Real Road Test: 1982 Ford Escort 1.3L Mk3
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- Опубликовано: 19 сен 2019
- Yes, it's a Ford! But what is it like to drive? Is it as disappointing as the Mk6? This particular Escort is being featured in Classics magazine, particularly the August 2019 issue: shop.kelsey.co.uk/issue/CMT
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#Ford #RoadTest #Oldcarsarethebest 
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Those dashboard dials take me back. In the 80s I worked for a company in west London, screen-printing Ford dials - by hand, four dials to a sheet. Originally they were printed onto sheet steel, later we switched to alloy. This was done because the scrap value was higher and the company could get more money when the rejects (there were lots - a whole skip full, outside the factory) were sold off for scrap.
Quality was very strict. The slightest speck of dust in the print meant the dial was a reject. One day I was screen printing the little red square on the fuel gauge, and I just couldn't get it to line up exactly with the white graphics next to it. I tried all sorts of fine adjustments, with the Quality Control manager breathing down my neck, but it always came out a bit wonky. Time was getting on, and the batch of dials had to go out. Eventually, grudgingly, the QC manager approved my least-wonky position, and I could go ahead and print the whole batch...even though the red square was still a bit off-kilter.
At the very end of the day, when I was packing up, I discovered what the problem was. I had put the screen on the printing bench upside down.
So if you've got an 80s Ford, and the red bit on the fuel gauge is a bit wonky - that was me. Sorry.
Brilliant story!
So it was your fault I ran out of petrol at the entrance to a petrol station and had to push it to the pump! 😁
Hahaha. 😄
You mean I might have had a signature car ? 😄
Lol, great story! Brought a smile to my face.
that's a great choice of colour. You'd never see the rust.
🤣🤣🤣🤣👍
😂
My mate had an '82 1.3L 3 door, in '88. We used to unsuccessfully cruise for chicks in it. Resulting in double date disaster in Rhyl.
Par for the course in Rhyl I'd have thought.
@@neilthomas9244 Nobody spoke on the drive to Rhyl. We went our separate ways at the "fun" fair. Nobody spoke on the drive back from Rhyl. Worst date ever.
I had one in white every mot tons of welding
Rhyl urrrrrgggghhh
"Single Speaker Stereo", you can't get a more Hubnut accessory than that.
Also, how contradictory is that when you think about it?
Not to mention "AM-only Stereo" - Nice one :-)
@@skjerk Ah, but AM stereo exists!
I know. But it was a niche. Generally it’s mono. Techmoan has done videos about it!
@@rollingtroll Was that the whole point of mentioning it ?
**Jeremy Clarkson voice**
"On this weeks Hubnut...
Ian closes a door
Ian gets some new sandals
And Ian farts in the back of an Escort
LOL
"It was the seat..." Oldest trick in the book.
And, don't forget, Ian breaks another of Kelsey Media's project cars...
@@stevek548 Yeah we all know he`s not a Ford fan, hope he didn't leave his calling card as well if you know what I mean.
😂
Such a nicely styled car, still looks fresh, love the flared wheelarches.
Good review, many thanks HubNut.
I'm 54 years old. One of lives reassurances has been that at any point you can buy a small £300 Ford that will run well for two years before crumpling to the tarmac. God bless Escorts Mk 1-4 and Fiestas Mk 1-5.
Just stumbled on your channel and love the reviews of these classic 80's cars.
This Escort still looks fresh
Lovely Jubbly Mr HubNut, if cars were still so simple, they wouldn't be so expensive.
paul taylor cars are much cheaper now than then! Google inflation calculator! They were not cheap back then man
Well, they wouldn't be so expensive to fix if anything goes wrong.
Gavin Townsley I realise that. But comparatively a new car today is cheaper
10:38 I’m loving the mk1 Focus parked there. The long after successor of the car being driven there!
My favourite of all the Escorts. My Nanny had a B reg maroon 2 door 1.3 Popular back in the day. Many happy memories of being taken for days out in that car. The mk3 Escort is a window into my childhood. This is why I love Hubnut. These 'ordinary' cars are the ones we can all relate to, the ones we have memories attached to. Nobody was ever taken to school or on holiday in the back of a Ferrari or Lamborghini. But a mk3 Escort, or indeed any of the car's Ian reviews, has touched the lives and hearts of nearly everybody watching. These are not just cars, they are family friends.
Well done Mr Hubnut, glad to see you're reviewing classics again - it's been a while ;-) Miss 'Hubnut' on another channel is doing a grand job alongside you. Love you both!
Steph is great isn't she, a real breath of fresh air and yes, definitely the girl version of Ian (without the dodgy sandals fortunately!)
My dad replaced his 1981 fiat 131 in 1990 with a 1985 escort 1.3 L . It was reliable enough for 3 years of service. When I was 21 in 1996 I bought a a 1.1 3 door, in cream/beige. It had an unpainted black wing with a blue bonnet. It would regularly stop after driving over puddles, wd40 helped massively! TMS on medium wave radio stayed with me until 2018 when I bought a bland eurobox! Incidentally I drove a 1.8 petrol ford Sierra as a taxi, it was used to the occasional tap with a hammer!
I love that era of Escort and the Fiesta Mk2
My favourite Mk3 Escort is the booted Orion with the smooth dished domed hubcaps with the wide plastic edge and little square holes.
My neighbour had an Escort that looked like Lady Di's escort had the beauty rings and stainless center caps and slotted steel wheels.thought it looked gorgious as a kid. it was a metallic minty silver.
there were so many old mk3 escorts even in the early 90s maths teacher had a yellow estate.
I miss 80s early 90s plastic hubcaps and narrow wheels.
you mention the smell oh the power of nostalgia and smell memory 😊
It's refused to start and got going with a tap. modern stuff try that 😀
Nice trip down memory lane - thank you! I had a 1983 1.6GL 3-door from new. It was a good car in my experience, very nimble and chuckable, and in 3-door form the styling was perfect.
The 1.6 had a useful performance advantage over the 1.3, although some said the 1.3 was the “sweeter” engine of the two. However, two things were not good. The auto-choke was indeed a pain, and I therefore had a manual choke conversion done which was a revelation. Also, the low-level oil warning light sensor pick-up was on the end of the dipstick, and it cried wolf every cold-start morning as I parked my car on an incline. The light would then not go out unless you stopped the car on level ground, with engine off for several minutes before a restart. Disconnecting the sensor lead was not a cure, the light would just be on the whole time. My solution was to remove the dashboard warning light, and every time the car went in for service, I requested the garage not to replace it.
I had no mechanical issue with the ‘83, just routine maintenance kept it chipper, and I sold mine after 7 years/134,000 enjoyable miles, and then got a 1990 1.6GL to replace it. And that one did 150k miles before I replaced it with... another Escort!
What memories that brings back,thank you Mr Hub Nut
I would have that car as a daily even now, took me back to my mark 1 Fiesta 950 Pop Plus, basic but dependable and thorughly enjoyable to thrash a little.
If it was a little safer I’d give it a go. As long it’s mechanically sound and can get you from A to B without any hassle I don’t think you can ask for more from a car. 🤷🏼♂️
except this one cut out and needed hood up tinkering to get it going again, fuck that every time you want to pop out
@@mr8I7 Being brought up in the 70's and 80's safety was never really thought about, it has 4 doors to escape from, that's all you need 😁
@@OrdinaryJoe12 Cars from the 80's weren't that bad! You didn't have to lift the bonnet (hood) all the time and at least when you did you could fix it yourself, not like now where you need a computer to tell you whats wrong......great days.
Had one of these nearly new, loved it. Makes me realise how long ago the 80s were. Why aren't we all driving cars like the "Jetsons" by now?
To be fair, people do now own 'self-driving' electric cars with giant screens that they can make video calls on (I think?) which feels pretty futuristic.
@@valcian1 Yeh, but don't some of the self driving cars "crash", and they tell you to have your hands poised over the steering wheel just in case you need to take control? Sounds scary to me.
@@neilthomas9244 haha yep! I don't like them, or the idea of them, but the tech would definitely have been considered futuristic just a few years ago.
Excellent video. Took me right back to my first proper car back in 1990. I had the 1.3l estate version on an old x plate with a manual choke that was just as iffy as the auto choke. I did have the luxury of a passenger door mirror and a rear wiper though. I do remember there was a real issue with the battery trays rusting as it happened on the escort estate and the Orion I had after. Wet feet for the front passenger in the car wash as I recall. The escort was one of the best Fords (Focus MK1 and Mk2 included) I’ve ever owned. Thanks for taking me down memory lane!
Great video, my very first car was a 1981 MK3 Escort 1.3 GL, same colour as the 1.3L in your road test. It was a brilliant first car, it had the fancier dash and steering wheel, like you get in the Ghia, and a fancier bumper and GL specific wheels, I still have one of the plastic wheel centres, almost 30 years after owning the car. One of my most favourite cars. Thank you again for the road test.
I spent many hours in the MK3/4 in the 80's, my Uncle had a red 1.3L like this, my dad had an early MK3 estate and then a 1985 Laser 5 door, then he had a 1.6 diesel GL - lovely! They really were everywhere. Dire Straits brothers in arms on the stereo, if you had a tape player...
Spit of my mum's old Escort. Many happy memories of WMX105Y!
Celtic bronze. What a colour.
Max Bresnahan I’ve just looked and it lasted on the road until 1998, not bad for a 16yr old Escort! 😄
@@johngreen6375 I remember the day it went to car heaven!
Would love to know what happened to my brother's mk1 fiesta xr2..First car with no licence in 1999..A466 JAH...Paid £200 And was virtually mint... (Apart from crap alternator!😂
Ah! I loved my 1.6 Ghia, new in 1984. Drove it 117,000 miles, in lovely condition, lots of 80s extras - sunroof, electric aerial and rotary four speaker balance joystick. Stolen but not forgotten. Loving the channel.
Excellent rewiew. Nice bloopers at end. Very good.
7:55 The battery is accessible, even more so when it drops into the front passenger footwell doh! Ford actually manufactured a battery tray as a repair panel.
Only if the glovebox was missing, it would sit there held up till the MOT tester wiggled it to test for security / insecurity. Then as you say there was an
aftermarket repair panel for this, This was caused by rainwater leaking through the holes for plastic trim clips on the scuttle, leaking onto the battery and
overfilling it till it leaked acid onto the battery tray.
We repaired loads of them.
So true. Mine was new and I played pop with the Ford dealer when it came back from service with acid damage on the battery tray paint. They refinished it with thick black paint! A real bodge.
@@jbz2079 Me too,fitted quite a few.
My Escort mk3 needed the battery tray repaired.
I like the mk3 Escort - I thought it was a revelation when I first saw it in 1980
Good vid, really takes me back. First car was a Mk3 1.3GL Escort & the auto-choke issue was there on my one way back in 1987 when the car was only 5 years old. Many a morning was spent chugging away trying to get it started. Also, finding first gear was a challenge in mine too - I developed a technique whereby I'd go to select 3rd, then slide the lever across at 45 degrees to surprise it into first!
Being a first car, i blew the single speaker almost straight away & I found the dash pocket below & to the right of the steering wheel was perfectly sized for a paperback copy of Stephen King's Christine. Crashed it twice & learned loads rebuilding it, discovered Hammerite as a brand (bumpers mainly) & the car ended up with a slatted rear screen to reduce the greenhouse effect in the back.
Overall I look back on it fondly, as I suspect most folks do on their first car. Swapped it for a 1.6HL Montego & from there a string of MGs & Rovers followed. Including my MGF, a car that also has a remote brake servo.
Great review takes me back to my Orion. Happy memories.
I don't know how many 100's of these I have driven or been a passenger in. In my late teens it seemed literally everyone one around me had one, the company I worked for had a fleet of them and a fleet of the van version too. Like you I did thousands of miles in the vans and drove friends cars in 1.3L through to Ghia and even the Orion! They were just good unremarkable cars.
I remember when these first came out here in the US 🇺🇸 as a 1981 model, the Escort being a word car, being sold all over the world. It came with a 1.6 litre, which was very anaemic, made even worse by the gearing in the automatic. Our four speed had overdrive in fourth, which was somewhat common in vehicles sold here.
I remember someone who lived locally, her father worked at a Ford plant in Mahwah, NJ (long gone, demolished eons ago), she had to put in a new engine. The Escort of this era was disposable; if you didn't change the timing belt, you definitely would need a new engine, it was an interference engine. Completely redesigned for 1992 MY, being Mazda based. Mercury also had this as the Lynx. These early US Escorts, and especially the Lynx, are extremely rare, because they were disposable, not reliable, and people didn't perform the proper preventive maintenance.
The controls, and the dash, were different in th US models, as well as Ford moving the horn to the turn signal lever, very un-American. That changed for the 1985 or 1986 MY, where the horn was now in the middle of the steering wheel.
I like this version, it has stood up to the test of time. And I remember the rear wiper being an option starting on the L, GL & GLX, as well as the wagon (estate in the UK 🇬🇧).
The thing is the American version was almost totally different car. It was supposed to be a unified project but they apparently gave up not long in, probably due to how long it took to communicate between the european and American team. So the only shared parts is the engine and the roof.
@@kyle8952I agree. The rear wheel arches are different, as well as headlamps and taillamps. Bumbers and other equipment to bring it up to Federal safety standards at the time. This vehicle is different yet still familiar. I actually like this design more so than the one built here in the US 🇺🇸. It even sounds like the US 🇺🇸 Escort! Those door locks! They were used here in the US 🇺🇸. Surprising to hear they were still using leaded fuel in the UK 🇬🇧, our vehicles went unleaded for 1975 MY, and I believe by the end of the 80's leaded fuel was banned here in the US 🇺🇸. Even though this is an L, it seems better than the US model.
I served my time on the CVH engines in these . The CVH described the combustion chamber. Loved them, and the cork cam cover gasket that was always over tightened and leaked, badly.
In later years I ported and polished these heads, my best was a mint mk2 XR2, with fully worked head, twin 40 Dellorto carbs, magnex 4 branch manifold and 2.5 inch exhaust and piper cam, I had to make a plate to block the mechanical feul pump, as the carbs needed an electric pump. They made 96 bhp as standard and I got 115bhp for all that effort! Lol. Still loved it. Ahhh the good old days.
The good old Escort. Still looks fresh and stylish even today. Nice colour as well. Good review, thanks Ian.
Lovely, almost timeless design. These were sold in the USA as Ford Escorts but as far as I remember only in 2-door hatchback form. There was also a companion model, the Mercury Lynx. Most Ford cars in the US had both Ford and Mercury versions. The car you reviewed is a super colour.
The US Escort was a 3-door, a 5-door, a wagon, and the EXP/LN7 two seat coupe.
The US escort looked very similar but they actually only shared a few parts
My mate's party piece was revving his cvh off the end of the rev counter lololol it must have gone to 7500 regularly was always amazed it didn't hand grenade itself !
My Grandad had one in a lovely light blue colour. What a trip down memory lane. Thank you.
Great video Ian. I had a 1.3 GL three door in champagne gold with XR3 alloy wheels. Loved that car so this takes me back a bit!! 👍👍
My first car was a mk1 escort 1974 which i bought to pass my test in 1990 with 1 previous elderly owner and a reconditioned engine with 20,000 miles on it.
RFU 313M.
Passed my test in it sold that and got a chevette,then in 1991 i got a sunburst red 1.3GL 1983 looked great same colour as the xr3i.
First thing i noticed was the power very good off the line and cruising,but that CVH engine whine drove me nuts and that bad engine oil leak arrghh.
I remember me & my bro replaced the camshaft oil seal only to find out it must have been the crankshaft oil seal that was leaking instead lol.
Sold it to a local bloke and he parked it on the main road which was a relief and not on his drive haha.
Also the battery tray had to be welded and had bad rust but still decent cars they were,but not as good as the standard vauxhalls in my opinion.
I was relieved when i went back to the chevettes after the escort,it just seemed a lot better ride to me better quality and just better overall.
Then i switched to the mk2 cavalier and mk2 astra sri and now astra g 1999 2.0 sri which i have owned for 16 years.
A record for me.
Good video ian.(:-)
20,000 miles with a recon engine says it all. I worked for a VW dealer at the time & it was reckoned it took up to 40,000 miles to run in a transverse VW gearbox.
Owned two of them, a 5 door and a 3 door, both rust bucket piles of junk......I still loved them though, especially the 3 door basic model with xr3i wheels lol
Most things rusted back then.
Mine also rusty but I miss it. I put clear front indicator lenses and a orion grill on mine amongst other things
@@millomweb Not entirely true depending on the car and how it was looked after. My 1984 BMW has only two fingernail-sized rust spots over the entire car. Original paint that looks brand new as well. It's up to the owner(s).
@@chesswizard31 It's not really up to owners to get their brand new cars repainted with something that lasts. I seem to remember Datsuns & other Japanese cars turning to mush extremely quickly.
I did a similar thing with a MK2 Fiesta for my then wife, it was the popular plus 1.1 Spanish Auto Fiesta in the brilliant fiery red they used on Ford's back then, I sourced a complete XR2 kit and spent weeks getting it fettled to sit proper, had the better XR2i wheels from the MK3 Fiesta on and a serious sound system that nearly blew the ears out me stepson. Interior came with the exterior stuff and unless you listened to it running or looked under the bonnet it was an XR2 visually, I also put a cherry bomb on it and that took the tappety tap from the OHV out the noise equation, old bill hated the car :)
My mum had a W reg 3 door one of these in silver, with a lavender coloured ( ish ) chequered interior. Can’t remember the reg, but then we got a black mk3 XR3i. Reg was A83 MBH. I was envied at school by my mates on the school run. Happy days. Great vid as always!
Always like the Ford videos. Thanks for the upload.
That is actually a nice looking car. My Dad had a C Reg which I loved, as it replaced a Chrysler Avenger.
I loved my Avenger estate, but Avengers stopped happening, and The Escort Kept Going.
I saw a lovely Avenger near Dunstable earlier today
The Hillman Avenger was available as a GLS with twin carbs and then there was the TIGER followed by the GT with a Team Hartwell conversation with a modified Head and better exhaust manifold was available and also available at the time - the standard GT AVENGER. The Mk 1 Ford ESCORT was the best of all ESCORTS that Ford manufactured ..That's my opinion anyway!
First car was a 73 GT Escort, replaced with 75Preg 1600 GLS Avenger built with a single 1.75 Stromburg carb instead of twin 1.5s because of the recent fuel crisis though I did aquire an inlet manifold with twin twin choke Dellortos similar to as used on the rally spec Sunbeams. Fuel consumption was high teens if I was lucky so only used to swap them on in the summer for two years as it made the wet driving quite interesting especially on oily roundabouts. Also well better trim with brushed nylon seats, fake wood trim, vynal roof and inertia reel seat belts beating the faffing about with static on most pre 74 cars.
Starts like any old Ford..
.
.
.
I'll show myself out, thank you!
Yes any old Ford with an auto choke I changed my vv carb for a single choke webber on my Capri never had anymore issues.
not really, my 1.6 pinto is first time every time inc winter, was auto choke but converted now but faultless running
Yeah my capri used to start first time from cold but by the time I got out to close the garage door it used to cut out and when it was warm/hot it was hard to start you had to hold the accelerator half way down but if I didn't get it right it was a pig to get going.
@@zugbug1986 mines always fine, starts and stays running
@@hitachi2556 Maybe I just had a dodgy one it was a 4 year old car but already had 3 owners when I got it.
Really enjoyed that video, when I was 17 my boyfriend at the time had one of these in three door format as his first car, it was an A registered 1983 model in a silver/gold colour, he instantly began to modify it to look like an XR3, with the trademark pepper pot alloy wheels, rubber rear spoiler etc, many happy teenage memories of the humble Ford Escort!!.
I had a red, 5-door, 1980 version of the Mk3 Escort; a W-reg. It was a decent car overall but it had an overheating problem. I remember driving around Trafalgar Square in July 1990 and the engine overheated because the temperature gauge stopped working. Therefore the radiator fan wouldn't come on when the engine became hot. There was smoke pouring from the bonnet. I then tried to make my way home and when I got a few miles outside London the car just conked out due to oil spluttering out all over the engine. I had to use the SOS phone on the motorway to call for help. Got towed to the nearest garage in Maidenhead, They charged me £150 just to store the car for a week whilst I arranged to get it towed home. Ford cars . . . you've gotta love em!
9:20 If it's single speaker, it AIN'T stereo! It's "hole-in-the-wall" MONO!
@@EgoShredder GM only fitted radios in the car if the purchaser requested the feature. Here in Australia, General Motors/Holden fitted the "Air Chief" brand of radio at purchaser's request in models from 48-215 through to their 1969 models, I think it would've been the 1970 Toranas that had radios fitted as standard features(AM mono only, FM stereo was still 4 years away at the time and the first stations on air back then were extremely elitist, playing ONLY classical and jazz(yyyyyeeeeeuuuuuggggghhhhh!). Indeed, the 48-215 and FJ models had turn indicators as optional extras fitted as requested. It was the FE that had turn indicators as a standard feature.
Most people back then got a Sharp, Pioneer or similar radio cassette and pod speakers to the rear shelf along with the ubiquitous nodding dog which gave rise to Churchill.
@@EgoShredder No nodding dog or furry dice but admit to Traffic light air freshers,work steel cap boots taken off to drive and left in car made an interesting aroma in the summer especially.
@@EgoShredder Got a tilt sunroof aftermarket fitted to my later Mk2 Escort Ghia's vynal covered roof summer of 79 with fresh heatwave summer, made interesting and worrying thoughts watching them mark out and take an air nibbler to it.
EgoShredder mine too, i had a portable CD player and portable speakers in mine
The autochoke was an unreliable device (bi-metallic strip), but there was a manual conversion available. I took my driving test in an early 1.3GL and later owned a 1.6 Ghia. The Welsh CVH engines were rubbish, but the 4 & 5 speed gearboxes were good.
Conceptually, the auto choke wasn't a bad idea, its just that Ford's execution of it left a lot to be desired. I had a Cortina 2.0 Ghia with the Weber 32/36 with the bimetallic type auto choke, and it never let me done. Where I'm from, it was pretty much split down the middle in terms of people changing these woefully bad Ford VV carbs for Weber units with and without auto chokes.
I hired a MK3 in '84 but the dodgy hire company forgot to mention the auto choke. So muggins called out the RAC twice over the week's hire period as the damn car wouldn't start for me. And all due to the rubbish auto choke. The latter Escorts were much better, I bought a Mark 5 new in 93 and have fond memories of that one.
I remember replacing the autochoke with a manual conversion and I also rebuilt the head after the cam belt went. It was a three door estate in white, x registered and quite a step up from my previous mk1.
Can't help wonder if it was user error.
@@millomweb Manufacturing error. These things failed when they were new. There's nothing wrong with the principle, but Ford didn't make them to last more than a few years.
That’s just brilliant! Stunning colour AND it hasn’t dissolved (although it looks like its trying its best😂)!
That one is particularly Hubnut with its early mirror and single speaker radio, along with its reluctance to start......
Great video! As always👍
My dad had a 1984 in blue when I was 6. remember playing at the wheel and holiday trips across France. Oh, the memories.
I liked the Orion too
Good period of Ford design IMHO eg mk2 Granada, mkV Cortina, Cargo lorry, and the mk3 Escort van with the small extra side windows. Nice detailing.
Wayne Tetley I liked those wee side windows. Always wondered why no other manufacturer bothered.
When I was working as a delivery driver mk3 escort was my weapon of choice lol
A family friend had one of these when I was a kid. I have memories of him trying to warm the cylinder head with a hairdryer on a snowy morning in an attempt to get it to start. Apparently it rarely started well.
Subsequent Escorts were mildly less terrible, but they sorted it with the Focus. Never been tempted to own one myself though.
Had the joy of owning 4 Mk3's from a 3 door 1.3L, a 1.3L van, a 5 door 1.6Gl, all the way up to the quite splendid 1.6 ghia with a 5 speed box, sunroof, electric front windows and my added extras of Mk4 Xr3i dogleg alloys and a Mk3 Xr3i boot spoiler. Absolutely loved them all, and still do now.
I use. To have the mark 4 escort mine was a 1.4 a good car to drive
I use. Too.
Here in the United States, the Ford Escort and Mercury Lynx were newly created for 1981. They were designed to replace the Ford Pinto after 1980. The major auto magazines always hated the horn button being at the end of the control stalks - so French 🤗. Between 1981-1986, Ford sold a ton of these cars. Their reliability was good but nothing compared to the imports. They came in base, L, GL and top of the line GLX. Eventually Ford introduced their sporty edition called the GT in 1987 when the car received a refresh. I haven't seen an Escort of this generation in over 15 years. They were all used and destroyed. Very few were saved.
I remember them as well! And the automatic was horrendous! Loud in first, lugging in second then third gears. Made the anemic engine even worse. I knew another who had the Lynx. These vehicles were disposable at the time; once the timing belt snapped, the engine was shot, I believe it was an interference engine. No one believed in preventive maintenance, still don't. And the Lynx was I believe base, L, GL and LS.
Oh, and the redesign for 1991 was Mazda based, the Lynx became the Tracer (that was a separate model for Mercury, and if my memory serves me correctly, a replacement for the Lynx, although I don't remember the year the Tracer was introduced).
Remember Ford touted the Escort as a world 🗺 car, with the world badge on the front fender (wing for those in the UK 🇬🇧).
@@frothe42 Yes, I had a neighbor who had the top of the line Lynx LS. It had all the bells and whistles for its time. Two tone paint, air conditioning(which at that time was still an expensive option for you younger folks, 😁), and a pop up sunroof. The Lynx was of course marketed as the more "luxurious" of the two but as you stated when either the engine or transmission failed most people didn't repair them at all. Now if you had a manual transmission and changed the timing belt regularly then they might last over 100,000 miles.
@@klwthe3rd Absolutely! I remember a local repair garage said that one did have the timing belt changed, I think it was $300+ at the time . Most didn't, because why bother if the vehicle's value was less than that?
It wasn't until the 1991 redesign that you could get power windows, electric moonroof, etc., and the Escort GT came with the Mazda 16V engine.
I believe the last Lynx was about 1986 or so, that is when they started importing the Tracer. All of this is jogging my memory, thanks to Ian, his wonderful review and the test drive of the classic Escort. Old Car Brochures on-line will give me a heads-up when models changed, at least I hope so.
We as a family were GM; had Ford, they were not as reliable as our GM, then again, our GM vehicles in the 70's & 80's weren't that much better. Looking at the column stalks reminded me that Ford used them worldwide, with the exception of the headlights, that was still a pull switch, HVAC controls and vents were different as well.
@@frothe42 I'm pretty sure the Mercury Lynx lasted longer than 1986. You are correct that the Tracer replaced it in the early 1990's though. I think the Mercury Lynx made it at least to 1988 or 1989. I remember seeing them after the refresh in 1987 with the new aerodynamic headlights.
I loved my corgi escort. That starter sound brings back memories.
Great video Mr Hubnut. Oh and who remembers the crackling noise the radio used to make when switching it on
I have a B REG cabriolet 1.6 in keep fit hub nut spec ...its not even an L !!! 👍🏻☮❤
😀 see you have brainwashed me I'm supposed to be the Ford's against hub nut brigade ..but not so ..keep on keeping on and watch out for speed cameras in Peterborough I got a ticket whilst lost a while back ...doh !! 👍🏻☮❤
Ian singing "I drove a ford and I liked it!" To a certain Katie Perry song..
Haha, no cherry Chapstick required hopefully 🍒
Good video thanks Mr HubNut
You were wearing the right T-shirt for this road test. A good choice of words calling them furniture they were truly every where back in the day.
Ditch the sandles Ian, nothing worse than the sight of men's feet. 😲 The escort looks good though.
Nothing wrong with sandals! If people don't like men's feet they should look elsewhere!
@@nkobtopenworld Yuck 😫 horrible great big plates of meat. 👣😒
Ah yes, the dreaded Ford VV carburettor. Anyone who wasn't a masochist had them converted to manual choke.
Hi Ian, what a awesome review and road test of the Escort,very basic model you don't see these much now,it's the originality I like in the old cars.
As a first year student in 1994 at Stellenbosch, I had a powder blue 3-door 1600 Sport. We had a lot of fun in that little car. Loved it to bits. It was loads of fun to drive, like a go-cart.
OMG! I HAD ONE IN 1992 it was an 81 i think i loved it and would have had it for longer if i could have afforded to keep it on the road, But whats a bloke to do when you were on the dole...
10cc on radio will give that escort a bit more grunt.should have left it on.
So even radio of the 80s ;)
I learnt to drive in a Ford Escort 1.3L thanks for the video.
I really like your endless enthusiasm for the seemingly mundane. I’m glad we get to see all these Everyman cars from the past rather than the endless top of the range sports variety.
I was just going to comment, the most unreliable car Ford ever made and it conked out 🤣
Great video as usual! I'd love to see a test drive of an early 80's pre face-lift Granada. Reminds me of my youth!! 😁
Great video dude. Nostalgia is off the charts. I would really appreciate if you would do an 80's MK2 Vauxhall Astra if you get a chance. My childhood growing up in the 90's was Escort, Astra, Mondeo.
My dads escort had dodgy electrics because Lucas were on strike and ford bunged electrical components from the continent in them that were near impossible to buy. But i do love the classic escort.
I had a B reg mk 3 Escort GL with a 5 speed gearbox. It had reverse in the opposite position to the four speed manuals (ie. bottom right). The variable venturi carburettor was very problematic but it had a manual choke. The carburettor was later replaced by a Weber carburettor. I had the same leaky boot issues with my car as the one you tested but it performed brilliantly with a reasonable amount of smoothness and handled reassuringly.
A friend of mine still has one of these. It draws attention wherever he goes.
At the time it was a fantastic spacious car. And I have recollections of bombing around the East End as a passenger in an XR3 (non-injection) and it seemed very fast at the time.
The only ford I ever owned was the 1.3L escort. I loved it, so its good to see it still has its place and performs admirably 👍
I have never observed a “triangle of doom” ever. However, after a regular intake of hubnut and the purchase of a mk1 focus estate I was appalled by the slop from the 🔻of doom. It raised a smile from its mention in this video.
We had 4 of those over the years including an estate, brought back some memories
What a great review. I had a MK3 ex-Devon and Cornwall police car, in white, with zip in the roofliner for the lights, bought in 1987. Our house mate also bought one on the same day., CTA283Y and CTA284Y !! I felt the need to add spoilers and go-faster stripes as i couldnt afford an XR3i!!
I've always really liked how this generation looked. These were still knocking around as I was growing up in the late 90s, early 00s. This and the Mini are on my 'to-drive' list once I can actually pass the theory test and get my full license.
Hubnut reviews. The only reviews I don't get bored with. Long may they continue. Please do a Rover P5B!!!!
So how about the Rover P5? Have you seen the wipers on those things?!
My mum had one just like this in the mid 90s, as you can imagine it was junk by then. Loved the way the wind bends the aerial though!
This brings back a lot of memories. Particularly the dotted headlining. The rocker cover looks like one from a mk4, which fits with your story about it's upgraded cylinder head. Good stuff Ian. The mk 3 Escort did seem like a heck of a jump forwards in terms of design language, which can then be seen in most other models that came after it.
Hi,
My Mum used to have that exact same Escort model, a 1.3L in red. I remember taking a family of 4 'large' Italians on a road trip, from North Wales, up through the Lake District and then up into Scotland and finally back down to York in it!!! 5 of us, plus luggage! The Escort performed amazingly well. We did have to resort to a roof-rack for much of the luggage, but otherwise it was a great car for such an expedition! I loved driving it and the family seemed to enjoy their holiday also.
Jonathan.
Great review . I had an 83 1.3L in 1986 which as reviewed " did what it said on the can" No frills basic reliable and practical transport. A lady at a Give way decided to enjoy the side of it and although insurance repaired it never felt the same.
Top review Ian, nice one 👌
What a great video. Reminded me of my Dad's 1981 1.3L but it had both exterior mirrors although I cant remember if it had a rear wiper. All I can remember is it was great fun to drive as a 17 year old in the early 90's when my mum had a 1978 mk1 fiesta 1100L. Its funny too that we changed the auto choke to a manual as it ruined the fuel consumption and was so unreliable. My uncle had a newer one too but he was always having problems with the carburetter whearas my dads was utterly reliable. Great memories 🙂
Dad had three of them in different flavours. We loved it, always a good complement to the family 2cv in the 80s :)
I had an '84 1.3L Escort, 2 door estate in various shades of white (one of them Dulux, I think). Lovely motor, but I remember it had shocking fuel economy, especially on motorways. Nottingham to Birmingham and back would take a full tank of fuel. Also learned to drive in a black 1.3L 5 door hatchback. Seeing this car took me back to my youth! Thanks, Ian.
Enjoyed this review! Nice colour on that car and I like the basic Escort a lot.
Fantastic video. I had the ghia model in a gold colour! Manual choke, side mirrors, no rear wiper, fun to drive. Got it up to 94 mph once (honestly). Apart from a battery issue, it never let me down.
I bought a 1983 Sierra 1.6 - one of the original ones, made in Germany. The bloke I bought it off had added a manual choke as he didn't like automatic ones. And, by God I was grateful he did, especially on cold mornings. An otherwise solid runner, even though it was only a four speed gear box. I cried when I had to sell her (lost my job). One of the best second hand cars I ever had. Always wanted an Escort, though.
When I look at my current car, with its air con, cruise control, adaptive headlights, park assist, etc etc etc, and then I look at this escort, and I had one just like this, I can't help but marvel at how things have progressed. The escort definitely had more soul.
I had 2 of these escorts 1 was an x plate as in your video and the other a y reg auto loved them both but both had problems with rear brake kept sticking after a night parked up on both never found the fault even after all brand new fitted great video Mr Hubnut
Looks like it came straight off the set of "Ashes to Ashes"... which has actually put me in the mood to watch that again.
Great video, i really like these Mk3 Escorts. Though I do remember the symphony of multiple Escorts trying to start as the Auto choke failed as I walked to school.
Another delightful and entertaining review Ian. Please don't forget about us when you disappear down under.
Many years ago i owned an XR3i, it had a hard life before i got it and it was also hard to get in gear. After some spirited driving i discovered that the gearbox had come loose from the engine block, it was an easy fix but that car was just tottaly worn out. Anyways thanks for another nice video, i really enjoy my Hub Nut mug and stickers!.
Very good, My friend had one of these in 19'and'86,
I drove on rare occasions,
And was a passenger frequently. Same color.They are better than city busses.
A nice video we'll done Ian. Your a good reviewer
Even in LA. California Usa. Fascinating stuff,
Rich & carnivorous cats.
My dad had an 85 1.3L Hatchback Escort. It was a great little workhorse. I drove it from Leeds to London and had a VW Golf GTI engine in the boot on the way back. It never missed a beat and was pleasant to drive.
This takes me back. I had one of these, same colour. Mine was a 1.6 Ghia, a bit more refined inside and quite nippy. Auto choke was awful. Fitted a manual choke conversion kit. Hydraulic tappets got progressively noisier as it got closer to oil change time. Car felt notably light and tinny. Managed to eek 120,000 miles out of it, but by then it was aaaaabsalutely knnnnackered.!!!
Love seeing old 80's cars, my mate had a mark 2 1.6 Orion back in the day, forget the reg though.