Final repairs to Ford Escort
November 9, 2023
Fitted new distributor cap and rotor arm. Gap and fit new spark plugs, run and test briefly, all ok. Ready for full road test and
Ford escort
Ford Escort RS Turbo – History Of A Future Classic
October 16, 2023
The Ford Escort RS Turbo holds a special place in the hearts of petrolheads, especially those who grew up during the 1980s and 1990s. This
Win an Automotive Icon – Ford Escort RS Turbo Tickets are now LIVE!
October 12, 2023
Entry is now open for our iconic 1991 Ford Escort RS Turbo! Our 1991 Ford Escort RS Turbo – a vehicle that defined performance for
Corrosion Found
October 6, 2023
While working on our 1979 Ford Escort MK2, classic car technician Chris found substantial corrosion on the vehicle meaning plans have had to change for
A Quick Fix
October 6, 2023
Before our 1991 Ford Escort RS Turbo went out to Bentwaters with Molly and the team for filming, classic car technician Jonn took a look
Another Escort Arrives
September 5, 2023
If one Ford Escort in a day wasn’t enough, we welcomed a second into the Bridge Classic Cars workshop in the form of our 1991
Finishing A Competition Car
June 5, 2023
While our 1971 Ford Escort RS Mexico Recreation is being prepared for delivery to its new owner who was lucky enough to win this stunning
Entry Now Open – 1971 Ford Escort RS Mexico Recreation
April 24, 2023
Our 1971 Ford Escort RS Mexico Recreation is now live on the Bridge Classic Cars Competitions website. Starting its life as a standard Ford Escort
A New Arrival
April 5, 2023
We have recently welcomed a new addition to the Bridge Classic Cars workshop in the form of our 1971 Ford Escort RS Mexico Recreation. This
Best Reaction – Calling the Winner of the 1975 Ford Escort Mk1 RS Mexico Recreation
November 26, 2021
Sometimes a simple phone call can change peoples lives. In some ways, it’s our favourite part of our live draws and of our competitions. Hearing
What’s Underneath – Inspection of the 1975 Ford Escort RS Mexico Recreation
November 8, 2021
It’s always interesting the first time we put a car up on the ramps in our workshop. You find out more about the story of
Ford Escort Twin Cam Re-Wiring
June 22, 2021
John, from Baylham Automotive Solutions has been working on our 1969 Ford Escort Twin Cam which needs a full rewire to modernise the loom to
1969 Ford Escort Twin Cam In
June 8, 2021
This stunning 1969 Ford Escort Twin Cam is a Ford Escort with Lotus twin cam engine. With less than 900 made over a few years
Ford Escort Valuation
February 3, 2021
We recently had a request in for the valuation of this 1983 Ford Escort RS1600i. As part of our services, we offer classic car valuations,
Behind The Scenes: Ford Escort RS Turbo
January 26, 2021
A while back we shot some stunning photos of our lovely 1988 Ford Escort RS Turbo with model Carnell (@carnage_kicks). Using a smoke granade to
1988 Ford Escort – Future Competition Car
November 12, 2020
This fully restored RS Turbo was being stored within our Vehicle Storage Hangar, however when the owner decided to offer the vehicle up for sale,
Meet The Team: John
November 2, 2020
In our second installment of Meet The Team Mondays, we talk to our Workshop Manager, John. John has been working with cars his entire career,
Live Draw: 1979 Ford Escort RS2000
September 28, 2020
Congratulations to Mike Hill, winner of our 1979 Ford Escort RS2000 with ticket number 1676. For your chance to win your dream classic, head to
Is this Sierra really rarer?
September 23, 2020
This 33-year-old Ford Sierra Cosworth is set to fetch a cool £100k at auction because it’s claimed to be ‘the best one in the UK’
New Arrivals!
September 10, 2020
We’re always excited to see fresh classics arrive at our workshop here at Bridge Classic Cars. So, here’s a first look at the new arrivals
1969 Ford Escort Visits Bridge Classic Cars
March 10, 2020
This weekend we were visited by this lovely Ford Escort. Possibly coming in for works with ourselves, this lovely example was a pleasure to have
Final repairs to Ford Escort
November 9, 2023
Fitted new distributor cap and rotor arm. Gap and fit new spark plugs, run and test briefly, all ok.
Ready for full road test and tune. Weather permitting…
Ford Escort RS Turbo – History Of A Future Classic
October 16, 2023
The Ford Escort RS Turbo holds a special place in the hearts of petrolheads, especially those who grew up during the 1980s and 1990s. This compact yet powerful hatchback combined the practicality of a family car with the sportiness of a turbocharged engine.
The Birth of the Ford Escort RS Turbo
In the early 1980s, Ford wanted to make a competitive rally car. In order to compete in the World Rally Championship, the company needed a compact car with an agile chassis and a powerful engine. The Ford Escort, which was already a popular model for the brand, seemed like the ideal candidate.
The first-generation Escort RS Turbo was launched in 1984. It had a 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine with a Garrett T3 turbocharger, producing a potent 132 horsepower. This turbocharged engine was paired with a five-speed manual transmission and a limited-slip differential, making it an exciting drive both on the road and on the rally circuit.
Its sporty design featured distinctive alloy wheels, a rear spoiler, and RS badging, giving it a bold and aggressive appearance.
Evolution and Second Generation
The second-generation Escort RS Turbo retained the sporty design of the original, with a distinctive front grille and a rear spoiler. Ford’s engineers worked on the chassis and suspension to enhance handling, ensuring that the car remained usable on both the roads and rally circuits.
While the Escort RS Turbo continued to be popular among driving enthusiasts, it faced growing competition from other hot hatches of the era. Ford introduced the Escort RS Cosworth, a more powerful and sophisticated rally car, which overshadowed the RS Turbo in terms of performance and prestige.
The RS Turbo Legacy
Despite the arrival of the RS Cosworth, the Ford Escort RS Turbo retained its popularity as an affordable and accessible high-performance car. Owners appreciated its nimbleness, turbocharged power, and the ability to tune the engine for even more power.
Over the years, the Escort RS Turbo also gained a reputation as a “cult classic.” Many owners and collectors today hold a special place in their hearts for this little rocket. Its presence at car shows and rally events remains strong, showcasing its enduring appeal.
RS Turbo in the Modern Era
As the years passed, the Ford Escort RS Turbo continued to influence the world of compact performance cars. Its legacy can be seen in the many high-performance hatchbacks and hot hatches that followed, including models like the Ford Focus RS, which continued the tradition of blending practicality with performance.
In 2000, Ford released the Ford Focus RS, a model that combined the practicality of the Focus with a high-powered engine, directly inspired by the Escort RS Turbo’s philosophy. This modern successor to the Escort RS Turbo featured a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine with 212 horsepower, proving that the spirit of the RS Turbo still lived on.
Win Our 1991 Ford Escort RS Turbo
The Ford Escort RS Turbo may have been a compact car, but its impact on the world of high-performance vehicles was far from small. With its rally success, accessible turbocharged power, and iconic design, it has certainly left its mark.
With fast Fords like this continuing to increase in value, it is highly likely that these memorable cars will become even more desirable and collectable.
You can win our 1991 Ford Escort RS Turbo through Bridge Classic Cars Competitions. Entries close at 10.00 pm on Monday, 23rd October 2023 so make sure you enter the draw before then.
All the information you need can be found here.
Win an Automotive Icon – Ford Escort RS Turbo Tickets are now LIVE!
October 12, 2023
Entry is now open for our iconic 1991 Ford Escort RS Turbo!
Our 1991 Ford Escort RS Turbo – a vehicle that defined performance for a generation of petrolheads, is now ready to be won.
Why is the 1991 Ford Escort RS Turbo so special?
- A Racing Icon: The Escort RS Turbo boasts a rich racing heritage. It was a dominant force in the rally scene during its heyday, with its distinctive styling and powerful engine making it a favourite among both professional drivers and amateurs.
- Poster Car Status: For many of us, this car adorned our bedroom walls and garage posters. Its sleek design and bold lines made it an instant classic.
- Power-Packed Performance: Under the bonnet, you’ll find a 1.6-litre turbocharged engine, with our example delivering a thrilling 180 bhp. It’s a pocket rocket that can still hold its own on the road today.
How can you get your hands on this automotive legend? Simply head over to the Bridge Classic Cars Competitions website and purchase your ticket. The process is quick and easy, and you might just become the proud owner of this magnificent Ford Escort RS Turbo.
Enter the draw today, and who knows, you might soon be cruising in style in this classic beauty. Good luck, and may the road ahead be filled with endless adventures!
Corrosion Found
October 6, 2023
While working on our 1979 Ford Escort MK2, classic car technician Chris found substantial corrosion on the vehicle meaning plans have had to change for the future of this sought-after classic.
As you can see from the photos below, things don’t look particularly good.
Alan also polished a quarter panel.
A Quick Fix
October 6, 2023
Before our 1991 Ford Escort RS Turbo went out to Bentwaters with Molly and the team for filming, classic car technician Jonn took a look at it to make sure everything was how it should be.
During his inspection, Jonn noticed that the header tank mount was pulled out of the wing. A new fixing for the header tank was fitted, tightened, and secured.
Jonn did a thorough inspection of the car and made some more repairs, when needed, such as stripping and fitting a new cambelt and water pump, as well as replenishing the anti-freeze. Additionally, Jonn aligned the steering wheel to ensure it was completely ready for its new owner to jump into the driver’s seat and get on the road.
This is an exciting addition to the Bridge Classic Cars Competitions lineup and we are very much looking forward to launching it very soon!
Another Escort Arrives
September 5, 2023
If one Ford Escort in a day wasn’t enough, we welcomed a second into the Bridge Classic Cars workshop in the form of our 1991 Ford Escort RS Turbo Series 2.
This car comes with a huge following and we are very excited that someone will be lucky enough to win this exact one through Bridge Classic Cars Competitions in the very near future.
Finishing A Competition Car
June 5, 2023
While our 1971 Ford Escort RS Mexico Recreation is being prepared for delivery to its new owner who was lucky enough to win this stunning classic car through Bridge Classic Cars Competitions, Jonn has been fitting new wheel bearings and alloy hubs.
As Jonn was working on our Mexico Recreation, he noticed that the offside caliper touched the disc. He had to grind this away so it now misses the disc.
Now everything is reassembled, Jonn is just waiting for new wheel studs to arrive to finish off this competition car and finally get it delivered to its new home.
Entry Now Open – 1971 Ford Escort RS Mexico Recreation
April 24, 2023
Our 1971 Ford Escort RS Mexico Recreation is now live on the Bridge Classic Cars Competitions website.
Starting its life as a standard Ford Escort in Maroon, it was rebuilt from its shell between 2010 and 2014 and is now a fantastic recreation of an Escort Mexico.
Finished in Le Mans Green, it has had all of the type 49 shell additions to make this a true Mexico replica.
A New Arrival
April 5, 2023
We have recently welcomed a new addition to the Bridge Classic Cars workshop in the form of our 1971 Ford Escort RS Mexico Recreation.
This will be a future competition car for Bridge Classic Cars Competitions and we are expecting it to be extremely popular. Before that can happen though, it will go through a full inspection and assessment with our team of experienced technicians.
When it arrived at the workshop, Craig took it out for its first drive with us and it was a lot of fun. The car got lots of attention from people in the local area and we are sure this will be the case for the lucky winner in the future too.
Best Reaction – Calling the Winner of the 1975 Ford Escort Mk1 RS Mexico Recreation
November 26, 2021
Sometimes a simple phone call can change peoples lives. In some ways, it’s our favourite part of our live draws and of our competitions. Hearing and then seeing the reaction on our winner’s faces and voices when they realise the car is well and truly theirs.
Take for example this video clip of Charlotte calling Chris back after we had announced on the live draw that his winning ticket of 987 had won the competition. We think this is probably the best reaction we’ve ever had to calling a winner. Enjoy!
What’s Underneath – Inspection of the 1975 Ford Escort RS Mexico Recreation
November 8, 2021
It’s always interesting the first time we put a car up on the ramps in our workshop. You find out more about the story of the car from underneath. Clues and suggestions at its life from a viewpoint rarely seen.
Today it’s the turn of our 1975 Ford Escort Mk1 RS Mexico Recreation. It is being fully inspected and assessed by our in-house restoration teams to determine what, if anything, may need doing to make sure the car is in its best shape.
From a brief visual look, the car is in great shape underneath. The vibrant green paintwork extends all the way through the car and the deep, rich black of the suspension and chassis components contrasts against the eye and allows for easy recognition of any issues that might be there.
Find out more about this amazing Mk1 Escort Mexico soon on the Bridge Classic Cars blog.
Ford Escort Twin Cam Re-Wiring
June 22, 2021
John, from Baylham Automotive Solutions has been working on our 1969 Ford Escort Twin Cam which needs a full rewire to modernise the loom to be compatible with modern features. The majority of the loom is in good condition and John has found that 90% of it simply needs to be cleaned and restored however there are parts that need to be made up and modified such as a modified headlight relay and the dynamo converted to an alternator.
1969 Ford Escort Twin Cam In
June 8, 2021
This stunning 1969 Ford Escort Twin Cam is a Ford Escort with Lotus twin cam engine. With less than 900 made over a few years between 1968-71, these cars are not only valuable but also rare. The powerful engine from a Lotus Cortina paired the light Escort made for the perfect rally car.
This Escort is in for a full re-wire which will be handled by our workshop
Originally sold by Withers of Winsford, the rally company and came with a purple stripe.
Ford Escort Valuation
February 3, 2021
We recently had a request in for the valuation of this 1983 Ford Escort RS1600i. As part of our services, we offer classic car valuations, whether its to help a customer decide whether to sell their car or for insurance policies.
Behind The Scenes: Ford Escort RS Turbo
January 26, 2021
A while back we shot some stunning photos of our lovely 1988 Ford Escort RS Turbo with model Carnell (@carnage_kicks).
Using a smoke granade to create an artistic approach, we spent the afternoon shooting a series of interesting portraits with the car as well as capturing our standard shots.
This car is currently up for sale, you can see more here.
1988 Ford Escort – Future Competition Car
November 12, 2020
This fully restored RS Turbo was being stored within our Vehicle Storage Hangar, however when the owner decided to offer the vehicle up for sale, we had to buy it.
Expect to see this car live on www.bridgeclassiccarscompetitions.co.uk within the coming weeks.
Meet The Team: John
November 2, 2020
In our second installment of Meet The Team Mondays, we talk to our Workshop Manager, John.
John has been working with cars his entire career, starting as soon as he left school. This interest blossomed from working alongside his father who also took a fascination with cars and frequently visited race car meets with each other.
Following his childhood with cars, John’s career led him to work with Vauxhall for 29 years. After a sufficient amount of time working as a technician there, John moved on to making sports car replicas with Suffolk Sports. John then came to Bridge Classic Cars where he’s been ever since, making him one of our longest working members.
John is our Workshop Manager, meaning his role is to oversee and troubleshoot any projects going on at Bridge Classic Cars. We know that projects are always in safe hands with John as his time with us is coming up to 10 years.
Back at home, John has a number of motorbikes as well as his dream car, a Ford Escort RS 2000 MKI. John tells us that he’s always been into having his own cars and restoring them, “I’ve always had two or three motorbikes and cars at home to tinker with”.
Fun fact: The car that was most popular in the year of Johns birth was the Nissan Datsun 240Z
Live Draw: 1979 Ford Escort RS2000
September 28, 2020
Congratulations to Mike Hill, winner of our 1979 Ford Escort RS2000 with ticket number 1676.
For your chance to win your dream classic, head to bridgeclassiccars.co.uk/competitions
Is this Sierra really rarer?
September 23, 2020
This 33-year-old Ford Sierra Cosworth is set to fetch a cool £100k at auction because it’s claimed to be ‘the best one in the UK’ of only 500 ever made.
We only have to take a look into our archives and current competitions to see that Fords are becoming increasingly popular.
Earlier this year we ran a Ford Mustang competition where over four thousand tickets flew off the shelf and one lucky winner was handed the keys after spending just £7.50 on his ticket.
We also ran a draw to win a 1991 Ford Sierra Sapphire which only had just over 4,500 miles on the clock. Another incredibly popular competition prize.
Our latest competition Ford is our awesome 1979 Ford Escort RS2000. A similar low-mileage MKII Escort RS2000, also finished in Diamond White, sold at Silverstone Auctions in 2017 for a whopping £97,000!
So could this mean the estimation on this Ford Sierra Cosworth could well be accurate? We’ll have to wait and see..
If you don’t happen to have 100 grand burning a hole in your back pocket though, you could spend just £15 on a ticket for our 1979 Ford Escort RS2000 competition instead and join our many classic car winners. It could well be worth a small fortune if Fords continue to flourish!
New Arrivals!
September 10, 2020
We’re always excited to see fresh classics arrive at our workshop here at Bridge Classic Cars. So, here’s a first look at the new arrivals joining us this week.
First up, it’s our 1996 Nissan Patrol. In for a paint job, re-chroming and body preparation.
Our 1958 Jensen 541R has arrived with us with gearbox issues. The specialist technical team are on hand to diagnose the faults and get her back up and running.
These Ford Escorts are both sitting comfortably at the Hanger in Bentwaters.
The light blue Ford Escort RS Turbo belongs to a customer, she’s being kept with us in our secure storage facility where we watch over many of our customers prized possessions.
The other is our very popular 1979 Ford Escort RS2000 that believe it or not, is a competition prize where one lucky winner will be handed the keys to this beauty! For more information on our competitions click here.
Lastly, this stunning 1971 Triumph Spitfire has come to us to sort a couple of problems out. Firstly, to investigate a strange noise coming from the engine along with fixing some oil leaks.
It’s great to follow a classic cars journey from their first day with us, to when we say goodbye.
Make sure you check back on our current projects page for all the latest updates on everything we’re working on at Bridge Classic Cars.
1969 Ford Escort Visits Bridge Classic Cars
March 10, 2020
This weekend we were visited by this lovely Ford Escort. Possibly coming in for works with ourselves, this lovely example was a pleasure to have a look around.
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