Ford Escort Cosworth Police Cars - Where are they? (Part 1)
Автокөліктер мен көлік құралдары
Did you know that a small number of Police forces used the Ford Escort RS Cosworth as fast pursuit cars in the 1990s? How many can I find, and where are the rest...?
Join me for an adventure in fast-paced anti-ram raid policing!
#Police #Cosworth #policecars
HUGE THANKS MUST GO TO:
- Vehicle Smart for providing the advanced vehicle checks.
- Plus everyone who contacted via email, comments, instagram etc...!
Check your vehicle with Vehicle Smart:
bit.ly/CheckTheCarGeoffs
Complete list of Ford Escort Cosworth Police Cars:
1. K740EHK
2. L255YNL
3. L602UVE
4. M982GAT
5. L76WRG
6. M969PRM
7. L475BRG
8. N693LNW
9. K338FEW and K434CAX (see Part 2 video)
10. L75WRG (see Part 2 video)
11. M973PRM (see Part 2 video)
Пікірлер: 701
If you like this style video, check out my McLaren F1 stories because some of those are crazy. Search ‘Geoff Buys McLaren’ in the search bar. For some reason they haven’t ever really gotten any views but they’re heavily researched and interesting and funny!! 👍👍👍
@williamwilliams8145
Жыл бұрын
Because of the price of Cosworth's and their parts, owners might not be too keen on everyone knowing they own one.
@marcbeebee6969
Жыл бұрын
Omg I want to buy one so bad
M982 GAT. I commissioned, designed and developed it and I know everything about it. I personally developed the car with Ford Motorsport and GSE. The car never got crashed in police service nor did it ever get blown up or lose a sump. The under body protection was fitted at new to prevent damage. It was indeed a motorsport shell but I had it built with a sunroof aperture to accept a cassette light bar assembly which was a thing of the day then. I last heard of it by chance from the then owner in about 2008 and he resided in W. Yorks. I recall he was in the RS Owners club. If anyone wants the entire police provenience for this vehicle please feel free to contact me.
@GeoffBuysCars
Жыл бұрын
Can you email me? Geoffbuyscars@gmail.com 😊
@kieron82
Жыл бұрын
I guess you'd then know my uncle, John Wheeler, was chief engineer...went for a drive as a kid in the video clip with either François or Miki Biasion back in 1994 through Woodhill forest in Auckland in New Zealand when they were testing for the WRC rally 1:29 kzread.info/dash/bejne/pGag08uTj7fWkqg.html
@funkduck1842
Жыл бұрын
My uncle Dave made the screws that held the falangie into the upper right hand left support. His wife, auntie Ethel was a weatherman on the radio back when it was in black and white who broadcast through the month on every third Saturday of the week. They had three children, two girls and two boys. Three of the girls went to private school at the local comprehensive and the boys were home schooled and were bullied by the other kids in her class. Both of them are now Doctors at a dental surgery in Birmingham helping the homeless find a dog or a box of jellied eels. They tell me living in the capital is difficult as the bus service is very infrequent they are everywhere and when five come that one has a horse drawn carriage pulled by a bull on its way to be milked by George, my fathers first cousin to his brothers third wife who lived in Scotland near to Portsmouth, he had one of those cars as well as the fifth one ever made which was the twelfth off the production line at Volvo in Germany. I'll email a letter that he typed for me by hand, hope green pen is okay as I can't read yellow writing, I might be an unknown number so I'll leave a message in case you do answer. It will detail everything about the car including the change from four wheels to two wheels which is when it got a new brake lever on the upper bar at the local dealership before being turned around and had two extra wheels fitted onto the left side on the underneath. Together we'll find these buckets on our own and get them found or at the very least located.
@GeoffBuysCars
Жыл бұрын
@@funkduck1842 Whoever the hell you are... Please, please stick around. I need you to comment on every one of my videos, and this comment is absolutely going in part 2. Thank you for making me spit my tea out this morning....!
@steved6472
Жыл бұрын
@@funkduck1842 ha ha brilliant! I get the gag I really do !pmsl👏👏👏😂😂😂
I bought L475 BRG in 2001 . Gave it a full respray in original diamond white .I also had major electrical problems. Turned out the wires had rubbed through where the main loom passes through the bulkhead . I sold it to Daz . He only kept it about a year then sold it on . He then bought a black one . These are two different cars . L475 BRG was eventually painted imperial blue . It’s still alive in a lads garage after getting stolen then recovered. Hope this helps Dave Gascoigne
@GeoffBuysCars
Жыл бұрын
Thanks so much for clarifying :) any photos of when you had it? Do feel free to email me geoffbuyscars@gmail.com
@bamcossi
Жыл бұрын
Sent on Facebook for you
@bamcossi
Жыл бұрын
Edit . The guy who said it’s in his mates garage has checked and it’s a different reg . I’ve done an Hpi today and it’s recorded as still stolen .
@GeoffBuysCars
Жыл бұрын
@@bamcossi Damn so do we think BRG disappeared when it was stolen in 2006?
@bamcossi
Жыл бұрын
@@GeoffBuysCars it was reported stolen November 2005
I find all this “lets try and find information on old cars and play detective” absolutely great to watch!
@GeoffBuysCars
Жыл бұрын
Well then I shall do some more! Check out my video buying cars from 2006, in my uploads
I would love to see a follow-up video on the Sapphire Cosworth police cars
@xxxmissmuffinxxx
Жыл бұрын
Yes please
@claywalsh6817
Жыл бұрын
It is on KZread the video posted years ago. It was being serviced at OMC Ford Chester Rd where they stole it from. Salford lads, it was being hand braked turned with the blues & twos, then got its doors bent back, then set a light
@GeoffBuysCars
Жыл бұрын
Right then, I guess that’s next!
@scottsvxr
Жыл бұрын
I owned one.
@theyouth1
Жыл бұрын
I own one, now a race car
I recall getting stopped by one of them from Cheshire police in my MK II escort. Once he realised it was a ‘real’ rally car an interesting discussion of escort evolution ensued. No charges were mentioned nor brought!
I was a dog handler who rode behind the Humberside Cossie in a Vauxhall Senator dog car. The Cossie had several sets of wheels, including a set of white narrow racing wheels, which gave better grip in the wet. I bet you didn't know we also had plain Cossie in metallic green.
@GeoffBuysCars
Жыл бұрын
Ah no I didn’t know that.... do you know the plate though?!
@scottjones2350
Жыл бұрын
Were you on blues and twos?
@JimLem
Жыл бұрын
I remember a Blues And Twos episode with Humberside Police where a cossie and a Senator worked together. The cossie was M982 GAT. Mark Shingles was the dog handler in that episode, but I'm guessing you were still Humberside?
@derekcole5593
Жыл бұрын
@@JimLem I was too ugly. We took it in turns to ride with the superstars.
@residentelect
Жыл бұрын
@@derekcole5593 Good old RCS... Straight onto your patch followed by "... Four I/C for money laundering. Can we get a local unit to..." Followed swiftly by the simultaneous groans of the IRT sargent, and the only Bobby in CID/Interview Team who hasn't picked up a prisoner that morning 😭
L255 YNL is a Northumbria car. I remember being at Tyne Car Auction on the coast road in Newcastle when several of these were sold by Northumbria Police back in the day. They were plenty of money at the time. Today they were for peanuts. L76 WRG & L475 BRG are also Northumbria cars.
Geoff buys cars... sometimes. But mostly he just tells us fun stories. Or describes everything that's fucked with transport in our wonderful country. Either way, I'm here for it.
@GeoffBuysCars
Жыл бұрын
I’ve considered a rebrand as I’ve sort of got all the cars I want now... the 850 TDi was my favourite but I’ve now fallen in love with the gold T5 auto, so these two are staying... what else could a man want?! A 50mpg cruiser and the worlds highest mileage T5...
@GeoffBuysCars
Жыл бұрын
@@Beaulocks_ yeah exactly. I’d gotten bored of making the videos before Christmas but this new stuff has reinvigorated me and the channel has grown as a result!
@MickeyFourZeroFour
Жыл бұрын
Same
Great that some are still around i do like these video,s and the research you do to find out as much as possible .
Hi Geoff.. A very interesting video. The escort cosworth for Hull and Humberside certainly saw some action. I was studying in Hull a the time and joyriding was a huge issue for the city. Sadly residents would argue tho that, if anything it increased the volume of joyriders. The criminals wanted that badge of honour. To say that they'd outrun that beast of a car. I remember seeing on a Hull fair night, it was certainly been given the beans over a railway crossing near Walton Street Hull, it as others have mentioned always was followed closely by a BMW. We loved seeing it here in Humberside/Yorkshire. It was also called out to give chase to a work colleague. I was working at a dairy whilst studying, a lovely lad I worked alongside would just save and save to work and tune his Ford Escort RS Turbo.. Then one night in the very sleepy seaside town of Hornsea east yorkshire he decided (yes I like a fool) to see what it could do through the centre of this sleepy, tiny town. After about 45 minutes the cosworth showed up, again with the BMW in tow and proceeded to give chase. The speed is immaterial but it was over 100mph in a residential area. In case you were wondering he was caught, locked up that night and in the end lost his license. However the police giving chase still treated nice and discussed his beautiful RS. They both had a love for cars.. Sadly one went about it the wrong way.. Thanks for the video.. was great to remember and can't wait for the sapphires!!
@simonmcmaster8949
Жыл бұрын
It wasn't followed by a bmw, it was always in tandem with a vauxhall senator.
@residentelect
Жыл бұрын
@@simonmcmaster8949 A dog carrying Senator no less 😉
This is fantastic work Jeff thank you
@GeoffBuysCars
Жыл бұрын
Cheers Paul!
Amazing video! Good history with all of them! Would love to see you talk about the Sierras as well 🙂
Loved the video Geoff,don't know where you find all the info and pics from,but it's really interesting, I've had two x police cars 1 senator,for 3years,and 1 omega,the senator was only 2years old and an x Thames valley car the best out of the two a 3lt straight 6man trans,it really shifted,thanks for the time you put in making these videos.
I remember the Humberside EsCos piling into the railings outside ToysRus in Hull in an attempt to get stopped at the traffic lights, closely followed by a dog section to put cones out
Very interesting video, my dad was a WYP officer and was mates with many in "traffic". Round here in more rural West Yorkshire there were no Cossies, however slightly later on they had a Mondeo St200, and if I recall a very rare St200 estate. Over in Leeds, and seen on the TV documentary "The Nick", the area patrols used Mk 5 RS2000s and Astra GSis for pursuits. I do recall as you say Humberside having Cossies, Subarus and Evos as one of the first police documentaries in the vain of todays interceptors etc had them on. An interesting subject. Would love to see your Sapphire Cos "chapter".
Please dig into other cars! I absolutely love these videos so much!
@GeoffBuysCars
Жыл бұрын
Thanks man! Check out my McLaren video series, it’s very similar but they never really got watched despite all the work I put into them
The GAT car is a Humberside number plate, remember seeing it regularly around Hull and Beverley area on its patrols.
The team at UK Salvage rebuilds have good knowledge of these models. Rob knows his way around them. We enjoy your videos and sense of humour.
The Sierra RS Cosworth from the legendary BBC documentary X Cars is still alive somewhere apparently. (If you haven’t seen X Cars it’s a must see. Greater Manchester’s car crime squad, basically 25 year old blokes in Cossies with speed exemptions in the mid 90s). It’s on KZread.
@ThomasEdward
Жыл бұрын
Best series ever! Me and my cameraman oways watch it.
@JohnnyPaton
Жыл бұрын
@@ThomasEdward how good is it eh! You’d think it was a scripted drama it’s so good. Someone needs to make it into a TV drama
@ThomasEdward
Жыл бұрын
@@JohnnyPaton some episodes make you guess if it’s staged or not but I don’t think it is. The comedy value in them is class love banter between the guys on it.
@JohnnyPaton
Жыл бұрын
@@ThomasEdward old school blokey magic. I’m sure a lot of policing is tough work but theirs was a dream job. Getting up each morning/evening to drive a Cosworth, RS2000 or 220GSi and chasing crims and busting up ringing gangs. Brilliant.
@ThomasEdward
Жыл бұрын
@@JohnnyPaton that’s thing I noticed other day actually after watching them all this time the 220 Rover R8 shape I love me rovers. But they used also Mk3 Astra GSI and GSI Cav’s too! I love ep where there’s flat battery on the RS200 and they all standing around it in the street with the boss looks like Mr Bean.
Well done Geoff. Good work. 👌🏽
This is an excellent video and love the topic. More of this please. New to your channel, sorry for being late to the party!
I managed to own one back in the day (not X police) but unfortunately I just couldn’t afford it. I lived 3 miles from work and it cost me about £10 a day in fuel to floor it there and back, and you don’t buy a Cosworth to drive slow so sadly we had to part ways. It was like losing a loved one but it just bled my account dry. The Sierra was just as iconic and I actually felt emotional over the torched one. I’d love to own one now I’m older but they were bought to be thrashed so finding a good runner today would be expensive enough to cause problems In my marriage. Lol
This is a great video. Epic content mate
@GeoffBuysCars
Жыл бұрын
Thanks so much! I enjoy putting these together so hit me with subject ideas
2:30 Omg those rally rims looks so nice!
Y255 YNL is on another channel selling at an auction. When I seen it advertised I thought of your channel straight away mate. I've never watched the video yet but I'm going to go watch it now. It says the upload was 3 weeks old so it's still around. Take care mate. Just watched it and it he said it didn't sell but had a buy it now price of £46 000.
Great video mate, absolutely fascinating. A Cossie has to be at least 50K+ nowadays? You do you remember when Essex cops (i think) used to run Imprezas and Evos in the mid 2000s?
Facinating and funny.Luv it. More please.
Great video this 👍🏼
Great video Geoff more like this please
@GeoffBuysCars
Жыл бұрын
Cheers! I enjoy this sort of video.
Can’t believe you spoiled someone’s fun in a Dacia Duster! What a classy couple. Only you (and me!) would park next to a steamed up car in an otherwise empty car park. Great video Geoff, roll on the Sapphires!
@GeoffBuysCars
Жыл бұрын
I think they were ‘between seasons’ 😂😂
That was really interesting to watch, great job!
@GeoffBuysCars
Жыл бұрын
Thank you!
@MarkieC1990
Жыл бұрын
@@GeoffBuysCars I for one would definitely watch a video on the sapphires, not just fords, would be interesting to see any ex police cars surviving, anything with a back story fascinates me.
Great video. All Escort RS Cosworths were four wheel drive. The were based on the Sierra running gear and chassis. I’m amazed that a total of 7,145 were made at the Karmann plant in Rheine, Germany. I thought the total would have been around 3,000. Looking forward to the video about the Sapphires.
@tomprosser792
Жыл бұрын
all escort cosworths are 4x4,based on sierra platform ,was longer wheelbase and length than std escort.il second that
Another great vid bud Laughed at the closing comment
@GeoffBuysCars
Жыл бұрын
A video with a happy ending 😂
I remember the unmarked white sapphire cosworth in Warwickshire around 93/94. I got pulled over loads of the times as I was a spotty teenager on a 50cc motorbike riding late at night on the way home from the pub I used to work at.
@nickyboy.
Жыл бұрын
Surprised the Cossie could keep up with you...
Fantastic content Geoff
@GeoffBuysCars
Жыл бұрын
Thank you!
I went to the factory launch, two days of being wooed by the Ford Blue Oval machine. One memory of Robbie Head beckoning me over and we got in a launch Escort Cosworth and having a rather swift and entertaining run around the Boreham complex. Health and Safety hadn’t come to the fore then, the looks of the staff in the old cows sheds said it all as stones and dust flew ….
I'm so interested in this... An old local guy used to have an imperial Blue cossie and over time got it up in the 500bhp mark and it was unreal how clean but he said with age and the fear of car jackers breaking in he sold it. Also with the price increasing some people may be hesitant on saying. Would be good if all we're found and you could meet them and the cars in person as I think it would make great content with all having back stories etc. Would be even better if the cars and owners we're found but also the officers that drove the specific cars and get their stories. Also got yourself a new subscriber👍
@GeoffBuysCars
Жыл бұрын
Welcome! There’s a Part 2 coming later this week!
We had the Sierra Sapphire Cosworths as Traffic and Armed Response vehicles in early 90s. The armed ones had the rear seats removed to hold the gun cabinet.
@GeoffBuysCars
Жыл бұрын
Amazing, pop me an email if you have any stories or photos :)
@AL-PAKA
Жыл бұрын
We had the lotus carltons for ram raids x
Great to see where all these have gone.
I used to work in an office in West Midlands where residential houses had been converted and rear garden car parks were regularly used by the red light district to turn tricks, i often saw steamed up cars, rocking and rolling😜 I remember the cops using ford cossie sierras and escorts and the odd Scooby and evos, my cousin had a sierra cossie nicked once😢 and another relative used to auto grass an evo. I own a 20 year old scooby that’s been my daily drive for 17 years😊
I once chatted with some Humberside offices in an Escort Cosworth back in the day. Their car had white OZ race wheels fitted, and when I asked why they had expensive race wheels fitted they told me it was because they kept smashing the standard ones when they drove up kerbs at speed!
Our county ran mostly Vauxhalls in the 90's. Motorway units had a bunch of Carltons and one GSi. Undercovers ran a couple of red 1.6 Astras, pandas were Fiestas and the vans, Transits. Mostly like the rest of the country now, running Volvos, Fords and BMW's.
What a cracking video I remember the Hull one running out of Hessle Police station were it was based with a bmw 3 series. Can we have a video on the Police Vauxhall Omegas at some point please, very underated by people at the time but the traffic guys loved them, (I've owned 6) Kind regards
Great vid 👍
very interesting & cool video 😀👍
You would feel like an absolute boss driving one of those!
Never even sat in one, but always loved the styling, living near Newcastle in the 90’s I certainly remember seeing them albeit rare.
I had a '69 El Camino that had 6 engines including the original, I thought that may be some kind of record, 9 takes the cake.
After seeing this my first ever video of urs due to loving it so much and wanting to find out more about them I’ve subbed and liked and for the first time ever hit the notes button coz I really want to hear the history on these and where they r or ended up and would really love to see the one on the sapphires. 🤙😎🇦🇺 a great vid.
@GeoffBuysCars
Жыл бұрын
Check out the part 2 video in my uploads, and welcome!
I lived near Skipton at the time and can remember that Cossie regularly parked on the roundabout at the end of the A629.
@edgimson5706
Жыл бұрын
I also used to see it near threshfield and grassington area around 94-97 era
Love the story about the Sapphire being stolen out the police garage. Would be great to hear more.
Hi Geoff I’d like to hear about the sapphire cosworth I’m really into these cars. I’d love to have 1 but just crazy prices on these cars. Loved your vid on the escort cosworths though. Stay safe 🤙🏻
Another great video mate! I've not read the 300+ comments so this may have been said already but M969PRM was Cumbria Constabulary, crest on the drivers door gives it away 🙂
@GeoffBuysCars
Жыл бұрын
Thanks Steven! Had some superb comments and emails on this one, part 2 is in the works, later this week :-)
@stevenkiel6452
Жыл бұрын
@@GeoffBuysCars Nice one Geoff keep em coming! I'm a petrol head at heart and also like my cop cars for more than the above reason 🙂
I worked at a Ford RS Dealer in Guildford in the 90s and owned one, worked on them there was a special eds known as the Monty "Monte Carlo"
Great video and that out take about the Dacia 😂
Great research
In the USA, Florida highway patrol commissioned 200 or so V8 Camaros for high speed pursuit. Less than 20 we're able to be auctioned off once they were too old to keep in service.
We had two at brigham dhq,west Cumbria…one with the large wing and one without I believe M969PRM was the second one….cheers….Al
Would love to see a vid on the Sapphires. This was really interesting.
I’m an old girl and I found that very ingesting…the history of the police car was great!
Geoff, I have an idea where the missing cars might be. A lot of older rally cars (ex WRC etc.) end up here in Ireland, people pay the VRT, they are then Irish registered, the RS Cossy is pretty much a rally car, it doesn't take much to race prepare them. Check out the Circuit of Ireland rally maybe.
@GeoffBuysCars
Жыл бұрын
This is a great shout, because the cars would have been abused high mileage cars with little value so they’d have gone exactly where you say
@AlienLivesMatter
Жыл бұрын
Better than fed to the crusher
@steveoleary5587
Жыл бұрын
There were a fair amount of Escort Cosworth rally cars here in Ireland in the late 90's and early 00's some fond memories and noises I'll never forget 😁
@andyxox4168
Жыл бұрын
“Doesn’t take much to prepare them”, Sure you can prepare one in 20 minutes and get change from £100 (or is that €) … 😂😂😂 dummy!
@dungareesareforfools
Жыл бұрын
I was going to suggest that maybe they'd been exported, as years ago I sold a car to someone from eastern Europe who was living in London and subsequent checks have shown it never to be MOTd, taxed, or sold since (and it wan't by any means a scrapper). I assume they took it home with them.
Talking of Police Cars, you should do a collab with Ben Pearson, I'm sure he was Traffic Police up that neck of the woods. Lovely cars, great video. Take care, Poo
@jeremywentworth1833
Жыл бұрын
I've heard some brilliant story's from when aben was a WYP Traffic cop and obviously on channel 5s interceptors. He claims in over 15 years as a Traffic cop for west Yorkshire the Vectra VXR was the best car he drove certainly enjoyed them more than 330 and 530d's
I guess I got brought to this channel because I have a Cosworth Mercedes. Nevertheless, very interesting to know that these cars with their rally Pedegree got used as police fleet vehicles. We got Ford escorts in the states, but they were a bit of a laugh in comparison to what was available in the same timeline. We didn’t even get the Sierra, we got What was referred to as the Merkur XR4Ti, which came as I believe a 2.3 turbo and a V6 variant. I can’t wait to hear an update on some of these missing vehicles.
@GeoffBuysCars
Жыл бұрын
I’ve had some brilliant emails, I’ll get a video out next week :)
Wow. Original Polizia owner with scale model. LUX model with disconnected sunroof. Beautiful story.
My favourite car I've always wanted one ❤️
Not a police Cosworth story, but in the early 90s I worked for a large financial company based in Edinburgh. At the time, certain management types could get a company car and seniority dictated the budget - which was the only restriction. One such manager realised that instead a dull 3 series, he could get a Sierra Sapphire Cosworth for the same money, so he did. The problem was, all the company cars were on a corporate insurance policy - everyone over 21 in the company was insured to drive a company car. The insurance premium for the Cosworth cost more than the car did . . . and that was when the rules and limitations came in about what cars managers were allowed to buy.
I served my apprenticeship at ford when police had the sapphire cosworth and the escort was just coming out. Happy Times.
Such a great video. I’d take a cossie, police car or not! I’d love it all the same! 👍
Please do one for the sierra’s I’ve been watch X cars where they followed Manchester police traffic team in there supers and was thinking what happened to these cars 😂 also love the videos keep up the great work !
Enjoyed that one mate 👍 I remember my mate working at a Ford dealer in Gateshead had a couple of these in for warranty work!! I worked at the same dealership a few years later, we repaired a Sapphire cossy ex police for the sales managers brother!! Had one in the front but repaired no bother!! Can't remember the reg of it now.. But I ended up with the original motor out of it, bought it in bits for next to nothing!! Sold it a few years later for a fifth of what they are now!! 😭😭 Yeah more on the Sapphires if you can 👍
@GeoffBuysCars
Жыл бұрын
It’s these sorts of comments I’m hoping for, to fill the gaps in! There are a lot more Saphs than escorts but I’ve started the research
@griffspeed
Жыл бұрын
@@GeoffBuysCars Many many years ago... I worked for a place called Dewitts race & Rally.. We Sometimes had to "Fiddle" with the ECU's and give the engine a little tweak on the South Wales Police's Sierra Cosworths.. They were around 400bhp after that.. It was the same tune we used on some Group N cars we built.. Great channel mate... Thanks..
Not quite the escort but I remember when I was first in the police up Guildford way they had a few what looked like sierra sapphire cosworths that were in fact the non turbo 2 litre. Great looking cars.
Y255YNL was my allocated Ford Escort Cosworth in North Tyneside , Northumbria . I retired while it was still in service .
@GeoffBuysCars
Жыл бұрын
Feel free to email me some stories :) geoffbuyscars@gmail.com
L475BRG was last issued a v5 in 2004 and colour changed in 2006 and has a plate change marker on it. M969PRM is still white according to the dvla and had a v5 issued in March 2020 no plate change marker. L602UVE no plate changes might be scrapped as it seems to have had a hard life. M982GAT has never had a v5 issued apart from the 1st one but has a plate change marker.
I love interesting things like this
Geoff i love stuff like this being a fan of the max power era i see all those cars from back in the day and do reg checks they dont show as written off or scrapped but they are mot expired where are they on this planet nobody knows…. But someone must know!
My dad worked across a few different forces over his career and he told me about a Sierra Saph traffic car that allegedly hit 150mph on a call and due to the wind resistance it ripped the lights clean off the roof 😂 I couldn't tell you any detailed info on it or even if it really happened but it's an interesting story non the less.
@willallen7757
Жыл бұрын
little tip, never do 150 mph with the windows down or crack a window at that speed.
@GeoffBuysCars
Жыл бұрын
Love that it might make the next video!
@jno5
Жыл бұрын
I knew a cop who when the local force was looking to replace their current car contract (think it was then Rovers), they had kind of an open event where different manufacturers gave them cars to test (BMW, Volvo, Vauxhall, Rover Ford etc) he and his partner drove them all over a few days (along with other cops from other regions). One of them was the Sierra Sapphire Cosworth, he said it had a sticker on the dash stating that the car was fitted with all round discs brakes with ABS and a warning of its stopping power, so he decided to test that statement. His story was that him and his partner (in the car) had been doing multiple very high speed runs and when he’d got it back up to about 150mph stood as hard as he could on the brakes……it stopped very very well (they were both very impressed), but a couple of miles down the road it started to vibrate a lot, so he stopped the car for a look around it, the brakes didn’t look or smell right. So they radioed in and the Ford team came to them, they had completely buckled all four discs and the Ford team couldn’t understand how that was possible. Next day Ford had changed all the brakes and they were off out in it again but with in half an hour the turbo had blown and the discs buckled again……
@GeoffBuysCars
Жыл бұрын
@@jno5 that’s an amazing story!!
@jno5
Жыл бұрын
Another Sierra Cosworth story (not police related); but my mate at school, his dad owned a Ford Dealership and because of sales figures was given by Ford UK a Sierra Cosworth the original (teardrop, whale tail) in Moonstone Blue, he got it a few days before they went on sale to the public (so was told he can’t drive it until the official release day). His dad appeared at school in it (the day before the official release day)…….My god it was stunning, it was the car equivalent of Bo Derek coming out of the sea in Tarzan the Ape Man (had the same effect 😂). I’ll never forget that day and sitting in it……. My dads mate had a Black one and he lost the back end several times in the wet on round-abouts (they were like the Capri in that sense), I think that’s why Ford switched to the Sapphire and 4x4……
I have an anecdote on this, years ago my father had an American classic car and he knew a man called Richard (Dick) Gibb (RIP) who ran a workshop out of his property north of Morpeth on the A1. I used to go along when my father got work done on his car and quite often a policeman would be there chatting with Mr Gibb. I remember that he had a really tricked out accident investigation van at the time. He told us a story about how he used to drive a police Cosworth 'back in the day' and he was heading for Blyth on the A189 being paced by (I think but I might be wrong) a contemporary Subaru, something clearly 'fast'. He told us some emergency call came out to transport a doctor from somewhere nearby to something awful so he had to (it was either) 'leave for dead' or 'left him standing' the Subaru and stormed off on the call. It was a really entertaining story to listen to and when I pass Dick Gibb's old place I think about it. I live in Northumberland so maybe one of those cars is lurking around here somewhere. Thanks for the video, take care!
I think FL means it's full leather Lux spec, I maybe wrong but I believe the Lux spec had non leather versions aswell
Hi Geoff, I owned L255 YNL 24 years ago, I smashed it into some barriers and sold it with 105,000 miles on for £8000. It now has a completely different engine in as the engine in the photos is from a newer model👍
@John_Wood_
Жыл бұрын
Must have moon mileage at this stage.
@dangerousdave00
Жыл бұрын
I almost bought it for £21k back in 2018 but the seller took a slightly higher bid from someone else that never materialised and in the meantime I bought another. I liked the history behind it but it needed a lot of work, wrong head as you say, front wings had been replaced at some point and not done the greatest, a bit of rust and paintwork needed etc and there was talk that it had done 280k miles at that point (or more) as the mileage history on the HPI is scatty in the early days! Still gutted it never came off as I feel the history outweighs all the negatives and it’s good to keep cars with a backstory like these alive for all to see!
@jeffheineken6709
Жыл бұрын
@@dangerousdave00 Did this car start it’s Police career in Hull?
@chiefrocka8604
Жыл бұрын
@@John_Wood_ like a lot of old RS’s you try finding one, these escorts would of done 150k minimum on 99,999k speedos and nobody has ever sold a 200k mile Cosworth as the cars are worth too much and the type of people buying them are scrupulous about maximising the value
@dangerousdave00
Жыл бұрын
@@jeffheineken6709 unsure mate, the paperwork the seller sent me at the time with the original registration docs shows Northumbria police, Newcastle upon Tyne in June 1994
This has to be one of my fav cars EVER but unfortunately for me I could never afford one back in the mid 90’s. But now they are £60k for a tatty one I don’t think I could bring myself to part with that much cash especially now knowing I could be buying an ex-cop car with 15 new engines and 7 turbo replacements 😂🙈 Amazing video though and thanks for the research, must have been time consuming to say the least!
GBC, excellent video, I’ve seen the L255YNL for sale.. a snip at just £67,495… I might have to pass on it this time😂.
@GeoffBuysCars
Жыл бұрын
Yes seems a lot of money but it’ll be interesting if it goes in the auction!
@willallen7757
Жыл бұрын
yikes, I'll stick to my chevys. I could build 3 or 4 really nice cars for that.
@chiefrocka8604
Жыл бұрын
If that’s 67 large mines 100 grand as no way a thrashed abused copper rs is worth more than a proper low miler
Was pulled by the Hull one twice, first one for a cracked windscreen and second for spirited driving
I have tagged a friend in as post about the first Cossie you mentioned the White K740 one, I hope he will be able to shed some light on it as he has connections with JD Motorsport, and does some co driving for the team. ;)
Interesting stories Geoff , I can remember the Sapphire that was nicked and burnt out In Manchester 😢, I had a Sapphire Cosworth 20 years ago , boy I wish I had it now 😉
@chiefrocka8604
Жыл бұрын
There’s a old 91 or 92 video on KZread of a police cossy in manny getting ragged around then torched
@mikespikeey4625
Жыл бұрын
YOU MEAN THIS 1 IN SALFORD HE WALKED IN AS A COP AND THEY GIVE IT HIM kzread.info/dash/bejne/fIKXqsOyadrdcbA.html
@robertmackinnon4414
Жыл бұрын
Had an E plater myself back in 97
I had an Escort Costworth in 1996 /7 I loved it
@willallen7757
Жыл бұрын
I imagine you did, must have been a literal blast.
Your Volvo estate reminded me of another funny story of a mate who was a Volvo salesman back in the day, he sold top of the range T5 estate to a trav-eler type, they returned it 6 weeks later complaining of a noisey back axle. On inspection they had removed the new axle and replaced it with a knackered one of an old model and wanted it repairing under warranty🤦♂️😂😂😂
M969PRM was. Cumbria police traffic car used in west Cumbria they only ever had one that I seen back in the day.
Hi Geoff 👋, do the Sapps as well please
Would love to see the Sapphire video 😊
Wow Skipton thats just up the road from me! Never knew they ran Cossies there, didn't even know Skipton fell under WYP to be honest.. You live and learn! Plenty of challenging country roads round there to test the road holding to the limit - Not much would have gotten away from a well driven Cossie on those roads. I'm chuffed to see quite a few of them seem to have survived post-police use. I don't think you can get into a Cos for under £40k now, even project/repair one. Looking forward to learning more about the Sapphires, I expect they were used in larger numbers? Nice video very well researched.
@carlchafer4795
Жыл бұрын
Skipton is in North Yorkshire so we had all the Dales to play in.We used to meet our West Yorkshire traffic colleagues down at Crosshills /Keighley in their Vectras .The Escort was the first time I had driven a 4x4 car .Our cars before that were Cavalier Sri...a great car of its time also.
If I recall, the Cavalier Turbo were used by the traffic police as well. I owned a Cavvy T
@Iusedtobeasweetboy
Жыл бұрын
Me too. It was fast
One of my old school pals dad used to drive an escort cosworth that was in Northumbria Police. We used to stop at the station after school just to look at it.
FL Full Leather before they created the Lux tag? it’s also the oldest car of the group so maybe pre launch. Interesting content cheers
I could be wrong, but I've got a vague memory that the "FL" designation on fords just meant they weren't built any of their standard trim levels. They were special order vehicles, so the police may have ordered a top spec car, with the best running gear, but without leather seats, and with an easy to clean poverty spec carpet. I seem to remember that some of the police Cosworths were ordered with 1" smaller wheels (15" instead of 16") to help prevent rims/tyres getting destroyed from things like hitting speed bumps at 80mph, but I can't recall if this meant they also needed smaller brake discs too.
You reminded me of Nick Ross from Crimewatch in this video Geoff the way you were speaking! Lol
@GeoffBuysCars
Жыл бұрын
Ha ha! I’ll take that as a compliment. Check out my McLaren videos.
Hi Geoff Northumbria ran Ecscort and sierra coswrths and the hight of the ram Raiders as Steve woodwood said. Would be interesting to do a bit on the sapphire cosworths.Try Flicker you might see some cosworths in there work clothes. Interesting one
Great if you could dig up some info on the Lotus Charlton 💪
Skipton (North Yorkshire) had one . I know Carl …top bloke who had a stunning sierra sapphire cosworth
I worked for a Chrysler Jeep dealership in Warwickshire (mid/late 90s) the local constabulary use to run a Jeep Cherokee 4l, always thought it was an interesting choice, not sure there where many of them about.