You shouldn't have any trouble in Vic.
 
I have had RWCs completed and registered 2 different MK1s with pintos, the last being only 2 yrs ago.  
 
Never had a problem with the pinto or paperwork from Vicroads.
 
Shaun

Hi
In South Africa a 2.0 version was built by Basil Green Motors as the Escort Perana, from the same family as the Cortina Perana, Capri Perana V8 and Grenada Perana V8.

 
Pieter van den Berg
 
A Ford was the first car on our local rubbish dump.
It was towing in a BMW.
 

Mountainman.  Do you have any additional information relating to the Escort Perana?  I would specifically like to know what year they started making them as it may permit me to change classes in the Targa rally scene!

Sorry. Tried to include a link but it is blocked out.
Don't know all the details as my speciality is the 100e Prefects, Anglias, Escort, Squire and Thames cars. But as far as I know, they started building Escort Peranas in 1968 up to 1972. However, Escort Peranas is scarce even over here, and the favourite is the Capri Perana.
Try typing the following links :
www.africanmusclecars.com/index.php/ford/escort-mk1-perana‎
 www.perana.org/escort.asp‎ 

Cheers.  Research to date has shown that in 1972 Basil Green started using 1600GT shells as the Perana base as he ran out of the 100 RS1600's that he had.  This implies that they definitely made teh Escort Perana in 1971 and as you say probably earlier.  All I need now is a copy of a sales brochure or something to prove to the powers that be that the Escort Perana existed then I'm all apples!!!