Escort GTI
 

Borrowed a female friends one of these, and to be honest I was looking forward to driving it, I can say however this is one of the most dissapointing cars I have ever driven.:(

Unless this particular one is a dog, it just felt so "flat" with no GTI feel about it at all.

Any other differing experiences?

I drove one when i was 19. Previous fastest car experience was my dad's n/a audi 2.2 quattro. I was very impressed [6 month old car at the time] - handled well and progressive performance. Easily quicker than a then 10 year old 140hp AWD audi????

maybe they dont age very well then. this is an R reg so 97 I think, nearly 10 years old

Indeed it was a long time ago, and i hand not been in anything quicker, so it is relative of course.

As far as i remember GTI was just a trim/cosmetic level on these cars. Took one from National car rental once and swapped it an hour later for a 2.0Vectra, that's how crap it was.

That's because it's a Escort 1.8 Si with a bit of bodykit nailed on, some Cosworth style alloys, and a GTI badge.
Everything else is as per Si. 115bhp engine, same suspension etc.

I bought a 1.8Si, when I was 21 as a new car, and my mates 106 XSI would just about keep up on the straights, then leave me for dead on the twisties.

The most un-GTI car ever made

AFAIK they share the same zetec engine as the RS1800i 130ps :wonder:

It felt like it had more grunt than my friends standard zetec escort that I sometimes drive, but it wasnt speed that let the car down for me it was the lack of smile factor that my g/fs 106 GTI has.

No. They have the same 115BHP engine out of the Si. I know this, as when the GTI came out, I went round my local dealer hoping it had more power than my Si. Sadly, I was informed it was the same engine/power.

Sadly I couldn't afford the car or the insurance for the RS2000 I wanted. :(

The RS2000 is a car I want a go of?

Thanks for putting me staright about the power, what does the normal zetec have 105?

If memory serves me right, the 1.6 Escort Si has 100BHP. It could have been 105 though.
As for the RS2000. If your Girlfriend has a 106GTI, just drive that instead. I went from Escort Si to 106GTI, and the car's are in 2 different worlds when it comes to handling/fun.
The RS2000 would be faster than the Si, but I bet the 106GTI will still be faster than the RS in a straight line, and it would blow the RS into the weeds then it comes to the twisties.
The RS2000 came in front wheel drive and 4 Wheel drive. When I ordered my Si, there was a Blue RS2000 4x4 in the dealers, but it was £2k more than I could afford. Nice car's at the time, but TBH there a pile of sh1te now.

If you're after a car thats quick-ish and fun to boot, then there are many other cars out there that will be better than the Escort Si, GTI, RS. Your G/F 106 for starters.

Not after buying anything, but theres just a big long list of "must drive one day" cars, and the Escort GTI and the RS2000 are on it.

The 106 GTI is a cracking car, maybe just been spoilt hooning that around, you can come to expect too much from others :)

I have a list like that too. Escort Cosworth is top of mine. I'd love a go of a Sierra Cosworth RS500 too. :thumb:

We have a 98 GTI that i use for the daily train station parking and tip runs etc. As said above its a standard 115bhp 1.8 Escort with a body kit, different dash trim and leather seats, which are easy to wipe when picking the kids up from football ;).

It used to be the wifes runaround, but she now has a 182. We only bought it 5/6 years ago as she had a 1.6 88bhp SI which was very reliable before it.

All 1.6 petrols are 88bhp
Pre 96 1.8's use the old 105bhp XR3i drive train. Ford did a 130bhp 1.8 (XR31 and RS1800) which 'borrowed' 2.0 duration cams, 2.0 size throttlebody and a different ECU. (In fact I have a 130bhp ecu propping up a shelf in my garage).
Post 96 1.8's changed to plastic manifolds and 115bhp.
The 150bhp RS2000, used a different engine block entirely to the Zetec but did have disks all round and better dampers/springs.

Despite all that, even the RS2000 would never compete with the likes of the proper GTI's, especially sometjing like a Clio Williams (also 150bhp)
- You are right to say thay are flat.


The only saving grace ford has is that, with a sump swap, you can drop a 2.0 135bhp mondeo lump and ecu straight into a 1.6 fiesta. So long as you stay away from corners. :D

They are also fairly invisible all day in todays car parks. Unlike a scooby. :cry:

Thats a good thing in this day and age1

I owned a RS1800i for quite a while a few years back, and felt in a different league entirely, mind you more power and lots less weight. Proper little car that :thumb:

Do you wanna buy an ECU? :D

Like all cars, it was probably nicer to drive before the shocks and bushes wore out over time. Less 'planning' in the corners.

You'd be surprised (or maybe you wouldn't), how many people you see using old Mondeos, Lagunas etc for the train car park, only to see them in a newish Merc or Beemer at the local supermarket.

I think you may have a point there, it did feel "clonky" wen going over speed bumps etc, and skitted over the road slightly. Does that mean worn bushes then?

If so she will have a nice suprise come MOT time

I used to own n RS2000, it was chipped, full stainless with air filter and I thought it went ok tbh.

It was quicker than a 1.8 16V Clio, not quite as fast as a williams though. About the same speed as the 106 GTI, the 106 had the edge upto 60 , but from then on the RS was quicker.

I like the RS, nice good looking car, with very comfy seats !

Might be a bit biased though, I like old Fords.

R7

Bottom wishbone bushes wear out fast and are a common failure, so common the entire wishbone assembly is around £17 nowadays. It will cure the clunking, but dont expect much better handling.

As above, was very surprised how flat these feel powerwise!

The mark 5 shape was better looking than the later ones IMO

I owned a escort gti about 4 years ago,

silly me spent £1000 moding it, only gave it 6bhp more.

Sold it got a scooby bye bye gti :lol1:

Great cars for what they are, alright so its not an all out GTI, but it was nibble, quick and looked good for day to day running round. Traded mine in for the scoob but I still miss chucking it about. And it sat nice and low from the factory. Never let me down mechanically and was cheap a chips to run. I did have front bushes replaced under warranty at the 12k service.

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e1...ynet/Twonk.jpg

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e1...net/twonk2.jpg

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e1...net/twonk3.jpg

How come you managed to type that without one single smilie??? :wonder:

Just because I wanted to drive one, doesnt mean it has to be particularly good or fast, just means Im interested to see what it drives like. Some of the cars I would be interested to have a go of range from a 2CV to a Lambo. :)

Having owned an MKV XR3i 130 and driven a GTi

These cars are like chalk and cheese. Handling, power, gearing, PAS steering ratio and weighting, brakes. The comparison is akin to Impreza Turbo vs a Impreza GL. One is sloppy, the other is focused.

Ford ruined the best XR3 they ever made (barring relaibility ;) ) to please insurers, completely daft considering what they make these days.


To add to Hol's knowledge, 130ps XR3s also had disc all round brakes and ARB on the rear beam axle as per RS2000 :) 130 version also had a 2 to into 1 down pipe and cat, as opposed to the single pipe on the 105 and 115.

And they would munch the 1st gen MTX75 gearbox for breakfast :mad:

Does not surprise me having a gap, I left the marque after the Rwd Pinto's and some modded CVH's. :brickwall

The wife reminded me, that our one went very flat when the cat-converter started to disintegrate and block the pipe. I also remembered a 'conversation down the pub' (which MUST be true!), that the back boxed can disintegrate inside and block too. Both of which would stop it revving.

Of course it could just be pants peformance! :sleep:

Been there, done that :D

Went round for months with the car as flat as pancake, with what I thought was a rattling heatshield. Until one day the cat completely shattered, blocked the exhuast up and refused to rev past 3000rpm, giving the same exhaust pitch as an f1 car (but not as loud) :lol1:

One chop, some tube, weld and decat later, power is restored :thumb: But still not "quite" right. Fault code kept logging with a AFR problem, but always in memory, never on the fly, until the oxygen sensor packed up a month later. Absolutely flew afterwards, and still passed emissions test (just) :D

Don't talk about sticky exhaust valves and cold morning misfires though :o

The GTi came about as Ford had loads of parts left over! The Escort was on run down and they had stacks of body kits (the RS2000 engine would not meet EU regs so thats why it had to go) and leather seats that no one ever speced. As such there were some brilliant deals to be had on new ones, and a lot went to company car drivers. But they were slow, 115bhp as stated so not exactly a pocket rocket. Brakes were a bit naff too, steering was not brill either.

I had a late 94 RS2000 (mkV post bulde pre MkVI - the best one :p ) for 4 years. It sat in my garage most of the time as I had a company car. Used to spend a happy saturday night thrashing around the dales in it, was blinding car - steering was brillaint, better than Cossie IMHO. Brakes were strong and engine never missed a beat on mine. Sold it in the end as it was getting in the way but would have another one now, even if the car I drive today is worth ten times what I could pick up a mint RS2000 for - they are special cars. Wish I never sold mine.

Re the 106GTI vs the RS2000 - they are very close in a straight line, a mate of mine had a 106 GTI and we would often go for blats over the dales and there was very little in it. Both cars were standard.

Look what you have got me doing now...

Must resist!!

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1995-FORD-ESCO...QQcmdZViewItem