To keep or not to keep, that is the question!!
Discussion
1994 Ford Escort Ghia Si (saloon) 57k miles on the clock.
A little back story…
This was my first car… ish. It’s exactly the same car except for the last three characters of the number plate. I was browsing FB Marketplace and just stumbled across it, I messaged the guy and bought it. It is incredibly rare… Ford dropped the Orion circa ‘92 and obviously had some shells to move so badged these up as Escort Saloon’s subsequently in very limited numbers. I’ve only ever seen two Mallard Green Saloon in my lifetime and I’ve owned them both… I’ve see a grey one having an RS engine conversion and gold 1.6.
I’ve had this one a little over three years now and have just had extensive welding done to some chassis rails to ensure it’s passing the next MOT later this year. Every year I consider selling it as I really don’t use it much and storage has become a challenge, but then I get it out of storage and drive it and I’m transported back to 2003 and the day I passed my test, and that feeling of real freedom but is that enough to keep throwing money and time at a car just for sentimentality?
This isn’t really about money it’s more about justification and could someone else have a similar attachment to fairly run of the mill modern classic Ford? Rare doesn’t always mean expensive, how many left state 10 registered for ‘94 but it doesn’t differentiate colour or body shape.. so yea very very rare car which is worth IMO circa £3500.
Having just bought a Mk3 RS I’m worried I’ll have even less time and money for the Escort, I know there’s no right or wrong answer and I’m not looking for anyone to give me a silver bullet.
I’m also a fair bit bigger than I was at 18 so it’s not the best fit for me… I’m considering selling this to buy something a bit more utilitarian in order to keep the RS miles modest. It will ultimately be less “precious” to me but I believe cars need to be used and if I’m not using it then I feel I need to move it on.
A little back story…
This was my first car… ish. It’s exactly the same car except for the last three characters of the number plate. I was browsing FB Marketplace and just stumbled across it, I messaged the guy and bought it. It is incredibly rare… Ford dropped the Orion circa ‘92 and obviously had some shells to move so badged these up as Escort Saloon’s subsequently in very limited numbers. I’ve only ever seen two Mallard Green Saloon in my lifetime and I’ve owned them both… I’ve see a grey one having an RS engine conversion and gold 1.6.
I’ve had this one a little over three years now and have just had extensive welding done to some chassis rails to ensure it’s passing the next MOT later this year. Every year I consider selling it as I really don’t use it much and storage has become a challenge, but then I get it out of storage and drive it and I’m transported back to 2003 and the day I passed my test, and that feeling of real freedom but is that enough to keep throwing money and time at a car just for sentimentality?
This isn’t really about money it’s more about justification and could someone else have a similar attachment to fairly run of the mill modern classic Ford? Rare doesn’t always mean expensive, how many left state 10 registered for ‘94 but it doesn’t differentiate colour or body shape.. so yea very very rare car which is worth IMO circa £3500.
Having just bought a Mk3 RS I’m worried I’ll have even less time and money for the Escort, I know there’s no right or wrong answer and I’m not looking for anyone to give me a silver bullet.
I’m also a fair bit bigger than I was at 18 so it’s not the best fit for me… I’m considering selling this to buy something a bit more utilitarian in order to keep the RS miles modest. It will ultimately be less “precious” to me but I believe cars need to be used and if I’m not using it then I feel I need to move it on.
sixor8 said:
Rear wash-wipe on a saloon is rare, I've seen seen it on Peugeot before, but not many others. 
They carried on with 4 door Escorts for quite some time unless you just mean that spec? I drove a P reg (may even have been R reg) 4 door Escort TD at work in the late 1990s.
Yea just the Saloon, the Mk5b and Mk6 4 doors that followed were all hatch backs. They carried on with 4 door Escorts for quite some time unless you just mean that spec? I drove a P reg (may even have been R reg) 4 door Escort TD at work in the late 1990s.
TV200 said:
If you need to ask, then I think you know the question. It s not worth that much I presume in monetary terms and if it was used much more it d deteriorate, so look after it and just park it up under cover if you d rather save the costs of running it for a while.
No they don’t hold great monetary value even on a good day, and even then it would wait for the right person. I need to ask because you lot get it… 
GeniusOfLove said:
The small amount of money you'll get for it will be long forgotten and lost in the noise when you're still regretting it. Unless you can't find space, keep it.
Hope to see it at the Festival of the Unexceptional this year!
Maaaaaaate!! I didn’t even know this existed!! I’m off work that weekend so I’m absolutely making the 140 mile trip!! Buying tickets now!! Might print some for sale signs Hope to see it at the Festival of the Unexceptional this year!
Rear chassis rail welding? Has it got a sunroof?
I have seen really excellent ones with rust there.
You found a show to take it to, keep it and use it to keep the miles of the Rs, the sentiment, and a 2 ford garage.
If it has to stay on the drive you might use it more seeing it every day, but don't put a cover on it, it will destroy the paint very quickly.
I have seen really excellent ones with rust there.
You found a show to take it to, keep it and use it to keep the miles of the Rs, the sentiment, and a 2 ford garage.
If it has to stay on the drive you might use it more seeing it every day, but don't put a cover on it, it will destroy the paint very quickly.
Doesitdrive said:
Rear chassis rail welding? Has it got a sunroof?
I have seen really excellent ones with rust there.
You found a show to take it to, keep it and use it to keep the miles of the Rs, the sentiment, and a 2 ford garage.
If it has to stay on the drive you might use it more seeing it every day, but don't put a cover on it, it will destroy the paint very quickly.
Rear rails, Front rails, inner sills and a bit of floor. I have seen really excellent ones with rust there.
You found a show to take it to, keep it and use it to keep the miles of the Rs, the sentiment, and a 2 ford garage.
If it has to stay on the drive you might use it more seeing it every day, but don't put a cover on it, it will destroy the paint very quickly.
It’s far from concourse but it’s not a donkey either, I’ll use it for the summer and then see how I feel in October maybe.
Cover damage is a thing, there’s a patch on the roof where lacquer has lifted, I’ll see if a smart repair guy can make it look less s
t, I think this is from being under cover in the sun and has burnt the paint. Also I don’t use either car for commuting so my personal annual milage is only around 6k miles.
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