Having a discussion on FT.com about these cars. When my bro's missus was looking for one we went and viewd a car that was advertised and badged as a GTi. Thing is this car had a 1600 Zetec in it. Chap on FT says this isn't possible as they were all 1800's.

Did they do a 1600 GTi?

 

nope all 1800's

 

Absolutely 100% on that?

 

yep

 

not exactly

Ford released 2 gti's. one around 1996 which basically was a mexico with 5 doors and gti badges, nowt really special but it was a 1600

1997- they released the later more popular GTi which were ALL fitted with 1800's 115ps opposed to the earlier 105ps IIRC

the earlier ones were all 5 doors as well, with star style 14" alloys

 

Chris,

Was that earlier one not badged as a Mexico, and not a GTi?

 

nah, was badged as a gti, the badge itself looked very much like the early mk1 golf badges

the mk6 mexico was very limited and with the state of the interior trim im not surprised, very garish zebra thing going on, and that was nadged mexico, that was only 3 door tho

think ford were scared initially of launching a 3 dr gti

 

that car woz NOT officially a gti, on the log book it didnt say gti so therefore it aint, dnt matta wot the badge says

 

SO there was a 1600cc GTi then

 

NO

 

surly ornaoco knows what a proper mk6 gti looks like? i.e 5 spokes rims etc, them mexico jobbies sound totally different!

 

so why did ford sell them as gti's in 1996 then? my ex mrs dad had one from new and thats what sparked me off with mine, was same colour but on an N plate

taken from http://www.fordrsstuff.fsnet.co.uk/f...c5/Escort5.htm

they also list the brochure with gti's from 1997-

 

the early gti's didnt have skirts, leather or front fogs.

where the later ones did, if it doesnt have the above and a 1600 engine it could well be an early gti, if not someone has lobbed some gti badges on it

before '97 most escorts only ran the 1600 with the 1800 reserved for the xr3i in its 105 or 130 ps forms, the 1800 being more common in the mondeo at the time

ford then rebadged the range around '97 with the si getting the 1600 or 1800 and being similiar spec to the '96 gti's and then the 97- GTi's coming witht he 1800 and all the other goodies

sorry if im going on but im trying to distinguis a line between the 2 models during the times ford released either of them. as there was about 6 months gap between the 2

 

my mate had one in some funky blue and we used to take the piss out of him because the logbook said 1.6 mexico..

 

was it a 3 door?

 

na 5door

 

ok then, from my understanding is what ive put above

so thats all i can add

jus dunno why fords would sell a car as one thing (ie gti) and register it as something else (ie mexico, even when the mexico was a different model)

and mexico only really came in solid colours red etc

 

The buyers guide in Fast Ford says....... 5 door, 3 door and estate...ALL 1800cc

 

Apart from the early Si which had the 105 engine until 97 when the Si and GTi both had the 115

 

yeah, the si took over from the xr didnt it?

 

I think so.......... wish Ford would have made it more clear - when I was a Mk6 owner, even Ford called it a bloody Mk7

 

Confusion reigns.

 

innit! mk7 is a focus!

but as per the topic, afaik ford made a very poo 1600 gti around 96 but i would bother with it as the later one is better

 

Chrissy bwoy is spot on

 

thank fook!!!!! thort i was going mad!

 

I don't care now though

WHo wants to start the Mk7 Mk6 Escort deabte up

 

bar-steward

u dare!!!! pmsl!!!!

 

 

OI, my old cars interior was'nt that bad



and as said above all Mexico's came in radient (sp) red, with 14" cossie style alloys, and dodgy interior



I never did know if the skirts were standard or not though

 

Most manufacturers give the dealers a pre-printed V55 to register a new car and all he has to do is add the buyers details and the reg number, but if that is lost he can just fill in a blank one, and that is when the mistakes happen.

If the dipstick salesman at the dealership can't be bothered putting the correct detail on the form, DVLA just register it as whatever model he says, so long as the basic Escort/Sierra/etc matches.

 

mexicos also came in ash black and tourmallard green. as standard they had 14inch wheel trims that looked kinda like one of those gypsey suns. they had black bumpers as standard and they also come in 5door as my mum had one from new but we got the dealer to colour code the bumpers for us.

as for the gti argument, chrissy_boy is v v correct. and to throw another thing into the argument, the same special edition escort that had been mexico and gti was also at one point called a cabaret.

the end lol

 

There was not mk7 end of

 

as CB says pretty much. In 1996 there was a dealer special in the London area, it was just basically the lowest-spec LX's with Mexico wheel trims and colour coded higher-spec bumpers badged up as a GTi as a ploy to sell more old stock. They came in 1.4s and 1.6s and weren't anywhere near the kinda "proper" GTi spec, didn't even have alloys, skirts, half-leather or anything

then in 1997 (very few P-Plates, most are R and S), they released the "proper" GTi with all the extras and indeed they were all 115ps Zetec-E engines

 

and no, not all Mexicos were radiant, there were certainly some in ash black and tourmallard green too

 

and petrol blue.

god we're anoracks lol