MK1 Mexico

[maru_uk]

Yes would love to see them would be great to have some pics to compare it too how it looks now
If you could find out the supplying dealer that would be great also if there were interior,engine bay and boot pics I'd appreciate seeing them as it be great to put it back to original spec.
The stripes on it now I prefer so they will stay and the mirrors will also stay seeing as the holes are now there.
No doubt over the years it's had a few changes from when it was new.
I've applied to the DVLA for a print out of its history so hopefully the original log book with your cousins name will be in it

I think it was supplied by Gates of Harlow. I only have external pics sorry. It had the custom pack fitted with the low back Contour front seats. It was bought Sept 1972 and when he sold it had an 1800cc pushŕod in it. When he bought it he was working at Brian Hart racing engines and when he went to pick it up one of his workmates was at same garage picking his red Mexico up. Neither had let on they were buying a new Mexico. The red one was fiitted with the Rallye pack and had the Mexico stripes. Think my cousin sold it about 1976 ish to get married! I'll try and get pics scanned later.

[S.GRAY]

Getting there been a while and ending up buying and doing a lot more than I first thought but it's coming along
The machine polish has made a big difference hopefully the top half will be finished in the next few weeks then it's onto the underside but that should be straight forward and relatively easy to do

[S.GRAY]

One from the front still to do the spot lights grey and paint the brackets and fit the number plate

[vinny]

looks great

[Rallye]

Underside

Lovely car, credit to you.

Has it a centre mounted spare wheel ?

[S.GRAY]

Lovely car, credit to you.

Has it a centre mounted spare wheel ?

The threaded hole is there for it but I have the the spare in the wheel well and
secured with the correct strap
I'd assumed because it was a service shell that was the reason for it having the threaded hole in the floor but haven't found a definitive answer

[Neil Fletcher]

Well at least I can give you a definitive answer to the threaded hole and brace. I remember looking at this shell about 20 years or so ago and then at the built up car a few years ago. When I originally looked at the shell back in the late 90s the then owner told me it was what he called a "Heavy Duty Sport" spec shell - this ties in with what I know of Escort Sports, a friend of mine had a late Sport and it certainly has that same bracing bar under the boot floor along with that centre nut to hold the spare wheel on the bootfloor, interestingly the Sport also had the hooks on the bootfloor for the jack bag which many early AVO cars had.

Up until Oct 72 or thereabouts AVO cars had the spare wheel bolted onto the bootfloor but they didn't have that brace with the nut, instead many of them of that age had the "AVO Stone Guard" which had a nut welded to it to hold the spare wheel. Interestingly the AVO Stone Guard is a narrower cut-down version of the Export spec Stone Guard.

Hope this helps, Neil.

[S.GRAY]

Cheers for that info Neil you clearly are a weath of knowledge when it comes to MK1's
I had seen the different sizes in the stone guards mentioned before now that explains that also