looking at a mk2 escort....
Discussion
hi, my flatmate and I are currently looking at going halves in a mk2 escort (hopefully a 1600 sport but will settle for a 4-door or 1300 if thats all we can find), was just wondering if theres any useful advice floating round on here about what to look for in one of these.
planning on using it as a general thrashing/ gravel/ occasional paddock car but possibly doing it up as a rally car at some stage, hopefully it will save the legacy from a few km's of gravel abuse.
any thoughts would be appreciated
planning on using it as a general thrashing/ gravel/ occasional paddock car but possibly doing it up as a rally car at some stage, hopefully it will save the legacy from a few km's of gravel abuse.
any thoughts would be appreciated
check the shell thoroughly for signs of rot/accident damage (esp behind the front valance and in the boot/spare wheel area).
without being zebart'd when new,the mk2 suffered from rot just about everywhere so dont expect the inspection to be a quick once-over (take a magnet,a rubber hammer and a screwdriver with you to check how the metal is) and if the car's floorpan has been zebart'd then its still worth digging around as water can be trapped underneath the mixture for years and eats away quite happilly hidden from view,first time you see it is when the zebart falls off and your left with a huge hole in the panel.
the areas to pay attention to are the area at the bottom of the front windscreen pillars,inner and outer sills,door posts around the hinges,floorpan and chassis rails under front seats,floor area where diff sits under,closing sills,rear spring hangers,rear valence,inside the a-panels,the inner wings underneath the bonnet hinges,the front leading parts of the inner wing,rear inner quarter panel,rear inner wings,inside the boot (side 'pockets' and wheel well) and the front bulkhead under where the heater matrix sits.
the top plates on the front suspension turrets usualy fail due to rot,dont be suprised if you see a repair panel welded over the top.
i know that the mk1's had a tendancy to rot in the gearbox tunnel,not too sure about the mk2 though.
the engines are nothing to worry about,if its knacked then its cheap and easy to get a replacement OR you could get hold of a 1760 burton lump on 40's,convert the car to run a 2.1 pinto on 45' or if you are feeling realy ambitious you could shove in the running gear from a sierra cossie.
anyway good luck with getting the car as even dodgy looking ones that need work seem to be going for a fair bit at the moment.
>> Edited by cortinaman on Saturday 21st May 21:26
without being zebart'd when new,the mk2 suffered from rot just about everywhere so dont expect the inspection to be a quick once-over (take a magnet,a rubber hammer and a screwdriver with you to check how the metal is) and if the car's floorpan has been zebart'd then its still worth digging around as water can be trapped underneath the mixture for years and eats away quite happilly hidden from view,first time you see it is when the zebart falls off and your left with a huge hole in the panel.
the areas to pay attention to are the area at the bottom of the front windscreen pillars,inner and outer sills,door posts around the hinges,floorpan and chassis rails under front seats,floor area where diff sits under,closing sills,rear spring hangers,rear valence,inside the a-panels,the inner wings underneath the bonnet hinges,the front leading parts of the inner wing,rear inner quarter panel,rear inner wings,inside the boot (side 'pockets' and wheel well) and the front bulkhead under where the heater matrix sits.
the top plates on the front suspension turrets usualy fail due to rot,dont be suprised if you see a repair panel welded over the top.
i know that the mk1's had a tendancy to rot in the gearbox tunnel,not too sure about the mk2 though.
the engines are nothing to worry about,if its knacked then its cheap and easy to get a replacement OR you could get hold of a 1760 burton lump on 40's,convert the car to run a 2.1 pinto on 45' or if you are feeling realy ambitious you could shove in the running gear from a sierra cossie.
anyway good luck with getting the car as even dodgy looking ones that need work seem to be going for a fair bit at the moment.
>> Edited by cortinaman on Saturday 21st May 21:26
I owned a two wagons.
Both my cars were reliable enough, but they are heavier, and with a 1300 engine, or worse still an 1100 they have minimal performance. They were of course great at carrying huge loads.
The wagon is a MK1 with a restyled front to make it look like a MK2. Getting spares in the late 80s / early 90s wasn't easy, and I should imagine far less easy now.
I had a 1300 two door, which was basically a nice car. If you get a GL they have riveted on trim strips which give lots of points for corrosion to appear, or be patched over with filler.
It goes without saying that the handling of the MK2 is excellent. Spares that are cheap are also hard to come by. Tuning parts though are cheap.
My recommendation is to go for a 2 door 1300 with poverty level trim and spend money on tuning parts to make it fun to drive. If you have the money, get an RS2000 or RS1600 that's in A1 condition.
Both my cars were reliable enough, but they are heavier, and with a 1300 engine, or worse still an 1100 they have minimal performance. They were of course great at carrying huge loads.
The wagon is a MK1 with a restyled front to make it look like a MK2. Getting spares in the late 80s / early 90s wasn't easy, and I should imagine far less easy now.
I had a 1300 two door, which was basically a nice car. If you get a GL they have riveted on trim strips which give lots of points for corrosion to appear, or be patched over with filler.
It goes without saying that the handling of the MK2 is excellent. Spares that are cheap are also hard to come by. Tuning parts though are cheap.
My recommendation is to go for a 2 door 1300 with poverty level trim and spend money on tuning parts to make it fun to drive. If you have the money, get an RS2000 or RS1600 that's in A1 condition.
Thanks, I had a look at the wagon, its a '79 thats had a mk1 1600 dropped in it with a k&n filter and slightly lumpy cam, body is pretty rough though quite a few dints/scrapes, paint cracking and falling off, a few patches of rust visible even at night when I looked at it. brakes are pretty much non-existent, or is this just escorts in general? (I drive & therefore am comparing with a 1990 Legacy wagon)
the guy also wants $700 (NZ) which from the others I've seen is way too much for the condition of it.
So i'm gonna have to keep looking. Worth waiting for a decent one thought i think, can't really afford to do one up myself.
the guy also wants $700 (NZ) which from the others I've seen is way too much for the condition of it.
So i'm gonna have to keep looking. Worth waiting for a decent one thought i think, can't really afford to do one up myself.
GravelBen said:
Thanks, I had a look at the wagon, its a '79 thats had a mk1 1600 dropped in it with a k&n filter and slightly lumpy cam, body is pretty rough though quite a few dints/scrapes, paint cracking and falling off, a few patches of rust visible even at night when I looked at it. brakes are pretty much non-existent, or is this just escorts in general? (I drive & therefore am comparing with a 1990 Legacy wagon)
Does the car have a brake servo? If so then the brakes should be quite good (I had a 1300 mk2 w/servo).
By the sound of it, I think you would be better off looking at a different example, body/chassis condition is of highest importance when looking at these cars, unless you like a lot of welding.
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