Escort Mk1 Rebuild

[splonger39]

I have a 1300XL manual 2 door Mk1 which is in pretty good shape. I want to restore it from the ground up (though not to original spec ;)). That basically includes mechanical upgrades (inc. engine, probably gearbox, suspension, brakes, maybe diff and rims), interior reupholstering (mmm... leather) and a respray. I'm a real n00b with this, but have a few mechanic mates who'd love to help.

I've been searching all over the net for engine conversions. Here's the goal: I want a car that will go reasonably quickly, without losing the handling balance. It should go about as quickly as my SV6 Commodore 6-speed, and above all it needs to have good overtaking prowess (it'll be used mainly on the highway) and fuel consumption is a consideration. I don't want to spend a bottom-less pit of money (read: no firewall cut outs, extra chassis strengthening; maybe an engine mount change at most). Max budget for engine and driveline is $5k. First and foremost, it must be as easy as possible to register. I don't want a rotary. I've read suggestions on these engines:
- 1.8L MX-5
- SR20DET
- CA18DET
- 2L Pinto with head work
- 1.6L twin cam
- Zetec (I don't know anymore than that, but some people suggest putting Webers on it; I thought it was injected?)

The old school appeals to me; no ECU problems, just me and the carby .

Without getting carried away, can someone tell me if any of these engines will do what I'm after, within my budget? Has anyone had experience putting one in, and can confirm that it was a straightforward job?