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Escort Cabriolet Club

What To Look Out For ? A Guide For Dummies


Nick Barnes
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Hi guys I owned 2 cabs back in the 80's brand new out of the factory ( good old Dagenham lol ) I am looking at getting one again as a second car, as I loved the cars, I am trying to get a late model 1.8 XR3i with all the bells and whistles. The biggest problem is that because they only have 5 digits on the speedo ( in Km's here in Holland ) I ask the question to the seller but there's no way ( if there's not a full service history which there rarely is ) and I not being a mechanic can check if its done 138,000 Km's or 238,000 Km's ? for a 1997 car ? Some dealers are even advertising cars with 50,000 - 80,000 Km's haha until I question it, then they say yeah possibly 167,000 ?. The MOT certificate equivalent over here just shows what's on the clock only 5 numbers ? so is there any thing I can check except the usual wear and tear on carpets / steering wheel / pedals / seats ? what can give away the age and Km's covered ?

without taking the engine apart ? while I'm checking it over ?

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There must be another sign of working out the Km's ? other than are shown on the speedo, except the above points ? When there is no paperwork to back it up either way ? I do not want to pay the price for a car that has done 1000Km's ( 62,000 Miles ) more than is advertised, The car I am looking at is a 1997 1.8 XR3i showing 34,000 Km's on the speedometer, with reported 134,000 Km's ( 83,750 Miles ) or it could be 234,000 Km's ( 146,250 Miles )??

There are 4 years of past MOT's ( APK's in Holland ) with the car, which show the car has only covered 5,000 Km's ( 3,125 miles ) in the last 4 years, but before that ? it could be 129,000 in 15 years or 229,000 in 15 years ? Any more pointers I should look for ? Like I said I am no mechanic so any help would be appreciated it could also help me negotiate a better price ?

 

Nick

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If the engine has no oil leaks,engine bay looks clean,engine is not smoking and you take it it for a test drive as it runs and pulls well i would say it was ok. Bodywork on these cars of that era are just as important,check for around the rear arches as they are proned to rust and around the rear suspension mounts as they corrode badly around there and can be expensive to repair. Check roof is in good condition and working as again replacement roofs will cost £600 plus. Good luck.

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I have owned several cabriolets, and numerous Fords, I found the ones made in England all were really poorly built and were rust buckets. The few Fords, that were made in Germany were far better built, the three of them I have kept have after 30 years have little rust. The Fords made in UK were like Edam cheese, after only 3-4 years. The Mk4 and Mk 5 in particular especially made in England, were made of really poor steel I was told by a geezer well into Fords at the Ford shows. My own experience does relay this. My own first cabby is made in Germany and I have to say it is devoid of any rust except the two areas which these cars suffered rust from where the wings attach to front panel. My other Fords, all had rust in the Bonnet hinge and rear wheel areas.

Edited by Himanshu
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