Glynnis Barber in Dempsey and Makepeace and Rosalyn Landor in the first series of C.A.T.S. Eyes both drove Ford Escort MkIII Cabriolets. What an iconic car, and the colour of this one is superb!
My Sister had a MK3 1.6 Cabriolet as they were called back then as they had a substantial roll bar that didn't detract from the convertible experience. Fuel injected and tall gearing resulted in surprising refinement at speed and the front window quarter lights in the door resulted in very refined open-top motoring when the hood was down. A very under-rated sports convertible simply because it was a Ford Escort. In reality it was a very good open top sports car
Well,thanks for another video and I especially appreciate the information about where it was also manufactured. In Greece there are few examples of Escort Mk3, but I've only seen just one cabriolet in red. Keep on the good work, greetings from Thessaloniki,Greece!
I had a 1l6 mk3 Ghia from 1981 4 speed gearbox. What I remember the most was the disequilibrium between the rear drum brakes. I had problems with the automatic choke so I replaced it with the manual version. A 4 speed box was short on the motorway rpms reaching 3500 at 60 mph. I did appreciate the helps available like the low fluid warnings. Ms car reviews said the front suspension was wishy washy. I didn’t do performance so I didn’t really notice. It was comfortable for a family of 4.
That front grill is so eighties. It reminds me of the MK1 Fiesta... my first car. Very squared off. Later on, the Escort and Fiesta became more rounded.
@@idriveaclassic it's nice to meet someone who shares the love of classic cars and who is around my age and has either owned or driven the cars im fond of.
Kev nice resto there and I know the feeling of cost, work, effort. In the early 80's I had the mk2 1600 sport rwd fun racer days ;-) what was a speed camera and i priced up my old uk car big ouch to buy, loving your vids keep the good work up
Had the mk3 Orion 1.6 ghia a mk4 xr3i mk5 Orion ghia had xr2i and Sierra sapphire I had a lot of Ford's in the day and my favourite would be the mk4 the 5 didn't feel as nice to drive and felt a bit squify the mk3 and 4 were the best looking of the escourts although the mk1 and 2 will always be in my heart especially the rs 2000 and Mexico
Great film, I had a mk4 as my first car and it’s true what you’re saying about they didn’t need power steering when I went to a mk6 diesel (on a p reg) no power steering on that basic model, fitted some 15 inch wheels instead of the standard 13 inch and all of a sudden I realised it needed power steering mk3 / mk4 much better
In stock form the Mk3 and 4 Escorts are really comfortable cars and my last was a Mk4 Convertible. Having spent so much of my life driving vans, vision rearward of the B pillars has never really been given a thought and you just need to rely more on your side mirrors. My hood wasn't electric but opens with same 2 catches then a swift push and it is back.
I'd say the Mk3s biggest rival in it's day, was the Mk1 and Mk2 Astra. I think Vauxhall and Ford were still outselling the German and Japanese offerings in to the late 80s.
I know!!! He’d done it all himself pretty much. Wasn’t necessarily my thing but I enjoyed it regardless. I think you’re either a Ford person or you’re not. I’m not 😂😂😂
@@idriveaclassic I was lol.. because I owned a fiesta mk2 XR2 and the registration had KEV on the end of it..and my mates used to rip the piss out of me for it.. "Where's Kev" ..I love old Fords...specially RS mk1 and mk2's.. thanks for sharing these cars on your channel : )
HAHAHAHAA that’s brilliant!!!! I love trying and reviewing cars from all different manufacturers. I wouldn’t limit myself to BL even though I’m a diehard fan 😂
Ahh thanks Lindsay! I go off owners pages and stuff and sometimes info isn’t 100% correct. I wish I could find more knowledgeable people like you when I’m doing my trivia write up 😂😂😂😂
@@idriveaclassic no problem I am a European ford guy love your channel. The mk 3 ESCORT was one of the first World cars later made in the us and Brazil and all of Europe even Hong Kong. Asia Pacific got the Laser which looked like the Escort
Oh amazing! I’m not too hot on my fords because I’m british Leyland til I die, but I’m trying to be more adventurous. I’m taking a Capri out tomorrow - sure it’ll be a bloody breeze in this weather 😂😂😂 Thanks for the kind feedback on the channel - just a girl out there trying to do classic car videos with a difference ❤️
If you had one of these in the early 90’s as a boy racer you could probably get any female you wanted. I seem to remember an RS kit that some of them had on the mk4 which had deep front and rear bumpers(lower than the RS turbo style) which made them look really good.
Had a J reg Escort.. My friend crashed her Toyota Corolla and got a Mk5 (last Escort) to get to work. She said '''it runs hot'' I can agree. The engines are the let down of these things.
Those orange clean hands fluid lights were a nice step forward. Though anyone owning one of these early fords will prob recall them being a bit of a disco in the dash. And Which one is playing up now.
Oh yes! My MK3 1.6 Ghia was a dashboard disco diva! Loved the car and it even got a fuel leak on the filler pipe whilst on holiday in Cornwall. The owner of the camp site at Buckfast emptied half my tank out and topped up when I needed it as he said it was a common issue. I stupidly traded it in for a MK1 Clio! Wish I still had it. Worth a lot more these days.
Mk3 very advanced with windscreen washer bottle level and oil level warning, guess what Mk4 Escort didn't have those features, I was gutted when I changed from my Nimbus Grey MK3 Xr3i to Red MK4 Escort Xr3i Cabriolet and both those features were missing, evolution is supposed to get better not worse! Both great cars to drive & enjoy, if it wasn't actually raining I would have the roof down, had a great holiday & drive to Torquay from the Midlands in the Summer with it.
Hi, you can phone at this number. It's a UK number so should be no problem. www.google.com/search?q=borgward+drivers+club&oq=Borgward+dri&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j0l4j69i61.16064j0j8&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
Rooftop aint actually electrical. I own a mark 3 convertible myself and its definetly not automatic. Didnt got if you told that, but the original mark 3 doesnt come with an electrical rooftop and my car is still in original shape, since it was driven for about 8 years after bought in 84 and didnt move a single mile since 92
Would be nice to know how and where he managed to install it. If you get any further information from the owner, can you share them with us? Ps: I can see this little stripe on the window, got this one as well, since somehow the window gets damaged while pulled down and up again. Still a very beautiful car and a good video:)
"Yuppy" as mentioned in the video, Y.U.P. = Young Urban Professional. The car in this video is very much the car a "YUPpy" would have driven to impress their friends and the world in general!
I used to have one of them mk3, had mk4 front end put on. The convertible ones last longer thicker steal to support the seals and body. Some of the purists may moan non original. But they all drive the same. 😎💪Old ford's basic motoring funky then 😆
If you look at the squares painted on the motorway at 11.38 seconds, and 12.05 seconds, which measure a KILOMETRE, not a mile apart, it averages out to 83 mph. So, if the Escort's speedo is showing 85 mph (but that wouldn't happen :;), it's out by 2 mph. I was surprised to discover that they weren't an actual mile apart, considering England uses miles. The squares are there to measure average speed, if you were to be followed by a cop car et al. It'd be interesting to see what it'd top out at. Hmmm. 115 mph, maybe? What's the stability like at speed?
A small bit of insight, especially with the older cars, I’ll do the engine start up section once the car is fully warm so the engine sounds nicer. All the feels right there. I’m a sad act!
These were never that good when they were new !! Seen as hair-dresser cars in the '80s and very chavvy in the '90s & 00s. For cool mid-80s Fords, it has to be a XR4i, XR4x4, 4x4 Ghia Estate or Cosworth Sierras or the 2.8 Injection or Ghia Granadas.
@@idriveaclassic Oddly, I like the short-lived 1.4S (Mk2) more than the XR2 as it didn't even pretend to keep up the with Golf GTi or 205 GTi. There are also a couple of odd-ball Sierras that I like: Mk1 2.0iS & 2.0i GLS.
idriveaclassic I thought the last of the mk3 was C Reg. and they were rare too. Maybe because it’s a cab they went on longer. Or maybe it was stored before registration.
Hi Andy, my Escort (the one used in this video) was built Aug 1985, but wasn't registered until 1986, it sat about because Ford was soon to release the face-lift version, known as the MK4
Glynnis Barber in Dempsey and Makepeace and Rosalyn Landor in the first series of C.A.T.S. Eyes both drove Ford Escort MkIII Cabriolets. What an iconic car, and the colour of this one is superb!
Great review, as always Steph. Lovely example of a car you just don't see any more. Well done and thanks again.
Thanks Mike 😊
In Australia we never had the Ford Escort Mk3 or any of the 1980s British Ford products. This is gorgeous looking car!
My Sister had a MK3 1.6 Cabriolet as they were called back then as they had a substantial roll bar that didn't detract from the convertible experience. Fuel injected and tall gearing resulted in surprising refinement at speed and the front window quarter lights in the door resulted in very refined open-top motoring when the hood was down. A very under-rated sports convertible simply because it was a Ford Escort. In reality it was a very good open top sports car
Lovely video. Really enjoyed it , love the way you present these films, thank you, keep it up.
Thanks Andrea 🥰🥰🥰
What A beautiful Example! Looks FAB! Best Ive seen in a very long time.. :-)
Great vid Steph. I've got a mk3 cabby totally standard it's great fun to drive and always gets a lot of comments.
Yeah they’re awesome cars. I was surprised! I didn’t expect it to feel so modern.
Well,thanks for another video and I especially appreciate the information about where it was also manufactured. In Greece there are few examples of Escort Mk3, but I've only seen just one cabriolet in red. Keep on the good work, greetings from Thessaloniki,Greece!
Nice one Steph, my car looks good on't telly
Nice car
beautiful car i drove few of them when i worked in a hotel as a porter driver loved driving them
I had a 1l6 mk3 Ghia from 1981 4 speed gearbox. What I remember the most was the disequilibrium between the rear drum brakes. I had problems with the automatic choke so I replaced it with the manual version. A 4 speed box was short on the motorway rpms reaching 3500 at 60 mph. I did appreciate the helps available like the low fluid warnings. Ms car reviews said the front suspension was wishy washy. I didn’t do performance so I didn’t really notice. It was comfortable for a family of 4.
Show!
Estou no Brasil e tenho um desse amarelo. Já faz 20 anos.
Não troco por nada.
Carro top.
That front grill is so eighties. It reminds me of the MK1 Fiesta... my first car. Very squared off. Later on, the Escort and Fiesta became more rounded.
Yeah so 80s! Loved it x
gotta love fords, especially fiesta's escorts,sierra's etc as a 80's child these were the main cars i saw along with metro's maestro's and montego's.
Same same! We must be a similar age
@@idriveaclassic im 37
Ahh I’m not too far behind you 🙈
@@idriveaclassic it's nice to meet someone who shares the love of classic cars and who is around my age and has either owned or driven the cars im fond of.
Hahahaha stop it.
Kev nice resto there and I know the feeling of cost, work, effort. In the early 80's I had the mk2 1600 sport rwd fun racer days ;-) what was a speed camera and i priced up my old uk car big ouch to buy, loving your vids keep the good work up
Thanks Nicola, blood sweat and a few cold beers went into this one
@@kevinvickers7168 I know the feeling I restored my celica vert
I owned 3 mark 3s back in the 90s good cars
Yeah this was mega to drive!
Rear lights changed to facelift spec as followed the model featured. Nice car
I had one of these, normal 1.6 with an XR3 body kit.
What an excellent example of a Mk 3 Escort - driven for enjoyment not for pure necessity
My first car! Spent more time on the side of the road than on it, but it was so fun to drive!
Had the mk3 Orion 1.6 ghia a mk4 xr3i mk5 Orion ghia had xr2i and Sierra sapphire I had a lot of Ford's in the day and my favourite would be the mk4 the 5 didn't feel as nice to drive and felt a bit squify the mk3 and 4 were the best looking of the escourts although the mk1 and 2 will always be in my heart especially the rs 2000 and Mexico
I’ve got a grey series 2 escort rs turbo you could review once it’s finished having the body work done
I’d love that!!!!
Great film, I had a mk4 as my first car and it’s true what you’re saying about they didn’t need power steering when I went to a mk6 diesel (on a p reg) no power steering on that basic model, fitted some 15 inch wheels instead of the standard 13 inch and all of a sudden I realised it needed power steering mk3 / mk4 much better
In stock form the Mk3 and 4 Escorts are really comfortable cars and my last was a Mk4 Convertible.
Having spent so much of my life driving vans, vision rearward of the B pillars has never really been given a thought and you just need to rely more on your side mirrors.
My hood wasn't electric but opens with same 2 catches then a swift push and it is back.
I'd say the Mk3s biggest rival in it's day, was the Mk1 and Mk2 Astra. I think Vauxhall and Ford were still outselling the German and Japanese offerings in to the late 80s.
"Kev" lol... love the car...looks amazing.. looks in amazing condition too rare sight!
I know!!! He’d done it all himself pretty much. Wasn’t necessarily my thing but I enjoyed it regardless. I think you’re either a Ford person or you’re not. I’m not 😂😂😂
@@idriveaclassic I was lol.. because I owned a fiesta mk2 XR2 and the registration had KEV on the end of it..and my mates used to rip the piss out of me for it.. "Where's Kev" ..I love old Fords...specially RS mk1 and mk2's.. thanks for sharing these cars on your channel : )
HAHAHAHAA that’s brilliant!!!! I love trying and reviewing cars from all different manufacturers. I wouldn’t limit myself to BL even though I’m a diehard fan 😂
Cheers Danny, it was pleasure to let Steph use my car for her video
Stunning example 😍
I've got here 1985 1.6 xr3i white edition cabriolet waiting for it's body restoration. Sad but i won't give up.
Looks sweet 👍👌
The mk 3 was also made in South Africa Australia and New Zealand got the Ford Laser which was the Mazda 323
Ahh thanks Lindsay! I go off owners pages and stuff and sometimes info isn’t 100% correct. I wish I could find more knowledgeable people like you when I’m doing my trivia write up 😂😂😂😂
@@idriveaclassic no problem I am a European ford guy love your channel. The mk 3 ESCORT was one of the first World cars later made in the us and Brazil and all of Europe even Hong Kong. Asia Pacific got the Laser which looked like the Escort
Oh amazing! I’m not too hot on my fords because I’m british Leyland til I die, but I’m trying to be more adventurous. I’m taking a Capri out tomorrow - sure it’ll be a bloody breeze in this weather 😂😂😂
Thanks for the kind feedback on the channel - just a girl out there trying to do classic car videos with a difference ❤️
Bought back memories of the XR3i I had back in the eighties. 😀
Aww I’m pleased 🥰
@@idriveaclassic Loved the White Gold reference too. I was double glazing at the time and had a Loads A Money T shirt! Great times.😂😂😂
+Tony Cox hahahaah brilliant!!! Love white gold. Amazing comedy.
If you had one of these in the early 90’s as a boy racer you could probably get any female you wanted. I seem to remember an RS kit that some of them had on the mk4 which had deep front and rear bumpers(lower than the RS turbo style) which made them look really good.
gorgeous condition, and they're ford puma 15 inch wheels, looks better than new!
Had a J reg Escort.. My friend crashed her Toyota Corolla and got a Mk5 (last Escort) to get to work.
She said '''it runs hot''
I can agree. The engines are the let down of these things.
That's a nice example!
There is an old stock parts place in Kent for fords.
Those orange clean hands fluid lights were a nice step forward. Though anyone owning one of these early fords will prob recall them being a bit of a disco in the dash. And Which one is playing up now.
The whole car felt well put together. I’m not a Ford girl but was keen regardless x
Oh yes! My MK3 1.6 Ghia was a dashboard disco diva! Loved the car and it even got a fuel leak on the filler pipe whilst on holiday in Cornwall. The owner of the camp site at Buckfast emptied half my tank out and topped up when I needed it as he said it was a common issue. I stupidly traded it in for a MK1 Clio! Wish I still had it. Worth a lot more these days.
Still have Ford Escort in 2021? Classic only
Mk3 very advanced with windscreen washer bottle level and oil level warning, guess what Mk4 Escort didn't have those features, I was gutted when I changed from my Nimbus Grey MK3 Xr3i to Red MK4 Escort Xr3i Cabriolet and both those features were missing, evolution is supposed to get better not worse! Both great cars to drive & enjoy, if it wasn't actually raining I would have the roof down, had a great holiday & drive to Torquay from the Midlands in the Summer with it.
You should test drive a Borgward Isabella! I think you you will love it..
Oohhh if you can help me find one I’d love you forever 😂😂😂😂
Hi, you can phone at this number. It's a UK number so should be no problem. www.google.com/search?q=borgward+drivers+club&oq=Borgward+dri&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j0l4j69i61.16064j0j8&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
My ex had a f reg xr3i.a proper chav car that kids loved to nick.
Hahahaha.
I LIKE IT
Is it a mk4 made to look like a mk3 never saw a mk3 on a d reg
Rooftop aint actually electrical. I own a mark 3 convertible myself and its definetly not automatic. Didnt got if you told that, but the original mark 3 doesnt come with an electrical rooftop and my car is still in original shape, since it was driven for about 8 years after bought in 84 and didnt move a single mile since 92
Hey! Yes I got this information off the owner. Sorry if it doesn’t tally up.
Clearly, he has added an electric rooftop to the car then
Would be nice to know how and where he managed to install it. If you get any further information from the owner, can you share them with us?
Ps: I can see this little stripe on the window, got this one as well, since somehow the window gets damaged while pulled down and up again. Still a very beautiful car and a good video:)
Nerd fact:
The Mk3 Escort Cabriolet was never sold as an XR3i, it was only a "Cabriolet" or "1.6i Cabriolet".
Mk4 Cabriolet was sold as Ghia & XR3i.
You're saying it wrong, it's an XRFree! :D
Yeah mate! xx
D reg. That’s a very late mk3. Mine would be an A if I was in UK
Steph you need to find an RS 1600i and see the difference...
"Yuppy" as mentioned in the video, Y.U.P. = Young Urban Professional. The car in this video is very much the car a "YUPpy" would have driven to impress their friends and the world in general!
I used to have one of them mk3, had mk4 front end put on. The convertible ones last longer thicker steal to support the seals and body. Some of the purists may moan non original. But they all drive the same. 😎💪Old ford's basic motoring funky then 😆
Our family had several Escorts and an Orion,all great cars.Fords now are ridiculously expensive,not working man prices any more......
This isn't on the road anymore. Such a shame.
How fast were you going on the motorway? It looked pretty swift! x
HAHAHAHAAH. Never go above 70, not worth losing a license for some speed x
hahaha nice swerve@@idriveaclassic
@@idriveaclassic - not convinced! You were certainly keeping up with that Bemmer that wouldn;t move out of the fast lane!
If you look at the squares painted on the motorway at 11.38 seconds, and 12.05 seconds, which measure a KILOMETRE, not a mile apart, it averages out to 83 mph. So, if the Escort's speedo is showing 85 mph (but that wouldn't happen :;), it's out by 2 mph.
I was surprised to discover that they weren't an actual mile apart, considering England uses miles.
The squares are there to measure average speed, if you were to be followed by a cop car et al.
It'd be interesting to see what it'd top out at. Hmmm. 115 mph, maybe? What's the stability like at speed?
I do wish you would give these cars chance to get oil pressure before you immediately start reving them.
Oh don’t worry, I never start anything from cold 😂😂😂😂😂😂
A small bit of insight, especially with the older cars, I’ll do the engine start up section once the car is fully warm so the engine sounds nicer. All the feels right there. I’m a sad act!
i love them cars but not a fan of them wide side body kits. the rest of it is stunning
This car looks better if it is pillarless with the roof down.
Hi mi mum had a old car and she driving in nylon feet so can you please do a video ov you driving in your nylon feet please
Forgot to mention in my comment I am 20 miles away.
Cheers Shaun! If I move into the world of mega cool 90s cars I’ll give you a shout!
@@idriveaclassic Ok no probs.
ive a cabriolet i wont drive it in wet weather
These were never that good when they were new !!
Seen as hair-dresser cars in the '80s and very chavvy in the '90s & 00s.
For cool mid-80s Fords, it has to be a XR4i, XR4x4, 4x4 Ghia Estate or Cosworth Sierras or the 2.8 Injection or Ghia Granadas.
I remember them as chav cars too 😂
@@idriveaclassic
Oddly, I like the short-lived 1.4S (Mk2) more than the XR2 as it didn't even pretend to keep up the with Golf GTi or 205 GTi.
There are also a couple of odd-ball Sierras that I like: Mk1 2.0iS & 2.0i GLS.
14:53 😫
D reg? WTF?
Haha what’s wrong with that 😂
idriveaclassic I thought the last of the mk3 was C Reg. and they were rare too. Maybe because it’s a cab they went on longer. Or maybe it was stored before registration.
Ooohhhh interesting! I’m afraid I don’t know!
The last year of production for the MK3 Escort was 1986 which is a D plate. This makes it one of the last of 1.5 million escorts that were produced!
Hi Andy, my Escort (the one used in this video) was built Aug 1985, but wasn't registered until 1986, it sat about because Ford was soon to release the face-lift version, known as the MK4
Lovely car but the alloys choice lets it completely down! Worst wheels ever! 👎
FFレイアウトに刷新した欧州フォードの中核モデル
Ruined it with bodykit