HERITAGE: Escort 1300L
Original classic Fords: We all dream of finding an untouched, oneowner classic Ford, but for Allan Binns it’s a regular reality, with this Mk1 being his finest find yet— and now he’s made it even better.
Stunning and original Mk1 in all its Onyx Green finery.
At first glance you’d be forgiven for thinking this 1300L has been treated to a full-on meticulous restoration. Wherever you care to look, this car is spotless and we mean totally spotless — it would be a credit to any professional restorer for sure. Yet, when you take a look inside, that unmistakable new-car scent and the ultra-low odometer reading of 12,305 miles provide a clue that this Mk1 hasn’t actually undergone a major restoration at all. Despite this, lucky owner, Allan Binns has poured hours of work into this unique timewarp car to bring it up to such a high concours standard, even one-off finds don’t arrive quite as immaculate as this!
Since a young age, Allan has been into his classic., “My Dad was always fixing cars and I’d be there to help out,” he smiles, “we even dug a pit in our garage at home so we could work on the underside of cars easier.”
During the 1970s, Allan worked as a service engineer and the company cars issued at the time were Mk1 Escort 1300L estates, “so I guess I’ve always had a soft spot for them,” he confesses. As the years rolled on, Allan would go on to form his own successful communications company, though classic cars have always remained his hobby. “I’m often to be found in my garage at home working on my cars and spend hours detailing them to the highest standard,” he tells us.
Back in 2001 Allan came across a barn-find 1965 Mini, totally original and with barely a spot of rust to be found anywhere on the car. “Other than the carpet, the interior was like new and the engine ran perfectly,” he explains, “and with a little work and plenty of cleaning I managed to bring it up to concours standard and still own and show that car today.”
Lucky find
The chances of finding another classic with a similar background are slim, as they don’t come
out of the woodwork very often, but in 2013 Allan got wind of this ultra-low mileage and totally original Escort 1300L coming up for sale at auction. “I couldn’t believe it when I first heard about it,” Allan recalls. “Although there are still plenty of Mk1s around, I’d never expected one to have led such a pampered life like this one has had.” The auction description stated this car as being a real collector’s piece and probably one of the best available, being like a time capsule from the 1970s. This was certainly an opportunity Allan couldn’t miss!
Delving into the car’s history, Allan discovered the one-owner Escort had been purchased new by Mrs A L Sorton on February 1, 1974 from Ford dealership, F English in Bournemouth — a business that still trades today. The original service book, owner certificate and registration document were also included in the sale as were previous MoTs which backed up the very low mileage.
“Once we’d brought the Escort home, I took the car to my trusted mechanic, Andy Fletcher at A&I Motor Services in Wakefield (01924 278327),” Allan recalls. “The engine was removed and the bay stripped and repainted to the highest standard in the original Ford Onyx Green.” It may have been possible to leave the 1300 unit in-situ and cleaned up the bay, but being the perfectionist Allan is, the best way to ensure everything was carried out to concours standard necessitated the removal of the engine. The washer bottle had sadly cracked with age and it took Allan a long time to find a perfect replacement. “One was eventually tracked down in Australia by my wife at a cost of £300!” Allan points out.
Again, due to age and lack of use the original exhaust system had corroded, though incredibly Allan managed to come across an unused stainless system lurking in the loft of a car parts supplier — a great result! With the engine
refitted, the Mk1 complete with its diaphragm spring-type clutch and four-speed synchromesh gearbox feels positive and smooth and is a real joy to drive.
Factory paint
Incredibly, the exterior of the 1300L is totally original and still wears its attractive factory applied Onyx Green paintwork. “I’ve not had to paint the exterior at all, though it took 1000s of hours restoring and polishing to bring the bodywork and underside to how the car is today,” Allan tells us. “Even the pressed aluminium dealer numberplates remain in place.” The matt black grille section was found to be slightly chipped, but rather than replace it, Allan had the original grille stripped and repainted by Emley Refinishers in Huddersfield (01924 840758). “The only aspect of the exterior we couldn’t reuse was the rear bumper which for some reason had deteriorated badly,”
Allan points out. “This was one part I reluctantly had to replace and after a lot of searching came across a brand-new, unused one.” Incredibly, the remainder of the trim including the original decals and window rubbers all cleaned up to perfection, even the glass remains totally mark-free. The wheels and hub caps came up like new after intense cleaning, though the original Michelin 155SR12 radial ply tyres had to be removed in 2017 as they had cracked over time.
Unsurprisingly the interior remains in remarkable condition and little work was needed to bring this back to show-standard. Stepping inside this car really does take you back to the early 1970s in every way. In comparison to those full bare-metal restorations we see, this project may seem more straightforward in comparison.
But considering Allan’s goal of retaining as much originality as possible and the countless hours of cleaning and polishing that’s taken place, we’d say this concours project has been just as involving as many of those major rebuilds.
Pot-hunting
Since its return to the road, Allan’s Escort has picked up numerous concours trophies and it’s become a real talking point at shows. “Most people stand in admiration at the car’s originality,” says Allan. “I guess it takes a lot of people back a few decades at least!” Rest assured, Allan only shows his Escort at a few select shows, so that mileage isn’t likely to increase dramatically any time soon! Thanks to the National Coal Mining Museum, www.ncm.org.uk.