Ford Escort Mk1 & Mk2: The Essential Buyer's Guide: All models 1967 to 1980

1 Is it the right car for you?

– marriage guidance

Tall and short drivers

Plenty of headroom and seat adjustment, even for very tall drivers.

Snug by modern standards, but a great driving position, even for tall drivers. This is a Mk1 cabin in four-door form.

Weight of controls

Escorts are loved for their precise controls – a slick gear change, responsive steering, sharp handling and instant throttle (especially on sporting variants). There’s no power-assisted steering, though, and modified cars often use a stiff motorsport clutch.

Will it fit in the garage?

Length: 156.6in (3978mm) to 163.1in (4142mm)

Width: 60.5in (1537mm) to 62.8in (1595mm)

Height: 53.0in (1346mm) to 55.5in (1410mm)

Interior space

Roomy in their day, but pretty cramped by modern standards. Fine for carrying four adults, although bulky RS seats reduce rear legroom.

Luggage capacity

Good, usable load space in all but the Twin Cam, RS1600 and early Mexico, which had a battery in the boot and spare wheel engulfing the floor. Estates are very practical even today.

Saloon: 10.3cu ft (292 litres)

Estate: 31.53cu ft (893 litres)

Unless it’s an AVO Mk1 with floor-mounted spare wheel, there’s plenty of luggage space in an old Escort – here in Mk2 Ghia guise.

Running costs

With lightweight bodies and relatively small engines, Escorts are remarkably frugal – only twin-carb RSs drink the juice. Servicing is cheap and simple on everything but twin-camshaft engines. Most repairs are easy, if not quite as inexpensive as you’d expect for a little old Ford.

Usability

Ideal family cars when new, Escorts are reliable, practical and still used on a daily basis by dedicated drivers. Just make sure you’re security-conscious.

Parts availability

Almost everything is available new or secondhand (including a world of modified parts), although trim (especially interior) can be difficult or virtually impossible to track down.

Parts cost

Mechanical components can come in at cheap-and-cheerful small-Ford prices, rising to supercar levels for specialist BDA engine parts. Body and trim costs follow a similar pattern – inexpensive for readily-available spares, but bearing a massive Rallye Sport premium for anything rare and/or desirable.

Insurance

Limited-mileage and classic car insurance is available for any model, meaning reasonable costs. Even ultra-rare and highly-modified Escorts shouldn’t be overly expensive to cover.

Investment potential

Cash in an old Escort is safer than money in the bank, but prices at the upper end have probably plateaued.

Alternatives

Ford Capri, Ford Cortina Mk1/Mk2, Opel Manta, Vauxhall Chevette, Vauxhall Firenza, Triumph Dolomite, BMW 1602/2002/E21.

2 Cost considerations

– affordable, or a money pit?

Purchase price

Do you buy an Escort with your heart or your head? If it’s the latter, you’re in a minority. Take time to stop and think before splashing out on that ‘barn-find’ restoration project – you could easily spend more rebuilding a wreck (especially if you hire someone else to do the work) than you’d pay for an excellent condition Escort outright.

If your budget is tight, it may be worth investing in a tatty but roadworthy example. Then you can enjoy Escort ownership while repairing when funds allow.

Parts prices fall into two distinct categories: the cheap, basic components shared by all variations of a popular family car; and the rare, expensive spares sought-after by concours-condition RS owners. There’s very little middle ground.

Parts prices (new, non-genuine unless stated)

Steering rack (exchange) lx35

Brake discs (pair) lx23.50

Brake pads lx7.50

Wheel bearing lx18.95

Track rod end lx11.75

Front coil spring lx20

Crossflow clutch kit lx50

Mk2 battery tray lx25

Mk1 front wing lx190

Mk2 front wing lx85

Mk2 rear light lx30

Mk1 indicators (genuine) lx195 pair

Mk1 front panel lx75

Mk2 front panel lx93

Mk1 slam panel lx52

H4 headlamp lx32

Mk2 grille lx140

Outer sill lx32

Floor repair section, front lx46

Floor repair section, rear lx53

Laminated windscreen lx80

Front windscreen rubber lx32

Carpet set lx140

RS2000 centre console lx150

Headlining lx102

Seat retrim lx650

RS badge on any Escort part adds a price premium – as these wide steel wheels will testify.

Mechanical components like this 1300cc Crossflow engine can be cheap and easy to replace.

Parts prices (secondhand – prices can vary enormously depending on condition)

Pinto 2.0 engine lx100

Crossflow 1.6 engine lx200

Crossflow gearbox lx35

Mk1 grille lx60

Mk2 grille lx80

Mk2 bonnet lx60

Mk1 door lx100

Twin Cam steel wheels (set) lx350

Mk2 Mexico steel wheels (set) lx150

Mk1 cloth back seat lx75

3 Living with an Escort

– will you get along together?

You don’t need to be an Escort obsessive to enjoy life with a Mk1 or Mk2 – but you’ll soon turn into one.

Rear-wheel-drive Escorts have a quick ability to get under your skin, and it’s fair to say most current owners have kept at least one example in their fleet for decades.

Similarly, countless competition drivers, motorsport workshops and performance car collections around the world have a sporting Escort kicking around – sometimes still for serious rallying, but often purely for fun. Escorts are simply addictive.

Needless to say, prices of particularly sought-after models (such as the ultra-rare RS1800, Twin Cam and RS1600) are beyond the reach of most pockets, and values of Escorts with famous motorsport careers are stratospheric.

But don’t let that put you off, because the Escort range really does offer something for everyone.

Despite the old age of Mk1s and Mk2s, most models are still perfectly capable of performing the everyday duties of a practical family car – especially in four-door form. Their cabins are a little cramped compared to modern hatchbacks, yet any (unmodified) Escort should seat four adults in relative comfort. Don’t expect electric windows, air conditioning, or even reclining seats on some models. Yet don’t be surprised to find an immediately inviting driving position and remarkably good ride quality (in a properly-maintained, unmodified machine).

Front seat belts were fitted to most Mk1s and virtually all Mk2s, with rears always optional in the latter. Static belts were common on early cars, but by now most have been retrofitted with inertia-reels.

The early RS1600 would be wonderful to own, drive and display