RE: My First Car: MK1 Escort 1300XL

[ChasW]

Very similar to SleeperCell my first Escort was a P reg Mk2 1300L in Modena Green which I owned from new. I was a big admirer of the Mk1 and a good mate had a Mexico in white which was the pinnacle of ambition at the time. I would have settled for a 1300 Sport.

What I find interesting is that it did not take alot of modification to turn a bog standard small family car into something quite macho with enormous street cred. Mexico and RS versions were not looked down on because of their humble origins.

[jaf01uk]

My first car was a 1972 K reg Mk1 RS1600 unfortunately with a 2ltr engine in it rather than the twin cam, although to be fair if it had had the twin cam in it I would have probably not been able to afford it, have some pics somewhere, nice machine,
Gary

[y2blade]

fantastic story I had a Mk1 escort 1300L as my first car

[PeteG]

ChasW said:

What I find interesting is that it did not take alot of modification to turn a bog standard small family car into something quite macho with enormous street cred. Mexico and RS versions were not looked down on because of their humble origins.

To be fair, it's much the same with the 205 GTis, and the Clio 1X2s...

[macdeb]

I wish, lusted for one but at the time ['76] could only afford an Anglia [was 1200 super, woooooh] but was rwd. Sadly didn't last long as the first hump back bridge saw the rear spring hangers burst into the boot! Happy days.

[stephen300o]

I had one too as a first car, a 1973 1300. Soon swapped engines to the 1.6 with twin choke Weber, K&N filter, Janspeed exhaust with banana bunch manifold and bigger radiator, also some Capri front brakes and suspension. Wide wheels and tyres all round.
I upgraded the dashboard to the one with extra gauges (also bucket seats and a mountney steering wheel naturally).
The bodywork then needed some attention so had new rear arches, new front wings. Then some chrome trim was removed before having some new paint, quarter bumpers, vinyl roof topped off with a sunroof. Maybe went a bit too far by having bonnet pins too.

[1606ian]

My first car was a 1300XL too! Bought in 1978 for £750 it was a 1971 model in Ermine White with black vinyl seats, registration no. XVH 589J. Its best features were the 'sports' wheels - made it look a bit like a 1300E, which is what I really wanted but sadly, couldn't afford.

[tonym911]

Learnt in Dad's '66 Austin 1100 and then his light blue '70 1.1 Escort. Wasn't allowed to slide, my dad was kind of against it since it was his work transport, so the difference between fwd and rwd was lost on me. I liked both cars and would have either right now with pleasure. Passed test in an Avenger – which dare I say it was at least as nice as the Escort. But you don't see many Avengers about now.

[AWRacing]

My first car was a 1300L mk2 escort in beige!! Have also had 2 mk1's in 1100 and 1300 guise and another mk2 1600. Would love a mk1 Mexico with the bubble arches but they're silly money now.

[infradig]

Nice story,my Mk1 was a second car after a Mk2 Cortina and before a Mk3 Cortina.Kids today don't know what they're missing!
I made sure my oldest daughter got a rwd car as soon as she was 18 and had a years no claims (316 Compact) and now have no worries about her driving her MX5 in the bad weather.

Never seen the plastic seats in an Escort described as 'pleather' before!

[The Bandit]

Ah the memories....
My first car was a 1300E 1974(OJK 868M)in Daytona Yellow.Took it to bits,sorted all the rusty bits and had it re-sprayed.
Bored out the engine to 1360,lightened and balanced it,fitted a Piper cam,Capri downdraught carb and Pipercross airfilter.
Lowered the suspension by 2",fitted Capri front struts and Yokohamas on a set of Capri wider wheels.And the obligatory quarter bumpers too!
Finished off with a 2" Formula One(local tuner)exhaust.
God i loved that car....



/Did that make me a bit of a chav?

Edited by The Bandit on Tuesday 3rd February 22:13

[Morningside]

When I was a teenager your first car was either an Escort or a Mini so I went for a Firenza
How many of the early ones had a "Smiths heated rear window" or patches over the front suspension struts?

I always think its one car I would love to drop a V8 into.

[stephen300o]

The Bandit said:

Ah the memories....
My first car was a 1300E 1974(OJK 868M)in Daytona Yellow.Took it to bits,sorted all the rusty bits and had it re-sprayed.
Bored out the engine to 1360,lightened and balanced it,fitted a Piper cam,Capri downdraught carb and Pipercross airfilter.
Lowered the suspension by 2",fitted Capri front struts and Yokohamas on a set of Capri wider wheels.And the obligatory quarter bumpers too!
Finished off with a 2" Formula One(local tuner)exhaust.
God i loved that car....



/Did that make me a bit of a chav?

Edited by The Bandit on Tuesday 3rd February 22:13

No way, the Mk1 is a classless(in the good way) classic.
Piper cam , reminds me, I had a Kent cam in mine, to give it that race car rough idle.

[clonmult]

useyourdellusion said:

kuffdam said:

Great buzz the first time you go sideways

Not for me it wasn't. It was in a 1977 Datsun 120Y!

I'd have killed for a mk1/mk2 Escort though. Nice write up.

Me too! My first car was a '77 120Y. Fitted with the mandatory rusting front wings, naff radio, and way-too-tail happy handling. A slightly damp road and that rear end would be out.

Did they really put out 70bhp? It never felt like that much.

[LuS1fer]

I learnt to drive in a Mk 1 Escort 1100 and never liked it or rated it. It was odd as my father was a dyed-in-the-wool Ford man with a Cortina Mk II GT. The first car he bought me was a Corsair 1700V4 although that lasted about a week before it mysteriously disappeared with alleged faults - "the back axle's gone" was a popular catch-all but I anticipate it may have been an insurance quote. For the same reason, I wasn't allowed to inherit his Cortina GT so went out looking for a car to compete with my mate's Anglia 105E.

I returned with an Austin A40 Farina Mk II which was a far far better car than any Ford Anglia or Escort IMHO.

Funnily enough, when the Austin expired, I "graduated" to a Cortina Mk II 1300 but it was a massive disapointment and within 6 months I was out looking for a 1600GT. I found one but to be fair, I just didn't understand what all the fuss was about so bought a Viva 1800HC which handled far better and was less coarse.

Looks aside, I never understood why the Escort was such a best-seller.

[Al Wyn]

Bit of a trip down memory lane this for me...my dear old dad had a 1969 2 door MK1 Escort 1300XL ROT634G in the same or very simular colour (saluki bronze iirc) with the classic tan vinyl roof with mexico wheels and tyres. I can clearly remember the neighbours coming out a looking admiringly at the car when it first arrived. Later in this thread another Escort pic pops up (montana possibly???green MK2) which again is the same colour as the 1980 4 door MK2 1600L HAP332V that my dad owned and kindly gave to me. All now long gone sadly but never forgotten

[useyourdellusion]

clonmult said:

useyourdellusion said:

kuffdam said:

Great buzz the first time you go sideways

Not for me it wasn't. It was in a 1977 Datsun 120Y!

I'd have killed for a mk1/mk2 Escort though. Nice write up.

Me too! My first car was a '77 120Y. Fitted with the mandatory rusting front wings, naff radio, and way-too-tail happy handling. A slightly damp road and that rear end would be out.

Did they really put out 70bhp? It never felt like that much.

I've got no idea what power they put out. Mine was 10yrs old and had over 100,000 miles on it when I got it. I suspect it had probably lost at least 30% of its power output by then.

That tail-happy handling though! I was going round a slight left hand curve in slightly damp conditions and it just kicked out. It took me totally by surprise as I wasn't trying in the slightest. For a start, it barely had the power to pull away let alone wheel-spin or anything like that.

Must have had something to do with the 135/12(?) remoulds I had on the rear.

[chrisx666]

My first car was a 74' 1300 Sport in 1990. Great first car, but only if you want to learn how to weld, and replace just about every mechanical component. What a heap that was..looked cool though.

Gave it to a mate of mine who ran it for a while then sold (for peanuts)to a chap who was going to do some resto work. Can't imagine it would ever get back on the road - rotten and patched/bodged everywhere.. GNR 277N

[DPX]

1300E with "wood" ...... fun it had a rev counter !!!!

[B3pwr280bhp]

After getting rid of the mk1 I purchased a 1300 popular mark II, then ripped out its old tired 1300 lump, and replaced it with a freshly reconditioned 1760 lump from a 1600 Mexico that a friend had lying around, boy oh boy did that make it interesting ;0) After the old essys I moved to Mantas, then onto my favoured BM's

Long live RWD & Thanks for the comments.