RE: PH Heroes: Ford Escort Mexico

[Oli S]

666 SVT said:

Yep I miss my Ezzy.

That is one cool looking car!

[joz8968]

That RS2000 really IS awesome in white with the black trim/decals setting it off perfectly. What beautiful conditon! I want...

Edited by joz8968 on Saturday 30th August 12:29

[final_edition]

666 SVT said:

Yep I miss my Ezzy.

Looks just like my one but mine has the roll-tops, which aren't Recaros

My reg is XEX 11S

[freedman]

My third car when I was about 19

Le Mans Green, no stripes, Revoloutions, Black vinyl and webasto sunroof

Was a fabulous car in its day, would still love to have it in the garage now

[Ace-T]

german tony said:

great fun until you prang it & realise what 34yrs of innovation have meant to the survivablity rates.

20 minutes in 1? Yes please but onlyif there's nobody else on the road.

And this is why one of the best safety devices I have heard of is the installation of a big spike in the middle of the steering wheel.

Now drive like a tt

Trace

[littlemidgetgem]

Love it! That article was great and a lot of that I could say about my MG too

Old cars rule, not because they are quick, not because they have technology but because they have soul and character, I love my classic so much, I drive it everyday

[rallycross]

to understand the mexico think back to what else was available in those days.

this u tube clip shows what they could do in standard form, brands hatch 1971 F1team managers invitiation race in a flet of identical mexicos....

enjoy

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

or this, a 1300 gt mk1 that revs to 9,000 rpm, again at brands

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfxP...feature=rela...

Edited by rallycross on Sunday 31st August 21:51

[velocemitch]

That race was brilliant, can you imagine all the current F1 team managers given a Focus each and told to race....

[Whiters]

A.G. said:

PH said:

The Mexico went on sale between 1970 and 1974

Mine was built (completed) early 75 and registered in August. I think it was the last type 49 shelled car. I bought it from a Ford employee who built it and owned it from new. It came with the build sheets and loads of paperwork. I still have the original AVO brochure.

That's fantastic. Closest I ever got was my brother's Mk1 1300 estate. I was too young to drive it but I knew what RSs and Mexicos were and in my young mind I played out the fantasy as a passenger. As long as I didn't look at the smaller instrument binnacle (just two dials and no rev counter IIRC) or over my shoulder at the four foot rear side window, I could almost convince myself.

A bit of Googling reveals some very rare and official estates though....

www.rs2.co.uk/estate.htm

[dxb335d]

It may be slow by todays standards. But was the bad boy of the 70's. It was very fast then. I love it.

[dinkel]

As long as you don't touch the brakes everything is fast.

[aeropilot]

Whiters said:

A bit of Googling reveals some very rare and official estates though....

www.rs2.co.uk/estate.htm

AVO built a number of variations on a Mexico theme.

Those 3 estates (one of which they converted then converted to RS2000 spec), then there was a handful of 4 door Mexico's built for Liverpool Police, and at least one 4 door built for a member of the public, which I tracked down some 20 years ago to a few miles from me and it was bought by the late Tony Lyn-Jones.
There was also the famous Frua Mexico which was a one-off two door coupe version which also turned up about 20 odd years ago.
There was also at least one Mexico caravanette built.....!!!

[MegatronUK]

Absolutely brilliant cars. So simple, but the handling is just so right :-D

Mine captured in it's natural habitat, going (surprise, surprise) a little sideways...


Not quite standard - running a Vauxhall Calibra red top, twin dellortos etc... There's a Cossie lump and Borg Warner T5 sitting on the garage floor waiting to go in next :-)

[y2blade]

skimmo said:

aeropilot said:

Oli S said:

aeropilot said:

And they arn't Recaro seats either.

Thanks for the nice comments. They are Recaros and were part of the 'custom pack' according to the official information from Ford's Heritage Centre

I spent over 10 years on the committee of the Ford AVO Owners Club and was a judge at their Concours events.....and they are NOT Recaro seats.

Yes, the RS recliners and matching rear seat in Beta cloth were part of the 'Custom Pack', which also included the wood dash and centre console with the vinyl roof and triple pin stripes.

Some one needs to get out more!

Who cares if they are recaros or not??!?!? Great car, great article.

well said



a friend of mine had a yellow one it went pretty well tbh and yeah he could drive it properly sideways at every opertunity

he later sold it and bought a mk2 RS2000 pointy nose like this

[M3John]

final_edition said:

666 SVT said:

Yep I miss my Ezzy.

Looks just like my one but mine has the roll-tops, which aren't Recaros

My reg is XEX 11S

Though it was yours at first mate !

How you keeping anyway?

[y2blade]

[SG]

Leggy said:

I had a yellow Mk1 Mexico it was only the 2nd car I'd ever owned at the age of 18. Number of plate OKK 333M with a great big pair of cibies on the front!
Slow by todays standards maybe but a great drivers car with just enough power. Loads of fun.
I did trade up to the MK2 Mex which I remember as being even better to drive.
Despite it being a working class Ford a car for the masses it still looks good today.
Good times.........

Hi Just picked up this thread on the okk 333m search as i used to own that old mexico "side ways" most of the time..
had the cibes on it. Great fun they were the days i think i paid about £900 for it!

[dinkel]

Zandvoort 15 May:

[Gareth350]

Back in the late 80's, early 90's, i had a 1300GT, blew it up, fitted 2.0 pinto, 5 speed box, single piece prop, RS2000 back axle, Capri 3.0 front struts & brakes, 2 up, 2 down Cibie super oscars.
Interior, twin cam 6 dial dash, wood, RS seats, RS2000 centre console, etc, etc.

Spent a fortune on a car, that was loud,
windscreen leaked,
wouldn't start on a mildly cold day,
forever re-setting the points,
brakes were rubbish,
body twisted under power,
rattled everywhere over 60 mph,
could be opened & started with any decent screwdriver,
turning with the quick rack was like steering an HGV with no p/s,
swore at it more times than i remember!










God, that was the best car i ever owned & if it was still alive today, i'd have it back in a shot!

RIP VVO 451L !

Edited by Gareth350 on Wednesday 2nd June 23:19

[clarksonisawilly]

Mate's brother had a mk1 escort, most probably not a Mexico. No idea what motor it was running but nothing major I suspect. I'll never forget him giving us a lift home from school, me and me mate hanging onto the bonnet with the basstard getting very sideways every opportunity! Great fun. Heard he dropped it off the edge of Croydon flyover, apparently he survived which is good but the car didn't. Shame.