hello all, first post and new to this forum do hello..i may need your help

after 4 years of owning an integrale, M3EVO cab and a bonkers corsa turbo, I can wait no more and have decided to buy the car that i have always loved since i was a spotty 13 year old back in 1996. in no rush to buy but i think i need the help of people who know about them. i didnt think it could be so bloody hard.lol.

1. big turbo vs small turbo debate. am confused on this one as big turbo model can be built to take more power right? but which is most sought after, worth more?

2. with massive selection of mods out there i'm in 2 minds whether to go for a relatively standard and see how i go power wise, then build one myself, or would you recommend buying one thats already had the money thrown at it? to help me with this it would be handy if i knew approx build costs (done properly) for each stage. ie 300bhp..... 350-400bhp.....450bhp +

3. i cant even pick the bloody colour i want as escort cossys look good in any colour. gut instinct tells me pacifica blue, petrol blue. black (the dark one) and grey. are there premiums for any of these and does colour make much difference to price?

any help greatly appreciated. i have a budget of around 11-12k ideally but could go a bit higher. just can't go towards the 15k mark just yet.

thanks

 

best advice i can give is wait till youve got 15k budget before you look,this will give you time to do a bit of research ,then you should be able to find a really nice example,either standard or modded,if you look now at the 11/12k price range you will have your work cut out trying to find a good one esp if you dont know anything about them and it could easily end up costing you more in the long run than buying a 15k one to start with

 

first off mate dont look for a colour.you are better going for the best cleanest example you can find.
although,if i was to buy i would want polaris grey or gloss black.

as for st/bt....the st engine is better,stronger and should be more reliable and now is just as tunable as the bt but both are good anyway.

there is alot to look for to be honest and if i were you i would scrape together 15k also to make sure you get a goodun.a cheap one will cost you a fortune very soon no doubt.

and take someone who knows them with you!

oh and try www.escortrscosworth.com for more info and very helpful,friendly people

 

my advise to you would be dont be scared to travel and dont buy the first you see i was over excited at the thought of my first escos and rushed in,only had it a month and the head blew so i stripped it and it was completely shagged so been off the road for 7 months getting rebuilt ,dont let this happen to you history is important and if you are concerned about anything at all post up on here the guys have pointed me in the right direction many times,good look im sure you will find the right car not many about now though so be patient

 

thanks for the advice guys. so no disadvantage getting a ST model then?

just been looking through cars for sale.does anyone know of this white 92 model asking £9000

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/396144.htm

K740 EHK. looks like it could have had a bump.
is it worth a look for the money?

is this a car from somebody off here?this looks to have had a few quid spent.

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/416140.htm

thanks

 

might be worth telling you in case you dont already know, the motorsport versions dont have electric or heated mirrors,no heated screen,no electric windows or rear opening windows or recaros etc etc, they were made to be converted to rally cars so have no electric goodies or extras,although you may find some that have been built up from parts and described as m/sport versions this is why you need to know what youre buying

 

That belongs to andyrs on here Dont think he's selling it now...

 

imo avoid the first one.you dont want to be replacing the qurter due to the rusty filler.not easy to find and fit.
as for the 2nd.a very good car with no expense spared.as said it is andy's off here and www.escortrscosworth.com.thinkhe is keeping now but if he does sell it is well worth it imo.

 

escort cossies below 15k id say would need need a bit of tlc and a half unknown past. save up pal

 

hello, when you say intergrale,was it a left hooker???????

 

yes mate, it was a 1990 16v,had done 80k, mint with history and never gave me no probs over the 18 month i had it as a young 20 year old,(classic insurance rules!)
was a left hooker.
this car along with the cosworth was my dream car at school and i will have another some day.
it took me 6 months and 4 trips up and down the country to find one nice at the right price so i will do the same again with my next purchase.

 

Try to find your nearest RS meet to view a few cars & see the condition that some can come in, also National day is a good place to view loads in one place. Owners love to talk about their cars so a mine of information for any newbie.
Good luck with your search.

 

they say a left hand drive intergrale is the way it should be,and i say the same about the
Escort Cosworth too!!!!!!

 

thanks guys,
that isnt a bad idea as i can imagine me falling in love with the first one i see and getting legged up.
i bet one that i would think is in good condition would seem average/rough by your standards, so going to meet is probably a good idea to get an idea of comparative conditions.
good advice, thanks

 

i got used to the left hooker after about a month,,,, but it was when i was having a blast down some bendy b road that i didnt feel confident...in short i could only feel confident driving the car hard in a straight line which sort of defeats the object of having an integrale. and i look after and respect my cars, i dont abuse them like a chimp.lol.

i have gone through stages with my cars and have never kept them very long as i have always wanted something faster and could never be happy.
1. INTEGRALE = fast, legendary icon similar to the cosworth imo.
2. M3 EVO in estoril blue = posers chariot ...let down imo
3. stripped out 2.2 CORSA TURBO (280 BHP) = mad, mental skyline killer.......in a straight line horrendous on a bend.chav reputation.

now its time to buy something that is like 1 and 2, and is nice just for me,even though it might not be the fastest thing on the planet, i dont care anymore as there is always something faster out there.
i think i will buy a nice escort cosworth and be satisfied for a long time...at least thats the plan

dunno why i went on this rant...just felt like sharing why i want one of these and why i want to get it right.....if only money grew on trees i would get the mintest one out there

 

what do you think to these examples? all seem to be in my price bracket.

ash black, 2 owners ,full?history?. 90kmiles. around £10k
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1995-Ford-Esco...em140218121472

red, 72k, full history, would take around £11k, some mods
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...:X:RTQ:GB:1123

or this?...........400bhp harvey gibbs engine. probably around £11k.full history upto 87k +bills..now got 97k on clock????
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...:X:RTQ:GB:1123

thanks

 

They look ok from the ad but you don't know when those pictures were taken etc.What ever you do make sure you "Try before you Buy". Cars can look great in a picture but awful in real life, as we all know. I'd say wait til you have seen a few that aren't for sale, I know the feeling when you have money burning a hole in your pocket but Cosworth ownership isn't cheap & buying the car is just the start.