Thursday 29th June 2023

Ford Escort Mk1 | PH Private Area

Looks like a 1600GT, but there's far more to this Escort than meets the eye

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Old fast Fords are cool. And given how the future looks, it seems like they’ll stay that way for a long time as well. Of course, nostalgia plays a part in the appeal, but with some famous powertrains, iconic silhouettes and memorable motorsport successes, it should be no surprise that the classics remain so adored. The fast Ford phenomenon is a huge part of the car community in the UK, and if the popularity had ever been in any doubt, look at the response to what MST is currently doing with its Mk1 and Mk2…

The best fast Ford nowadays may well be a modified fast Ford, as originals become even more precious and valuable. Would you really drive an RS of any description how it’s really meant to be when it’s worth £70,000 or more? Exactly. Whereas something that’s deviated from standard - but will deliver a wildly more exciting drive - can be enjoyed as intended. Hopefully for a very long time, too.

This Escort is exactly the kind of thing we’re talking about. It’s a 1600GT in a fantastic shade of Tawney, similar to the car featured by John at the end of last year. But the name and badges are where any association with that other Escort end, because this fast Ford is on another planet entirely compared to that one.

This 1600GT is what the term ‘sleeper’ was created for, boasting comfortably more than twice the regular power output with nothing beyond a more suggestive ride height to give it away. Even the exhaust remains a modest diameter. Yet under the bonnet resides a 2.3-litre, all-steel Pinto built by John Wood. Recently returned from Northampton Motorsport with rebuilt Weber 48 carbs, it’s producing more than 235hp. In a little old brown Escort - it must be absolutely superb fun.

The spec of this car reads like a letter to Santa for Mk1 and Mk2 enthusiasts, with a Quaife four-speed rocket box, some RS2000 parts, a Piper exhaust manifold (alongside a Jenvey inlet one), Accralite pistons, a cam ground by Newmans… it’s nothing but the very best stuff that’s gone into the build. And having spoken with the seller Robert on the phone, it’s clear this Escort has been a real labour of love. The end result speaks to the huge amount of effort and money that’s gone into creating such a cool old Ford.

The asking price is £40k, which seems eminently fair given that the GT featured last year was £26,000 and standard RS2000s can command a whole lot more money. To repeat something like this to the same standard would cost a lot more money, basically, assuming a decent shell could be sourced to start from. And there’s the time to think about, and the logistics, and a whole lot of hassle - Escorts this good aren’t the work of a moment. Buying them, on the other hand, will be considerably simpler…

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SPECIFICATION | FORD ESCORT 1600 GT (Mk1) 

Engine: 1,558cc, four cylinder, naturally aspirated (standard)
Transmission: four-speed manual, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 106@5,500rpm (standard)
Torque (lb ft): 100@4,000rpm (standard)
CO2: N/A
MPG: N/A
Recorded mileage: 35,000
Year registered: 1973
Price new: N/A
Yours for: £39,995

See the original advert here

 

 

[stavr0ss]

Is it weird that I’d like to see a bit more tyre wall on this? Lovely looking thing, but without more rubber around them the stock wheels and lowered ride make it look like it’s on casters…

[dontlookdown]

Actually I agree with you about the tyres, but if you think those are stock wheels you may need a new pair of specs;)

I like a sleeper, or a Q car as we used to call them, but this one is a bit much for me. Without the Kent engine and the lovely 4 speed Ford box it's straying a bit too far from the source material in my mind.

That's just me though, it does look to be very well done and a credit to the current owner.

Price seems fairly modest by hot Ford standards too!

[VR6 Eug]

My favourite car is a mk1 escort but the 1600 GT had 86hp, the Twincam had 108hp....come on pistonheads, no 1600gt had 106hp and nowhere near 100 foot lbs from the factory.

[fantheman80]

i admire what looks like the originality of the interior, but with those shiny non bucket seats am i going to end up on the passengers lap in a fast corner I wonder

Edited by fantheman80 on Thursday 29th June 07:33

[Mikebentley]

If it was truly a sleeper you would get rid of the badges and fit deep steelies with hub caps.

[Blue One]

The dash binnacle looks wrong - it has the basic model dash, whereas all GT, Mexico, RS and E models had the full cluster of speedo rev counter and four other gauges. Bit disappointing as the basic gauge cluster on a car like this just feels wrong. That being said, maybe it was a basic model that has been rebadged as a GT as part of all the mods done?

[swisstoni]

Looks like a really nice job, done tastefully.
All that work done professionally would well exceed the asking price.

[ballans]

That’s really nice. I would love an MST build but that would cost well over double (probably nearer triple) the value of this. Seems like good value.

[coppice]

There never even was a 1600GT . There was a 1300GT, an unremarkable car I once owned , and I suspect the Mexico - 1600cc of course - is the intended reference .But it had just 85bhp , and the 105bhp and 1558 cc referred means the '1600GT ' in question was a Twin Cam.

TawnEy? As in the eponymous owl , it is 'tawny' .

Edited by coppice on Thursday 29th June 08:27

[Andy86GT]

stavr0ss said:

Is it weird that I’d like to see a bit more tyre wall on this? Lovely looking thing, but without more rubber around them the stock wheels and lowered ride make it look like it’s on casters…

I agree, it also creates a strange look to the rear wheels, almost like there is rear wheel steering.

[jon66]

Having fully restored a genuine Mk1 Mexico I can fully appreciate the amount of work (and cost) that goes into cars like this....

However

There was never a 1600GT version of the Mk1 Escort sold here in the UK. The ONLY Mk1 that carried those badges was a Mexico...usually with stripes (although like anything at Ford back then that wasn't a hard and fast "rule")...and this definitely isn't one of them. Having read the actual advert...nowhere does the seller even reference 1600GT so perhaps that's more a case of somebody at PH writing an article on something about which they haven't done the proper research !

I also echo a previous comment that a Mk1 Mexico was quoted at 86 bhp by Ford so no idea where the 106 bhp came from (although that was in fact the quoted bhp for a Mk1 Mexico that was running a rally spec engine from Taurus Performance back in 1972 - a £165 upgrade on the standard Ford x-flow)

Whilst I can't comment on the origins of this car I can say that from looking at the photos it most likely started out life as an 1100 or 1300 base model (2-dial dash fitted) which has subsequently been upgraded and re-engineered to make it what it is now. From the photos it all looks pretty nicely done too - although with that engine I'd probably have wanted a rev counter

If it drives as well as it reads...this will be a LOT of fun and probably quite a handful.

Edited by jon66 on Thursday 29th June 13:30

[daveco]

I drove one rated at 150hp, no idea what was under the bonnet, but it was an incredibly fun car to drive.

These are perfect for rallying -very small size and you can see everything from the driver seat.

[bumskins]

stavr0ss said:

Is it weird that I’d like to see a bit more tyre wall on this? Lovely looking thing, but without more rubber around them the stock wheels and lowered ride make it look like it’s on casters…

Was going to say stick it on some 13x6/13x7s and it would look perfect to me, bet it would be great fun

[Muzzer79]

I love the nerding that comes out with these old Escort threads

[thegreenhell]

bumskins said:

stavr0ss said:

Is it weird that I’d like to see a bit more tyre wall on this? Lovely looking thing, but without more rubber around them the stock wheels and lowered ride make it look like it’s on casters…

Was going to say stick it on some 13x6/13x7s and it would look perfect to me, bet it would be great fun

It's already on 7x13s. The problem is the tyres are 175/50 so they look ridiculously small. It looks st and probably rides like st on them as well.

[bumskins]

thegreenhell said:

It's already on 7x13s. The problem is the tyres are 175/50 so they look ridiculously small. It looks st and probably rides like st on them as well.

My mistake, used to a bit more sidewall on 13s!

[C5_Steve]

100% agree on the tyres, makes the front wheel arch gap look massive but looking at the rear I wonder if bigger tyres would rub the arch?

Tyres aside I think that looks lovely and decently priced as well. A resto-mod that's reasonably priced and useable. Perfect.

[WPA]

Lovely looking car but for me it needs deep steel wheels with hub caps, would look loads better

[Lotobear]

I've had a tall block dry sumped Lotus twincam and bullet ratio (2.5 first) gearbox sitting in the corner of my office for the last 10 year looking for one of these to put it into but I missed the boat years ago unfortunately.

Crazy money now Mk1 Escorts.

[AL5026]

The thing I can’t fathom with this is why put the clearly significant amount of effort into what looks like a lovely job, but not update the engine change with the DVLA? Still registered as an 1100cc and it can’t be that difficult to change it so why wouldn’t you, or am I missing something?