Hi, I'm Chris, and I have a problem that I'm ready to admit to. I like late-model Ford Escorts.
I know, I know, they're commonly regarded as the dreariest of the lot, but for some reason I just love them. Hence this, my *counts fingers* fifth foray into Escortdom. This time, however, I've gone all sporty care of a GTi model. I know, fancy, right?
Er, no, not really. It's a very poor man's RS2000 that's missing 200cc (1800 Zebec in this sucker). It does have lots of '90s factory bodykit though. Here, feast your eyeballs on this mother...
Hmmm, Escorty.
It's actually not a bad bus, though that's not to say it isn't without its issues. Oddly for an Escort though, those issue are within the confines of the mechanicals rather than the body. In fact, for a ;97, it's actually rather rust free. It's not bent, it's never been in a smash, the bumpers are al in one piece, it's all actually pretty nice. The paint is shot, but that's of little concern right now.
As for the oily bits, the engine is pukka, as the kids say. It's got a K&N (at least another 40bhp, right?) and a stainless exhaust (75bhp?) so it sounds good. However, I have no idea if it's quick, as driving it is a gentle affair owing to the fact the clutch's biting point is so high it's offending air traffic control. Then there's the suspension. It has some, but quite what it's attached to remains something of mystery. The car sort of floats about aimlessly over it's own centre of gravity, all the while feeling like it's connected to the road via nothing more that melted marshmallows.
Plans? Clutch, springs and bushes first. Need to get it driving properly. After that, who knows? In all honesty, it's on the cusp - in terms of its condition - of being restorable, but is it too soon to be restoring Escort GTi's? Will be a pointless endeavour? Should I just treat it like the cheap car it is, cage it up, squeeze out some more ponies, then track it? Who knows? Keep checking in on this thread I guess!
Chris
I know, I know, they're commonly regarded as the dreariest of the lot, but for some reason I just love them. Hence this, my *counts fingers* fifth foray into Escortdom. This time, however, I've gone all sporty care of a GTi model. I know, fancy, right?
Er, no, not really. It's a very poor man's RS2000 that's missing 200cc (1800 Zebec in this sucker). It does have lots of '90s factory bodykit though. Here, feast your eyeballs on this mother...
Hmmm, Escorty.
It's actually not a bad bus, though that's not to say it isn't without its issues. Oddly for an Escort though, those issue are within the confines of the mechanicals rather than the body. In fact, for a ;97, it's actually rather rust free. It's not bent, it's never been in a smash, the bumpers are al in one piece, it's all actually pretty nice. The paint is shot, but that's of little concern right now.
As for the oily bits, the engine is pukka, as the kids say. It's got a K&N (at least another 40bhp, right?) and a stainless exhaust (75bhp?) so it sounds good. However, I have no idea if it's quick, as driving it is a gentle affair owing to the fact the clutch's biting point is so high it's offending air traffic control. Then there's the suspension. It has some, but quite what it's attached to remains something of mystery. The car sort of floats about aimlessly over it's own centre of gravity, all the while feeling like it's connected to the road via nothing more that melted marshmallows.
Plans? Clutch, springs and bushes first. Need to get it driving properly. After that, who knows? In all honesty, it's on the cusp - in terms of its condition - of being restorable, but is it too soon to be restoring Escort GTi's? Will be a pointless endeavour? Should I just treat it like the cheap car it is, cage it up, squeeze out some more ponies, then track it? Who knows? Keep checking in on this thread I guess!
Chris
