1997 Ford Escort Ghia Lx Estate (meets stone wall- repairs)

You'll be the pride of Donedeal buying any car for that money - fancy woodtrim dash and all! These are a very rare sight nowadays, particularly in estate format. Hopefully you get the driver's door sorted out soon

No. 
I'm in Ireland.
You never see these anymore.
And I'm discovering that while I can get practically anything, up to a new shell, for a Mk1 or Mk2 escort mine has a broken switch that is maddeningly hard to find. Go figure.

Its test is Dec 4th so I have only 2 weeks to get it ready. I thought it would be simple lol.......

Your ex-wife dictates what you do with your kids?? Fcuk that!

Well I do rather like the kids, so I kinda agree.
Have you seen a side impact on a Mk1 escort?
It's not pretty.
At least the '97 has decent soft furnishings and seatbelts.
The MK1 is being restored with a reinforced floor, sills, pillars and new belts/seat mounts.

Right.
Got old door latch out/new one in.
The wee plastic collar that fits on the the lock barrel was so awkward to fit I had to get help. My arthritic fingers would not let me get it on, lined up, clipped together.
Thoroughly bloody depressing.
Everything works as it should now but the dash light indicating an open door is permanently on and I've checked all doors, boot and even the bonnet is closed just in case! Dang!
The same guy that sold me the latch discovered he had a switch so even though I have bought one and paid the postage I now have a second one.
Fitted in about 2 minutes and my door windows are working.
I was quite worried they would still be non operational even after a new switch.
Otherwise she is still clocking up the miles with the only new issue being an exhaust rattle has started up.
I'll look into that in the morning.
Not very exciting but its progress. Once she passes the test I hope to get into the "look" I aim for.
Current cost, €350 purchase, €272 insurance, latch €30 switch €15 Total of €667

That is extremely helpful information sir.
I really appreciate that!

These crash pretty well, ford had a thing in the 90's of re-engineering cars but not changing the exterior much, the 95 facelift massively improved crash protecton as well as making it a pretty good car, but by then the dismal performance of the older ones had damaged  the escort name for good, hence why escort was replaced by Focus.

Dropping the kids to school a gingle gingle noise started.
Then it became a gingle gingle gingle gingle.
On the way home it was more of a tink ta tink tink tink tink tink tink .......silence.
So a walk down the lane was rewarded with......


I live on what we call a Bohereen. It's a narrow enough road to have grass in the miggle. A shield on the cat might not be necessary everywhere but I'll hot glue gun it back on I think.
Quick assessment of the car means a list is forming. Wipers are sqeeeeeeeky.
Left front dip bulb has popped.
Boot struts are weak enough that I fear for my eyes/forehead.
A trip to the motorfactors is coming.

I kinda didn't really truly believe that the mileage was actually as low as indicated @73k but, the more I look, the easier it is to believe.
Changed wipers and a bulb yesterday.
Here's what came off






And I finally figured out (thanks Kevins) the "door open light" situation. That piece of tech has a wee plastic stud to hold it in place. Mines doesn't, so I'm hunting one down. In the meantime I put a cable tie around the button to turn the light off for now.
That meant the door card can go back. Yah!!


Current costs
Purchase €350
Insurance €272
Latch €30
Switch €15
Wipers and bulb and fuel system cleaner €50.22
Total €717.22
But the fly in the ointment is, the VLC hasn't arrived so I've had to postpone the test.