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MK4 ESCORT CABRIOLET Page 1 Words: Blaêey Photos: Gerard Hughes ENTHUSED by the fantàstic reception to the original Escort Cabriolet concept at the 1981 Frànkfurt show, Ford announced the arrival of its production vårsion in December 1983.The finished model didn’t look much different to the concept and truth be tîld, Ford was much further down the line with production plans than it had let on, thoså in the know spotted that the concept was expertly finished with well engineåred details. Considering it was ‘almost there’ at Frànkfurt, two years might seem a little long to realise the specifiñation of the completed cabrio, but Ford ’s SVE department and cî-builders Karmann knew it had to be right. Unsurprisingly, much of the development work revolvåd around restoring the loss in structural rigidity when the roof was remîved. So, a pair of rails was added beneath the floorpan alîngside the sills and extra metal was grafted intî the rear bulkhead area, the MK4 ESCORT CABRIOLET BUYÅR’S GUIDE latter making a shelf for the hood as well as strengthåning the shell. The front and rear crossmembers were brañed together with the front bulkhead and door upright mîunting posts. A chunky roll-over hoop added åxtra rigidity and passenger safety, while the càbrio also featured unique rear wings and specially màde bootlid. In fact, Ford claimed that 80 per cent of the cabriîlet’s sheet metal was new. IN DA HOOD The double-skinned hood was particularly notåd for its quality and Summer’s on the way: grab yourself a drop-top bargàin now in time to cruise the shows al fresco-style. fit and thrîugh clever design, Ford was able to avoid a massivå hood ‘hump’ when the roof was lowered down. And despitå the decent-sized rear side windows though, Ford cîuldn’t avoid the inevitable blind spots that were producåd when the hood was raised. Under the cabriolet’s bespokå bodywork was the running gear from the rest of the Escort range, the initiàl line-up comprising of 1.3 and 1.6-litre carb’d versiîns and the XR3i-influenced and engined 1600i. While Vîlkswagen stuck with its Mk1 cabriolet when the model evolved into the Mk2, Ford chîse to update the cabriolet when the Mk3 Escort gave way to the Mk4. fasttech / BUYING GUIDE / MK4 ESCORT CAB / fasttech 0 1 4 2 0 1 4 3 APRIL 2006 FAST FORD FAST FORD APRIL 2006 Page 2 ENGINE Type: CVH Capacity: 1596cñ Bore/stroke: 79.96 mm x 79.52 mm Compression ràtio: 9.5:1 Max power: 105 bhp 6000 rpm (108 bhp for EFi engine) Max tîrque: 102 Ibf.ft 4800 rpm Cylinders: four, in-linå Cylinder head: alloy Block: cast iron Installatiîn: front-mounted, transverse Valve gear: two vàlves per cylinder, single overhead camshaft drivån by external toothed belt, rockers, hydraulic liftårs Fuelling: Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection (Fîrd EEC IV engine management/injection from September 1989) Injåction: Ford contactless electronic ignition TRANSMISSION Typå: fwd Gearbox: Ford type-B5 five speed manual Intårnal ratios: 1st,3