GOT2BZETEC

The saph i just love the sleeper image, people give them filthy looks not having a clue of there capabilitys! And some of the saphs on here look amazing, ie Guzzlers!

I know i will get shot fot this but im not a fussed on the 3dr but i respect them for what they are!

Escorts looks awesome Thats all i have to say on that.

From what i know they aint the most reliable car, butfor the money and what you can do for not much more they are amazing and what a following.

I am like a lot of people on this thread and have never driven one, being 17 i wont for anwhile, but they will alway be a dream and i also will have one!

abdr500

iTrader: (1)

Lee Reynolds, the problem is youv owned 4x4 make it rear wheel drive and its a difrent story .i know i have and its the best all round for power handling and looks..

Rippers

Personally I love Escort Cosworths and will have one.. one day!
but I think most are way over priced at Ł12K plus

Wazzzer

I love the Esc Cos as well but I know I'll never be able to afford one now so it will just have to be a dream car

AGAR-COSWORTH

Good topic this

Anyway heres my two cents:

Firstly i don't own a cossie but have been hooked on them ever since i can remember knowing about them (approx age 4 years)

Even the oldest cossies are knocking on the door of being 10 years old - most have lived a hard life (just like any other performance car) and theres bound to be numerous cars with problems -

1. Rust
2. Being trashed
3. Not being well maintained/serviced
4. Poor mods buggering the whole car (ie boost valves etc without supporting mods)

....thats just to name a few problems.

In standard form even the mintest/low miler cossie of anytype will seem sluggish and not as driveable as modern day equivalents - but what can you expect from a cosworth atleast 9 years out of date. Thats why when i own one i will be tunning it and will have it running spot on, no flat spots, no lag, very revvy etc

The one thing that has always attracted me to the Ford Cosworth name has been the sheer "underdog" factor associated with it. When i mention Cosworth to most people they don't have a clue, whereas say Evo/Scooby they know what they are and to respect them. I think it makes the Cosworths a little bit more exclusive for me than any other type of car make in the world - even the likes of an M5 doesn't cut it in terms of respect i'd have for the owner since ALOT of high powered cars these days are bought for the whole "show" factor. I like how many a time Ford Cosworths have proven themselves on track when before in paddock no one batted an eye over them and were all sourounding M3's etc. I also think the old age factor adds to the whole effect too

In standard form here is my preference of Ford Cosworths:

1. Large Turbo Escos
2. Saff 4x4 Cos
3. Small Turbo Escos
3. RS500
4. Saff rwd Cos
5. 3dr Cos

Andreas

Own one since 1993 so I know how its like when evolution leaves you behind. Its old buckets by know but the fact ppl still respect them and the grin factor it gives me I doubt I will change car. Woulndt mind a new, modern, quick daily runner too but as weekend car the cossie stays.

aduz

imo half the people who have cossys cant afford to run them ...thats why half the people who have them hardly drive them

Apart from that cozzys are fast engines and to be honest thats all thats special about them..the engines ..although i do love the look of the old 3 door

Jay,

iTrader: (4)

well ive spent nearly 2 years building mine from a shell up buying a smashed one ect because like others here wanted one for years an when i got it out on the road my first reaction was what a shonky piece of shit , but after runin it in and doin a stage 3 conversion and sortin endless reliability probs out im getin used to it still have the fell to sell it an go jap , then i get it outa the garage an think i built this an its a fuckin animal and for the money the saff cost dont think you can buy better, parts are mega cheap against jap stuff

escorts are to pretty lol and i dont really understand why there that price . think the 3 door and especaily the escort are stand out posers cossie unique in there looks where the saffy was a well a saffy is just a saffy

built mine on a budget cant afford it but i own ever inch of it rather than owing 20 grand to a finance house thats a good thing to imo

jay

john_p_b

iTrader: (4)

pretty much as most other ppl have said, it's the grin factor, the fact that so many ppl dismiss them as old fords and nothing else until they get to see one pulling past their 50 grand BMW or merc

for me it's a childhood dream thing. used to go watching the sapphires at donnington back in the day and though wow! one day i'll have one of them. well 14 years later i've got one and love it to bits. i'm one of the many that spend more time looking at it and rubbing it than actually driving it before national day i was starting to have thoughts of selling the saph, sell my other motors and just get one nice practical every day car.......then i had 2 laps at donnington plus the drive there and back and thought fook selling it! i'm not gonna say i'll keep it for ever etc etc cos i won't but i'll hold on to it as long as i can! only time i'm gonna sell it is when i have to buy a house of my own.

Gra

great post

All i really wanted was a cossie, and loved everymintue of mine really top car really met some nice poeple (and gays ones eh Keith ) and sadly do miss my cossie alot (but wasnt happy with it for obvious reasons ). But looking back i think i was mad spending soooo much circa Ł12K on a 1990 sapphire cossie (thats not including buying it either), but before the white wheels and morrettes etc i used to get alot of people of all ages coming up to me in garages and car parks etc asking about it and speaking fondly of cossies which was nice, plus the performance is damm good per pound, it does look increasingly doubtful i will ever own one again however, as i was looking at getting an Esc cos a little while back but i am unconvinced about any cossie as a reliable everyday family car (2 kids and aball and chain) plus I think my RS turbo may prove a fookin great cheap track toy that whilst it wont set the world on fire speed wise its cheap to run and if it goes wrong i can fix it cheap enuff, which is something I know i cant say about cossie

Dan Cossie

I must say it was a dream of mine to own a cossie from a young age.So i scrimped and saved and got a loan so just after my 18th birthday i bought my 2wd.Stage 1 and nothin special as i was only young and i must say the ONLY reason i had to sell it was as i was payin Ł5500 insurance and at 18 it was killing me...so for now im stickin with my Xrts and Rs Turbos.But i know in a few months when the Rs is sold i will be straight out to get another one...
They are one some of the best cars ever made and the Smile factor as i called it cos it always made me happy is better than any car i have been in....includin familys ferraris and 400bhp skylines.

So NO they are not overrated people of all ages know exactly what they are and what the are capable of..
WELL DONE COSWORTH

BEC_400

If we could drive everywhere flat out then the cossie would be one of the best cars availible, but at normal speeds they are either bareble or downright annoying.

It still suprises me though just how good my 4x4 is even though its had alot of work and a 400brake scs engine.Considering its age and mileage its still bloody awesome on a charge,i really like the nimbleness of it and the never ending performance,Ford really built these cars well when you consider the abuse they take.

The problem the cossie has now is justifying the expense needed to make it useble and enjoyable,and deciding wether you want to pump all that money in to an old car when you could have a much newer car for the same money.

pee vee

I like em, and thats allll i need to know (for myself)

it dont bother me what they are rated as.
its usually 'well its a ford sierra int it'

new cars May well be better.. But i'd bloody hope so for that money too!!

phil4x4saph

I wasnt really looking for a cossie. Although I always had a respect for them and used to watch them on the RAC rally when I was a kid.

My last few cars had been 405Mi16, Golf Gti16v, 205 GTi, All front wheel drive, 4cyl transverse engine - and I fancied something a bit different.

I looked at all sorts of stuff - seriously considered a V8 SD1 Rover for a while!
Then I discovered early 2wd Sapphires were in my price range - but all the ones I saw were horrible.

Eventually I found a mint 4x4.

The engine is awesome - straight line speed still supprises me now. But the sierra bits leave me cold.

I think the normal sierra isnt a very nice car.
So the Cossie is a not very nice car - that goes like fuck!

After the hot hatches - Ive got very little confidence in the Sierras wooly handling and if anything I drive slower in the cos than I did in the others.

RSCossieGaz

iTrader: (6)

i agree with your points there paul you have somed it up

but these days owning a cossie you have to be an enthusiast i think,putting up with the hassle when it breaks etc etc.................but i wouldnt have anytthing else,well nothing that aint an RS

DAN P

iTrader: (1)

i have wanted a cossie since i was about 15 i love 3 doors and escos but i love my saff it is such a fun car and nice car to drive power is nice and handling is spot on will have mine for a good few years

Lee Reynolds

cheers for the input guys...good to read!

Jacko, it aint that mate...i love the beemer i really do. If i do get another cos or RS the bmw will be staying!

Mr RS500

iTrader: (6)

Lee ,, a good post with some great replies

YOU WILL BE BACK ,,lol,,

Nice bmw, tho

Damo V

Not read thread properly, but thought i would let you know your white one is back up for sale I believe

Lee Reynolds

well i know sadly Ray has had some health problems...i just hope hes ok and thats not why hes selling

TWoods

I think its more of a generation thing most affordable cars around now are fwd under 150hp liketobe gti's but 10-15yrs ago people could afford 4wd and rwd cars which were more exciting making the cossie name popular.

Years ago i drove both saph and escort cossie in standard trim and was let down the interior was tacky, the driving experience wasnt smooth nor sporty i mean it had some poke but when ya not gunning it doesnt feel inspiring the ride is bad at best but the chassis does come alive as you near its limits. Saph is ugly but the escort is one of the most awe inspiring things i ever seen.

Its truely an enthusiasts car becuase it has many faults and problem yet its history and reputation masks everything.

dave cos4x4

iTrader: (5)

With not having mine on the road i have not missed it at all,driving wise.




Dave.

wimwerf

for me a cosworth was the ford to have....afterall..i went for a 4wd saph...because there practical because i have a family....my wife drives it very much...

she dont like the car till she drives it.....so love the rush of the mid range torque...

for me the escos and the 3dr/rs500 are the nicest cossies....but the best wulf in sheep clothes is the saph.....a powerfull rwd cossie is nothing for my wife..so it was the 4wd version for us.....the best allround cossie IMO

and here the cosworth name is a little bit unknown on a ford car.....much better then a scooby you see here on every corner of the street.....love the sub drives face if he got slayed by a ford big time...

Jay,

iTrader: (4)

well since mines had greens ect fitted it beats scoobies with confidence my mates evo fq300 i can do that to but think the jap is well.......... to much playstation smooth and most behave like they drive themselves and cossie aint takes sum balls to drive one hard coz there are drivers cars and will bit if u aint careful

jay

svony

iTrader: (3)

My love for the cossies has always been from afar since they were never sold here in the states. Some Escorts made there way here but at $40-$60K I can't justify spending that much for a car with no warranty that no one knows how to fix if something goes wrong... it's a Ford so you something will.

About a year ago I had an opportunity to buy an entire low mileage Sapphire 4x4 drivetrain here in the states an thought how cool would it be to convert a US Merkur XR4Ti into a 4x4 cossie powered 3dr replica. It's been about 4 months since the conversion has been completed and my 4x4 Merkur has been running great and putting a smile on my face everytime I drive it especially now since Norris mapped me a stage 2 chip. No real issues or complaints but then again my car is not a daily driver, also I think my expectations are the same of any of the Fords I've owned in the past...call it what you want it's still a F.O.R.D - Fix-Or-Repair-Daily, Found-On-Road-Dead, Fucked-Over-Rebuilt-Dodge and of course my favorite First-On-Race-Day.

I'm a big fan of preventive maintenance, so when I built my car I rebuilt or replace everything I could afford that could possible go bad, headgasket, sensors, hoses, leads, etc. My nearest tuner is across the pond so I'm on my own here.

Wes.

TWoods

Thats a very good point and one of the major reasons why i respect cossies they are difficult cars to drive fast and from what iv heard and read from previous race drivers they are the most tricky and unforgiving cars to race but when you get it right its like touching god. Anyone who owns a cossie an drives it on the edge and pull out mind blowing lap times gets my respect!

I seen evo's and scoobies put in outstanding times but deep down i think its more the cars electronics than the drivers skill which to me isnt as impressive as a cossie an driver in harmony at blistering pace.

Lee Reynolds

do u miss the saff, dave?

dave cos4x4

iTrader: (5)

Ahhhhh!!

Just wrote a fookin big page and i got an invalid session!


Well Lee, no i don't miss the saff.

Well happy with the escort and i will rebuild it.

Really like the 3 doors and if i were to have one it would have to be a 4x4 converted one for obvious reasons.

But my ultimate RS is the escort so will have one of them as long as possible.

Hope you are happy with whatever car you get next Lee, please enjoy it.


Dave.

Mark V8

iTrader: (2)

My stage 2 4x4 Sapphire was 100 % reliable but the lack of low down grunt meant I could never get that interested in it For day to day stop start driving the low comp. engine is too damn small for all the work being asked of it, especially the 4x4 with all the transmission loss.
No way on earth I would buy another one.

Mark

The DIVA

iTrader: (3)

Was starting to get a bit down about my cossie,thinking i`d like to go jap,and then i had a word with good mate and realised what they are all about,now i am in love with the old girl again.....I know its a 15 year old bucket of bolts but its all bolts that i personally put together when i built her,and i will keep modding her until i run out of ideas,thats the thing for me i think,the personal involvement with every part of the car that makes it special.....

As for the reliability thing i think thats been blown out of all proportion,cossies are NOT unreliable cars if you put them together properly and can afford to look after them........I ran my last one for 60k without a single breakdown... .....
half the problem is that people are trying to run them on too tight a budget and they are definitely NOT a budget car..................Yes they are an enthusiasts car so if you know nothing about them mechanically you are gonna pay fairly big dollar for someone else to do the work.....

Which also leads us into another cossie problem,every fooker is a cossie "expert",. ,How many cars have been unfairly maligned because some hamfisted fuckwit has told the owner he is an "Expert" and fooked up the car good and proper.. ...The poor car then gets the blame because after all cossies are UNRELIABLE......

At the end of the day your cossie is what you make it,and despite its age its a bloody good package to start with..........Where the fook else could you have soooooo much fun for 5-6k without going to jail......

Dont think ill ever be without one now.......

bullsrs

Never owned one but have driven a few, escort cos is the hardest looking car ever, 3dr is a legend, sapph is the ultimate sleeper. only thing stopping me getting one is that i dont have a garage at my house, and the only way the chavs learnt to breakdance in my area is cos they will try and get the wheels off a moving car, so i wont leave it in the street overnight.

cossiecrew

saph 2wd wicked motor for kicking out the rear and donuts but standard form look poo

4x4 saph same shit standard looks and tame being 4x4

3 door propper old school with lots of street cred and mint for tail out action

esc cos deffo the best looking but cant comment on anything else about it as ive never owned 1 but am considering 1 as my next cossie

DooerEvo1

I've owned a lot of nice cars being in the job i'm in from Series 1 customs and non customs,MK2 Escorts,series 2 RST,Fiat strada 130 tc Abarth's,Nissan 300zx twin turbo's the list goes on i loose count.But the car's i always come back to are the Lancia delta integrale Evo's and the 3 door cossie,both i am lucky enough to own at the moment and if i'm being honest out of the two motors i drive the grale more because i think she's the most beautiful looking thing in the world and everyone looks,and i'm always thinking to myself sell the 3 door but every time i go out in it the old ford just makes me smile its a nostalgia thing and the fact the old 3 door never fails to amaze me how quick she still is (stage 1) for such an old girl and the abuse she can still take,and for that fact alone i always chicken out of selling her.There still a quality motor with bags of character

Mr RS500

iTrader: (6)

Robbi (nightdavva)
well said mate ,, the main problem with people saying cossies are crap and always break down is that the bought a CHEAP old shitter that has been maintained by tossers and then expect it to last like a quality example

Its not the cars fault it hasnt been looked after or that you drive it like a 17 year old twat

Buy a good example and you cant go wrong

Paul

rstoughy

iTrader: (5)

I like them probilly spent waaayyy to much money on them over the past decade but i guess youve got to have a hobby
Most recent one comes off the road in Nov for its winter rebuild i feel lighter in the pocket already

mart.rs

im 30 next year and have promised myself i will buy a cossie (my first) ,ive been out in lots and it will be a saff as ive had loads of xr2s,xr3is etc......and of course 3 escort turbos,i dont listen to what people say about running costs and maintenence etc.... way i look at it i could get run over by tomorrow by a gremlin driving a volvo estate or some other wagon!! and i just think you need to live life to the brim ,when i was 13 i used to pass a s1 all the time on my paper round and thought wow!!! and still do but im passed it now and need to do the man thing so saving is in the process!!!

rstoughy

iTrader: (5)

mart.rs,
Go for it M8 The saffs are an excellent drive. 2WD can be a bit nervous on the road if you start tuning it up but you just have to be cautious. Buy the best you can afford and keep the maintanence up or it WILL break the bank.

Arfur

I love 'em! If it wasn't for the RS Cosworth my job probably wouldn't exist.

mart.rs

rs toughy nice one mate im looking forward to it as below! [/i]
just wanna get one now and have some fun,all me mates have had theres for a couple of years or so,and there younger than me too! but hey who cares at least ill know ill appreciate it with a lot of love too! coz thats all i know is cars as a hobbie dont like anything else other than going to the gym! i guess thats why were all on here talking about them every day thats also what i love about this site!!!

Jay,

iTrader: (4)

martrs mate if u start thinking about the money u will never have one , truth be known i cant afford mine but it just stays in the garage and and when i got the cash i bring it out and it makes me apreciate it even more anf i just feel lucky to own a piece of ford history

jay