorsport died the day they stopped making the Mk2.

 

Cowdenbeath Racewall? There's all sorts of box-section mongrels up there, that might once have been parked near a scabby old poster of an RS2. But they have a 2-litre Pinto up front (207 block for preference...), and a bit of roof, or maybe a bonnet that might once have been a 'Scrot. Technically, at least according to their papers, they're 'Scrots...

Besides, club rallying has always had the scent of AS about it. For most, ingenuity and the burning of the midnight oil, replace limitless budgets. God, I miss CCC...what a mag.

Sensibly speaking, it's probly a better bet, to buy an actual rally car, than a minter, if you're after a Mk1/2 'Scrot.

[barefoot]

I'm not a huge Escort fan but I do believe that motorsport died the day they stopped making the Mk2.

 

My driving instructor taught me in an 1100 pop, circa 1980

it was completely adequate

I never drove or even looked at another until I went on a rally driving course about '97

a 2.0 pintoey thing with rorty twin carbs and the heftiest roll cage - door bars, the lot

It was absolutely amazing to drive on mud and consequently I was obliged to record the fastest time of our group

Scandinavian flicks were the proverbial piece of piss.

 

I'm agreeing with the post of Richard

 

& I know where there's what appears to be a rather nice mk1 white estate!

[retro80sboy]

Some various Escorts ive seen over the past year or so -

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Mash]

I'd quite like a Mk2. The 2-doors are prettier but affording even the lower spec ones I'd want is quite out of the question. I'd rather like a GL or Ghia in a nice colour and a four door would be perfectly acceptable. I think it's a shame that certain cars become out of reach due to sportier versions being hugely sought after.

 

I think I'd get an Avenger first though even if the OSF tax wasn't in force.

[Albert Ross]

I took my official driving lessons in a W plated Mk2 4 door 1.6 GL. Terracotta with black vinyl roof. Do I win a prize? Took my test in a T plated 343DL 1.4.

[CIH]

I use to be into Mantas, but they started to attract RWD RALLY tax in much the same way so I moved on. They too are usually very rusty.

[seth]

The reason they're worth so much money is, I think, because of the following;

A: Dead simple.

B: Easy to tune.

C: Capable of winning historic rallies for about 1/3 of the price of a 911 - which they often beat.

D: Great to drive, much better than an Avenger / Dolomite whatever, but I would say that.

E: Great looking in two door form

F: Every fortyish petrol head who had one twenty years ago wants another one, and they're willing to pay for good ones

G: Good parts availability, although doors and proper RS bits ain't cheap.

H: Reliable and cheap to run once they're sorted

I: Capable of taking massive amounts of thrashing

J : Better handling when sorted than most stuff out there.

K: Cool as fuck.

L: Parts are shared with loads of old Fords. Cosworth engine will bolt straight in (in N/A form), every motor factors has bits.

 

Pete, you could write most of that list about many older cars (Not C: I'll grant you). Most cars of the era, in my experience, shared parts with other models or even makes because that was (is) the only way to make them cost effective. Most are dead simple and easy to tune and reliable and cheap to run and have good parts availability. It is only down to C (continued destruction of the remainder while historic racing popularity goes up) and F (earning potential of the building trade prior to recession? ) that Escort prices are at the level they are.

[fotorabia]

Back in the 70s my uncle George Dean navigated for Donald Heggie..the fastest plumber in Scotland..my aunt also was a club champion..and my other aunt Geunda rallied Fiestas in the Faberge Challenge 1979..she was top woman racing driver at the time..her husband drove a Mk2 RS2000 Custom which i remember well..doing 115mph between Liverpool and the Wirral as we went to work on the Liverpool market at 5am..

they also raced a Clan Crusader which ive forgotten what the basis for was..Escort?

 

 

 

[Guest]

I reckon the 4-door MK2 has better proportions than the 2-door version, the doors still look a bit short and the rear quarter is very bulky - it looks pretty good from some angles and very weird from others (side-on particularly).

 

I reckon the best MK2 Escort would be a 4-door Ghia in a nice metallic colour with dartboards/trim rings. I like the square headlight front.

[mattblack]

they also raced a Clan Crusader which ive forgotten what the basis for was..Escort?

 

 

Imp....

[pogweasel]

Whilst it is impossible to deny that the Mk1 Escort was a proper nail-head interface moment (balanced styling, decent performance and handling for it's intended audience and super-simple mechanics), it's incredible the totally ridiculous prices they make. £5000 for total heaps, which aren't even halo models? GTFO.

And what, £25000++++ for the rarer sporty models.

Yes, they are good, but are they 10x better than an Avenger, Dolomite, Marina, Viva, Chevette etc that the big prices would suggest?

(The answer is no, by the way)

 

All sour grapes anyway, as I sold mine about 12 seconds before the hyperinflation set in (a trading technique that I am rather adept at)

[eddyramrod]

doing 115mph between Liverpool and the Wirral as we went to work on the Liverpool market at 5am..

 

No wonder you were doing 115, you were late!

 

I suppose I'd better put up these...

...Just for the Escort pervs among us!

 

This selection of Mk1 and 2 Scrotes comes courtesy of the eastern-Mediterranean climate, where rust is, if not unknown, at least fixable even on a 40-year-old car. Most of these are in the hands of my friend, and there is some serious Pinto-powered rally engineering going on.

[Mash]

I'll have this one please:

 

[boobydoo]

Escorts aren't really my bag...but I would make an exception for a 1300E...preferably a 4 door cos they're the least common.

[eddyramrod]

Mash, the red one IS for sale, but you do realise you have to get it home from Cyprus? It's a restored 1.3, and I'm afraid even over here, a degree of OSF scene tax applies. But it's all possible, and if you are coming over I can arrange for you to see it.

[fotorabia]

Eddy..It was after the RS2000 he started to leave at 5am cos he bought a Porsche 911SC..which hes still got..

[Mash]

Mash, the red one IS for sale, but you do realise you have to get it home from Cyprus? It's a restored 1.3, and I'm afraid even over here, a degree of OSF scene tax applies. But it's all possible, and if you are coming over I can arrange for you to see it.

 

Ha! what I mean is, if I was getting a Mk2 it would be one like this!!

[eddyramrod]

I understand, Mash, no worries. He isn't in any hurry to sell anything really, so the offer stands: any shiters who visit Paphos, drop me a pm and I'll introduce you. Escorts, Mantas, Minis, you name it, he's got it.

[chaseracer]

they also raced a Clan Crusader which ive forgotten what the basis for was..Escort?

 

 

Imp....

Close...

[TagoraSX]

Escorts never did anything for me, I preferred a Capri 3.0s or Mk1 Granada.

 

If I had to chose a sporty 70's saloon it would be a Hillman Hunter GLS.

 

On a different note has anyone experience of importing from Cyprus, is it difficult?

[Mr_Bo11ox]

I'd like an escort, probably ratdat's one if I was going to have any, a 1600 4-dr ghia, I reckon i would probably love driving round in it. But, theyre well outta my price range so its just tough luck. The same appplies to Maserati Khamsins though and it doent get me down, I just crack on with my life.