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.
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.
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.
@@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.
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.
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!
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
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!
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'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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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!!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
First car I remember mom and dad buying, back around 1984, when I was 3. We had a manual transmission; I learned to drive on and really loved that car. My sister later bought one around 2003.
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! 😀👍🏻
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....
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.
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 couple ZX2’s with the 5 speed, they were fun 4cyl cars to drive around in. I loved them. I’d rather have one of those over the MK1 Focus, they looked better than the Focus. It’s nice to see that you mentioned the S/R trim.
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.
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.
Shout out to the EXP! I had a 91 wagon with a 5speed. Ran great. Good mileage. I was in a band so it was great for lugging gear around. Had a few weird electrical gremlins, though. High school in the mid 90s so there were a lot of $500 escorts with $1500 sound systems in the school parking lot.
I loved my 1982 Ford Escort LX 5 door I had in 1985. I remember not having to shovel (like my co-workers) one afternoon after it had snowed several inches once we got out of work. My first front wheeled drive car.
As a kid, my family had an '83 Mercury Lynx. It was a dealership demonstrator, and had the upgraded carburetor with 5-spd manual. That little grocery-getter could actually scoot pretty well! Sadly, the timing belt broke in a sketchy part of Seattle, and by the time Dad had it towed, it had been vandalized beyond practical repair. Too bad. Mom loved that car, and still talks about how proud she was to learn to drive stick in 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.
The Escort was a very good little car! A family member bought one in the mid-80’s and liked it so much she continued to buy a new Escort for many years till it was replaced by the Focus. Then she drove Focus’ for the rest of her life.
The only car I ever bought brand new was back in 1989, A ford Escort GT. It was a decent car other than the fact the alternator caught fire 3 times, the headlights would shut themselves off when driving with the fog lights switch on.
My husband’s grandma won a BRAND NEW 1986 Escort in a radio contest in Fremont, NE. Eventually, it became my husband's primary vehicle during college, & my in-laws still have it.
I remember a lot of Escorts as a kid. I didn't realize the change from '87 to '88 wasn't generational, the cars just looked totally different to me. There was also the Mercury Lynx XR-3 a la the Escort GT. The XR-3 looked like a harbinger of the '88 refresher, at least, to me, they looked similar. Interesting series.
These were EVERYWHERE! Many a friend had an escort. I never did, but in January of 2007, I bought my '07 Focus ZX3 brand new and still have it to this day!
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.
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..
My mother had a 1980 Ford Escort wagon and 1995 one,too. Even my sister had a 1991 and 1997 ZX2 Escorts. I was thinking of a late 90’s Ford Escort sedan but, I changed my mind on a 1998 Ford Contour that I got in mid October 1999.
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.
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 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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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 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.
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 '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
I drove a 94 Escort for a couple of years,it was a good,cheap dependable car that got great mileage.
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 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???
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!
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 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
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.
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.
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
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.
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 had a 95 that wouldn't die. My family have every variation of escort all through the 80's and pintos
I had an 88 and then a 95 would have continued purchasing except they went away. Both were totally reliable.
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
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.
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.
The ZX2 was my first car. Very underrated platform
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 remember a billboard for the sporty version in the late Eighties:
"Teach Civics Lessons"
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.
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.
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!!
I'm really digging your videos. They're great to listen to while at work
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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 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 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.
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 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.
The Mercury Tracer was based on the Ford Australia redesign of the Mazda 323, that was released in 1985 in the Australian market.
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
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’ve got a 99’ Escort ZX2, it’s pretty fun
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 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. :)
My friend in high school had an 88 Escort Pony 5-speed. Not bad for the day
Owned a 1993 Ford Escort LX Sport (black) and then later a 1999 Ford Escort wagon. Great little cars.
Was into a few escorts then went nuts on a focus. Now i want an Escort GT.
I love my ZX2s, putting my red 98 on the track this year.
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.
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.
Had a ZX2 and it was the most fun little beater!
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.
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.
I own an 86 escort diesel. I love it, maybe a little slow, but fuel mileage is phenomenal!
What is the fuel mileage?
@@BaltimoreAndOhioRR it gets around 50 mpg of diesel fuel if your cruising down the highway.
@@kyleirving7747 nice! I had an old Jetta diesel and it averaged right around 50 too. Those were the days 😁
@@kyleirving7747 Hah, I get 51 in a 796cc Daewoo Matiz. Bet it's faster than your lead brick :P (maybe not as safe in a crash though)
First car I remember mom and dad buying, back around 1984, when I was 3. We had a manual transmission; I learned to drive on and really loved that car.
My sister later bought one around 2003.
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. 😊
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....
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.
My first car was a 2003 zx2! My parents had a 1994 mercury tracer wagon
Great video and content. Listening to it while driving my 1999 Ford Escort ZX2 I've had since 2004
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 couple ZX2’s with the 5 speed, they were fun 4cyl cars to drive around in. I loved them. I’d rather have one of those over the MK1 Focus, they looked better than the Focus. It’s nice to see that you mentioned the S/R trim.
Too bad he didn’t mention the power bump it had over the non-S/R models.
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
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.
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.
Shout out to the EXP! I had a 91 wagon with a 5speed. Ran great. Good mileage. I was in a band so it was great for lugging gear around. Had a few weird electrical gremlins, though. High school in the mid 90s so there were a lot of $500 escorts with $1500 sound systems in the school parking lot.
I loved my 1982 Ford Escort LX 5 door I had in 1985. I remember not having to shovel (like my co-workers) one afternoon after it had snowed several inches once we got out of work. My first front
wheeled drive car.
I had a 1994 Escort wagon. One of the best cars I ever owned.
As a kid, my family had an '83 Mercury Lynx. It was a dealership demonstrator, and had the upgraded carburetor with 5-spd manual. That little grocery-getter could actually scoot pretty well! Sadly, the timing belt broke in a sketchy part of Seattle, and by the time Dad had it towed, it had been vandalized beyond practical repair. Too bad. Mom loved that car, and still talks about how proud she was to learn to drive stick in 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.
Nice video and review 👍
I had an 89 escort and a zx2 both cars I really liked.
The Escort was a very good little car! A family member bought one in the mid-80’s and liked it so much she continued to buy a new Escort for many years till it was replaced by the Focus. Then she drove Focus’ for the rest of her life.
My first car was a 98 ford escort ZX2 sport model. I miss it lol
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
The only car I ever bought brand new was back in 1989, A ford Escort GT. It was a decent car other than the fact the alternator caught fire 3 times, the headlights would shut themselves off when driving with the fog lights switch on.
One of the better wrong wheel drive econoboxes available. I would still much rather have a Pinto but these are really underrated.
My husband’s grandma won a BRAND NEW 1986 Escort in a radio contest in Fremont, NE. Eventually, it became my husband's primary vehicle during college, & my in-laws still have it.
I remember a lot of Escorts as a kid. I didn't realize the change from '87 to '88 wasn't generational, the cars just looked totally different to me. There was also the Mercury Lynx XR-3 a la the Escort GT. The XR-3 looked like a harbinger of the '88 refresher, at least, to me, they looked similar. Interesting series.
These were EVERYWHERE! Many a friend had an escort. I never did, but in January of 2007, I bought my '07 Focus ZX3 brand new and still have it to this day!
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.
I had an 84 escort and remember being able to remove the taillight covers by hand no tools required LOL. The exp had a soft plastic front end.
Yup, the wingnuts made it until 1987. :D
Nice Channel, no yelling, shouting, or lame jokes. Good job.
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..
My mother had a 1980 Ford Escort wagon and 1995 one,too. Even my sister had a 1991 and 1997 ZX2 Escorts. I was thinking of a late 90’s Ford Escort sedan but, I changed my mind on a 1998 Ford Contour that I got in mid October 1999.
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.
This is such an underated channel. Amazing content my dude. Keep it up
I had a 1994 Five speed Escort wagon, really good car and easy to work on....
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 had an 83 blue escort as my 1st car back in 1993. My cousin had the 1990 escort GT and I was so envious.