Rustbucket? aye! (Ford Escort in general)

Member Name: unnameable

Product:	Ford Escort in general
Date:	14/01/04 (4014 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Cheap.....

Disadvantages: .....nasty

Before reading on, I must say that this review is based entirely upon my experiences with a 1992 J-reg Escort 1.3 Fresco (CVH engine).

Admittedly the standard of the cars has come up a lot since the model I am reviewing, but I feel this review should be helpful for others like me who cannot afford a newer car.

Brief History:

The Ford Escort has been on Britain's roads since 1968 in many guises from the nicely curved mk 1 model, through the ugly box-like mk 3 to the latest (and final) version (mk 7).
The Escort has always had a reputation as a cheap and cheerful family car, and as such is one of the best selling cars EVER in the UK.
Hugely bolstered by the fact that the late Lady Di owned a mk 3, sales skyrocketed in the early 1980's. This prompted Ford to expand their range to include (amongst others) the boy racers favourite the XR3 (and XR3i). This was purely to create a more accessable higher powered version for those who could not afford/insure the RS models.

Note - as mentioned in a comment on my review, Ford dumped the CVH engine back in 1995 and replaced it with the far superior Zetec engine.

Reliability:

To be honest all Fords can take a fair bit of punishment, and the 1.3 Escort is no exception. But when they go wrong, it can be spectacular. Personally my Escort made it's way to the scrapyard in the sky when one morning the cylinder head literally disintegrated dumping oil and muck all over my driveway.

Almost all older Ford engines develop worn 'tappets' which incidentally can be identified by a loud-ish tapping noise when running the engine. In itself this is not a huge problem, it is merely an indication of engine wear. It can be fixed, but most people don't tend to bother.

If serviced regularly and well looked after (not very common) an Escort will keep on running for a good 200,000 miles on the same engine.

Driving:

Comfort is deci
dely average, which is to be expected of older Fords to be honest. Long drives tend to give you a sore back no matter how well you adjust the drivers seat!

Steering is very heavy on most earlier versions as power steering was non-existant. The handling is atrocious even by Ford standards. Even in the kindest of weather conditions you feel like you are driving on ice.

Brakes are competant, and can seem somewhat brutal in fact. Very easy to lock up your wheels unless you are used to them. Personally I very nearly rear ended a truck while driving it for the first time!

Engine feels very very underpowered at 59BHP but does labour away, if somewhat slowly. The engine is noisy, unrefined, and truly sounds like a lawnmower. There was no rev counter in the car that I had so a lot of guesswork was involved in changing gears at the right time.

Safety-wise I can't help but feel the car was somewhat lacking. Every time I drove it I felt I was taking my life into my own hands. It felt like anything bigger than a Mini was willing and able to leave it in a crumpled heap.

Features:

The model I owned (1.3L Fresco) was the base model, and as such had no extras to speak of. No central locking, no electric windows, barely a sunroof and the interior was inferior (like the rhyme?). Cheap and cheerful is an understatement!

Room-wise I have no complaints. I could easily fit myself, my wife and our two children in the car comfortably (although it struggled to move with all of us in it!). Boot space is surprisingly good for the size of car, and as it is a hatchback, the rear seats fold down creating even more space.


Buying a used Escort:

Body - All older Escorts are very prone to rust around the wheel arches and any creases. Also mk5's like my old car were notorious for rusting around the fuel filler cap (this is a fault to watch out for as is is hugely expensive to repair - £250 at least). Also che
ck underneath the car as chassis corrosion is another sore point of the mk5 Escort. Welding to repair the problems can be expensive, £200 upwards depending on the severity.

Engine - Check the oil filler cap and cylinder head for any mayonaise like deposits. This is a sure sign of expensive head gasket problems and worn pistons. Most Escorts do have a small amount of oil leaks (usually down to rubber seals starting to perish), but do check for leaks around the main engine block, dipstick and the sump.

Brakes - Be sure to check the condition of the front drums and shoes as they do tend to wear a lot quicker than the rear brakes. I am not sure for the reasons. It is just a tip from my mechanic father-in-law!

Steering/suspension - Be sure to check for any corrosion around the struts (not instantly noticable). And also check for lateral movement or free play in the front wheels. My Escort has worn bushings causing front to back movement on the offside front wheel. Was VERY interesting steering to the left.

Costs (the important bit):

A mk5 in good general condition can be picked up for under £250 (for a J reg 1.3) which is an absolute bargain if all you are after is a cheap runaround. If you want something more refined as a family car then I would recommend investing £400-£500 in a K reg 1.6 litre ghia(much better to drive, and many times more comfortable!)

Personal experience summary:

I bought my Escort for a paltry £125 in Feb 03 from a motor auction in Glasgow as a stopgap until I got some more money together.

First problem arised when I tried to get in it. The drivers door was stuck shut! The whole time I owned it I still could not open it. So many times I managed to nearly cripple myself by getting caught on the gearstick!

Apart from the usual oil leak, I experienced overheating problems almost straight way. I couldn't drive it for any more than 10 miles without having to stop and le
t it cool down. In hindsight I know this was down the the blown head gasket.

After running it for 3 months it totally gave up one morning. Nasty crunch when I tried to start it resulting in a completely knackered cylinder head and almost all the engine oil to be dumped on my driveway (as I said before).

Finally in May 03 I had to call ou tthe local car breaker to take it away in a 'free uplift' offer. At the moment it is sitting in his yard, stripped of everything, awaiting the crusher.

Thanks for reading. I hope my review shows the good as well as the bad (although I may be leaning slightly to the bad ;) )

Marc

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