They were fun, good cars. As a former Ford salesman , the 1989-92 GTs had quite a following . The 93-97 was better in many respects ,but didn't sell as well for a variety of reasons . Import and domestic competition. You could get a nice new Mustang for roughly the same price . Probes are still good handling sport coupes with a cult following to this day , however.
Yeah I suspected the 94 and up Mustang had to hurt sales. And there was alot of sport compacts on the market then.I sold cars for awhile myself starting in the 90s
I LOVED my 1989 LX. No guts but lots of features like the removable sun roof, the stereo with CD and subwoofer and those pop up head lights. The paint was crappy and came off after a few years. My Probe didn't have quite the same acceleration as Bob Glidden's NHRA Pro stock version. Win on Sunday and sell on Monday worked. I don't know why we get emotionally attached to cars, but I dream that I still have mine.
I never owned one myself,but when I had a small car lot I managed to get my hands on a low mileage red 90 LX with the v6,digital dash,and sunroof with a 5 speed. It was fun to zip around in. I didn't get into the prostock racing in the vid...Should have mentioned it LOL. Cars can be little time machines ! I love when people get the "member berrys" about one today.
I have two 97 Probe GTS, I love how they drive and handle. With a few up grades they look and drive great. The engine sounds awesome with the right exhaust. There is no denying the Probe GTS is a real head turner. People still come up to me, sad Ford discontinued the car. If FORD had continued with the Probe, the hopes were it would have offered all wheel drive. And yes it was the Mustang that eventually killed the Probe. People made fun of the name, but their smallish brains are still stuck in 7th grade. Thanks for the positive review of one of our favorite cars. .
I always liked the Probe since its debut. Too bad the final generation Mercury Cougar didn’t become the 3rd generation Probe as initially intended. Would of been interesting to see what it would’ve evolved into had it stuck around. Great informative episode as always!
Absolutely love the probe. Found out that they exist just bout a year ago and bought one. Picked it up from a guy who dose show cars. The probe came with a modified KLZE V6 engine with turbo and VIRS system. The power behind this car is godly!!! Took on a 5.0 mustang super charged and blew it out the water. Same for my buddies k series honda with turbo. Probe is something else. Wish they would make a new one with mazda.
Sounds like a cool car! Seeing as Ford sold off their stake in Mazda years ago, I wouldn't expect any more collaborations with Ford. In the meantime, invest in alot of front tires as I suspect you can burn them down easily!
The Best Probe Has to Be 2nd gen 93 to 97 Probe GT Hands Down, Design was State of the Art for a Ford at the Time better looking than a Chevy Beretta GT, on the other hand looks similar to a 3000GT and BMW 8 series, in 93 some joked about its the poor man 8 series or Next Eclipse, The Probe GT had Some thing Nice, The V6 Sounds similar to a VR6 VW,
Yeah it was a good looking car. The Baretta by the mid 90s looked ancient in comparison! But a Probe GT in 94 only started about 1500 bucks less than a Mustang GT. I think Ford priced it too high compared to the Mustang.
Got tired of Mustangs for the time being. Bought an 89 Probe Gt in Feb. 89. Adjustable suspension, but I left it in sport. Crystal paint, so silverish. My first car with ABS, so I pulled the fuse after the first time it activated. Had it oil spray rustproofed every other year. Kept it for a decade. Easy to get a surprising amount of power with a few upgrades. Easy to drive from T.O to Florida every Feb for the month. In the States a CD player was available, not in Canada. Naturally there was a Discman in the sunglasses slot. Bosch headlight replacements, and Hella driving lights. Had to replace the power antenna with a fixed in place one after a year because of ice. Really nothing but routine maintenance and performance improvements for 375 000 km. Want a bigger fuel pump? Access plate under the back seat! Every stoplight was a Gran Prix. Lap times at Mosport. Quarter mile times from Cayuga, Grand Bend and Bradenton. Times on each side of every upgrade because... science. Bradenton was near my Fla place. Long before Cleetus moved next door but who knew? Probably the most fun to daily drive ever. Great in the snow with the right tires too. Many parts could come from Mazda and Ford dealers. So, 78 Acadian, 78 Grand Lemans, 83 Shelby Charger, 86 Mustang, 89 Probe. I want another Probe. Drawback. No cup holder. Bought a Mustang GT in 97, to try 4.6 mods. Kept driving the Probe for a few more years. A '19 Fusion Sport 2.7 turbo is the closest I've been able to get in affordability, drivability, all of the feels. Sure feel the weight difference though. I sold the Probe to a Probe fan in 2000. He put it back to stock with the original parts I left in a box. Impossible to find replacement adjustable shocks included. Couldn't tell you if it's still going.
Cool Story! I always liked the Probes. Ive been more of a RWD fan over the years, so never had one. I did drive a 90 for awhile..LX with the 3.0 v6,5 speed,and digital dash. It was fun
@@autochatter Rear wheel drive fan for sure. It's in my DNA. But then I think of that Probe. An optional solid rear axle 97 Mustang GT with 245/45/17 tires can't corner with a Probe with much skinnier tires, on 15" rims.
Loved that thing so much. Blew the motor(lifters) then the trans maybe 10k after an expensive rebuild. Traded for a Corolla. Yeah funny. Needed a break and 30k later traded for a ws6 trans am.
The Probe and Contour had nothing to do with each other. Contour was based on the Euro Mondeo platform, not anything Mazda. It was the Cougar that was on the Contour platform.
The Probe wasn't Contour based yes. The Cougar was. Probe rode on a Mazda GE platform for the second gen. Fords CDW27 platform was what the Countour and that same gen Mondeo used. It was a modified Mazda GE platform and the CDW27 was co developed between Mazda and Ford. So it was a modified Mazda platform basically? Mondeo used it from 93-96...Maybe other years too.
Should have been a Mercury Cougar from the start. Also should have backed off the "Big Blob" look some Even the rounded VW Bug and the Tatra balance against straight and semi-straight lines. Fender skirts were long out of style too. Not bad at all but with it's competition being more exciting it didn't stand a chance. !k subs soon. You deserve that and more! I certainly enjoy being along for the ride 😁
I appreciate it! Sincerely! I hear dozens of dollars monthly awaits LOL. I haven't researched it, but I'm guessing the traditional since the 70s then big Cougars were probably still selling good when the Probe came out. As the 90s wore on, the large personal luxury coupes were falling out of favor....people were switching to SUVs. Great having you aboard....and a little intimidating because I'm not a writer LOL.
The second generation Ford Probe is gorgeous.
Was much sleeker that's for sure.
I had a ‘95 Probe GT with a 5 speed manual and a V6. That thing drove surprisingly well. I really enjoyed that car.
I didn't realize how much "Mazda" they had when new, but when I drove one then, I remember thinking it felt like a nice Japanese sport compact.
They were fun, good cars. As a former Ford salesman , the 1989-92 GTs had quite a following . The 93-97 was better in many respects ,but didn't sell as well for a variety of reasons . Import and domestic competition. You could get a nice new Mustang for roughly the same price . Probes are still good handling sport coupes with a cult following to this day , however.
Yeah I suspected the 94 and up Mustang had to hurt sales. And there was alot of sport compacts on the market then.I sold cars for awhile myself starting in the 90s
I LOVED my 1989 LX. No guts but lots of features like the removable sun roof, the stereo with CD and subwoofer and those pop up head lights. The paint was crappy and came off after a few years.
My Probe didn't have quite the same acceleration as Bob Glidden's NHRA Pro stock version.
Win on Sunday and sell on Monday worked.
I don't know why we get emotionally attached to cars, but I dream that I still have mine.
I never owned one myself,but when I had a small car lot I managed to get my hands on a low mileage red 90 LX with the v6,digital dash,and sunroof with a 5 speed. It was fun to zip around in. I didn't get into the prostock racing in the vid...Should have mentioned it LOL. Cars can be little time machines ! I love when people get the "member berrys" about one today.
I own a probe gt and I love every bit of it. Honestly one of the most enjoyable cars I've ever owned
@speeddemon9030 Thats awesome you still have one! I've driven several years back, and they were nice.
I have two 97 Probe GTS, I love how they drive and handle. With a few up grades they look and drive great. The engine sounds awesome with the right exhaust. There is no denying the Probe GTS is a real head turner. People still come up to me, sad Ford discontinued the car. If FORD had continued with the Probe, the hopes were it would have offered all wheel drive. And yes it was the Mustang that eventually killed the Probe. People made fun of the name, but their smallish brains are still stuck in 7th grade. Thanks for the positive review of one of our favorite cars. .
I'm glad you enjoyed it and it's great your helping keep the Probe alive on the streets! A AWD Probe would have been sweet!
I always liked the Probe since its debut. Too bad the final generation Mercury Cougar didn’t become the 3rd generation Probe as initially intended. Would of been interesting to see what it would’ve evolved into had it stuck around. Great informative episode as always!
Thanks! I think they should have called the Probe a Falcon. I can't wait to see your next one!
the only two cars in the Ford portfolio named after cats were both mercury models the Cougar and the Bobcat
That's true! Ahh the Bobcat..The Ford Pinto clone LOL.I think they should have called the Probe a Maverick or Falcon.
It was more than just that. There was also the lynx and the sable.
@That1GuyOnPoint I forgot about the Lynx too! ....and I wasn't sure a Sable was a cat. Never gave any thought WHAT a Sable was LOL.
@@that1guyonpoint213 forgot about the Sable momentarily used to admire them when I was a kid in the 90s
@Courtney Puzzo First time I ever heard the words "admire" and "Sable" in the same sentence! LOL
Absolutely love the probe. Found out that they exist just bout a year ago and bought one. Picked it up from a guy who dose show cars. The probe came with a modified KLZE V6 engine with turbo and VIRS system. The power behind this car is godly!!! Took on a 5.0 mustang super charged and blew it out the water. Same for my buddies k series honda with turbo. Probe is something else. Wish they would make a new one with mazda.
Sounds like a cool car! Seeing as Ford sold off their stake in Mazda years ago, I wouldn't expect any more collaborations with Ford. In the meantime, invest in alot of front tires as I suspect you can burn them down easily!
@@autochatter Already went through a pair. And a clutch. Worth it!!!
The Best Probe Has to Be 2nd gen 93 to 97 Probe GT Hands Down, Design was State of the Art for a Ford at the Time better looking than a Chevy Beretta GT, on the other hand looks similar to a 3000GT and BMW 8 series, in 93 some joked about its the poor man 8 series or Next Eclipse, The Probe GT had Some thing Nice, The V6 Sounds similar to a VR6 VW,
Yeah it was a good looking car. The Baretta by the mid 90s looked ancient in comparison! But a Probe GT in 94 only started about 1500 bucks less than a Mustang GT. I think Ford priced it too high compared to the Mustang.
Liking your channel! Glad UA-cam sent me to the accord video.
@FFlyDDrum1 Thank you! That was nice of You Tube!
Got tired of Mustangs for the time being. Bought an 89 Probe Gt in Feb. 89. Adjustable suspension, but I left it in sport. Crystal paint, so silverish. My first car with ABS, so I pulled the fuse after the first time it activated. Had it oil spray rustproofed every other year. Kept it for a decade. Easy to get a surprising amount of power with a few upgrades. Easy to drive from T.O to Florida every Feb for the month. In the States a CD player was available, not in Canada. Naturally there was a Discman in the sunglasses slot. Bosch headlight replacements, and Hella driving lights. Had to replace the power antenna with a fixed in place one after a year because of ice. Really nothing but routine maintenance and performance improvements for 375 000 km. Want a bigger fuel pump? Access plate under the back seat! Every stoplight was a Gran Prix. Lap times at Mosport. Quarter mile times from Cayuga, Grand Bend and Bradenton. Times on each side of every upgrade because... science. Bradenton was near my Fla place. Long before Cleetus moved next door but who knew? Probably the most fun to daily drive ever. Great in the snow with the right tires too. Many parts could come from Mazda and Ford dealers. So, 78 Acadian, 78 Grand Lemans, 83 Shelby Charger, 86 Mustang, 89 Probe. I want another Probe.
Drawback. No cup holder.
Bought a Mustang GT in 97, to try 4.6 mods. Kept driving the Probe for a few more years.
A '19 Fusion Sport 2.7 turbo is the closest I've been able to get in affordability, drivability, all of the feels. Sure feel the weight difference though.
I sold the Probe to a Probe fan in 2000. He put it back to stock with the original parts I left in a box. Impossible to find replacement adjustable shocks included. Couldn't tell you if it's still going.
Cool Story! I always liked the Probes. Ive been more of a RWD fan over the years, so never had one. I did drive a 90 for awhile..LX with the 3.0 v6,5 speed,and digital dash. It was fun
@@autochatter Rear wheel drive fan for sure. It's in my DNA. But then I think of that Probe. An optional solid rear axle 97 Mustang GT with 245/45/17 tires can't corner with a Probe with much skinnier tires, on 15" rims.
@m1t2a1 Yep...I like Mazdas! My MX5 RF is a blast. Even my kids 5MT Mazda 6 handles well.
Loved that thing so much. Blew the motor(lifters) then the trans maybe 10k after an expensive rebuild. Traded for a Corolla. Yeah funny. Needed a break and 30k later traded for a ws6 trans am.
The Probe and Contour had nothing to do with each other. Contour was based on the Euro Mondeo platform, not anything Mazda. It was the Cougar that was on the Contour platform.
The Probe wasn't Contour based yes. The Cougar was. Probe rode on a Mazda GE platform for the second gen. Fords CDW27 platform was what the Countour and that same gen Mondeo used. It was a modified Mazda GE platform and the CDW27 was co developed between Mazda and Ford. So it was a modified Mazda platform basically? Mondeo used it from 93-96...Maybe other years too.
The 1989 Probe and 1993 Probe were both better than the then-available Mustang. The V8 in the Mustang was the only compelling reason to get one.
That and the RWD of the Stang was a plus to me.
@autochatter Agree, but that RWD was only fun with the V8. The Probe had better handling, if I recall correctly. 🤔
@@doug6191 I'm sure it did!
@@autochatter Enjoy your cruise!
@@doug6191 We are thank you!
Most Ranger V6s had no relationship to the one offered in the Taurus, Probe etc.
The first and second gen had 3 liter Vulcans in them..Other 6s too yes
@autochatter they had Cologne 3 liter V6s in the Ranger. As far as I know the Vulcan was not installed in the Ranger.
@frankdeboer1347 the 2.8,2.9 and they had 4.0 Colonge V6s in Rangers depending on year. The 3.0s were Vulcans.
Hated the 2nd gen probe, the seats looked awful, loved the first gen
The second gen looked alot more modern inside, but I liked the seats on 1st gens better myself.
Should have been a Mercury Cougar from the start. Also should have backed off the "Big Blob" look some Even the rounded VW Bug and the Tatra balance against straight and semi-straight lines. Fender skirts were long out of style too. Not bad at all but with it's competition being more exciting it didn't stand a chance.
!k subs soon. You deserve that and more! I certainly enjoy being along for the ride 😁
I appreciate it! Sincerely! I hear dozens of dollars monthly awaits LOL. I haven't researched it, but I'm guessing the traditional since the 70s then big Cougars were probably still selling good when the Probe came out. As the 90s wore on, the large personal luxury coupes were falling out of favor....people were switching to SUVs. Great having you aboard....and a little intimidating because I'm not a writer LOL.