Matt Tenpenny

Do any of you use your series 2 escort rs's as a daily driver to work etc etc.
can they be reliable?

i really want one but it would have to do a 30 mile round trip a day.

i currently drive a very reliable y reg fiesta zetec which has only done 37k and i wouldnt want to be making a mistake by swapping it for an escort rs.

any advice or opinions are very gladly recieved.

Matt

marky_g

yer i did with mine every day 30 mile round trip

loved it bit juicy was costin 10 quid a day but was fun

paul16v

I think you would be making a massive mistake.

rstdave

iTrader: (3)

To be totally honest i wouldn't bother unless you can afford to keep the fiesta for the daily grind....they're a 20 year old car now mate and therefore come with their problems, especially if you're relying on it everyday. Though i know some people do use them everyday and have few problems, you'd need to be handy with the spanners mind. I've had a series 2 for nearly 6 years now and i still love it, but i've got a van for work so can afford to leave it in the garage for a sunny day

Robs Frst

I use my fiesta rs turbo daily, do 40 mile round trip in the week, Never had a break down, gets used hard also.

RS1HEN

i use mine everyday

but as Dave said,
got a few little snags myself, which are just on going maintenance, almost sorted

Lambchop

iTrader: (1)

Total MADNESS imo!

Matt Tenpenny

ok cool, when the time comes id be lookin to spend roughly £2500. i want it as standard as possible. if was to pay that sort of money am i likely to find THE one or is it a case of,you get what you pay for?

id imagine that there are some s2's out there with lots of nastys hiding behined the bodykit!

RS1HEN

you've got to look and look again

£2,500 should get yourself something very reasonable

if anything, shell is more important than engine tho imho

Matt Tenpenny

oh yeah im not going to rush, just keep my eye out till the perfect one comes up. besides id have to sell the fiesta 1st!

Lambchop

iTrader: (1)

definitely. plenty rusty shitters out there!!! behind the bodykit can be SCARY!!

Lambchop

iTrader: (1)

so you've already made up your mind?

KEEP the fiesta then as well!

Patto

ran mine for 4 years dailly never had any major problems

Matt Tenpenny

lol,no my wife makes up my mind for me but i need as many reasons why i must have one as possible!!!

what are the main places i should be looking for rusty nastys? of course im not going to go stripping some guys pride and joy on his drive!

marky_g

2.5 k is gonna but a middel of the range car with tax and test a very good car thats had some work/resto will be over 3500/4000

i dont think id look to buy one to use every day as it will just keep havin problems i only used mine for a lil while i recently had to retire my xr3i from daily use as its gettin only and i feel like im ruining it

matts1

if you can get one as standard as possible and as solid as possible then it may be fine.

Just make sure you have home recovery breakdown and be prepared to do the odd fix. No power steering can be a binde, but no reason they couldn't be reliable if it is a tidy looked after car.

The more they are messed around with, often the more tempromental they can be.

Also consider things like theft, these cars are easy to steal compared to modern cars and so may be more at risk if being left in carparks etc for hours at a time.

Would think 2500 should get you a nice motor is you keep them peeled and dont rush a purchase.

Robs Frst

Check everything,

Matt Tenpenny

sounds like good advice matts1. my only running worry,is that i live at the end a carrage way thats a 70mph road so id have to let it warm up every morning!

vroooom ptssssh

I ran mine for about a year up and down the motorway, 20 miles a day (ok not a huge amount) but it got death and the only problem I ever had was a rocker studd pulling out the head a quick fix from a mate with a wurth insert and it was back to being drove fairly hard! 80 miles to 20 quid, I couldnt complain!

Oranoco

I ran my S2 RST and my FRST for many years as daily drivers, never had a sniff of bother with either.

Lambchop

iTrader: (1)

and the ERST isnt a rusty shit heap?

sure you posted before about it?

phil_rs

iTrader: (3)

Buy one that has had everything done including an efi conversion, which would be a more reliable option

RobL

i used one as a daily runner about 10 years ago,doing around a 30 mile round trip for work and never had no problems but it did only have around 75k on the clock

Dar-rst

i use mine everyday too, just gotta keep on top of everything and maintain it proply, just like said a tad juicey lol

Oranoco

It wasn't. It suffered unfortunately when I tucked it away in a garage for almost 3 years being sensible to move on with stuff with my cheating whore of an ex. If I'd known then what I know now I wouldn't have laid the car up at all.

Lambchop

iTrader: (1)

so it got rusty sitting in a garage but was fine before? woooah must've been damp

Oranoco

It probably had issues on the way anyway but to be fair it is a 20 year old car.

Lambchop

iTrader: (1)

That was my point...

Say there are no issues but there are really. I know all too well what happens to mk4 escort's

Oranoco

All I know is it sailed the MOT prior to being put away and when I got it back out the sills had gone and the rear chassis rails needed TLC. To be fair it could be patched easily enough but I want to do the job right. I probably could have had it welded up for a couple of hundred quid but I want a repair that will last.

rs_daz

I can think of many nice comfy cars to commute to work in and a 1989 Ford Escort isnt one.
I drove one for about 2 years everyday to work etc didnt have any massive problems odd dizzy breaking down , Munching threw front tyres as it was low and the crazy fuel costs.
Last mot i put it through failed on alot of rot and my mate the mot tester basicly told me to fuck it off asap as it needed alot of welding. Rust buckets.

Mungus

I use mine everyday, 37 mile trip. Returned her to standard for reliability as well as it looking more pleasing to the eye. I get 140 miles to £20.00 which with local fuel prices gives me 34 mpg!!

Love it.... and the reason why I use it everyday...... because I have a garage full of parts if I do have a problem and it costs me minimal compared to more modern car nonsence!!

So why do I now want a cossie?!!! lol

Huw

acecraig

i used to use my s2 as a daily drive done about 200 miles a week or so. usaly driven hard at weekends but was mostly canny during the week as i left the house at about 6 so dont think my neighbours were to happy about it ticking over in the morning lol but ye i never had any major problems just minor set backs lol but over all it was fairly reliable

adam r.s.t

just get 1!

yellowsierra

When i had mine i used it in anger all the time and i worked in Calaise in France and used to commute and drive it around while i was there, great car
Two guys i worked with used to hate it however, one had a vr6 and the other had a m3
I used to stay with them all the time, great times i had

st3v3

ran my old RSturbo for 5 years as a daily driver, short and long distance,never ever missed a beat,except for the loom wire broke on the battery, 10 mins later all good again.

the thing i would say, is dont rush in to buying one, get the most standard one you can afford and personally, i think £2500 wont be enough to get what you want.

Matt Tenpenny

awsome,thanks for all the info guys. i think im gonna take my time on this one. but on the whole it doesnt sound too bad an idea. at the end of the day its gonna be standard and it will be given plenty of tlc all the way with servicing etc.

thanks again