My new toy - WARNING - ESSEX CONTENT!!!

[ch!ppen]

I'm 31 but I dont like old Fords. I love plenty of old cars but I just dont get what is amazing about a 20 year old escort. IMO of course.

Not trying to argue but the same could be said for an old Golf or similar. It's just a hatchback, yet get's a major following.

Different people like different things etc

 

[Gavin.]

Different people like different things etc

I know mate, my post was more in response to Ian 182's post that all haters were young.

 

[ch!ppen]

I know mate, my post was more in response to Ian 182's post that all haters were young.

Ah, well i'm 24 so guess i'm still young. And i love them haha :rasp:

 

[Brett]

Great car. I'm more of an S2 fan than even S1's! Its a car I've always wanted to own but probably never will.

Good on you for buying one.

 

[Kane.]

Nice to see a little history about it.

 

[gez 172]

love these cars! ive been brought up around old fords. love them, want one. yours looks like a good example! enjoy!

 

[Scrooge]

Very nice, would love one myself.

Was this the one that was being sold as an unfinished project as its mapping needed sorting out?

 

[Toby]

Nice, when you getting a proper car?

 

[Scutch]

Love these. LOL @ the Momo Arrows on the pic in the OP. They were very popular.

 

[_Tom]

Momo sports and Momo arrows. They used to be wheels i'd dream of when reading car mags when i was 13..haha

I have fond memorys of being in a ERST when i was about 10 with my mum's boyfriend racing a MK2 golf back from Cornwall. Ahh they were the days.

 

[davo172]

Great choice mate and good investment had a Fiesta RS turbo in mercury back in the day for 7 years i kept it . Biggest regret ever selling it still miss it !! My mate still owns his 89 rst with momo arrows on to he bought it when it was 12mths old its still as mint now.

Castle performance They used to look after mine too

This thread has made me want another RS turbo AGAIN !!!

 

[Budgie]

Nothing with a Blue oval on the front does anything for me, however this does look like a tidy example.

 

[Gally]

Nothing with a Blue oval on the front does anything for me, however this does look like a tidy example.

That hurts.

 

[Darren S]

I'n not an S2 fan per se but fantastic buy mate.

People who don't quite get it I kind of understand but it is a heritage thing. Rob I understand the rally thing but it's still an old school Ford with an RS badge. It tingles the balls even if it's not that good. I don't particularly think the MK1 Focus RS is an amazing car, doesn't fail to tingle my balls though.

The S1 still flutters my heart when I see them in the flesh, the repsect it commands, the heads it turns. Fords do that to people. Some people.

Moist.

I'm the same too. I remembered as a kid thinking that if I wished hard enough, that dad would come home with a black Mk1 XR2, rather than the 1.1 Pop he had at the time. Never did happen!

As gally says - the 'respect' that these cars command, I think is pretty special - assuming its a decent or standard one. To have survived the years of insurance-suicide, the plethora of hedges, roundabouts kerbs and various garden walls - and still exist in 2012 is nothing short of a miracle. Sure, a mass-market VAG box would run rings around one in both outright speed and in the bends, these days. But it's not about that with old Fords, imo.

I think its the fact that they were soo sh1t is half the appeal.

1. You improve your mechanical skills by fixing it every other weekend - so it works as a nice hobby
2. You improve your bodywork skills cutting out, filling & treating the rust every other weekend - useful for when rendering/painting your house
3. Learning to control wheelspin/understeer through steering that not only weighs 3 tonnes, but offers no feedback, whilst attempting to get 230bhp of 'high boost' bhp's onto the tarmac in the damp is quite amusing.
4. It takes you back to when you were 16/17, reading Max Power whilst sat on the sh1tter, dreaming of the day you could afford the insurance.

Personally, i've always wanted one, in fact the 1st 'quick' car i ever went in was my headteacher's S1 ERST at the tender age of 6.

That got me hooked on cars, & my bank balance has never really recovered ...

Lol - so true. Those were the days where insurance premiums were on par with attempting a hostile tackover of Microsoft with the contents of your wallet. It was so off the chart, that it wasn't worth even considering. But you could always dream!

As good as the OP's choice is, the Series-1 holds more favour for me. A true icon of the 80s that.

D.

 

[Gally]

Sure, a mass-market VAG box would run rings around one in both outright speed and in the bends, these days. But it's not about that with old Fords, imo.

This is the main point.

A 1.4 Diesel Golf could blow my car away in a straight line. It matters little in the grand scheme of things.

Funnily enough me and Pep discussed this when he got rid of his MK5 GTI Golf for a Focus RS Mk1. We kinda agreed the Golf was better in 9/10 departments and did everything so well, but, it didn't stir something inside. These cars do something to you but I think they only do it to you if you let them and you want to experience it.

I can understand why people don't get it. As a Ford lover I do. It's one of the reasons I won't/can't bring myself to sell my car. Everytime I feel like it I know I would regret it instantly.

I'm lucky enough to have driven hundreds of cars so I feel in a reasonable position to comment

 

[davo172]

Having something like this makes it a special drive everytime ! turns many heads and how many people can say that when they go out in there car (whatever it is) they wont see another like it !

If I could afford it as a weekend car and could find a good one I would soon get another but finding good ones now is a REALLY tough job !

 

[JT182]

Nostalga mate everyone loves cars they found cool as a kid there doesn't always have to be logic behind it.

So true. I can appreciate that many people dismiss cars such as this on face value, but if you've loved them since you were a kid, nostalgia takes over and you've got to have one.

I get so much abuse from my mates for owning an old white Peugeot but to me, it's the affordable icon of my generation. You either get them or you don't; some people see an old car past its prime, and others see something that's very cool!

 

[plymcl172]

I can't see the old ford thing me but nice to see one around I guess, I feel that in 1990 this car would be perfect. But its not 1990!

each to their own and all that!

 

[Scutch]

Nostalgia and iconic innit. Moreso than the Fiesta RS Turbo. Although that was a nice motor, too, it hasn't quite got the same depth as the Escort.

There's a gun-metal S2 near where I live too. Completely stock, even with the Ford car seat covers still in. Looks absolutely mint.

EDIT : I tell a lie, it's not standard, it's rocking a Scorpion 3" rolled.

 

[chriscummins7]

AWESOME!!!!

 

[RDH]

Not really my thing but I do appreciate a mint one. My mate had one, dreamed about owning it for years. Bought one, and he has never admitted it but I think he skimped abit rather than hanging on that bit longer. Wasn't standard (have no idea what mods it had) and fcuk me it could shift for an old car. But it broke down literally everytime he drove it so he got rid.

 

[.Kev.]

Yep. came with an LSD from the factory. however, many got binned and replacement xr3i/diesel boxes put in by folk/garages who didnt have a clue

The diesel box change was a waste of time as it wasn't any stronger.

Love the look of the car, my 1st car was a Mk4. I much prefer the 90spec spoiler/bumper and interior mind.

LOL at all the haters.

 

[Cookson]

OK, so a quick update.

I got back from Egypt and the car had been MOT'd. Lad was due to deliver it at 5pm, turned up at 8:30pm. So I was annoyed/impatient as it was

A quick test drive round the block and it pulled like a f**king train. Peaking 11psi, holding 10. Rand like a dream. No knocks or bangs out of place, engine sounded sweet etc. So, cash and logbook changed hands and she was finally mine.

No tax, so I decided to wait til march to tax her and sort out a few niggles. However, the more I delved, the more bodges I found:

Air filter bent over by s hitty swirl pot that actually isnt needed

What the f**k is that wiring about?

A few redeeming factors

and these sensors are usually held on by cableties

So, not to be imposed by such s**t, I took her for a quick test round the block. The b*****d rad hoses presurised. I clipped the interior coolant temp sensor on and it went through the roof. Turned off and left to cool, I then ripped this fucker off

Can stand not being able to see whats going on ion my header tank. Next day, went to fire it up...... DEAD.

Something is draining the battery. Possibly alarm, headunit, central locking etc.

So, charged the battery up and ordered neqw thermostat (know for sticking), early fan switch, interior sensor ect. Charged battery up. Tonight, thought I best do a quick comp test after the pressuising of the hoses.

60psi, 100psi, 150psi and 150psi. That will be fucked then!!!

So, plan of action is to wet test it tomoz to see if its headgasket or rings. Then we see where we go from there.

A baptism of fire?? Nope, I knew something would go wrong..................


But I at least expected to tax the c**t first

 

[alex-avfc]

Oh dear! This is why I really think these are so much better left alone.

 

[Ian_182]

I remember back in the day a new engine from ford was like £700,my mate bought the same colour car and for months had trouble.He bought a new engine in the end from furrows and went straight to castle performance in stoke.

Was a great car after that.

 

[edgeydt50]

such a shame because from the outside it looks pretty tidy

 

[Cookson]

Well, this fucker is testing my patience already. Did a compression test and got 150psi, 150psi, 100psi and 60psi. So, sothing was fucked. Wet test gave the same results, so I knew it wasnt bottom end.

Dropped the water:

Oily film on it, yet no mayo on dip or filler caps

So f**k it, ripped the head off

Reason for the fail?

FAIL-Pro. Reknowed for being s**t in the ford circles as the fire rings are too wide.

While it was out I found some lovely "twist n tape" wiring behind the head

f**king dicks. How hard is it to solder it FFS

Anyways, head stripped, and sent to local engineering company for a skim

Ooooh, was was that cheeky little number hiding in the head?

Piper cam!! That will do nicely when timed up properly and not on the standard vernier pully

Head is back with an 8thou skim

Seems its been fucked before. High comp turbo FTW like racecar, lol

So, while I wait for my mate to drop me off a standard inlet, rocker cover and charge carrier rather than the s**t blingy stuff I had, i decided to heat wrap the exhaust manifold to keep the air charge temps down in traffic

The saga contines............

 

[Tom]

Are those gaps in the wrap? Or just the ties?

 

[Tunst]

Are those gaps in the wrap? Or just the ties?

Just the ties looking at it

 

[Englebert]

LOL at all the haters.

Latest update doesn't exactly convince me otherwise!

 

[VeinAST]

I like the look of them but that's about it! Interiors are drab.

 

[Christopher]

Stereotype: Reinforced.

 

[Nick172Cup]

Got to love old cars! At least its cheap and simple to work on your car, mines (E36 M3) currently at a specialist having numerous fubar'd things replaced. £1250 bill is still rising as well!

 

[Cookson]

Christ Nick!!

I paid £30 for head skim, £30 for headgasket set and £14 for headbolts, lol.

VeinAST, how can you say the trim is drab? Best recaros EVER in the RS Turbo

 

[Nick172Cup]

Christ Nick!!

I paid £30 for head skim, £30 for headgasket set and £14 for headbolts, lol.

VeinAST, how can you say the trim is drab? Best recaros EVER in the RS Turbo

I'd be happy paying for all of that! Should be good once its all sorted for you, I must admit I have had a liking for the S2 Escort RST's. The recaros are very cool also, given how old the car is they are very stylish for the times!

 

[Cookson]

And uber comfortable, even on long journeys with the touring cushion that pulls out the bottom to under your thighs

Ive bought a darker cloth 88 spec trim for it too, so I can swap and change as I please

 

[Nick172Cup]

And uber comfortable, even on long journeys with the touring cushion that pulls out the bottom to under your thighs

Ive bought a darker cloth 88 spec trim for it too, so I can swap and change as I please

Ah yes have them on the M3, makes a mega difference for comfort for me when driving!

 

[davo172]

OK, so a quick update.

I got back from Egypt and the car had been MOT'd. Lad was due to deliver it at 5pm, turned up at 8:30pm. So I was annoyed/impatient as it was

A quick test drive round the block and it pulled like a f**king train. Peaking 11psi, holding 10. Rand like a dream. No knocks or bangs out of place, engine sounded sweet etc. So, cash and logbook changed hands and she was finally mine.

No tax, so I decided to wait til march to tax her and sort out a few niggles. However, the more I delved, the more bodges I found:

Air filter bent over by s hitty swirl pot that actually isnt needed

What the f**k is that wiring about?

A few redeeming factors

and these sensors are usually held on by cableties

So, not to be imposed by such s**t, I took her for a quick test round the block. The b*****d rad hoses presurised. I clipped the interior coolant temp sensor on and it went through the roof. Turned off and left to cool, I then ripped this f**ker off

Can stand not being able to see whats going on ion my header tank. Next day, went to fire it up...... DEAD.

Something is draining the battery. Possibly alarm, headunit, central locking etc.

So, charged the battery up and ordered neqw thermostat (know for sticking), early fan switch, interior sensor ect. Charged battery up. Tonight, thought I best do a quick comp test after the pressuising of the hoses.

60psi, 100psi, 150psi and 150psi. That will be f**ked then!!!

So, plan of action is to wet test it tomoz to see if its headgasket or rings. Then we see where we go from there.

A baptism of fire?? Nope, I knew something would go wrong..................


But I at least expected to tax the c**t first

Cut that s**t fan switch connection and wiring off fit a series 1 RS turbo switch and 2 spade connectors MUCH more reliable !!

 

[Cookson]

Cut that s**t fan switch connection and wiring off fit a series 1 RS turbo switch and 2 spade connectors MUCH more reliable !!

Ive got an MSD uprated job going on, along with a low temp thermostat

 

[uk300matt]

i love them,and thats the best colour imo.
very hard to find in unmolested condition that the chavs havent killed,
gross "bad boy bonnets" ect,and with the original spotlights on,
i think most removed them as bonnets were getting knackered by toe rags knocking the spots.

id also want it all back to original buddy,i love all these early hatches in original condition,
i still want another pug 205gti as it came from the factory!

my pal spent a fortune sourcing all original parts for the restoration of his "white lightning s1"
even down to the original pop out cassette holders and original radio/orange indicators ect.
got more looks than any fancy sports car.