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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 ... Read review
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Advantages: Very cheap, yes...... Disadvantages: ......& very nasty, maybe
...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. ... ...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 ... more
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 decidely 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 check 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 let 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 out the 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 ;) )
Advantages: No timing belt (1.3 only) - cheaper to maintain, Lots of parts and garages around. Many models, colours to choose from a many different prices/ages. Disadvantages: Common, everyday car
...out. A call to a Ford dealer heralds the sharp intake of breath as you are told - 250 pounds for a new unit. Get hold of a competant solderer, and the job can be done in 5 minutes, for just the cost of some solder.
A common fault is the old escort problem of water in the boot. Usually water ingress happens around the light units on this model. A quick squirt of a decent bathroom mastic, preferably black around the light units, will solve this. I ... ...this car. The car held up very well, and needed a new bonnet, drivers side wing and some paint. If I had been in my previous car, a 1984 Fiesta, I may have needed new legs!
All in all, it has been a good car and I would recommend this model to anyone. If you are buying a car of this age, you have to expect to spend some money on maintenance, but many people fall into the trap of selling the car after spending a few hundred pounds on maintenance ...
pontyslapper 22.12.2000
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average: very helpful Review of Ford Escort 1.3
Advantages: No power steering, nice clutch and good gear stick Disadvantages: Bad in cold weather, fan belt wears easily.
...car is a Mk4 1987 Ford Escort Popular 1.3 Petrol. It has 4 gears + reverse and is a basic 3 door hatchback. It had done just under 30,000 miles when I got it which is practically nothing for a car that age and was in mint condition as my uncle rarely drove it.
The petrol usage is average. I can put about £10 per week and it runs well. I go out a fair bit when someone has the time to take me out.
At first I could not drive it, not because I am a ... ...out so I could not drive it before I turned 17. It took be a couple of months to get behind the wheel as I kept delaying the purchase of insurance but when I finally got behind the wheel it was great.
I just took it round the block at first and then went out more often. I particularly like the gearbox and the clutch. The cars I have driven prior to this one have had short stubby gear sticks which I find really annoying but this one has one nearly ...
xsamix 16.12.2007 (10.01.2008)
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average: very helpful Review of Ford Escort 1.3
Advantages: Cheap to run and good engines Disadvantages: Can develop major costly faults
...of a 1.3 M reg Ford Escort, I can tell you lots about the car. If you own one, you may be interested to read on, if you are looking at one, defiantly read on!
A BRIEF HISTORY - Escorts have progressed nicely over the years and if you want to see proof of this, look out for the mark 1’s, which still drag at the old race tracks. The popular 80’s shape summed it all up, from the sporty XR3i to the 1.6 GLE all in model for the exec on the road (my first ... ...1. Oil leaks and problems. Ford are famous for it. Look around the sump (right underneath) and gearbox (also underneath) for fairly cheap problems to sort out. Lift up the breather cap and check for sludge. A high amount of yellow or thick dark black paste can indicate serious engine wear.
Any oil on the drive shaft (side of engine) or around the seals means `engine out` and that will cost you. A seller may try to clean it off but check for major ...
Niburu 03.07.2003
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average: helpful Review of Ford Escort 1.3
Advantages: Really cheap to buy and fairly reliable Disadvantages: Certain areas are prown to heavy rusting.
...one of these older model Ford estcorts, to repair with my friend and sell on, in the hope of making a profit. On the outside this car looked pretty good, and for a 'B' registration it's engine ran like a little sweety. The bodywork all-in-all was pretty good for a car of its age, but if you are planning on buying one of these make sure you look under the battery, the battery tray and mountings rust away and disintigrate into nothing within a few ...
colin16 31.08.2000
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average: helpful Review of Ford Escort 1.3
Advantages: Extras Disadvantages: Power, electric window switches
I owned a Ford Escort Eclipse 1.3 (H plate) for around 2 years. I used to do 50 miles a day in it during this time and so I am in a position to comment on its reliabilty and driveablity.
The pros of this car were that it was the last in that particular model that were produced so it came with electric windows, metallic paint, a sunroof, body colour bumpers and a spoiler.
The cons were that due ot the window switches being in a poor position on ... ...rain etc and used to stop working. The engine was an overhead cam and so made a strange noise rather like a sewing machine. After owning the car for just over a year and washing it every weekend, the paint started to flake off. Th
Overall this car was a nice run around but it lacked power and wasnt really built to a high standard. ...
Bren801 14.01.2009
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average: helpful Review of Ford Escort 1.3
Value for Money
Road Handling
Comfort
Fuel consumption
Looks
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on offer at a garage in Bishop’s Stortford and finding none of them within my budget as a stroke of luck a small workshop around the back came up trumps and showed me a lonely Escort tucked away in the corner. It required minimal repair work, a service and of course an MOT and within 3 days (less time than quoted!) she was sat out on the forecourt ready for collection.
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Advantages: Low running cost and of replacement parts Disadvantages: Not that many!
I bought a second hand FordEscort Ghia 1.6 3 years ago for £700. It has been very economical to drive, and I drive it about 300 miles every week. Replacing parts is easy as all scrap dealers will have spare parts for all makes of Ford cars at a very low cost, eg; when the car was broken into a year ago, the triangular side mirror was broken, but I got a replacement for £5. It is also quite cheap to service. It is not a particularly flashy model, but it is robust, strong and has a good engine. It is great for motorways and long distance driving, as well as for town driving. The boot is spacious, and the interior easily big enough for 5. I can't remember having any problems with it from this point of view. I can't think of a time when it has broken down, either. Of course there are better, faster cars out there, but it is relatively ...
