I used to own this when it required too much work for me at the time so I sold it on and then bought it back because it was awesome. It’s now great fun and very reliable, transformed from an absolute dog.
1989 Ford Escort Bonus 3-Door (rare!).
Shell Mileage: 81,000.
Engine mileage is unknown but I’m led to believe its had a head rebuild at some point and the engine mileage is slightly lower than the car’s. It doesn’t smoke, use any water and it goes extremely well. It taps slightly but that’s because it’s a CVH! No bad noises. Gearbox is perfect, the only minor thing is a slightly worn gear linkage, specifically in 3rd and 5th, it does drive fine however.
Tax: End of June
MOT: 21/2/14
Location: Near Shaftesbury, Dorset (SP7)
It has an RS Turbo-spec interior which is very nice and it’s all in good condition (worth a lot of money!).
The engine has had the following mods/things done;
RS1600i exhaust manifold (big bore) and system. It urrently has the backbox removed and a pipe spot-welded on but I will supply the original backbox with the car. It sounds quite good and raspy, it pops and flames quite a bit.
Uprated 8mm Double-Silicone HT Leads
New Rotor Arm
Open Engine Breather
New Throttle Cable
Sprayed Rocker Cover (Looks Great!)
New Fan Belt
Fresh Engine Oil and Filter (Due Again At 82,000~)
Cambelt and Headgasket Changed at 64~k, Cambelt Due Again at 100k.
Electric Fuel Pump
Adjustable Fuel Pressure Regualtor
And most importantly very expensive twin Weber DCOE-40-151 Carbs. They came off an engine that had been dyno-tuned so they’re jetted pretty much spot-on and I’ve balanced and set the idle mix on them as best as possible with proper equipment (don’t fiddle!). Bare in mind that they are side-draught Webers therefore meaning that drive-ability isn’t their strong point, from cold a bit of throttle is usually needed to keep it idling and you need to be smooth on the throttle at low revs to avoid bogging. For twin Webers it actually drives really well and isn’t anything to worry about if you know carbs and know how to drive properly. There is very little room for filters with this setup so they currently have gauze on the trumpets. But most importantly they sounds awesome!
With all these mods the engine could be producing 120hp, it certainly goes well for a 1.6. On a long run 33+mpg is possible but for short (<5mile) journeys I was getting 27~, not bad for the spec/power!
It sits on the rare 16” Mondeo Ghia 5-spoke wheels that have previously been powder-coated white however; a previous owner liked rubbing curbs with them so they’re slightly chipped (fronts).
The front N/S tyre will need changing soon (close to limit) but the rest of the tyres are fine and are high quality. They’ve all had brand new wheel nuts and the appropriate collars recently.
There is very little rust on the car now. The previous owner has cut out all the rot and plated everything that was required, its even had a new battery tray so it should last for ages. It’s been fully undersealed and I even got a surprised comment on how good it was at the last MOT.
It is pretty low and hard so I wouldn’t buy it if you expect a comfy ride because you won't get that. It recently had 4 new (hard) shocks and it has low-profile tyres with shortened springs. It handles well however.
Bare in mind it’s old(ish) now so the seals are getting on and letting a bit of water in when it rains really heavy. The boot gets a bit damp but I think the rest is fine now.
Previously the car has been ‘rat-looked’ and has had its appearance changed many times so the paint is not great. There are various scratches and the inside of the N/S door is silver (no one notices). The bonnet has been resprayed and not prep’d brilliantly so it’s not perfect but looks pretty good. The roof used to be chequered but I’ve resprayed it matt black (looks surprisingly good to be honest, everyone comments).
The car will come with a decent radio with AUX and USB ports and a CD player. Its also had great Kenwood speakers fitted.
I want it to go to someone who will care for it and use it appropriately; it’s been very good to me since I re-bought it in January. Never broken down and I’ve spent quite a lot of money on it to get it as best I can. The carbs were also very expensive. I have the original Weber TLDM 28/32 Auto-Choke carb which I could swap for the DCOEs and take a bit of money off the price but I don’t really want to because it restricts the power output considerably and it’s a bit of a faff. The buyer could buy it off me cheap as a spare along with the standard mechanical fuel pump. I also have other spares such as poly bushes and original and uprated springs available along with other goodies.
Overall it’s a great car and would get you to the other side of the country. If you can live with a few scratches etc then you’ll love it. Very fun, pretty fast and cheap to run for what it is.
£1195 OVNO on Webers (setup worth £300+). curse word offers will be ignored because I know its value. No swaps please!
Here’s a few recent pics of it;
Great interior
New shocks and undersealed
Now has clear indicators/lights and pressed plates
Webers etc
How it used to look! o_0
Note that the steering wheel has now been changed back to standard.