RE: PH Heroes: Ford Escort XR3
Discussion
No XR3 stories specifically (by the time I was learning to drive they were dirt-cheap and still fairly common but insurance premiums were a joke), although two mates of mine bought RS Turbos of not dissimilar vintage. One was kept in pristine condition but its owner was handed a year's driving ban for doing a handbrake turn outside a crowded pub in the middle of a high street (unbeknownst to him) in full view of a police patrol car.
The other was one of the rustiest things I've ever seen - it'd been bought sight unseen and I suspected may have even been a cuth-and-shut (the tailgate, apparently a replacement panel, was the only thing with 'RS Turbo' written on it (the pristine one had Garret AiResearch badges on the front wings too), and there was so much aftermarket piping under the bonnet I suspected the turbocharger might have been bolted on by some dodgy garage under a railway arch somewhere. So maybe I do have an XR3 story, in that it probably began life as an XR3!
I have a soft spot for this one though. In many ways it's the forerunner of the likes of Vauxhall SXIs and so on - more pocket-friendly versions of hatches that have the sport addenda and suspension but an ordinary engine under the bonnet. Fulfilled plenty of dreams I guess.
That said, the XR3i was a good hot hatch by all accounts. About five years ago Classic Cars tested one up against a Mk1 Golf GTI and reckoned the Ford was better.
The other was one of the rustiest things I've ever seen - it'd been bought sight unseen and I suspected may have even been a cuth-and-shut (the tailgate, apparently a replacement panel, was the only thing with 'RS Turbo' written on it (the pristine one had Garret AiResearch badges on the front wings too), and there was so much aftermarket piping under the bonnet I suspected the turbocharger might have been bolted on by some dodgy garage under a railway arch somewhere. So maybe I do have an XR3 story, in that it probably began life as an XR3!
I have a soft spot for this one though. In many ways it's the forerunner of the likes of Vauxhall SXIs and so on - more pocket-friendly versions of hatches that have the sport addenda and suspension but an ordinary engine under the bonnet. Fulfilled plenty of dreams I guess.
That said, the XR3i was a good hot hatch by all accounts. About five years ago Classic Cars tested one up against a Mk1 Golf GTI and reckoned the Ford was better.
XR3 my first car. Had 29k on the clock when I bought it in 1985 and 11 months later had 86k, mainly due to flying up and down the autobahn between Soltau and Hameln. Using army fuel coupons helped alleviate the cost of fuel and the tank range was only 240 miles. Got 129mph out of it a couple of times, but more realistically, 120mph was achievable. It had a stopwatch above the rear-view mirror which encouraged mad driving and I managed to cover the 81 miles in 56:37mins from work to home.
It was a four-speed with electric windows finished in silver with the clover-leaf alloys..
Ah, all dewey-eyed now............
It was a four-speed with electric windows finished in silver with the clover-leaf alloys..
Ah, all dewey-eyed now............
Twincam16 said:
The other was one of the rustiest things I've ever seen - it'd been bought sight unseen and I suspected may have even been a cuth-and-shut (the tailgate, apparently a replacement panel, was the only thing with 'RS Turbo' written on it (the pristine one had Garret AiResearch badges on the front wings too), and there was so much aftermarket piping under the bonnet I suspected the turbocharger might have been bolted on by some dodgy garage under a railway arch somewhere. So maybe I do have an XR3 story, in that it probably began life as an XR3!
Yes the SVE guys got Turbo Technics to turbocharge some XR3s as a starting point for the S1 RST - development of the S1 RST started early on
ok, 205s were more sporty, Golfs were quicker, etc, but Escorts were still fun - one area where all 80s hatches have the edge on modern cars - you can trash them down bumpy B roads and they don't bottom out, thanks to light weight and tall suspensions and decent rubber. modern B roads are worse than ever and modern cars with 19 and 20" wheels and silly rubber are close to unusable away from smooth roads. of course, if you want a real fun Escort, you got to go older still ...
Si_man306 said:
Love old fords but is this really the best example that PH could find? It's not even clean! Plus an engine bay full of rust? Someone give it a detail please....
I guess it was just the fact that Brett Fraser knew of the car at his local tyre place that prompted the story. It is a bit rough and ready but sounds like it is a useable example at least, a rolling project perhaps if you fancy a slice of early fwd Fast Ford Ass, I would regard this car as an 80's hero. Testarossa I would regard as a supercar. The XR3 and XR3i are cars that define the 80's for people like me, growing up seeing cars like this are memories. I grew up in the 80's, born in the 70's and hardly saw Ferraris, so cant regard it as a hero. Loved the Quattro and some of the outragous looking Lancia's even though people insulteed them for rusting they were still nice to look at and see going.
The XR3 had style for its time, now it would be outdated though, which is obvious.
The XR3 had style for its time, now it would be outdated though, which is obvious.
DJRC said:
Well that just about sums up the difference between most of you lot and me.
My idea of 80s heros are Testarossas, 930s, S4 Deltas, Quattros, 250 GTIs, RS200s, not unmitigated piles of s
te like XR3is. Probably explains why so many on ph seem to think modern mediocre motorcars are still worthy of discussion. An XR3i was a rotworthy pile of diseased sputum. It had no style, class, comfort, any pretention to dynamic ability or build quality. I cant in fact think of a single good thing about the car.
My idea of 80s heros are Testarossas, 930s, S4 Deltas, Quattros, 250 GTIs, RS200s, not unmitigated piles of s
te like XR3is. Probably explains why so many on ph seem to think modern mediocre motorcars are still worthy of discussion. An XR3i was a rotworthy pile of diseased sputum. It had no style, class, comfort, any pretention to dynamic ability or build quality. I cant in fact think of a single good thing about the car.Re DJRC's post, what a load of pollocks. I was lucky to grow up as a child opposite a Lancia Stratos, Ferrari 308, Lancia Aurelia etc and have driven a Delta S4 as well as owning a couple of Chimaera's and an Evo2 Integrale.
From my childhood I have just as many fond memories of the Cortina GLS with the recaro seats, Mk1 Cavalier SRI's and the Lancia Beta that is still owned by the same person today as I did for any of the super cars.
People aren't all born with a silver spoon and own Porsches or Ferrari's at 18 years old, we evolve gradually as does our experiences with cars hence why most people on Pistonheads have many fond memories for the normal cars that you seem to think are a pile of poo
From my childhood I have just as many fond memories of the Cortina GLS with the recaro seats, Mk1 Cavalier SRI's and the Lancia Beta that is still owned by the same person today as I did for any of the super cars.
People aren't all born with a silver spoon and own Porsches or Ferrari's at 18 years old, we evolve gradually as does our experiences with cars hence why most people on Pistonheads have many fond memories for the normal cars that you seem to think are a pile of poo
A """PINK""" Porsche???? He should be shot. That is treason. I dont recall ever seeing a pink Porsche, what an abomination.
infradig said:
It was the eighties, the m.d was 28 and had a pink Porsche the 30 year old chairman used to let me( barely out of my teens )use his 735 so as to be on call(in case of a design emergency?)because it had a phone in it! Yes I was spoilt but it seemed normal then.In fact one of the reasons I left was sulking because I couldn't have a e30 325- what a brat!
Pedmeister said:
Hi Aero,
Like you, I am still waiting for HGB to explain why my comment was 'rubbish.';)
I'm busy. Like you, I am still waiting for HGB to explain why my comment was 'rubbish.';)
Although in fairness I should have said I strongly disagree, rather than 'it's rubbish'.
Mainly 'cos good fwds are damn good drivers cars in their own right, imo. I think some of the biggest loads of nonsense on PH is spouted around the 'mythology' of rwd. I mean christ above, there was a time when everyone drove on skinny cross-plyed tyred rwds and we didn't all explode.
Pedmeister said:
When Aston, Ferrari, Lambo, Porsche etc market FWD cars,
Allow me to introduce you to the Aston Martin Cygnet. I think it's about context, I had a black Xreg XR3 just like that one and it was my second car when I was 18, in hindsight it's easy to sneer at them but at that age and coming from a 1.0 Metro as my first car the XR3 was amazing. Very fond memories for me, and as someone pointed out earlier, girls loved it!
joz8968 said:
slarnge said:
williamp said:
Ahhhhhh. Thats better. A proper hot hatch
No doubt it becomes a normal experience - I've merely dabbled with it
. Being used to an MG Maestro 1600 and a 309 1600, it's utterly and totally outside my current terms of reference...Carlosofroads said:
I think it's about context, I had a black Xreg XR3 just like that one and it was my second car when I was 18, in hindsight it's easy to sneer at them but at that age and coming from a 1.0 Metro as my first car the XR3 was amazing. Very fond memories for me, and as someone pointed out earlier, girls loved it!
It was a smart bit of kit at the time. Mine was 7 years old when I got my mitts on it and those 7 years had been hard ones, but I absolutely loved the thing. I was so chuffed it was untrue, after coming from a nail of a Capri 1.6.I agree with the girls loving them too. I remember chatting one up in a nightclub and she asked me what I drove. I refused to tell her as I didn't want her to want me just for the car!
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