What's In The Garage/Street

[Sparky]

How about a Buffum Biography?

[EERO]

Thanks for the trip down memory lane Sparkster.

[Sparky]

I'm still trying a massive search to find a pic of this big-winged scary monster Escort.

Can't find it anywhere.

By the way, I entered 'John Buffum' into an all-Ford website search engine. I forgot to include speech marks, and I got 300-odd replies for 'Buffum' and over 35 million for 'John'!!!

Be careful what you ask for, you might just get it!!

Anyway, I think we were discussing real cars!

NEXT!

[Airhead]

Any ideas on how a group of people on different continents can come together in praise of Minis and Escorts??

[Sparky]

I know I'm fortunate when I look out of the window in the morning and see those lovely old cars, instead of some plastic Euroblobs.

Apologies to all Euroblob owners.

Another benefit over here is that they're old enough to qualify for FREE road tax discs!!!

Don't you just love older cars!

[Neil C]

There were actually quite a few Mini's in the US in the 70's, but they were very popular as SCCA club racers (G or H sedan class I believe). So many got bought up and used up on road courses here. Not a bad way to go, actually. Live fast, die young and all that.

[EERO]

Neil, wasn't that "C Sedan" or " G and H Production"?

About once a year I see a Mini or an old Jag. Saloon or even a Citroen in Boston. The problenm is that the combination of Salt air and harsh winters sends a lot of cars to an early grave here. In Boston, it is not unusual to see 3-5 year old cars dissolving in iron oxide.

[bella]

tim, i'm first in line for the porsche. and i can get insurance for it, age 18...wo-hoo!!!! i love motor industry insurance!!!

sparky, that car is lovely! look after it well.

[Sparky]

Thanks Bella! I will! The Escort was built about five years ago, and has been sold on four times! Every time I sell it, I'm glad to see it go, but I regret it for weeks afterwards. It's very temperamental, it drinks like a fish, it’s forever chewing up sparkplugs and starter motors, and leaks oil if I don’t wash it!

I love the old heap though, so I've bought it back AGAIN to rebuild it properly. Unfortunately, it's a high maintenance motor, and the others just caned the bejeeezuz out of it. Unfortunately, they ignored her pleas for the weekly clean, and it’s started to rust.

So, I'm looking for a replacement bodyshell. I've just bought 'new old stock' gennie Ford Mexico steel wings for it (at £225 EACH !!! ) and a new front panel. I've got most of the rebuild parts (chrome, glass, rubber seals etc), I JUST NEED A BODYSHELL!!!

So, if anyone sees an old Escort Mk1 2 door lurking in their neighbours garden, growing moss and looking unloved, tell 'em you know somebody who'll take it away for 'em!

[bella]

what's the chassis like?? god knows where you could find a shell for one of those. i'm sure scrapheaps are a bit, well, scrappy.

a hint - if you want to make your car last longer (and not fail the mot), then wash the ledges around the doors and things like that. the wheelarches, etc. plus, it looks well posh when you're either trying to sell it, or showing off. plus you won't get grotty trousers when you get in

i have to say, we handbag the french, but my car's in perfect nick (it's going back to france, this week, honest officer). the previous owner may be a bat, and she may have spilt perfume in it, but man, the engine and chassis and body's perfect.

and then it comes to england and doesn't get washed for a while. it's filthy, and i jet washed it on monday. i have to treat her well, or she doesn't start. she hasn't forgiven me for leaving my lights on at silverstone yet....we had to get a jump start at 11.45 at night.....cringe. so i wash and hoover her regularly to make up for it.

hey, sparky, when you love a car, you just can't part with it. don't ever ever sell it again . it never liked those new owners anyway. the log book must be something to behold. how does the family sparky feel about it?

[Airhead]

Sparky,

this was in 1981. I could have the name wrong!

But the vehicle sounds the same. Of interest is the secretary at work whose husband has restored an original mark1 Cortina GT, he the sold it bought a heap that he painted and restored to original specs - then dropped an 1790 Alfa motor in it. It goes well!

[Sparky]

Bella, I'm sorry I didn't respond earlier. I've already sweared an oath of allegiance to all things Escort. I can't get rid.. er... sell it again. But I can't be doing with a moth-eaten chassis!
Something will turn up.

AMoffat, Don't worry, I wasn't saying I thought you were wrong about the name!
I'm amazed at the number of differences between UK and Aus cars, when they are essentially the same yet they are sooo different!

You asked me for more photos of the Escort and Mini. Try my site.

If that doesn't satisfy your cravings, I'll send you some more. (Once they're scanned.)
Unfortunately, I don't have any of the van yet. Soon, I promise!

[Airhead]

The site is great!

It makes the resto job being done on a '79 Mazda 626 with my son look very measley indeed! It is funny, he wanted a Mini that was a shell and then every other component spread under the sellers' house. Cost $400 (Aus). I got a headache just thinking about it. After looking at your photos I wish I had taken some paracetamol and bought the Mini!

Regards..

[DAVID PATERSON]

I've watched the Nissan motor co video about the IMSA 2.5 liter challenge several times, at Datsun club meetings because of course the Datsun 510 (1600 to us Aussies) dominated that series. There was a Twin Cam Escort in the video, but surprisingly it never seemed to go well. The other cars at the front were Alfa 105 and BMW 2002. The weird stuff at the back, raced by the eternal optimists society was far more interesting.

My daily driver is a company owned, Ford Falcon station wagon (estate car), it was 4 months old last week and goes in for its 15,000km service on Thursday.

[EERO]

Mr. Patterson,


SSShhhhhh....


Don't tell Sparky.

[Truckosaurus]

My daily driver is a 1991 Saab 9000 Carlsson, 220-odd horsepower through the front wheels

My brother and I jointly own a 1990 (Rover) Mini Cooper, which after being driven into the ground by both of us as a road car over the years is being tarted up in the hope of running a few sprints/hillclimbs next year.

[paul c]

I'm currently running a fifteen year old Mk3 Granada that I bought nearly five years ago after some toerag drove into the side of my Opel Manta GTE. The Granada was one of those "we need something now" stopgap kind of things that only cost £1300, but it's just kept on going, up til now.... Well, I s'pose when you've got 149000 miles up you're allowed to complain a bit. If it rains, and I haven't used it for a couple of days, it takes about half an hour continuous driving before it stops misfiring. (You can barely imagine the entertainment value in the current climate) Poor old thing. Likes oil though, lots of it.

Would I have another? Aside from the fact that it's been by far the most reliable car I've ever had (though the Manta was pretty good too), and I can get a drumkit in the back, it's also an excellent long distance cruiser. For a big blob, it's also ridiculously economical on long motorway journeys. My record, during the fuel crisis, was more than 45mpg (honest - we were carrying 40 litres in the boot and calculated it off that) on a trip down to Wales. But 50mph for seven straight hours is not recommended for your sanity. But if you want fun and chuckability...Naaa, buy something else, no, actually, buy anything else!

[Bluebottle]

..... Like A Dutton?

Our currant fleet includes a Mk2 Granada (Last proper Granada!) a Dutton Sierra and a Vincent Hurricane.