It’s always refreshing to welcome newcomers ¨to the classic car scene — especially when they’re as young as Ryan Daniels and Elliot Fran

Thanks to NZ Classic Car’s readers, we receive a constant flow of letters and emails from passionate and classic car enthusiasts, all providing the opportunity to either feature their cars or just to let us know what they have tucked away in their garage.

Recently, we received an email which, in my view, was something quite special.

Why? Because it was from two 16-year-old sixth form students with a passion for Ford Escorts.

“Hey just would like to know if you could please put my 1980 MkII Escort in your magazine along with my friend’s 1974 MkI Escort. We are both 16-year-old boys who still attend school and we have put our hearts into restoring these cars; with money coming in from part-time jobs — Pizza Hut and Foodtown. We would like to show off our cars in your magazine as we have a strong love for old cars. We have put so much time and effort into restoring our Escorts.”

I don’t know about anyone else, but this email brought back memories of when I first started to get involved in old cars and, like most of our readers, that happened at an early age as well. I can certainly remember scrimping and saving every cent as an apprentice printer only to spend it all on my passion for classic cars.

What’s also refreshing about the two young owners of these classic Fords — Ryan Daniel and Elliot Fran — is their obsession for older cars as opposed to the modern Japanese performance cars which seem to be the preferred mode of transport for most young people these days.

With all this in mind, we just had to meet these two school chums and check out their Escorts.

Escort MkI History Lesson

The Ford Escort was launched at the end of 1967 as a replacement for the Anglia. Actually, it wasn’t the first use of the ‘Escort’ name — it had been used previously in the’ 50s on an estate car version of the Ford Popular.

The first Escort featured conventional rear-wheel drive and a four-speed manual gearbox. The suspension was simple, consisting of a live axle mounted on leaf springs, together with rack-and-pinion steering.

The MkI also featured contemporary styling cues, boasting a subtle Detroit-inspired Coke-bottle waistline and the dog-bone-shaped front grille — arguably the car’s most iconic stylistic feature.

Initially, the Escort was sold as a two and four-door saloon with angular or circular front headlights.

Underneath the bonnet was the Kent cross-flow engine. Diesel engines in family cars still seemed light years away, so the Escort’s engines were all petrol — in 1100cc, 1300cc and 1600cc versions.

We all know the MkI Escort’s biggest success was as a rally car, and it quickly went on to become the most successful rally car of all time. The Ford works team was practically unbeatable in the late ’60s and early ’70s. The Escort’s most famous win came in the 1970 London-Mexico Rally — the winning Escort driven to victory by Finnish rallying legend, Hannu Mikkola. The Escort’s performance on this gruelling event gave rise to the famous Mexico special edition road versions, produced in honour of the rally car. Even today, the MkI remains popular in the amateur rally scene.

Elliot’s 1974 Ford Escort MkI

Elliot Fran grew up in the UK. Following in his father’s footsteps, he gained a real passion for Escorts at an early age, especially MkIs.

The Fran family immigrated to New Zealand three years ago, and when the opportunity came to purchase a 1974 Escort, guess who received the car as a present for his 15th birthday?

After unwrapping his present, the first thing on Elliot’s agenda was to swap the car’s original automatic transmission with a standard Escort four-speed ’box; that also allowed him to get some first-hand experience as he assisted his father with the gearbox swap. Elliot’s father also has a friend who is building an Escort rally car, and every Tuesday they visit to help out in the build, something Elliot has really come to enjoy. He loves to get his hands dirty as often as possible, and is eager to learn as much as he can along the way.
Elliot now spends every cent he earns from his part-time job at Pizza Hut on his Escort, and has tried to keep the car looking as original as possible — the Ford still sports its original paint. Elliot has added a few individual touches to his car, including bucket seats courtesy of a Mitsubishi, and an upgraded sound system as Elliot reckons the standard radio wasn’t too flash. A keen driver, he has also fitted a tacho so he can keep an eye on what’s happening up front in the engine bay. The Escort’s 1300cc engine also benefits from a set of extractors for added power and a better exhaust note.

Exterior changes include quarter length front bumpers for a slightly more aggressive appearance.

Elliot plans to keep the car and hopes to turn it into a 1300GT replica — he has already started to collect the necessary parts, including the correct GT dash, which is currently waiting to be installed.

Eventually, he would also like to buy a two-door MkI Escort and modify it so he can compete in track events with his father.

Escort MkII History Lesson

The square-edged MkII version of the Escort appeared in early 1975. Unlike the first Escort, a solely British effort, the second generation model was developed in conjunction with Ford of Germany. Going by the codename ‘Brenda’ throughout its development, the MkII used the same mechanicals as the MkI, although the unpopular and underpowered 950cc engine was dropped.

During the second half of the ’70s, the Ford Escort continued to prove hugely popular with buyers across Britain and other parts of Europe. As with its predecessor, the MkII also had an extremely successful rallying career.

The distinctive 2.0-litre RS2000 version, with its slanting plastic nose housing four round headlamps, featured the Pinto engine courtesy of the Ford Cortina, and was capable of a 177kph (110mph) top speed. The 2.0-litre engine was also easily retrofitted into the MkI, and this became a popular modification, along with the Ford Sierra’s five-speed gearbox, for rallying and other sports.

Ford Australia also built MkII Escorts. The 2.0-litre models were more common, and were sold with the two and four-door body shells. Unique to Australia was a 2.0-litre, four-door sedan that featured the plastic nose of the RS2000, however, the 2.0-litre engine was not as highly tuned as the European version. The Ford Laser replaced it in that market in 1980.

Ryan’s 1980 Ford Escort MkII Ghia

Ryan Daniel purchased his silver Escort Ghia earlier this year, after saving up for an extra year just to get the car he had always wanted — an Escort — and he’s keen to point out his car is powered by a 1.6-litre cross-flow engine.

Ryan says he has been interested in cars for as long as he can remember, starting off collecting Hot Wheels models — which he received as very appropriate birthday and Christmas presents — before progressing to the virtual world of PlayStation car racing, where he gained an appreciation for classic cars and motor racing.

That may seem a little different to the manner in which our older readers got into classic cars — it is, after all, a more modern age — but the final results are the same. As Ryan got older he began associating with other young people who had cars, helping them as they tinkered here and there, soon gaining valuable knowledge of all things mechanical. Ryan’s father also played an important role by sharing his knowledge and passion for classic cars.

Ryan chose the Escort because of his enthusiasm for ‘old school’ British cars, and he loved the shape and look of the Ford Escort. In addition, he wanted to learn how to drive without all the technical support on offer in modern cars.

Interestingly, Ryan’s Escort Ghia was part of a museum collection in Te Awamutu for over three years before passing into his ownership.

Since then Ryan has spent a great deal of time improving the car, trying to keep it looking as original as possible, although he did indicate that a pair of RS2000-style bucket seats and a lowering kit could be next on his ‘to do’ list. Working every hour he can at Foodtown and spending his wages on his beloved car, Ryan can certainly be proud of his achievements to date.

What’s next? Ryan now has his heart set on a 1600 Sport or a RS2000 in need of restoration. With age on his side, and determination coupled with a passion for British classics, I’d say Ryan’s going to be part of the classic car hobby for some time.

Old School Ford Club

As school mates, Ryan and Elliot spend as much time together as they can working on their cars, swapping information, and cruising around Howick’s beaches — often getting the thumbs up from other motorists.

Such is their passion, the two lads started their own internet-based Old School Ford Club and, at only a month old, the club already has over 30 members. Their intention is to grow the club so they can share stories and information about their cars.

I had a great afternoon with these two young blokes, their enthusiasm and willingness to learn seemed all too refreshing, and I just know that we’ll be seeing them again, in the pages of future editions of NZ Classic Car.

Words: Ashley Webb Photos: Dan Wakelin