I have been offered a complete 1998 S-reg Escort (rear ended) for £150. 1.6 zetec s 42k miles
any thoughts on engine good or bad

a breakers quoted me £150 for an untested zetec.if its still in the car maybe you can hear and see it running.

Put a 50K 2.0L zetec from an rear ended L reg Mondeo auto in my Tiger Cat, cost me £250 delivered to my door on a pallet.

What would you do with the rest of the car anyway ?

Bear in mind "S" reg means stricter emissions test at SVA . with an engine of that age you will probably need to go fuel injection to pass.

Most breakers pay about 17.5% of glass's retail, check it out carefully, sounds a little cheap. They get catB totals cheaper, but are not allowed to sell the cars complete, there may be legal implications

private seller, had a look at the car tonight engine seems fresh enough and complete worth taking a chance on. I want to go down the inj route anyway. I have never been a fan of the 45s fortunetly it is the plastic inlet manifold type very compact in size and all the bits are there. Should pick the car up tomorrow night all going well

Must be a 3rd party resolved claim, no legal problems - go for it

Zetecs are cheap and plentyful so research what injection you are going to use as you might as well have a 2ltr if you end up using anything but the standard Ford injection. There are more aftermarket parts for the older engines as they have been used by the likes of Westfield and used in racing. Mileage not normally an issue.

Invest in a good chamber psi tester, and a small mirror to fit inside the cylinder, inspect the exhaust for signs of burnt oil or oil buildup.