We discovered hesitation uphill was due to carburettor wear.
Thermostat seized open was replaced at time of purchase.
Besides rust on sills noticed at purchase we subsequently found through -metal corrosion on upper interior boot floor panel.
The OHV Popular 1300 model (basic) Escort is a wonderful buy at its 2003 price point of around £300.
It was conceived as a value buy for the eighties.. this value shines through ever more readily today.
I take severe issue with the worlds oldest mass manufacturer... the fact that they saw fit to produce and market a semi-sealed (V.V type) carburetor assisted motor WITHOUT FACTORY FITMENT OF AN INLINE FUEL FILTER speaks volumes why until only very recently they and their overall reputation were in such doldrums in the European market.
The Escort is a throwaway car today partly due to enormous cost in the replacement of the carb which must be done to a larger number of those traveling beyound 60000 miles... partly also because of the high level of rot that will pervade any poorly conceived and protected vehicle chassis such as the Escort has. It is an under-body design full of sludge traps.
I think you are being a little bit hard on a 15 year old car. Granted the corrosion protection of older cars was not so good, but it cannot be too bad if it is still hanging together - if you get a year out of it for £300 anything more is a bonus.
Also, is the carb really wearing out at as low a mileage as you think - 50,000 miles in 15 years is only 3,300 miles a year - unless it has only had one little old lady owner for all its life it might be on second time round the clock!
Ford VV carb does have a fuel filter, a small, but effective gauze filter inserted up the brass inlet pipe of the carburettor.
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