stu20004x4

I quite liked my gti, bought it at 19 as i couldnt afford a cossie and couldnt get insured on an rs2000 at the time, i did struggle with the gti but it helped being a 4 door version!

R952GKP was the reg and i check on it regular, still on the road somewhere!

I remember when the mk1 focus first came out, i remember sitting in one the day i traded the gti in and it felt like sitting in a van!

Agrre on the mexico, pointless version of a classic

GVK.

I was reffering to the mk4/5 that the Sierra replaced.

RSmark84

Fully disagree with that, The FRST is a great little car. I never had an opinion on them but always liked the look of them. may not handle as great as an ERST, but a neat little car.

The Crocodile Hunter

We'll have to agree to disagree then.

You really think they look chav compared to say a 3 door, escos or a especially mk2 frs? When considering the era's they were released in obviously. I love a 3 door but can imagine what some people thought they looked like in 1986!

Personally I think the handling was was groundbreaking for a fwd car, are you of the opinion a mk5 rs2000 or s2 was better?

They could have done better than the blue bits inside tho

vaughant

iTrader: (1)

Probe by a long way, nothing at all good about them.
The escort gti was simply a marketing ploy as I worked for ford at the time and every man and his dog had one, slower than my mk2 golf gti 8v at the time which weren't particularly quick cars, but they sold well with the fancy kit, alloys and 1/2 leather trim.
Mk3 xr2i was a dead duck as well but looked quite pretty I suppose.
Even the xr3i mk4 was a pretty sad car back in the day but now of course fetching good money. When you think back vauxhall were ahead of the game a bit back then with the mk2 Astra offering power steering, quick little 2.0 8v motor, more equipment as standard etc. The 2.0 16v was an ace machine as well with the funky digidash etc.

TIL13R

I would say a FRST would out handle a ERST everyday of the week...

Both great Fast Fords tho...

martysmartie

iTrader: (1)

But even so, it has the same running gear as a Cortina.

Martin

gcfcos

Astra gtes much better than xr3is but did love all the old mk3 xrs I had

massivewangers

iTrader: (1)

In regular Group A trim they looked basically standard. The Kit Car regulations allowed body modifications in much the same way as the WRC regulations allowed the Escort Cosworth to sprout wider arches and new spoilers.

Mechanically it was pretty far-removed from the road car, just as the Cosworth was.

There were a couple of gearbox options. A couple of cars used a Quaife six speed sequential but most used an Xtrac six speed sequential. For the 1997 Manx Gwyndaf's car was fitted with a development seven speed version that was later used in a race variant of the cars.

chris cdti

I didn't know it had a 7 speed box in on that rally 😃

massivewangers

iTrader: (1)

I think there were only about three made for the Escort. There was a race series in the Czech Republic for kit cars and it was designed for that really, but GSE decided to try it in the rally car too.

It was a shame he went off, he should have won the championship again that year, definitely appeared to have the pace.

Glenn_

iTrader: (1)

Werent the Astras a poor handling car??

GVK.

Mk2 Astras when standard never felt as planted as the RSTs and mk2 Golfs of the day, but then even the mk2 Golfs of which I had 5 of over the years never were handled as good as the motoring press would have you believe. Unless you modded them,of course..

Never owned a mk2 Astra but neighbour had one I used to drive often, never felt as planted as the other cars mentioned above. As mentioned the 16v engine in the Astra was proper, and is still used today in a lot of forms of competition up to and above 300hp n/a!

Glenn_

iTrader: (1)

Why do the motoring press big up cars when they arnt that good. Do these motor companys give them a load of cash to say good things.

gcfcos

I've had numerous mk2 astra gtes and by far my most favourite hot hatch after the mk3 xrs which are my fave. The astras were just so more powerfull being a 2.0 but the back ends used to step out on them if u weren't carefull. A nice set of lowering springs and they were sorted only sold my mint mk2 gte a couple of years ago when the Cossie needed some cash spending on it lol :-(

RSmark84

I find my ERST handles better than my FRST, I cant quite put my thumb on it... Maybe more so the steering isn't as responsive as I believe the Escort is. Also I find when I hit high speeds Its a lot tram like than I expect.. But it has Gmax suspension which I believe to be a bit 'crashy'.

mattxr3i

Throw the GMAX suspension in the bin. I had it on my track car briefly and when I put the SPAX kit on, the car was transformed. I would also say that the standard suspension was better too.

I too think the mk3 Fiesta wasn't a good handling car, comparing the XR2i to the XR3i mk4 - the XR3i was far better

gcfcos

I had a 60mm lowering kit on my old orion, was horrific on the roads round my way :-(