RE: PH Heroes: Ford Escort Mexico

[aeropilot]

metro6r4 said:

Appears to be a common thread with the registration numbers - mine was HCX 666N.

And the reg no of the black RS2 I owned as posted above was XGP 666N.....

[Ribol]

metro6r4 said:

Appears to be a common thread with the registration numbers - mine was HCX 666N.

In the good old days "interesting" numbers were not taken out of the dealer lists to be auctioned off later like they are today.

It was left to the buyer/seller to sort one out

[I WISH]

I currently drive an Elise .... and I also have a concours 1966 Cooper 'S' ..... but the most fun road car I ever drove was a lucky friend's Mk 1 Mexico (in Ermine White) that had been gently but effectively modified with the addition of a pair of 40DCOE Webers, a gas flowed head and a better exhaust manifold and system. Beautiful car .... I could have driven it all day and the smile would never have left my face.
The other great memory was of an older friend (I was only 15 at the time) turning up at my front door in a nearly new ex-Boreham Mk 1 Twincam Escort that had been modified by the addition of different cams and a close ratio gear set. It looked fabulously standard (again in Ermine White) on its five and a half inch steel wheels and nice shiny ford hubcaps ..... but we took a stopwatch to it ... and it managed 0 - 60 mph in just 7.2 seconds. Bloody amazing back in 1969 ... and it felt like it! Fabulous ........ and I want one.

[ian2144]

The good old 70's When cars were all different and had their own caracter. Always wanted a Mk 1 Mexico/RS but never quite made it. But, I did have somthing simillar an Avenger Tiger Mk2 in Wardance Red. Will alway remember chasing down a Mexico through the Trossachs. Great fun !!! We even stoped for a chat at the end.

Things like this just don't happen any more.

[Roger Frost]

i bought one of the ex FMC prepared Group 1 race cars in 1971 after the F1 Team Managers Race at Brans Hatch. Lemans Green and a great car. HLA215K

[chiefski26]

awesome old skool fords.......

[SirTainly]

hmm nice cars My father worked on the development of the racing Mexicos.

[jonny_bravo]

Have wanted a Mk1 since the age of 6/7 ,the lad at the bottom of the road had one. I am 32 now,. still not fulfilled my childhood dream

[artdealer]

In '73 my dad wrote off his Cooper S, all gutted. Next day he came home with a 1972 JPA410K bright red Mexico with white stripes and four Cibie spotlights, it looked fabulous and was the best car at school until my mate's brother used to turn up in a 246 Dino. I can still remember sitting in it when it landed.

I really don't remember the wood dash, but I suppose it must have had that if this one came from the heritage collection.

I wonder if this one still exists somewhere? Probably not.

[Mr Maloo]

I bought a Mk 1 Mexico new in 1973 and thrashed the pants off it for six years. Fantastic fun. Why oh why did I sell it. Did a few road rallies in it and on one I know there were only three corners the whole night when the car wasnt sideways by some extent. In the wet you almost couldnt help but put the back out. Does anyone else recall the creases in the front A pillars that would develop if it had too many hard landings over hump back bridges (dont see many of those about these days either).
I agree that modern cars dont have the tactile involvment that much simpler cars like the Mexico had, but that is down to all the extra weight and power everything. Its the way things are and its not going to change. Great article but I have to say - nostalgia not what it used to be.

[Negative Creep]

I know it's a bit off topic, but are the cooking mk.1s and 2s half as much fun? I fancy a classic you see, and an original low spec one is tempting...............

[entwisi]

I had a lovely metallic gold Mk1 1300GT for a number of years in my early 20's. I played with it a little (Kent 244 Cam, DCOE's, 2000e gearbox) and it was a dream to drive. Exactly like the article, totally balanced, steering on the throttle, progressive sliding the order of the day. I sold it as I have next to zero self control (even now) and was driving it like a lunatic round town. I picked up a speeding and realised that if I kept it I would soon have the 12 that would take me off the road. Sold it and bought a 1963 Zephyr 4, column change, 1700cc, 2 ton, 70 mph flat out down a hill if youre lucky. It was abvout teh only way I was ever going to keep my license!

TBH the Escort and the Zephyr are the only two cars I have had that I would love to have a drive in today.

GRP 959 N where are you now!!!!

[ChasW]

I'm not sure if it's a nostalgia thing but owning one of these was a dream at the time. I drove an Escort 1.3L in those days. My mate had a Mexico. In my opinion these cars had a different type of street credibility from their modern day equivalents. They were quite rare for a start, closely associated with rally cars and not seen as marketing gimmicks. In other words they appeared genuinely different from the run of the mill cars they were based on. I am no rally expert but was it something to do with homologation rules on production numbers. Some cars of this ilk were made available to the general public to bump up numbers to meet rally requirements. Please correct me if I am wrong.

My mate replaced with a Sunbeam Lotus. Fast but not quite as desirable.

[aeropilot]

artdealer said:

I really don't remember the wood dash, but I suppose it must have had that if this one came from the heritage collection.

You don't remember it because it wouldn't have had a wood dash, being a K reg.
And if it had stripes, it was a base model rather than a 'custom pack' equipped car.
Also, the 2nd generation 'custom pack' option with the wood dash and vinyl roof didn't appear until mid/late 1973....i.e M and N reg cars.

It wasn't until many years later in the 1980's and later that susequent owners retro-fitted later parts to 'dress-up' earlier cars.

[NismoGT]

Before my time this one , but i love old skool cool

[velocemitch]

On the subject of Mk1's just thought I would share this with you guys, Andy Beaumont from Yorkshire in his usual flamboyant style on this years Berwick Classic Rally. Who needs roundabouts when you can have a farmyard to play in.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tN9_JEBlqg4

Anybody interested in having some sideways rear wheel drive action ought to look into the classic road rallying scene, it's about as cheap as motorsport gets and his the most fun you can have with your clothes on... (or off at my age!)

Edited by velocemitch on Friday 29th August 13:54

Edited by velocemitch on Friday 29th August 13:54

[PATTERNPART]

I had a couple of two litre flat front Mk IIs. Gave them away for pennies and I wince when I see the prices now. The second one was a Mexico II, one owner prior to me. A few contemporary modifications and a cage. Burton engine. Some Irishmen bought it and took it home. They never even started the engine but did have a good look at the inner wings. I hope it still exists. It was a horrible lime green, faded on top..

[Mogsmex]

tony_666 said:

dazzaturbo said:

great cars always had a soft spot for em (although prefer the slope fronted rs 2000) still a stunner

...and one of those...

that would be mine

got a mk1 mexico as well, lovely cars and think the author had it spot on, I have been through a variety of daily drivers and less weight is more

[666 SVT]

Yep I miss my Ezzy.

[grumpyoldgit]

My first affair with Escorts was a Mk1 Twincam ( Lotus 1558cc ) which I used for stage rallying in the late '70's. I totalled it on a stage in the Forest of Dean and re-shelled it into an ex-works RS1600 shell with steel 'bubble' arches.
I bought a road going MK1 RS2000 in Sebring red. Reg AAB 666M and stupidly sold it two years later to make way for a Signal Yellow Mk2 Mexico with the 1600 Pinto. Handled nicely, but couldn't pull skin of custard.

God! Those were the days!