The popular, larger-engined Escorts provided tuneable performance…
This is our second stab at Ford’s Mark 1 Escort, having earlier looked at the 1,1- and 1,3-litre derivatives (check out our June 2014 issue for that one). This time, we investigate the more powerful models that inherited the 1,6-litre engine from the Cortina, although we will leave out the limited-edition racing versions, as they are pretty expensive these days and are very seldom available for sale.
Packaging
A trio of 1600 models was introduced in 1970: the XL, GT and XL AT. We tested the latter in December 1970 and noted that its three-speed Borg Warner gearbox, coupled with the 56 kW engine, provided much reduced performance when compared with the GT. A 0-100 km/h sprint in 17,5 seconds and a top speed of 138 km/h were all the auto could muster. Its fuel consumption index was 12,46 L/100 km. On the plus side, the XL package included, among others, a heater/demister, centre floor console and rubber-faced bumper over-riders. The boot size was rather small at 270 litres.
In that December of 1970, the 1600 GT took over from the 1300 GT and it too sported a matte-black bonnet panel with locking pins, a black stripe along the sides and Ro-style 13-inch wide-rim wheels. The new GT engine produced 70 kW and 138 N.m of torque, which were significantly more than the figures of the basic 1600. In true-blue GT fashion, rev counter, oil pressure and voltmeter gauges were added.
Which one to get
The GT is the one to look out for. A degree of undergearing owing to rather small tyres meant a decent acceleration time of 12,0 seconds to 100 km/h (over 2,0 seconds quicker than the 1300 GT) and a top speed of 157 km/h. Whereas its power peak was at 5 400 r/min, the red line was at 6 500 r/min, which was high for the day. The fuel consumption index of 11,34 L/100 km was also an improvement over the automatic.
What to watch out for
The standard 1600 used a Ford carburettor, but the GT switched to a twin-choke Weber 36 DCD7. These days, these carbs are pricey and a new one costs about R4 000; refurbishing is a far more affordable option. Spares and tuning aren’t a problem, and valve-clearance adjustment is an easy DIY job, as is the suspension and its MacPherson struts and leaf springs plus a live axle. Note that some XL models may have been sprayed to resemble the GT, so check whether the “GT” you are looking at has those XL extras mentioned above. In our GT test, we noted that both the speedometer and rev counter over-read by about 10%.
Availability and prices
Prices vary from R15 000 to about R125 000, depending on condition, but these cars are becoming more scarce. We found only a few on Gumtree and most needed lots of work. Lack of supply also pushes up prices. The same trend is happening with all the popular classics, including VW Kombis and Beetles.
Interesting facts
According to Naamsa figures, the best-selling cars for the first nine months of 1970 were the VW Beetle with 15 777 sales, followed by the ever-popular Chrysler Valiant with 11 075 units. The Ford Cortina came in third with 9 315 sales, while the Escort occupied fifth place. One year later saw the Datsun leaping up to third spot behind the Beetle and Valiant. Escort sales overtook the Cortina’s, but dropped to seventh spot.
The first car I ever drove on a racetrack was a Mark 1 Escort XL. While still in matric, some of us had the opportunity to do some driver training at Killarney Racetrack. Despite the risk in annoying the driving instructor, it was difficult not to “put foot” when we got a chance at the far side of the track.
Author: Peter Palm
