i called a shop to get an estimate for replacing a head gasket , they didn't even know what kind of car i had , but they guessed it was a ford escort ten seconds into the call.......i was all shook up
My parents owned a Ford dealership from 1981- 1993. Sounds crazy now, but you would not believe how excited everyone was to have the Escort. Then the new T-Bird and the Taurus a few years later- it was high times! I didn't own a car until my 20s because we drove whatever used car had some gas in it, but my favorite hands down was the EXP. I would still love to have one, just for fun.
It amazes me how a company like GM with it's nearly infinite resources at the time produced a piece of crap like the Chevette and then put no effort into improving it for a decade. Meanwhile the people at Ford introduced the Escort with it's various configurations and technological advancements that it continued to improve and refine over the years. Roger Smith was such a putz.
Escorts were pretty "everyday" in the 80s. A friend of mine drove one in a beige color and when he was driving a few of us somewhere on the California freeway and was apparently going a little too fast, instead of a highway patrolman pulling us over he just went behind us and over the PA we heard a quick "55!" and that was all that happened.
bought a brand new pony in 1986. $5400. drove it all over the east putting 150k miles on it without any real issues. sold it in 1997 for 250 bucks. good little car. lot of memories.
Our family got one in in 1999 or 2000 for $900 from an auction. We put 80k on it in a few years, and I ended up killing it because teenager. It was a fun 4spd car, base model, it did well. It didn't catch on fire like my later 89 Topaz though, which was nice of it to not do so.
@@vapsa56 i beg to differ sir, after i sold my always broke down 1985 ford escort( $800 ) and bought a toyota pick up with the 22RE engine, i never bought another ford car or any other american car just because of the lousy reliability of the escort.
Had a bunch of these back in the day.My 1st car was an 82' EXP.Then an 83' EXP GT model plus an 86' Escort Pony that I bought new for $5200 in 1987 as a leftover.Car was broadsided at 30 mph by some maniac a year later.Car was totaled but I walked away without a scratch. Finished out my Escort/EXP phase of life with an 89' Escort GT that I kept for 4 years with no troubles.Plenty of cars in between but always think fondly of the Escort line. Thanks for the memories
Great video! My first Escort 1982 - garbage! My second Escort 1997 (after a lot of research and hope) BEST car I ever owned! Easy to drive, great mileage, and impressive acceleration with the 5-speed manual! Got it to 282,000 miles!
Let me guess... the '82 model overheated and gave you head gasket problems and oil leakage problems. My 1st car was an '82 Lynx with the 1.6L engine and it was the most unreliable car I ever owned.
We had a ‘94 LX wagon. It was one of the best cars we ever owned. We went on road trips in it everywhere. We were hesitant to travel to northern Michigan in February with it, but it concurred the snow and ice easily. My husband accepted a new job in Atlanta in 05. We bought a new Focus wagon before moving. We drove both cars to our new home. We kept it a few more years, clocking 225,000 miles on it. When our mechanic said it was no longer a good idea to put any more money into, we donated it. We actually cried a little when it was towed away. We only got 120,000 out of the Focus. Now we drive VW wagons. They are much more high tech than our Escort, but we’d drive another if we found one with extra low miles.
I bought an 82 Escort new and it was nothing but trouble. The timing belt failed every 30,000 miles requiring cylinder head repairs. One theory was the distributor would lock up and stop the cam from turning this stripping the teeth off the timing belt. Lots of things failed prematurely. I had a rear coil spring literally break in two places. It went through alternators like crazy. I never owned another Ford after that.
I had an '83 5-door hatch which was slow, but I enjoyed it because I learned to do clutchless shifting, which was an entertaining trick. Sold it to a couple around '93, and met the woman multiple years later in a hospital cafeteria; she said it was the cleanest used car they'd ever bought, and was so reliable they had it re-painted and were still driving it!
First new car I ever bought was a 1986 Escort after I got married. Was a fleet vehicle sans power anything and no radio. Drove it for 375,000 miles before getting t-boned. I'm sure it would have hit 500,000 if not for the accident.
The first new car I ever owned was an 88.5 Escort LX. Drove it over 120K in eight years and sold it above Blue Book price. It was an excellent little car and never gave me any real problems.
Was the 88.5 the ones with the second gen body and the first gen interior? I remember my ex's mom had one that had the newer body style and the older dash while my Grandma had I think an 89 the had the newer dash. If I remember correctly......
I had a 93 hatchback and yes I had the valve drop and replaced the head. That car had amazing leg room, and cold AC... and I mean Ice cold.... My wife's aunt was the original purchaser and it was used by literally everyone in her family and then I bought it from my wife when we were first dating.. I loved that damn car.... she earned her keep for sure.
Had a 1983 Escort new, it was a great car. Traded it in on a 1986 Tempo Sport that was a fantastic car, drove that until it got too rusty to be safe. It still ran great with 244,000 miles on it and still had the original clutch.
@Deus Ex Machina The 1983 Escort, bought it new, drove it three years and traded it in for the 1986 Tempo with 84,000 trouble free miles except for the shift light malfunctioned and it was fixed under warranty. The Tempo was brand new, my wife drove it daily to work for about 10-12 years then I drove I once in a while for a couple years until the body was so rusted it wasn’t safe to drive. Other than a few sets of brakes, struts, exhaust pipes and mufflers, tie rod ends and other normal wear items it was trouble free except for the fuel pump changed under warranty. Fantastic cars, both of them!
I still own a 2003 ZX2 5 speed. 250 K miles and still trouble free. Great commuter car that gets 35 mpg. Still has the original clutch. I wish Ford still made cars, I don't want an SUV.
I'm surprised. My mom had an 81 Escort, and it was in the shop more often than we cared to admit. In fact, Escorts and Rangers were POS's until 1988 far as I know.
@@JL-sm6cg Just got lucky I guess. Grandpa's Ranger was a whole different story.. In and out of the shop so many times and they couldn't find anything wrong. Finally fed up, my Grandpa told them that if there's nothing wrong with it then buy it back from me. The dealer didn't want to but they did. All of their tests said there was nothing wrong with it. My Grandpa picked up his new Ranger the next day. :)
@@JL-sm6cg Not sure what he did. I was around 14-15 years old. He was a very shrewd man to deal with, especially when it came to large amounts of money. All I remember is the next time we visited, there was a brand new Ranger in his driveway. :) It was very similar to the last one but had the smaller sport mirrors instead of the big flag mirrors and sport rims instead of the steelies.. Pretty dark grey with that very late 80s early 90s maroon/red interior.
I remember as a kid back during the 80's so many people in my neighborhood had ford Escorts. My friends mom bought a brand new black 1985 Escort and kept it for 10 years.
@Frank Dux - Yea me to. The Escort, Tempo, Topez, and the Taurus use to be all over the roads during the 80's and 90's. Now it's almost rare to even see the last generation Ford Taurus on the roads. Especially since crossovers and hybrids have taken over.
Not sure if this was done because of my suggestion, but thank you. I owned LX hatchback, LX sedan, GT hatchback and loaded ZX2. All of them where 5 speeds, and great little cars that never gave me any issues. I have an Uncle that is still driving a 1995 LX hatchback with over 380,000 miles and still going.
@@toyoscio Nope I graduated high school in 1990, my first new car was 90 Plymouth Horizon, but then I switched over to the Escorts. Had a lot of friends and family with the pre-91 models.
Teenage me would have a word with you - these things were dead simple to run. Until you melted your cat due to using JET-A in the tank ;) I remember having to change the EEC-IV harness header so I can read the "swipes" off an analog VOM.
@@danbasta3677 You're lucky. I bought a new Escort Station Wagon in June of '95. Without a doubt the absolute worst car I have ever owned. In the 18 months and 20K miles I owned that wretched thing, I replaced the automatic transmission (the first and last time I would ever have an automatic transmission), replaced the front struts because they were installed wrong at the factory. Also had to replace the two front balled tires that I had to pay for. Paint started to peel (the car was garaged kept) and last but not least, there was an electronic gilich with the door locks. They would lock/unlock on their own. Got locked out a couple of times. I had had enough. Bought a '97 Civic in December of '96. Kept it till August of 2007 (racking up 172K carefree miles), then bought a new '07 Honda Fit. Still have it with 242K miles on it. Drives like a dream. So thanks Ford, for introducing me to Honda.
I own and drive a 1997 Mercury Tracer LS wagon, it's a stick shift with manual windows and a keyless entry on the driver door only, it's not seen much winter and never will
My first car was an 86’ Mercury Lynx that I drove the crap out of. I remember blowing a timing belt over 70 on the highway. I was told Ford had just went to a non-interference engine on my model.
Growing up we had a 1993 Mercury Tracer wagon in 90s green. It took us all over North America and was still running decently when my parents sold it in 2014 with ~150k miles.
My parents bought a brand new 81 Lynx wagon. It was the car I used to learn how to drive when I was 15. Used to go joyriding in it. It had ongoing issues with the fuel system (carbureted), and was notorious for stalling out while idling in gear to the point it became a potential deathtrap. Despite numerous trips to the dealer, it was never fixed correctly in the six years we owned it, and was primarily used in town as it was not deemed to be safe at highway speeds. It died unceremoniously while coming home from summer school my junior year of high school, a victim of a rod going through the block. Finally, my dad ended up driving through the garage wall in to the backyard in a unplanned mishap about a year after he bought it. True story!!
Own a 99 Ford Escort ZX2 with a 2001 engine installed and a 2003 Ford Focus SVT with stock engine that no longer works but will be rebuilt/replaced soon. Love both, but the ZX2 Escort is growing on me, and I really loved my SVT Focus.
I can remember when I was a kid in the 80s, I'd see Escorts all over the place. My mom had a 1984 Escort wagon, which was a practical car for a small and young family. When I was 19, my second car was a 4 door Escort SE. It was a nice practical car that felt sporty. I hardly see any first generation American Escorts anymore, but there are still numerous second and third gens on the road in my area.
I had a 1993 Escort station wagon for a company car. It was a riot to drive. It was an automatic and if you stomped on it from a dead stop, ran the tach up to 4500 - 5000, took your foot off the gas and then slammed the gas pedal back down the transmission would get rubber going into second gear. Well you could hear it going into second gear if it didn't make a loud CLUNK first.
I always loved the Escort-my favorite being the first GT (which I never owned) and the 1991 LX (which I did). It was a great car, one of a few cars I miss. I think that model year still looks great too.
Correction on the 2nd gen Escorts, the 1.8l is Mazda derived and was available on the LX-E and GT. The 1.9l was Ford's CVH engine and was carried over from the first gen, not the same as the 1.9l used in first gen GTs
I had a 1982 escort four door. white with blue vinyl seats. no power steering. no power brakes. no air conditioning. four speed. It went everywhere I ever asked it to go....
I got a 2000 escort in 2003. It cost $9,000 then. I'm still driving it and it has 264000 miles so far. I'm, just now, hearing that it's "a throw-away" car.
I had a '91 Escort LX 2-door (3-door?) hatch. I bought it used with only 26K on it in 1996 and kept it until 2002. It was the nice medium red color darker than the cherry red and lighter than the burgundy ones with gray interior and gray body moulding (the base pony model didn't have the side moulding). I actually have fond memories of that car. It wasn't fast, but you could squeeze a little extra out of it with the 5-speed stick, and it handled well because it was so light. I literally had zero mechanical issues with it for 6 years and about 70K miles of beating the hell out of it. The only weird issue it had was burning through tons of headlight and taillight bulbs. Probably was some sort of short or something in it I didn't realize at the time as a youngster. At least they were cheap though and I used to keep a stockpile of them 😂
Memories my 1st new car a 86 black Escort GT loved that car had black Eneki black mesh rims , tinted windows , louvers , front and back tail lights black covers , it was only a 1.9 motor but it was nice.
I remember those original Escort commercials from when I was in high school. Considering how, at that point, every small American car was a rolling dumpster fire, there was a lot of genuine interest in whether Ford could actually produce something good. By today's standards, the early Escorts were still junk, but they were a leap forward from the Pinto and Chevette.
Great video! This was the first car I bought brand new. A 00 ford escort ZX2. I would suggest a video on the chevy beretta, that was the first car I ever bought. I got a used 94 in 98. The cars that followed these were: 03 chevy cavalier, 04 dodge neon, 06 ford fusion, 08 ford escape, 10 mazda 3 and my current car 18 toyota corolla.
Do a story on the Dodge Lancer. I had an 86 and loved the car. It was a sporty looking (and even to some degree by performance for the time) 4 door hatchback.
4:11 '88 GT was my first car. Fun little car, until I got into a headon going about 50 in it. To its credit, in an era before airbags, my 2 friends and I walked away from that one, albeit a little beaten up.
I bought a brand new 1989 Escort Pony, which didn't have anything, not even a radio, for $7700. After just over 4 years and almost 200,000 miles (delivering pizzas) got totaled in a snow storm when someone pulled out in front of me. Very low maintenance, timing belt and clutches, was peppy and got great gas mileage.
Around 1988 my dad bought a brand new pony, standard, no radio, and no ac for what I think was around 5000. It was during a recession so it was a big purchase. At 40,000 miles the head cracked and it was totalled. My father was so upset he never bought a Ford or a new car again for the rest of his life.
Ford Escort was also manufactured in India. In the 90s Ford had a partnership with Mahindra (you might have heard their name) to make these cars in India. In India it competed with Mitsubishi Lancer, Opel Astra, Honda City, Suzuki Baleno and Fiat Sienna.
Never had an Escort, but I always kinda liked the GT and the EXP before it became a part of the Escort line. When I was looking at new cars in '87, I wanted something small-ish, and I had narrowed my choices down to the Ford Escort GT and the Pontiac Grand Am SE. In the end, I went with the 2-door Grand Am SE coupe with the V-6. For me, the value per dollar was much greater in the Grand Am, plus the salesman did a much better job of telling me why I needed a Grand Am. The Ford salesman ran the numbers, told me what the standard vs optional equipment was, and that was about it. He really didn't go out of his way to sell the car. He was able to answer questions, but it just didn't seem like he wanted to sell the damn thing. Years later, I bought a used '91 Grand Am with the 2.5L 4 cylinder, which was ok, but it didn't age as well as that '87 did. It was ok, but it was also tired.
If there was one car I wish Ford would bring back, it would be the Escort. I had several from 93 and up, and while the 93 had the most issues including the valve drop and a throw away automatic transmission, I still loved it. I wouldn't hesitate to buy another 2nd Generation Ford Escort just to have it, but they're very hard to find.
@@gonenuclear7752 You're fortunate. NE OH rust was not kind to these cars, I once saw a 2nd Gen Tracer that should not have been on the road, the rust was that bad.
1:23 - Direct competitors were the Japanese cars and GM Cavalier/etc and Chrysler Omni/Horizon. Chevette was still on sale but didn't really compare to these FWD cars.
I owned a Tracer, Escort ZX2 and a couple Focus's (Foci?), one if which was an SVT. We never got an RS in America till the last AWD Turbo edition. Thanks...
After contacting you regarding the EXP, I watched this video. Thank you for sharing it. There was more information on this video than I was aware of during my 23 years as a mechanic at a Ford dealer. Except for its first two years, I wtnessed the lengthy evolution of the Escort. It seemed as if it was never going to end production. My wife and I purchased an EXP at one point but had to get rid of the little two -seater as it was never meant to be a family friendly car. Perhaps my favorite memory is the Escort diesel. Many laughed at the idea of a smudge pot powered small car, a friend of mine owned one. I rode with him to Las Vegas and back (296 miles round trip) using less than a tak of fuel. Kind of made me want to own one
New 84 Escort L base model, but vin code 4 engine was a H.O.- w/2 bbl Motorcraft Weber, GT Cam, , 9:1 compr. Tuned header exhaust. 5 speed, Similar to my 65 CortinaGT . But newer. So I drove it as such. Many years of reliable use till an accident in 96, totalled. Just peppy ,👍🏼economical MPG. surprising interior room for a 2 dr hatchback.,
Had a 93 GT 5-speed - had a few niggling issues (the front seat belt mouse, easily warped brake rotors) - but overall a well made car that was fun as heck to drive.
I drove an 84 company car wagon. Man that 1.6 engine was a total dog. You had to literally get a running to approach any mild incline hill on the freeway, to be able to crest it at the legal speed limit, which at that time, was 55mph. I am not kidding.
I have a 1998 Mercury tracer wagon with 80,000 mi on it which I bought from a old lady with 48ooo miles on it about 6 years ago for $2,000 and it's a great car..
When I was in collage in 2004 a guy had an Escort ZX2. Every time somebody asked him what car he drove he would just say a Ford ZX2. A few guys gave him shit, and kept saying "it's an escort". It became so much of a thing that he had a decal made saying it's an Escort and put it across the back window. Another Escort story was my best friend's girlfriend had one, and she was telling me that she was getting transmission fluid on her feet while driving. We finally realized that the speed sensor was leaking internally. The fluid was running up the speed cable, and running out behind the speedometer.
My first brand new car purchase was a 1985 Escort GT Turbo very rare only made 2500 of them it was black it was really a nice car I had it for about 3 years then I traded it in for a Mustang GT 5.0
My friend bought a brand new 1985 Chevy Cavalier California Special it had a 2.8 liter V6 in it fully loaded sunroof power everything EQ cassette stereo it was fully loaded almost like a Cimarron other than not having leather interior and I raced him on the freeway in my Escort GT Turbo and I beat hem it was faster I pulled away
I owned an 83 2 door. Then an 83 wagon. Loved those cars. I used hotter plugs, better air intake and larger diameter exhaust with a Thrush turbo muffler. I had anticipated the SVO optional free flow header but it was too expensive. But I drove the hell out of both and loved them.
Terrific video! Our family friend had a brown 81 Escort two door that I remember riding in when I was 5 or 6. Distinctly remember the way the auto trans shifter looked - kind of like a jagged half of a puzzle piece. I had a Blue 2 door Lynx (82, maybe?) with manual trans, a blue 2 door 90 Escort Pony with manual trans (worst car I've ever owned) and a green 97 Escort 4 door (5 speed) which was so fun to drive and was my very first new car. Keep these coming! 😀👍🏻
My first new car was a 1985 Ford EXP. it actually had the "frog eye" front end with the large bubble hatch. This was the only year this particular body design was made.
Back in the day I liked the escort gt, the one with 127 hp. But I never had one. Later on I had an 04 Focus ZX5 . I enjoyed driving that car for 12 years until It got too rusty. That car had a good ride and really good hydraulic steering. The zetec engine although slow by modern standards felt kind of peppy by my admittedly low standards . Great video by the way.
CRX! I had two-a 1984 and then a 1988. Not big on power or size. But a hoot to drive! I’m just offering this as a suggestion. Thank you. I really enjoy your videos.
I worked in an auto-parts store from 1986-89. We sold a lot of head gaskets for Escorts.
Just garbage
And head bolts sets too, probably.
i called a shop to get an estimate for replacing a head gasket , they didn't even know what kind of car i had , but they guessed it was a ford escort ten seconds into the call.......i was all shook up
@@willbee8381 LOL, when I went to auto parts, first thing I said was I need a set of head bolts. He said, for an Escort, right? LOL
Head gasket failures were very common on the 1.6 L engine in the Escort. Supposedly, there were design improvements made to the 1.9 L.
My parents owned a Ford dealership from 1981- 1993. Sounds crazy now, but you would not believe how excited everyone was to have the Escort. Then the new T-Bird and the Taurus a few years later- it was high times! I didn't own a car until my 20s because we drove whatever used car had some gas in it, but my favorite hands down was the EXP. I would still love to have one, just for fun.
I still have the 1988 Ford Escort Pony my parents bought brand new from the dealer back in 88.
Sweet what color?
@@swiderski231 White color and engine and interior are very clean.I wish I could send you a pictures of it.
Pics!! My "first" car was a 1987 Pony, deep blue.
My mom bought an 1988.5 GT brand new. Still have it. It's ok but a little rough
It amazes me how a company like GM with it's nearly infinite resources at the time produced a piece of crap like the Chevette and then put no effort into improving it for a decade. Meanwhile the people at Ford introduced the Escort with it's various configurations and technological advancements that it continued to improve and refine over the years. Roger Smith was such a putz.
1981 Cavalier. Like the early US Escort, a flawed effort.
@@boggy7665 Vauxhall Nova... Say no more.
@@boggy7665 The Cavalier was more refined than the Chevette though the early ones had bugs.
Ford had introduced the Pinto which it kept around for nearly 10 years.
I would say that a more comparable comparison, would prove to be the Cavalier.
Escorts were pretty "everyday" in the 80s. A friend of mine drove one in a beige color and when he was driving a few of us somewhere on the California freeway and was apparently going a little too fast, instead of a highway patrolman pulling us over he just went behind us and over the PA we heard a quick "55!" and that was all that happened.
the car to go 110 and still show 85
@@robertwhite88 that was more of a federal regulation for most cars back in the 80s
bought a brand new pony in 1986. $5400. drove it all over the east putting 150k miles on it without any real issues. sold it in 1997 for 250 bucks. good little car. lot of memories.
Our family got one in in 1999 or 2000 for $900 from an auction. We put 80k on it in a few years, and I ended up killing it because teenager. It was a fun 4spd car, base model, it did well. It didn't catch on fire like my later 89 Topaz though, which was nice of it to not do so.
That nomenclature was one of the reasons the original rear-drive Hyundai Pony didn't make it outside of Canada.
I bought a 1984 Escort GT in 1990. I was 20 years old. It was the 1st car I bought myself. I loved that car. Fun to drive.
Nice, I had a blue Pony model. A friend painted it with the flame merth mobile motif. Decades later people still remember that car.
I had a 94 escort wagon with a 5 speed Best. Car. Ever. There will never be another like it, I'd still have it if it wasn't for deer. Alot of deer.
I hear you. You will always love the first car that you bought with your own money. Just something about it being 100% yours.
@@vapsa56 i beg to differ sir, after i sold my always broke down 1985 ford escort( $800 ) and bought a toyota pick up with the 22RE engine, i never bought another ford car or any other american car just because of the lousy reliability of the escort.
I currently own and drive a ‘94 LX wagon. Still going strong 💪
Same!
My mom had a red 2 door 88 escort pony brings back so many memories
my mom had one, and the bastard blew a head.. that thing could fill the sky with smoke
My 1997 Tracer LS wagon is still going strong, even has the original clutch still
i still see early 90s escort wagons on the road. i swear who ever ran the plant that build those things ran a type ship.
Had a bunch of these back in the day.My 1st car was an 82' EXP.Then an 83' EXP GT model plus an 86' Escort Pony that I bought new for $5200 in 1987 as a leftover.Car was broadsided at 30 mph by some maniac a year later.Car was totaled but I walked away without a scratch.
Finished out my Escort/EXP phase of life with an 89' Escort GT that I kept for 4 years with no troubles.Plenty of cars in between but always think fondly of the Escort line.
Thanks for the memories
You made them all into limos???
Great video! My first Escort 1982 - garbage! My second Escort 1997 (after a lot of research and hope) BEST car I ever owned! Easy to drive, great mileage, and impressive acceleration with the 5-speed manual! Got it to 282,000 miles!
Let me guess... the '82 model overheated and gave you head gasket problems and oil leakage problems. My 1st car was an '82 Lynx with the 1.6L engine and it was the most unreliable car I ever owned.
@@dannydaw59 2 head gaskets in a year's time, overheated a lot, sooo slow!
The 97 was a COMPLETELY different story (a good one!)
We had a ‘94 LX wagon. It was one of the best cars we ever owned. We went on road trips in it everywhere. We were hesitant to travel to northern Michigan in February with it, but it concurred the snow and ice easily. My husband accepted a new job in Atlanta in 05. We bought a new Focus wagon before moving. We drove both cars to our new home. We kept it a few more years, clocking 225,000 miles on it. When our mechanic said it was no longer a good idea to put any more money into, we donated it. We actually cried a little when it was towed away. We only got 120,000 out of the Focus. Now we drive VW wagons. They are much more high tech than our Escort, but we’d drive another if we found one with extra low miles.
Your 97 Escort was essentially a Mazda
I bought an 82 Escort new and it was nothing but trouble. The timing belt failed every 30,000 miles requiring cylinder head repairs. One theory was the distributor would lock up and stop the cam from turning this stripping the teeth off the timing belt. Lots of things failed prematurely. I had a rear coil spring literally break in two places. It went through alternators like crazy. I never owned another Ford after that.
I had an Escort ZX2 for over 10 years. I believe it was a '98, but I can't remember for sure. Got rid of it in '08. It was a good car.
A very good car! I loved mine.
I had an '83 5-door hatch which was slow, but I enjoyed it because I learned to do clutchless shifting, which was an entertaining trick. Sold it to a couple around '93, and met the woman multiple years later in a hospital cafeteria; she said it was the cleanest used car they'd ever bought, and was so reliable they had it re-painted and were still driving it!
Small world
First new car I ever bought was a 1986 Escort after I got married. Was a fleet vehicle sans power anything and no radio. Drove it for 375,000 miles before getting t-boned. I'm sure it would have hit 500,000 if not for the accident.
Mine was killed just under 200,000 K due to me being a teenager. Actually, it was a pretty solid car for the most part.
You had the improved 1.9 L engine, that's why you were able to log that many miles.
I drove a 94 Escort for a couple of years,it was a good,cheap dependable car that got great mileage.
The first new car I ever owned was an 88.5 Escort LX. Drove it over 120K in eight years and sold it above Blue Book price. It was an excellent little car and never gave me any real problems.
Was the 88.5 the ones with the second gen body and the first gen interior? I remember my ex's mom had one that had the newer body style and the older dash while my Grandma had I think an 89 the had the newer dash.
If I remember correctly......
Not sure what the point of the 88.5 was. I think that was the only one of its kind.
I had a 93 hatchback and yes I had the valve drop and replaced the head. That car had amazing leg room, and cold AC... and I mean Ice cold.... My wife's aunt was the original purchaser and it was used by literally everyone in her family and then I bought it from my wife when we were first dating.. I loved that damn car.... she earned her keep for sure.
It'd be great if you featured Ford's "Merkur" products that came over seas in the mid-late 80's. The Merkur XR4Ti and the Scorpio 👍
I just watched that it’s on the channel
Good news, he did!
Had a 1983 Escort new, it was a great car. Traded it in on a 1986 Tempo Sport that was a fantastic car, drove that until it got too rusty to be safe. It still ran great with 244,000 miles on it and still had the original clutch.
@Deus Ex Machina The 1983 Escort, bought it new, drove it three years and traded it in for the 1986 Tempo with 84,000 trouble free miles except for the shift light malfunctioned and it was fixed under warranty. The Tempo was brand new, my wife drove it daily to work for about 10-12 years then I drove I once in a while for a couple years until the body was so rusted it wasn’t safe to drive. Other than a few sets of brakes, struts, exhaust pipes and mufflers, tie rod ends and other normal wear items it was trouble free except for the fuel pump changed under warranty. Fantastic cars, both of them!
My first new car was a manual '89 Escort GT. I loved that car and had it until 1999. I have lots of fond memories with that little car. :)
I miss my old 90's escort LX and my next car, the ZX2. The ZX2 was quick by my standards back in the day. Perhaps I just miss being a kid again.
I still own a 2003 ZX2 5 speed. 250 K miles and still trouble free. Great commuter car that gets 35 mpg. Still has the original clutch. I wish Ford still made cars, I don't want an SUV.
Mom had an 83 Escort, Dad had an 83 Ranger. Both miserably under powered but they were very dependable.
I'm surprised. My mom had an 81 Escort, and it was in the shop more often than we cared to admit. In fact, Escorts and Rangers were POS's until 1988 far as I know.
@@JL-sm6cg Just got lucky I guess. Grandpa's Ranger was a whole different story.. In and out of the shop so many times and they couldn't find anything wrong. Finally fed up, my Grandpa told them that if there's nothing wrong with it then buy it back from me. The dealer didn't want to but they did. All of their tests said there was nothing wrong with it. My Grandpa picked up his new Ranger the next day. :)
@@russelladams6432 sounds like he used the lemon law.
@@JL-sm6cg Not sure what he did. I was around 14-15 years old. He was a very shrewd man to deal with, especially when it came to large amounts of money. All I remember is the next time we visited, there was a brand new Ranger in his driveway. :) It was very similar to the last one but had the smaller sport mirrors instead of the big flag mirrors and sport rims instead of the steelies.. Pretty dark grey with that very late 80s early 90s maroon/red interior.
@@JL-sm6cg Great story dude.
I owned a good and reliable 1997 Ford Escort for many years.
That was a Mazda Protege with a different engine. I had a ‘99 that worked great. It was a Mazda. With a different (relatively inferior) engine.
My 96 was a toy and my 95 I have now is a toy love em
I remember as a kid back during the 80's so many people in my neighborhood had ford Escorts. My friends mom bought a brand new black 1985 Escort and kept it for 10 years.
@Frank Dux - Yea me to. The Escort, Tempo, Topez, and the Taurus use to be all over the roads during the 80's and 90's. Now it's almost rare to even see the last generation Ford Taurus on the roads. Especially since crossovers and hybrids have taken over.
@@faznout Salt states, rust took care of them
@Frank Dux In salt states, rust was also a factor.
@@toyoscio - Well I was born a and raised in Colorado, so yep!
@@faznout Exactly lol
The ZX2 was my first car. Very underrated platform
My 1998 Escort Zx2 is a workhorse as I use it a lot, it was passed down from my grandparents and still runs great with only 70000 miles on it
I had a 2001 ZX2 with a five speed manual for about five years. It was truly one of the most fun little cars I have ever owned.
Not sure if this was done because of my suggestion, but thank you. I owned LX hatchback, LX sedan, GT hatchback and loaded ZX2. All of them where 5 speeds, and great little cars that never gave me any issues. I have an Uncle that is still driving a 1995 LX hatchback with over 380,000 miles and still going.
lol You didn't own a Pre '91?
@@toyoscio Nope I graduated high school in 1990, my first new car was 90 Plymouth Horizon, but then I switched over to the Escorts. Had a lot of friends and family with the pre-91 models.
My brother and me both had owned Escort EXPs. I had a black 85 he had a red 86. They were good little cars
I worked next to a Ford dealer at the time. They had more in the shop being fixed than was on the roads.
Impossible. I have a 1992 Escort and it's still running strong. Love that car.
Please give me a break.stop with the bull crap stories
Teenage me would have a word with you - these things were dead simple to run. Until you melted your cat due to using JET-A in the tank ;)
I remember having to change the EEC-IV harness header so I can read the "swipes" off an analog VOM.
Junk
@@danbasta3677
You're lucky. I bought a new Escort Station Wagon in June of '95.
Without a doubt the absolute worst car I have ever owned.
In the 18 months and 20K miles I owned that wretched thing, I replaced the automatic transmission (the first and last time I would ever have an automatic transmission), replaced the front struts because they were installed wrong at the factory. Also had to replace the two front balled tires that I had to pay for.
Paint started to peel (the car was garaged kept) and last but not least, there was an electronic gilich with the door locks. They would lock/unlock on their own. Got locked out a couple of times.
I had had enough. Bought a '97 Civic in December of '96.
Kept it till August of 2007 (racking up 172K carefree miles), then bought a new '07 Honda Fit. Still have it with 242K miles on it. Drives like a dream.
So thanks Ford, for introducing me to Honda.
Had a ZX2 and it was the most fun little beater!
My first new car was a 1987 escort pony. It was red and it had those automatic shoulder seatbelts. It was a good car. I love your channel!
I own and drive a 1997 Mercury Tracer LS wagon, it's a stick shift with manual windows and a keyless entry on the driver door only, it's not seen much winter and never will
My first car was an 86’ Mercury Lynx that I drove the crap out of. I remember blowing a timing belt over 70 on the highway. I was told Ford had just went to a non-interference engine on my model.
You're lucky. Most of them were interference. It's what sent most of them to the scrapper early.
Growing up we had a 1993 Mercury Tracer wagon in 90s green. It took us all over North America and was still running decently when my parents sold it in 2014 with ~150k miles.
I'm really digging your videos. They're great to listen to while at work
Was into a few escorts then went nuts on a focus. Now i want an Escort GT.
My parents bought a brand new 81 Lynx wagon. It was the car I used to learn how to drive when I was 15. Used to go joyriding in it. It had ongoing issues with the fuel system (carbureted), and was notorious for stalling out while idling in gear to the point it became a potential deathtrap. Despite numerous trips to the dealer, it was never fixed correctly in the six years we owned it, and was primarily used in town as it was not deemed to be safe at highway speeds. It died unceremoniously while coming home from summer school my junior year of high school, a victim of a rod going through the block. Finally, my dad ended up driving through the garage wall in to the backyard in a unplanned mishap about a year after he bought it. True story!!
Own a 99 Ford Escort ZX2 with a 2001 engine installed and a 2003 Ford Focus SVT with stock engine that no longer works but will be rebuilt/replaced soon. Love both, but the ZX2 Escort is growing on me, and I really loved my SVT Focus.
No mention of the only escort I ever had the 1994 escort lx-3 which was basically a GT 4 door Mazda based sedan. I loved that car.
I can remember when I was a kid in the 80s, I'd see Escorts all over the place. My mom had a 1984 Escort wagon, which was a practical car for a small and young family.
When I was 19, my second car was a 4 door Escort SE. It was a nice practical car that felt sporty.
I hardly see any first generation American Escorts anymore, but there are still numerous second and third gens on the road in my area.
I haven't seen a first gen since like 08'
I had a 95 that wouldn't die. My family have every variation of escort all through the 80's and pintos
I had a 1993 Escort station wagon for a company car. It was a riot to drive. It was an automatic and if you stomped on it from a dead stop, ran the tach up to 4500 - 5000, took your foot off the gas and then slammed the gas pedal back down the transmission would get rubber going into second gear. Well you could hear it going into second gear if it didn't make a loud CLUNK first.
My first car was a 2003 zx2! My parents had a 1994 mercury tracer wagon
I always loved the Escort-my favorite being the first GT (which I never owned) and the 1991 LX (which I did). It was a great car, one of a few cars I miss. I think that model year still looks great too.
Correction on the 2nd gen Escorts, the 1.8l is Mazda derived and was available on the LX-E and GT. The 1.9l was Ford's CVH engine and was carried over from the first gen, not the same as the 1.9l used in first gen GTs
My first car was a 98 ford escort ZX2 sport model. I miss it lol
I had an 88 and then a 95 would have continued purchasing except they went away. Both were totally reliable.
I had a 1982 escort four door. white with blue vinyl seats. no power steering. no power brakes. no air conditioning. four speed. It went everywhere I ever asked it to go....
I still run a Ford Escort and I LOVE this car, very much. It was manufactured in 1992, still running strong with over 100,000 miles on the engine.
I got a 2000 escort in 2003. It cost $9,000 then. I'm still driving it and it has 264000 miles so far. I'm, just now, hearing that it's "a throw-away" car.
I had an 89 escort and a zx2 both cars I really liked.
I had a '91 Escort LX 2-door (3-door?) hatch. I bought it used with only 26K on it in 1996 and kept it until 2002. It was the nice medium red color darker than the cherry red and lighter than the burgundy ones with gray interior and gray body moulding (the base pony model didn't have the side moulding). I actually have fond memories of that car. It wasn't fast, but you could squeeze a little extra out of it with the 5-speed stick, and it handled well because it was so light. I literally had zero mechanical issues with it for 6 years and about 70K miles of beating the hell out of it. The only weird issue it had was burning through tons of headlight and taillight bulbs. Probably was some sort of short or something in it I didn't realize at the time as a youngster. At least they were cheap though and I used to keep a stockpile of them 😂
Sylvania halogen model 9004!!!😂
Memories my 1st new car a 86 black Escort GT loved that car had black Eneki black mesh rims , tinted windows , louvers , front and back tail lights black covers , it was only a 1.9 motor but it was nice.
I used to have a 1989 Escort LX and the two biggest problems I had with it was the Ford factory radio and the automatic shoulder belt.
One other thing I had an issue with was when the timing belt snapped at 40,000 miles.
I’ve got a 99’ Escort ZX2, it’s pretty fun
My fam had a 2nd gen GT, in Monaco Red. It was such a cool, and surprisingly quick car; then again I was 6.
I remember those original Escort commercials from when I was in high school. Considering how, at that point, every small American car was a rolling dumpster fire, there was a lot of genuine interest in whether Ford could actually produce something good. By today's standards, the early Escorts were still junk, but they were a leap forward from the Pinto and Chevette.
I had an 88 escort gt! I liked it a lot! sold it thought I would get another one later. now I'm still sorry I sold it.
How Many CHEVY SPRINTS Did You Terrorize And Run Off The Road With Your Ford Escort GT?
@@richardkaltenbach3961 none I went for fox body mustangs. won some of those races.
I had an '89 Escort GT for 7 years, put 186,000. Sold it to a kid next door who drove it until around 230,000. Fun little car that gave no troubles.
I remember a billboard for the sporty version in the late Eighties:
"Teach Civics Lessons"
Owned a 1993 Ford Escort LX Sport (black) and then later a 1999 Ford Escort wagon. Great little cars.
I had a 1994 Five speed Escort wagon, really good car and easy to work on....
Great video! This was the first car I bought brand new. A 00 ford escort ZX2. I would suggest a video on the chevy beretta, that was the first car I ever bought. I got a used 94 in 98. The cars that followed these were: 03 chevy cavalier, 04 dodge neon, 06 ford fusion, 08 ford escape, 10 mazda 3 and my current car 18 toyota corolla.
Do a story on the Dodge Lancer. I had an 86 and loved the car. It was a sporty looking (and even to some degree by performance for the time) 4 door hatchback.
I had one too. It was my first car and I loved it.
i JUST SAW ONE OF THOSE ON THE STREET LAST WEEKEND!!! Still a rather sleek sedan to be from so long ago.
The Mercury Tracer was based on the Ford Australia redesign of the Mazda 323, that was released in 1985 in the Australian market.
1:10 phwoar look at that XR3 , the wheels were a bit hit and miss at the time, but I've grown to like them
4:11 '88 GT was my first car. Fun little car, until I got into a headon going about 50 in it. To its credit, in an era before airbags, my 2 friends and I walked away from that one, albeit a little beaten up.
It probably had those automatic front shoulder belts, which were common on Escorts and others at the time.
@@erikbunty2016 Oh yes.
My friend in high school had an 88 Escort Pony 5-speed. Not bad for the day
For 1982, Ford renamed the Escort SS as the Escort GT, since the SS nomenclature was long associated with Chevrolet's sporty models.
I bought a brand new 1989 Escort Pony, which didn't have anything, not even a radio, for $7700. After just over 4 years and almost 200,000 miles (delivering pizzas) got totaled in a snow storm when someone pulled out in front of me. Very low maintenance, timing belt and clutches, was peppy and got great gas mileage.
Wasn't peppy with the lousy auto
That 84-85 GT Turbo 1.6 is extremely rare. I think I've seen 1 in the last 10 years
I have the 2.0 diesel.
I have an 83 GT non turbo that is super rare too!
Around 1988 my dad bought a brand new pony, standard, no radio, and no ac for what I think was around 5000. It was during a recession so it was a big purchase. At 40,000 miles the head cracked and it was totalled. My father was so upset he never bought a Ford or a new car again for the rest of his life.
Ford Escort was also manufactured in India. In the 90s Ford had a partnership with Mahindra (you might have heard their name) to make these cars in India. In India it competed with Mitsubishi Lancer, Opel Astra, Honda City, Suzuki Baleno and Fiat Sienna.
Never had an Escort, but I always kinda liked the GT and the EXP before it became a part of the Escort line. When I was looking at new cars in '87, I wanted something small-ish, and I had narrowed my choices down to the Ford Escort GT and the Pontiac Grand Am SE. In the end, I went with the 2-door Grand Am SE coupe with the V-6. For me, the value per dollar was much greater in the Grand Am, plus the salesman did a much better job of telling me why I needed a Grand Am. The Ford salesman ran the numbers, told me what the standard vs optional equipment was, and that was about it. He really didn't go out of his way to sell the car. He was able to answer questions, but it just didn't seem like he wanted to sell the damn thing. Years later, I bought a used '91 Grand Am with the 2.5L 4 cylinder, which was ok, but it didn't age as well as that '87 did. It was ok, but it was also tired.
LOL Ford salesman would rather talk you into a car that would net him a bigger commission
I don't care how many of those 2.5 Iron "Ducks" GM built!! I know from personal experience they were Absolute Junk!!!😮
Mike Brewer LOVES the Ford Escort. I guess they were popular in UK in the 80s.
If there was one car I wish Ford would bring back, it would be the Escort. I had several from 93 and up, and while the 93 had the most issues including the valve drop and a throw away automatic transmission, I still loved it. I wouldn't hesitate to buy another 2nd Generation Ford Escort just to have it, but they're very hard to find.
Rust was not kind to them either
@@zythr9999 Luckily I never had any rust issues with any that I've owned.
@@gonenuclear7752 You're fortunate. NE OH rust was not kind to these cars, I once saw a 2nd Gen Tracer that should not have been on the road, the rust was that bad.
1:23 - Direct competitors were the Japanese cars and GM Cavalier/etc and Chrysler Omni/Horizon. Chevette was still on sale but didn't really compare to these FWD cars.
I owned a Tracer, Escort ZX2 and a couple Focus's (Foci?), one if which was an SVT. We never got an RS in America till the last AWD Turbo edition. Thanks...
I had a 1998 Escort LX. Drove it for ten years and had zero issues. Good little car.
Still have my 99 till this day with 188k on it still going strong
After contacting you regarding the EXP, I watched this video. Thank you for sharing it. There was more information on this video than I was aware of during my 23 years as a mechanic at a Ford dealer.
Except for its first two years, I wtnessed the lengthy evolution of the Escort. It seemed as if it was never going to end production. My wife and I purchased an EXP at one point but had to get rid of the little two -seater as it was never meant to be a family friendly car.
Perhaps my favorite memory is the Escort diesel. Many laughed at the idea of a smudge pot powered small car, a friend of mine owned one. I rode with him to Las Vegas and back (296 miles round trip) using less than a tak of fuel. Kind of made me want to own one
New 84 Escort L base model, but vin code 4 engine was a H.O.- w/2 bbl Motorcraft Weber, GT Cam, , 9:1 compr. Tuned header exhaust. 5 speed, Similar to my 65 CortinaGT . But newer. So I drove it as such. Many years of reliable use till an accident in 96, totalled. Just peppy ,👍🏼economical MPG. surprising interior room for a 2 dr hatchback.,
I love my ZX2s, putting my red 98 on the track this year.
I still have my 89 Ford Escort LX 2 dr. Hatchback and it looks and runs great. I'm convinced it was a world car.
Great video and content. Listening to it while driving my 1999 Ford Escort ZX2 I've had since 2004
An episode about Subaru would be interesting. While my grandfather was a Ford dealer I started driving Subarus in 1977 and now dive a 2018 3.6R
Had a 93 GT 5-speed - had a few niggling issues (the front seat belt mouse, easily warped brake rotors) - but overall a well made car that was fun as heck to drive.
I drove an 84 company car wagon. Man that 1.6 engine was a total dog. You had to literally get a running to approach any mild incline hill on the freeway, to be able to crest it at the legal speed limit, which at that time, was 55mph. I am not kidding.
I have a 1998 Mercury tracer wagon with 80,000 mi on it which I bought from a old lady with 48ooo miles on it about 6 years ago for $2,000 and it's a great car..
When I was in collage in 2004 a guy had an Escort ZX2. Every time somebody asked him what car he drove he would just say a Ford ZX2. A few guys gave him shit, and kept saying "it's an escort". It became so much of a thing that he had a decal made saying it's an Escort and put it across the back window. Another Escort story was my best friend's girlfriend had one, and she was telling me that she was getting transmission fluid on her feet while driving. We finally realized that the speed sensor was leaking internally. The fluid was running up the speed cable, and running out behind the speedometer.
One of the better wrong wheel drive econoboxes available. I would still much rather have a Pinto but these are really underrated.
My first brand new car purchase was a 1985 Escort GT Turbo very rare only made 2500 of them it was black it was really a nice car I had it for about 3 years then I traded it in for a Mustang GT 5.0
@Yup Kiss my arse 00 it actually shows a red one on the video next to a EXP
My friend bought a brand new 1985 Chevy Cavalier California Special it had a 2.8 liter V6 in it fully loaded sunroof power everything EQ cassette stereo it was fully loaded almost like a Cimarron other than not having leather interior and I raced him on the freeway in my Escort GT Turbo and I beat hem it was faster I pulled away
I owned an 83 2 door. Then an 83 wagon. Loved those cars. I used hotter plugs, better air intake and larger diameter exhaust with a Thrush turbo muffler. I had anticipated the SVO optional free flow header but it was too expensive.
But I drove the hell out of both and loved them.
I really liked the 83 and up Escorts. I currently own a Focus but wish I would have bought Escort 5 speed manuals back in the day
I learned to drive a Stick on a 2 door 83, Decent car for a starter car!
I had a 1994 Escort wagon. One of the best cars I ever owned.
Terrific video! Our family friend had a brown 81 Escort two door that I remember riding in when I was 5 or 6. Distinctly remember the way the auto trans shifter looked - kind of like a jagged half of a puzzle piece. I had a Blue 2 door Lynx (82, maybe?) with manual trans, a blue 2 door 90 Escort Pony with manual trans (worst car I've ever owned) and a green 97 Escort 4 door (5 speed) which was so fun to drive and was my very first new car. Keep these coming! 😀👍🏻
Oh yeah, and my parents had a dark green 95 Escort wagon that they absolutely loved. 😊
My first new car was a 1985 Ford EXP. it actually had the "frog eye" front end with the large bubble hatch. This was the only year this particular body design was made.
The Turbo models of both ‘84 & ‘85 had the frog eye front with the bubble hatch.
Back in the day I liked the escort gt, the one with 127 hp. But I never had one. Later on I had an 04 Focus ZX5 . I enjoyed driving that car for 12 years until It got too rusty. That car had a good ride and really good hydraulic steering. The zetec engine although slow by modern standards felt kind of peppy by my admittedly low standards . Great video by the way.
I had an 85 3 door pre redesign. Auto with AC, wasn’t a bad little car, definitely not a rocket but I kinda dig it.
CRX! I had two-a 1984 and then a 1988. Not big on power or size. But a hoot to drive! I’m just offering this as a suggestion. Thank you. I really enjoy your videos.