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Saturday 12:00 - Escort Mk1 1300E, 1974, N-reg, gold, 10 months MoT, 1700 crossflow, lowered, Billies, RS wheels and interior, quarter bumpers, owned last eight years, good condition, £1250 ono
On the face of it, a 1300E Escort doesn't scream track-day car, but then this one's no ordinary 1300E.
For a start the vinyl roof's long since gone. Owner Anthony ripped it off when it started lifting and wisely decided to spray the roof black rather than replace the vinyl. The rest of the bodywork was resprayed at the same time.
Under the bonnet, the weedy 1300's been swapped for an unleaded-friendly 1700 running on a twin-choke, so the hard work's been done for us already. Even better, the front struts are now 2.8i complete with the Capri's brakes. There are lowering blocks at the rear and the gearbox is still standard 1300.
The bootlid edge has gone crusty and while the metalwork under the bonnet is sound, the original paint is starting to lift - easy to sort. The interior wears rolltops and we could sell these along with the wooden dash and door trim to buy more tuning parts.
Good, modified Mk1s are getting hard to find at this price and this one seems OK. Not sure about the gold paint though. All I could think about on the way home was Tony Hadley singing Gold on Top Of The Pops. "Always believe in your soul." Wise words, mate.
Good
Solid shell
2.8i front legs and brakes
1700 already sorted
Bad
Spandau Ballet jokes
Standard gearbox
The Price Is Right
Generally, the price on the ad will not be what you end up paying. Most vendors expect the buyer to barter and so add on a couple of quid as a result. In fact adding 'ono' (or nearest offer) is an invitation haggle.
But it's an acquired skill. Offer a price below the asking, and back it up with an explanation of why you think it's only worth that much (a list of faults, for example). If the vendor plays ball, you'll end up somewhere in the middle, with both parties happy.
Don't take the mickey. If you pitch in too low you risk offending the vendor and the chances are he or she won't budge on the asking price.
And if the ad says 'no offers' it means exactly that. Don't waste yours and the vendor's time by trying to knock money off.
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