1979 Ford Mk2 Escort

My first car project, affectionately nicknamed ‘The Duke’. This 1979 Ford Mk2 Escort was my first car. It was owned by my Mum before failing its MOT so the choice was to either give it to me as a project for my first car or to scrap it. I’m glad that I chose to keep it! Throughout my years at high school I worked on this car in my spare time, learning the ins and outs of mechanical engineering and bodywork. As the original decades old red paint had faded to a point that I hadn’t the skills at the time to colour match it I resprayed it. The Escort had many incarnations and questionable styling choices before I settled on a sleek black on black theme. The original interior was binned and I opted for more comfortable Capri Ghia seats with modified rails. These seats eventually found their way into the Capri I would own years later, being replaced by a nice set of Cobra bucket seats.

I restyled the car, moving away from the square headlights and chrome trim and aiming for a traditional South London street racer style with a few subtle nods to American Muscle. Brakes were restored and the suspension upgraded with some minor tweaks to the engine. As I was a new driver I kept engine mods to a minimum as the insurance already cost more than the value of the car! A few more subtle period mods were made along with some security measures but all in all this was a solid build. I was thrilled when it passed its MOT and I could finally take to the road!

This was the car which sparked my lifelong passion for classic cars and i’ve driven many miles and had wonderful adventures in it. It may be a purists nightmare and a ‘Marmite’ car but it’s good enough for me. I still have it in storage awaiting a more performance focused restoration. What I have planned for this machine will be something worth waiting for!

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