Faults:

98,000 miles clutch plate - cost me about 150 pound to fix. But at 98,000 miles, you expect to have replaced a clutch by now.

93,000 miles screw in the boot, where it fits the number plate, the area around the screw had rusted away to nothing so I had a diaganal numberplate.

General Comments:

I bought the car when I was 18, it had 1 years worth of MOT, and I used it for exactly that. when the MOT ran out I sold the car, which was a shame really because it only really needed a new battery.

It was the Ford Escort Encore, so there was a reasonable amount of toys for its age including ; central locking, sunroof, rev counter.

The 1.3 engine was a little small for the car of that size, nevertheless I ran it with next to no oil, petrol or water, caned it every time I used it by changing at 5,000 RPM and the car just diddnt give up. No matter how much the engine rattled and groaned, it never broke down (Except the clutch)

Faults:

Front shocks and wishbone @ 110 K.

New Brake pads.

New clutch @ 110K.

New Oil Filter.

Steering coloum.

General Comments:

I had a love hate relationship with this car. Firstly the steering was so heavy it took all fun away from any kind of driving experience, however as it was my first car I can't really complaint too much. The Fuel economy was excellent avg 45 Mpg and the performance for a 1.4 was mediocre loosing much compression at around 100K Miles, however it was like this when I got the car so it could gone many thousands of miles beforehand. It struggled up hills badly - and I mean badly, but on a flat or downhill it was fine.

Okay, its not the best looking car in the world, but if your looking for a cheap reliable car this is the one. It never broke down on me (only when I ran out of fuel) and was very cheap to maintain. I spent around £250 - £300 a year on servicing inc MOTs and tyres which’s good for a car of that age.

Although I have just scrapped the car (for standing outside in the winter while I’ve been at uni) I’m sure it could have gone past the 125K mark.

Faults:

The carburettor needed tuning as the engine was idling too fast.

Bad oil leak on engine sump gasket.

The heating sometimes does not work.

Faulty headlight switch.

General Comments:

This car is not bad for a 1.4 LX.

This car is an ideal family car and is light on fuel.

Cheap insurance too!

Faults:

Corrosion problems (not an unusual experience on a British made Ford) in one of the sills requiring some welding for the MoT test.

A new clutch at 99150 miles. Not bad as it doesn't appear to have been done before.

On acquiring the car the tailgate wiper and heated rear screen had failed. This was traced to a faulty earth.

Coolant temperature sensor needed replacing - temperature gauge was reading too low.

Some of the interior plastic trim has cracked and needs replacing.

A set of 4 new Fulda tyres (German Goodyears) and adjustments to the tracking improved the handling no end.

General Comments:

The 1.3 engine is just starting to use a bit of oil - not exactly unexpected on a 99k mile Ford - and emissions are a bit higher than I think they should be, but are still under the MoT CO and particulate limits. No catalytic converter makes things a bit less complicated here.

I was a bit concerned that the engine sounded a bit 'tappety' when I first got it, but after checking the valve clearances a couple of times concluded this was not the cause. Subsequent conversations with Ford mechanics, suggest that the top end noise of the 1.3 HCS engine is perfectly normal and was present even when new. I have leaned to live with it now.

In spite of being the smallest and oldest engine fitted to the Mk4 Escorts, at 99k plus miles it is still quite nimble and capable of a decent turn of speed. The five speed gearbox, an option I believe, keeps the revs down on the motorway and ensures fuel consumption is around 35 mpg plus. Considering the age and mileage, the gearbox remains slick and smooth, a strong point with most Fords. The clutch is light too.

Although the Encore lacks power steering, the steering feels light enough not to notice, even when parking in tight places.

The thing that concerns me most about the Escort (and Fords in general) is the unbelievably poor level of rust protection. I was amazed to see how poorly the original paint was applied to the car - a blind chimp with Parkinson's Disease could have done a more competent job. Many parts of the underbody, including some structural points, were never finished with a topcoat and not surprisingly corrosion has taken hold there. At best I think the car has a life expectancy of two years now before it becomes uneconomic and unacceptable to patch with welds. Problem areas seem to be in the sills and around the rear wheel arches. A recent visit to a breakers yard suggests that H, J and K plate Escorts (and Fiestas too) can get horribly and dangerously rusty, so I'm pleased that my one is nothing like as bad as it could be. My solution is a liberal application of Waxoyl to the underside to slow down the effects of the tin worm. It just shows what utter bollocks Ford's strap line "Designed for Living. Engineered to Last." really is. Do they really think we're so stupid?

To sum it all up, the 1.3 Encore is a neat little package, cheap to run and with very few vices. The solid little 1.3 engine is a doddle to service if not quite so sophisticated at the later 1.4 versions. With blue metallic paint, a sunroof, a neat looking tailgate spoiler, my 18 year-old daughter, for whom it was bought, is more than happy drive it. With relatively low insurance costs, it is ideal as a first car.

Having cost just £200 to buy and around £300 to get in good shape, you can't really complain can you.