I've had my Saph for 2 years now which I absolutely love, however had I known then what I know now I think I probably would have got a MK 2 Escort.

I love my Saph to bits, everybody who's seen it comments on how mint it is and I've spent thousands on it the whole time trying to keep it looking and running as standard as possible, it's low mileage, 3 owners, never been chipped or messed about with.

I'm now debaiting whether to sell it and get a MK2 but really don't know what I'm letting myself in for as it's hard enough trying to get replacement parts for a 1991 car, let alone on from the late 70's/early 80's.

What advice can you give me, am I mad or should I go with my heart? What are they like to own? How quick are they? Also, what sort of money should I be looking at paying for a good example as there seems to be very little advice about.

Any advice would be appreciated

Paul

 

Hi there if you are talking about a MK2 RS2000 or mexico anything from 7k upwards will get you a fairly decent car..They arent quick at all in standard form & its not a good idea to use one everyday dry weather cars only now..parts can be expensive to buy now there is silly things fetching a fortune on ebay..Best to spend decent cash & buy the right car & enjoy it..

 

Yeah, I've been looking at the RS2000. There seem to be some nice ones coming up for sale around that kind of price mark.

Certainly it'd be a dry weather car (anybody who knows me will tell you how pampered the Saph is)

Most tend not to list the mileage or show the number of previous owners etc. Should these figures really be a concern to me on a car that's give or take 30 years old? Same goes for service history and that. Again essential with a newer car, but what are you opinions when looking at a MK2?

 

To be honest i havent seen many with service hostory a guy round the corner from my work bought one thats original with history could do with a bit of a tidy he is going to get it painted he paid Ł8700..My car has only 6 owners which is ok but no history..But the main thing is its complete & not rotting in any way for me & if you get history with it its a bonus as there isnt alot left now so beggers cant be choosers.Rust is the main thing in a mk2 best to travel & wait for the right car coming along but you need to be quick theyre never for sale long

 

Thanks, much as I expected then. If it's a goodun, it's a goodun!!

Thanks Carlo

 

The main thing with a mk2 is to make sure its an RS shell if thats what your buying and the body condition. Its easy to get caught out with a nice paint job that hides filler and rust.

 

Im the 12th owner of my 1600 sport and that has no history! Doesnt bother me though.
I think it only matters to all the concours boys.

 

Hi paul after we sold you the sapph i went and bought a mk1 2dr escort running a 2ltr efi pinto, after i painted it and we fucked about getting it right diff wise ect it was a great car and i loved it plus looks wise its the bollocks but in all honesty the sapph is much easier to live with, if you worry about taking te cossie out you will never want to take the escort out i`m a massive fan of mk2 rs2k`s but i`m too worried about some fucker nicking it or damaging it i mean just driving my mk2 1.6 4dr at the start of he summer was bad enough.............

i have a sapph again now and to be honest thats where ill stay unless we move and get somewhere safer to keep an rs2k

 

I love the mk2 escort but not the lame RS2000.
I had a mk2, was a 1.3auto to start with, but soon had a breathed on 1.7 xflow in there, but kept the 1.3 torque convertor.
I loved it's simplicity, ease of driving fixing, tail out fun esp in the wet, was not a patch on the twisties though compared with sierra, comfort was quite good, performance even from auto, which I revalved was excellent, beating my mates 2.0i ghia sierra manual with ease, absolutely slaughtered it.
Panels are not a problem as a large following still, easier to repair bodywise than sierra etc, but very basic features inside wise, better heater than my sierra though!!
I would have one as an everyday car, just put up with it's shortcomings for the grin factor.
I had spax gas adjusties on mine with uprated leaf and coil springs, poly all round, running a 40 DFI carburettor, got 35/40 mpg and around 125mph, on a 3.54:1 diff, from a escort 1.6GHIA.
tabetha

 

try and get a mk.2 aswell as the sierra,best o fboth worlds then.

 

In my dreams and with the garage space of course!!

I wouldn't dare leave either out overnight especially with all the bad posts I keep seeing at the minute on here and the RSOC about cars disappearing in the night.

I actually saw an old Escort MK1 or MK2 a week or so back in Watford that is actually chained to an anchor point on his drive outside his house. How bad is that??

 

There is a MK2 escort ghia 4 door near me that has not moved for years, would make a nice project for someone with the time/money.
tabetha

 

hows a mk2 escort rs2000 lame lol

i had a mk2 1.6 xflow escort back april time and i remember at the time people telling me how great the xflows are what a piece of shit all it kept doing was breaking, the car was a beast with proper suspension ect but the engine was just shit and this isnt the first xflow ive had.......... infact every xflow ive had has just simply been a waste of fucking time and effort.

the mk1 1300sport we have has a lovely 2ltr S capri engine and box ready to go in after calling it a day fucking around with xlfows, we do still have a 105e with a 1700 xflow here and a 100e with a xflow but they will both be gone soon cos guess what.......... the engines just dont cut it any more and the old man is sick of looking at them

 

It is ONLY my opinion about the RS2000 being lame, maybe I was expecting too much after my x flow, 170 AUTOMATIC, which slaughtered my mates RS2000, after him giving it all the gob, I was just of the opinion they could have been something a lot better.
As for your x flows, I can't comment as didn't build them, but it is without doubt one of the most tuned engines in history, and in 2 litre form(AX) kills any pinto easily for the money spent versus power.
I know it is ancient, but why fix something that does not need fixing?
tabetha

 

well this is it mate everyone kept saying to me yeah xflows are great ect ect but it seems out of the 5 ive had only one has been any good and even then i wasnt impressed so maybe i was also expecting too much

ive never had an rs2k mk2 but my mates has had two and both were real quick plus when i had my pinto mk1 it was so much faster than the xflow mk2 i had

so bottom line is mk2`s are rude but engines for them is down to personal preference

 

As you say all different, would be boring and expensive if we all wanted the same thing!!
tabetha

 

you could get a 4 door model, a lot cheaper.