Imported cars,

[BIG G]

Does anyone else apart from me not like imported cars like the 1600 sport south African escorts etc etc that are now here in abundance? When I look at a UK born car and see repairs and with that honesty/patina it's part of a cars known history and part of the charm. The Irish have a number plate scheme that shows historic vehicles that were first registered in the country and a different plate for imports etc, seems like a good idea to me to keep uk historics/classics separated. 

[GrahamU]

I am biased to this but they are all Escorts and it says on the VIN that it was built in SA so its not hiding it.

I've had an RS1600i, XR4i and a Cossie in the past, none of those were built in the UK, South Africa is just another country like Germany.

[Nige65]

I have a SA 1600 Sport, it’s an Escort just like any other Escort, I smile when I’m driving it and it makes others smile too, I’ve had nothing but compliments from everyone that has seen it so have to say that I don’t agree, I’ve also owned Escorts made in the UK, this one doesn’t feel any different!

[Johnny Boy]

I have 2 SA imported Escorts, Sport and van, and 2 imported Cortina's. Swedish and Finnish

Why, because they are not so rusty.

Once you have sorted out all the bodge ups, and made them good, they are no different.

I think there is a bit of snobbery with the MK2 Escort Sports from SA  .😳

[The Transplanter]

I have an Australian MK1, apart from a slight bit of corrosion on one floorpan its totally solid. IMO its much better than a rusty Escort that has been badly patched up or one of these cars built from pattern parts!

You can tell an original UK car by the VIN number, so there is a place for them all.

[GrahamU]

And dont forget the SA 1600 sports come with the RS strengthening, what seems to be thicker ARB, uprated springs (I think) and an original ford mex front spoiler

 

If you are really lucky you also get a leaky fuel tank, a tool kit where the UK tank was, and some tasteful bodges

[Farnsbarns]

When an age related plate is issued to an import the format does give it away to those who know what they're looking at. Furthermore, it's a matter of public record. Anyone can look up a car to see if it's been imported. 

That aside, I don't see the difference. Do SA cars get repaired and patina differently to UK cars? I don't get that bit. 

Given the choice of two identical cars (never gonna happen in reality) and one is imported, the other isn't, the non imported one will always be worth slightly more, but that's really to do with mass-irrationality. I can't think of a good reason myself. 

One of the reasons that's never gonna happen is that an SA car will generally be more solid, be less restored, and require less restoration work due to the dry climate. They're generally going to be more solid and original. 

[katana]

I don't think you've been around the 'scene' too long to make those statements as SA cars - do - rust and the repairs can vary from good to passable to imaginative to dangerous. These cars are from a 'relatively' poor income society so repairs and mods were often cheap as chips to make it drivable. Some of the trim options and driveline configurations are alien to us Europeans and as such carry a degree of stigma - just like 2 doors compared to 4 doors - irrational but it happens!

[GrahamU]

6 hours ago, Farnsbarns said:

When an age related plate is issued to an import the format does give it away to those who know what they're looking at. 

 

Enlighten me, I have just yesterday received my reg for my SA car, whats the tell that gives it away?

[Johnny Boy]

A few are JUX reg no , as mine is, but my van is KVO

[The Transplanter]

3 hours ago, GrahamU said:

Enlighten me, I have just yesterday received my reg for my SA car, whats the tell that gives it away?

It will state on the V5 "declared year of manufacture" and "previously registered overseas"

Also, Escorts built outside of Europe have a different format VIN numbers

Here are a couple of my V5's of imported vehicles

Edited December 7, 2023 by The Transplanter

[GrahamU]

29 minutes ago, The Transplanter said:

It will state on the V5 "declared year of manufacture" and "previously registered overseas"

Also, Escorts built outside of Europe have a different format VIN numbers

Here are a couple of my V5's of imported vehicles

Ah, I was expecting you to give some wisdom from the reg number to have something that gave it away, my doc says first registered in 2023 so not really something that 'if you know what you are looking for'

And as I wrote earlier, the VIN says built by Ford SA which is much more obvious when look at than the format of the number

 

 

 

49 minutes ago, Johnny Boy said:

A few are JUX reg no , as mine is, but my van is KVO

Mine is a KVO so that would be a tell for imported cars

[Rally Pack 2000]

On 06/12/2023 at 22:23, BIG G said:

The Irish have a number plate scheme that shows historic vehicles that were first registered in the country and a different plate for imports etc, seems like a good idea to me to keep uk historics/classics separated. 

Historically a form of South African Apartheid never goes down well. All Colours welcome at the OSF Tour of the Moor 😀. White only Twincams always stuck me as a bit ........ you know?

[ShaunS]

Its an interesting topic and Im sure its going to ruffle a lot of feather's, nonetheless its we are all Petrol heads. 

Yes, these cars were really cheap as chips, easy to run and maintain and any DIYers dream. The 1600 sport was my first car as a 21 year old and hence the love affair began. 

However once the timeline reached the early 2000s, spare parts were getting harder to get, body panels near dried up and well there more and more newer model Jap cars that were easier and cheaper to run. With the spare parts and body panels available in the UK its relatively easier keeping them on the road. I can state for a fact, there's more guys in SA cutting up good clean 4 doors just to build a 2 door for the market, which is a damn shame. 

 

Also weren't the Mk1 and Mk2 bodies pressed in the UK and then shipped to SA - Port Elizabeth  ? So essentially they just returning to their birth place !!

Edited December 8, 2023 by ShaunS

[Farnsbarns]

8 hours ago, ShaunS said:

Its an interesting topic and Im sure its going to ruffle a lot of feather's, nonetheless its we are all Petrol heads. 

Yes, these cars were really cheap as chips, easy to run and maintain and any DIYers dream. The 1600 sport was my first car as a 21 year old and hence the love affair began. 

However once the timeline reached the early 2000s, spare parts were getting harder to get, body panels near dried up and well there more and more newer model Jap cars that were easier and cheaper to run. With the spare parts and body panels available in the UK its relatively easier keeping them on the road. I can state for a fact, there's more guys in SA cutting up good clean 4 doors just to build a 2 door for the market, which is a damn shame. 

 

Also weren't the Mk1 and Mk2 bodies pressed in the UK and then shipped to SA - Port Elizabeth  ? So essentially they just returning to their birth place !!

Correct. They were all made in the UK and supplied as nearly ready. The local supply rules in SA meant they got a different, domestic axle and some other subtleties for local market but they were all exported there so importing them back works for me. No such thing as an SA "built" escort per se. They only waved spanners and did some light "assembly".

They had type 48 shells, except for the 100 rs1600s which had type 49. 

[Rally Pack 2000]

On 08/12/2023 at 17:53, ShaunS said:

Its an interesting topic and Im sure its going to ruffle a lot of feather's, nonetheless its we are all Petrol heads. 

Yes, these cars were really cheap as chips, easy to run and maintain and any DIYers dream. The 1600 sport was my first car as a 21 year old and hence the love affair began. 

However once the timeline reached the early 2000s, spare parts were getting harder to get, body panels near dried up and well there more and more newer model Jap cars that were easier and cheaper to run. With the spare parts and body panels available in the UK its relatively easier keeping them on the road. I can state for a fact, there's more guys in SA cutting up good clean 4 doors just to build a 2 door for the market, which is a damn shame. 

 

Also weren't the Mk1 and Mk2 bodies pressed in the UK and then shipped to SA - Port Elizabeth  ? So essentially they just returning to their birth place !!

 

On 09/12/2023 at 02:38, Farnsbarns said:

Correct. They were all made in the UK and supplied as nearly ready. The local supply rules in SA meant they got a different, domestic axle and some other subtleties for local market but they were all exported there so importing them back works for me. No such thing as an SA "built" escort per se. They only waved spanners and did some light "assembly".

They had type 48 shells, except for the 100 rs1600s which had type 49. 

Actually I think you will find the strengthened Export Shells came from Germany and they weren't as complete as suggested apart from some of the Early Mk1 shells. Some panel welding was definitely undertaken for the Mk2s at Elizabeth bay and then they were painted afterwards accounting for some of their unique colours. The slam panel for instance is uniquely South African to accommodate their own locally made radiators which look awesome with the raised Ford Symbol embossed on the top tank. So while the main body with inner guards did come pre-assembled from Germany, the front was added there after the slam panel was fitted. Its surprising how many other parts like the axle already mentioned like tanks and trim components are completely different to their UK counterparts. Even their RS2000s are pretty unique when you think they could have just sent them complete from Germany but instead they assembled them with their own unique components too.

Australian shells were completely assembled in Sydney with a combination of panels from Germany and also pressed locally. Even the doors were made locally to include larger and heaver side intrusion beams to meet harsher safety regulations. Australia even had its own unique front and rear aprons and ingeniously used a unique water absorbing seam sealant on the C Pillars and rear quarters. Could it have been that hard to send a fax to the UK to ask what they used? Hmmmmm

[Miniliteman]

8 hours ago, Rally Pack 2000 said:

Could it have been that hard to send a fax to the UK to ask what they used? Hmmmmm

According to wikipedia the fax was introduced in Australia in the early 1980's as a replacement for the Enigma machine 🤣

[Rally Pack 2000]

17 minutes ago, Miniliteman said:

According to wikipedia the fax was introduced in Australia in the early 1980's as a replacement for the Enigma machine 🤣

Ahhhh no wonder, they could have sent a telegram then!

We do have an Enigma machine actually, one of only three recovered or saved or something, I remember years ago the UK one got nicked or thereabouts, I wonder if they ever got it back?

[Dave Knight]

On 07/12/2023 at 21:58, Johnny Boy said:

A few are JUX reg no , as mine is, but my van is KVO

Yep, my sport is KVO

[Dave Knight]

All SA sports came with a chrome rocker cover. 

[Miniliteman]

4 hours ago, Rally Pack 2000 said:

Ahhhh no wonder, they could have sent a telegram then!

We do have an Enigma machine actually, one of only three recovered or saved or something, I remember years ago the UK one got nicked or thereabouts, I wonder if they ever got it back?

Bloody pikeys! Believe that machine was returned to the BBC after some time.

[Dave Knight]

Check this SA chap out. Strong money that😳😬
 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/166487171442?hash=item26c368a172:g:oBEAAOSwOEhlcxiY&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAA4CuvIwoF2xVuABY%2Biti2IJKKI1IrmQ0EBzcpI1BLCFdshfl0A%2FZ%2Bt4%2FERc%2BVMqbOKLgBeoa2c%2FEl3izqO6FWS%2FsON0%2FepsLf%2FKYl%2BpASdbfT5LjnGcU7r3yuUBbzSJB89XoGT0ZWNNc65oMr5fSSQBeXnimibnbRUYWIMB0JNhojNe394MdF7RJNG25hIjEvUHx1waoj9py2It%2FCtTp%2B8tIisniDg%2FzDbaLkCA%2Fj8NYkz6vVJt1uemiJdl80vSatggykfxB10e1dO%2FF9VLENFXnLZZADwgzFOH3X45wopKqt|tkp%3ABk9SR_rV74GKYw

[GrahamU]

2 hours ago, Dave Knight said:

Check this SA chap out. Strong money that😳😬
 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/166487171442?hash=item26c368a172:g:oBEAAOSwOEhlcxiY&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAA4CuvIwoF2xVuABY%2Biti2IJKKI1IrmQ0EBzcpI1BLCFdshfl0A%2FZ%2Bt4%2FERc%2BVMqbOKLgBeoa2c%2FEl3izqO6FWS%2FsON0%2FepsLf%2FKYl%2BpASdbfT5LjnGcU7r3yuUBbzSJB89XoGT0ZWNNc65oMr5fSSQBeXnimibnbRUYWIMB0JNhojNe394MdF7RJNG25hIjEvUHx1waoj9py2It%2FCtTp%2B8tIisniDg%2FzDbaLkCA%2Fj8NYkz6vVJt1uemiJdl80vSatggykfxB10e1dO%2FF9VLENFXnLZZADwgzFOH3X45wopKqt|tkp%3ABk9SR_rV74GKYw

Did they sell the x pack kit from factory as it claims?

[Dave Knight]

1 minute ago, GrahamU said:

Did they sell the x pack kit from factory as it claims?

No, that’s been added. Not a fan except on the RS cone. 

[Rally Pack 2000]

8 hours ago, Dave Knight said:

All SA sports came with a chrome rocker cover. 

I love those little touches on the SA cars. My favourite mentioned above is the Ford Embossed radiator tanks