1979 Ford Escort MK2 1600 Sport Homage

With just one former UK keeper on the logbook and paperwork going back to when it lived outside Paris in the early eighties, this Ford Escort MKII would be something special even without the restomod.

Because ‘EEL 763T’ has been restored in Signal Green as a homage to the 1600 Sport – but with a twist, because it is powered by a two-litre Pinto engine that drives the rear wheels via a five-speed Type 9 gearbox. It also features a twin-choke Weber carburettor along with alloy components that include the radiator, bellhousing, and sump.

Restored in the UK on a rotisserie for full access and mechanically refreshed into the bargain, the seller took the Escort in part-exchange against an American classic car, which is what he specialises in.

Nevertheless, the quality of the workmanship impressed him: “It’s a well-put-together MkII Escort with a straightforward specification that adds a few sensible upgrades to the original look that make it easier to use.”

The combination of Signal Green paint and black decals, window frames, door handles, mirrors, boot spoiler, radiator grille, and bumpers makes for an arresting combination. It also showcases the shutlines, which are tight and consistent enough to look like they’ve been drawn on with fine-tipped black ink pen. 

And of those parts the front and rear bumpers, rear spoiler, door mirrors, and radiator grille are recent reproduction parts too, so they’re in fine fettle.

It sits on a set of very nice JBW Revolution alloys, whose 13-inch diameter gives the fat-walled look so many of us enjoy on our classic cars. Finished with black centres and polished rims to maintain the colour scheme, they’re free of dinks, scrapes, and other kerbing damage.

They’re also fitted with a matching set of 185/60R13 Nankang NS-2R tyres. Made in 2022-onwards, all have a good depth of tread left and no damage to the sidewalls.

We will never get tired of telling you that experience shows that matching high-quality tyres are an infallible sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly. 

The paintwork has weathered the years well, although time has inevitably taken its toll and this toll includes heavy polishing marks and some paint contamination, a dent on the nearside front wing, an imperfection in the paint on the nearside rear door, and bubbling in the finish on the roof. 

In addition, all the glazing is heavily scratched, the rear window is delaminating around the heating element, the nearside rear light unit is slightly damaged, filler is evident at the base of the nearside A-pillar and around the offside headlamp, the black finish on the door frames shows sun damage, and there are a couple of paint runs around the offside boot aperture.

As for the black-and-silver numberplates, while they are legal on cars that were first registered before the 1st of January 1980, as the Escort was registered here in 2018, they aren’t technically legal. Now, it would be a pedantic copper who did you for it, but we do like to point out all the pitfalls of the cars we sell, even the unlikely ones! 

The interior has been upgraded with Ghia door cards, a fat-rimmed Momo steering wheel, a new gearknob for the five-speed gearbox, replacement carpets throughout (including the boot) and a new headlining. 

The result is a very pleasant place to be – and surprisingly spacious considering its modest external dimensions; little wonder the Escort was so popular in its day.

As for flaws, the front seat fabric has what looks like small cigarette burns on it but then as it came from France it would, wouldn’t it? The rear seats are in a much better condition and don’t appear to have seen anything like as much use as they have firm bases and clean cover material.

The door cards are good too, as is the top of the dashboard, which is free of sun-induced cracks.

As for other signs of wear ‘n’ tear, the stalk on the left-hand side of the steering column has lost its lettering, whereas the two on the right-hand side are still clearly labelled. 

The rest of the switches are still nicely marked and legible, and the only other flaws we spotted were a slightly damaged offside C-pillar trim, marks to the nearside front armrest/door pull, and some wear to the boot carpet.

An OBD scanner is included, as is a full-size and matching spare wheel and tyre. Lifting the boot carpet out reveals only a solid and well-painted boot floor and what appears to be a recent, or recently refurbished, fuel tank. 

The two-litre Pinto engine fits in the (very clean and well-painted) engine bay so well you’d think Ford itself had installed it. The ancillaries are equally neat, including the black tubular exhaust manifold, and it is joined to a five-speed Type 9 gearbox.

Of course, the rest of the mechanical components are said to have been refreshed including an electric fan and new coolant hoses, new brake discs, pads, pipes, and calipers, and much more. 

The underside has been left in a painted finish, which makes assessing its condition much easier. It is also so ridiculously clean that it would almost be a shame to drive it.

Almost, because our test drive resulted in the following three-word summary: “Car drives great!”, which might be brief but tells you all you need to know once you understand Our Man With The Clipboard is almost impossible to please.

Peer closely and you’ll spot uprated suspension bushes, recent Bilstein dampers, and fresh copper brake lines plus that glorious-sounding Sportex exhaust system that includes tubular headers. 

That said, sealant has been used to repair the engine sump as the seller has not been able to source a replacement, it does have a minor oil leak to it but nothing major. The seller is confident that this is fine for the time being but would advise the purchaser to source a new one should one become available.

The Ford Escort does not need an MoT certificate and nor does it have one. It used to though, until the 14th of April 2026 – and that was a clear pass.

The recent Vehicle History Check is clear, and the history file contains a wealth of information from its time in France when we think it was painted Regency Red, paint code 3A.

It appears to have arrived in the United Kingdom in around 2018, and the only subsequent paperwork is a couple of MoT certificates and a V5C Registration Certificate.

A good retromod/restomod has a lot to commend it; it’ll usually drive better than the original, will often be safer, and should also be more reliable.

No, it won’t perform as well as a standard car as an investment – but then nor will it cost you as much to buy in the first place.

Because our estimate is that this one will sell for between £20,000 and £25,000, which, even at the upper end, represents a fraction of what it would cost to do the work yourself.

And, despite being almost half-a-century old (yeah, sorry about that) it also drives so well you could happily use it as your everyday wheels – and have you seen how limited your options are with a twenty-grand budget for a new car these days? 

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at THE MARKET HQ in South Oxfordshire. Viewings are STRICTLY BY APPOINTMENT and we are open weekdays (apart from Bank Holidays) between 10am - 12pm or 2pm - 4pm. To make a booking, please use the ‘Enquire About This Vehicle’ button on the listing. Feel free to ask any questions, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.