1974 Ford Escort XL |

Sold

1974 Ford Escort XL

Sold Price

£7,300

Mileage33,283 miles on the clock
TransmissionManual
Engine1600
LocationRipon

Market Auction

The seller has supplied the images and written the description - we have actioned seller ID, V5 and HPi checks - learn more

Market Auction

The seller has supplied the images and written the description - we have actioned seller ID, V5 and HPi checks - learn more

SOLD

1974 Ford Escort XL

I WANT ONE

Introduction

I have thoroughly enjoyed driving this car: owning and driving it has been something of a nostalgic journey, bringing back some wonderful memories of rallying Escorts in the late 60s and early 70s. Although this is not a rally car it has been fun.

I have owned this car for coming up 6 years and although I haven't done a great deal of mileage in that time, what I have done has been absolutely enjoyable. In fact, during my time owning it I have never taken it out in wet weather, but instead enjoyed afternoons out on sunny days.
Unfortunately my age and health has dictated that now is the time to sell it on, as I am no longer able to look after and enjoy the car.

This listing was written from information supplied by XXXXX after meeting XXXXX the owner, and having visited and photographed the vehicle.

Market Auction

Peter, the seller, has created this listing themselves using our free Market Auction tool. Unlike our Curated Auctions, we haven’t photographed the car or written the listing, however we have completed 3 important security checks for your peace of mind.

V5C Checked

Peter provided a copy of the V5C logbook, which we verified against his photo ID for name and address confirmation.

ID Checked

Peter provided his photo ID, which we verified against the name and address on the V5C logbook.

History Checked

History check actioned using HPi, the industry’s top verification service, for finance, write-offs, and stolen records.

V5C Checked

Josh provided a copy of the V5C logbook, which we verified against his photo ID for name and address confirmation.

ID Checked

Josh provided his photo ID, which we verified against the name and address on the V5C logbook.

History Checked

History check actioned using HPi, the industry’s top verification service, for finance, write-offs, and stolen records.

saved £1,260* when they
sold their Ford with us.

SELLING MADE EASY

We'll take the photos & create the listing.
We'll market it to our 62K buyers & online.
You'll keep your car until it's paid for.

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Exterior

I think that the character of a Mk1 Ford Escort on alloy wheels stirs something inside of most motor enthusiast of a certain age, and indeed there are a growing number of younger drivers who share the passion for the Ford Escort.

Wheels and Tyres

The photos of the car show it sat on 6J x 13 alloy wheels: both wheels and tyres are in good condition and were new approx 5 years ago so have done very little mileage.

There are a set of 4 7J x 13 alloys with tyres that come with the car but you will see from the photos that they are in need of refurbishment. There is no damage on them, but it's a job I have never got round to doing myself, probably because I prefer the wheels that are presently on the car.

Bodywork

The bodywork is generally in good condition both externally and under the car.

The owner before the one I bought it from carried out a full bare shell renovation, repairing or renewing the bodywork as necessary: this work was completed in 2017.

The underside of the car has some surface rust but is solid and would probably benefit from a good clean and some form of protection. Again, this is work I am now unable to do hence the sale.

There is an area of corrosion on the bottom of the N/S rear wing behind the rear wheel which is in need of repair to avoid it spreading: you can see the extent of this in the photos.

There is also some corrosion on the inner frame of the N/S front door above the bottom hinge. This would also benefit from early attention, again it is shown in the photos.

Paint

The car was totally re-painted in Tapenade Grey on completion of the renovation in 2017, and in my opinion a really good job was done. The finish is of good quality and uniform.

There are areas beginning to show that maybe some people would want to address but I think that it is unnecessary at this stage as the car cleans up well and looks good. I have tried to show these imperfections in the photos but they can only be seen clearly if you zoom in.

Glass and Trim

The windscreen is in good condition with no chips. There was a small water leak when I bought the car, from the bottom N/S corner of the windscreen - so I had the rubber surround seal replaced along with the plastic chrome insert which rectified the problem.

The rest of the glass and trim on the car I would say is mostly original and is showing its age, there are some scratch marks showing on the door windows from being wound up and down.

The chrome work is again showing its age and is not perfect, but in my opinion quite acceptable.

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Interior

The interior is generally standard Escort 1300 XL except for the front bucket seats, steering wheel and gear stick which give it a sporty look.

Seats and Carpets

The seats front and back are in good condition with no tears or damage.

The back seat seems original, whereas the fronts have been replaced with bucket seats.

When I bought the car the carpets were well worn and tatty, so I them with medium quality replacements.

However, as you can see from the photos the door cards and headlining are very tired. Whether there was a supply problem during the renovation or the owner ran out of funds I'm not sure, but it's a shame when so much care seems to have been taken with the rest of the car.

Dashboard

The dashboard appears to be the standard dashboard from the Escort 1300XL. There is some fading on the top padded area but all the dials and switches operate as they should except that there is no automatic self cancel on the direction indicator switch.

Steering Wheel / Gear Stick

The steering wheel has been replaced with the smaller diameter sports type, which is probably why there is no self cancel on the indicator switch.

The gear stick has been replaced with sporty quick shift type for the 5 speed gearbox.

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Mechanics

In my opinion there is no better sound than the ford crossflow engine tuned and running on twin weber carburettors. It defines the sporty saloon cars of its era.

Although they are not fast by modern standards they are fun to drive.

Engine and Gearbox

The engine, gearbox and rear axle are non standard for this Escort 1300XL.

The engine is a Ford 1600 crossflow with a big valve cylinder head - ported and polished, it has a BcF3 Kent camshaft fitted with a vernier camshaft sprocket and a high pressure/high capacity oil pump.

It runs on an electric fuel pump with pressure regulator feeding twin Weber DCOE 40 carburettors.

The engine has had a total rebuild approx 200 miles ago including skimming of cylinder head and block surfaces, new core plugs in block, re-grind of crankshaft, new bearings, new piston rings. The flywheel, clutch, and front pulley were also all balanced.

The gearbox is a Type 9 five-speed with quick shift, connected to the RS2000 rear axle through a Burton 1 piece prop shaft. I have noticed that there is a minor oil leak from the gearbox, which appears to be coming from the speedo drive where the cable enters. A new speedo cable was fitted when the engine was rebuilt.

Suspension and Brakes

The suspension and brakes are also non standard for the Escort 1300XL.

The front suspension comprises adjustable Gaz coil overs, adjustable track control arms, and a 2.4 quick steering rack.

The rear suspension is single leaf rear springs, along with Spax adjustable rear shock absorbers.

The front brakes are M16 calipers on vented discs, fitted with EBC Bluestuff race brake pads.

The rear brakes are the standard rear drum and shoe set up of the RS2000 rear axle.

Although the front discs are not rusted, they could probably benefit from a good de-glaze to give the brakes that extra bite. This is purely down to lack of recent use.

The Drive

This car is unique and is far removed from the family saloon that it was originally designed to be. Its stiff suspension and performance engine does not lend itself to popping to the shops for groceries. It has no power steering and can be quite heavy at parking speeds.

The stiff suspension makes the car relatively uncomfortable for any long distance, and the performance engine makes it quite noisy in the car. BUT IT IS FUN TO DRIVE!! and what I class as my toy.

As I have already said, it has only covered approx. 200 miles since the engine rebuild, and as it is running in new bearings it has not been driven above 4000 rpm. It could do with another 250 miles driven like this and then an oil and filter change and the carburettors set up before the revs are gradually increased.

The engine is running on Valvoline VR1 20/50 race oil, and on E5 petrol along with RedX lead replacement additive.

Electrics and Other

There are no electronic additions to the car except for the front spot and fog lights, which work and are wired through relay switches.

All lights, wipers, indicators heater etc work as designed.

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History and Paperwork

On completion of the renovation of the car it was given a front page feature and write up in the February 2017 edition of RETROFORD magazine - see paperwork images.

As it is classed as a Historic Vehicle the car is now MOT and Tax exempt. However I have copied all MOT certificates in my possession going back to 1977 which gives some credence to the mileage shown on the clock.
I have copied all invoices and receipts in my possession which are relevant to the renovation of the car.
There are no extras with the car except the 4 spare alloy wheels and tyres already mentioned, and of course all receipts pertaining to the car along with a copy of the aforementioned February 2017 RETROFORD magazine.
There is only one set of keys with the car.

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From Trade Classics:

This is a Market Auction listing, meaning we have not visited and photographed the car - instead the seller has supplied the images and written the description. However we’ve done all our usual seller checks, including photo ID that matches the V5, and also actioned a history check on the vehicle - this is a professional check operated by HPi that will highlight if the car has been previously stolen, recorded as being in an accident, or have any outstanding finance - note, this does not include a mileage history check.

Viewings are welcomed, so please get in touch with us via the 'contact us' page - we just need to speak to you first on the phone, have you register on the site, and also send in valid photo ID before confirming a suitable time to visit.

Like all our auctions, if there's anything you're unsure about, no matter how small, then please first ask the owner in the comments area below before placing your bids, as bids can't be retracted and form a binding contract if you win the car - the Buyer's Premium is not refundable in any instance, just like a traditional auction house.