My parents Used to have one of These in black when they were about 25 years old. I'm 17 yrs old and I've got to admit that this is a beautiful Classic!
Damn right, it looked nice and was very comfortable. These days you have hideous material that appears to be recycled old surgical tights, or you can pay extra for leather. A deliberate ploy, maybe?
Apparently, when Ford (about the last to use them) started using high pressure water jets to cut the fabric, the velour disintegrated. That was the end of the velour and the end of Ghia trim.
@@numberstation Yeah, a horse blanket or more dough you'll never see again/benefit in kind tax for a sweaty bum. The worst is part leather, or part *faux* leather - an atrocity.
Nick The last car I remember with a comfortable, durable, nice looking cloth seat was the Rover 75. I can’t believe the shit people put up with now, nasty looking crap that screams “THIS IS THE CHEAPEST THING WE COULD GET AWAY WITH”. You wouldn’t have in on your sofa, why the fuck would you have it in your car? Interestingly, Toyota Century (their flagship model) customers usually eschew leather seats in favour of...wool. Now THAT’S luxurious!
I love a velour trim , much better than leather in my humble opinion . it always looks upmarket and so comfy , I drive all sorts of new cars for a living but the interior velour of my old carlton is difficult to beat
There must have been about 6 or 7 of these just on my own street in the mid 90s....mostly 1.1 or 1.3 "Popular Plus" and L/LX models. My form teacher at the time had a "posh" 1.4 Ghia version in a vivid metallic green shade which also had electric front windows and seemed pretty nice back then! LOL I guess if you could spring to an XR2i or even better an RS Turbo/RS1800 you would have been the envy of your street. Not like today where every Tom Dick and Sally has a new BMW/Audi/Merc on finance every 2 years!!
Yes my mate had the 1800 R.S Turbo and it went like the clappers. He was only 19 and his insurance must of been through the roof. But his dad owned a HGV logistics company and was loaded so he naturally got looked after. Buying it was the cheap part. Sadly it actually got nicked after about 6 months and he was gutted. His dad was was divorced from his mum told him to park it in the garage every night as “it will get nicked” his dad said. Stupid boy didn’t listen and it got stolen. He looks back now as a 44 years old and realises what s stupid ungrateful boy he was😂
dunno if you guys cares but if you are bored like me during the covid times then you can stream all of the latest movies and series on InstaFlixxer. Been watching with my gf these days :)
@@geep7267 It was metallic minty green with grey plastic cladding on the lower panels. Funnily enough I ended up learning to drive in a Fiesta several years later. A mk4, also in green, and a Ghia model, with alloys, AC and the very fake wood trim on the dashboard.
I remember racing a few of these back in the day in my corolla gti. Used to smoke them quite easily (tbf i did have 120ish bhp) but i always mind getting absoluted smoked by one one night. Pulled over to chat with him and it turned out it was pushing 150ish bhp, cams, headwork etc. Anyway, cool story blah blah blah. I would give my left nut for a nice standard mk3 fezza rs turbo.
Oh! That brings back memories, had a 1991 XR2i in the early 90’s, it was the same colour as this one. I was 24 years old and the insurance was over £1,000. I could almost smell the interior while watching this, the exhaust tone was exactly the same. Thank for the trip down memory lane. 👍🏼
This is the era when cars had style and an identity. Fords knew how to make fast variants of their cars (RS/XR sporty jobs) better than other manufacturers. Oh how I yearn for cars like this, in today’s world where everyone is obsessed with bubble shaped “crossovers” that apart from the badge all look the same. Great video and an excellent comment from Rob Winder 1971.
@@dommidavros2211 Hi, I think you need to read it again🧐 “I had a 1991 XR2i” I got it early 1995. So no I wasn’t quite born in the 60s, 1971 to be precise! So nearly the 60’s but not quite. 🤣😂🤣😂🤣
Fantastic! What a superb example. We are planning to film a review of a 1983 Granada Ghia Injection next month. There is a lot of love for special Fords from the 1980s and 1990s at the moment, and it is easy to see why...
Not only were the cars better the decades & people were better. Take me back to the 90s please. I’ll happily sacrifice social media & internet for the fun & simplicity of the 80s & 90s. The days before P.C and everything drawn down racial & tribal lines!
This reminds me of my Mk3 Escort XR3 Last year I was looking for an late 70's / early 80's car and happened to find a rustfree '82 Mk3 Escort XR3 in sunburst red still with its first owner. (in France) When I bought it, the XR3 was nearly 36 years old, had only 68000km on the odometer and still had the factory original Pirelli tires on the phone dial rims. It also had full french MOT history from 1989 - 2014. Best of all, it is completely free of rust, and has got no signs of any welding of rust repairs. It was one of the last (carburretor) XR3's produced, and already had the 5-speed gearbox installed from factory. My XR3 is actually quite fully specced for an early 80's car. (Radio/Cassette - electric windows - sunroof - tilt rear windows - digital clock and laptimer - heated rear screen - rear whash/ whipe - brown tinted glass allround) Finding a 80's or 90's Ford is quite difficult task indeed. I always remember the Mk4 Escort, Sierra and the Mk3 Fiesta with massive rust patches all over. Luckily for me I actually just stumbled upon my XR3.
I had a white xr2i h reg and I loved it. It rusted like crazy around the filler cap and the starter motor glowed red , would cut out every time I put the clutch in. Then I bought an rs turbo an loved it. No problems at all but crashed. Went on to an rs 500. Loved it. Still love it.
Lovely old car. The xr2i with the cvh has 110bhp the xr3i cvh had 105 but 108 with the electronic fuel injection. The 16v xr2i has 105 bhp but 115 and 130 bhp versions were in later escorts.
Having owned 6 ford capri's I wish I owned at least one xr2i, I came close to buying an 86 xr2 in white but it wanted a lot of work doing. I was a passenger in one and I was impressed at the way it handled and was quite lively for a 1.6.
My dad had an identical J plate one of these from new. Kept it 10 years and it was actually very very reliable. Nippy for what it was but the CVH was course when pushed beyond 4k revs.
My 1st car when I was 19 in 1996 was a H reg XR2i. Did loads to it but kept it quite standard looking on the outside except for the TSW Blade alloys.. Good days
This was my teenage dream car! Everything about it was luxurious except the insurance premium. I had a J reg red Fiesta 1.1 lead in model in radient red.
I had a G reg in 1992 and bought a J reg in 1997 both red. Lol absolutely loved them and they both broke down at 56000 miles when alternator went. Mate had the RS Turbo which was great too. Miss those days ☹️
We had a basic version of this generation of fiesta when they were new, I loved this generation. Rust was a killer though as usual but such an improvement over the mk2.
I had a 1.8l XR2i (K648CAR) that I lavished oodles of money on. Over-bored, Cams, FSE Boost Valve, Ported / Gasflowed, uprated engine components, everything lightened where possible , Superchip, Magnex Exhaust, Jack Knight gearbox and loads of other power mods. 168BHP and 0-60 in approx. 6 seconds. The outside was left completely standard, I hated to see the heavily chopped versions. I part-exchanged it for a Scooby and although the Scooby was technically better in every way I still missed my old Fiesta and soon regretted selling it.
Great video, love it! Was a great era! I miss car parks full of xr2 and 3's, Nova's Sr & gsi's, Astra's gsi's, Sunny gtr, cossies, mg & turbo Maestros, Escorts and Golf's everywhere, Renault 21 cossie killers, R5's, even the forgoten rear wheel drive hot hatch lotus Sunbeams. Personally I loved the 205 above all... I take exception to your comments on Dimma's! Not exactly a diy body kit! And worth a fortune nowadays. Plus if talking the Dimma 205, drive one compared to the brilliant standard car.... those wider track Dimma alloys made the car handle even better! I know, I've owned 50 plus 205s and currently own one of the ultra rare Dimma signatures. Still stunning to drive today, a real experience!
You're right they weren't DIY at all, Dimma were the top end of modded cars back then, but there were some terrible efforts made of filler that weighed ore than the car sorry to use them as a byword for the Max Power era
Had a 205gti for a while(have always had hot fords) and have to say it was an eye opener..try and purchase an unmolested mint low miler nowadays...scary prices
I remember getting lifts in one of these mid to late '90s. Ford were masters at glamming up something humdrum in visual, trim etc terms then. Reasonably rapid for the time, but the engine noise was ageing quickly at the time with smooth 16valvers coming in, and I remember the ride as awfully crashy with what looked like a fair dollop of understeer. But then I wasn't driving.
John Roberts if you want turbo boost then yes but if you wanted deft handling then perhaps the 205 would be preferred. Both cracking cars though, no doubt about that.
I always wanted the RS Turbo in this shape when I was a kid. Lad down my road had one in black! Nice xr2i though in factory condition with the right alloys as well.
What a lovely example! I passed my driving test in early 1995 and as much as a hot hatch like this xr2i or even an xr2 appealed, insuring something like this at age 17/18 would have been difficult and expensive.
Ive just got one myself, J reg, 1992 xr2i in black with the recaro seats as they were an optional extra for this car from the factory. Mine also has no rust! Completely solid all the way through. But yeah, it is very heavy steering. Im swapping from a 1.2 mk1 clio 1997 to that, which also has no power steering but is still masses ligher than the xr2is steering. Though, the clio i think is like 816kg vs the xr2i being 900kg, also with the high profile while also wide tires not helping on how heavy it is
I had a white g plate one back in 1999 I used to dream of owning one as a kid I loved it I had a mondeo 2.0 si on k plate in 2001 and swapped it for a j plate 1.8 xr2i in red in 02 it had the 1.8 efi 16v 115 b.hp and I thought it was epic at the time the new cars might be seriously quicker but there's nothing better than flying round a round about in third in a 2i ide swapp my focus in a heartbeat for a good example like that
I used to own a G plate 1.6 XR2i. The 1.6 was faster than the 1.8 to 60 and sounded a lot better btw. If you know how to drive them on the limit through the corners and bends they are surprisingly quick. They handle like Go karts tbh.
My first car was a low mileage Austin Metro City 1.0 and when looking to upgrade to a brand new car, I narrowed the choice to either an MG Metro or an XR2 Mk2 (the Peugeot 205 GTi was just too expensive). The MG was only 4 gears so I went for the XR2. Thirty years on, it's still going strong so reckon I made the right choice! The XR2i in this video is a cracker and Ford upped the spec over my model with improved cabin, electric windows, etc. Thanks for posting this.
I had a Mk2 1.1 Ghia (4 gears ?) that had incredibly comfy seats, followed by a 1.4 Sport, (5 gears - wow !) and hankered after an XR2, but I just couldn’t afford to buy or insure one.
Great car. I remember doing my work experience at a ford garage back in 1990. We had a couple of these in for repairs. They seemed very exotic at the time 😀
You say about it being a battle between the Fiesta XR2i and 205 GTI. I'd also add the Renault 5 GT Turbo to that mix as well. My Dad used to have a 1989 G reg red one and it was insanely quick. Would be great if you could feature one.
My mate had an f reg mk2 xr2 in the late 90s and I was always hounding him to let me drive it luckily he was always getting pissed so I'd run him around in it alot great fun!
I was six when this came out, so was a childhood car of mine, grandad had a fiesta 1.3 in 1994 and always wanted to do a xr2i replica with it if he still had it when I passed my test a few years later :) indicator stalks were in Ford's from fiesta, escorts, Ka's, Puma's only the fiesta until 95 had the horn on the indicator stalks every other model had horn on steering wheel
I had a black XR2i 1.6 with the blue trim line on the outside. It felt so quickt at the time and I loved it. Before that I had a Astra GTE 1.8 but the XR2i felt faster
I enjoy your channel buddy. Here in the US that's a domestic car and a wee bit dreary, but for you, it's an import. I can see how you'd appreciate it though. It's super clean and very well preserved. Thanks for taking the time to make your videos. I really enjoy them. You got me hooked on the Prinz I watched a couple weeks ago. Appreciate all your time.
Hi, thanks for watching and really appreciate the comments! These Fiestas were home grown for us - built in the UK Dagenham plant as well ask Spain and Germany, I didn't know you got them in the US, I know you got the Sierra XR4i as the Merkur XR4, but didnt think anything this small came over to you. The NSU was so much fun, the best thing about doing this channel is experiencing cars Ive never sat in before
In Aus is the Early nineties Ford gave us the TX3 laser. 1.8l double overhead cam, turbocharged and 4WD, almost 150kw ( with a little extra boost) at less than 1000kg. It was an absolute beast to drive, cornered like it was on rails and wiped the smile off the face of many V8 drivers who thought they owned the traffic light drag strip. The only downfall was the terrible gearbox.
@@furiousdriving It makes sense that there is an English version, that the car was probably based on, just built with local parts, as the Sierra RS500 dominated the Aus touring car scene about the same time ( until the Nissan GTR appeared). You still see them occasionally in Targa/hill climb events
These were really fast my ex bf used to have a 1991 version tuned with a straight through exhaust de-cat had around 150bhp and i swear it would own anything on a motorway or at the lights , the acceleration was crazy, kept up with a Porsche Cayenne back when they first came out
Yay, first time ever I've been the first to hit 'like'. I had a Mk3 Escort Ghia. 5 door, 1.6, inherited from my dad in 1997, and I loved it. It too had velour trim, which was quite posh compared to the awful rough nylon seats in most other cars. I always fancied an XR2i, but as you say, the insurance was crazy expensive for a young 20 something guy. Never really liked the Mk4 fiesta. They too used to rust in a dense fog. But I didnt like the rounded body and dashboard from a Puma.
Thanks for trying with the like button! I had a base 1.3 Mk3 Escort with rough tweedy seats, actually gave me sores! But after a Laser I made it to a Mk4 Ghia with seats like this and it really felt a bit special. I wanted an Alfa 33 that was for sale near me when I was 20 or 21, but the insurance on that meant was just ridiculous...of course compared to a 17 year old insuring a 1 litre KA now it seems quite good value!
@@furiousdriving You might remember my comment on your Alfa 145 video. I had one almost identical to yours, in the same colour. But mine was a 1.6. Had the black momo interior, and the wooden steering wheel from a 156. So that felt a bit special too. But like a lot of Alfas, it wasn't without its electrical problems. It developed a problem where it would cut out when hot, and wouldn't start again until it had cooled down. I got stuck in the red zone on the south circular because of that exact problem, nightmare. But I loved that little car as it was so unusual.
Yes, about the clutch Thats really odd, I had almost the exact same problem with a 33, it didn't cut out, but wouldn't start if the engine was warm and had similar bringing London to a halt episode! One time it stalled at the lights by Vauxhall Bridge and would go again for half an hour..people loved that, hooting while we tried to push it onto the pavement. When I part-ex'd it I had to take a really long test drive to make sure it would start for the salesman! I still loved it, but not enough to stop me swapping it for a bubble shape Rover 200!
@@furiousdriving Alfa 33? Was that a boxer lump or a straight four? Wouldn't have been a T Spark surely. Freaky that you had a similar problem though, with an Alfa.
FordForTheWin He might have got that figure from the earlier mechanically injected XR3i engine too, IIRC it was 105ps. The Fiesta and 1990 Escort got a power upgrade with EFi.
My ex-boss had one. He was a proper nutter when it came to driving. However, his XR2i could not pull away from my 205 1.9 GTi …...which had a knackered exhaust and a leaking head gasket.
I had a 91 Xr2i. I loved it but it hated me and loved rust and sadly died a spectacular death when it decided to drop all oil out on the motorway. Sadly had to scrap her and is that one car I wish I still had 😭
I had some mk3 and mk4 escorts a c reg xr3i for £100 and the plain ones were £20-30 quid. I know what you mean by disposable. Last one in 99 .wish I had them now all were rust free.
brings back memories i used to own one in white what a car the looks i used to get i cant remember could you get the the car in a turbo model ? ps i loved the ford escort turbo video i loved the turbo whistle when the turbo spooled up i used to wait a traffic light for a turbo to stop and listen to the turbo whistle .pps also owned vw golg gti 16v and a pug 205 1.9.
In the park next to me there are a ton of early 90s and late 80s cars just destroyed but it’s inside a secret location that is surrounded by trees and fence inside the park they all look burnt
Never was into these really. Prefer the mark 2 xr2 much better. Even in RS Turbo form. Or Rs1800i which was quite rare. Still never really did it for me
In 1992, my mum had a bog standard 1.3 litre Mk2 Golf, and her friend offered to swap her (basically immaculate and only one year old) XR2i for it, but my mum refused because she insisted on having a German car for their "superior reliability". I was sulking for weeks.
0:17 now that is something rare! A Ford CVH that is quiet, must have been maintained religiously. Most haven't been and as a result sound tappety as hell, i know because i have owned a fair share of Escorts with CVHs...
hi please can you answer me i have the same but in mine the stering is very hard to turn it when its parked(not moving) is that nonrmel because its old and the old cars dosn't have assisted stering or thers something wrong
They are rare as a pay rise nowadays..I had white xr4i 2.8 back in the 90s..Ashley manifolds etc...good arse out fun but thirsty...sold it to a mate who binned it.😢
Neat classic little run-around there! I spotted the unusual green street-name signs - you wouldn't happen to have been driving in the borough of Reigate & Banstead perchance? I'm for all purposes a local. :)
@@furiousdriving Thanks for the reply. :) Yes, Mid Sussex local authority uses green street plaques too, but with a more olde-worldely fount, now I think about it.
I've one black ´90 , let's be honest. it's a damned fun car. Loud like F'ck when revving as I have racing last muffler on it. But it's fun as hell. but prices have gone thru the roof on them. Low mileage car, on Ford factory racing RS rims, and a very rare tow bar. If you never owned one, you have to. Yes, they're expensive, but well worth to restore.
Wow £12k, these are certainly precious motors now! I remember the joyriding days of the 90's/early 2000's that killed so many of these fine cars, problem was cars of this vintage could literally be - and were - stolen by 12 year olds with a screwdriver!
I over-priced it, it was a Merc from the same dealer at £12k, this is £9750 on the website nowOld cars were so easy to break into, these weren't as bad as the Nova - turn the hazard light switch over and it starts the car!
Still a hefty sum but well worth £9750 of anyone's money! I've just dug out an old Autotrader book dated August 2003 that I still have, several of these for sale in the bargain cars section ranging quite wildly from £300 to £1800. How times change! Yes I remember the 'hazard bypass' trick, I believe it was a case of rotating the switch 180 degrees and then bump starting it.
My parents Used to have one of These in black when they were about 25 years old. I'm 17 yrs old and I've got to admit that this is a beautiful Classic!
Loved my H reg. Had 33k on it in 2004 when I got it. Should never have let it go.
I miss velour seats, used to love them, what happened to that material? so comfy.
Damn right, it looked nice and was very comfortable. These days you have hideous material that appears to be recycled old surgical tights, or you can pay extra for leather. A deliberate ploy, maybe?
Apparently, when Ford (about the last to use them) started using high pressure water jets to cut the fabric, the velour disintegrated. That was the end of the velour and the end of Ghia trim.
@@numberstation Yeah, a horse blanket or more dough you'll never see again/benefit in kind tax for a sweaty bum. The worst is part leather, or part *faux* leather - an atrocity.
Nick The last car I remember with a comfortable, durable, nice looking cloth seat was the Rover 75. I can’t believe the shit people put up with now, nasty looking crap that screams “THIS IS THE CHEAPEST THING WE COULD GET AWAY WITH”. You wouldn’t have in on your sofa, why the fuck would you have it in your car?
Interestingly, Toyota Century (their flagship model) customers usually eschew leather seats in favour of...wool. Now THAT’S luxurious!
I love a velour trim , much better than leather in my humble opinion . it always looks upmarket and so comfy , I drive all sorts of new cars for a living but the interior velour of my old carlton is difficult to beat
There must have been about 6 or 7 of these just on my own street in the mid 90s....mostly 1.1 or 1.3 "Popular Plus" and L/LX models.
My form teacher at the time had a "posh" 1.4 Ghia version in a vivid metallic green shade which also had electric front windows and seemed pretty nice back then! LOL I guess if you could spring to an XR2i or even better an RS Turbo/RS1800 you would have been the envy of your street. Not like today where every Tom Dick and Sally has a new BMW/Audi/Merc on finance every 2 years!!
Yes my mate had the 1800 R.S Turbo and it went like the clappers. He was only 19 and his insurance must of been through the roof. But his dad owned a HGV logistics company and was loaded so he naturally got looked after. Buying it was the cheap part. Sadly it actually got nicked after about 6 months and he was gutted. His dad was was divorced from his mum told him to park it in the garage every night as “it will get nicked” his dad said. Stupid boy didn’t listen and it got stolen. He looks back now as a 44 years old and realises what s stupid ungrateful boy he was😂
dunno if you guys cares but if you are bored like me during the covid times then you can stream all of the latest movies and series on InstaFlixxer. Been watching with my gf these days :)
@Duncan Beckham yea, have been using Instaflixxer for years myself :)
Same memory for me in the mid-90s. Love how your form teacher had the posh Ghia model 😂
@@geep7267 It was metallic minty green with grey plastic cladding on the lower panels. Funnily enough I ended up learning to drive in a Fiesta several years later. A mk4, also in green, and a Ghia model, with alloys, AC and the very fake wood trim on the dashboard.
I remember racing a few of these back in the day in my corolla gti. Used to smoke them quite easily (tbf i did have 120ish bhp) but i always mind getting absoluted smoked by one one night. Pulled over to chat with him and it turned out it was pushing 150ish bhp, cams, headwork etc. Anyway, cool story blah blah blah. I would give my left nut for a nice standard mk3 fezza rs turbo.
Oh! That brings back memories, had a 1991 XR2i in the early 90’s, it was the same colour as this one. I was 24 years old and the insurance was over £1,000. I could almost smell the interior while watching this, the exhaust tone was exactly the same. Thank for the trip down memory lane. 👍🏼
This is the era when cars had style and an identity. Fords knew how to make fast variants of their cars (RS/XR sporty jobs) better than other manufacturers. Oh how I yearn for cars like this, in today’s world where everyone is obsessed with bubble shaped “crossovers” that apart from the badge all look the same. Great video and an excellent comment from Rob Winder 1971.
You were already 24 by 1991??? 😱😱😱 That would mean you were born way back in the 60s which makes no sense to me! So what's going on? 🤨
@@dommidavros2211 Hi, I think you need to read it again🧐 “I had a 1991 XR2i” I got it early 1995. So no I wasn’t quite born in the 60s, 1971 to be precise! So nearly the 60’s but not quite. 🤣😂🤣😂🤣
Fantastic! What a superb example. We are planning to film a review of a 1983 Granada Ghia Injection next month. There is a lot of love for special Fords from the 1980s and 1990s at the moment, and it is easy to see why...
Look forward to that!
@@stanleyleopard6799, channel update with this and more coming soon!
@@stanleyleopard6799, we shall keep you updated, sir!
Keep us informed about your Granada videos if you can thanks
Not only were the cars better the decades & people were better. Take me back to the 90s please. I’ll happily sacrifice social media & internet for the fun & simplicity of the 80s & 90s. The days before P.C and everything drawn down racial & tribal lines!
This reminds me of my Mk3 Escort XR3
Last year I was looking for an late 70's / early 80's car and happened to find a rustfree '82 Mk3 Escort XR3 in sunburst red still with its first owner. (in France)
When I bought it, the XR3 was nearly 36 years old, had only 68000km on the odometer and still had the factory original Pirelli tires on the phone dial rims. It also had full french MOT history from 1989 - 2014. Best of all, it is completely free of rust, and has got no signs of any welding of rust repairs.
It was one of the last (carburretor) XR3's produced, and already had the 5-speed gearbox installed from factory.
My XR3 is actually quite fully specced for an early 80's car. (Radio/Cassette - electric windows - sunroof - tilt rear windows - digital clock and laptimer - heated rear screen - rear whash/ whipe - brown tinted glass allround)
Finding a 80's or 90's Ford is quite difficult task indeed. I always remember the Mk4 Escort, Sierra and the Mk3 Fiesta with massive rust patches all over. Luckily for me I actually just stumbled upon my XR3.
Sounds like a beauty. Have you got it on the road now?
@@matty6848 Yes it's on the road right now. (Only comes out in good weather though)
I had a white xr2i h reg and I loved it. It rusted like crazy around the filler cap and the starter motor glowed red , would cut out every time I put the clutch in. Then I bought an rs turbo an loved it. No problems at all but crashed. Went on to an rs 500. Loved it. Still love it.
I miss my 1992 mark 3 1.4 Fiesta Flight. I loved that thing. It might not have been an XR2i, but it was fun and had many of the toys.
I had a 1.4 it had a nice interior,but it had a load of electrical problems. Had to sell it eventually.
Poor old 'TAV
I have a 89 xr2i same year I was born :) best car I ever bought
Lovely old car. The xr2i with the cvh has 110bhp the xr3i cvh had 105 but 108 with the electronic fuel injection. The 16v xr2i has 105 bhp but 115 and 130 bhp versions were in later escorts.
Having owned 6 ford capri's I wish I owned at least one xr2i, I came close to buying an 86 xr2 in white but it wanted a lot of work doing. I was a passenger in one and I was impressed at the way it handled and was quite lively for a 1.6.
My dad had an identical J plate one of these from new. Kept it 10 years and it was actually very very reliable. Nippy for what it was but the CVH was course when pushed beyond 4k revs.
My dad had a J plate too, but in mercury grey. He had an XR3i before that and replaced the Fiesta with a Puma
My 1st car when I was 19 in 1996 was a H reg XR2i. Did loads to it but kept it quite standard looking on the outside except for the TSW Blade alloys.. Good days
This was my teenage dream car! Everything about it was luxurious except the insurance premium. I had a J reg red Fiesta 1.1 lead in model in radient red.
I had a J reg Golf 16V still happily on the road.I think your Fiesta was recycled some time ago......
Really enjoyed you talking about the 2i .. still driving mine since 2003 in silver
That's the smoothest sounding CVH I've ever heard.
Love your vids reminds me of 5thgear from 20 years ago when they talked about car and not recked cars like Clarkson
I had a G reg in 1992 and bought a J reg in 1997 both red. Lol absolutely loved them and they both broke down at 56000 miles when alternator went. Mate had the RS Turbo which was great too. Miss those days ☹️
We had a basic version of this generation of fiesta when they were new, I loved this generation. Rust was a killer though as usual but such an improvement over the mk2.
I had a 1.8l XR2i (K648CAR) that I lavished oodles of money on. Over-bored, Cams, FSE Boost Valve, Ported / Gasflowed, uprated engine components, everything lightened where possible , Superchip, Magnex Exhaust, Jack Knight gearbox and loads of other power mods. 168BHP and 0-60 in approx. 6 seconds. The outside was left completely standard, I hated to see the heavily chopped versions. I part-exchanged it for a Scooby and although the Scooby was technically better in every way I still missed my old Fiesta and soon regretted selling it.
Great video, love it! Was a great era! I miss car parks full of xr2 and 3's, Nova's Sr & gsi's, Astra's gsi's, Sunny gtr, cossies, mg & turbo Maestros, Escorts and Golf's everywhere, Renault 21 cossie killers, R5's, even the forgoten rear wheel drive hot hatch lotus Sunbeams. Personally I loved the 205 above all... I take exception to your comments on Dimma's! Not exactly a diy body kit! And worth a fortune nowadays. Plus if talking the Dimma 205, drive one compared to the brilliant standard car.... those wider track Dimma alloys made the car handle even better! I know, I've owned 50 plus 205s and currently own one of the ultra rare Dimma signatures. Still stunning to drive today, a real experience!
You're right they weren't DIY at all, Dimma were the top end of modded cars back then, but there were some terrible efforts made of filler that weighed ore than the car sorry to use them as a byword for the Max Power era
Had a 205gti for a while(have always had hot fords) and have to say it was an eye opener..try and purchase an unmolested mint low miler nowadays...scary prices
I always liked the mark 3 rear lights. We had a 96 Classic although only basic engine but nice dark aubergine colour!
yes, the lines across the top and bottom follow the panel lines perfectly on those lights!
Ive not seen one that colour..interesting!
I have a ‘91 Fez SX which was originally a 1.3 auto but it’s a zetec manual now, great fun down the lanes
I remember getting lifts in one of these mid to late '90s. Ford were masters at glamming up something humdrum in visual, trim etc terms then. Reasonably rapid for the time, but the engine noise was ageing quickly at the time with smooth 16valvers coming in, and I remember the ride as awfully crashy with what looked like a fair dollop of understeer. But then I wasn't driving.
Great to see a good example of these still around. There really is no comparison between this and the wonderful 205GTI though.
Renault 5 Turbo would eat both of them
@@johnroberts9845 Not in balance, feel or response it wouldn't. If you're talking about straight-line speed, you're missing the point of these cars.
John Roberts if you want turbo boost then yes but if you wanted deft handling then perhaps the 205 would be preferred. Both cracking cars though, no doubt about that.
I always wanted the RS Turbo in this shape when I was a kid. Lad down my road had one in black! Nice xr2i though in factory condition with the right alloys as well.
What a lovely example!
I passed my driving test in early 1995 and as much as a hot hatch like this xr2i or even an xr2 appealed, insuring something like this at age 17/18 would have been difficult and expensive.
I had an H plate 1.6 Sport and that cost me £750 a year 3rd Party, Fire and Theft aged 19 - went up £20 adding a Blaupunkt CD player!
@@maldonboy1
Oh yes, Third Party Fire and Theft cover. Opted for that insurance up until I was 22/23 years old and been fully comp ever since.
Ive just got one myself, J reg, 1992 xr2i in black with the recaro seats as they were an optional extra for this car from the factory. Mine also has no rust! Completely solid all the way through. But yeah, it is very heavy steering. Im swapping from a 1.2 mk1 clio 1997 to that, which also has no power steering but is still masses ligher than the xr2is steering. Though, the clio i think is like 816kg vs the xr2i being 900kg, also with the high profile while also wide tires not helping on how heavy it is
Mk4 escourt had a short stump like stalk for indication and a twist type switch for the lights
I had a white g plate one back in 1999 I used to dream of owning one as a kid I loved it I had a mondeo 2.0 si on k plate in 2001 and swapped it for a j plate 1.8 xr2i in red in 02 it had the 1.8 efi 16v 115 b.hp and I thought it was epic at the time the new cars might be seriously quicker but there's nothing better than flying round a round about in third in a 2i ide swapp my focus in a heartbeat for a good example like that
Andrew moffatt I agree. The funnest car I owned was a H reg 1.9 205
No power steering, loads of feed back👍🏻 and rubbish brakes 😂😂
I used to own a G plate 1.6 XR2i. The 1.6 was faster than the 1.8 to 60 and sounded a lot better btw.
If you know how to drive them on the limit through the corners and bends they are surprisingly quick.
They handle like Go karts tbh.
RR PLANB they were shit slow
Rs turbo or go home
They're a heritage from the racetrack, so no wonder...
Mate of mine restored a 1993 xr2 that was crashed ,except it’s in Royal blue metallic.His one is the 1.6 too !
My first car was a low mileage Austin Metro City 1.0 and when looking to upgrade to a brand new car, I narrowed the choice to either an MG Metro or an XR2 Mk2 (the Peugeot 205 GTi was just too expensive). The MG was only 4 gears so I went for the XR2. Thirty years on, it's still going strong so reckon I made the right choice!
The XR2i in this video is a cracker and Ford upped the spec over my model with improved cabin, electric windows, etc.
Thanks for posting this.
The 205 GTi would of amazed you, just a massive improvement over the XR2.
I had a G Reg Fiesta 1.6 S for a while, which was pretty much the XR2i without injection
I had a Mk2 1.1 Ghia (4 gears ?) that had incredibly comfy seats, followed by a 1.4 Sport, (5 gears - wow !) and hankered after an XR2, but I just couldn’t afford to buy or insure one.
This is a really nice XR2i...!!!
Great car. I remember doing my work experience at a ford garage back in 1990. We had a couple of these in for repairs. They seemed very exotic at the time 😀
105bhp stock seems quite low but you have to remember the car was very light weight & the way it was geared too.
Cracking motor car, thanks for this review Matt.
You say about it being a battle between the Fiesta XR2i and 205 GTI. I'd also add the Renault 5 GT Turbo to that mix as well. My Dad used to have a 1989 G reg red one and it was insanely quick. Would be great if you could feature one.
I really miss my 1989 G-reg 8V XR2i. Hell of an upgrade from my 1.1 (4 speed) popular plus Fiesta!
My mate had an f reg mk2 xr2 in the late 90s and I was always hounding him to let me drive it luckily he was always getting pissed so I'd run him around in it alot great fun!
I was six when this came out, so was a childhood car of mine, grandad had a fiesta 1.3 in 1994 and always wanted to do a xr2i replica with it if he still had it when I passed my test a few years later :) indicator stalks were in Ford's from fiesta, escorts, Ka's, Puma's only the fiesta until 95 had the horn on the indicator stalks every other model had horn on steering wheel
I take it you never got to make that replica?
@@furiousdriving afraid not he sold it for a Hyundai accent
What a beautiful example. How I missed this originally I don't know.
PS. We all miss the velour.
I had a black XR2i 1.6 with the blue trim line on the outside. It felt so quickt at the time and I loved it. Before that I had a Astra GTE 1.8 but the XR2i felt faster
I enjoy your channel buddy. Here in the US that's a domestic car and a wee bit dreary, but for you, it's an import. I can see how you'd appreciate it though. It's super clean and very well preserved. Thanks for taking the time to make your videos. I really enjoy them. You got me hooked on the Prinz I watched a couple weeks ago. Appreciate all your time.
Hi, thanks for watching and really appreciate the comments! These Fiestas were home grown for us - built in the UK Dagenham plant as well ask Spain and Germany, I didn't know you got them in the US, I know you got the Sierra XR4i as the Merkur XR4, but didnt think anything this small came over to you.
The NSU was so much fun, the best thing about doing this channel is experiencing cars Ive never sat in before
These aren’t US cars they were assembled by Ford of Europe nothing to do with the US except the parent company.
Nova GTE vs XR2i - I preferred Nova but Fiesta 1.1 LX was hugely popular as hire car when visited UK
Renault 5 GT Turbo was the best of the small hot hatch’s from the late 80’s / early 90’s
i had the nova 1.4 sr .. class
Great looking car and a credit to its owner.
I use to like the RS TURBO FIESTA of around the same time. And i really liked the ESCORT RS TURBO MK1 version. still looks good today.
In Aus is the Early nineties Ford gave us the TX3 laser. 1.8l double overhead cam, turbocharged and 4WD, almost 150kw ( with a little extra boost) at less than 1000kg. It was an absolute beast to drive, cornered like it was on rails and wiped the smile off the face of many V8 drivers who thought they owned the traffic light drag strip. The only downfall was the terrible gearbox.
Wow, Ie not heard of that little beast before. Sounds epic, I wonder if any have made it to the UK?
Just googled it, its the same shell as the Escort XR3i/RS2000 Im going to have to dig more about this
@@furiousdriving It makes sense that there is an English version, that the car was probably based on, just built with local parts, as the Sierra RS500 dominated the Aus touring car scene about the same time ( until the Nissan GTR appeared).
You still see them occasionally in Targa/hill climb events
Very nice, love the originality.. never had the i but had a Mk1 and Mk2 XR2, and a S2 RS Turbo Escort...
The original XR2 was a peach I remember driving schools actually used them for lessons but the XR2i was a poster car
Ah man I’d love one of these, right year and colour for me. Love the sound of the CVH too!
Why’d you stop uploading bro ?
These were really fast my ex bf used to have a 1991 version tuned with a straight through exhaust de-cat had around 150bhp and i swear it would own anything on a motorway or at the lights , the acceleration was crazy, kept up with a Porsche Cayenne back when they first came out
Yay, first time ever I've been the first to hit 'like'.
I had a Mk3 Escort Ghia. 5 door, 1.6, inherited from my dad in 1997, and I loved it. It too had velour trim, which was quite posh compared to the awful rough nylon seats in most other cars.
I always fancied an XR2i, but as you say, the insurance was crazy expensive for a young 20 something guy. Never really liked the Mk4 fiesta. They too used to rust in a dense fog. But I didnt like the rounded body and dashboard from a Puma.
Thanks for trying with the like button!
I had a base 1.3 Mk3 Escort with rough tweedy seats, actually gave me sores! But after a Laser I made it to a Mk4 Ghia with seats like this and it really felt a bit special.
I wanted an Alfa 33 that was for sale near me when I was 20 or 21, but the insurance on that meant was just ridiculous...of course compared to a 17 year old insuring a 1 litre KA now it seems quite good value!
@@furiousdriving You might remember my comment on your Alfa 145 video. I had one almost identical to yours, in the same colour. But mine was a 1.6. Had the black momo interior, and the wooden steering wheel from a 156. So that felt a bit special too. But like a lot of Alfas, it wasn't without its electrical problems. It developed a problem where it would cut out when hot, and wouldn't start again until it had cooled down. I got stuck in the red zone on the south circular because of that exact problem, nightmare. But I loved that little car as it was so unusual.
Yes, about the clutch
Thats really odd, I had almost the exact same problem with a 33, it didn't cut out, but wouldn't start if the engine was warm and had similar bringing London to a halt episode! One time it stalled at the lights by Vauxhall Bridge and would go again for half an hour..people loved that, hooting while we tried to push it onto the pavement. When I part-ex'd it I had to take a really long test drive to make sure it would start for the salesman!
I still loved it, but not enough to stop me swapping it for a bubble shape Rover 200!
@@furiousdriving Alfa 33? Was that a boxer lump or a straight four? Wouldn't have been a T Spark surely.
Freaky that you had a similar problem though, with an Alfa.
108 bhp for the 1.6 105 bhp was the 1.8 zetec sorry had to get that out it was bugging me. really miss my 2i :(
FordForTheWin He might have got that figure from the earlier mechanically injected XR3i engine too, IIRC it was 105ps. The Fiesta and 1990 Escort got a power upgrade with EFi.
My ex-boss had one. He was a proper nutter when it came to driving. However, his XR2i could not pull away from my 205 1.9 GTi …...which had a knackered exhaust and a leaking head gasket.
I had a 91 Xr2i. I loved it but it hated me and loved rust and sadly died a spectacular death when it decided to drop all oil out on the motorway. Sadly had to scrap her and is that one car I wish I still had 😭
I learned how to drive in a K reg Ford Fiesta, was only a 1.1 if i remember correctly.
I had some mk3 and mk4 escorts a c reg xr3i for £100 and the plain ones were £20-30 quid. I know what you mean by disposable. Last one in 99 .wish I had them now all were rust free.
brings back memories i used to own one in white what a car the looks i used to get i cant remember could you get the the car in a turbo model ?
ps i loved the ford escort turbo video i loved the turbo whistle when the turbo spooled up i used to wait a traffic light for a turbo to stop and listen to the turbo whistle .pps also owned vw golg gti 16v and a pug 205 1.9.
I think there was a Turbo, yes. Love that sound too, very nostalgic!
Ford did a Turbo ,, in this model they had to slightly widen the front cross-member by 3mm
Owned the mk2 xr2 and had a drive of my friends xr2i much prefered my mk2 xr2
Found the mk3 seating high as too the ride height
I remember those Ford tape holders from my dad's company Sierra!
In the park next to me there are a ton of early 90s and late 80s cars just destroyed but it’s inside a secret location that is surrounded by trees and fence inside the park they all look burnt
I loved mine. Bomb-proof. Not that fast, but still quick enough.
Never was into these really. Prefer the mark 2 xr2 much better.
Even in RS Turbo form. Or Rs1800i which was quite rare. Still never really did it for me
MK1 XR2 is best XR2
Yomiko Albright have to agree, looks wise the original MK1 XR2 was much nicer looking than what followed.
muy bonito y un buen coche y motor con serva lo bien yo tengo un RS TURBO del 90
I always thought that these things lacked the character of the two previous models of XR2 and the Supersport.
Certainly these are more refined, is that less character? I dont know, I need to drive the others again to compare
True..mk1 and 2 xr2 (had both ) seemed raw...the 16 valver was nice but imo the mk5 zs had the best chassis..
In 1992, my mum had a bog standard 1.3 litre Mk2 Golf, and her friend offered to swap her (basically immaculate and only one year old) XR2i for it, but my mum refused because she insisted on having a German car for their "superior reliability". I was sulking for weeks.
Before I watch.... My mum had one of these, in red. Bumpy as hell ride and no power steering.
The good old days 👍🏻
I've sent it my mum 👍🏻
Love the original 1990 Belfast, Northern Ireland registration
I loved these and the RS versions then finally the RS 1800! XR2i i never did get any though sadly.
Was family owned for 23years like to no where it is now cassette holder came from Germany
This used to actually be my neighbours car. It was a cracking car
No way! Then you know how much time he spent making it better than new - tell him its the best XR2i Ive ever driven
@@furiousdriving I will. He sold that fiesta to buy a escort cosworth
0:17 now that is something rare!
A Ford CVH that is quiet, must have been maintained religiously.
Most haven't been and as a result sound tappety as hell, i know because i have owned a fair share of Escorts with CVHs...
This is an absolute minter!
hi please can you answer me
i have the same but in mine the stering is very hard to turn it when its parked(not moving) is that nonrmel because its old and the old cars dosn't have assisted stering or thers something wrong
without power steering it will be heavy at low speed
I was 10 years old when this car was new. Annoyingly, it's in much better shape than I am. Fantastic example, but boy do they want some money for it.
Never really likes the mk3 fiesta but I must say theirs XR2 is a beauty. Still can’t beat the mk1 XR2 though.
its a much better car than you can buy today
Was the MG Metro not in the same league then?
Watching this video sat next to my mk3 fez :)
I had a G reg G290 TAM RED at 19 tell me about insurence I worked just to drive that cat wish I still had it now 😅
Can you please do a review on the ford Sierra xr4i 2.8 v6 💯 absolutely adore them and nobody has seemed to do any reviews on them.
If I can find one I will! That and some Cortinas are on my list, and I think if you like this you'll enjoy my next one!
They are rare as a pay rise nowadays..I had white xr4i 2.8 back in the 90s..Ashley manifolds etc...good arse out fun but thirsty...sold it to a mate who binned it.😢
Ross Turnbull my dad had a black xr4i back in the 90s and then sold it for a 3 door cossie but always had a soft spot for them
I have owned rally modded xr4i and there is couple vids of it on my channel👆
Had a 16v 1800 version loved it not as fast as the mk2
4 the short time I had mine I loved it
Neat classic little run-around there!
I spotted the unusual green street-name signs - you wouldn't happen to have been driving in the borough of Reigate & Banstead perchance? I'm for all purposes a local. :)
Not quite, next county over - must be a country lane or old village thing!
@@furiousdriving Thanks for the reply. :) Yes, Mid Sussex local authority uses green street plaques too, but with a more olde-worldely fount, now I think about it.
Great video but have you got any further with the Merc?
Work and being away over Easter meant not much happened to it, but Ive got a day to work on it tomorrow
Actually not true, I did go into the engine bay but not enough for a video, so there will be a good catch up
Great car love the twin spot lights and the velor seats wheels are nice too .haven't seen one for a long time 👤👍👏
I've one black ´90 , let's be honest. it's a damned fun car. Loud like F'ck when revving as I have racing last muffler on it. But it's fun as hell. but prices have gone thru the roof on them. Low mileage car, on Ford factory racing RS rims, and a very rare tow bar. If you never owned one, you have to. Yes, they're expensive, but well worth to restore.
Kod vas u Velikoj Britaniji uvijek su išle dobre verzije,ova sa krovom rijetkost u drugim dijelovima Eu
Wow £12k, these are certainly precious motors now! I remember the joyriding days of the 90's/early 2000's that killed so many of these fine cars, problem was cars of this vintage could literally be - and were - stolen by 12 year olds with a screwdriver!
I over-priced it, it was a Merc from the same dealer at £12k, this is £9750 on the website nowOld cars were so easy to break into, these weren't as bad as the Nova - turn the hazard light switch over and it starts the car!
Still a hefty sum but well worth £9750 of anyone's money! I've just dug out an old Autotrader book dated August 2003 that I still have, several of these for sale in the bargain cars section ranging quite wildly from £300 to £1800. How times change! Yes I remember the 'hazard bypass' trick, I believe it was a case of rotating the switch 180 degrees and then bump starting it.
Is it good for long trips with 4 people?
If the back ones art too tall
Little gem,never owned one but I did have a 309 1.9 gti which was that year and that was insanely fast
My bro had a 309 gti.. underrated car..memories of me in my tuned xr4i trying to stay with him .👍
Hahaaaa xr4i was a dream car for me
I miss mine great car
My first wonderful new car
Top video as always. 👍👍👍
Thanks!
the fiesta ST of 1990?
More like the st line, the rs turbo was the ST of the day