Daily mk1

[pnwrs2000]

Right, ive currently got a Focus ST as a company car (although i pay a reasonable whack towards it) and whilst its an excellent faultless car to drive everyday, its just so bloody boring !

Basically, im trying to opt out of the car scheme im in and its looking likely that i may be able to get paid HMRC mileage rates towards me using my own car.

Question is, is a mk1 escort (not arched, just nice and plain, probably ermine white, mex arches, cage, minilites and a throaty pinto or maybe even a duratec on TB's ?) a good idea to use everyday ?

I do about 12 - 18k business miles per year plus about 6k ish private miles.

The main thing that is holding me back i think is the risk of it getting nicked by some scroat.

Everyone ive talked to about this idea seems to say the same thing "you cant surely want to drive a 30+ year old escort every day to work"

Ok so modern cars have all these creature comforts etc but back in the day, a heater was a creature comfort so what's the difference ?

 

What does everyone think ?

[stuartp]

sounds like a lot of miles to put it through to me but i can't imagine any other car being nicer to do them in

 

i recently got my mk1 with the plan of having it as my only car and a daily driver (but i'll be doing a lot less miles) not quite rready yet but once it's all been sorted i don't see any reason why not

 

they don't seem to be safe locked up in garages or tucked up at home so i don't think you should be any more paranoid about it getting nicked just because you use it a lot.

 

one thing i'm slightly concerned about is not having a hatch back anymore but it's not like you need to put big stuff in your car all that often

 

my vote is a cautious - do it!

[Fishtailparka]

As long as it is well maintained, I don't see why not.

I think nothing of doing a 500 mile round trip in mine, or even further for that matter.

[Vista]

I used mine as a daily drive for most of 2006. I had no problems with it but I wasn't covering anything like the mileage you're proposing and tbh probably wouldn't have used it if I was.

 

The reason I didn't do it again was that I found that it ceased to be a toy when I was driving it every day. i.e. For the year I used it as a daily I rarely ever went for a drive in it just because I could. Familiarity breeds contempt I guess.

[countrybumpkin]

at one point i used my mk1 every day for 7 months doning about 60 mile aday so having done it my advice would be to keep the modern car, using a classic everyday takes the fun out of driving it and the amount of damged that gets caused to it is 1000x worse than a weekend driver

[mk1super]

Dont do it, mate of mine did the same with an old Bsa all was well till it got run into by a lorry, outside his work gutted doesnt even come close, took us 2 years to restore, will take twice that now to rebuild as parts are so expensive and rare now.

[pnwrs2000]

mmmm. Mixed responses then

 

I just dont know - on the one hand, id just love to drive a mk1 everyday but on the other, you're right - id be absolutely gutted if it was to end up trashed by numpties or knicked or just fooked with excessive wear and tear. Mind you though, is half the fun of OSF's not about getting stuck in fixing them ?!

[Fishtailparka]

The above points are certainly very valid.

Expect it to breakdown now and then, but they are very simple to fix if it happens.

[antz]

buy a volvo

[mk1super]

Mind you though, is half the fun of OSF's not about getting stuck in fixing them ?!

 

Considering how much spares etc cost nope, the focus is expendable old fords arent

[bomber1]

do it if thats what u want tho i probaly wouldnt use a 2door shell as a daily for such high milage but a plain ish 4door could well pull it off for you. 2ltr pinto t/b or bike carbs with electronic ignition like bestek backed by a 5speed box and 3.54 diff could make for a nice dailey that could pound the miles

[Ade B]

Hell why not?!

 

Up until not long ago I did 30k a year in my Capri

2.0 Pinto, Rally cam, DGAS, 15MPG, was great fun

I just put a Disklok on and never had any trouble.

 

Only don't now as I need more space to cart stuff about....

[D4N]

15MPG

 

thats why i dont run a OSF on the road

[mk14dr]

Mines my daily, It even lives out on the street

Granted, i dont do anywhere near the amount of miles your suggesting, and it has had its troubles, but i can't imagine driving owt else day-in-day-out.

Im sure the FocusST is a nice, swift daily. But I bet no-one gives it a second glance. Not so with a mk1

 

 

D

[Ade B]

15MPG

 

thats why i dont run a OSF on the road

 

I still only get 20-25MPG in my other cars so not that much worse really

[walsh253]

get a 4 door,and run it into the ground