1988 Ford Escort RS Turbo from UK and Ireland - Comments

The only problem I have had with my Escort is a burnt out circuit board on the fuel pump relay switch.

Since I purchased my car two years ago I have had only one problem with it. It is reliable, has no body rust, still looks good after 12 years, still has original components - alternator, starter motor, turbo, water pump. An excellent car, and if you haven't yet tried one, start looking for one. Just make sure it's Mercury Grey.

I'm looking to get an RS Turbo and this is an interesting review.

However, owning one for 2 years and only doing 4000 miles is hardly pushing the car to its limits, so it would seem to be based more on the aesthetic appeal rather than mechanical stability!

Looking at it like that, and seeing that a circuit board has burnt out still leaves me pretty wary!

Fair point that the car has only done 4000 miles in 2 years, but what you have to remember is that the car is 12 years old and has done 60000 miles, I think for only a circuit board to have gone, which is rare, is pretty good going. In some ways not putting many miles on a car is more damaging than putting average miles on.

I owned an Escort RS Turbo for four years, and it proved to be very reliable. It was a series two first registered in 1989. I bought the car in 1996 and it had covered 75,000 miles. When I sold it in 2000 (due to pressure from fiancee), it had covered an amazing 138,000 miles!!! The only things that it required were routine items like wheel bearings, track control arms, new exhaust and a new battery. The head also had new valve stem oil seals as it was getting slightly smokey. Overall though, they are fantastic both to own, and drive. Very highly reccomended.

I'm selling my escort rs turbo series two in Northern Ireland I bought it two years ago from my next door neighbour it was in his garage under blankets for three years,he came out of hospitail on visiting his wife to see a small mark beside the door lock,an attempt to break into the car fortunately they failed. This brings me to the one problem of owning a rosso red rs turbo everywhere you go everyone one notices it and comments on it, always turns heads when your sitting in traffic. I put a clifford alarm in it and constantly watched it like a hawk when I parked it anywhere, usually people would be round it looking at it. I bought it standard, completely original I have since upgraded many parts on the car its mint!!!.I put it into my garage from september to april every year to keep it away from the salt from the gritters on the roads, give or take the odd nice sunday when she gets a good clean out its the best car I have driven and to be honest will probably be hard to find a car with as many extras for the same price.

I'm selling my escort rs turbo series two in Northern Ireland I bought it two years ago from my next door neighbour it was in his garage under blankets for three years,he came out of hospitail on visiting his wife to see a small mark beside the door lock,an attempt to break into the car fortunately they failed. This brings me to the one problem of owning a rosso red rs turbo everywhere you go everyone one notices it and comments on it, always turns heads when your sitting in traffic. I put a clifford alarm in it and constantly watched it like a hawk when I parked it anywhere, usually people would be round it looking at it. I bought it standard, completely original I have since upgraded many parts on the car its mint!!!.I put it into my garage from september to april every year to keep it away from the salt from the gritters on the roads, give or take the odd nice sunday when she gets a good clean out its the best car I have driven and to be honest will probably be hard to find a car with as many extras for the same price.

I own a 1988 mercury Grey rs Turbo when I bought her she had 144000 miles on the clock. she is still on the original enine, turbo box etc. apart from the interior being worn out and half converted to later 90 spec trim and lower spec models the bodywork is good for a 15 year old car. I have spent a lot of money getting her to her former glory or in my opinion better than new. with some nice mods which I have made to look like factory fit. but my advice to anyone thinking of buying one is don't buy one unless you really want one because there is always something to buy eg: mod or replace. but she always brings a smile to my face when I drive her.

Rubbish!!

Buy a AE86 Corolla GT Coupe and have performance, looks and driving fun... also its Toyota so it won't need half as much stuff as an old FORD needs!

RST's are not great and I don't care what anyone says cause I have owned them and drove them and if you like driving sporty cars hard an RST is not the car!

So, the Corolla GT is the car of your choice, and yet you choice to put it on an RST site? mmm...obiously, unless you can speak fluent Japanese, your normal Corolla GT sites aren't of much interest...

'if you like driving sporty cars hard a Corolla GT is not the car', unless of course you teach history in the local secondary school!

I have owned a Ford Escort Rs Turbo 1987 mod. for one year now, and the gearboxes are pretty weak. Have changed two already. but its easy to modify, and I will soon have around 200bhp in it, with a chip and Kent cam. The front wheel drive isn't much too jump in the roof for, but it is a cheap car, with lots of potential. Greetings from Bergen Rally Team. Norway.

I have had a ford rs turbo s2,it brings a smile to my face when I drive it, you sink in to the recaros that fit like a glove, you hear the turbo wind up and whooooosh you hear the dump valve release, what a frill... clive from coventry...