RE: My First Car: MK1 Escort 1300XL
Discussion
Ahh gotta love the very old Mk1's
How about this one then! 730bhp!!!
http://www.v8church.co.uk/your_cars/supercharged_f...
And this one is just perfect.
http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C42128
How about this one then! 730bhp!!!
http://www.v8church.co.uk/your_cars/supercharged_f...
And this one is just perfect.
http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C42128
Edited by Paul GTS on Wednesday 4th February 15:08
My first car was a Skoda 120 LSE. Fastest car on the road, at least in my imagination...
I passed my test in November 88. A couple of weeks latter we had lots of sheet ice about so I was enjoying learning about oversteer.
One 720 degree spin latter I managed to perch the car over a ditch - (front wheels one side, back still on the road).
Just needed a front bumper so a relatively cheap lesson learned:
REAR WHEEL DRIVE IS A LOT OF FUN.
I passed my test in November 88. A couple of weeks latter we had lots of sheet ice about so I was enjoying learning about oversteer.
One 720 degree spin latter I managed to perch the car over a ditch - (front wheels one side, back still on the road).
Just needed a front bumper so a relatively cheap lesson learned:
REAR WHEEL DRIVE IS A LOT OF FUN.
My first ever car was a Ford Capri 1300XL. Bought for the princely sum of 220 quid and only because my Dad wanted me off motorcycles. This car was the ultimate mongrel with it's Weller wheels and fake sheepskin seatcovers (which I slept in when I missed curfew). The gearbox whined like a Stuka bomber. It wouldn't have pulled the cap off a bald man flat out. Of course I had the (alleged) 40w Harry Moss stereo installed with wiring dangling everywhere.
Now I live in Sydney and have a recent 911 conv manual. There is light at the end off the tunnel.............
Now I live in Sydney and have a recent 911 conv manual. There is light at the end off the tunnel.............
RWD.....MENS CAR ??? my 1st car was a capri 1.6 loads of sideways fun then i had a lime green escort van ....then put a 2 ltr pinto on 45s in it with a capri 3 ltr axel (never did get the handbrake working)i kept the 1.3 gearbox but was changing them twice a week,then had a rs2000 xpack then the lotus sumbeam moonstone blue wot a great car, the 1st HOT HATCH ?!also had another green 2.1 xpack capri x fast ford mag car but..... that got totaled in boreham then a few sierras 1 cossie xr4x4 then went the jap route 3 pulsars 1 skyline gtr
then done a few years autograss racing (class 7) see it on youtube
now i left with a mnr vortex with a zx9r bike lump still rwd 0-60 late 3 seconds
FWD = SHOPPING RWD = MENS CAR ? JUST MY opinion lol
then done a few years autograss racing (class 7) see it on youtube
now i left with a mnr vortex with a zx9r bike lump still rwd 0-60 late 3 seconds
FWD = SHOPPING RWD = MENS CAR ? JUST MY opinion lol
stephen300o said:
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?
No way, the Mk1 is a classless(in the good way) classic.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
Piper cam
, reminds me, I had a Kent cam in mine, to give it that race car rough idle.
Miami Blue two door - RHK 383M. Eventually with suspension sorted, 1700 x flow and Piper 285 cam that was so rough at idle that you couldn't see anything in the rear view mirror 'cos of the vibration.Loved that car and it's instantly, explosive throttle response that anyboy who has only driven an ignition mapped, injected, emission controlled, and catalysed Eurobox will never experience.
Edited by Jaguar steve on Thursday 5th February 13:08
Heh, apparently the only car my dad ever crashed in 37 years and counting. Driving down to uni in a mk.1 Escort, hit a patch of ice on the M6 and went into a massive tank-slapper.
I can also echo the parental reaction to screeching tyres. Trying to get an old-shape V70 (2.4/170bhp/no traction control) out of a junction on a greasy road with any kind of alacrity usually produces an interesting noise, followed by a dirty look
I can also echo the parental reaction to screeching tyres. Trying to get an old-shape V70 (2.4/170bhp/no traction control) out of a junction on a greasy road with any kind of alacrity usually produces an interesting noise, followed by a dirty look
Blmey great story got the old smell of damp carpet running through my mind . I had a mk2 bright yellow with Wolfrace alloys as a first car. installed a starter button and large 6x9's obviously, drove to Devon day after I past my test had the car (MPB778P) a small while before I ptxed for a Blue mk1 2 door 1100L (GLY677N) oh how I wish I still had that car. The rear arch is just something to clean can't explain it.
that's it I'm off to look at mk1's AGAIN!
that's it I'm off to look at mk1's AGAIN!
I Passed my driving test in a Mk1 Escort, with BSM in Plymouth. (Ooops, showing my age abit here).
Then bought a Cortina Mk2 2 door, which lasted me about two years, and two minor shunts. Which to be honest isn't too bad when your still in your teens and driving from Plymouth to London most weekends (I was in the Navy at the time). Then went a bit off the rails and bought a Mini 1000, really missed not being able to drift it around the corners, spinning the rear wheels to power out of them (In The Snow of Course, the 1.3 cortina engine couldn't pull the skin off a rice pudding in anything other than snow). After about a year with the mini, a Cortina MK2 1600 GT came up for sale and this was the begining of the end. Totally fell in love with RWD and promised myself never to got back to Front Wheel Drive. This car lasted about two years, and unfortunately the McPhearson Struts were almost coming through the inner wings due to corrosion. So I had to sell it on quickly.
Then I took out my first "Credit Agreement" and put myself in loads of debt (Well at 25 years old, it felt like it) and bought a 1972 Triumph 2.5PI........... God what a car in it's day...One of the first fuel injected cars, plenty of power and genuinely capable of spinning it's wheels in the dry in more than first gear. What a great car, that I was happy with for quite a few years (About five actually, that's how much I loved that car).
Then a few years of falling off the rails again.......... A black SAAB 900 Turbo, Two Door Hatch. Enter the world of understeer, and loads of wheel spin with little traction. Entertaining and reliable power, with good mid range acceleration for overtaking. But abit too old for my image at the time.......I think I was about thirty at the time....LOL.
Enter the best years of my life, and an 18 month old Sapphire Cosworth.......OMG, this car was the best thing that ever happened to me. Totally changed my life......... And I kept it for 14 years (As a weekend toy)! ! ! Only selling it in 2005.
After this there was no way I would ever go front wheel drive again. Enter a 2001 BMW E39 M5 : Another car that is most peoples dream car (When you reach my age). But for some reason it just wasn't extreme enough, compared to the Cosworth when I Sold it (450bhp, quaife box, quaife diff, AP Brakes etc etc etc). So..........The M5 was sold after about a year (Last Year). And I purchased about the most challenging rear wheel drive car you can buy.......The TVR Tuscan. This is as close as you'll get to the Holy Grail of Over Powered Rear Wheel Drive Cars.
IT'S PERFECT
From Escort to Tuscan
Then bought a Cortina Mk2 2 door, which lasted me about two years, and two minor shunts. Which to be honest isn't too bad when your still in your teens and driving from Plymouth to London most weekends (I was in the Navy at the time). Then went a bit off the rails and bought a Mini 1000, really missed not being able to drift it around the corners, spinning the rear wheels to power out of them (In The Snow of Course, the 1.3 cortina engine couldn't pull the skin off a rice pudding in anything other than snow). After about a year with the mini, a Cortina MK2 1600 GT came up for sale and this was the begining of the end. Totally fell in love with RWD and promised myself never to got back to Front Wheel Drive. This car lasted about two years, and unfortunately the McPhearson Struts were almost coming through the inner wings due to corrosion. So I had to sell it on quickly.
Then I took out my first "Credit Agreement" and put myself in loads of debt (Well at 25 years old, it felt like it) and bought a 1972 Triumph 2.5PI........... God what a car in it's day...One of the first fuel injected cars, plenty of power and genuinely capable of spinning it's wheels in the dry in more than first gear. What a great car, that I was happy with for quite a few years (About five actually, that's how much I loved that car).
Then a few years of falling off the rails again.......... A black SAAB 900 Turbo, Two Door Hatch. Enter the world of understeer, and loads of wheel spin with little traction. Entertaining and reliable power, with good mid range acceleration for overtaking. But abit too old for my image at the time.......I think I was about thirty at the time....LOL.
Enter the best years of my life, and an 18 month old Sapphire Cosworth.......OMG, this car was the best thing that ever happened to me. Totally changed my life......... And I kept it for 14 years (As a weekend toy)! ! ! Only selling it in 2005.
After this there was no way I would ever go front wheel drive again. Enter a 2001 BMW E39 M5 : Another car that is most peoples dream car (When you reach my age). But for some reason it just wasn't extreme enough, compared to the Cosworth when I Sold it (450bhp, quaife box, quaife diff, AP Brakes etc etc etc). So..........The M5 was sold after about a year (Last Year). And I purchased about the most challenging rear wheel drive car you can buy.......The TVR Tuscan. This is as close as you'll get to the Holy Grail of Over Powered Rear Wheel Drive Cars.
IT'S PERFECT
From Escort to Tuscan
Edited by Jim Green on Saturday 7th February 05:44
While I didn't have my own car for the first year or so (125 bike instead) I was fortunate to have access to a H reg Sierra back in the early 90s as a newly passed driver, but didnt realise it was RWD...I don't recall back end slipping ever...I obviously wasnt trying hard enough which was probably just as well (it was my stepdad's company car)!
SleeperCell said:
Targarama said:
Wahey! My first car was a 1975 Ford Escort Mk1 1300XL too. Jade Green metallic.
Funnily enough, my first car was also a green 1975 1300XL Escort as well, except mine was an early Mk2 
My word! That sounds like my first car story. My parents bought me a 1973 Escort 1300XL in blue (4 door), I hadn't passed my test and it had no MOT - Dad got it for 15 quid.
I also went driving with an older mate with 'L' Plates and put it in the side of a hump back bridge - the difference was it was not repairable, my then girlfriend (and now wife) nearly left me for trying to kill her and then bought a Mk1 1300 sport with 2-doors.
It takes me back to 1988 - the good old days.
I also went driving with an older mate with 'L' Plates and put it in the side of a hump back bridge - the difference was it was not repairable, my then girlfriend (and now wife) nearly left me for trying to kill her and then bought a Mk1 1300 sport with 2-doors.
It takes me back to 1988 - the good old days.
My first car was an F (89) reg Mk1 Escort.
I fitted RS1600 fibre glass wings to it.
Only one fitted when I passed my test in it!
Test examiner in the car after he had passed me ! asked who had taught me to drive??
Read it in a book I said and pulled "Learning to Drive in Pictures" from under the dash!!
I can still see his face NOW!
Eventually it had a 1600GT Pinto engine and that made it move!!
So I fitted Capri front Struts for the disk brakes.
Then I fitted modified MK1 Cortina Estate leaf springs and spax adjustable shocks at the back!
Car breakers were a great source of tuning parts back then!!
Getting it insured was like a 19 year old today asking about a Cerbera!
Still miss that car!!
I fitted RS1600 fibre glass wings to it.
Only one fitted when I passed my test in it!
Test examiner in the car after he had passed me ! asked who had taught me to drive??
Read it in a book I said and pulled "Learning to Drive in Pictures" from under the dash!!
I can still see his face NOW!
Eventually it had a 1600GT Pinto engine and that made it move!!
So I fitted Capri front Struts for the disk brakes.
Then I fitted modified MK1 Cortina Estate leaf springs and spax adjustable shocks at the back!
Car breakers were a great source of tuning parts back then!!
Getting it insured was like a 19 year old today asking about a Cerbera!
Still miss that car!!
VPower said:
My first car was an F (89) reg Mk1 Escort.
Something wrong in that statementmk1 - 1968-1975
mk2 - 1975-1980
My first Car was Part Escort......
A Jago Samuri
mine was a yellow and brown
had some fun with that...
1760 stage 3 motor 1600 sport gear box ( 6 of them in total
) front anti dive kit, billy front struts..
rear anti tramp bars and cd6 rally springs with small teflon bushes.
Still got it in my grans garage, now with capri rear axle, and a rover v8 !!!
Graham said:
VPower said:
My first car was an F (89) reg Mk1 Escort.
Something wrong in that statementmk1 - 1968-1975
mk2 - 1975-1980
My first Car was Part Escort......
A Jago Samuri
mine was a yellow and brown
had some fun with that...
1760 stage 3 motor 1600 sport gear box ( 6 of them in total
) front anti dive kit, billy front struts..
rear anti tramp bars and cd6 rally springs with small teflon bushes.
Still got it in my grans garage, now with capri rear axle, and a rover v8 !!!
Should have read 1969! Appologies typo!
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