Classic Cars / Citroen / Car for sale

1983 Ford Escort RS1600I White Not RS Turbo Xr3i MK3

Sale price: £7,995.00 make an offer

Pending offers

Date: 2018-01-01

michael offered usd

Seller's notes: On the road and ready to use but could be improved on

Sale type: Fixed price listing

Technical specifications, photos and description:

Year:
1983
Doors:
3
Mileage:
117,802
Engine:
1597 cc
Previous Owners:
10
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1983 Ford Escort RS1600I White Not RS Turbo Xr3i MK3 for sale

Current customer rating: current rating for this car(2.5) based on 357 votes

I am offering for sale my 1983 RS1600I


Diamond White


Reg LPX 953Y


It was first registered on 15/01/1983


Supplied by Vospers of Plymouth


I purchased the car in 2012 In total it has had 11 owners including myself or showing 10 previous on the log book that's registered to me


The car is HPI Clear and a copy of the report from when I purchased it is in the folder of paperwork bills and user manuals I have for the car that also includes the supplementary workshop manual a tuning guide old MOT Ford owner's manuals and user guides Koni suspension manuals and a original ford dealer wallet


I did not expect to be doing this and if you had asked me a few months ago i would have said It's not for sale and my intentions are to keep the car for a very long time However along with having a couple of other projects and with a few things that have changed personally and on a business level lately . I have come to realise a bit of re organising may be a good plan


Since owning it a few people who owned or knew the car have been in touch with me including the guy that purchased it at around a year old so I have learnt bits and bobs about its history. I was told the car had been sent to Power engineering for one of their high power CVH conversions and that this was the reason for the car now running via a distributor instead of the original twin coils but apart from the badge on the boot there is nothing but the word of the chaps who approached me at a show last year who claimed it was under the ownership of their friend that this work was done although it does go extremely well and does not feel sluggish


Although it is not running via the twin coils everything is still fitted to the car such as the pick-up sensor from the flywheel / gearbox. the original ECU the leads that run to the twin coils and I also have a set the twin coils and the mounting bracket in my parts box that will be included so it could well be possible to convert it back if you wish 


At now approaching 34 years old it has had some work done to the cars shell . But this car does still use its original RS1600i shell and is not one that's built into an XR3 or even MK4 shell Before I got it the rear quarter panel  on the passenger side had been replaced . t has had outer floor pans on both sides and the battery tray had been replaced and i have since replaced it again with what is as close to an original item as i could source that now sits at the correct angle and has the arrow stamped into it . /strong>


As far as extras go it has Bronze tint glass . rear seat belts. a sunroof the correct Carello 640 spotlights and Hella fog lights and the original type radio cassette and 4 spoke RS steering wheel. But it has no central locking and no electric windows


Once I got it after using it a few times and then parking it up for around a year and the MOT expiring I stripped it down to a shell and decided to try my hand at freshening it up . his was the first time I had ever got so involved with a car and to be honest it was a learning curve for me seeking advice as I went from various sources / forums and websites


Looking back now there are a few things I would probably do different if I was to do it again but as I said it was the first time I had done anything like that


Probably my biggest regret was stripping off all the old underseal and discovering a patch that once i started poking at I realised it needed a small plate welding in the rear floor pan behind the driver's seat as water had been pooling there


So after I had a mobile welder come and do this small job for me I then painted the entire floor inside the car in white and then moved onto the underside. That I did in a tetroseal bitumen based gunk that I at the time i felt was future proofing it . ut once it was on i did not like the look of it . and all the while i was drooling over other people's projects on the internet showing immaculate white cars underneath so I then proceeded to apply numerous coats of Hammerite and stone chip till it stopped soaking into the bitumen and started looking fresh and white instead of mucky cream. however by this stage it was quite a thick layer of underside protection that I had built up


At the time I was well pleased with the result but now having learnt more and seen various other more professionally restored RS1600i's  that have a more factory fresh look to them underneath  i wish i had gone down that route instead


Everything is up to a decent standard the interior is clean with rip and worn free original Scheel seats the dashboard is not cracked and all the correct bits are there inside


The wheels are correct Motorsport 905 RS1600i ones. the exhaust is a Powerflow item with a new reproduced to factory spec CCW downpipe that are amazing quality pieces of kit . the petrol tank was replaced with a new one last month


The car went back on the road at the beginning of 2015 and has been kept MOT Tested and ready to use as and when time allows


The engine was given a major service at the start of 2015 with new water pump cam belt kit 4x fuel injectors and seals refurbished metering unit new warm up regulator new fuel accumulator a refurbished throttle body and a set up and tune with a fresh MOT The bill came to £860. 00 and all work was done at a well renowned official BOSCH franchised Centre that specialises in the older cars and sporty Fords (JP Autotechnics near Sheffield)


The engine runs as sweet as a nut i have had the solid lifters checked and set by a very knowledgeable and competent guy that knows these cars inside out 


Having said that although the engine will always start first time every time no matter how long the car has been sat. /span>

 Its now begun to be a bit tricky to fire it up once it's warm unless you res start it right away or use the work around method of raising the metering unit flap to prime the injectors.

 this is something that i intended to take up with the BOSCH centre on its next visit for its MOT due in Jan 2017 if the car does not sell


The front track control arms are new and rear wishbones have been changed for the correct early car type ones and were refurbished  the suspension and bushes were replaced back to original type ford ones from the previously fitted poly bush ones and new adjustable rear control arms were fitted.


Also i very luckily found a set of brand new original 2 bolt shell NOS Koni RS1600i specific dampers x4 at a cost of just under £500. 00 just for the dampers and fitted those . all this was only done a couple of months ago and of course it has the correct RS1600i front anti roll bar


Probably not to everybody's tastes but I also recently fitted a pair of Wiechers Sport polished alloy strut braces that i had to import direct from Germany at a cost of around £280


I then had a 4 wheel alignment done to the correct specs listed in the supplementary workshop manual (supplied with car) and the car now handles absolutely superb


I have old MOT tests going back to 2010 and then an online check going back to 2005 shows no inconsistencies with the mileage that now sits at what I presume to be 117. 02 as the clocks are showing 17. 02 approx.


It has had a new alternator and has recently had a new Bosch battery and a large core all alloy radiator. new thermostat new fan switch and a GPA coil fitted and many of the parts under the bonnet if not new have been refurbished or re zinc plated


Owning this car and getting into the whole scene was very enjoyable upon it being finished i have taken it to classic ford and ford fair plus various other shows and events over the last 2 and a half years


The car is by no means a concurs standard car and it is not going to be priced as such. I would describe it more as something you could get in and use as a rolling restoration type car


Its basically just some small areas of the bodywork around the edges that is letting it down now . nd a couple of areas that could now do with attention I. E the scuttle panel on the O/S wants a repair the front cross member wants a repair and the inner part of the rear O/S  sill will want a repair and the bottom corner of the driver's door is rusty and coming away ( I have a brand new original ford door skin i can include ) and there is slight bubbling to the lower rear quarter panels behind the rear wheels. By repair I am referring to a few small patches of welding that I feel it will soon need . one of this has been mentioned on any of the previous MOT tests but as I literally know every inch and nut and bolt on this car I am not wanting to hide anything from any potential new owner and everything will be pointed out if you view the car Another point to mention while the truth stick is out is that it looks like a drive shaft seal has gone or is going as i have noticed a bit of weeping on the bottom side of the box other than that I can not think of anything else that is out of character for a 34 year old partly restored Escort


What I would do if I was to continue would be to strip it back down to a shell blast everything off it and touch up the couple of areas of bodywork mentioned above and then give it all a full fresh Re spray and build it back up

Everything that you take off whilst stripping it will be good to go back on just as it is in my opinion meaning to do this work would be much quicker and cheaper than doing your usual strip down restoration and playing the increasingly hard and expensive parts hunting and then refurbishing game


So to wind up what is becoming more like a novel than an advert the car is certainly not a basket case nor a show winner but does always get many admiring compliments whenever it is out for a run or at a show and is ready to get in and use. all the bits fitted on the car are correct and in very good condition / working order


Its great fun to drive and as i am sure you will know potentially offers a very sound investment


 I have spent a fortune in both money. time and effort so much more than i have listed here has been invested into this car by me with a view to continue making it a very nice car for me to keep not quickly bodge up to re sell


Any questions please ask. Viewing will be welcome via prior arrangement but no groups of hangers on please . No test drives will be allowed without some proof of insurance i have this car insured for me to drive only




Also published at eBay.co.uk

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