Buying Guide: Ford Escort - Dan Ferrari Ford is with 3 On The Column Classic Car Podcast

Danny Finnigan, from the Dan Ferrari Ford You Tube channel and the XR Owners Club, takes us through the process of finding a good Ford Escort, how to avoid buying a disaster and explains why sometimes buying a car that needs work might be a better choice.

Meanwhile, Andrew reflects on some of the Limited Editions from the Escort range and weighs up their appeal against better known models.

Is there still a budget friendly Ford Escort you can buy? Encouragingly, it looks like there may be....  Listen to this episode now to find out how. 

Then, for more Ford stuff, follow Dan on  https://www.youtube.com/@DanFerrariFord 

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:18

Hi, this is the Friend Column podcast with Brian Thomas and Andrew Roberts, and by popular demand, our very special guest tonight. Ryan, I think you better introduce this noble person.

SPEAKER_01 0:32

I will introduce him again. Yeah, this is um Dan of Dan Ferrari Ford, the ever-popular YouTube video. And I know that people are going to say he was on the podcast the other day or the other week, and this is very true. But he is, as Andrew said, backed by popular demand. So uh he's gonna talk tonight. We're doing a little theme that's ongoing about how to actually buy a classic car, okay? And tonight, because we know Dan's the expert on all things to do with fast forwards, um he's we're gonna introduce him again with no further delay, and he's gonna have a chat tonight and think about sort of well, we know you're a great fan of XR3Is, um, escorts and XR2s and things, but uh if we kind of maybe concentrate a bit on the kind of escort side of things, and uh we want a nice positive podcast that gives everybody fantastic encouragement to go out and buy one immediately after this podcast. Is that okay, Dan? How are you, mate?

SPEAKER_03 1:42

Well, okay. We'll do our best. Yeah, thanks for having us back. Great to see you again.

SPEAKER_00 1:50

And Dan, if I may start, I have a question for you regarding the XRs that really does intrigue me. Is there now a price premium on the very early non-eye XR3s?

SPEAKER_03 2:05

A little bit, potentially, potentially, I wouldn't say so. No. I wouldn't say so. I was intrigued. Across the board, to be honest. Um yeah. I don't see and I don't think there's a massive rare is there a rarity of it? Is it a rarity of it?

SPEAKER_00 2:28

Yeah yes, they seem to be overshadowed by the XR3i, and of course the XR3 was first.

SPEAKER_03 2:33

Yeah, yeah. But I wouldn't put a like house huge premium on it, maybe a grand, something like that. I don't know. I wouldn't. You don't see them like, oh my god, it's a non-injection model, look at that, it's out of my price range. It's kind of still within the range of everything else. You know, if you've got like a sort of a it could be a really good XR3i or a really, really poor one, and you've still got that range, it's still in that range, if you know what I mean. Does that make sense? It does.

SPEAKER_02 3:02

It does. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 3:04

You can have a good XR3i and a medium XR3, and and it's in the same price bracket. Some ballpark.

SPEAKER_00 3:12

Okay. So for young, after you, please, Brian, I insist.

SPEAKER_01 3:15

I was just gonna say, really, I mean, we're going out this weekend to look at our kind of classic um escort. Um, what are we gonna be looking at? What should be highest on our radar when looking at an XR escort? Part from a trip to the bank.

SPEAKER_03 3:36

Yeah, well, there is that. Go to the bank, take as much money as you can out and then take it from there. No, I mean, yeah, it is a minefield, innit? It's like any any, I would say. It's just this is just my opinion, you know. I mean, you can take things as you find them yourselves, and everyone can. But if it was me, I I've seen them for sale in all different places, uh, internet, usual seller places there, uh, auctions. Um and I don't think automatically you think, oh, it's an expensive, it's expensive that it mut it's going to be good. You know, it's at a high-end seller and it's expensive, it's going to be good. And it's not necessarily true. Because it could be a really good car, it could be a a one-owner car that's only done 20,000 miles, but then there's still a whole different array of problems to deal with because it's never been anywhere, it's never driven. So if you want to use that car, those cars tend to become just investor cars that have never been never been used. So if you want to drive that car and use it, the chances are you'll have to go through the fuel system, the raking system, all the all the stuff, and just to make it usable. And then there could be a reason why it's only done 20,000 miles in 40 years. And it's been sat there ever since. You could potentially be buying a catastrophic failure that was being mashed up, and you're thinking to one owner, do you know what I mean? You're forgetting the age, you're forgetting the 40 years old, and so a lot of age that for a car, um, and and inherently. And then there's the opposite side of it, obviously, where there's things that have been used a lot, and you know, they have different problems that they'll they might run really well, you know, because they've been used all the time, but then they'll have obviously the wear and tear, higher mileage, engine wear, things like that.

SPEAKER_01 5:48

I mean, it's interesting. Um, we had um Nigel on the podcast last week from the Citron Car Club talking about DSs, and one of the things that he was saying, which actually made an awful lot of sense, is don't just buy the car, but like buy the buyer because the person by the seller, because it's kind of getting an idea of that car's history, kind of where it comes from, exactly what your use is like. Um, does the seller look right? I mean, I think that was the angle that Nigel was going down.

SPEAKER_03 6:26

That makes sense. If you can buy from someone you know, you know the car, you know, if you've known it for a few years and just make them aware that you're interested. You never know. Two or three years later, they might say, circumstances, are you still interested? Yeah, love it. Well, I I I've made good decisions and bad decisions. Take someone with you to look at it because when you go to buy a car, you you you glaze over, don't you? Yeah, you've wanted that car for ages and you've looked for it for months, you you just glaze over, you don't see the facts that it's leaking oil everywhere.

SPEAKER_00 7:04

You don't start you don't you don't visualize it as a huge bonfire of your money.

SPEAKER_03 7:12

No, no, no at all. Even though as soon as you set off, it is like the advert where the trees set alight as you're driving out. What was that for?

SPEAKER_01 7:24

Um that was Super Show 405 was take my breath away.

SPEAKER_00 7:30

And with a bad car, the bills will indeed take your breath away. It's sort of like automotive vortex.

SPEAKER_03 7:38

That's that's uh a vortex of all your money burning as you drive it home, which you know you know looks at it properly.

SPEAKER_00 7:45

And then your loved ones will say, I told you so, or words to that effect, but you won't listen. You have the car of your dreams. It's at this point you realise you're turning into Arnie from Christine, and he's not a good role model.

SPEAKER_03 8:03

It's bad, it's bad. Yeah, so I mean, you when you're gonna buy a problem no matter what you buy at that age, you're gonna buy something, you've just got to accept that. It's gonna cost nothing's perfect, nothing's like I say, it could be one owner, 20,000 miles, he's still 45 years old, it's got problems. It could be 10 owners, you know, 150,000 miles, it's gonna have problems. They've all got problems. They've all been they've all been rotten at some point, you know. Don't be scared of a repair. If the repair's done right, then it's then that's kind of better, really, because you're not having to make that repair. Because it it is gonna rot. It's inevitable. There's not one car that's never ever had any work done. Because you can trace it's very rare you can trace the history of a car back that far to say it's never been welded. Because you just don't know. It could have been crashed when it was six months old and repaired, and you'll never know because you just don't, you know. See so yeah, I mean, it don't be scared if it's had work done, as long as the work's been done right, it it saves you a job in some respects, I suppose. Um, it depends on the level of the car you want, if you want usability, or if you want there's if you buy in for to make money as an investor, then that's different. But if you buy in as a as a an enthusiast, then you've got a wider market to play with, I think.

SPEAKER_01 9:37

So is there any obviously people can say, well, yeah, they they rusted like mad, um, which is true, but then so did a lot of other cars of period. So is there any type of rust? I mean, where does the rust kind of start on these? Or you can say it starts anywhere and everywhere, but where would what's the amount of rust that you would look at and say, yeah, that's fine, or is there rust somewhere particularly where you'd say, well, no, that's beyond it, just don't touch it, just walk away? I mean, how how do you know that you've got like something that you can do some work on, or where you're trying to repair something that really should be crushed and destroyed with it? Yeah. Is that too too blunt a point?

SPEAKER_03 10:27

Well, everything's repairable if you've got deep enough pockets, isn't it? Sure. The problem is if you've repaired if you're buying someone else's work that's not been done properly, then you could potentially be buying a worse problem than buying something that has not been done. That's the flip sides and not being scared of the work. On the escorts, obviously that you you'll battery trays standard, um, they they rotted um the the sills, the inner sills, because the sunroof drains drained into the sills at the back, so they'd never really stood a chance. So there'll always be work being done on them, uh unless you get the convertible, which is a stronger chassis, they tend to be a lot more solid underneath. To be fair, in if you're looking for an escort, a good value um escort Mark IV convertibles are kind of like you know, they're not mega money, they're not that cheap, not as cheap as they were, but uh, but you tend to get they're a bit more solid because they've like I said, they're a stronger chassis. Um and then yeah, the same scuttle panels, it it just depends how the car's been looked after. It they're all different, you know. I mean, you can you can fix the problem is if you fix if you cut the floors out of a car, because you'll you'll find a finger hole here, a finger hole there, a finger hole there, and then when you start to look, and then then there's there's there's there's I'm not saying that people do it, but there's potential that sometimes you might hear stories where people cut the entire floor out and cut all the seals out and then weld it all back together. And then what shape is that car now? Because you've you've just cut out all the integrity of the car, the shape, the structure, everything. Um it might be an enthusiastic do a home fixer-up or something like that, and then you'll see that when you look at the car because it'll be mint, it'll be absolutely beautiful, but it just won't be quite right, you know? Doors will be quite off, the wings will be quite, they'll be it'll just won't be quite right because of that, because of that movement. So when you when you are restoring a car like that, you need to brace it up and attack it a piece at a time. That's what professionals would do. So you so there's things like that you're looking for, really, you know, your wing gaps. Um, why is it why is one of the doors got a gap that big and the other one's got a gap that big, you know. It's standard stuff that you got, cars in their mages, you can tell because it's had wings, well, yeah. Stuff I I would I would shy away from things that have had too much work done unless I could trace the work, if I'm honest. Yeah, but there's lots of great cars out there, and everything's possible, and if you're prepared to spend a bit of money, which you have to, then it'll be right. Worst case scenario, really, innit? But if you think it's a big shiny gem, why is it a big shiny gem? Yeah, you know, who's made it a big shiny gen and who's saying it's worth twice as much as all the others, power wide, and who did it? Was it done in someone's garden? It you know, was it done in the provisional environment? Is it got moisture under the paint? You know, you you could be five years down the line and the paint's blistering because it's been have moisture because someone's painted it in their back garden. You know, and you won't see that. You just won't see it.

SPEAKER_00 13:55

You'll just never know it's just uh a bit like dare I say the infamous advertisement lines you sometimes still read. We'll easily pass an MOT. Really? Why haven't you put it through an MOT yet? You know, we'll take only a small amount of work to complete. Why haven't you undertaken it then? It's it's all the parts, but not tweeted them yet, because yeah, I'd fine.

SPEAKER_01 14:19

I mean, to to quote another podcast, I think there's one that's um it's uh it it's got this problem, it's got that problem, but it's never bothered me. Um well, yeah, okay.

SPEAKER_03 14:35

Well you are buying that in that age of car, aren't you? Whatever make it is, whatever model. Yeah. You know, the seats are worn out. I mean you you are buying it, because I just think that you're not getting a new car. So you accept that and then you'll enjoy the car then more, I think.

SPEAKER_01 14:55

And I think also you've got to look at several, haven't you? Because if you see half a dozen, you're kind of looking at you think, well, hang on, I've seen three where the panels fit like this, and now I'm seeing one where they don't fit like this. So it's either the other three were wrong, which is unlikely, or this one's wrong.

SPEAKER_03 15:17

And you kind of get a feel. Uh I'll go to shows and look at the cars that are presented in the schools, you know, see what they look like. There'll be a range of different things to see, speak to the owners, see what you know what they've got to say. Um I mean, yeah, it's not like I'd say I've made some bad decisions.

SPEAKER_01 15:39

You've got to have all experience, haven't you? It's the experience that counts, and that's what I've tried to learn from. So, what's the biggest expense? I mean, what kind of things should you think? Oh, well, okay, that's reasonable to do, but what's kind of like actually that's a really expensive bit, and that's the problem you really don't want.

SPEAKER_03 16:02

Yeah. Well, for me it's bodywork and paintwork because it's just a license to print money. Nobody it's difficult to find places that want to do it, and those that'll do it sympathetically and uh specialise in it, you know. Um because it it's easy for a body shop to just do an insurance job, paint a bumper, get 300 quid, put it out the door, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang. And and and they're making a fortune. They don't want a rusty hook guy in the corner that takes all that. So I think for me it's bodywork and um welding. But luckily I've met some people along the way that that I can use because I like I say the mechanicals I can do. Um but um I think you can potentially you could just like you say, like when Andrew says it never bothered me. There could be 15 things that never bothered you. So you think, oh, it's only a little hole, oh it's only a noisy wheel bearing, oh it's only uh Shokov's lava, or it's only a broken seat, you know, where we're going here now, and then before you know it, you you're into a restoration job because when you've added it all together, um and and and and and trying to get the parts, it it is is difficult. Uh you should think consider what you're buying. It it are the parts available for it, you know. How old do you want to go? Um are they remanufacturing them? There seems to be a mid-range now in the in the escorts where there's nothing being remanufactured and everything's been um broken up by people to make money. So there's things are just missing, you know. Some of the older stuff you can get remanufactured things for quite easy, and then the later stuff's kind of still about, just then there's this kind of mark three, mark four. You wouldn't you there was a clutterer of parts available now, probably just there isn't. It's surprising real thing. So that that's yeah, if you can get a bootful of parts with it when you buy it, then that's good. Yeah. What haven't they been fitted to it? Yeah. I want to just get the best you can for the money you've got, and just don't it doesn't necessarily mean just because it's expensive doesn't mean it's brilliant, and just because it's in the top place doesn't mean it's brilliant. It could be a uh you know, just a very amicable person selling his car that is his pride and joy, and it might not be perfect, it might need a little bit of love. Um well that could be a brilliant car, you know, as opposed to someone who's a dealer upon a dealer upon a dealer upon a dealer. It's just you're paying all them dealers' premiums to get that car, which is then in turn back worth what it was when the first dealer bought it. Mustn't use the work doing. Um because yeah, you don't really get like a three-month warranty with them and things like that, do you? No, no.

SPEAKER_01 19:12

So are there any parts that you definitely do struggle to get on these cars now? I'm sort of thinking like the Mark Freeze and stuff. Anything definitely not available or rarer than hence teeth?

SPEAKER_03 19:28

I think it's sort of eight, yeah, sort of up to 1990 now, we're kind of you're searching, you know. Yeah. When when I did my first escort, uh you used to be able to just type in uh breaking X half re eye, and there'd be 20 people with a picture of a car, and you could just send them a message and they'd have any part you wanted. Um they're not uh it's not that easy now. You kind of like look in you might have seen an advert for one thing and think, well, they could potentially have something now, so and then you might get talking to them and then they might have something and know someone who's got something and kind of all that. But it's infuriating as well. But yeah, I mean the nineties stuff's good, 90s escorts, they're good value if you want uh like a reasonable into a classic car scene um you the cabriolets like keep saying cabriolets, don't I? But they just didn't rot as much uh on the escorts. So there's plenty of them about. You're not big money, I say not big money, you know, like three to seven thousand pounds for the Mark Vs. Um, so you you you really, really nice ones are seven, you know, ones that need a bit of work of three, which is if you want an in, now that's a good price to be in rather than going to the Mark IIIs, which are kind of into your sort of twelves to twenty-two range, you know, upwards. See, so they're they're good first-time ones to be honest. And if you can stretch a bit more to a Mark IV, they're kind of in the six grand to twenty grand range, really. But you know, you do there's a load about for sort of between five and ten that are in perfectly good condition, a little bit, you know, like lot lot good examples for the money. Whereas with the hard tops, you'll be paying a bit more because obviously there's like you said the rarity to them. Um and then you step back again, don't you? You step back to the Mark Threes, which is again another lift, and then Mark Twos and all that before you know what you're at. Fifty grand, which is I think fifty grand is just a ridiculous amount to spend for a car to have in the classic car scene, that's to me. But like for me, then cars have gone. They've gone into another world of investors and You know, places that we we are we aren't having one of those. And if we did, we we'd have so much money in it, we'd be scared to death for driving it.

SPEAKER_01 22:07

Yeah, and that's the thing, it's it's just to become enjoyable, doesn't it, really?

SPEAKER_03 22:11

So uh so I think as a good middle ground, just look for something that suits your budget, that's not ruining you, that you can afford to keep, even if um, you know, even if times get a bit harder, you don't have to say, Oh, regrettably, I'm selling my car. You know, something that's you're not stretching yourself with, but you can enjoy and keep the many, many years, and then all them little jobs that you do and the little bits that you spend on it, they're not they're not in waste because it's for you to enjoy. You know.

SPEAKER_01 22:44

So really then, what you're saying, it sounds as though if you're looking at sort of escorts, um the kind of Mark IVs are kind of around it, sort of reasonable prices. It's a good kind of entry point to get into an escort, then you think?

SPEAKER_03 23:02

I would say, I would say Mark IV convertible, Mark V convertible, yeah. All the ones you're gonna be into bodywork and engine work and stuff like that. It's inevitable. Um and then they kind of stops then, didn't they? So there's a lot of 2000s stuff about now with the focuses, Mark I focuses, things like that. People showing those. I see a lot of them about uh RSs, STs, things like that. And um again, they were just they were they did exactly what the XRs did, but a few years later they were a daily driver kind of thing. There was loads of them about, and then they all rotted and looked scrubbish and tatting no one wanted them. They've got a squat. I mean, I have a black.

SPEAKER_00 23:46

I mean, I have a saying with you know a lot of mass-produced cars, they lose their first bloom of youth, then they end up in the small ads of the local paper, then they end up in the a-daily car lot behind the gas works, no questions asked, and then it's a brand new sparkling career in and as railway sidings or source bands. And so and this is before you think of all the scrappage schemes, so it is a miracle that some cast of that era survive. Another point, I suppose, is you'd have to be in your early 50s at least to remember the XR3's launch.

SPEAKER_03 24:29

Yeah. Yeah, I I I I don't I don't know what that was. Sorry, far too young.

SPEAKER_00 24:37

I was 10, in case you I was 10 years old. It was one of the big events of 1980.

SPEAKER_03 24:43

Minus two.

SPEAKER_00 24:45

But that's the 1980, was it?

SPEAKER_03 24:47

1980 when you released it.

SPEAKER_00 24:50

Yes, the Mark III Escort in 1980.

SPEAKER_03 24:52

Oh, right, no, I was two, yeah. Yeah, I was here. I was watching I'll explain it.

SPEAKER_00 25:01

Because that was one of the big three, you know, cars you saw at the NEC. The Mark III Ford Escort, the Austin Mini Metro, and the Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit.

SPEAKER_02 25:11

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 25:11

You know, cars that were going to take us into the nine into the 1980s. And of course, let's not forget, I know it's not an XR3, that really nice corgi model in metallic green.

SPEAKER_01 25:26

Which was probably crystal green, wasn't it? I think crystal green, was that the one? That's the colour they called it, I think.

SPEAKER_00 25:35

A g a gear in cry in crystal green.

SPEAKER_01 25:39

Crystal green, yeah. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 25:43

Well, there's a lot of um base models around now that uh people are buying buying into, you know, don't have to be an XR or an RS. So a massive appreciation for the base models.

SPEAKER_00 25:55

Yeah, and and I think he also models like the five later five-door estate, they nearly seem to be extinct.

SPEAKER_03 26:03

Yeah. Yeah. I remember there's the uh the escort eclipse was what sort of when I was in. It was a five-door, but it had the spoiler on it and fancy wheel trims, and they used to think that's that's a good car. And um yeah, you don't really see many of those things about, to be honest.

SPEAKER_01 26:25

That was the last of the Mark IIIs, wasn't it, before it went to the Mark IV? I think was it?

SPEAKER_02 26:31

Mark IV, yeah. Mark IV, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 26:34

Was it like a metallic red? I seem to recall, and a metallic blue.

SPEAKER_03 26:40

Yeah, yeah. Quality.

SPEAKER_01 26:44

I must admit, it's a long, long time since I've seen one of those.

SPEAKER_03 26:48

No, long time. No, they've all gone because and yeah, uh, I saw a popular the other week, uh, a 950. Wow. And you whoa, you thought a 1.1 was bad. Um popular escort, you know. It hadn't have a badge on it because the badge wasn't it just didn't come with one. There was no nothing. It was just the the play in his car. I said to him, it was he he kind of needs the badge putting on it, and he said it does it never he's never had a badge it was. Didn't even mark it up, it was that cheap.

SPEAKER_00 27:25

Oh you're tempting me. I mean, there's I mean, there's they predate the Mark III, but there are a couple of Mark IIs. I want to know if they still survive, you know. I mean, these are special edition models, you know, and I crave an escort gold crest.

SPEAKER_01 27:46

There's there's probably treatment you can get for that, Andrew.

SPEAKER_00 27:50

Oh no, who wouldn't want an escort gold crest? It's a Ford or L with exciting paintwork. What more do you want out of life? That's right, yes. It was a as all the hallmarks of quick get it out the showroom. Or if you were really exciting, the 1979 Ford Escort Lynette. Oh yeah. That's great names. Oh, absolutely. I mean, basically, it's a bog standard 1300 model with a stripe. It sounds like a laundry basket. It it basically has all the hallmarks. Again, get it out the showroom quickly. Nothing to do with I I actually saw a Fiesta Bravo at the week. Not Bravo, a sandpiper at the weekend. Oh no, well, it's two in all and of course, Brian, I believe you're a London man. I bet you wanted a Ford Escort Capital.

SPEAKER_01 28:53

Oh, I did. Yeah. I I every day I kind of looked at the brochures and yeah, I couldn't wait, really. I just couldn't wait to be old enough to go down the showroom and get an escort capital. I didn't I didn't know, but I did have the capital radio sticker.

SPEAKER_00 29:10

Yeah. We we didn't have an equivalent where I grew up. I mean, there was no sort of you know, Ford Escort Solent, named after Radio Solent. Or you know, sadly. So you were lucky, you know, in the Capital Radio era. But I do marvel at Ford's mastery of limited edition models.

SPEAKER_03 29:29

Yeah, of the same thing. I mean, the Mark II was a big I mean the Mark I and the Mark II was a was a big thing, wasn't it? The escorts there. There was a big the big changeover to the Mark III. It was such a drastic change, wasn't it? It was very different.

SPEAKER_00 29:47

It was a shock to the system because I think, although I'd very happy to be corrected, it was Ford of Europe's um only third front-wheel drive car. Right. After the Fiesta in 1976 and the Taurus in 1962. Right. Interesting. So it so to some of you've had what nearly what 12 years of rear-wheel drive escort, and not only is the new model front-wheel drive, it has a hatchback. And this is a you know, leap in the dark territory. Yeah.

unknown 30:20

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 30:21

And of course, the argument, would people who had the old RS 2000 Mark II accept a front-wheel drive XR3? But of course, the marketing of that was so slick, and the car looked so good from the moment go. I mean, Ford's copywriting meant that even the escort standards seemed luxurious with its thrilling fittings of a windscreen, seats, a rear view mirror, doors, everything. This this car had absolutely this car had the works. All the luxuries.

SPEAKER_03 31:01

I I bought some brake discs the other day and they cut and I had to pay VAT on them. Would you say a brake disc is a luxury item? Would you say the ability to stop my car is a luxury? That was just something that was bugging me on the way home.

SPEAKER_01 31:25

If like one of your pads fall out while you're driving along. That's probably you you may kind of feel it's got a luxury status if you don't have one, maybe.

SPEAKER_00 31:34

And let us not forget the an early Mark III appears in the famous public information film Candles for Katie. Which I hope you've both seen. Bit of Codel Glazeman for him there.

SPEAKER_01 31:48

Uh definitely have.

SPEAKER_00 31:50

Well, it's not I'm not sure how successful it was. It's about an insurance rep and his family. And I seem to remember the narrator saying, Oh yes, someone in this film is going to die by the end. Which made me not make nothing creating the happy mood for escort ownership.

SPEAKER_03 32:08

Maybe he didn't have the brakes. Maybe he didn't have the looks. Exactly. There were a lot of three items.

SPEAKER_00 32:14

He was working so hard to get a gear with brakes as standard, you know.

SPEAKER_03 32:18

Yes. I've got the capital sticker, but not the brakes. Yeah, stick me in, I'll buy it.

SPEAKER_00 32:25

I mean there was an escort capital for sale recently, wasn't there? That was advertising at the auction houses. I mean, some Ford special editions, I think, last in the memory. The Ford Granada gear sapphire, I think, is one that always comes to mind. Yeah. I was trying to think what the first one would be. I think it would be the last of the line Ford Anglia 105e Deluxe's with a special paint finish. Blue mink or Venetian gold. That nice, that nice. I I'd take one of those. And then Ford made a sort of um last of the line super luxury Ford Zephyr 6, which basically top-loaded with Zodiac extras.

SPEAKER_03 33:06

Yeah, yeah. It's clearing the shelves in the pack track.

SPEAKER_00 33:09

Basic, yeah, basically, basically, yes, but um, you know, they have those wonderful brochures for the limited edition models. I mean, but back to the XR3s, XR3Is, do you sometimes find that people are so seduced by the dream of ownership that they sometimes rationale just goes out the window. They have to have it. Yeah. Well, from well, in when they were new, or now or now. I mean, you could I mean, you know, you could wisely advise them, I think there's something wrong with this XR3i, i.e., there appears to be a tree going through the engine bay, etc. The last MOT was issued when Margaret Thatcher was the Prime Minister, etc. And it appears to be held together with cellotate. But I think if you are a fanatic, you'll buy it, they'll buy it. I want it. I'll take it. I must have it. It's a barbecue. You know, don't worry, with my expertise, I can get it running in a week. Yeah, no problem, yeah. Yeah. Then, as they would say in the best television programs, two years later. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 34:22

I think it depends what you want them for, doesn't it? When you're chopping, if you want a project, then there's loads of them there. If you want something that you can just turn key when you need be a bit look a bit harder, really, and pay a bit more. But yeah, I think if you're right, it it it's just a a nostalgia thing, innit? People who want them. I think I think probably like that's why there's 2000s cars coming through now, because um they got people who couldn't afford one when they was younger or saw them when they was growing up, have now got a career and a little bit of extra cash and they can afford to buy it.

SPEAKER_00 35:09

And now they can they can invest in their dreams. So say if you were born, what, 96, you know, you might have been a very young child of primary school. Now you can actually buy it. And we've seen this in the generations, haven't we? I mean, my own father bought a TR4A in the mid-70s, the sort of car he wanted, I think, as a young blade. It's also the first car I've ever seen anyone use a starting handle on in anger. But it might be you you'll find people who grew up in the 70s can finally buy their Ford Capri 3000 GXL Mark 1 Mark I facelift, yeah, their Ford Granada Gear, Mark II, etc. They can realise that dream where it might have been a parental car, it might have been the next door neighbour's car, but the memory is all. Whereas I think if it's interesting, I've seen younger people now looking at cars that predate them by at least a generation. That always interests me. Because there's no link of direct memory.

SPEAKER_03 36:10

Yeah, I think you've got the I think you're into your because the XR's obviously gone. I think you're into your RSs there with your Mark 1s, Mark IIs, and Mark III RSs there. The poor, they're the past pores that they could have never had, which are still readily available. And even your newer Mustangs, I suppose, you know, the V8 Mustangs, it's still uh great car. Um they're like your next generation uh look into, really, I think. Um I also think that a lot of the older generation are using those cars because they might have had a Mark II RS 2000, and like we just said, they cost a lot of money to maintain, they're worth so much you're scared of driving them. They're you know, now they must assume you look at them, and then but you can buy still a 10-year-old Focus RS for half the money, and you can go to all the shows in it, it's turnkey, it won't rust, you've leave it on your drive, you know, you've got all that, you can still live that lifestyle without that without being stuck underneath the other services because it's burst of water weak or anything, you've got that sort of modern technology. So I think there's a lot of aging RS drivers that have moved, jumped forward, if you like, and especially when the RS was released, I think they bought they jumped onto them brand new, and there that's why there's a lot of those that are uh one on a lower mileage, really, really nice examples, even though you would think why why is somebody sort of doing this and loving this brand new car so much? What it's the nostalgia's from uh way back, just be brought forward to a usable, realistic place, if you know what I mean. Um, because the the good value for money to be honest, and they are um they are gonna go, they don't make them anymore. If we're never gonna release another RS, I I doubt it very much.

SPEAKER_00 38:13

Because they come from a certain period of forward, don't they? A certain ethos, which is maybe no longer with us.

SPEAKER_03 38:19

It does, it's it it's it's it runs on petrol.

SPEAKER_01 38:25

It's quite interesting because the the later you go through the sort of escort range, and here if you're talking and we're going up to sort of um 96, 97, I seem to recall that it was before they changed the escort factory over to making the X-type Jaguar, they're actually producing escorts, the very, very last ones, to a Jaguar standard at the time. So the kind of very last of like the sort of um sort of 90s escorts um really were very well built, and this they're not really climbing much in value, aren't they? So there's a lot of opportunity there to get a really really good escort. There is that she's built really well, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 39:26

That's the like saying the Mark V's and the Mark Sixes, they're they're those ones, aren't they? And that they were like with the SI and the GTI, I think maybe, and then mess it, yeah. Yeah. Again, they're um good value cars to get into the for me personally, and that it's just my opinion, they kind of lost the buzz. They were well built, they were heavy, they were quiet, and they were sluggish, and they were boring, and all that to go along with it. Um unfortunately, I owned a mart, I own one of the last X A3 eyes ever made, uh 1990 something it was, uh Lredge. And um I s I I sold it. Um I just sold it. It was just I was driving home in it one day and I just thought, this is this is really boring. There's no no joy. Yeah. I don't know why. I don't know why. Um I I kind of I could see why it ended then. You know what I mean? I see why they took it, they they couldn't why it moved on then to the focus. Yeah, it was mean the heavier, the engine change, it was low powered, it was you know, it just lost its didn't have the metals of the older stuff. But you can say that about the Mark II's to the Mark IIs and the Mark III's to the Mark IVs. Yeah. Yeah. But then I think when they came back in with the focuses, then it it they kicked it out, you know, they upped the game a little bit then, especially with the STs, um which is basically the uh uh XR continued, isn't it? The cheaper version of the RS. Yeah the baby sister of the RS um great value cars, Mark II Focus ST, £2,000. Really nice, low engine, turbo charged, you know. I mean gosh, what really really nice version, £6,000, great, great car, you know, and I and because overlooking them thinking that the modern cars, that the young people's cars, um did not that new. It's still 20 odd years old now, so at least there's uh a little bit. Unfortunately, they get kind of categorized like they all did with the pops and bangle thing, wow, for keeping the scene alive in their own way. But I'm waiting for Ford to release something and just because they still sell the Mustang V8, don't they?

unknown 42:01

They do.

SPEAKER_03 42:02

They don't advertise it, it's it's all electric, that's their big push. But then you can still go to the back door and order a brand new V8 Mustang of any type style. Um, and so is are they gonna one day just go, okay, then let's uh let's throw something out there, you know. I'm pretty sure Ferrari did it with the battery-powered car that they released recently. I'm pretty sure that they released that absolute monster of a thing, just to get publicity, because they're gonna release something good in a minute. That's my theory, I hope.

SPEAKER_01 42:42

I I have to say I saw um Harry Metcalf on his um podcast doing a visit to the design studio, I think, where they launched it. And I have to say, I know you're gonna hate me for this, but I I actually really liked it. I actually thought it was really sweet. I actually thought I'd buy that.

SPEAKER_03 43:09

Hello? Hello? Hang up, how do you hang up? Can you hang up in the middle of a podcast?

SPEAKER_01 43:14

Disconnect this man from the.

SPEAKER_03 43:30

Because that made such waves now, if they turn around with another V12, they'll spell out in a in an instant.

SPEAKER_01 43:37

Yeah, wow.

SPEAKER_03 43:39

But anyway, we we've gone on to another one there, haven't we? Really?

SPEAKER_02 43:43

Yeah, we have to buy an escort. Buy an escort, buy an escort.

SPEAKER_01 43:47

Honestly. So I I think then um obviously probably the best thing you do as well, even if you haven't bought one yet, is join the XR owners club. Is that a good idea? Yeah. Definitely join the XR owners club.

SPEAKER_03 44:02

Yeah. Come and see us. Have a chat with us. Um, you know, we don't people kind of sometimes hold the club responsible because things are too expensive or they can't find something, you know, it's not our fault. But we will help as much as we can. And uh, you know, like I said, look at the cars. Look at the different levels of cars throughout the club and ask how much they paid. A lot of people in them clubs have had the cars for a long time, so it's easy because they look good because every two months they've done one little job, one little job, one little job, but they've had it for ten years, so that accumulates to lots of jobs, that's why they look so good. Um yeah, um that you know sometimes they just sell out the club and and they do wonderful bars, yeah. Yeah, come and have a look, have a look at any shows and and just I think if if you want something specific, then it's a bit harder to find, innit? You've got to like that's when it gets a bit like you say if you want the XR3 non-injection, then keep keep looking. Yeah, that's when it comes to somewhere, yeah. But yeah, join any club, come and have a look at your soul. Well, it's summer to re car when you get it as well, isn't it? Otherwise you're just gonna drive around the box. Well that's it, yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 45:22

I mean I I think in summing up then, I think it's kind of come to light that certainly not all escorts are stratosteric in price, and there's actually quite a good selection that are actually really quite affordable, and you shouldn't really be put off looking at them, really, should you? Because there's obviously some quite nice cars out there, escorts still for not a vast amount of money. Is that fair?

SPEAKER_03 45:56

There is, there is, yeah, there is. Yeah, definitely. Definitely. Yeah, keep looking for ages.

SPEAKER_02 46:04

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 46:05

Yeah, it's quite a range, really. Yeah, and if you just suit you suit try and suit your budget so you're not and and like I say, for me, I don't think I mean really expensive version that you can't use is not it's not very much fun. You know, but you can have a nice, a nice middle of the road sort of thing. You know. When you're driving down the road in that car, it can have ten miles on it or 110,000 miles. You're still smiling, you're still it it you're not looking at us being just enjoying the car. You could be driving with £110,000 and another couple of grand injux. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 46:50

Brilliant. Yeah. Okay, well, we'll wrap this one up there. I think there's some really good advice in there. Um thanks very much, Dan, as always. And um do you want to give us a little plug for the well, certainly for the XR Owners Club, and I think for the Dan Ferrari 4, where there's probably gonna be lots of ideas on there about getting these great things done to your cars, really. Do you want to give us a little plug for that, please, Dan?

SPEAKER_03 47:21

Yes, yeah, jump on board, check out the YouTube channel, Dan Ferrari Ford, sponsored by the XR Owners Club now. Um wow, we've seen it car tours. Wow, so it's doing well. Um it's just me, it's me, my car, um uh some of the other members' cars, having a look at them, uh, going through, doing little jobs here and there. It's not an instructional video, they're not how-to videos, but you might learn something along the way. You can try and have a bit of fun, and that's it. That's all it is. Just a bit of fun and a laugh. And I enjoy doing it, and I hope you enjoy watching it as much as I enjoy doing it. Dan Ferrari Ford on YouTube. Have a look. Link in the description. Like and subscribe.

unknown 48:07

Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 48:08

Thank you very much. I've been practicing that. I wish I could do it that well. So I have to learn to do, you have to give me some lessons.

SPEAKER_03 48:20

Yeah, if you watch the video on the YouTube channel, you can at the end of the video you can go to the links that'll take you to the XR orders club, and it'll take you to this channel as well.

SPEAKER_01 48:30

Okay, thank you, Dan. All the best, and well uh thanks for having us, yeah. Great speaking.

SPEAKER_03 48:38

Do you guys have to be able to do that?