MKIII ESCORT XR3 AND XR3i - Fast Ford

BUYING ONE
Despite selling in their droves, it
actually seems that buying a decent
XR3 or ’3i is considerably harder than
securing a tidy S1 RS Turbo.
Numbers of the XR have dwindled
and it’s no surprise. While they are
sound performers in their own right,
enthusiasts have generally plumped
for the aforementioned S1 or the
RS1600i homologation special, using
the XR as a stepping stone until
funds become available for the latter
models or bypassing it altogether.
Like the MkII XR2, the XR3 and
its injected sibling have started to
amass the mainstream recognition
they deserve. As always there are
a few optimistically priced cars, but
by and large prices for the XRs have
remained down to earth — even
in the face of the growing ‘80s hot
hatch revival.
Paying for one isn’t a problem,
but finding an early XR can be. The
majority are in various states of
disrepair and these neglected cars
tend to appear in the usual suspects
such as Trade-it, Loot and eBay.
The free classifieds in Fast Ford
are worth scouring too, although
the model’s classic status means a
check of the small ads in sister titles
Retro Cars and Classic Ford may
prove more fruitful.
Good to top end stuff does appear
in Auto Trader, but a fine place to
start looking is the classified section
of the XR Owners’ Club website.
When we looked the pick of the
bunch was a 1982 XR3 in original
condition and finished in Sunburst
Red. Up for a grand, it wasn’t a
bargain but to its credit it had never
been welded and came with a fresh
MoT and a load of new parts.
At the opposite end of the
spectrum the Classic Ford small
ads unearthed an early 1986 XR3i for £250,
which had been stood for eight
years, while eBay listed a couple
of Sunburst Red XR3 projects,
eventually selling for £380 and £250.
The most expensive we found
was in Auto Trader — a 1985 Cplate
XR3i with decent history,
a new MoT and described as
immaculate. It looked a potential
show car but the £2500 asking
price was very strong.
Auto Trader also revealed a
late five-speed XR3 with desirable
options and a recent engine rebuild
XR3 and MkIII XR3i are
now bona fide classics
“Numbers of the XR
have dwindled.”
fasttech
Though they’re still cheap,
finding a good one’s hard
for £1750, but our money would
have gone on a bargain £850 Creg
XR3i in original condition with
125,000 miles and long tax and test.
Look around and buy on
condition rather than specification
as, unless you’re highly skilled,
restoring one will be costly. There’s
nothing in price between the two
models but our advice would be
to opt for either the earliest XR3 or
the latest and best-equipped XR3i.
They’ll be great fun and guaranteed
to appreciate in value.
There are plenty of examples
for sale out there, but
ones like Phil’s don’t
come around that often
FAST FORD FEBRUARY 2006
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