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MikeRenautlooksoveranEscortMexicorestoredto a high
st andardwiththeoriginalengineanda CustomPackinterior
1973 Ford Escort Mexico £35,950
CHOOSEYOURESCORTMEXICO
Launchedin 197 0 to fillthegapbetweenthe
GTandtheTwinCam,theEscortMexicowas
namedfora 16,000-mileDailyMirror–sponsored
Londonto Mexicorally.Fordenteredseveral
Escortsequippedwithbored-out1588cc Kent
engines.TheEscortsplacedfirst, third,fifthand
sixthsoFord’sAdvancedVehicleOperations
(AVO)inEssex quicklystartedto buildreplicas
forthepublic.EscortMexicobodyshellswere
‘HeavyDuty’ typewithstrengthenedsections
andincreasednumberof spot welds.
TheMexicowassoonjoinedby theRS1600.
For 1973 allEscortsgotimprovedsuspension.
Pr oductionendedin1974.Outof thetotalof
two-millionEscortMkIs built, 10,352of those
were MexicoMkIs.
Quote £311.12comprehensive, 5000 miles
peryear, garaged.Call 03333231181
T
his rebuilt Escort Mexico is
the real thing, with paperwork
showing it’s been verified by
the Ford AVO Owners Club. Its
restoration included the heavy-
duty bodyshell being resprayed
to a high standard; the colour
is believed to be Sebring Red.
Apparently a number of new
panels were used – all have been fitted
perfectly because the panel gaps are
uniform and the doors close exceptionally
well. The bodywork seems straight and
unmarked, as does the trim. Bumpers and
door handles appear as new and the glass
looks clear and free from scratches.
The interior boasts the optional Ford
Custom Pack interior. It’s largely black
vinyl with the reclining front seats having
grey ribbed cloth faces and headrests.
The rear seat is trimmed to match.
Unmarked wooden trim pieces are fitted
to dashboard, glove box and instrument
fascia, a small extendable map-reading
light mounts on the passenger side and the
RS steering wheel is in excellent condition.
A compact and functional Sharp RNSS
cassette player with MW/LW radio is fitted
in the RS centre console, with period
speakers mounted in the rear. If we had to
find fault, the parcel shelf has some minor
damage to the vents and the passenger
door card has a tiny hole. Otherwise,
the interior is excellent. The black cloth
headlining is unmarked, as is the carpet.
The 1600 engine is original to the car.
The sound at idle when warm suggests the
engine internals may not be completely
standard; the vendor speculates that a high-
lift camshaft may have been fitted, but there
is no paperwork to confirm this. The engine
bay appears largely standard, one exception
being a Lumenition electronic ignition
module. It all looks clean and shiny and no
leaks were discovered.
The boot floor is painted to the same
high standard as the outside, its metal
ripple- and corrosion-free. The underside is
coated in the body colour and is as clean as
the top. Bilstein front struts and Spax rear
dampers are fitted. The exhaust appears
to be mild steel. Nangkang 185/60 R13
80H tyres in excellent condition mount on
6J Superlite alloy wheels; the spare is an
apparently unused 165/70 R13.
Recent invoices include a new Weber
twin-choke carburettor fitted in 2018. The
brake master cylinder was also rebuilt then.
1973 Ford Escort Mexico
Price £35,950 Contact Winchester Auto Barn, Hampshire (01962 677776, winchesterautobarn.com)
Engine1599cc4-cylohvPower87bhp@5500rpmTorque92lbft @4000rpmPerformance0-60mph 10.7sec
TopSpeed99mphFuelConsumption26mpgLength3978mmWidth1575mm
On the road the Escort feels light and
sporty; acceleration is decent with no
hesitation once the pedal is pushed. A
light clutch and tight four-speed gearbox
make it a pleasure to drive. The steering
feels precise, the brakes feel fine and
there’s no whining or knocking noises. All
instruments function as they should and
give readings that inspire confidence.
It’s not clear exactly when the car was
restored, but MoT certificates from 2000
state 93,000 miles, while the five-digit
odometer reading at the time of our testing
was an indicated 5272 miles. The car will
be supplied with new 12-month MoT.
This appears to be an especially good
example of a genuine Mexico that hasn’t
been over-restored.
This Mexico’s resprayed
bodyworkisasclean
underneath as on top
Optional Ford Custom
Pack includes wooden
dash and fascia trim
Original engine is fed
by a recently fitted
Weber carburettor
ADS ON TEST
