Registration: C656 JFV
Chassis: WFOBXXGCABFB41919
Odometer: 55,653
Transmission: Manual
MOT: None

• “In dry storage for many years. It has been brought out and brought back to life with some nice upgrades”
• Over £12,000 in recent expenditure
• Engine rebuilt and recommissioned
• Please Read the full RS Owners Club report (Bottom of description)

This lovely Ford Escort RS Turbo presents as a Series 1, with all the parts and identification of the S1 present, however being mounted on a Mk4 escort shell. At somepoint early in it's life this happened, as the current vendor and previous owners were unaware, such is the quality of the build. As above, please read report below from the RS Owners Club for any avoidance of doubt as to what this car is.

The vendor describes the car as being in “good condition,” though in need of some recommissioning after a period spent off the road. He further notes that the underside and the battery tray area are both “good,” and that the Escort is “structurally excellent.” The paintwork would benefit from some remedial improvement, with minor scuffs present and some crazing noted on the rear spoiler.

We are indebted to the vendor for the following description:

The vehicle has been in dry storage for many years. It has been brought out and brought back to life with some nice upgrades. The car has been fitted with a fully reconditioned engine and injection system with a new Air Tech performance intercooler and a stainless-steel performance exhaust system.

This RS Turbo Escort is not rusty or welded and doesn't need it due to being stored in perfectly dry conditions for most of its life. The complete underside still has its white factory finish. (see photos).

The interior trim requires refurbishment with the usual cracks in the dash top. The drivers and passengers' seats require attention, and the dash gauges are not working. Please bear in mind this is a 40-year-old ‘survivor’ car and well worth finishing to a high standard to make it a valuable classic car and only requires recommissioning and getting running again.”

There is an amount of paperwork on file, which includes invoices from previous works carried out.

• January 2025 - £1,834.63, engine rebuilt and recommissioned.
• February 2025 - £954.48, wheel removal and puncture repair, fuel metering unit refurbishment and diagnosis and repair of wiring loom faults.
• March 2025 - £1,155.64, remove old engine and transmission, installing reconditioned RS Turbo replacements, renewing ignition and fuel systems, refitting ancillary components, reconnecting fuel lines.
• April 2025 - £1,040, Performance exhaust system fitted driveshaft output seals new intercooler pipes and hoses.
• May 2025 - £1,120, Repair spoiler bib, make and fit towing eye, rewire central locking test and repair lighting loom.
• October 2025 - £1,027.59, refitting and testing fuel injection system, resolving wiring faults, checking col-start performance, bleeding brakes.

Please note: There is a problem with the fuel injection system at the time of writing. It will fire-up with fuel and it is being investigated prior to the auction. Ideally, come and see the car or view the images online.

RS Owners Club Report:

Inspection Report

Vehicle manufacturer – Ford

Vehicle model – Escort RS Turbo Series 1

Date of manufacture – May 1985, Saarlouis

Date of registration – 26.11.1985

Vehicle Chassis number – WFOBXXGCABFB41919

Vehicle Registration number – C656 JFV

Inspection Date – 21st March 2026

Background

The owner of the vehicle associated with the above chassis number has requested an inspection to assist in determining the authenticity of vehicle.

The Ford RS Owners Club are approved by the DVLA to undertake inspections in association with V765 & V55/5 applications.

I have been appointed by the Ford RS Owners Club as the organisations vehicle expert for the specific model listed above.

Inspection Methodology

For inspections associated DVLA applications, I follow the same methodology.

A discussion of the vehicle and its history with the current owner in advance of the inspection, any concerns arising, previous owners and any general information regarding the vehicle. Also a Total Car check will be carried out if not already done using the chassis number and, if known, the previous vehicle registration marks to highlight any vehicle history.

Moving to the in-person inspection, a general walk round is first undertaken noting paint match, panel gaps and any noticeable signs that may indicate previous work. The inspection then commences with an under-bonnet inspection, moving to glass dating, interior inspection including dating of seat belt installation then finally the underside including floor pans, suspension, the transmission and engine to verify original parts and the date of manufacture of those key components.

Throughout the inspection, the owner or an assigned representative is present and is engaged in discussion as to findings and feedback.

Inspection

The vehicle presents as a 1985 Ford Escort Series 1 RS Turbo, manual transmission in right-hand-drive. The chassis number indicated that the vehicle was constructed in the month of May 1985.

Initial visual walk round indicates that the vehicle is in reasonable condition and has had paint at some point in its life, has had two new front wings and various other work carried out, which is what I would expect to see with a 40+ year used car.

The glazing throughout the vehicle is as I would expect to see in a series 1. The sunroof is not a standard Series1 Bronze tint type but appears to be either very light Green tint or clear upon looking. Both rear 1/4 windows and passenger window have registration etching only.

Upon further inspection to all areas of the vehicle and after some careful consideration and further investigation, I do not think that the chassis number and vin tags match the shell, and I believe that shell is in fact a mk4 Ford Escort shell that has been made to look like a Mk3 Escort Series 1 RS Turbo, and will provide my findings and reasons why below.

1) Engine bay, the original engine is appears to be present, with standard and bespoke to the Series1 RS Turbo parts and ancillaries such as inlet manifold, turbo and fuel metering unit to name but a few.

2) The engine mount on the front offside inner wing is of a Mk4 shell and not a Mk3 as it is situated much higher up (see attached photos) than it should be and will not have been like this from factory.

3) The brace that comes off of the bulk head to the scuttle panel is set much further forward than you would expect to see on a Mk3 but is identical to that of a Mk4 (see attached photos)

4) It is also noted that the VIN tag and colour tag appear to be the original ones produced by Ford but some of the identification stamps do not relate to a Series 1 RS Turbo, it is also noted that the second weight is also incorrect and should read 1400 and not 2300 proving that this is also not correct (see attached photos)

5) Moving to the underside, the rear wheel well has all the markings of a Mk4 type and you can see the remains of where the rear towing eye has been cut away from it and it had been welded onto the rear offside chassis leg to suit a Mk3 rear lower valance that has been welded in at some stage. (see attached photos)

6) The fuel pump cradle is of Series1 and fixed through the wheel well as it should be but, but the fixing that goes through wheel well has been added and not what it would be from factory.

7) Rear wish bones I believe are of a Series 2 RS Turbo and you can see the remains of where the rear compensator was originally bolted but no longer there as it is bespoke to the Series2 RS Turbo. (see attached photos)

8) I believe that the rear tie bars are of a Mk4 Series 2 RS Turbo and the vehicle appears to have the larger brake drums again bespoke to the Mk4 Series 2 RS Turbo.

9) Moving to the interior and straight away you can see the door shuts are of a Mk4 shell, there is a notch out for the door catch which is a lot larger on a Mk4, although someone has very carefully removed the Mk4 door catch which is held into position with two torx screws, filled and fitted a single bolt Mk3 type catch. You can see and feel that this area has been filled and painted (see attached photos)

10) The ‘A’ pillars also show two small holes again not found in a Mk3 shell but a Mk4 shell, where Ford added wind deflectors/weather strips that would have been pot riveted into the holes (see attached photos)

11) After removing one of the rear doors cards which the vehicle has been fitted with Series 1 type the fixings in the door card do not line up with those in the shell which again appear to be for a Mk4 type door trim. (see attached photos)

12) The dash board which appears in fair condition and is that which I would expect to find in a series1 does not line up correctly with the bulk head, which has some bespoke fixings missing which even if present would not fit the bulkhead. Without removing the entire dash board I cannot see fully behind, but I believe if removed you would find the fixing holes that you would find in a mk4 shell. (see attached photos)

13) Also noted that it appears to have a newer Mk4 stereo fitted and not the standard SRT 32P I would expect to find in an unmodified Series 1

Conclusion

From what I have seen after close inspection of the vehicle, I believe that the chassis number and VIN tags do not match the shell, and that at some stage in the vehicles life it has had the identification and parts from a Mk3 Ford Escort Series 1 RS Turbo carefully put into a Mk4 Escort shell. I also believe that the vehicle chassis number/floor pan has either been stamped into a new floor pan or removed from its original shell and grafted into this Mk4 shell/floor pan, but without removing the paint that is currently on the vehicle and possibly doing some major cutting or grinding back of the area below and around where the chassis number is stamped in I cannot see how this has been achieved

Whenever the work was carried out, it has been done to look like a Mk3 Escort Series 1 RS Turbo but there are too many significant differences in the monocoque shell between a Mk3 & Mk4 Escort to leave me without doubt the shell is not original and is in fact a Mk4.