Ford's knack of accurately judging market requirements was demonstrated yet again in 1968 with the arrival of the Escort. An instant hit, the newcomer proved a worthy successor to the Anglia and was destined to be Britain's best-selling car for many years. 

Built initially in two- and four-door saloon and estate body styles, the Escort came initially with either a 1,098cc or 1,298cc overhead valve four-cylinder engine, and there was a choice of either manual or automatic gearbox. Ford fans with an appetite for high performance could choose between GT and 1.6-litre Twin Cam or – later the RS1600 and Mexico models.

Those of you who are Ford purists and only interested in originality you better stop reading now..

First registered in May 1971 this Escort spent its early life as a 2 door 1300 GT, one of many that lined the streets. Discovered in a barn (yes, really, see photos) in 2007 it was rescued and went through a restoration, with many replacement parts including floor pans and new front panels.  

A 2.2 litre Sunbeam Lotus twin cam engine replaced the 1,300cc Ford item. The Escort was painted in two-tone silver over blue, but a year later it was repainted again, this time in its original (and one year only colour)- Maize Yellow. In 2013 it was purchased on Ebay by the Vendor who drove it briefly, but decided that it was a little disappointing with the Lotus engine putting out a mere 174bhp, and he didn’t like the Webasto style sunroof which was a poor fit.  He knew that he could do better.  

So the Escort was stripped down again and he embarked on a no expense spared restoration. Having the expertise, contacts and equipment enabled him to do the work to an exemplary standard.  The roof was removed, and expertly replaced; you would not be able to tell.  

Finally completed in 2018 it has been test driven, and attended one local show, but lockdown and other projects pushed it to the back of the garage.  Now being offered to make way for the next project it is on the button, ready to go, and needs nothing.

Looking through the history folder there is not much about the Escort’s early life.  There are some nice images of the car as it was found in the barn in 2007, during transport, and then later after its first restoration in its blue and silver paint.  There are then plenty of photographs, documents, invoices and information relating to its most recent resto in 2013-14.  

Unhappy with the performance the seller removed the engine and sent it away for rebuild at Kemp Performance engines with an invoice on file for £8,726.98, along with dyno tests showing a healthy 226hp at 6,900 rpm.  There is a comprehensive list of engine parts used which makes for interesting reading as only the best quality parts were used throughout.  

The 2.2 litre engine is mated to a Toyota Supra 5 speed gearbox, and power is delivered to the wheels through a lightweight balanced propshaft, plate type limited slip differential and Quaife driveshafts.

There is a selection of spares to go with the Escort including spark plugs, 4 unused oil filters, tin of touch up paint and a spray can too, the sun visors (not fitted due to roll cage), a gearbox mount for the Supra box, a gearbox release bearing and manuals for the Stack instrumentation and on the Lotus 2.2 engine. 

The inside of the Escort is business like, with a lack of frills. There is a six point Safety Devices roll cage fitted, along with smart Contour RS Twin Cam seats with four point Willans harnesses. The wood dash area is tidy and smart with standard instruments, except for the Rev counter which has been updated with a Stack instrument.  

This gives temperature, oil pressure and RPM, so the temperature and oil pressure gauges to the right of the steering wheel are non-functional.  The steering wheel is a period deep-dish item which has had the nasty vinyl covering removed, and replaced with tactile and grippy alcantara.   To the right of the steering wheel are the on/auto/off controls for the Revotech engine fan. 

The remaining switchgear is all standard Ford.  The heater which is properly installed, but currently not working.  The seller hasn’t got round to fixing it as he was unlikely to be driving the Escort in the winter months.  During the rebuild the original loom was binned, and a new, bespoke loom constructed to incorporate all the upgrades. 

The black carpets are clean with virtually no wear, and the floor beneath them is well sound and heat proofed with Dynamat throughout.  The door panels are tidy and unmarked, similarly with the smartly installed roof lining.  To access the rear seats the harnesses can be unclipped to allow the front seats to tilt forward, although there are no seatbelts fitted in the rear.

The sills have the correct and super-rare small Ford logos.  These are usually missing as they get kicked off over the years.

In the boot everything is equally as tidy and well considered.  A Facet race quality fuel pump, with Aeroquip fuel lines running forward to the engine. There is a smart housing for the battery, relocated form under the bonnet, along with a battery cut-off switch and the spare wheel with a Castrol tool wrap.

Maize Yellow was a one year only Ford paint option and very few original Mk1 Escorts this colour exist, although plenty have been resprayed in this attractive period colour. Contrasting beautifully with the black GT graphics it suits the Escort and really stands out.  

The bodywork is excellent clearly demonstrating the time spent on preparation always pays off. The panel fit is excellent and the shutlines as good as you could hope for.  

The replacement Mexico style front wings fit perfectly, and you would not be able to see that the entire roof was replaced! 

All the badging and lighting is new, with discreetly upgraded LED headlights in original headlights. The wheels are 13 x 7” Minilites with sticky Yokohama A539 tyres, all unused.  

The centre caps are bespoke, made especially for the Escort in matching Maize yellow with Lotus logos and Escort Twin Cam script –a nice touch!

We would suggest some time spent studying the accompanying photographs will show you all you need to know about the exterior.  Trust us, it’s gorgeous!

 

And now we get to the heart of the Escort!  As mentioned earlier the Lotus Twin Cam engine is a work of art, and has been beautifully installed, fuelled by twin Dellorto 40 carburettors.  The bulkhead has been adjusted to fit the engine, and the whole under bonnet area has been tidied up with virtually no wiring or hoses visible.  

There is a bespoke aluminium oil cooler and aluminium radiator with header tank. The exhaust is a bespoke,  full stainless system, handmade by a local specialist. The engine bay is braced across the shock towers with a Gartrac brace bar.  All this has been beautifully executed.  You’d be proud to open the bonnet at any show, safe in the knowledge that very few will get close to this level of quality.

The front suspension features GAZ adjustable front struts, AP Racing brake discs and 4-pot callipers with Aeroquip hoses.  There is a twin cam antiroll bar, Powerflex bushes, quick steering rack and adjustable track control arms and a World Cup cross member. When we visited the Escort sounded wonderful; rorty but not too loud, and once warmed up it ticked over happily despite the cold weather. 

There was a little noise from the clutch release bearing when first started from cold which disappeared once engine was warmed up. The seller describes the driving experience as “entertaining” and he’ll be sad to see it go, but he hopes it goes to someone who will enjoy it as he intended -regularly and quickly!

You may be able to tell that we think this is a very special car!  Although it may not appeal to Ford purists, but we know that most petrolheads will see the attraction.  

It could be better described as a special or “restomod”, but we like what the seller has achieved; super cool 70s looks combined with thoughtful and nicely executed upgrades.  Just how we would have done it, if only we could!