RS2000, not its Best Colour?
Discussion
I had an RS2 custom in this very beige, in the early’90’s. Decent condition, std apart from lumenition… and I really couldn’t sell it. Asked £3200, the going price at the time; other escorts in motoring news came and went ( higher miles/price than mine),I didn’t even get a phone call though it did eventually sell. Can only think the colour put people off. Haven’t had a beige car since 
sjabrown said:
If I could I'd have one in that salmon pink, was that a factory colour?
Salmon pink was definitely not a factory colour....!I can't even think what factory colour could be taken as being salmon pink?
Maybe Signal Red 80 perhaps, but I'd struggle to consider that even remotely being salmon pink in shade?
RS2000's and stuff.
Hmmm.
I had a 1600 Sport which was alright. A mate had an RS2000 which was more like it.
But along came the first 323i (1978?) with 140+ bhp, a five speed box and j-u-s-t enough grip. That would eat an RS2000 and s
t it out again. You had to be handy with opposite lock in the wet but what a car. No histrionics, tractable, reliable, quite good on fuel plus it sounded great and had wheelbarrow exhausts.
I bet they cost half of an RS2000. Bizarre.
Hmmm.
I had a 1600 Sport which was alright. A mate had an RS2000 which was more like it.
But along came the first 323i (1978?) with 140+ bhp, a five speed box and j-u-s-t enough grip. That would eat an RS2000 and s
t it out again. You had to be handy with opposite lock in the wet but what a car. No histrionics, tractable, reliable, quite good on fuel plus it sounded great and had wheelbarrow exhausts. I bet they cost half of an RS2000. Bizarre.
Yep 323i blew any Rs2000 away, at the time they cost a huge amount more and I think in the U.K. the 323i only came out in 82? So end of Rs2000 life.
I’d love a red e21 323i manual saw one last year at a local mot garage and asked about buying it but turned out belonged to the mot garage owner and he’d owned it for years and would never sell.
I’d love a red e21 323i manual saw one last year at a local mot garage and asked about buying it but turned out belonged to the mot garage owner and he’d owned it for years and would never sell.
I very briefly had a V plate one in the correct spec - Recaros, LSD and Bilstein dampers. Fjord blue. It earned me a short retirement from driving. 
The LSD was essential and should have been standard.
You could tell the engine was built for action - they piston slapped like buggery when cold but were quietish when warm. But they were always slightly harsh. The E30 version was initially a bit of a let down in comparison. A nicer car but not as exciting. The 325i Sport was the one to have later on.
The LSD was essential and should have been standard.
You could tell the engine was built for action - they piston slapped like buggery when cold but were quietish when warm. But they were always slightly harsh. The E30 version was initially a bit of a let down in comparison. A nicer car but not as exciting. The 325i Sport was the one to have later on.
rallycross said:
Yep 323i blew any Rs2000 away, at the time they cost a huge amount more and I think in the U.K. the 323i only came out in 82? So end of Rs2000 life.
I’d love a red e21 323i manual saw one last year at a local mot garage and asked about buying it but turned out belonged to the mot garage owner and he’d owned it for years and would never sell.
Autumn of '79 I think was when they first went on sale in the UK...?I’d love a red e21 323i manual saw one last year at a local mot garage and asked about buying it but turned out belonged to the mot garage owner and he’d owned it for years and would never sell.
Mate I went to school with, bought a second hand one (well his Dad bought it for him for his 19th birthday, so 1982-ish) and I'm pretty sure from memory it was a V-reg...?
As you say, great car, but massively more expensive than a RS2000.
aeropilot said:
An E21 323i is a pretty rare thing in the UK now - although its not 100%, How Many Left says there are just 5 of them left.
But an E21 wasn't exactly an Escort rival back then! I bought a 1982 2.8i Capri in 1984 and it was way cheaper than any 323i at the time, and was way quicker than the RS2000 it replaced.I-am-the-reverend said:
RS2000's and stuff.
Hmmm.
I had a 1600 Sport which was alright. A mate had an RS2000 which was more like it.
But along came the first 323i (1978?) with 140+ bhp, a five speed box and j-u-s-t enough grip. That would eat an RS2000 and st it out again. You had to be handy with opposite lock in the wet but what a car. No histrionics, tractable, reliable, quite good on fuel plus it sounded great and had wheelbarrow exhausts.
I bet they cost half of an RS2000. Bizarre.
Yes, 1978 ! Hmmm.
I had a 1600 Sport which was alright. A mate had an RS2000 which was more like it.
But along came the first 323i (1978?) with 140+ bhp, a five speed box and j-u-s-t enough grip. That would eat an RS2000 and s
t it out again. You had to be handy with opposite lock in the wet but what a car. No histrionics, tractable, reliable, quite good on fuel plus it sounded great and had wheelbarrow exhausts. I bet they cost half of an RS2000. Bizarre.
I was utterly addicted to the first 323i, they were seriously quick cars, plus they handled and they also stopped. Yes, in the wet they were a handful, but omg that snarl they made when booted, was absolutely glorious.
Long story short, but after a week of owning what was a really clean T registered Venetian Red Capri 3.0S, with Recarros and a hateful glass sunroof, i loathed it, it felt so much heavier & different & Such a disappointment after the many MK1 3 Litre Capris ( and several early TR6s ) that I had previously owned.
There were Lots of MK1 323i in east and north London, back then ( early 1986 ) they had sold very well, T, V, W and the odd X registered one, they were a common site ( many with a straw boater hat on the rear parcel shelf, would you believe ! ) and I just had to have one. However, I was poor and 323i were ££ Expensive, the cheapest ones were then circa £2,500 plus.
I put the 3.0S up for sale in both Exchange & Mart and Motoring News for £1,895. A few days later, I spot an S registered 323I in silver for £1,995 in Motoring News. A then pal and I shot round one eve, to somewhere in Hertfordshire to view it. The seller was a really nice guy, I got in the back & he took us for a “ Spirited shall we call it test drive “ which was really impressive. The 323i engine, was an absolute peach, free revving and a real screamer of an engine ! Once we got back I said to him, “yes il have it, but need to sell the Capri first “ he replied ok, il hold it for you for a week, but sadly I just couldn’t shift the Capri and the 323i sold. That silver one, was the Only S registration one that I ever saw, it must have been one of the very first into the country. In about June 86, I did swap another very clean Gold T registered 3.0S, for a T registered 323i ( WDP 227T ) @ a “ Horse Trader “ dealer in Lingfield in Surrey, He saw me coming a mile away, that particular car was an absolute dog, I lost ££ on it.
aeropilot said:
Autumn of '79 I think was when they first went on sale in the UK...?
Mate I went to school with, bought a second hand one (well his Dad bought it for him for his 19th birthday, so 1982-ish) and I'm pretty sure from memory it was a V-reg...?
As you say, great car, but massively more expensive than a RS2000.
The very first 323i were S registered, I’m guessing May or June 1978, I only ever saw 1 S registered one, mostly they were T, V, W & X registered. Mate I went to school with, bought a second hand one (well his Dad bought it for him for his 19th birthday, so 1982-ish) and I'm pretty sure from memory it was a V-reg...?
As you say, great car, but massively more expensive than a RS2000.
And yes, they were Very expensive & held their money well.
SS427 Camaro said:
aeropilot said:
Autumn of '79 I think was when they first went on sale in the UK...?
Mate I went to school with, bought a second hand one (well his Dad bought it for him for his 19th birthday, so 1982-ish) and I'm pretty sure from memory it was a V-reg...?
As you say, great car, but massively more expensive than a RS2000.
The very first 323i were S registered, I’m guessing May or June 1978, I only ever saw 1 S registered one, mostly they were T, V, W & X registered. Mate I went to school with, bought a second hand one (well his Dad bought it for him for his 19th birthday, so 1982-ish) and I'm pretty sure from memory it was a V-reg...?
As you say, great car, but massively more expensive than a RS2000.
And yes, they were Very expensive & held their money well.
But just looked up that old Motor road test from Oct '79, and they did they original 323i road test in May '78, so that tallies with your S-plate, and why there wasn't very many, as T came out in 1st Aug.
Interesting looking at that Motor road test, and the Sunbeam-Lotus was priced at £6,995, and the 323i was £7,550, with the Dolly Sprint at £6,288, the Chevette HS at £5,939, the Fiat 131 Sport at £5,488 and the Escort RS2000 Custom at a mere £5,179.
Yes, the RS was the only one without a 5-speed or overdrive gearbox, but they were such tremendous value for money in their day.
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