Legendary MK1 Ford Escort RS2000

Article written by Bush Tyres

Love at First Sight?

Parked outside the reception entrance to our Horncastle depot was no ordinary Ford but in fact a mint example of the 1974 MK1 Ford Escort RS2000. This car created such a stir that our customers who were waiting for their vehicles to be worked on by our team of technicians were drawn from the waiting room, to stand motionless next to the car where they could better admire its beautiful lines. Had you been there, you would have witnessed at first hand the effect of “Love at First Sight”.

Our Horncastle depot just happens to be adjacent to a builder’s merchants, and to get to said merchants you must drive through the depot car park. At least 80% of those who visited the builder’s merchants, after paying for their goods on their return journey back through our car park stopped, alighted their vans and stood mouth slightly open to join the admiring crowd.

Incidentally, this Ford Escort RS2000 was parked next to a stunning Porsche 911 which was virtually ignored.

Birth of a Legend

The Escort RS2000 was the last car to be added to the AVO production range of vehicles. It was decided in 1973 to add the car to the line up as whilst overall performance was slightly down on the smaller engined RS1600, the reliability and ease of maintenance of the Mexico made it a perfect fit. It is widely believed that only 3500 of these RS2000 ever left the production line at Ford’s plant in Aveley. With only 3500 examples ever made, they are an exceedingly rare sight indeed and are highly sort after amongst collectors and enthusiasts.

Stepping up from the 1.6ltr engine in the RS1600 to the 2.0ltr engine found in the Escort RS2000 was not without its problems. The new 2.0ltr Pinto engine which featured an overhead cam needed several modifications to allow the engine to fit within the engine bay. Ford achieved this by removing the engine driven cooling fan and replacing it with a thermostatically controlled Kenlowe fan. Once squeezed into place the engine produced 100bhp and reached a top speed of 108mph. By today’s standards that is nothing to shout about, but in the 1970’s that was virtually Formula one-esque.

Then again, it is not about speed with a MK1 Escort RS2000, it is about the analogue nature of the driving experience, there is no ECU controlling the engine, it is a set of Carburettors, a distributor, and your right foot controlling car. There are no driver aids, no traction control, no ABS braking, no electric windows. Instead, you relied on your driving skills, you learned to feather the brakes and developed strong forearms from winding the keep fit windows!

Aligning that Power

With a beautifully restored MK1 Escort RS2000 and with the ownership experience centred very much around the feel of the drive, unwanted vibrations and less than precise steering would be a definite negative. This is the reason the car was at our depot for a full wheel alignment check and adjustment. With originality being so key to collectors, returning the car to the factory specified wheel alignment geometry to match that of how it rolled off the production line 40 years ago is paramount.

The car’s owner took advantage of our Free Wheel Alignment Check voucher which you can download here.

The Escort RS2000 was driven very carefully onto our Wheel Alignment ramp where computerised measurements were taken and displayed to indicate the current alignment and provide our technicians with a visual guide to bring the geometry back to factory.

Following the check, our tracking technicians were given the green light to make the recommended changes. The cost to make the changes after a free alignment check starts from just £41.95.

Every Car Owner Would Benefit From Correct Wheel Alignment

You do not need to own an Escort RS2000 to benefit from a full wheel alignment on your car, with correct wheel alignment you will experience improved performance and handling, however the real benefits are prolonged tyre life, and increased fuel efficiency.

With the squeeze on household budgets, it makes sense to get your alignment checked when changing your tyres. That way you know you are going to get the maximum life out of your tyres.

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