Fred_Bear

Hi The MOT's are there showing the mileage is genuine, below are some pics showing the only rust I can see and that is on both rear pillars and both front door corners, none look to have come through from the surface right through the metal. P1040393 by Fred_Bear, on Flickr P1040396 by Fred_Bear, on Flickr P1040399 by Fred_Bear, on Flickr P1040400 by Fred_Bear, on Flickr P1040401 by Fred_Bear, on Flickr P1040402 by Fred_Bear, on Flickr P1040398 by Fred_Bear, on Flickr P1040397 by Fred_Bear, on Flickr P1040395 by Fred_Bear, on Flickr P1040394 by Fred_Bear, on Flickr ~

Hi Thanks for the honest comments, I think you are right, if it was a 2 door or rarer spec it would be worth more. I am going to keep it and do things to it long term as I can afford them. Took it out yesterday and when stopped at a zebra crossing someone walking across did a thumbs up and said 'nice car' which felt pretty good, not in a look at me way but good that she thought the car was nice looking (if that makes sense). I do feel attached to the car and all its quirks, something I have never felt for a more modern car that is purely a method of transport. Have a good weekend. ~

Hi Thanks for that, I had expected more estimates than just one! She needs at least £2,500 to cover the clutch that was done last week, getting it through the MOT, etc, and have enough left over. It will have to stay with me then, what a shame!! ~

Hi Having taken over my daughters 1981 MK2 Escort it may have to be sold to fund her potential move to Australia (she is an optician and has had a job offer). It is a 4 door 1300 with original engine and 4 speed box, she (we) have owned it since 2002. Solid but with a few rust bubbles under some bits that have not come through the paint, it was professionally resprayed in the original Ford blue but with a very slight 'candy speckle' (she chose it, not me!). RS2000 front spoiler thing was fitted and rear boot spoiler prior to it being sprayed. No carpet but it has decent mats, and a centre console to go in. MOT'd a few months ago and 12 months tax, knocking noise occasionally from the passenger front wheel area. Starts first time, uses no oil, 36,000 miles, no oil at all on the drive where it is parked. It has the original seats in it (with cheap covers I put on) which are in good condition, small sports type steering wheel but I have the original as well, decent Panasonic stereo that needs wiring in, full set of RS 4 spoke wheels on it that are ok but 4 of the 5 could do with refurbishing. Lowered suspension (but not too much) and a full TOAD alarm fitted with internal movement sensors as well as immobiliser, etc. On that information has anyone a ball park figure that I might expect it to go for on ebay? I would be sorry to see it go but needs must when it is an opportunity like this for her to build a new life in Australia. Thanks ~

I am sure you will be surprised by the level of service and speed of replies you get.

I think it safe to say that they are exactly like the Tax Credits managers. It does not matter what goes wrong there will always be a positive spin put on it.

I sent an email to one of my senior managers in Revenue & Customs today, after the main message I added: On a lighter note: I've been charged with murder for killing a man with sandpaper. To be honest I only intended to rough him up a bit. You would have thought I had asked her for a BJ, every manager all the way down to mine was leaping around like their arse was on fire, if only they were so motivated about stopping tax evasion! Anyway, I got a verbal warning for something I have forgotten the name of but something like "being unprofessional towards a senior manager and causing her to pull her head out of her backside too early in the day". Not been a good day today, and when I got home the bloody Escort is still leaking.

Hi Now I know this may seem sexist, but if you look at the photo of the female Typhoon pilot on the link below that aircraft has been crashed into the ground, she may class it as a successful landing but to most people it is a crash, remarkably similar to my wife's parking in a car. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12831206

There were roundabouts there for years that worked perfectly well, so the only reason I can think of for the change to traffic lights was a certain amount of brown envelopes passing around. And now the plan is that traffic lights slow up traffic so get rid of them, and these junctions have not even been finished off yet. In the same way big business decides central government policy local business controls local council policy. Jobs on the board, your house double glazed etc as a favour, holidays in villas abroad, that is the currency of policy decisions, not local needs.

Southend traffic lights, you have to laugh! by Fred_Bear, on Flickr ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Southend traffic lights, you have to laugh! After a year of constant congestion in Southend and long hold ups for emergency vehicles just to change a perfectly functioning Victoria Circus roundabout into a complete balls up of a traffic light junction (see photo above) the council says the following regarding traffic lights. If it was not true people would say it is made up, how could a council be so incompetent, or so eager to give work to contractor friends. ~ Evening Echo, 10th March 2011. TRAFFIC lights could be removed from some Southend roads as part of £8.3million plans to overhaul the town’s transport network. Southend Council is lining up a bid for Government cash to cut congestion and encourage greener travelling. Transport chiefs believe reducing the number of traffic lights would help to smooth the stop-start nature of travelling through the borough. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hi I am not going to be any help, but I am about to buy a carpet for my MK2, did you buy a ready cut carpet, if so from who? I thought it would not be too bad to do, wrong!!

Hi Actually I do not hate it, it was a rush job because some willy wonker hacked the previous one so I am pleased you have done as well as you have. I miss the garage even though my next big mod was only going to be carpet (inside, not outside instead of a respray). I am pleased you spend the time you do providing the forum for us. ~

Very true, all things are relative. I watched 'British Historic Rally' on Motors TV yesterday and can see where a number of Mk1 and MK2 Escorts went, spread all over rally courses! ~

Advert from 'Motor Sport' magazine from Aug 1976. Escort RS Mexico costing all of £2,700! Escort RS Mexico advert 1976 by Fred_Bear, on Flickr ~

Hi Some may have read my post about what I think is a stuck clutch plate so I have borrowed a trolley jack and axle stands to get the wheels up and running (as a few people on here have suggested). After last night I am classing myself as a numtchanic, rather than a mechanic. I am intending to do it later today but last night, just to make sure it fitted under the rear axle (as suspension is lowered) I slid it under the axle and gave it a few pumps of the handle to make sure it went up, this was obviously just enough to lift the rear wheels and with me laying under the back of the car it and trolley jack started moving down the slope of the drive towards the road. I was lying under it holding onto the exhaust (lucky I had not had it running) to stop it going off into the road while I struggled with one hand to get the handle off the jack and twist the release valve. It was like ‘Victor Meldrew does home mechanics!’. I am sure later today will be much more successful, or this will literally be 'the last post'! ~

Hi That is a beautiful looking car. Nice colour and good balance between it being standard and having mods, lovely.

My wife came in a little while ago and I told her that my clutch was not working, she said she could have told me that some time ago, then said 'oh clutch', 'I thought you said crutch'. ~

Hi I have posted a few times about the Escort MK2 I took over from my daughter after it sat for 2 years unused. Having got a mechanic to trailer it away, get it fixed and MOT'd, I thought I can do the little things such as anti rust a few bits, put it the original carpets, seats, etc. Then today it starts but will not go in gear (a separate post covers that) and I suddenly realised that one criteria for trying to run a classic car is knowing more than a bit about mechanics, which I do not, not even what might be wrong with the clutch or gear box. It brought to mind an oil change on my trials bike about 25 years ago that sums up my mechanical skill rather nicely. I decided to do an oil change, bought the oil, drained the old oil into a can thing, suddenly realised that the new oil was not the correct SAE, so had to pour the old oil back in. A small problem being that the tin I had used had a load of little panel pins in the bottom which I managed to pour some of into the engine with the oil. I realised this when I started it up and the oil metal mix did not aid its smooth running. Am I safe having a classic Ford if i have to do anything mechanical? Probably only if I want it to be an ex classic Ford. Perhaps a car for sale sign is needed, at least I cannot bugger that up, can I? ~ ~

The waist part was not enough to keep it in place, kept falling out at embarrassing times, like as I bent over to get some frozen chips at Asda. I think it was me putting it back in place that upset my fellow shoppers rather than it falling out. ~ ~

Hi Yes it is solid rubber, with the small indent in the base and waist it looks like it sat on a slight protrusion and something went over it, the waist part being gripped by whatever went over it. It will go in 'no idea, but it might have a use' box. Or I see anyone sodding around with the car I can throw it like a rubber bullet! ~

Hi Thanks for the responses, I will check the rear suspension , although it was lowered so perhaps this was something taken off at the time. The Escort is a 1980 model, but registered Feb 81. So I get some pleasure out of saying it is an 81 Mk2 Escort so people can try and correct me by saying "stopped making them in 80 so it can't be".

Hi I found this in the boot of my Escort MK2 wedged by the petrol tank, although it may not be for an Escort at all. It is hard rubber and 65mm high in total, side wall up to the slope that finishes in a point is 30mm, the straight part has a slight waist to it. Base is 55mm across with a recess in the middle approx 15mm across by 5mm deep. It looks like some sort of stop or bush but has no wear or marks. Any ideas? I would hate to think it is something important that has dropped off! ~

Hi I am ordering front and rear screen rubbers from East Kent Trim next week (pay day!). They list a solid type, or one to take a chrome/black insert. Is there anything different in how well they hold a screen in place, and has anyone got a photo of any OSF car using the chrome insert type? Thanks

Hi Apologies if I should have posted this in the other earlier and similar post, I also took a wider angle shot of the cars (I will show my ignorance by asking if they are all Fords?) at the Classic Ford stand in 2009. I wonder if they will be at the Bus Museum running day this year?

Hi Thank God, someone older than me (just).