Custom built escorts?

[hedges88]

My mum is driving me mad because she is looking for a car that she had many years ago (probably 30 years) . It was a red 3 door Ford Escort with an F prefix registration. Now apparently this thing came from a tuner or coach builder as she clearly remembered that the company name was on the logbook as the manufacturer rather than Ford. When she owned the car people continually approached her asking to buy it, especially Ford enthusiast's. She keeps being adamant it was called a "Targa" though it had no removable roof panels. It was also totally stock underneath I think it was just the standard 1.3 so it was all show no go. She sold it back to the dealer a year after she bought it and pretty much got her money back, he then put it on his forecourt for more than she initially paid. Something had to be special about it. Somewhere is a picture of me as a baby sitting in it which I will try and find if it will help identify it for her. I know nothing about Ford's apart from she sold it to get an Orion Ghia. Were any escorts of that period custom coach-built?

[Pericoloso]

Only name that is remotely similar I can think of to Targa is Tickford.

I was a Ford person back then but can't recall if they did any special MK4 Escorts .

Other name just came to me is Gartrac but it won't be them .

[Pericoloso]

After a quick Google,I found that the Orion 1600E was built by Tickford ,from Orion Ghias but they're not an Escort 3 door either.

[fttm]

Being an 89 F plate would definately lead towards the Gartrac G6 , wonderful machine back then . Colors were White or Electric Blue IIRC . Lucky lady

[Pericoloso]

Yes but OP says it was a 1.3 not a 2.8 V6 with RWD.

I think mother may have left out \ forgotten some vital details of this car.

Edited by Pericoloso on Wednesday 7th August 01:51

[Google [bot]]

I’ve clearly remembered things before that it transpires couldn’t be the case.

I reckon it was an Escort Firefly that I vaguely remember, they were red and about that era.

Or the 1.3 is wrong and Targa was actually Turbo and she had an RS.

Happy to be proven wrong!

[fttm]

Pericoloso said:

Yes but OP says it was a 1.3 not a 2.8 V6 with RWD.

I think mother may have left out \ forgotten some vital details of this car.

Edited by Pericoloso on Wednesday 7th August 01:51

Yeah think she might have , didn't Ford offer some weird and wonderful bodykits for Escorts back in that era ?

[Pericoloso]

It was the height of the aftermarket bodykit craze.
Kat and Fibresports were two of the companys I remember.

[fttm]

88/9 Welsh Rally press day and the Ford team were housed at the local dealership not far from the castle , remember seeing some modded brand new escorts with various odd bodykits in the showroom . Cough , didn't pay too much attention as Lovell had just asked me to drive his rally car to the press venue in return for a trundle around Bute Park with him, always a fun time .