Sensible Secondhand Classics: 1983 Ford Fiesta Mark I 1.3 Ghia - Lloyd Vehicle Consulting

[@mpersad]

Once again, I'm delighted that a 40+yrs mainstream car, notwithstanding that it is a Ghia, has been so beautifully looked after and is on the road. A terrifically heartening video, thank you, sir!

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

Glad you enjoyed it, sir! I was also very happy to get my hands on this, although the brakes are a bit terrifying....

[@Dino_Dad.]

Nice video Sir🫡 my belated aunt had exactly the same car in Devizes. I have fond memories of the sunroof and general luxury as we drove through the Wiltshire country lanes..

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

Yes, I imagine lots of people remember these from back in the day! I certainly do, and this was a lovely example. Thank you ever so much indeed for watching and commenting once again.

[@seancooke7332]

My Mum's first Fiesta was a brand new 1977 Metallic Green 950L with a black coachline reg BIW 9665 that replaced her little dark blue 1974 Fiat 127 900cc. It was replaced in 1982 by a 1 year old Prairie Yellow 1.1 L with a white coachline reg EIW 7044. The 1977 model had a foot operated plunger for the screen washers while the 1982 model had electric washer jets, decadence indeed. What I really wanted was the Calypso Green 1.1S with the black bumpers or the later 1.3 Ghia like this. You have taken me back to very happy times Sir.

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

Sir, we do prefer the higher specification models where we do not to have to pump our own screen wash with a plunger! We liked the 1.3 Ghia very much indeed...

[@andrewmorton3177]

My sister got a brand new, B plate 1.3 Ghia for her 18th birthday (I was only 8) It definitely had a 5 speed box & a tailgate release button down beside the handbrake. Don’t think hers had an electric aerial however but I do remember it was punchy enough to out pace my brothers stunning but ultimately completely underpowered Capri 1.6 Laser! 😂 Great memories.

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

Yes, it would have been a Mark II. Those did have a five speed gearbox available and I think the Ghias did have a remote release for the tailgate. The 1.3 Valencia engine does seem fast enough. I will have to try a Capri 1.6 Laser for myself...

[@elvetwilliams9013]

Yes the mk2 lost the electric aerial and alloys but in 1.3 Ghia /XR2 had 5 speed box and early ones had the electric tailgate button I had an early mk2 1.3 Ghia in Jade green over grey A23XWN

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

That sounds like a lovely colour combination!

[@aslandama]

Always wanted one and even more so now. Back in the 80's however I spent all my money on Fiats............don't regret it for a second!

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

Yes, they are getting more valuable now. The brakes are really not very good, but apart from that, these are great little cars. Thank you for watching!

[@richardhowlett7398]

Wonderful sir , what a survivor.

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

I quite enjoyed it, apart from the brakes. You can improve them by fitting larger ones, I think.

[@alaricbragg7843]

Thank you for this video! What a well-preserved car! I believe that the color is 'Solar Gold. ' I ordered a Corgi Vanguards model Cortina Ghia with such a color.

[@elvetwilliams9013]

I thought was quartz gold very similar mum had escort ghia in quartz that was token and burnt out

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

I think there were a few shades of gold that Ford used in the late 1970s and early 1980s from memory.

[@artrandy]

My first car was a 1978 gold 1.3 Ghia, second hand in 1980. My Father thought it incredibly expensive, and then realised it had automatic choke and various other things he wouldn't expect on a small car at the time. There weren't many about, and part of the fun was how nippy it was, especially when drivers of more sluggish cars from the earlier 70s did a double take on the motorway when I overtook them........

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

Yes, for a car from 1983, it probably is quite nippy. The choke was OK, I was a bit wary of it at first... Gold seemed to be a popular colour on these, didn't it?

[@artrandy]

@@lloydvehicleconsulting The colour wore very thin within a couple of years...........

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

Oh dear....

[@eathan323]

Another excellent review sir of a 1980s ford fiesta in my view this era was the sweet Spot for the Ghia's as you might or might not be aware that as the car progressed ford cheapened the interiors and wasn't as plush almost seemed a bit like the bottom end trim models but more expensive in other words cost-cutting hoping us the customer won't notice so I would always look out for models like this in all makes Certainly would consider one like daves really nice condition indeed hope you find some more gems in the future

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

We do like the Ghias very much indeed, sir! I liked this very much, the only thing I struggled with were the brakes... Other than that, it was easy to drive, and I am sure it was easy to service and parts aren't that difficult to find either. This car is, indeed, in fine order.

[@MrSheymie]

Lovely simple car, in amazing condition. I had a 1981 998cc (?) for about £550 in the late 90's. Drove it for a few years and loved it. Felt zippy due to its lightness I suppose. Mine had a rusty shade of orange paint with very large patches of real rust.

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

I think the smallest engine was a 957cc. In the late 1990s, I don't think they had much value. Yes, would probably be quite nippy even with the smallest engines!

[@dreammaker730]

Sir my first car was efx713y in 1995 a 1.1 pop plus, white with a grey vinyl interior, also the economy light lol . That ghia model is really well preserved. I enjoyed every minute of owning mine, it being my first car . Some one i was very close to had a f reg fiesta festival in red with pearlescent cream wheel trims , i always loved patterned material in the middle of the seats . I also had a mk3 5 door on a g plate .

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

Sir, that Popular Plus would have been almost the same age as this car! I expect the 1.1 engine was in economy tune.... This Ghia is lovely, I first saw it about six months ago, and having made some enquiries, was able to have a go in it. I have also driven Mark II and Mark III Fiestas on the channel. The only generations I am missing are the Mark IV and Mark V, I have driven all the others

[@dreammaker730]

@@lloydvehicleconsulting you mentioning the mk's I had forgotten my wife had an r reg 1.25 zetec mk4 fiesta I didn't realise what we had bought till after , a good little car even on the motorway .

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

Yes, I have driven a Mark IV, and it was really good. I think it was a 1.4 Ghia... This was before I was making KZbin videos, so it never appeared on the channel.

[@01menyou]

I remember riding a bike through Wrexham in '77 past a Ford dealer when the Fiesta was launched. A red one in the window it was so fresh. Made stuff like the Metro and Mini look prehistoric. The first issue of the XR2 with the pepper pots was so cool. That and the Capri Injection were the super cool rides, until the XR3i became the it car for a while.

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

Yes, I drove a Capri 2.8 Injection in 2020, it was absolutely epic, but also had terrible brakes! The original XR2s (and the Supersports) do look really good, don't they?

[@elvetwilliams9013]

Lovely survivor I always love early fiestas … my second car was an A plate early mk2 1.3 Ghia which was great had a 5 speed box… however the mk2 Ghia lost the electric aerial and alloys but had 5 speed and electric boot release and multi function digital clock

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

Yes, an A registration Mark II Fiesta would be a really early one. Shame about the electric aerial and the alloy wheels, but perhaps the five speed gearbox (and hopefully better brakes) would be an improvement. Thank you very much indeed for watching!

[@uhn100]

Blimey Joseph I never owned a Ford car that was a nice example though I remember boy racers stealing them the XR2 was a easy car to get in a wire coat hanger and a flat blade screwdriver for the ignition many times i saw the police chasing them down Mansfield Road they make a run for Bestwood woods they set the car on fire and fled before the police got their shame many went that way in the late 70s and early 80s great video thanks Andy Allen.

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

Sir, it is a lovely example, and when I saw this first about six months ago, I managed to get in touch with the owner, and I eventually was offered the chance to film it. Like him, I really loved it, although some better brakes would be welcome. Yes, I have spoken to various people about how easy these were to steal, hence why Dave has a steering lock for this.

[@uhn100]

@@lloydvehicleconsulting That was a good desision on his part Joseph.

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

A lot of people with old Fords have them, I think.

[@mattw8332]

What a great car! One of these could have been a possible first car for me but I wasn't keen on them at the time. An acquaintance in 6th form bought a red Y reg which I think was the base 950cc Popular. This was in 1995.

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

Oh yes, the Mark Is would have been plentiful and cheap in the mid 1990s, and the 950cc models would have had cheap insurance. Definitely a very sensible first car back in the day.

[@pradolover]

My mum had a 1980 model, this colour, HLT 83V. Was reliable but died of rust in 1993. We used to call it Hitler!

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

Was the Fiesta a bit insistent on certain things (hence the name)? I imagine most of these died of rust eventually.... Thank you very much indeed for watching and commenting.

[@pb5x5]

I used to see Fiesta one's with later boot lid.

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

Yes, it's a direct swap! Thank you very much indeed for watching and commenting.

[@scottishcarenthusiastsandtrain]

An excellent review Sir, my dad had a later Mark 2 Fiesta Popular Plus. Hard to believe this car is the same age as myself it has deffo worn well compared to me. 😂

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

Yes sir, it's a few weeks younger than me as well, and seems to have worn its years well.

[@pauljeffries]

What a lovely survivor car, i had 2 MK1 fiestas, an X reg 1.1 GL ( the GL had a very short production run for some reason) and i had a 1983 950 popular.....which i fitted with an XR2 engine, interior, bumpers headlamps, wheels, arch kit etc, that was a very quick car, i noticed in the video that you mentioned about the poor brakes, the reason for that on the right hand drive cars is that the pedal box was linked to the servo via a bar that ran across the rear of the bulkhead, that bar used to flex slightly.....hence the poor braking efficiency.

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

That's right, a remote servo for right hand drive cars. I suppose it is better than a Mark I or Mark II right hand drive Polo which, until 1990, had no brake servo at all. Interesting that you happened to convert a car from the base of the range (a 950 Popular) to almost the top of the range specification (an XR2)! Yes, the GL didn't last particularly long.

[@pauljeffries]

@@lloydvehicleconsulting it was pretty easy to convert my 950 popular to XR2 spec (ish) I purchased an XR2 that had bad rear end damage (write off) and I swapped everything over to the 950 pop, i had that car in the mid 90's so parts were a lot more accessible for the MK1 fiestas then.

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

Yes, 30 odd years ago, I am sure that there were lots and lots still available for breaking at those old fashioned scrap yards!

[@user-qo6lq2do6r]

MK1 was the best I had 2 of them .

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

I really enjoyed this, although the brakes were a bit scary...

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

Thank you very much indeed for watching and commenting!

[@user-qo6lq2do6r]

@@lloydvehicleconsulting brakes were pretty marginal from memory.

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

They aren't the worst I have used, but they certainly weren't very good!

[@cwt5654]

The Valencia engine was a shortened block version with 3 main bearings whereas the standard Kent Crossflow unit had 5.

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

Thank you very much indeed for watching and commenting!

[@classics144sportscarschannel]

did like the later ones of the ghia fiesta

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

Yes, my grandfather had a Mark II Ghia Automatic.

[@pizzalover3]

Full approval given for this sir. I think that shape of Fiesta has aged really well, helped by its rarity. Is the internal wood trim really fake though? A separate microphone might have helped on this episode as it is as you say, rather noisy. Also. Was there not a MK1 Fiesta Fly? Convertible?

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

Unfortunately, I can't use a separate microphone with the camera, I did used to have one with the older camera I had, and the sound quality was variable at best, so I don't bother any more.

[@robertallen3441]

There was a special edition mk 1 Fiesta Firefly. It wasnt a convertible, but it did have body coloured wheels.

[@davidrumming4734]

The Ford fiesta….this represents many people’s lives….these mk1 cars were introduced around the time many of us were born….fiesta has simply been there in different forms seemingly all the time….such as shame they axed it in 2023 I really don’t know very much at all about pre-fiesta time…are those fiesta engines new in the fiesta or carried over from earlier cars (turned round for rear to front drive adaption). I learned to drive in a near poverty spec Mk2….the 950cc engine. Did have a rear wash wipe. Popular Plus trim I think. Headrests had a hole thru the middle. Like the original, it was very loud-only a single silencer box on these cars I think. It had a big heavy steering wheel. Did have an electric rear de-mister with automatic timer. But in all honesty I didn’t like it much…it was a heavy and hard car to drive in traffic. It needed lots of revs which meant lots of noise just to pull away on flat ground without stalling. I figured it out, but i wouldn’t want drive very far in one-especially with todays traffic.

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

The Valencia engines were a development of the Ford Kent and Crossflow engines. The Fiesta was one of the first front wheel drive European Fords (I think the Taurus from the 1960s actually came first). My grandfather's Mark II was at the opposite end of the spectrum, a 1989 Ghia 1.1 Automatic, so one of the very last of that generation. No power steering, though... I imagine a 950 Mark II won't be the nicest car to drive.

[@michaeloreilly657]

Did I see something rather interesting near the rear view mirror? Have you any idea why Ford made a LC version on the 957cc?

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

I think it was just to produce a car at a lower point in the range so that they could upsell the higher trim levels, but I could be wrong....

[@lewis72]

I think that the Mk2 to Mk5 Fiestas progressively lost their way. Mk6 was a return to form. Mk7 better still, although these cars were probably not far off early Escort size.

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

I quite like the Mark IV and Mark V Fiestas, but they were very dated by the time they were replaced in 2002. The Mark VII Fiestas are so good that we have a channel membership tier named after them!

[@user-sf7kl9uh7k]

I wonder why the 1.3 is 90kg heavier?

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

Not sure, I am afraid...

[@russellcooper5826]

Never been a fan of the inside door openers, they look cheap and spindly.

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

They do look quite primitive, don't they?