Meeting your car hero.

[Davie_GLA]

After watching the Cosworth episode of Wheeler Dealers last night I@m having real problems not going to the classifieds and looking for an Escort Cosworth - a car that since i first saw it i fell in love with.

To some this may seem a little sad, but hey ho.

Now, in my mind these cars are awesome, and this makes them awesome in every way. but i know that when i drive one i will be underwhelmed and i'm afraid that this will take the awesomeness away from my dream.

Has anyone else done this and been truly disappointed?

I'll probably buy one anyway. I think. Probably.

Awesome! Aweseom is todays favourite word.

I need a lie down i think.

D.

[Rawwr]

I know what you mean regarding Cosworths. I've long had a hankering for an Escort Cosworth but finding unmolested ones is getting really, really tricky and it seems as if though every one that appears has had some spackdemon ruin it with varying degrees of pikey twin headlight conversions.

A hero car doesn't necessarily need to be a good drive, though. You have to love hero cars for what they are and what they symbolise as opposed to what they can actually do.

[Whitean3]

I was worried about my first drive of a 911- desperately hoped it would be as I'd hoped, especially after reading up so much about them!

I needn't have worried, it was an awesome experience.

Anther car hero on my list is an F355 spider- but I already think that I would be slightly disappointed with some aspects of it- the game has moved on now, and this is a 15 year old car- it will feel old fashioned in comparison to run of the mill modern cars (still blindingly quick though, with a soundtrack to die for)!

[bazking69]

The Escort Cosworth is a tricky one. No doubt an iconic car, but finding a straight one is tricky. And when you do find one, you are looking at 5 figures for a 4 cylinder Escort with a bodykit. Then you are worried about taking it out anywhere and it getting nicked. Oh, and did I mention the constant niggle of rust.

Great car to see now and then, or even drive once, but not a car I'd ever want to own.

[markmullen]

Quite the opposite, I spent yesterday driving a 288GTO and a 959, I've driven the 959 quite a bit before and it never fails to impress, the 288GTO was a joy too.

[Rawwr]

bazking69 said:

And when you do find one, you are looking at 5 figures for a 4 cylinder Sierra with a bodykit.

EFA

[patmahe]

When I bought my Elise it was so different to anything I'd ever driven before. Worryingly so, coming from a 5 series BMW I found it intimidatingly raw. That passed after about a week on my first proper drive where everything got up to ideal working temperatures and the car just flowed. It blew me away that a car could be that good.

[mat205125]

Davie_GLA said:

Now, in my mind these cars are awesome, and this makes them awesome in every way. but i know that when i drive one i will be underwhelmed and i'm afraid that this will take the awesomeness away from my dream.

I loved my Escort Cos, and have no regrets with owning one. It was a fabulous "event", and a quick car in all weathers once fettled to the 300bhp mark.

Depending on your driving CV to date, however, there is quite a real posibility that driving one today could shatter your opinion of the car, especially if the car is a standard example. If you've any experience of a modern STi/Evo rally rocket, then the Escort Cos will feel antiquated and agricultural in comparison .... the engine design was nearly a decade old by the time the Escort hit the road, and based on a basic foundation that preceeded that by a couple more decades.

A standard car wouldn't see which way a Clio 200 or Mini JCW went down a country lane, and would be less involving and "fun" too.

[Davie_GLA]

Yes, my driving CV isn't blazing to be honest. Highlights are a 200bhp RS Turbo and a 200SX that was just shy of 300BHP. So not shy but none of them AWD.

I dunno. I HAVE to own one. Even just to say i have owned one.

[Silvester21]

bks i missed this episode!

[mat205125]

Davie_GLA said:

Yes, my driving CV isn't blazing to be honest. Highlights are a 200bhp RS Turbo and a 200SX that was just shy of 300BHP. So not shy but none of them AWD.

I dunno. I HAVE to own one. Even just to say i have owned one.

Considered as a "grown up" RS Turbo, then I think you will be absolutely fine with the Escort experience, especially if you find yourself a nice example fettled to 350bhp, with brakes and suspension upgraded to match.

Also you can be confident that you will never lose a penny on the car!

[Ray Singh]

My hero car was a 911. I was fortunate enough to be in a position to buy one and regretted it within a few months.
The car itself wasn't as quick as my previous 944 turbo and 968 (might have been perception) and felt very old and small inside.

I kept the car for a year and sold it to get a 944 turbo again.

At least i can say i owned one once - Hero - not any more.

[mat205125]

Ray Singh said:

My hero car was a 911. I was fortunate enough to be in a position to buy one and regretted it within a few months.
The car itself wasn't as quick as my previous 944 turbo and 968 (might have been perception) and felt very old and small inside.

I kept the car for a year and sold it to get a 944 turbo again.

At least i can say i owned one once - Hero - not any more.

Which era did you have? 964 or earlier?

I'm tempted to shop for a 911 to replace my M3 as my fun car, but worried that if I can't raise enough to get a 993 shape, then I may be disappointed with the "nostalgia" interior, and pace of the car.

[Davie_GLA]

It's adverts like this that scare me:

http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/1676065.htm

How on EARTH can that be sold to anyone?

Edited by Davie_GLA on Wednesday 12th May 10:53

[Pablo16v]

bazking69 said:

The Escort Cosworth is a tricky one. No doubt an iconic car, but finding a straight one is tricky. And when you do find one, you are looking at 5 figures for a 4 cylinder Escort with a bodykit. Then you are worried about taking it out anywhere and it getting nicked. Oh, and did I mention the constant niggle of rust.

Great car to see now and then, or even drive once, but not a car I'd ever want to own.

It's hardly just a "4 cylinder escort" is it? You could perhaps throw that arguement at the standard RS model but not at the 2.0 Cosworth engine.

Edited by Pablo16v on Wednesday 12th May 10:55

[Stu R]

markmullen said:

Quite the opposite, I spent yesterday driving a 288GTO and a 959, I've driven the 959 quite a bit before and it never fails to impress, the 288GTO was a joy too.

I'm no jealous at all...

Go on then, how was the GTO?

[mat205125]

Davie_GLA said:

It's adverts like this that scare me:

http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/1676065.htm

How on EARTH can that be sold to anyone?

Sorry, what am I missing?

Looks like a nice standard car, with sensible miles that a collector / enthusiast might be interested in. I don't think the money is silly if that is the kind of price that the marketplace will withstand.

Objectively, without our PH enthusiasts hats on, cars like Escort Cosworths, Integrales, and E30 M3s are all massively overpriced. Never the less, there is a following that craves for this type of machine, and they are happy to pay for the priviledge.

[Rawwr]

Davie_GLA said:

It's adverts like this that scare me:

http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/1676065.htm

How on EARTH can that be sold to anyone?

I don't get it? What's so unreasonable?

[bazking69]

Pablo16v said:

bazking69 said:

The Escort Cosworth is a tricky one. No doubt an iconic car, but finding a straight one is tricky. And when you do find one, you are looking at 5 figures for a 4 cylinder Escort with a bodykit. Then you are worried about taking it out anywhere and it getting nicked. Oh, and did I mention the constant niggle of rust.

Great car to see now and then, or even drive once, but not a car I'd ever want to own.

It's hardly just a "4 cylinder escort" is it? You could perhaps throw that arguement at the standard RS model but not at the 2.0 Cosworth engine.

Edited by Pablo16v on Wednesday 12th May 10:55

Fantastic engine, but when it comes to it, it is a 4 cylinder Escort.

[Ray Singh]

mat205125 said:

Ray Singh said:

My hero car was a 911. I was fortunate enough to be in a position to buy one and regretted it within a few months.
The car itself wasn't as quick as my previous 944 turbo and 968 (might have been perception) and felt very old and small inside.

I kept the car for a year and sold it to get a 944 turbo again.

At least i can say i owned one once - Hero - not any more.

Which era did you have? 964 or earlier?

I'm tempted to shop for a 911 to replace my M3 as my fun car, but worried that if I can't raise enough to get a 993 shape, then I may be disappointed with the "nostalgia" interior, and pace of the car.

911 Carrera 3.2 sport on a F plate - so 1989 car.

I wasn't impressed with interior or its handling habits. Seemed like a step backwards from my 944 turbo.