Mk1 / MK2 Escort Alternatives

[KTMsm]

I had loads of modified Mk1 and Mk2 Escorts in my youth and having tried all the modern alternatives, they just don't match up for accessible RWD thrills

I'm not willing to pay £20k for one these days so can anyone suggest alternatives

Obviously there's the Chevette, Firenza & Viva but what else ?

[spoodler]

I sold my Pinto a while back... 2.0litre Pinto engine, four speed manual, totally solid and rust free ex-California car. I think it was about £5000. It's about as close to an early Escort as you will find... not many in the U.K., but they do come up occasionally.

[killysprint]

Dolly Sprint.


The tuning bits aren't as readily available as for the fords, but are still about if you look hard enough.

Standard is quick enough, tweaked they're great fun.

Edited by killysprint on Thursday 16th February 11:25

[CostaBrava1972]

In my youth, got through 17 Mk I and Mk II RWD Escorts - some of which were stage-rallied. Then I saw a red FWD Lancia Delta HF in the street, found it advertised in that night's paper, and the rest is history. (Lancia; Lancia: Lancia; Alfa Romeo; Lancia... Alfa etc. etc. to date) Never recovered.

However, during this same period, also forest-rallied a FWD SAAB 96 V4 - only because had owned a standard version of one at college and grew fond. Characterful, yes, but quick, no!

Though the best RWD rally car I ever, ever had was a Talbot Sunbeam 1600.

Zero-charisma or brand-image, but a real delight to wield. Strong, reliable & cheap to run (very much cheaper than an Escort!) and highly entertaining to drive, if not remarkably quick, it was a total hoot. Apart from how it went all 'floaty' on the longer straights, that is.

Still hanker, though... and, you might be surprised to hear, only chose an Abarth 124 spider (convertible) because, despite its dissimilar looks - but considering its RWD, Bilsteins & slippy diff - when I actually test-drove one, it felt closer in spirit and road behaviour to that Sunbeam, or else those RS Escorts, than anything modern I'd ever driven since owning them.

Edited by CostaBrava1972 on Thursday 16th February 11:57

Edited by CostaBrava1972 on Thursday 16th February 11:58

[Legacywr]

Opel Kadett!

[KTMsm]

Thanks I'll have a Google for the curb weights of those suggestions, it's the light weight I really miss

I moved from a Mark 2 Escort 1.1 to a Saab 95 (even uglier than a 96) because it had 65bhp to my Escort's 44

I later had various ones including a 230 BHP V6 on triple webers

I'd forgotten about the Dolomite Sprint, I always fancied one of those but have never driven one

I sold my Manta 16v just before all the prices went crazy but even then, I wanted something lighter

[aeropilot]

KTMsm said:

I had loads of modified Mk1 and Mk2 Escorts in my youth and having tried all the modern alternatives, they just don't match up for accessible RWD thrills

I'm not willing to pay £20k for one these days so can anyone suggest alternatives

Obviously there's the Chevette, Firenza & Viva but what else ?

Chevette, Viva/Magnum/Firenza are hardly a much harder ownership proposition now, as parts are much, much harder to come across than a Mk.1/Mk.2 Escort, for both standard and modded parts. The Firenza/Magnum are close to extrinct now.

Chevette not much more available now either.

Pretty much no one is making repro parts for them, as there are just not enough around to justify it.

[aeropilot]

KTMsm said:

I'd forgotten about the Dolomite Sprint, I always fancied one of those but have never driven one

I have back in the day (one of my cousins bought one new) and while it was a nicer motorway car, with the overdrive 'box, it wasn't a nice to drive in the lanes as my RS2000, and despite supposedly having over 20hp more than the RS2, it didn't 'feel' as quick either.

BL build quality back in the day was shocking as well, although, by now especially if buying a 'restored' car, that shouldn't be such an issue.

I'm guessing parts supply today via some of the Triumph specialists should be pretty good though?



In terms of weight, size, and rwd, only Escort rival I can think of from same period is one of these......but your getting into Escort price territory as well.

[Mellow Yellow]

Love these but still looking at £20k+


https://www.carandclassic.com/car/C1340337

[Mark A S]

Like Aero I drove a dolly sprint back in the day whilst owning an RS Mk 2 [one of 7 Escorts i have owned] my memory was that it went quite well, seats were crap and the handling was rather vague compared with the Escort.

I now have my 3rd Lotus Sunbeam, IMO as a road car its better than a RS Escort, albeit a well sorted Escort has the edge on [friendly] handling, the Sunbeam is more of a hooligan though
There is a re shelled decent looking condition one for sale at present for around 20k, good original cars though are gradually approaching RS Escort prices, quite rightly to when you look at the comparably spec.

The Escort though has fantastic parts supply, the Sunbeam whilst not as bad as the afore mentioned Vauxhalls not quite as good, but if you join the SLOC they normally can help with parts.

[Rob 131 Sport]

Mellow Yellow said:

Love these but still looking at £20k+


https://www.carandclassic.com/car/C1340337

As a former owner, I can say that they really are a fantastic car. When I bought mine back in 1990, they were substantially cheaper than the contemporary RS2000 Custom and arguably better.

I would have been happy with either.

As regards competitive pricing and RWD, is it not worth looking at an E21 or E30 BMW.

[Oldwolf]

If RWD and light weight - does it have to be a 4 seater? TVR might fit the bill?

[stevemcs]

How about a Cortina

https://www.carandclassic.com/car/C1550696

[GTRene]

Rob 131 Sport said:

Mellow Yellow said:

Love these but still looking at £20k+


https://www.carandclassic.com/car/C1340337

As a former owner, I can say that they really are a fantastic car. When I bought mine back in 1990, they were substantially cheaper than the contemporary RS2000 Custom and arguably better.

I would have been happy with either.

As regards competitive pricing and RWD, is it not worth looking at an E21 or E30 BMW.

I also owned 5 times a RS2000 mk2 great cars at the time, but I also owned 2 time a Fiat 131 racing, a orange and a grey one, the orange one looked like that in the ad, they are special cars, although not as rally like a RS2000 still a once must have owned one :-) they are a bit softer, but you can make changes.

The priced one in that ad looks very good, also price wise in such condition for 'collectors'

I've owned ar least 122 cars in my car live. at the time of those escorts I changed a lot of cars to try, so the great cars I bought several of them, others not so much or never again.

best buy RWD 2-3 door cars with not to much weight, say max 1250kg and the lower of that the better for driving fun.

I've also owned 5 times a fiat X1/9 I started my car life with such, a 1974 1300cc lovely car that corrupted me lol, so yes, 5 times, also 1 1500 but that was not as good as a 1300, also bought some even after some RS2000 cars, they are in the same-ish good feeling car, but of course completely different.

So... a must in your life is also a good Fiat X1/9 its light and you can tune it for todays faster life, or drop a better engine in them, but for fun the 1300 feels faster then it is

here my first car ever

|https://thumbsnap.com/YgU4Vcy7[/url]

and here the second or third X1/9 and me loooooong time ago ;-)

|https://thumbsnap.com/ilnwdkN4[/url]

looking at my list at those days, a good BMW e36 Compact can also be great, although those do not look special, I had a few of those as in between cars cause they were such good built for the money and ow, also owned one with a 320hp M3 engine and more special parts, great car that was.





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but also a good e30 in the RWD and 2-3 door categories only can be good, yes you have to upgrade them to feel more sporty, like pu bushings and coilover set and bigger wheel/tire and ow... engine tuning, or like I did/bought say this example (had many e30) with 3.6 M5 engine tuned 340hp was a rocket, short gearing 275 hard in rpm limiter lots of power fun long time ago.

[Simes205]

Hillman Avenger?
https://youtube.com/watch?v=HjG1AxyfM10&si=EnS...

[bumskins]

GTRene said:

looking at my list at those days, a good BMW e36 Compact can also be great, although those do not look special, I had a few of those as in between cars cause they were such good built for the money and ow, also owned one with a 320hp M3 engine and more special parts, great car that was.





[url][url]

but also a good e30 in the RWD and 2-3 door categories only can be good, yes you have to upgrade them to feel more sporty, like pu bushings and coilover set and bigger wheel/tire and ow... engine tuning, or like I did/bought say this example (had many e30) with 3.6 M5 engine tuned 340hp was a rocket, short gearing 275 hard in rpm limiter lots of power fun long time ago.

Love those 2, the E36 looks almost like a factory-built car with the use of E36 M3 parts

Would love an S54-swapped E30 but the prices of those engines has gone stupid

[KTMsm]

I would love a Fiat 131 but I couldn't find a solid one 25 years ago !

This would be for local daily usage and needs to be a 4 seater I've already got a few two seaters

I've had a few BMW E36 328, E46 330, 325 compact and always found them slow to rev and unresponsive to drive I presume they call this good nvh but I hate it - essentially I want a lightweight, relatively slow, easy to drift rally car for the local lanes

[aeropilot]

KTMsm said:

essentially I want a lightweight, relatively slow, easy to drift rally car for the local lanes

What you want is a Ford Escort Mk.1 or Mk.2.....



I don't think I'm doing this right am I

[Rob 131 Sport]

KTMsm said:

I would love a Fiat 131 but I couldn't find a solid one 25 years ago !

I struggled to find a solidish one in 1990.

Rust would really start to take hold on these after 5 years.

Would you consider a Triumph TR7.

[KTMsm]

Rob 131 Sport said:

Would you consider a Triumph TR7.

Absolutely not - they're awful things -admittedly I might not use that description when I sell the V8 one of my father's

And I need 4 seats