Faults:

Radio aerial didn't work when I bought the car.

Radiator had to be replaced at 86 000.

Distributor replaced at 94 000.

Ignition module replaced at 112 000.

Carburettor replaced at 115 000.

Had to have lots of welding done. Rust was the biggest problem with this car - as it is with any Ford of this age.

General Comments:

The car was amazingly comfortable, every passenger commented on it. I drove 700 miles, taking 14 hours in one day, and I still felt as though I could drive further.

Mechanically very reliable. Even after sitting on the drive for four weeks (after being diagnosed with terminal rust), the car started first time.

You do have to know how to start a CH engine - two quick pumps of the gas pedal before you turn the ignition over.

Very easy to maintain and work on. All parts easily accessed.

I bought the car in 2005 for £300. I had the car serviced every 6 months, and it never let me down in nearly 5 years. It was used (and dare I say abused) as my first car, and also used to transport cadets and luggage around for camps.

I was gutted to get rid of it, but £600 of welding just couldn't be justified.

If you can find one, the Mark IV Escort really is a good buy.

Faults:

Water pump failed, almost boiling engine.

Cam belt required changing far too frequently.

Wheel trims fell off on a regular basis.

Rear lights worked intermittently (known fault with poor contacts).

Rain water leaks.

Rust spots on rear wheel arches.

Front tyres wore unevenly.

Always burned some oil.

General Comments:

The 1.4 CVH lean burn engine is great, except that it could only ever manage just over 40mpg even treated with a feather foot on the motorway.

CVH stands for "constant vibration and harshness", this overhead cam engine was always very rough.

Poor handling, especially on long motorway bends where the steering requires constant fiddling to keep the car on track.

Very prone to side winds, which cause the car to twitch about from side to side, much worse than my previous Golf.

Oil change service required every 6000 miles by dealer for warranty - expensive.

Notchy gearbox.

Faults:

Carburettor failed.

Distributor failed.

Worn valve - stem oil seals.

Serious corrosion.

Leaking rear windows.

Worn front dampers.

General Comments:

Mine was a 1.3 GL in a fetching shade called "Lacquer Red".

It had a retro-fitted 1.6 engine to replace the 1.3 it left the factory with, a clean interior, and a superficially clean body.

I really liked the styling of the early Mk 3 Escorts - although if I bought another I'd plump for an early XR3 or XR3i - they seen to resist corrosion better, and I prefer the 3 door shape.

It handled pretty well, and had a gorgeous raspy exhaust note, which I added to by drilling the air box, before eventually completely removing said item (hey, I was 17 and naive)

It was fast enough to see off most "sporty" cars in my locality - i.e. Nova SRs and the like. 205's and R5 Turbos however were another matter altogether - the old 'Scort didn't stand a chance.

About 2 months after I bought it, I wanted to touch up the "superficial" corrosion on one wing. My God - I have never seen a car be eaten alive by corrosion like this thing was. Most of the panels were a hybrid of steel, filler, newspaper and papier mache. The sills and floor pan were actually sound - it was the rest of the car that had been eaten alive under the surface. Valance (front and rear) and the front wings were worst affected. Eventually the headlights started wobbling due to the fact that the mounting brackets had rotted away.