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Sept 2, 2008 11:59:40 GMT
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I'm going to have a look at a 4 door mk2 escort later on tonight the problem is i know nothin about buying one. Obviously a car of this age will have some rust and i wouldnt mind changing the odd quater pannel etc.. but don't want to be stripping the whole car down to a shell and replacing everything ( because i cant ). So my question is where do i look for the serious rust such as sills and suspension mounts etc.. ? thanks
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Sept 2, 2008 12:10:53 GMT
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everywhere to be honest, they can rust really badly but are fairly simple to fix if your handy with a welder if the car is cheap enough, any mechanical parts are easy to find and fit, some trim is harder for rarer models but most stuff for most 4 doors is available still, cant buy new quarter panels anymore though.
things like the doors, wings, bonnet and boot are easy to find and replace, its the main structure you need to be looking at, all of it from the chassis rails upwards, prod and poke it hard and take a big speaker magnet to root out the hidden filler and newspaper thats probably syuffed into the bottom of the rear quarters.
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Volvo back as my main squeeze, more boost and some interior goodies on the way.
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Sept 2, 2008 12:13:33 GMT
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everywere its a ford lol strut tops arches sills inner outer rear sping mounts chassis rails pull off the kick panels near were your feet go they rot out there boot LOOK all over take your time andy
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Sept 2, 2008 12:16:41 GMT
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Mk1/2 Escort Buyer's Guide:
1) Look at the Ford. Don't buy it. 2) Buy a mint Avenger or Chevette. 3) Go to the Bahamas for a fortnight with the ££££ you saved.
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mk14dr
Yorkshire and The Humber
Posts: 4,472
Club RR Member Number: 85
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Buying a mk2 escortmk14dr
@mk14dr
Club Retro Rides Member 85
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Sept 2, 2008 12:19:02 GMT
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Firstly, welcome to the site Secondly, nice choice in car Right, you need to look for rust, in a big way. 1- strut-tops 2- Around both screens 3- Spare wheel well 4- around the bottom of the heater bulge under the bonnet 5- FOOTWELLS!!! lift those carpets and have a good old poke and lastly just have a generally good look over it. Like you would with any car. Bear in mind how expensive some parts can be (wings especially -- I paid 250 per side for repo mk1 wings) And some trim bits are made of unobtainium. apart from that, remember that theres plenty out there so you don't have to buy the first one (although I did and it never did me any harm ) Also remember to get some pics, and post em here. Good luck. D
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Sept 2, 2008 12:23:35 GMT
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Mk1/2 Escort Buyer's Guide: 1) Look at the Ford. Don't buy it. 2) Buy a mint Avenger or Chevette. 3) Go to the Bahamas for a fortnight with the ££££ you saved. ;D ;D ;D ;D Pog,s right Mk1 & Mk2 Escorts are a bodgers paradise assume its rotten, and glass-fibred over - everywhere most cheap Mk2's i ve looked at over the last two years have been seriously rotten, and some have had I.D's swapped etc Classic Ford mag did a useful buyer's guide but really, look everywhere for rot, and check the vin numbers and documents very carefully
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Someone just shot the elephant in the room.
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Sept 2, 2008 12:28:28 GMT
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Ok thanks for all the advice theres also a 4dr mk1 cavalier at the same place which looks to be in good condition so if the escort is to bad ill have a look at that. I'll also try to get some pictures but the guys at the garage the cars are at are abit awkward and might not let me take pictures.
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PhoenixCapri
West Midlands
Posts: 2,685
Club RR Member Number: 91
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Buying a mk2 escortPhoenixCapri
@phoenixescort
Club Retro Rides Member 91
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Sept 2, 2008 14:23:09 GMT
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Welcome! ;D As a mk2 escort owner I'd definatley say go for the Cavalier if its in better nick and a good price! Escorts are fun but you pay way over the odds for a car than in many ways is worse than an Avenger or Chevette, infact the engines are the one thing that is better! If you just want a rwd retro, rather than an escort, buy on condition not what the car is (or for that matter what it could be!) Good luck, and look forward to the piccies
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Sept 2, 2008 14:42:25 GMT
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Welcome! ;D As a mk2 escort owner I'd definatley say go for the Cavalier if its in better nick and a good price! Escorts are fun but you pay way over the odds for a car than in many ways is worse than an Avenger or Chevette, infact the engines are the one thing that is better! If you just want a rwd retro, rather than an escort, buy on condition not what the car is (or for that matter what it could be!) Good luck, and look forward to the piccies I don't agree with that at all, the reason they are expensive is because they are popular and demand exceeds supply, they are popular because they are easy to make go faster, they handle sweetly already but again are easy to improve, they are also mechanically very simple, chevettes and avengers were never as good which is why they are not as expensive or popular these days. I don't hate chevettes or avengers by the way.
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Volvo back as my main squeeze, more boost and some interior goodies on the way.
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Sept 2, 2008 15:11:10 GMT
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Buy the best car that floats your boat. Always (like since 1982) fancied a 2 door MK2 Escy but don't think I'll ever bother. Been in and seen some fun 4 doors, nowt wrong with em apart from rust/Old Skool Ford pricing, the X flow can be a fun engine too, however never like the look of mk2 4 doors for me, so i'd go with teh Cav, specially if its a nicer car. If you are buying from an old man or of its sub £500 Escy you may get a rare good deal, come back with pics for inspiration.
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it doesn't matter if it's a Morris Marina or a Toyota Celica - it's what you do with it that counts
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bazboy
Part of things
Jetta - Its like a golf but better.....
Posts: 481
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Sept 2, 2008 15:13:09 GMT
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Buy a volvo 340/360 rwd, cheap, fun, easy to fix and do things to and can be made to go fast honest Dan
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1986 - VW Jetta GT 16v 1986 - Volvo 340 1991 - Volvo 460
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Sept 2, 2008 15:13:20 GMT
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Strut tops, inner wings, back corners of the wings where they meet the bulkhead, A posts around door hinges, heater bubble, floor pans, chassis rails, rear spring hangers, spare wheel well, well under the petrol tank, boot floor, back panel around rear lights, rear roof pillars as they go for a pastime (Especially on a 2 door below the rear quarter windows, the design isn't the greatest so water builds up behind the seals so it rots from the inside out!), look for bubbles under vinyl roof too if it has one fitted, they too secreet moisture!
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Sept 2, 2008 15:24:09 GMT
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I don't hate escorts..... Just to get that out of the way first ;D
I would argue that the escort wasn't better than the competition at the time, and a standard escort IMO handles worse than a standard chevette. Mac strut front and cart spring rear on the ford against wishbones front and links/panhard rod/coil springs rear on the vauxhall. Yes, the ford had a better engine (for the time), yes they both rot stupendously, yes, the ford has a greater "following" now. Not in dispute, really, but you will get a better chevette for the same money now and its less likely to be crashed, bodged or rung up, as previously mentioned.
I would set a budget, work out what I want from the car, and shop accordingly.
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To get a standard A40 this low, you'd have to dig a hole to put it in
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Sept 2, 2008 15:36:50 GMT
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chevettes do have better handling on the tarmac as standard, but then they are a whole lot newer, escorts were competing with Vivas back then, by the time the shuvit came out it was pretty easy to get the bits to improve your escort to keep up round the bends, i prefer the shape of the HC viva to the mk2 escort, but they have pretty much all gone now. its a shame the other cars from the same era have less of a following, it means less cars are saved and I'm pretty bored of escorts these days (hence selling all mine and moving on to other cars) even though i love em.
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Volvo back as my main squeeze, more boost and some interior goodies on the way.
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Sept 2, 2008 16:04:05 GMT
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Just got back from the garage and the escort is rotten and has also been used as a spares car, however the cavalier is solid and its just the paint that needs tidying up. The guy said he would speak to his mate who is part owner and would ring me tomorrow, he also said he would be looking for about £200 if he did sell it i would also be putting a redtop in it so I'm not to bothered about the engine and gearbox
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Last Edit: Sept 2, 2008 16:10:14 GMT by 12joe340
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bazzateer
Posted a lot
Imping along sans Vogue
Posts: 3,653
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Sept 2, 2008 16:37:05 GMT
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Get the Cavalier, they're getting rare now and share a lot with the Manta so can be made to perform nicely. Escorts are sooooo common! Nice though!
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Last Edit: Sept 2, 2008 16:37:27 GMT by bazzateer
1968 Singer Chamois Sport 1972 Sunbeam Imp Sport 1976 Datsun 260Z 2+2 1998 Peugeot Boxer Pilote motorhome 2003 Rover 75 1.8 Club SE (daily) 2006 MG ZT 190+ (another daily) 2007 BMW 530d Touring M Sport (tow car)
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Lopez
East Midlands
Posts: 867
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Sept 2, 2008 18:32:30 GMT
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Escorts are indeed very good and have an absolute wealth of tuning options - virtually a whole industry built around them.
However! The Chevette is better as standard, you'll also get a lot more Manta/Chevette/Cavalier/Avenger/Viva for your money.
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Sept 2, 2008 18:45:41 GMT
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particularly for £200... buy the cavalier!
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To get a standard A40 this low, you'd have to dig a hole to put it in
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Sept 2, 2008 19:10:26 GMT
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yeah i agree, mk1 cavs are cool now, even the ones with funny colour interiors.
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Volvo back as my main squeeze, more boost and some interior goodies on the way.
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Sept 2, 2008 19:35:28 GMT
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yeah I agree, mk1 cavs are cool now, even the ones with funny colour interiors. Its blue with a grey interior, nice colours i think . I also think it would look good lowered and on minilites
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