Still going strong

If you ever get your hands on the car of your dreams, don’t let it go. Colene McKessick speaks to one Ford enthusiast who has no plans of giving up his car after 30 years together

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SELLING a car can stir one of two feelings. One is sheer excitement as you envision yourself using your newfound wealth to purchase another, newer machine.

For some, however, sentiment and nostalgia kick in as rose-tinted memories come flooding back and you start to wonder why on Earth you considered selling it in the first place.

Graham Dunn has managed to steer clear of this heartbreak by avoiding selling his car for 30 years.

Though the opportunity has arisen many times, Graham has always found a reason to keep his car to himself. After all, it took a lot of patience on his part to get the car in the first place.

“I bought it from my local garage owner in 1978 four years after he’d had it delivered new,” said Graham, 50, a farmer from St Fergus, near Peterhead.

“I’d been waiting to see when he’d sell it, and when he did I made sure I was in there first. I knew the car had been well looked after; they used it as an everyday car rather than for rallying, and I was determined to keep it looking good.”

And that he certainly has. Graham’s 1974 Mk1 Ford Escort Mexico looks as good today as the day it rolled out of the factory.

Launched following the success of its big brother, the Ford MK1 Escort RS1600, the Mexico was designed to be a cheaper, road-going version of the RS1600.

Swapping the sophisticated 16-valve Cosworth-developed BDA engine for a single-cam eight-valve 1,600cc Kent engine, the car proved to be a hit.

During development, Hannu Mikkola took a model with similar specifications to victory in the Marathon World Cup London to Mexico Rally, and the “Mexico” name was born.

Though the rally background of the Mexico appealed to Graham, it was the stunning looks that drew him in.

“It was different from what anyone else had; there weren’t many about, even then,” he said.

“It was, and is, such a great looking car. It was in a class of its own.

“I loved all of the rear-wheel-drive cars of the time. I’d had RS2000s, Harriers and 1600Es. There was something about the cars of that era that you just don’t get nowadays.”

How do you keep a car in pristine condition for over 30 years?

“As long as you keep all of the components clean, it’ll run on and on,” said Graham.

“Because it’s not used all year round it seizes up a bit, so it just needs a good clean from top to bottom to keep it going. They don’t like lying too long, and you can’t beat rust no matter what you do, so the best medicine for it is taking it out for a run.”

Though he looked after it meticulously, garaging it through the winter, Graham had to admit defeat and, 10 years ago, completed a refurbishment all on his own.

“It’s a normal car after all, so it was starting to feel its age,” he said.

“I realised I didn’t want to run it into the ground – it’s too important to me for that – so I decided to give it a makeover. I did it all over one winter, although it is an ongoing job. I stripped off all the old panels and rebuilt it bit by bit. You kind of learn as you go along – when you take a bit off you make sure it goes back in the same place.

“The engine and suspension were uprated with new parts.

“It’s been meticulously looked after and it’s paid off. I think it looks fantastic.”

As do many others, no doubt. Graham is extremely protective of his Mexico, though, so you can look as long as you don’t touch.

“It gets a lot of attention, but I get a bit wary of parking it because it would be easily pinched,” he said.

“It doesn’t exactly have electric immobilisers or anything, you see. There aren’t many left in the north-east, though, so a lot of people do come over and usually they just want to know what it is.”

One group of people who know exactly what it is are the RS Owners Club, of which Graham has been a member for the past 20 years.

“You get to know everyone over the years. We’re a thriving group and we always get a good turn-up,” said Graham.

“I take the car to a lot of shows each year, including Fyvie Castle, Alford and Fraserburgh.

“It’s good to get a look at other folks’ cars to see what they’ve done.

“As for winning classes, it all depends on what you’re up against, but I’ve won a lot of ribbons and I think it’s often because there aren’t many cars of this model and age that have been kept in good condition.

“It certainly gives you encouragement to go back each year if you win something.”

When he bought the Mexico in the 1970s, Graham was a young man who loved high-performance cars. Though many new and more powerful cars have come out since the Mexico, Graham hasn’t been convinced to sell his car.

“I never imagined I’d have the car 30 years down the road,” he said.

“I just thought I’d run it for a few years and see what else took my fancy. A lot of people wanted this car, but who knows, if someone else had bought it, it might not be on the road today.

“Many of the Mexicos were bought by rally fans who absolutely wrecked them, and I dare say quite a few ended up over walls.”

So what would it take to part one man and his Mexico?

“A lot of people have tested the water, but I’d need to be sure that someone was really going to look after it. I have absolutely no inclination to get rid of it yet.

“I want to keep it as long as I can. I’m very attached to it and I can’t imagine anyone else driving it. As long as it doesn’t fall to bits, I’ll hang on to it.”

Lesson learned. If you love your car, never let it go.