ron allen

Hi Del......Yes the yellow RS Cab was a joint effort between Matt and Ian, they did the conversion themselves I think and had a few occasions when we all got stuck in at shows sorting niggles with it. There were very little other Mods going on those days as the cars were new but a lot of serious stainless and powder coating for show cars by one or two lads. We took 15 Cabrio's along to "Interpro Engineering" at Bristol in 1995 (FastFord mag August 1995 pages 35 to 40) to do a "Rolling Road Challenge"........... Matt received our Trophy as "Sharpshooter" with his overall performance through the rev range in his 1.6 CVH EFi slightly modded Cab, Poor Nick Pugh blew his plug leads off his RS conversion under power whilst a couple of members had to switch off due to lean fuel mix and / or pinking. The most powerful car of the day was another RS turbo conversion owned by a lady member called Michele whose Cab produced 139 crank bhp at 5360 rpm and 139 lbs.ft torque at 2870 rpm, could have been a fair bit more said the operator but actuator was worn. The other RS Turbo SI engined conversion was Ian's yellow Cab which had a full Ansa exhaust system and was chipped but the engine pinked...so it gives you (and others reading this, I hope...) some idea about what the car were doing as fairly new models at that time. Paul Benson had a K & N fitted and got 110.5 bhp at 6220 rpm whilst my Cab had K & N, new plugs and oil filter, thicker leads and Mobil 1 from new, I managed 111 bhp at 5980 rpm so pleased with that.Emma (Club Sec) had a new Mk V 1.6 Zetec with conical K & N getting 94 bhp at 5500 rpm and was happy. With "Sir Stirling Moss" recently sadly passing on I just thought I would add one more short story for you before leaving you all in peace...... There was a daytime ITV show in the 1980-90's called, "The Time The Place" , it had daily differing topics and I was invited by them mid 1990's to attend a show on Cars and Car Car Clubs, taking along a club member called Kevin Cole from Bournemouth area, his Dad was a Rally Driver and Mechanic, his Stepdad an Engineer Mechanic and Kevin raised on spanners and sockets for Birthdays and Xmas....Kev had rebuilt and modded up to an RS2000, then Fiesta RSupersport , XR3i then a New Series 2 RS Turbo before buying a Cab which was "Cosworthed" ! Anyway, his dad was known to Stirling Moss so we went along to the show and were seated next to Stirling and Susie. The show presenter appeared just as the credits and opening music started, did his bit, sodded off at half time, back for part two then rushed out as the closing credits went up leaving an assistant to hand out some glossy postcard size signed (copies) photo's of himself, "if" you wanted one ! Stirling and Susie chatted before and at break with everyone there 50 odd Car Club Chairmen and Enthusiasts and at the end stayed ages chatting and signing autographs "if Asked" until some executive chucked us all out ! He was a Legend and a Great Gentleman. Ladies Loved him and he and Susie showed us lowly car club folk just how much they related to and were part of. R.I.P. Right,leave you in peace Mate..Come on Folks, get chatting with Del and Each other here......Cheers ron (and get that date changed to 17th JANUARY 1992)

Hi again Del....have been messing about trying to upload some photo's, still no joy so will look again tomorrow. Back in the day (as they say) prior to internet contact was really via the two Ford Mags, "Performance & Fast Ford" and the shows, with each club producing club mags monthly or quarterly and swapping info through those means. A guy called "Les Gent" was the XR Owners Co-Ordinator , can't remember the RS guy as they swapped about a bit but mobile phones and internet blasted all the mags away really. We did have two notable RS Escort Cabriolet Owners club members though...Guy called Racing Nick Pugh from Swindon with a converted turbo Cabrio who raced ahead as we were driving back to the Hook of Holland from Zurich to hold the ferry for us and two guys North Co-ordinators , Ian & Matt from Skelmersdale near Liverpool who turned up to a show not in their bright yellow Cab but in a 1995 Escort Cosworth in Mallard green......people flocked to see it on our stand and all the members loved it, Matt got 158 mph out of it on his own whilst I only managed 145 mph, three up ! Yes the club contact was more intimate I suppose you would say and I think we all loved it! Cheers ron

From before as in old member ? I know facebook and the rest of that stuff is "Now" and people walk about glued to a mobile but yes, I agree, my New to Me club....124Spider.org is USA based, with members from Canada, Europe, UK, South Africa, Australia and NZ, the set up is similar to this but loading photos no problem alongside your comments. I did keep "everything" from setting the Escort cabriolet Club up club mags, regalia and stand kit, including Ford flags and poles and handed lots out to area co-ordinators for North, Midlands and South, handing everything else over when I stood down, so hopefully it has survived and so gives a full record to all the lads and lasses. We never travelled up to Scotland those days for shows as we had no Scottish members that I can recall. We did visit the Karmann factory at Osnabruck back in 1993 to see production of Mk V Cabriolet and Hymer Motor homes, being treated exceptionally well and I have been visited whilst still living at Mere by some former members (which was fantastic , reliving funny events, discussing our mutual club friends and enjoying our time together. Serena and I moved to Cornwall in 2002 so lost all contact at that point. I have continued my love affair with soft tops having owned two MX5 NB Mk 2 Jasper Conran editions for 2.5 years each and even had anoth early MGB for a couple of years, but broke from tradition for a Magic little September 2006 last of production Mini Cooper R53 S Supercharged Go-Kart ! The Cabrio I had bought new in 1988 as I said, owned 16 years and sold on to my son's best pal who had loved it since he was a boy.......last I heard it still lived in the Mere / Gillingham area but i do look on ebay every so often to see if it's up for sale still. I think my favorite Cabrio was the 1989-90 Pacifica Blue, if I hadn't already got mine that is the one............ Well, Great to speak with you Del and maybe, just maybe more members will converse here, just cant see why I couldn't post photo's from computer here? (says the files are too big) yet I posted all my detailed work under "Brexit Mods" on 124Spider.org. Cheers ron

I have read through some of the threads and just answered a question on the "Tennis" Cab from 1989 & 1990 for "Hartnell" which got me thinking thatover the years the Escort Cabriolet story may well be lost to some so here is how it all began............ Frankfurt Motor Show 1981 the prototype appeared styled by "Bahnsen'", built by "karmann" to test public reaction and by August 1983 it was ready to launch. Karmann of Osnabruck, Germany pressed out, welded up, painted and trimmed the Cab which was derived from the Escort Estate. 80% body panels new or modded, longitudinal & lateral stiffeners added to replace strength lost with roof removal,a rollover hoop added to further improve strength and safety. The launch in 1983 included 1.3 (69ps) and 1.6 (79ps) versions built from April with 15 cabs going to Ford Motor Company before production commenced. The 1.3 Cab was dropped early 1984 leaving 1.6 GL & 1.6i models, by 1995 the Ghia and XR3i Cabriolets had joined the line up. The first Special Edition was an all white produced from October 1985 692 built and by march 1986 Ford had facelifted the car and now called it Mk 1V in Ghia and XR3i for UK 1.6i & GL continued abroad. By 1987 power hood and ABS options began and from November a new Special Edition XR3i Crystal Blue (my Cab) or Stratos Silver over Mercury Grey was available , sold well which led to a successful run of Special editions. 1989 saw a new electronic management system introduced,HP up to 108 from 105. The amazing success of Special Edition ran on to final production run out models on 22nd July 1990 with 104,237 total, 36.073 RHD models created before giving way to the Mk V. Cheers ron

Hello Hartnell.............I have tried to attach photo's of the original brochure I still have for you without success . The story of individual players and reg numbers is myth, the Cabrio's were produced as a "Tennis" special Edition and during 1989 and 1990 as ........ 1989 Tennis (Borg) All white (1598 total produced) and 1990 (610 total produced) worldwide. I joined this site last evening "Hello from an old new member" as I just wanted to give Paul a boost and say hello to all, Cheers ron

In 1991 a new Ford car club was formed, subs collected, "cabrio" models and clothing ordered, but the "The Founder" went absent....so, as a new member with years of club membership behind me..Original 100 of "MG Owners Club", Triumph Sports Six, Ford RS & XR, plus Triumph Motorcycle owners club I was having none of it so I telephoned two Mags, "Performance Ford & " Fast Ford", discussed the position with both Editors and placed adverts showing a Phoenix bird rising from the ashes with a statement and asking for support from members also left stranded and guess what.... Yes, a few contacted me, I set about organising a name, Ford refused the use of their name and when I tried to register the name and logo which I see you still have (Brilliant) I was asked if if was an "Escort" agency I was registering!! On 17th January 1992 we were registered and live. I set up a club account with a clothing/ embroidering (club logo) firm in Salisbury, placed an order, bought a big tent, folding tables and chairs, visited a local to me printer client of mine to discuss a club mag and costs of course and let my new, unseen members know where and when our first meet would be. Bought a car trailer to load all the kit up in and with my darling wife Serena travelled to our first show, set out fencing posts on our allotted area and waited, heart in mouth.....and they came, phew! We attended many, many shows together, ran our own "Ford Spectacular" at Longleat, Mere, Wilts and finally at "Haynes Motor museum where "Mike Penn" the Curator was a friend so happy to accommodate us for a donation. We took ten Cabrios to Zurich, for "Ford International" and used our home at Mere, Wilts as a club house, enjoying a few Christmas breaks together, filling every space with members, great fun. I lost my job with Prudential in 1993 and struggled on financially self employed but after some four and a half years of running the club and gaining some Great Support including one fresh faced lad from the Midlands area called Paul Benson I handed over the club to another great pair "Yogi & Shirley" I kept the Cabrio 16 years but moved on with young children, mortgage and life.........I did know the club was still going and visited the old website on occasion quietly and have a few months back joined another car club with my current ride, a brilliant 2018 Fiat 124 Spider, which I have done a fair bit of modding on, so...I was going to sign in as a Life Member 001 but as that is no longer valid thought I would say "Hello" and "Well Done Paul", we reached 300 members by the time I handed over , Cheers ron