MK4 ESCORT CABRIOLET - Fast Ford
MK4 ESCORT CABRIOLET - Fast Ford
MK4 ESCORT CABRIOLET - Fast Ford
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fasttech / BUYING GUIDE / <strong>MK4</strong> <strong>ESCORT</strong> CAB / fasttech<br />
CHECKLIST<br />
ENGINE<br />
It’s not particularly willing or refined, but the cab’s<br />
1596cc CVH is tough and relatively powerful. Treat<br />
it right and it’ll happily soldier on to six-figure<br />
mileage, but skimp on the basics and it’ll expire<br />
in a hot and oily mess.<br />
Regular oil and cambelt changes are the<br />
key to keeping the CVH alive. Ignore the oil,<br />
and the hydraulic lifters sludge up. If the<br />
cambelt breaks it can trash the whole head.<br />
Plumes of blue or white smoke are bad<br />
news — blue is oil being burnt in the<br />
combustion chambers while white usually<br />
indicates a blown head gasket.<br />
The majority are fuel-injected but<br />
you might find a rare carb-fed Ghia<br />
model. Both fuelling methods are<br />
reliable but will cost to put right if<br />
they’re running rough, and any<br />
glitches in the injection will need<br />
sorting by an expert. Of the two, it is<br />
the later EEC-IV set-up that can prove<br />
troublesome, suffering from a rough idle.<br />
TRANSMISSION<br />
BC gearbox is longlasting<br />
in the Cab<br />
The five-speed BC isn’t <strong>Ford</strong>’s slickest<br />
shifter but it’s a hardy unit that comfortably<br />
copes with the power of the cabriolet’s<br />
1600 CVH, whether in carburettor or<br />
injected form. But, while it can shrug off<br />
the grunt of the motor, the transmission<br />
can do little about the wear that escalates<br />
as the miles pile on. Expect a bit of whine<br />
and some slop in the linkage of higher<br />
mileage cars, but if gears need to be forced<br />
home and there’s any noticeable rumbling<br />
then something is amiss.<br />
The synchromesh can also break down<br />
over time and the obvious indication is<br />
crunching between gears, particularly on<br />
the second to third gearshift. Check for<br />
clutch slip too as the majority of cabriolets<br />
will be showing at least 70K miles, making<br />
them ideal candidates for new clutches. A<br />
simple test is to try and pull away in third<br />
gear from a standstill, if the car stalls then<br />
the clutch is working as it should.<br />
Carb-fed Ghias are rare:<br />
most use fuel-injection<br />
INTERIOR<br />
BODYWORK<br />
The Mk4 Escort loves to rot and the<br />
cab is no exception. Rust is likely on<br />
the front wings and rear arches, while<br />
the bootlid and door edges go as drain<br />
holes get blocked. Look at the panel<br />
below the hood, as this often rots out.<br />
Inspect inner wings and suspension<br />
turrets, bulkhead, battery tray, sills,<br />
chassis rails and the floorpan. Genuine<br />
<strong>Ford</strong> panels are hard to source, but<br />
remanufactured aftermarket parts<br />
are readily available.<br />
An ill-fitting hood will write-off an interior in doublequick<br />
time, so look for signs of water damage to the<br />
trim. Check for staining on cloth or leather seats and<br />
feel the carpet for dampness — a sure sign that<br />
water is cascading into the interior.<br />
Trust your nose too, if it smells musty and damp<br />
then the likelihood is that the hood isn’t sealing as it<br />
should, ideally there will be a gap between a raised<br />
hood and windows of no more than 1 mm.<br />
Seats can suffer from water<br />
damage: check closely<br />
Less than £200 will buy a new vinyl<br />
roof and around £250 will secure a<br />
mohair replacement, but fitting isn’t<br />
easy so think twice about a car with a<br />
mullered hood. If you’re lucky you’ll<br />
find a car where the hood has hardly<br />
been lowered, keeping it taut and<br />
retaining its proper shape.<br />
As well as the exterior of the hood, don’t forget to<br />
check its headlining as this can cost over £150 to<br />
replace. Good news is that the trim and plastics are<br />
hard wearing and because so many cabriolets were<br />
made, finding replacement trim isn’t difficult or<br />
expensive.<br />
Of course, if you need new leather trim for an<br />
All-White or All-Blue edition then it’s an entirely<br />
different matter.<br />
IDENTITY<br />
The all-important VIN numbers can<br />
be found in <strong>Ford</strong>’s favourite places<br />
— on the slam panel and stamped<br />
into the floor, the latter hidden under<br />
a flap of carpet between the driver’s<br />
seat and the sill. Inspect them<br />
carefully for signs of messing and<br />
make sure that they tally with<br />
the V5.<br />
ELECTRICS<br />
The ingress of water into the cabriolet’s<br />
interior is all too common; so double check<br />
that things like the powered windows and<br />
central locking still work. Second-hand motors<br />
are readily available but it’s extra hassle if you<br />
need to replace them.<br />
Inspect the front spotlights for cracks and<br />
see if they work OK as sourcing genuine <strong>Ford</strong><br />
replacements can take time.<br />
The biggest thing to check — if fitted — is<br />
the operation of the power hood. It will only<br />
work when the car is stationary and the<br />
ignition key needs to be switched to the<br />
‘off’ position. Once it’s activated to go<br />
either up or down it should move smoothly<br />
into place in a matter of seconds. Any<br />
choppy movements or groaning from the<br />
motor are bad signs, but second-hand<br />
assemblies can be found through eBay<br />
and various <strong>Ford</strong> breakers.<br />
Check the VIN numbers are<br />
the same for peace of mind<br />
Check the power hood goes<br />
up and down smoothly<br />
BRAKES<br />
Even though they’re the same as<br />
those fitted on the S1 RS Turbo,<br />
the performance of the cabrio’s<br />
vented discs is pretty poor.<br />
Whereas the RS had the power to<br />
kill the discs, the cabriolet relied on<br />
its extra weight to up the strain on<br />
its undersized brakes.<br />
Warping is the biggest problem<br />
but it’s easy to spot, as there will be<br />
judder through the steering wheel<br />
when the brakes are applied. Give<br />
the discs a visual once-over too;<br />
symptoms of worn items are<br />
reduced thickness, scoring and a<br />
pronounced lip on the edge. Rear<br />
wheel cylinders can fail and a<br />
pulling to one side under braking is<br />
a sign that one of these is shot.<br />
Pay special attention to any<br />
car that boasts the optional SCS<br />
SUSPENSION<br />
The cabriolet’s extra weight and<br />
its lack of a metal roof make it<br />
harder on its suspension than a<br />
comparable tin-top Escort. A<br />
sound cabriolet will give a firm-ish<br />
ride and although you’ll experience<br />
a little bit of a scuttle shake, a<br />
ride which rattles everything<br />
from the dash to the rear view<br />
mirror indicates that the car’s<br />
damping is well past its<br />
best.<br />
The effectiveness of<br />
the gas dampers can be<br />
checked by pressing<br />
down hard on each<br />
corner — a good<br />
condition unit will level<br />
the car after little more<br />
than one bounce. If the car<br />
looks to be sagging then it’s<br />
Standard brakes are the<br />
same as the S1 RS. Oh dear<br />
anti-lock braking system. Check<br />
its operation by simply stamping on<br />
the middle pedal — obviously, the<br />
brakes shouldn’t lock, but also feel<br />
for the characteristic pulsing<br />
through the pedal as the callipers<br />
clamp on and off the disc. Don’t<br />
worry if it seems a harsh action, it’s<br />
meant to be like this.<br />
the springs that are usually at fault.<br />
Uneven tyre wear, clonking from<br />
the front end and the car<br />
wandering all over the road point<br />
to the TCA bushes being shot.<br />
Suspension has a hard life,<br />
but at least it’s easy to sort<br />
FAST FORD APRIL 2006<br />
0 1 4 6 APRIL 2006 FAST FORD 0 1 4 7