Buying a Ford S2 RS Turbo Escort

Shep_Cobain

Shep_Cobain

Shep_Cobain

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Joined
26 Feb 2007
Posts
3,322
Location
Blackpool
Hiya guys,

I have a saxo VTR at the moment but want an RS Turbo.

I need to buy a car before i can sell mine as i need the transport for work.

I live in Blackpool and have found someone selling an RS Turbo in white (MFI with a 5th injector added) for £2000 with 12months MOT.

Everything is fine on it except a couple of rust bubbles on the roof. I have a friend who owns a body shop so he can sort any of that out for me.

Here is the spec:

fully rebuilt 1600 low comp engine
piper 285 t2 cam and vernier pulley
brand new pro alloy radiator and front mount intercooler
full blue samco hoses
bailey breather system
fully chromed engine bay
motorsport developments 5th injector chip and setup
stainless steel scorpian exurst
collins boost guage and act gauge
rare green openin rear quarter windows

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What do you guys think? Should i buy it???

Or not? I really want an RS but just want to know what to look out for etc. Ive asked him if its 100% genuine etc and he assures me it isnt a replica or any crap like that?

Would like your views and opinions, cheers.
 
Shep_Cobain said:
Ive asked him if its 100% genuine etc and he assures me it isnt a replica or any crap like that?
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Checking the reg number in the RAC data check webpage confirms that it's a real RS Turbo. Fun cars, provided you don't get hung up on modern cars being sooooo much better in most quantifiable respects than older ones (as a few people on here are prone to doing).

Seems a reasonable price for one to me, but I'm not that up on the Escort 'scene' so I'll defer to anyone who knows better.


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Dogbreath said:
If you want a reliable daily driver rather than a weekend toy, then buying a very modified 19 year old car really isn't a great idea IMO.
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Provided he looks after it, there's not much chance of it turning out to be an unreliable heap. It'll want maintaining, yes. But not coddling.
 
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Seriously, I don't get that - why would it be limited to being a weekend toy?

Alright, it won't be wonderfully frugal on fuel. It'll want servicing probably rather more regularly than his old Saxo. It'll use up tyres quicker. But it's not as if it'll explode every time it's Tuesday if he tries to use to for commuting.
 
Seems a very good price, you look at paying slightly more for the same spec/condition.

Check all the sills and underbody to check for rot, end of day it is a ford!

End of day its more a weekend toy than a daily driver in my opinion, but still would be a hoot to drive.
 
JRS said:
Seriously, I don't get that - why would it be limited to being a weekend toy?

Alright, it won't be wonderfully frugal on fuel. It'll want servicing probably rather more regularly than his old Saxo. It'll use up tyres quicker. But it's not as if it'll explode every time it's Tuesday if he tries to use to for commuting.
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So basically drive it like a car, not like a Ferrari that wants to go fast. Maintain it, keep an eye on it more than you would with a 2002 car - like you would with your Gran - service it regularly and dont rag and it will be fine?
 
Oh dear god, why would you ever want to service your gran? :(

When it all boils down to the facts, it an old car with a turbo. The CVH was never a great engine and it will be a lot more hassle when you use it as a daily driver. Don't get me wrong, i love these cars but i wouldnt want one to use everyday.
 
Janesy B said:
The CVH was never a great engine and it will be a lot more hassle when you use it as a daily driver.
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I always thought the CVH was actually reasonably tough in stock form. It's no GM small-block V8 in the reliability stakes, but not much is. With the work this one has had, I'd be surprised if they've radically weakened anything on it.

Shep - yes, you'd need to keep your eye on it. Regular oil changes, that sort of thing.
 
JRS said:
I always thought the CVH was actually reasonably tough in stock form. It's no GM small-block V8 in the reliability stakes, but not much is. With the work this one has had, I'd be surprised if they've radically weakened anything on it.

Shep - yes, you'd need to keep your eye on it. Regular oil changes, that sort of thing.
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The old skool ford modders seemed to completely skip that engine out. It seemed to go Crossflow>Pinto then straight to the Zetecs and Duratec. I think you need to spend silly amounts of money on a CVH to make it go properly.
 
Burton Power claim it's "reasonably simple" to get 180 horsies from a turbocharged CVH, while retaining the standard bottom end. To go for *serious* power though, you'd obviously need the extra displacement that the Zetec bottom end gives you.
 
As mentioned previously check for rust everywhere, especially battery tray, inner wings and sills.

Don't see a problem at all running one as a daily driver, one of my friends ran a 180bhp one for 3 years, it was driven as intended daily and it only let him down once due to a faulty ignition module. It was so much fun to drive, scared the **** out of me a few times! :D
 
Have to agree on the reliablility.... Went to a rolling road day with a guy who has one it broke the clutch the day before and then broke on the way too and back home. :p id consider something else...
 
JRS said:
I always thought the CVH was actually reasonably tough in stock form. It's no GM small-block V8 in the reliability stakes, but not much is. With the work this one has had, I'd be surprised if they've radically weakened anything on it.

Shep - yes, you'd need to keep your eye on it. Regular oil changes, that sort of thing.
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Cool mate.

Ill bear that in mind.
 
Xez said:
Have to agree on the reliablility.... Went to a rolling road day with a guy who has one it broke the clutch the day before and then broke on the way too and back home. :p id consider something else...
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and the actual problem was what?
also, what sort of power was the car kicking out and what state was it in, was the owner a heavy footed driver all the time?

ao many things can make a difference, to just say 'dont buy one as i know someone who wasted 3 clutches in 2 days' is crazy.
 
In the day, I had a few mates with RST's, and they where money pits when modded.. I suppose all cars should be taken on a case by case basis...

If it was a S1 RST, then I'd forgive it's foibles, but the S2 is not my bag..
 
One more thing to add about the whole money pit theory...

I bought a 1993 Mini Sprite a few years back and it looked sound. Cost me £1200 and 2 months down the line it was in the garage at least twice a month. 1 Year later and £5000 poorer.

Dont get me wrong some of the £5000 was spent on buying a fibreglass flip front and new alloys. But this was because the front end was falling off and fiberglass is cheaper than metal. But i remember taking it in for a service and as i got there the radiator tank just cracked for no reason. Then on the way home the clutch master cylinder went.

:) I dont care about the risk of spending money maintaining it as im used to it. But im more bothered to what you think price wise. Is it worth it?

I travel 16 miles back and forth to work everyday (8miles there, 8miles back)
 
Looking at the listed mods, and apparant condition, then £2200 is a fair price... but I think the chances of having to do work on it is quite high, as long as you don't mind, then I can't see any problems with it..

Of course, you really need to inspect the bodywork carefully, get it on ramps, and check for rot everywhere, there are a lot of water traps on them, and since it's 99% likely to have been re-sprayed at some point, you want to make sure it hasn't been bodged..
 
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