We went to a car show in near us in Essex today to support a local hospice and I saw one of my old cars there on display. It was the last car I ever restored. I built this one from a bare shell over 10 years ago. I just wasn't using it but I got my pleasure from building it. My wife hated going out in it with me as she felt that 'everyone was looking at us'. It was just as it was when I sold it. I always wondered what had become of it and I feared it had long gone the way that most of them did - wrapped around a tree in some country lane! Anyway, the new owner had only just bought it less than two months ago for £15,000 which was a bit more than I sold it for - I knew I should have held on to it!

Anyway, here we are, reunited again.

Click image to enlarge

Click image to enlarge

Admin note: this post has had its images recovered from a money grabbing photo hosting site and reinstated

Lovely , wish it was mine. FL2 SD4 Metropolis Auto Santorini Black / ivory completely stock.

It's true that light travels faster than sound, some people look quite intelligent until you hear them speak.


Stop global winging.

Wonderful little vehicle the Mk 1 Escort - and the Mexico and RS 1600 were great sports cars for their time. Life was simpler then and so were the cars.

Lovely car , brings back memories , my 1st Escort was a Daytona Yellow 1300 Sport K reg

Actually 15 grand now for a Mk1 RS or Mexico is on the cheap side, some go for between 20 and 30 grand these days, and the Twin Cams the skies the limit.

Looks a nice example  Former Mod/Member, with the most post & Chicken George Arch nemesis

I had one of those and not only did I replace the clutch but I also stripped down the gearbox and put new bearings in it. I remember how my wife went bananas when she discovered the main shaft in the deep freeze and the bearings in the oven - I managed to get them on without a press. I still have the Haynes manual compete with exploded view of the gearbox. Why do people these days assume that it's not possible to do it yourself? 3 x FL1 2 manual + 1 auto
5 x FL2 4 manual + 1 auto
Now Discovery Sport P250 MHEV SE

Because the old cars were done without the need for a computer, in fact they were probably designed by slide rule, remember them? and a note pad.
Now you cant even start one without the need of a chip and microprocessor, bad or good? one thing though the old cars could be entered and started with a paper clip in the days when you never really needed to even lock a car anyway, now they wouldnt last 5 minutes before they are pinched.
Mind you neither do some Range Rovers

Yes, still got a slide rule - wonderful devices. They made you look so clever if you could use one. My uncle actually got promoted from the shop floor to the office because the boss saw him holding one (he ended up running the place too).

I think that a lot of the classic car stuff is really about simplicity. Makes you wonder if anyone will be running a current car in say 30 years time. Where will you get the diagnostics and working electronic modules to get them through the MOT?

Scene at a scrapyard in 2050: Have you got a Photon Improbability Drive for a 2030 LandRover Defender Sport plus? Nah mate you can't get them anymore and the ones on eBay have probably got a virus in them. 3 x FL1 2 manual + 1 auto
5 x FL2 4 manual + 1 auto
Now Discovery Sport P250 MHEV SE

Landiroamer wrote:

Actually 15 grand now for a Mk1 RS or Mexico is on the cheap side, some go for between 20 and 30 grand these days, and the Twin Cams the skies the limit.

It's a replica I'm afraid. It's a '69 shell and they didn't start making the RS's until about '73 I think. Started out as a base 2 door 1100 but I sourced all the right bits and used a cosworth block and crank and a Sierra 5 speed 'box and built it from scratch. Most of the genuine ones have been reshelled using base shells anyway. It's surprising what value the 'right' logbook and vin plate can add to the price of one of these.