1969 Mk1 Ford Escort 1300 GT with 2.3L Cosworth Duratec Engine

Ford Escort 1969 Description

Offered for your consideration is my 1969 Mk1 Ford Escort GT. The Ford Escort was introduced in 1968 and was sold just about everywhere except for the United States. The Escort dominated many forms of motorsport because of its lightweight and excellent handling. This is perhaps a once in a lifetime opportunity to own an Escort here in the USA.

This particular car was brought into the United States from the Philippines in 2005 and is one of only a handful in the USA. This car has been a left hand drive car its entire life. It is a 1300 GT model - hence the personalized license plate.

When purchased in 2006 it had been freshly painted including the exterior interior trunk engine compartment and underside. However the suspension interior and engine needed to be refreshed. I spent several years addressing each area with great attention to detail. The list of parts reads like the build sheet for a professional racecar: Cosworth Quaife Compomotive AP Racing Tilton etc. No expense was spared to build this car including professional resources when required. All fabrication work was performed by a former Gurney/Cosworth/SpaceX fabricator.

The heart of any car is the engine and the Cosworth 2.3L Ford Duratec is no doubt the highlight of this car. Built and dyno tested at the Cosworth’s USA facility the 2.3L Duratec is built to the 250BHP spec and includes forged pistons forged rods CNC ported cylinder head and high-lift camshafts. The engine breathes through Jenvey throttles and produces power across the entire rev range. Compression ratio is 12:1 so the induction note is deep and revs are quick and sharp. Despite the high power output of this engine it idles smoothly and is easy to drive slowly.

While fully capable of track duty this Escort has only seen responsible motoring on local roads and highways. The car has only been driven a handful of times and has very few miles - probably less than 3000. The car runs drives and handles beautifully. It is rust free and has always been stored in a garage while in my possession.

I’m selling the car because I’ve owned it for about 10 years and I have a long bucket list of cars that I would still like to own. The car has a clean title and is registered in California thru August of 2015.

The car is located in Los Alamitos CA. In person inspections can be arranged and they are highly encouraged. This car is being sold as is with no guarantee or warranty. I’m happy to facilitate shipping anywhere in the world but shipping arrangements and costs are the responsibility of the buyer.

$500 deposit is required within 48 hours of the end of the auction. Full payment via bank check or cash is required within 7 days of the close of the auction. Also the car must be picked up within 14 days of the close of auction. Longer storage can be arranged at an agreed upon price.

--Additional info--

(All components brand new at time of build unless stated otherwise)

Engine and drivetrain:

250 HP Genuine Cosworth prepared Ford Duratec brand new crate motor

Jenvey 45mm throttle bodies Titan intake manifold

Cosworth ‘Mazda Atlantic’ electric fuel pump

RACE mini alternator

Retro Ford header - ceramic coated

Retro Ford wet sump

Retro Ford water rail

Full stainless exhaust. Custom mandrel bends not welded-in pieces.

Aluminum radiator - still retains original looking top tank

AP Racing pressure plate and clutch disc

Titan lightened flywheel

Type 9 gearbox completely rebuilt with Quaife straight cut gears (new bearings synchros etc)

Custom driveshaft from Drivelines Inc in Mission Viejo CA

Completely rebuilt rear end with LSD bearings gaskets and seals

Suspension Steering Brakes

World cup crossmember

2.8i Capri struts with new Bilstein inserts and new springs

Whiteline front sway bar

Adjustable track control arms (camber adjustment)

Quick steering rack

New roller bearing top mounts

AP Racing front brakes

GAZ adjustable rear shocks

Re-arched rear springs (-1.5”)

Anti-tramp bars

New rear wheel cylinders

All stainless soft lines - covered in black

All poly bushings

New wheel bearings tie rod ends etc

Interior:

Aldridge door panels and carpet

Loadstar headliner material (not yet installed)

Bias pedal box (with new brake and clutch master cylinders)

AP Racing remote brake bias adjuster

GTS Classics Rallye seats

Momo Prototipo steering wheel

Quaife short throw shifter

RS1600 gauges

Exterior:

13x6 Compomotive wheels

185/60/13 Yokohama Advan A048 tires (approximately 80% tread remaining)

Excellent paint - no rust. Car received a full respray inside and out (including underside) in about 2005.

New stainless bumpers

Personalized ‘1300 GT’ license plates

Known issues:

Peeling paint near header in engine compartment

Need to install headliner - original loadstar headliner material included

Small oil leak at the rear of the engine

Need to install center console

Tach needs to be connected (may require adapter for inductive tach)

Speedo needs to be connected

Temp sender needs to be installed (sensor included)

Window rubber could use refreshing

Windshield has some pits and scratches

Small blemish on paint (front of hood)

Small ding on hood

Could use new window cranks

Could use new dash vents

Heater core included but not installed

Engine road tuned by Historic Race Engineering but could use dyno tune to extract maximum reliable power