My 1988 Mk4 Escort 1.6 GL F/S - Sold

[trigger]

I'll just copy and paste this over from RR, Most of you know this car already.

 

Model: Ford Escort 1.6 GL Mk4

 

Year: 1988

 

Mileage: 45000

 

Tax: October 2011

 

MOT: April 2012

 

Location: Ipswich, Suffolk

 

Price: £700

Contact details: 07824993306

 

This is Ethel as my wife's named her, We bought her a few months ago of the original lady owner, She was retiring from driving and wanted to give her pride and joy a good home so we bought her and lavished lots of love on her.

 

Bought back in 1988 from what was then Attleborough Motor Works in Norfolk (Now Bussey's), The lady kept up a fantastic service history record for it, All done by the supplying Main Ford dealer every year though out it's life, The Service book reads as follows.

 

1355 miles 5-9-88

5915 miles 16-10-89

8761 miles 9-6-90

10441 miles 19-11-90

11825 miles 13-5-91

13540 miles New Cambelt fitted

16830 miles 22-6-92

19241 miles 8-6-93

22283 miles 9-1-94

25117 miles 9-5-95

27217 miles 8-5-96

28778 miles 12-5-97

30474 miles 27-4-98

32246 miles 4-5-99 and new cambelt

33992 miles 9-5-00

35360 miles 25-4-01

36834 miles 17-4-02

38555 miles 6-5-03

39805 miles 05-05-04

41568 miles 4-5-05

42240 miles 25-4-06

42717 miles (No date but new cambelt and water pump)

43348 miles (No date)

43939 miles (No date)

 

Sorry that's so long!, It just goes to show how well cared for it has been, The 1598cc CVH is one of the quietest I've heard and it's really smooth, The engine bay looks like new!, It's really clean, The only fault with it is that when you start it after sitting overnight it puffs a small bit of smoke so the valve stem seals seem worn but these are a very common fault due to the unleaded fuel used in them and in no way affect the engine.

 

The body work is also pretty amazing, When I bought it both rear aches had a small bit of grot as well as the battery tray so I had them cut out and new metal welded in professional and repainted and treated so they are as good as new now, the rest of the car is mint rust wise, The floor pan is like new!, Sadly the lady has bumped the O/S/R 1/4 at some point cracking the rear bumper and putting a dent above the rear light, these aren't bad as can been seen in the photos and there is also a small dent on the O/S/F wing on the wheel arch edge and also the wheel trims are a little cracked in places from going brittle over the years.

 

The interior is like new and everything works like it should, even down to the original radio, The car has central locking which works fine and a nice free working sunroof, It comes with both it's keys, one even still has it's working light!

 

I have changed the front tires to some very good part worns due to it still being on it original tires when I bought it though the spare is still it's original wheel.

 

I recently moted it (It failed on a wheel cylinder which has been replaced) and I taxed it until the end of October as well, I'd have no worries at all in driving anywhere it in, It's that good!

 

I have taken a lot of photo's to show how good it really is which I recommend looking at, if you would like any others then please ask. http://s77.photobucket.com/albums/j79/t ... %20Escort/

 

Both me and my wife are sad to be selling Ethel as we promised the lady (who was close to tears when she sold it) that we would keep it and look after it but I've come across a tidy Mk3 Escort so this need to go sadly.

 

This will make a perfect future classic, I've already seen plenty of Mk4's (most newer then this) at car shows and this really wouldn't look out of place at one, I've had so many comments from people at petrol stations commenting on how clean it is and how they used to have one!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[trigger]

Just to add the lowest I'll go is £550, This is rock bottom as it owes me £600. I thank you.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

That's too cheap. Surely it's worth a £995 punt on Car & Classic? Where else would you find one like that?

[theorganist]

I too would have said that was too cheap for the condition and with that much history, it looks lovely!

[trigger]

It's a first for someone to say a car of mine is too cheap!, I had it on ebay where it struggled to get to £510 and it's been on C&C and RR as well as a few Ford forums and it's still hadn't had a sniff.

 

It's a cracking little car as Spottedlaurel will agree and would last someone years, I'm just after a good home for it really then a profit.

[HillmanImp]

I had it on ebay where it struggled to get to £510

 

Thats pretty close to your price isn't it? You have had it a few months so a price of £90 from what you owed it for x months of driving seems fair enough? Can you still sell it to the winner on that?

[trigger]

Not really, I really want £550 at the least for it more for the fact that its got to be worth that.

[mk1_4dr]

Its got to be worth your asking price, and then some I'd have thought....

 

You're bob-on for holding out for the right money rather than selling it to the first punter who'll undoubtedly lob a zetec in it.

 

Although, it would be an absolute hoot with Mondeo guts in it.....

[retrogeezer]

Trig, the Bluey is due for it's MOT next week, if it fails on much I will have this straight away!

[Spottedlaurel]

Yes, I’ll second the excellent condition that it’s in. It was a shame it didn’t work out that I’d end up as its second owner, but to be honest I’d probably only have kept it for a short while too then looked to move it on (and probably not with the good work that Trigger’s done to it).

 

It really impressed me how it drove, as we discussed in the thread when I first chanced upon it I found it to be surprisingly brisk. You could use this as a daily with no embarrassment whatsoever and it’s well equipped too.

 

It’s also the history that makes this one so nice. She was (hopefully still is!) a lovely lady the previous owner, and it’s great that it’s only ever been to the local main dealer.

[Guest]

Anyone who feels the need to swap the 1.6 out of a MK4 Escort is mental, they're a lovely engine. A real driver's car.

[HillmanImp]

Not really, I really want £550 at the least for it more for the fact that its got to be worth that.

 

Soz if my post came across arsey, was not trying to nitpick.

 

I agree it looks lovely. I just hate selling cars because of all the twunts you meet and would happily take a hit of £90 for a few months ownership of a car. Was just trying to look at it from a different angle.

[trigger]

The 1.6 CVH in this is a dream, Really does fly and has no tappet rattles as you expect from a CVH, If someone started to strip it down to fit zetec bits to it I think i would cry as it's FAR to nice for this and I'd sooner just keep it.

 

Simon let me know if you fancy it, It would look good next to your Ghia and would easily make the drive back up north fine.

[trigger]

Well It looks like this is sold pending collection, I did have a bit of interest from Keith Moody from PC magazine but he decided it was too much as he was getting a 105E resprayed then yesterday i had a guy from Plymouth tell me that he wants it.

 

I've spoke to him today and he's a Mk4 anorak with a XR3i, XR3i cabriolet and a RS Turbo which he said are all fully restored to original condition and wants mine to replace his XR3i, He's a older guy and sounds really genuine, I just can't believe that he wants to travel from Plymouth to here to buy it!, He's paypaling a deposit over tonight for it, I got a fair price for it too.