Old ford's

[neil parsons]

Why do people think that if they stick a set of mini lite replica wheels on a mk1 escort it's automatically worth 10 k for a 1100 base model

[Adrian Southgate]

Optimism or opportunism, both generally apply.

[Dave Adams]

its the same for the lotus cortinas, in the 1980's when i worked in a scrap yard you couldn't give away the unreliable lotus twincam, and those folks with them in their cars was looking to swap them for 1600 x flows or pinto's. now though they fetch stupid money for a not very quick or reliable car which is essentially a base model plus clocks......wierd even with a lottery win i wouldn't be interested.

[Steve Kerswell]

They, Lotus, made a mistake giving the twin cam to Ford, giving a watch piece to the masses was a mistake. Then after a very successful campaign in the mk1 Cortinas, went and stuck it in  a terrible follow-up, mk2. Should have put it an Anglia then an escort, they did a twin cam escort. Unlike Dave I like twin cams, be it Fiat or lotus, like all things the masses make or break an engine. Pinto engine was hated for the rubber band that drove the cam. CVH very much the same. Zetec has the rubber band, I've had one go, duratec has gone back to chain drive, like a lotus twink, history full circle, old Ford's never die they just get expensive, why?

[Big Vern]

I liked my MK2 Lotus Cortina a very handy tool it was too and I bought mine when they were just about rock bottom pricewise, sure wish I still had it :(

Lotus didn't sell the twink to Ford, Ford commisioned Lotus to build it. Harry Mundy designed it for £5000 I believe, Colin Chapman offered him £5000 or £5 for every one they made - Harry Mundy rekoned Chapman had never made a 1000 of anything and took the cash. Ford/Lotus made almost 50000 - DOH

The Pinto wasn't disliked because of the belt drive but because it didn't respond to the usual tuning techniques of the day which was to open up the ports and combustion chambers, so the established 'tuners' immediately took a dislike to it, once the likes of David Vizard unlocked the secrets of what made the pinto tick it became and still is a popular engine.

[Dave Adams]

Just sold my 2.0L pinto for £250......cheap because it went to a good friend, it was a near brand new engine with only 3000 miles on it. there were still honing marks in the barrels.