The enhancement of the local old motors scene is threatened by various dangers. One is the fact that some owners of old cars think their aged car is beyond repair, and consequently relegate it to the scrap heap.
Bonnici’s thoughts remained fixated on the Mark II, the highlight of so many significant Mtaħleb Sunday outings
Another lurking threat is the frequent visits to these islands by collectors from the UK, who sniff knowingly around, pounce, purchase, and then pack precious classic gems back home. However, two classic Ford Escorts have been saved from such a fate by Charles Bonnici, who is very enthusiastic and keen on this marque.
He is sure it all originated from memorable and lengthy Sunday afternoons in his childhood, when his uncle Manwel, himself a professional mechanic, and owner of a four-door Escort, would take Bonnici and the rest of his family to the Hill Climb racing events at Mtaħleb.
“The majority of these cars would be Escorts and Minis, although a couple of Alfa Romeos were also around,” he recalled. “I was spellbound at the performances of the Escort Mark II, especially the way this car manoeuvred the sharp corners of the climb”.
When in 1985 Bonnici decided to buy his first classic car, his eyes fell on a brown, 1975 Mini with reverse lights. He was attracted to it by its mint condition, having had just one previous owner and low mileage. The vehicle underwent only cosmetic changes and was kept for many years. However, the Escort was never far away from the thoughts uppermost in his mind.
One day Bonnici was driving in Msida when he spotted a red 1979 Ford Escort Mark II in a car showroom. “It was not exactly in perfect condition, but I worked on it; tasks included upgrading its engine from 1,100cc to 1,300cc.
“After 10 months, a problem developed with the seals when it rained, and I was on my way to address this problem when I saw another Escort Mark II at the same Msida showroom. Instead of repairing the first Escort, I ended up part-exchanging it for the other one.”
The second Escort – a light blue 1980 model – turned out to be in a very good condition. As is his wont, Bonnici carried out some minor modifications to the engine, which was changed from a petrol to a diesel one. The vehicle was sprayed again to a white colour. Over time, however, he found that the self-starter was too close to the cross member, with the result that every time he drove over a bump or a sleeping policeman there would be trouble with the starter.
One day, he could tolerate this dysfunction no longer, and in a fit of anger, went straight to his electrician. Unfortunately he was abroad at the time, and on the spur of the moment, Bonnici decided to part-exchange it with an Escort Mark IV that he saw in St Venera. “What a big mistake that was,” he admitted.
He kept the vehicle for four years, and then he sold it as he came into possession of a 1985 Skoda Forman, or as it is known in the UK, a Favorit Estate, which belonged to his late father. But the Ford fantasy was never too far away.
Some five years ago, Bonnici was talking to a colleague at work, who told him about an Escort Mark I that belonged to a passionate bird trapper. The owner had converted it into a vehicle to accommodate his pastime; but with the introduction and enforcement of rigorous anti-trapping legislation, as well as the rapidly deteriorating state of the car, he had decided to consign it to the scrap heap.
“I arrived in the nick of time to rescue it. Admittedly it was not a pleasant sight to see initially, as long years of negotiating dirt roads to and from the trapping site in the abandoned rocky countryside had taken their toll,” he lamented.
Bonnici dismantled the silver 1968 Mark I GT with square headlamps, and dealt with the rust problem first. Cleaning everything, he then went to a panel beater and then to a sprayer, who changed its colour to the factory light blue. The standard 1,300cc engine did not need any repairs.
When all works were completed, Bonnici, aided and abetted by his friends Pio and Oliver, reassembled the vehicle – a restoration project that took 18 months from start to finish.
Produced between 1968 and 1974, the Ford Escort Mark I was a highly successful small family car that replaced the long running Anglia. It featured contemporary styling, like the subtle Coke bottle waistline, and a dog bone-shaped front grille. The Mark I also became a very renowned rally car.
Bonnici’s thoughts, however, remained fixated on its successor, the Mark II, the highlight of so many significant Mtaħleb Sunday outings. One day, a friend of his informed him that an Escort Mark II was perched on a trailer in Żabbar, awaiting an Englishman who regularly visited Malta to ship old vehicles to the UK. Bonnici lost no time, and soon persuaded the Maltese businessman in charge of this operation to sell it to him.
On closer inspection, he found that on the trailer there was only the body, headlamps, and the roof upholstery. Other items like the glass and the rest of the upholstery were found in a garage, while the engine was bought from a friend.
The black-coloured car did not need repainting as the original owner had it sprayed in that colour 13 years before, and then left it covered in a garage. But now he needed space, and that was why the vehicle was on its way to England.
Bonnici and his friends embarked on another restoration project to put the car back on the road. The whole task was completed in less than five months.
Bonnici dwells at length on the major differences between the Escort Mark I and the Mark II, which was manufactured between 1975 and 1980. The latter, while using many of the mechanical components of the former, has a bigger engine.
“There is an additional weight of 300 kg on the Mark II, so the engine needs to be stronger,” he said. The underbody was also revised, with a wider front track. Cosmetic changes featured square headlamps, and upgraded interior and exterior specifications. While there is no doubt that the Mark II is his favourite, his daughter Mandy, nine, has eyes only for the Mark I.
Bonnici is proud that in the restoration of his two Escorts, he did a lot of the work himself. He attributes his knowledge to the grounding he received from his uncle, assistance from his friend Pio, as well as adhering closely to the maxim that necessity is the mother of invention.
Besides being a member of the Old Motors Club, Bonnici is also active in the Classic Ford Club Malta.
He is simply staggered by the ever increasing amount of interest being generated locally in the old motoring scene. “Just a few weeks ago, I saw a small crowd outside an upholsterer’s premises in San Ġwann. I stopped because I thought something might have happened. On closer inspection, I saw many people milling around an old Skoda, which had just been brought in for a job.”
Bonnici also says that a big advantage of old cars is that one can work on them even though one is not an expert, whereas with modern vehicles, there is no way one can tinker around with them.
Joseph Busuttil is public relations officer of the Old Motors Club.
www.oldmotorsclub.com
info@oldmotorsclub.com