RE: Shed of the Week: Ford Escort Encore
Discussion
r11co said:
Everyone's a critic!
It was actually an objectively good handler for its time. The front suspension lower arms in particular were quite revolutionary because they used perpendicular bushes, so less geometry changes under load compared to the contemporary Golf of the time (which everyone raved about!)
Vot?!It was actually an objectively good handler for its time. The front suspension lower arms in particular were quite revolutionary because they used perpendicular bushes, so less geometry changes under load compared to the contemporary Golf of the time (which everyone raved about!)
Escort track control arms were just basic Ford stock, with silent block bushes mounted vertically, weren't they? The cheapest, most compromising way of suspending an arm? Same as with the Fiestas and earlier Escorts? Happy to be educated if I'm wrong, but I used to sell shed loads of those as they used to rip the lower bushes out every 4 years.
StoatInACoat said:
Nearly bought one of these 12 years ago on an N plate as my first car and even then they looked crap and unloved although it was a nice dark blue/green pearlescent colour. I think it was for sale at £850 so I suppose they've held their value very well! Bought an older 306 instead and it was much cooler, faster, better looking and just generally better.
Similar story, a friend had a 1.4 L escort for sale for £250, looked up the insurance, £1800 third party only, over £2k for anything approaching actual cover... At 18 I thought "nope", I still preferred commuting in winter on my VFR400 to that heap. A year later I ended up buying a 1.8 16v Fiat Bravo (HLX... OOOH), still less on insurance than that ropey Escort by over £900. Plus it actually had kit, like heated seats (!). Ended up lasting me years and was a way better car even considering how cack it was.
I can usually see the good in anything but even I am struggling with this one, beyond my usual "it was once common and part of our motoring landscape, etc", but even that doesnt cover it, it isnt old enough to garner any nostalgia, they werent much good when new and this isnt a very interesting variant of a not very interesting car, shows what a leap the Focus was.
Whenever you see an Escort of this era, there is always a fat, harassed looking woman with an evil and determined look, fag lodged in the corned of her mouth and a gaggle of unsecured, shaven headed kids in the back.
Whenever you see an Escort of this era, there is always a fat, harassed looking woman with an evil and determined look, fag lodged in the corned of her mouth and a gaggle of unsecured, shaven headed kids in the back.
Yes, the Escort wasn't a good car at the time. In fact it was probably the worst car out there in its class/price bracket in 1995, but continued to sell well to two groups of people - drivers who had always had a Ford and wouldn't even look at anything else, and companies buying them by the thousand for employees who had no choice in the matter.
The main issue with this Shed though, is that it's the utterly miserable base spec bought only by companies for junior employees when they wanted the cheapest car they could possibly buy. The 59 BHP engine is barely adequate in a Ka, in the bigger Escort it's woefully underpowered, it has manual windows, no PAS and I believe it doesn't even have central locking. The only equipment fitted but not required by law is the airbag, I'm pretty sure the pound-shop wheel trims are there because the car didn't come with any from the factory, you needed to step up to 'L' trim to get hubcaps.
I get the appeal of a tidy example of a car you don't see anymore, but with this engine and no PAS it's just not appealing on any level at all.
The main issue with this Shed though, is that it's the utterly miserable base spec bought only by companies for junior employees when they wanted the cheapest car they could possibly buy. The 59 BHP engine is barely adequate in a Ka, in the bigger Escort it's woefully underpowered, it has manual windows, no PAS and I believe it doesn't even have central locking. The only equipment fitted but not required by law is the airbag, I'm pretty sure the pound-shop wheel trims are there because the car didn't come with any from the factory, you needed to step up to 'L' trim to get hubcaps.
I get the appeal of a tidy example of a car you don't see anymore, but with this engine and no PAS it's just not appealing on any level at all.
Dale487 said:
Did Ford make these Escorts so bad to make the Focus seem better?
The Mk4 got absolutely slated by CAR Magazine, they criticised the rear axle being simpler and less expensive to make than the rear axle on the first FWD Escort that won European Car of The Year. Some think the Focus was such a massive improvement due to the slating the the Mk4 got in the specialist press. I suppose having to replace bushes on the Focus are a small price to pay for the improvement in handling and ride over the last Escort?Edited by carinaman on Friday 3rd March 16:10
LOL, exactly what I've just bought my 18 year old son as a first car, except in silver.
60K miles, full service history, everything replaced.
And yes the encore engine leaks oil from the cam cover gasket. Starts fisrt time, runs, has £24.80 new ditchfinder tyres on all around. Should be perfect.
60K miles, full service history, everything replaced.
And yes the encore engine leaks oil from the cam cover gasket. Starts fisrt time, runs, has £24.80 new ditchfinder tyres on all around. Should be perfect.
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