Escort RS Turbo - the long journey
Discussion
This is the story of my Escort RS Turbo. I've owned it ten years this year. It's been through highs and lows, and everything in between. My friends all remember it, and it's been off the road so long that it became a standing joke at one point of asking how the project was coming along... Well, in the last three years I got the ball rolling, and through no fault of my own it's still not there yet, as you will see.
I kept in contact with the previous owner as he'd owned it for the 16 years previous if I remember correctly. His daughter grew up with it being around and it looks like mine will do the same
We still email occasionally, and I'd love to be able to send him some pictures of the completed car back on the road again. One day, it'll happen!
Enough talking, lets have some pictures of the good times
These are the pics from the advert in 2010:
As you can see, it wasn't in bad condition, just well used. That damage on the front nearside corner was where a swan lept out on the previous owner! The car had been patched up and the bonnet straightened a bit, but it wasn't too pretty. However, the engine was quiet, smooth and had plenty of power. My previous two RS Turbo's were rubbish in comparison to this one. It drove really well and the Recaro seats were in good condition too. I had to have it. Luckily they weren't worth much in 2010, so a deal was done and I drove it home. I still remember the test drive in the ran - the tyres were old and had gone quite hard so wheelspin was easy as soon as the boost came in. Old-school boost too, where you waited forever and then it all came in at once. Scarily hilarious
Once home on my driveway I gave it a good clean, removed the gold pinstripe, and was generally rather pleased with what I'd bought.
I drove it all over the place and thoroughly enjoyed it too. It even went on a road trip the entire length of the country to see my parents in Northern Scotland. I decided to drive up over night as the roads were quieter, and got to the Scottish boarder in the dead of night. I was so tired I nearly fell asleep at the wheel so I tried to find a service station to stop at for a while. Except, because I was so tired, I missed the slip road for the services and had to carry on until I found the next. I think it was something like 20 miles too!
I turned the engine off and slept where I was for an hour, and woke up feeling really disorientated and wondering where I was. After a few minutes I'd woken up a bit more and carried on with the journey. The roads on the last leg to the North Coast are rather like a rally stage. It was great fun playing with the turbo lag and being on empty roads. It took me something like 13 hours to cover 680 miles including the stop for sleep
It's rather picturesque up there. These were taken 5 minutes walk from my parents' house:
On the way home from this trip I distinctly remember someone on the A1 near Peterborough getting really excited they'd seen my car and waving, giving thumbs up and generally jumping up and down. I obliged with some turbo and dump-valve noises
Summer 2011 - the gearbox was becoming noisy and I sourced a second hand but good condition one to swap out. The only problem was it wasn't an LSD box, just an open diff. My friend Nick and I swapped the box over anyway so I could carry on driving the car and get the LSD box rebuilt. I never got around to it, but it's in the garage and on the 'to-do' list...
I also relocated the stereo in to the lower console so I could run some gauges, which, you guessed it, I didn't get around to either!
2012 - The last time the car was on the road and in one piece
One of the last things I used it for was to go and pick up an engine for my dead Fiesta Zetec-S daily driver. On the way back, and with an engine in the boot, we stopped off at a car dealer to see an E46 M3 my friend was interested in. The car dealer took one look at me in greasy clothes and decided we were messing him about. I had to explain the story to get him to believe us that Nick was actually interested and would probably buy the car if it checked out! It did, the deal was done and we drove home with and M3 as well!
The old Escort never let me down even though I'd stopped using it every day and had it as a second car for whenever I felt like using it. I remember going for long-ish drive for work and having to drive through a flood in Bognor-Regis. Not a single problem encountered! Another time, I had a Mk4 'sad-face' FIesta with a 1.7 Puma engine that imploded. The Escort was rolled out and thrown in to a 100 mile commute involving the M25 too. Again, it just carried on.
Some pictures just before I took it off the road:
It was starting to get a bit scabby in places and I didn't want to run it in to the ground so it came off the road with good intentions of stripping it down, sorting out the rust, that damaged wing/bonnet and generally getting it up to scratch. It stayed like this for at least 6 years:
In 2017, a friend had a Porsche 944 restored at a place not very local to us, but they seemed to have done a good job for a reasonable price. My interest was piqued and I asked the man if he was interested in doing some restoration work on the Escort. He said he was, so I got the car fully stripped down and trailered it up to him:
Here it is tucked safely in the workshop ready for work to commence. I was quite excited by this point. I'd finally got the ball rolling again and rather than being out of sight and mind the Escort was having some work done and would be back on the road soon.
2018 - Work 'done' (more on that later), I picked the car up and took it home, excited that I could build it back up and put it on the road for next summer.
Lots of bits and pieces still needed attention. The idea was I'd build the car back up and then send it back to the workshop for the bodykit to be fitted and the paint fully flatted and polished.
Back in my garage for the first time in over a year:
I waited out the winter and started getting bits ready to build the car back up. I had all the suspension parts powder coated, bought all new bushes, dampers and springs, and set to work. Things then took a turn for the worse... Read about that in the next update
I kept in contact with the previous owner as he'd owned it for the 16 years previous if I remember correctly. His daughter grew up with it being around and it looks like mine will do the same
We still email occasionally, and I'd love to be able to send him some pictures of the completed car back on the road again. One day, it'll happen!Enough talking, lets have some pictures of the good times
These are the pics from the advert in 2010:
As you can see, it wasn't in bad condition, just well used. That damage on the front nearside corner was where a swan lept out on the previous owner! The car had been patched up and the bonnet straightened a bit, but it wasn't too pretty. However, the engine was quiet, smooth and had plenty of power. My previous two RS Turbo's were rubbish in comparison to this one. It drove really well and the Recaro seats were in good condition too. I had to have it. Luckily they weren't worth much in 2010, so a deal was done and I drove it home. I still remember the test drive in the ran - the tyres were old and had gone quite hard so wheelspin was easy as soon as the boost came in. Old-school boost too, where you waited forever and then it all came in at once. Scarily hilarious
Once home on my driveway I gave it a good clean, removed the gold pinstripe, and was generally rather pleased with what I'd bought.
I drove it all over the place and thoroughly enjoyed it too. It even went on a road trip the entire length of the country to see my parents in Northern Scotland. I decided to drive up over night as the roads were quieter, and got to the Scottish boarder in the dead of night. I was so tired I nearly fell asleep at the wheel so I tried to find a service station to stop at for a while. Except, because I was so tired, I missed the slip road for the services and had to carry on until I found the next. I think it was something like 20 miles too!
I turned the engine off and slept where I was for an hour, and woke up feeling really disorientated and wondering where I was. After a few minutes I'd woken up a bit more and carried on with the journey. The roads on the last leg to the North Coast are rather like a rally stage. It was great fun playing with the turbo lag and being on empty roads. It took me something like 13 hours to cover 680 miles including the stop for sleep It's rather picturesque up there. These were taken 5 minutes walk from my parents' house:
On the way home from this trip I distinctly remember someone on the A1 near Peterborough getting really excited they'd seen my car and waving, giving thumbs up and generally jumping up and down. I obliged with some turbo and dump-valve noises
Summer 2011 - the gearbox was becoming noisy and I sourced a second hand but good condition one to swap out. The only problem was it wasn't an LSD box, just an open diff. My friend Nick and I swapped the box over anyway so I could carry on driving the car and get the LSD box rebuilt. I never got around to it, but it's in the garage and on the 'to-do' list...
I also relocated the stereo in to the lower console so I could run some gauges, which, you guessed it, I didn't get around to either!
2012 - The last time the car was on the road and in one piece
One of the last things I used it for was to go and pick up an engine for my dead Fiesta Zetec-S daily driver. On the way back, and with an engine in the boot, we stopped off at a car dealer to see an E46 M3 my friend was interested in. The car dealer took one look at me in greasy clothes and decided we were messing him about. I had to explain the story to get him to believe us that Nick was actually interested and would probably buy the car if it checked out! It did, the deal was done and we drove home with and M3 as well! The old Escort never let me down even though I'd stopped using it every day and had it as a second car for whenever I felt like using it. I remember going for long-ish drive for work and having to drive through a flood in Bognor-Regis. Not a single problem encountered! Another time, I had a Mk4 'sad-face' FIesta with a 1.7 Puma engine that imploded. The Escort was rolled out and thrown in to a 100 mile commute involving the M25 too. Again, it just carried on.
Some pictures just before I took it off the road:
It was starting to get a bit scabby in places and I didn't want to run it in to the ground so it came off the road with good intentions of stripping it down, sorting out the rust, that damaged wing/bonnet and generally getting it up to scratch. It stayed like this for at least 6 years:
In 2017, a friend had a Porsche 944 restored at a place not very local to us, but they seemed to have done a good job for a reasonable price. My interest was piqued and I asked the man if he was interested in doing some restoration work on the Escort. He said he was, so I got the car fully stripped down and trailered it up to him:
Here it is tucked safely in the workshop ready for work to commence. I was quite excited by this point. I'd finally got the ball rolling again and rather than being out of sight and mind the Escort was having some work done and would be back on the road soon.
2018 - Work 'done' (more on that later), I picked the car up and took it home, excited that I could build it back up and put it on the road for next summer.
Lots of bits and pieces still needed attention. The idea was I'd build the car back up and then send it back to the workshop for the bodykit to be fitted and the paint fully flatted and polished.
Back in my garage for the first time in over a year:
I waited out the winter and started getting bits ready to build the car back up. I had all the suspension parts powder coated, bought all new bushes, dampers and springs, and set to work. Things then took a turn for the worse... Read about that in the next update
Nice one. 
I had an identical one years ago on an E plate.
I just love that old skool burble from the 80’s Turbos such as RS’ and R5 GTTs.
The only new car I can think of that sounds the same is the 595 Abarth. My wife’s on to her second one and it takes me back to my first cars.
Anyway, nice car. I wish I could stick with a car for 10 years. I’d love a forever car. Too many to sample though.
I had an identical one years ago on an E plate.
I just love that old skool burble from the 80’s Turbos such as RS’ and R5 GTTs.
The only new car I can think of that sounds the same is the 595 Abarth. My wife’s on to her second one and it takes me back to my first cars.
Anyway, nice car. I wish I could stick with a car for 10 years. I’d love a forever car. Too many to sample though.
Thanks everyone! Yep, it's quite a project now but to be honest these cars are relatively straightforward to put together. I don't know where the spot lights are currently. I think they were after market ones though as they had those white covers. I'll have to check in the loft where most of the car currently is 
I wanted to be a bit more specific as there are quite a few questions, so:
I absolutely love the way XR2's drive and I restored my last one, back to a bare shell and rebuild like the Escort.
I've had at least 10 cars since owning this one. I just couldn't bring myself to sell it so I'll hang on to it for a while yet I think. It's the only car I've owned this long! I shouldn't have sold my last XR2 really, I miss that and I know I'd miss the Escort if I sold it.
Terminator X said:
Have a massive soft spot for these and Cossies too as both always seemed slightly out of reach as I grew up and into my late teens. Always wanted one but never got around to it.
TX.
3 RS Turbos, 2 Saphire Cosworths and 5 Mk2 XR2's here TX.
I absolutely love the way XR2's drive and I restored my last one, back to a bare shell and rebuild like the Escort.stevemcs said:
Nice to another saved and an early S2 must surely have had some rust. Please tell me the spot lights find there way back on
Yep, lots of rust once it was all stripped down - sills, rear arches, battery tray, windscreen corners etc... As per my other post, I'll have to find the spot lights!marky911 said:
Nice one.
I had an identical one years ago on an E plate.
I just love that old skool burble from the 80’s Turbos such as RS’ and R5 GTTs.
The only new car I can think of that sounds the same is the 595 Abarth. My wife’s on to her second one and it takes me back to my first cars.
Anyway, nice car. I wish I could stick with a car for 10 years. I’d love a forever car. Too many to sample though.
Yep, I love the burble noise too, can't wait to get the stainless steel Scorpion system on there. Had it in the garage for years...I had an identical one years ago on an E plate.
I just love that old skool burble from the 80’s Turbos such as RS’ and R5 GTTs.
The only new car I can think of that sounds the same is the 595 Abarth. My wife’s on to her second one and it takes me back to my first cars.
Anyway, nice car. I wish I could stick with a car for 10 years. I’d love a forever car. Too many to sample though.
I've had at least 10 cars since owning this one. I just couldn't bring myself to sell it so I'll hang on to it for a while yet I think. It's the only car I've owned this long! I shouldn't have sold my last XR2 really, I miss that and I know I'd miss the Escort if I sold it.
Yep, no excuses. In which case, have another update!
I've sorted through all the pictures over the last year but I'll just post these for now...
I got the car out of the garage and had a good look around it. Something I hadn't done properly until then. With hindsight I should have looked thoroughly when I picked it up. Unfortunately it was plain to see the work wasn't up to scratch, or even close. It looked like far too much filler had been used in the rear arches for starters. The shape was just wrong. I thought that would've been pretty hard to do considering repair panels were used, and they come more or less correctly shaped. The sills bulged in and out, and one of them definitely wasn't even straight. I found a rusty hole at the top of the bulkhead under the battery tray, and the fuse box area in the other corner to the battery tray had the new panel welded straight over the old one. The windscreen repairs looked suspiciously like a piece of metal had been inserted between the inner and outer skins and then welded/filled to cover the holes, the dent in the rear panel had been half left, and the dent behind the rear number plate had just been filled, but the inside of the panel had been sanded to bare metal and just left. Then I noticed the new sound deadening sheets on the floor, which appear to have been put there to cover the bare metal underneath from welding repairs on the floor. I could go on.
The man agreed to come out and have a look, and decided that he definitely didn't do what I'd asked and he'd fix it for me at no cost to myself. So far so good. I'd got the shell rolling by this point so it was easy to transport again:
Here's the transport company arriving to take the car away. This was September last year:
Unfortunately the car is still there. Work was always slow, communication was always poor, but now it's open-ended due to this Covid pandemic.
My expectations were set at "I'lve booked out a 4 week slot in my bodyshop to get it in and get it done." After zero communication and the car had been there for well over the 4 weeks stated I made a surprise visit to find literally nothing had been done.
The only glimmer of hope recently was some pictures of the rear arches looking pretty good, the dent in the rear panel having been sorted and the rust on the inside of the 'C' pillar having been fixed. Oh and the sills looking straighter too. I'll give him credit for the fact some progress has been made, but it's taking a bloody long time. You'd think that as an owner of a small business you'd want your reputation intact, especially when you did some work and knew it and the service given were garbage to start with. Hey, what do I know, I'm just a customer
One day, it'll be finished. For now I just want it back in my garage!
I've sorted through all the pictures over the last year but I'll just post these for now...
I got the car out of the garage and had a good look around it. Something I hadn't done properly until then. With hindsight I should have looked thoroughly when I picked it up. Unfortunately it was plain to see the work wasn't up to scratch, or even close. It looked like far too much filler had been used in the rear arches for starters. The shape was just wrong. I thought that would've been pretty hard to do considering repair panels were used, and they come more or less correctly shaped. The sills bulged in and out, and one of them definitely wasn't even straight. I found a rusty hole at the top of the bulkhead under the battery tray, and the fuse box area in the other corner to the battery tray had the new panel welded straight over the old one. The windscreen repairs looked suspiciously like a piece of metal had been inserted between the inner and outer skins and then welded/filled to cover the holes, the dent in the rear panel had been half left, and the dent behind the rear number plate had just been filled, but the inside of the panel had been sanded to bare metal and just left. Then I noticed the new sound deadening sheets on the floor, which appear to have been put there to cover the bare metal underneath from welding repairs on the floor. I could go on.
The man agreed to come out and have a look, and decided that he definitely didn't do what I'd asked and he'd fix it for me at no cost to myself. So far so good. I'd got the shell rolling by this point so it was easy to transport again:
Here's the transport company arriving to take the car away. This was September last year:
Unfortunately the car is still there. Work was always slow, communication was always poor, but now it's open-ended due to this Covid pandemic.
My expectations were set at "I'lve booked out a 4 week slot in my bodyshop to get it in and get it done." After zero communication and the car had been there for well over the 4 weeks stated I made a surprise visit to find literally nothing had been done.
The only glimmer of hope recently was some pictures of the rear arches looking pretty good, the dent in the rear panel having been sorted and the rust on the inside of the 'C' pillar having been fixed. Oh and the sills looking straighter too. I'll give him credit for the fact some progress has been made, but it's taking a bloody long time. You'd think that as an owner of a small business you'd want your reputation intact, especially when you did some work and knew it and the service given were garbage to start with. Hey, what do I know, I'm just a customer
One day, it'll be finished. For now I just want it back in my garage!
V1nce Fox said:
Love these, got a lot of memories of them.
I'd put a silver decal set on the boot when it's done this time
Cheers, I'm going for the standard dark red decals once it's back together I think. Although the '90 spec cars had a cool fading on the decals so I could change my mind...I'd put a silver decal set on the boot when it's done this time
stevemcs said:
Has the leading edge of the bonnet been filled where the ford badge sits ? It looks like it has from the pictures but might just be the reflections.
Yep, I hadn't realised this either until I look around the car properly! If you look at the picture of the grey bonnet on the lawn further up that's the bonnet that was used, and the badge had already been smoothed. As it's back at the bodyshop the filler's being dug out of that so I'll be able to put a badge back on.sortedcossie said:
Interesting thread, certainly looks like it was worth saving. I thought the same on the bonnet badge.
Thanks, very much worth saving in my book. It's been a faithful old thing, always there when you want it and just works as well as being fun to drive. It's never let me down when other cars did and I've got great memories of it. I'll have to get going on cleaning up the engine and sending the gearbox off for a rebuild generationx said:
Great thread! My mum had a similar age S2 in white with the S1 stripes on, I really liked that car. Later I had an S1 which was much more raw, these are far more grown up. Give it a slight tweak to ~150bhp and it’ll be a gorgeous car once again.
Thanks, it was already running a bit more boost and somewhere around 160bhp when I had it on the road. It went really well Gassing Station | Readers' Cars | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff