Best and only advise there is on the subject.

Wait untill u can afford a real one

You cant see it now, (we've all been there one way or another), but you will regret it.

Why not "lower" your standards, and spend the same if not less money on something like an Rs Turbo.

You will be proud of it
People wont point and laugh at you down the street
When you sell it you WILL get your money back
And i dare say a standard rst will be cheaper to insure than a escos rep!!!

When i was at uni over 6 years back, i was so bored, one day i bought a S1 rst on the internet. was a basket case, not been on the road for 8 years, and was in bits, most chucked in the car and half of it missing.
no wheels no interior etc.
£600 i paid for it and the chap trailered it from manchester to essex for an extra £100.

here it is:



I sold it 2 years ago just shy of £6000k

The total restoration (including buying the car, painting it, mot and tax) which I did myself and with help from a mate (as i had no money to pay anyone) Cost me about £3000.

Many hours hunting on ebay and at ford shows, but thats how i kept costs down.

Dont forget this was an S1, and parts were hard to find even back then.
If you bought something like say a complete mot fail S2, then it wouldnt take much money or skills to bring it back to life.

dont forget also with RS's standard it the new modification, i gurantee if u do the car to factory spec you will instantly make it more desireable.

And as for "what about the speed?"

Well an escos rep is gna be dog slow and a standard rst will piss over it anyway.

And also in the bigger picture, power and speed are really not as exciting as u think.

As you get older u realsie your not the next colin mc rae and your not indestructable.
It normally takes a prang, brush with the law or a even loosing a mate to realise this.
400bhp if immense fun, but unless you on the track, its really not that great.
And also the "hunger" for more power will never go away



Also recenlty i bought a 1993 LUX Big Turbo Escort Cosworth, and i have to tell you. for me it has been a case of

"You should never meet your heros"

or to quote a song

"when all of your wishes are granted, many of your dreams will be destroyed"

dont get me wrong it was a great car, but the novelty soon wore off.



I really hope you read this advise and have a serious think. Its very easy to dream and get fixated on something (i do it all the time, im looking at 911 turbos at the mo, even tho i really shouldn't).

The trick is to look foward, at the bigger picture.

Something like a standard RST you have restored your self will not only give you far greater pleasure and satisfaction, but also come resale day, all that hard work and money you should come away with a profit or at the least break even.

hope this has helped.