IDRIVEACLASSIC reviews: 80s Ford Escort MK3
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 9 ก.ค. 2024
- Please Note: today’s video was shot prior to COVID-19 lockdown #withme - and all that jazz.
In today’s video I test out one of the most familiar cars of the 1980s - the Ford Escort (MK3). The video looks at the ford escort history, interior, exterior and of course, engine bay and exhaust start up of engine. Plus a little drive out!
The video features elements including:
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Hey, that's my car! Mine is US Escort 1983 wagon, 1.6 CVH, automatic trans, carburetor. But basically the same car, still our main daily driver. Got it for $900 US 10 years ago. Best selling car in the US as well in the 80s, my brother had one, my sister had one, other sister had one in the 90s, now I have one. Oddest thing about it, it is part metric, part Imperial (inch). Engine is all metric but much of the body is Imperial, sometimes both metric and inch bolts on the same part! Biggest drawback is cramped quarters around the engine, especially anything involving the fan belt or timing belt, you're guaranteed some skinned knuckles before you're done. In '83 Ford made a bunch of changes in the middle of the year, so always an adventure when I take it to the shop, seems they almost never order the right part on the first try, sometimes it's stuck there for weeks.
The round blanking plug by the steering column was a choke on lower spec cars (e.g. 1.1), so having the blanking plug is more luxurious!
And the other was for the optional front fog lights which my Orion from the same year had fitted.
Steph, you mentioned these are becoming more commonly stolen the blanking plug for the fog lights is perfect to thwart that. Fit the switch for the fog lamps, but wire it up to control the ignition. Turn it on to send power to the coil. Turn it off and the car won't start. Will certainly stop the quick thieves, and because it looks like a stock fog lamp switch, it is essentially invisible.
i had a 1.1 and it had the blanking plug as the carb had an automatic choke- but the auto choke coil used to fail- and you bought a choke conversion which i did.
Carl Heaton, our B reg Valencia 1.1 had a factory fit choke, maybe varied over the years?
On my '82 XR3 i've got an instrument lights dimmer, where the round blaking plate is.
Ghia trim really was worth having.The extra brightwork makes it look special and the better carpets and seat material make them much more comfortable.Almost like a Ford for Rover drivers.
Brilliant cars. My mother had a 1983 Xr3i from 1988 to 2014, she loved that car. Was a great car and full of character. I have the mk4 xr3i (1989) in my collection which is slightly less raw and has a few rounded edges. My first car was the first of the Orions, based on the mk3 Escort. Was really comfortable and was my pride and joy.
When I think of that year 1980, it was the year of 2 cars, the Escort Mk3 and the Mini Metro. Both car sold well and were successful for Ford and Austin Rover. The Escort did get some stick from the press at first but became a bestseller. In 1986 Car Magazine borrowed a 1.4 Mk4 a and drove it for 5000 miles in 7 days. It never missed a beat. What better publicity could Ford have received.
I've always liked the 'Erika' Escort. Amongst other things, it looks so damn 'right' in my eyes, especially in Ghia form. I saw a very tidy red 1.6 Ghia 5-door in Dagenham last week, and it looked like it had just arrived from 1982 :)
Loving it Steph, thanks for keeping them coming. 👍
Your research is great, Steph. I think you told us everything we needed to know about the Mk3! A lovely survivor and another great video. Thanks.
Great review Steph I had one the same in manual you are spoiling us with these 80s Fords keep up your good work x
This brings back some memories, I can remember my aunt and uncle buying one of these when it was 2 years old, same model but a manual, it was a lovely car.
I did end up buying a MK3 it was my second car after I passed my test in 1995, unfortunately it rusted out but it was a great car.
Steph, what another lovely car you have found to test! Good to see it still has it's original Norfolk dealer plate and sticker (became Kia, then a car wash...). This brings back so many memories of the time when they were launched. I think the headline was "Simple is Efficient" or something similar.
I am not into Fords at all, but I would definitely take a second look at this if it passed me by!
Thanks for another great video!
Great review,so many memories my dad had the same model loved it 😎👍
Another great video, keep up the good work. Can’t wait to see what’s out bring us next.
Shocked to hear how few of the Mk3 autos are left! Other than a bit it of 'tinworm' under the bonnet that one looks very nice indeed. Many thanks Steph, as always. (Beautiful scenery as well.)
Thank you for the ride Steph! Stay safe and healthy.
Another enjoyable presentation by Steph! Being a bit of Ford devotee, an absolute joy! I like your objectivity Steph when I drive something I haven't driven before I like to find the things I like about it. There will be things I don't like, but it's concentrating on the positives! Keep up the good work! I think you should have your own show on TV! Or idriveaclassic slot on Top Gear!
Great video as always, Steph. Really interesting.
Such a cool car Steph! Great video and thanks for showing us around
Really enjoyed that, will be watching more
Yay. Thank you xx
Wow tape cassette holder, had totally forgotten about them. As soon as I saw it in your video, the memory flew back, wicked 👌🏾
Great vid, great information. That big rusty hole in the inner wing reminds me of every fwd escort I've ever owned. 😊
most Fords of the 1980's suffered rust quite badly before being 10 years old. Escorts rotted under the fuse box and battery tray , 5 door models suffered rot on the wheel arch on the door side.
Steph great review - keep them coming - any word of a 2cv appearing on your portfolio- I know you like a challenge!
Looking great as always lass 😁
I have lots of fond memories of trying to get Escorts to start in the winter lol
Thanks. Great video. Very nice dashboards in these with clear, simple dials. Lovely car.
My dad had a Y reg 1.3L in brown, as a company car when it was new. It was VERY basic, no glove box, none of the niceties that this, very posh, Ghai model has. It was slow and gutless and not a very inspiring at all, however, I feel very nostalgic watching this !.
Thank you for the video and taking the time to show it off.
Another great review. Had a mk 3 and a mk4 Ghia back in the day. Great little cars.
Another interesting in-depth and entertaining review....and that amazing U.K. countryside to enjoy along the way! Thanks! 🇨🇦👍
Nice to see such an original condition car - lovely
Yep...with rust holes in engine bay🤭🤭🤭....lovely car all the same👍👍
usual good, thorough video love. you are getting quite good at pointing out small details. things like
that are what many people like. that rattle sounds like the dashboard. something loose. fords
of the 70s and 80s do that. i have had a few! good video, keep on truckin!
The Mk3 Escorts were always interesting especially in Ghia spec trim, a lovely '80s crisp box :)
Good afternoon Steph, lovely to see your beautiful, sunny smile! :-)
Good video, I've always like the Mk 3, but I've always loved the Mk i!
Great review Steph.
Another enjoyable video Steph. We had a C reg 1.3 Laser as a family car when i was a kid and we drove to Austria and back in it - 2 adults, 2 kids, no roofrack !
I have many memories of that car - but sadly one of them is my dad sanding, filling and rattle-can painting the corroding rear arches on our driveway on a car that was only then only 3 or 4 years old 😂
Is it bad I laughed 😂
Your reviews cover some good old cars....a great watch thanks 😂
Hi steph hows things another good review.. hope your well my dad had a blue w reg manual Ghia one brings back memories xxx .
Excellent video...loved it 👍
Loved the Escort, my neighbour as a child had a 1982 Y reg 1.3 Ghia 3 door in Silver, which I used to clean for them alongside their Sierra 2.3 Ghia........I however have never had an "Escort Experience"......
Great video. I had one of those A560 JNB 1.6 Ghia in silver.
Nice car and a good review also some fantastic views, lovely part of the country
Finally. Thank you
Such a great informative video as I’m looking to get this exact model my mum and dad had one when I was a kid and I’m dying to get one
Love to see you reviewing the Mk2. I had 3 of them over the years. So rare now
I had a mk 2 popular in bright yellow. Black interior and fab wheels made it RS in looks. Had the mk 3 a good car but not as enjoyable. Felt much less substantial quality wise.
Frank Dye of Watton. I live near there, remember the dealership as a boy. One of the buildings still exists, the rest was demolished in the late 90s/early 00s. He also had a very interesting life - worth an internet search! Great video as always Steph!
"Frank Dye's of Watton" (market town in Norfolk). I remember their commercial radio adverts.
1980s Fords really looked smart in Ghia specification. Those steel wheels look great with the chrome rims and hubcaps - who needs plastic wheel trims?
I owned a 1986 post facelift (Mark 4?) 1.4 GL that was quite disappointing in the late 1990s.
The radio ad had someone doing an impersonation of Spike Milligan. part of the site is now a Stonemasons, the other flats.
It's crazy how a fair few of the cars Steph has reviewed have some sort of Norwich/Norfolk connection. It's fun seeing names and places I see every day get a mention here!
I had a 1987 1.4 lx all that really had was tinted windows. In a MK3 a GL just added centre console and plastic strip on the outside of the doors . The 1989 Gl and LX were better. The GL got electric windows and electric heated mirrors. The LX also got electric windows. And the front grill changed and the badges on the back were smaller. Also the 1.3 went from CVH too HCS (pushrods)
I remember the old Escorts well and I’ve owned many an example. Great fun cars to work on modify and upgrade. These cars were a product of their age. Value for money and they did exactly what Ford said they would. The Ford car design department’s really knew what they were doing in the 80’s that’s for sure 👍 this video is a great modern girls perspective of a classic car! Well done
Just bought a B registered 1.3 L myself with 43K on the clock to join my Austin Maestro.They really are still a very good drive, comfortable, brisk, fun handling (and a lot better screwed together than my Maestro 😂) Great test!
Great test of a lovely car. So very different from the Escort we got here in North America. Totally different market, I guess, as the Escort was usually the smallest Ford, except for the short time we got the Mark I Fiesta. We never saw the Ka at all. It was considered too small. I do not think it could meet our crash standards. Interesting thing about the Escort we did get in the 80s. It is the only car ever to accumulate zero damage in the 5 mph bumper impact tests.
Thank you for the trip down memory lane. I had a blue 1.6 GL which I loved. The engine was quite punchy for the day and the car handled and stopped very well.
I eventually sold it and bought a 1987 MK2 Golf 1.8GL,which was a decent car but if I had my time again I would keep the Escort and save the money.
My Sunday mornings wouldn't be the same without your videos. I never knew about Ford Erica, thank God they knocked that one out of their heads. Erica is a good name for a dog, not a car! ;-)
This was a very quiet car, and I was very impressed with the one you drove, which was far quieter than a Triumph Acclaim I saw tested, which actually took me by surprise. The exhaust note on this Escort was brilliant by the way.
Driven both .....my dagenham dustbin was a death trap ...
Give me tha acclaim any day
Twin carb ........really light car
Honda technology........
Way batter ......
Great video!The MK3 Escort has a strong enthusiast following,and all models are becoming increasingly sought after now,in particular the Original 'High series' model the Ghia,as well as the lower spec Base and L models.During the 1980's they seemed to be on every street corner,nowadays good examples are very few and far between.
Cracking review Steph,I was not a mark 3 Escort fan, I was more of a Mark 4 escort and Mark 5 and 6 escort but still appreciate a mark 3 Escort review.
I have a 1982 Ford Escort 1.6 GLE. Still has its original Rally radio lol. LOVE THIS CAR
A tape holder! We had one of those in our old Ford Tauras
Great review Steph! You skipped past the variable intermittent wiper dial though, just by the key. That amazed me on my 1985 Orion 1.6 Ghia, as I thought it was a much more modern feature! Oh, and I loved the "backwards" rev counter :-)
Great review Steph. I had a 1985 XR3i, which I cherished. Biggest enemy of these Escorts was the dreaded tinworm. I always thought "Erica" was just an internal codename used by Ford, as "Brenda" was used on the mk2 Escort.
At 12.06, I was sure you said "whilst you may not have a pulse yourself",until I listened again and got "parcel shelf"😂. Will get a hearing test booked.
I love you Steph and I love your video. Great show today. Pete UK
Beautiful car and the Ghia-trim level really lifts it up to a next level. I used to have a mk4 escort with the automatic gearbox and it was actually surprisingly comfortable to drive with, even towing stuff was effortless as it was an 1.6 litre. Seemingly they were very uncommon here in Finland too because I haven't been able to find one equipped with the auto box (mk3 or 4) after I sold my own a few years ago. Big shame but hindsight is 20/20. The biggest drawnback I can think of was that the shifter was linked by cable, and mine was slightly broken and used to freeze solid in the winter, so I had to apply the handbrake and do the shifting via the engine-bay before places warmed up again :D (wasn't able to find a replacement). Great review as always!
ah my first car, A 3 door 1.6GL with a XR3 twin weber carb. W reg, XR3 wheels, RS Turbo body kit with a RS1600 rear spoiler, loved it as a 16 year old.
How I wish I'd dry stored my mk3 XR3i. Rare graphite grey 1983. A99 HFV was the reg. Loved it!
Sorry I can't get nostalgic about Mk3's. My Dad owned a beautiful '72 MkI 1100L when I was a kid in the 70's , in my early 20's I owned a Mk2 1.6 Ghia Automatic which was alright. But the Mk3 by comparison was a bland looking car , had an asthmatic CVH engine, ate cambelts for breakfast and rusted around the rear arches in no time. In my youth I was mad about 60's cars , not cars aimed at the over 60's or at least that's how I thought at the time lol! Saying all that , this example is fantastic and it is a perverse pleasure to see one again! Thanks Steph 👍
Mine bust its cambelt twice. It was found that the bearings had gone on the water pump putting more pressure on the belt. Everything went wrong with it in three years. Fuel pump, starter, belt, water pump, bearings - and I could never be sure the mechanics had fixed it well enough - or that something else would go on it. Bought a Kia in the end (2003) - virtually nothing has ever gone wrong with it.
It needed a sympathetic classic car restorer to put a new carpet in it, spray a couple of bits jack it up dismantle it underneath, weld and repaint it and see exactly what was good and replace what wasn't. Maybe about 3,000 quid later we might have had a half decent car. The Kia was on 10,000 miles, had a 2 year warranty remaining and was 5,000 quid. Bye bye Ford - I wasn't sad to see it go. See if you can find and review a Fiat Regata. I preferred that to the Orion. I did 12,000 miles in my 1985 one - till it met an untimely end. Would have probably lasted till 2003 with much fewer problems.
@@stuartwilkie4887 My underlying memory of every Mk3 I came into contact with via friends or colleagues was of a wholly unreliable rust bucket, and they weren't very old at all at the time. Every problem you mentioned ! Weird thing was ,when I was 16 in '85, my Boss had a white Escort van reg. A499 VON which was in remarkably good shape when I saw it again 10 years later being used by a local family building firm ,with very little rust showing !
@@shaunw9270 Was it owned by the A(449)VON lady? hehe. A mate of mine had a Y reg Ghia similar to this one. It was very quick actually. Another friend got a blue Orion (on about a G) and stuck an escort diesel engine in it. Was really slow until he worked out he should put the exhaust system in as well! Looking back, I should have bought that, or a late model Sierra he had. Duh
@@stuartwilkie4887 It's certainly a different world now eh? Don't hear about engine swaps by ordinary Joe's so often now , probably due to electronics & computers . I once owned a '78 Mk4 Cortina 1.6L (S plate) that I bought from a friend of a friend in the early 90's . He was a trainee at a local garage and did a few tweaks on this Cortina which was his mum's from new. It always started ok due to the MSD ignition, it had a bespoke stainless exhaust system, K&N pancake filter . The stance was similar to a Gasser though not to the same extent (!) thanks to the suspension being replaced by that from a Granada Estate. I added larger diameter wheels & tyres from a Mustang. I stupidly sold that car and bought an R reg Rover P6 2.3 Automatic which looked amazing but was shoddy mechanically . Good times - in hindsight , through those rosy specs 🤓
I had a oyster gold escort ghia,on a Y reg i think..5 speed manual..loved it..
I've also seen the mark 3 Escort in a 3 door estate body style. These maybe rare and i am in Essex , not sure if anyone else knows more about these. Lovely video Steph. My parents had a B reg Caspian blue Mk3 XR3i and a bright red mark 3 1.6 5 door hatchback. I vaguely remember one of the blanking plates being related to towing electrics . Lovely scenery too.
I had the same 1983 Mk3 but the 1.6i Ghia which had the fuel injection from the XR3i. It had the 5-speed manual gearbox. Since it was the 5 door version it was actually a bit of a sleeper. It looked like a bit of an old mans car but was pretty nippy. Very comfortable on long trips. A friend who had a Golf GTi was very impressed when he shared the driving on a trip from London to Keighley. Incidentally I thought I recognised some of the scenery and it was confirmed when the TV tower at Emley Moor showed up! I was at school in Otley during the mid 60s.
More Ford's Steph? You are spoiling us 👍
I never owned one but I hired a few in the early 70's when the kids were small for holiday trips to Butlins, always quiet and reliable..
Great video thanks love how organised your videos are I've seen some Ford escort mk3s with a manual choke where the blanking place was which confuses me as some older models had an auto choke which I've heard was a nightmare some people converted it back to a manual choke I think
My '82 XR3 has got the auto choke, and it can be a bit of pig to get started to be honest. Especially starting when already warm can get the choke all mixed up.
I know this is a few years ago but I just bought a manual one 1.3 ghia that’s been in the garage since 1991 with 50k on it one owner ! It needs a recommission mechanically but the body’s amazing so hopefully it’ll play nicely 🤞 great review
Great video.
What a lovely car. 👌
Nice car I live in Phoenix AZ. U.S.A I still own a 97 escort lx 4 door it's been a good car I've owned it for over 12 years and its still going!!👍
What an interesting video.An original Norfolk car too.Lovely car.xx
One of my first cars - I remember the battery tray used to collect water like a small pond.
As a result most had gaping holes underneath the battery - including mine
Common on old Ford's was the battery tray
Love it 😍👍👌
great vid as usual steph . the mk3 wasn't sold in Australia we had the Laser about the same time which was really a mazda 323 not a bad car. have seen the odd import nice shape.
Just love the styling of these mk3 Escorts! Do you think you'll get a mic soon? I can't hear you very well whenever you're driving, probably my crappy laptop! haha xx
I absolutely love the MK3 Escort! They are my favourite (unpopular opinion) but I think they are fantastic looking. Closely followed by the MK4. Thanks for this video Steph :D
Such an iconic car 🚗
I had 2 of these as company cars.. an 1100 one HAM331W which was white and JGO something which was Y reg and 1300.. lovely cars.. (Phil - Lancashire).. xxx
Hi Steph. Fabulous video as always. Can I make a polite suggestion? Have you considered an in car mount for the driving section? It would eliminate the shaking and, mounted on the rear passenger side window with the passenger seat back reclined, would afford a decent view of the dashboard/road ahead. Great video though :)
I did love the escort
I had a 1.6 Ghia in "orange" AAO 52Y . It had a Christmas tree dashboard and it gave a XR3 a run for it's money in Cornwall. I drove it all the way back from the Birmingham Motor show with no oil in it! I traded it in for a Renault Clio Mk1. Wish I'd kept it. Would be worth a lot more now!
The DVLA thinks your Escort is red lol.
Also Mk1 Clios are good cars as well. Speaking from experience. Which engine did yours have? I have a dark blue 1.2, with rust around the rear axle mounts.... I'm planning on fixing it up next summer as it's been in the family a while now. I've also got a mk4 Escort which is sort of a winter project I guess, my plan is to do a sort of "semi restoration"; Overhaul all suspension and brake components, repaint everything, remove the engine, change all the consumables (timing, water pump, clutch, and valve stem oil seals because CVH lol...), and repaint the engine/transmission and everything in the engine bay too. There's no serious rust, apart from the rear wheel arches... Sills are pretty much immaculate though. I will however inject a special treatment into the sills/box sections to stop any potential surface rust rust.
@@mr.slaphappy3794 Yes. Sunburst Red was the colour of the Escort. An orangey red to me! The Clio was a Grey metallic 1.4RT with a sunroof and alloys. Apparently the previous owner was a cast member of Emmerdale, but that didn't put me off buying it! Then it was changed for a metallic black 1.4 Champs Elysees. After that I got a brand new Clio Mk2 phase 2 Expression which I upgraded 18 months later to a Dynamique in Metallic black which had the white seat belts. Then I got my favourite, the Clio Sport 172 in Metallic Red. Loved that car. Had it for four and a half years then due to some dodgy servicing by a garage it popped a spark plug so I sold it on and bought a Mégane as I had children to ferry around. That turned out to be the biggest pile of junk going. Was a complete money pit until it was deemed too dangerous to drive so I scrapped it. I now drive a 15 year old Mazda 6 which just keeps going at 150,000 and counting. Won't go back to Renault's, (unless a Sport was on the cards!)
I owned a Ghia and I loved it to bits. The seats were comfortable and it was heaven to drive.
The only reason I sold it was because a fault speedometer required a complete gearbox strip to replace a stripped speedo drive gear.
I had every version of the Escort starting from my first in 1975 to my last in 1996 and I have to stay the MK3 was the best. I had a 5door 1300GL. Beautiful car.
Hi Steph great video these cars was the car of the 1980's they were a great family and business car alongside the Ford Granada especially in the Ghia ranges where you had Automatic gear box and cruise control
i had 2 of these back in the day both 1.6 ghia, loved em, wish I still had my last one.....still my 320 CLK makes up for it
Hi Steph, as others said the round blank was for choke, the other one was for rear wash wipe, think the following model year became standard.. mum had 86 C late mk3 Ghia which had the rear wash wipe & also had electric front windows, sadly was stolen joy ridden and burnt out in 1992...great vid as always👍
I had the same car but in like a red/orange colour loved it wish I didn’t sell it great video
~VF is a Norfolk/North Suffolk plate, so it's probably one of:
Spruce Howlett (Norwich)
Busseys (Norwich)
Pertwee & back (Great Yarmouth)
John Grose (Lowestoft)
There's a dealer sticker in the rear window. From Dyes in Watton
Class👍
Mk3 XR3i is one of my all time favourites in
Caspian Blue 👌
When was the last time you saw a yellow one? Used to love them in yellow.
@@stevehoulihan726 ah yes prairie yellow was an XR3 non injection colour
Lovely 👍
@@34A1A We called it chalk yellow!
I had an Escort Mk3 1600 Ghia in the early 1980s (built at the Saar Louis plant in Germany). One of it's best features was the 5-speed manual gearbox, which this one doesn't have. The round blanking plug to the left of the steering wheel is for the manual choke. This model had an auto choke (bi-metallic strip), which was prone to failure, but you could buy an aftermarket manual conversion. Ford initially had problems with those Bridgend-built CVH engines as the cam belt was prone to breaking, lunching the valves.
Thanks for the info Roy!
Thats a tidy little Escort Steph. Like with the Fiesta this is the Ford era I like. The Fiesta mk1 & 2 and Escort mk3 & 4 plus the early Orions and Sierras and Granadas I'm all fond of. Just went off Ford from the mid 90s onwards (first Focus is the exception!)
Got an old Ford brochure from the early 80s somewhere. Must find it and show you on Twitter 😊👍
I had a Mk3 1.3L on a B reg which I brought of my older brother, one of the best cars I owned, clocked it up to 125000 miles.
They were good are and seemed to go for ever good work horses
Yes I had a crude early 1.6 diesel B92RVU very solid though
I thought they only have 5 digit odometers, so 25,000 miles (again)...?
I had the 1.6 Ghia manual in metallic copper 1982 Y great car,
You didn’t mention the digital clock above the mirror which also displayed the date, also variable intermittent wipers, wheel on dash, back then theses were rare.
Popular rattles were hand brake cables left and right under car, oil sensor was great but needed clean oil to work correctly.
Other options was rear wiper not standard so would explain some of the other blanks,
Locking glove box another luxury,
Very advanced in its day
Great video esp round Huddersfield,
good Video :)
Hope you will test a Peugeot 305 one day. Thanks for this video
I've driven and serviced so many of these and all the older models. Alright in their day.
Great cars in their day , i owned loads of them. MK3 GL and Ghias used to suffer from the dash splitting around the central air vents. Ive known lots of the very early MK3's suffered rear suspension link arm failures.
The far right dash blanking plug is for a rear wash wipe assembly. My estate had one you click it on which was half was for wipe then push it all, the way which was spring loaded so it returned to use the rear washer.
Tbh that ghia one not having one is a bit odd mine was a 1984 1.3l 3dr Estate.
My 1st car was a mk3 1.3L Escort one of the first lucky you 1.6 Ghia model takes me back