RIKB80

20 quid a year mine! think that's quite reasonable. saying that it is sinfully slow and would probably fit in the boot of my wifes/family car, but it gets me to work and back and means the missis has plenty of leg space for the kids when they're all off spending the money I'm sat at work earning. Saying that hers is 175 quid a year

For the next 5 or 6 years, go for quantity over quality!

Another option is a Vauxhall XE/Redtop. I know you can't really say the "V" word as it's classed as swearing in my Ford circles, and these engines have gone off the boil over recent years. 5-10 years back you'd have found plenty of Escorts running them. I guy I know did very well in historic rally events running one (obviously he had to choose his classes wisely due to the engine swap) they've pretty much fallen out of favour now, suppose they're getting a little bit long in the tooth and more modern ford alternatives are a more popular and readily available choice, but you don't have to do any body work fettling to get them in, they can marry up to a type 9 box and I'm assuming you can still get hold of all the ancillaries required. Rally chap I know got 200bhp out of his and not for mega bucks.

ay slowly but surely, that lad of yours looking after my fiesta!?

When I get a couple more pics this/next weekend I'll probably start a new thread over there.

That's the whole point I'm (probably badly) trying to make. God know's, my wallets fully aware what a restoration costs and I'm not going for concours, just a usable "toy" for having fun in and going to the odd show when the weather's nice. But at the end of the day it's a car, the whole point of the invention of the car was to drive, and that's why people loved the MK1 & MK2 Escort, because they are such great fun to drive. Being pushed a long by the rear wheels, a great driving position & handling far in advance of it's day, that's what everyone revelled in! But because the top models are getting so rare as time goes on, they're getting more expensive and people are treating them as museum artefacts that never see a public road. This makes the prime examples appeal to collectors with lots of spare cash to play with. I'm not having a go, people enjoy the cars for different reasons and if someone takes pride in having the most perfect pristine example out there fair play, I'll be there drooling over their pride and joy with everyone else, but I still think the reason that other Fords are going up in price is because us muggles on a tight budget can't afford the car we really hanker after so are looking to alternatives. If I didn't have kids and other commitments I wouldn't be scrimping and saving to get a knackered 1300 GL back on the road. Traders have latched on to this and are gradually pushing up the price of everything with a blue oval on the front that's pushing 25/30 years old.

Wish I was 10 quid behind you if ya reckon 8 grand is cheap for a 1.6 car with 100,000 miles on the clock, no matter how cool & mint condition it looks! Think trouble with classic fords now is that everyone in pushing the prices up on the coat tails of the mk1 Escort. Decent mk1's and mk2's have pushed up beyond most peoples reaches as a toy/hobbie so people are looking for alternatives, sellers are latching onto that and pushing the prices up of everything else with a blue oval badge. I've seen 1.1 mk2 fiestas that people are trying to get over 2 grand for. I've got nowt against em they're lovely little cars but seriously!!!

I used to have a mark 2 4 door, simple 1600 xflow in it, mildest of bores with a 5 speed type 9, could take that anywhere it was a great cruiser. Drove it from Leeds down to London for the weekend was comfortable as anything. Didn't really excite on the traffic light grand prix but didn't seem to matter. I'd have that setup as a daily cruiser anyday. Easyish to swap engine as you don't have to swap exhaust and manifold sides over or worry about crappy little brackets and stuff you have to weld onto car to stop stuff melting on the exhaust. Mine just had the standard ghia carb on with a k&N. You can get a lot more out of em with better carbs but fuel consumption goes down and if your doing some decent mileage every day it'll really hit the old wallet.

Is there such a thing as a "Retro" car? I'm not totally convinced on their "classic" status but they do look frickin' cool and I'd love a decent reliable one as my daily hack. A Grey RS1600i oooo yes!!

Gercha! Didn't the deer have any insurance? It's a tough one dude that I've wrestled with myself in the past for various reasons, from a practical point of view you could sell the Escort that's sat on your drive doing nothing and get quite a decent comfortable suitable commuter.......which makes sense......but would be boring as and you'd probably regret it!

You not claiming on insurance for the Polio?

Bit more progress on the old Gut Launcher, lots of prepping and smoothing ready for painting.

Not right cracking pictures unfortunately, did anyone else on here go and managed any better pics than I did?

Was a good day, although fact they shut the A1 so it was a right farce getting there, then they delayed on of the stages so didn't get back home til 12.30am......was a long day!

Cheers, seem to be a good crowd, fingers crossed will be finished next year and I can finally get it out on the road!

Welcome!! They are some comfy looking seats! They look like they're out of an American muscle car or something!

Ha Ha sorry! Madame!!!! Suppose the lovely blonde lady next to the car and the fact you have a user name of Daisy-lil should be a give away for anyone with half a brain cell!!

Any time good sir!! A mate of mine had a Stroke, he had to inform the DVLA himself. As far as I'm aware (but don't take me on my word) you have to inform the DVLA, if you don't, no one will do it on your behalf, but if you crash and the insurance finds out they won't pay out and you'll no doubt get a f**kin from the POlice with fines and bans etc. Saying that, there's a lad I've met a couple of times through a club a mate of mine is involved with who wears an eye patch. I don't know him well enough to ask him about it but he's driven off from shows etc. wearing it?? Really sh!t news, but as I said, if it was me I'd be getting as much enjoyment out of the car for as long as I possibly can.

Just posted this elsewhere!! as above, I'd second that Ex-pressed panels do some decent stuff. I got a fair few panels for my mk2 from there and they were all very good quality. Front wings lined up very well, they were also the only place I found that actually rolled the steel to the same profile as the original on the door sills I bought from them, everywhere else I found just bend the steel at 90 degrees. They're not the cheapest place but the steel is a decent gauge and not flimsy tin foil like some places I've used in the past. http://www.steelpanels.co.uk/

Ex-pressed panels do some decent stuff. I got a fair few panels for my mk2 from there and they were all very good quality. Front wings lined up very well, they were also the only place I found that actually rolled the steel to the same profile as the original on the door sills I bought from them, everywhere else I found just bend the steel at 90 degrees. They're not the cheapest place but the steel is a decent gauge and not flimsy tin foil like some places I've used in the past. http://www.steelpanels.co.uk/

Thanks for your thanks!! Forgive me for intruding, and please feel free to tell me to sod off as although I'm a friendly stranger, I'm a stranger none the less (none come much stranger believe me ) .........but will the problem you have leave you losing your sight altogether or just to the point that makes it unsafe to drive? What I'm trying to get at is obviously a car is made to be driven (there may be some trolley dolly's on here that may say otherwise ) but I dare say there's a lot of enjoyment you can still get out of your car even if you can't take it out on the open road yourself, and if you're interested going to shows etc, there's still ways and means of getting your car there, also you can spot the admirers on the way a lot better if you're not concentrating on the road No matter what I'd take a good long time to think about the situation and have a period of adjustment, there'll no doubt be a lot of things to think about outside of worrying about your car so if it's not causing you any financial woes just keep it and enjoy it for as long as you can, if it ends up where you feel you absolutely have to get rid then at least you've had longer to enjoy it, and let's face it, it's not like it's going to depreciate in value.

Welcome fellow newbie and fellow Yorkshite! You going to the Roger Clarke this weekend? some great stages and cars there.....although you do have to wrap up warm!!

That's terrible news, but if you love it, and it's not getting in the way then keep it, you see on the news loads about advances in eye treatments. Also if you get as much enjoyment out of keeping up with the car and working on it, there's nothing to stop you still doing that, then enjoying the chauffeur driven service on your way to shows etc.

Moved to Leeds about 20 years ago. Grew up in glasshoughton til was in my mid 20's. My folks still live there. There's a fair few classic ford fans around Cas, not met as many over here. Clive at SF is a genius with an engine. His is running around 200 bhp. Used ASK for many years.... Although my wife was fed up of going about 4 month ago when it took them 4 attempts to get me an air filter for the mk1 fiesta I had at the time. Ay I'd be up for a local meet. Even if my cars not on the road I'm Insured on my old man's 4 door mk2 if I can't drag him along with me.

Got a 205 block Pinto, just rebored 30 thou, new Cam, hardened seats, new pistons, bit of porting, nowt too lairy, with Bike Carbs. It's all painted up and ready to drop in when the car's back. A buddy of mine owns a place in Castleford called Speed Freaks, he's done 3 engines for me and done a top job every time. He's got a 2 litre Pinto 4 door Mk2 Escort he runs as his daily that he built himself, it's an absolute beast of a machine!!