That would be a blast. Get some relatively quiet mufflers and go huntin'. Talk about a sleeper.
Keep it hideous looking and hide the required wider tires under stock fenders. You could keep it all Ford by borrowing from Mustang and Taurus.
By using the street rodder's favorite "Mustang II based front suspension subframe, and if you mounted the Taurus V-8 setup where the backseat should be, the unit would both get down and boogie, and still be able to turn without pushing.
All that while still retaining the Escort's inherent weak image and ugliness.