Mk3 XR3i a Classic? Discuss.

And why not. They're like a six-cylinder, RWD, Golf GTI.

Richard

Off the top of my head, different ignition system, solid lifters, different head (cam cover has fins), and strengthened lower suspension mounting points - shell revisions.

And they're a bit rarer.

Richard

Mk 5 maybe, but the III and IV were not bad cars really. The rust makes them less appealing, and they eat TCAs in the way only a Ford can, but worst cars? Far from it. That honour surely belongs to cars like the Austin Ambassador, Morris Ital (the Marina was not all bad when launched, it's just that it should have been killed in '77, not '84), Renault 14...

Boring, yes, Worst? Nah.

Richard

With the majority of the public thinking the escort was a "decent" car, IMHO that makes the escort the worst car available. Even the BL wedge was better because people "knew" they were crap, escort owner "really" think they're cars are OK....

I'm still waiting for it to go wrong :) It hasn't yet...

Plus - push it home?! Clearly I'd just phone the AA and RAC :) Long story but I have more than one breakdown cover, so I could race 'em and which ever gets to me first, can have the honour of taking me home :D

In addition; a vastly superior cylinder head and cam (but stifiled by the K jetronic) dual coil pack ignition system, extra stabilizer bars on the front TCA's.

Tim..

Being vastly superior in the context of CVH is not the highest accolade in the world :)

Fuck me! A Nissan Micra will just about beat one then!!

I always liked the 1.9 205 GTi better at the time anyway.

Yup - twin coils.

Again, correct, and they're a godsend on these, as the standard hydraulic ones are total pants when you give any CVH some prolonged stick.

And bigger valves, IIRC.

Plus adjustable camber / toe in etc.

I don't believe there were many differences between the shells of these and XR3is. Oddly, one of the main pointers as to whether or not your RS is a genuine one, is because the chassis number is in a different place - the carpet also has the access flap moved to suit.

Just a tad... and pricier.

-- JackH

Not any in the K10 shape (excluding mine). Yes a K11 1.3, and definately the new 1.6 K12..

They're nippy... but they're not sub 10 seconds to 60, nippy.

That, and they run out of puff above 90 IME.

-- JackH

The BL Wedge (Princess family) was a good car. It had a lot of innovative features and contemporary road tests make interesting reading; reliability shames that of modern equivalents. Only the dated engines let it down, but the Ambassador failed to improve matters by losing the low bonnet line, being arguably less reliable, and losing the six-cylinder variant.

Richard

I know the RS1600i had solid tappets instead of hydraulic ones. Don't know other than that though, but I'm sure there was something else that distinguished the two.

The only thing sadder than that are Allegro owners. Why are some people so thick they can't tell the difference between a "classic" car and an old pile of s**te. Due to having had one with a lot of rot, a mate's wife had a vehement hatred of the whole Ford Escort MK3 range. She would spit at them when walking past on the pavement.

Allegros are funny things, Quite aside from them apparently being the first car I recognised as a kid, and indeed, my abortive attempt for a first car was a 1.5HL (in "Champagne" - Beige. It suffered total suspension collapse before I was old enough to drive).

I tried one a couple of years back when I was looking for a cheap classic second car (I wanted a Chevette, my proper first car). It was only a 1.3 so painfully slow, but aside from that - it handled, steered and felt like a modern car, except more comfortable. Only the pathetic engine spoiled it. It also had great all-round visibility.

I didn't buy it, because it simply wasn't 'different' to driving an Astra, Escort or whatever.

The Allegro was in many ways, a very good car indeed.

Richard

Allaggros are spectacularly awful "cars".

One of, if not the first, mass produced English cars with a 5 speed box, but the really annoying thing about them is they were the only BL thing of their generation that doesn't seem to rust spectacularly... when SD1s / XJs etc all rusted like Alfasuds soaked in brine. For that alone I will always despise the Allagro.

Well, that and the fact I've driven a few. A 1750SS that was truly abysmal - Bright orange, porous alloys, 'orrible stripey orange interior, unbelievable understeer and tragic brakes. The other one was an Allegro 3 1750. That was chronically bad as well, but it was stupidly mint.

Apparently it has a few;

So, a bit like a crappy diesel then? :-)

Slightly better than a good diesel... much better than most turbodiseasels - but only because the CVH doesn't suffer lag.