Escort mk3 models you've never seen!

[cjhillman]

Scrolling through instagram i found a couple of interesting photos of odd Escort mk3's . This one has a different rear end than the usual convertible (not talking about the bird on the bonnet) but the same as the usual car. South Africas take on it apparently... cant find any more about this model but how much better would that have looked!!! why did they not go with that!?


Not sure what happend to this one but i'm guessing its from Brazil.


Any info?? Any More??

[shampooefficient]

First one looks like an impression of how they wanted it to look... perhaps it was cheaper to integrate the estate lights with the roof and boot?

Second one looka to my untrained eye like an American Merkur front end, but I'm probably way off target.

[alanmk5]

was owned by my buddy a while back
a mk3 1.6 l 3 door poverty spec
basically a xr3 without all the bells and whistles and high price tag and high insurance premiums
didn't sell well, only appeared for a few months after mk3 production started
my mate did offer it too me when he was selling it, turned it down
what a wally

[cjhillman]

I remember seeing that one for sale but i'd already got mine by then :/ took 3 years to find a red 3 door and they seem to be coming up for sale a bit more now. I wonder where that one is now?

First one looks like an impression of how they wanted it to look...

according to the Instagram post..

The Simpson Ford dealership franchise in the city of Port Elizabeth created this uniquely South African convertible Escort (third generation "Erica") in 1983. The topless treatment was exclusively available on the flagship XR3 Escort and it featured a quick-folding canvas top. The pictured 4-hole alloy wheels were offered as an optional extra to further differentiate the fresh air Escort. The South African model can easily be distinguished by its retention of the normal, horizontal Escort taillights. Photo credit: South African CAR Magazine, 1983/06 (Simpson Ford print advertisement).

so it looks like they made it (http://www.online-instagram.com/media/1021777970906503118_1636438300)

Maybe it was a structural thing with the mass produced ones... I'm guessing they just cut up a normal XR3 in South Africa

[mikeymk]

Looks like any other aftermarket conversion, the pop-buttons standing out.

Interesting to see the 1.6. I've always been a fan of the poverty spec cars with big engines, and Ford weren't too bad with this in the day - Granada 2.8L, Fiesta 1.4L, and with the Escort 1.6L you didn't get much over the base model but i don't know if you got a 3dr option with that.

Cue to the '90s and it was still going on, with a poverty spec Mondeo 2.5 V6 (Vauxhall sold a Cavalier version too), although cars got heavy and restricted then, so it barely compares.

There should be a thread for this..

[fordperv]

You can still see a bit of the c pillar evident on the convertible, i do like the idea of hatch rear lights on the convertible though

[skinnylew]

That second one looks the nuts............. I'll get my coat then

[retrocarsdan]

The boot lid was altered on the production cars otherwise it would have had a very small opening. Agree that the original lights would have looked way nicer though.

The second one is a Brazilian 'JPS' special edition. IIRC it was the creation of a large Ford dealer, and wasn't anything official.

[retrocarsdan]

[squonk]

Dec 18, 2015 1:29:06 GMT alanmk5 said:

was owned by my buddy a while back
a mk3 1.6 l 3 door poverty spec
basically a xr3 without all the bells and whistles and high price tag and high insurance premiums
didn't sell well, only appeared for a few months after mk3 production started
my mate did offer it too me when he was selling it, turned it down
what a wally

Well, the 'basic' 1600 cvh produced 69 bhp and the (carburated) XR3 produced 97 bhp. So basically just like an XR3 with just over two thirds the power, worse suspension, a plasticy interior, poor seats, no spoilers, no spats, lower level of instrumentation and 'normal' profile tyres on steel rims - so, yes, just like an XR3 then

The company I worked for in the early eighties had a couple of these on X plates. Not too bad but nothing like an XR3 to drive though.

[bortaf]

Dec 18, 2015 13:10:24 GMT squonk said:

Dec 18, 2015 1:29:06 GMT alanmk5 said:

was owned by my buddy a while back
a mk3 1.6 l 3 door poverty spec
basically a xr3 without all the bells and whistles and high price tag and high insurance premiums
didn't sell well, only appeared for a few months after mk3 production started
my mate did offer it too me when he was selling it, turned it down
what a wally

Well, the 'basic' 1600 cvh produced 69 bhp and the (carburated) XR3 produced 97 bhp. So basically just like an XR3 with just over two thirds the power, worse suspension, a plasticy interior, poor seats, no spoilers, no spats, lower level of instrumentation and 'normal' profile tyres on steel rims - so, yes, just like an XR3 then

The company I worked for in the early eighties had a couple of these on X plates. Not too bad but nothing like an XR3 to drive though.

/\/\ this ! no way an XR3 without the bells and whistles LOL

Look to argentina for unusuall Ford motors, they have a life of thier own out there mainly badged as VWs apolos
SA had a few singular modles as well the bantam for one although that turned from an escort into a fiesta via a mazda 323

[gazz81]

Not sure what they called this, but I think it was only a SA model.

[hamps]

Dec 18, 2015 18:44:19 GMT gazz81 said:

Not sure what they called this, but I think it was only a SA model.

Ford Bantam

[Smiler]

Going back to the Cabrio, the Ford production mk3 Cabriolets all started life as Estate bodyshells. They were then shipped off to Karman where the alterations to make them cabriolets took place - additional sills, reinforced 'A' posts, roll-over bar (missing from the African dealership version) and new rear panelling. They were then returned to Ford for building up.
The Mk3 cabrio didn't actually ever come badged as an XR3i despite the option having the full compliment of parts, the top models badge only went as far as 1.6i (you could have a 1.3L cabriolet if you so desired, a very rare car).

[cjhillman]

Glad to see people like this thread! nice to see more pics of the Brazilian one... that is just nuts!

Very interesting to hear about the cabros being Estates in the begging,

Here is a another usual mk3... its from Tesco's though

[retrocarsdan]

Dec 18, 2015 23:01:24 GMT Smiler said:

The Mk3 cabrio didn't actually ever come badged as an XR3i despite the option having the full compliment of parts, the top models badge only went as far as 1.6i (you could have a 1.3L cabriolet if you so desired, a very rare car).

You could get an XR3i cabriolet, and I'd be surprised if they weren't the most popular option. This myth seems to have arisen as none of them were recorded as such on the V5, and all seem to have been down as a '1.6i'. That doesn't mean they weren't 'officially' XR3is. Much in the same way many Mondeo ST200 were down as '2.0 Si' models - they are still officially ST200s.

[gazzab1978]

I'm not sure if the mk3 cabby ever officially came as a xr3i or not, but thats a mk4 on that leaflet.

[choaky]

[/quote]You could get an XR3i cabriolet, and I'd be surprised if they weren't the most popular option. This myth seems to have arisen as none of them were recorded as such on the V5, and all seem to have been down as a '1.6i'. That doesn't mean they weren't 'officially' XR3is. Much in the same way many Mondeo ST200 were down as '2.0 Si' models - they are still officially ST200s.


[/quote]


^^that's a mk4 brochure.

[retrocarsdan]

Haha, yeah - sorry- really shouldn't post at that time of night without reading the post properly! Smiler is completely correct. 

I once got into a protracted argument with an Escort Cabby owner (Mk4) who said that none of them were actually XR3is because of what it said on the log book - and I remembered that conversation and just posted without reading properly.

[fordperv]

Dec 19, 2015 2:06:39 GMT retrocarsdan said:

Dec 18, 2015 23:01:24 GMT Smiler said:

The Mk3 cabrio didn't actually ever come badged as an XR3i despite the option having the full compliment of parts, the top models badge only went as far as 1.6i (you could have a 1.3L cabriolet if you so desired, a very rare car).

Much in the same way many Mondeo ST200 were down as '2.0 Si' models - they are still officially ST200s.

How did they get around engine size on registering, the mk2 mondeo ST200 was 2.5?

Ford did in fact make a mondeo 2.5 si model