CL: Ford Escort UFO

" V8 Rustler" (handschaltgetriebe6)
08/02/2014 at 23:17 • Filed to: None

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

DISCUSSION (10)

GhostZ > V8 Rustler
08/02/2014 at 23:31

...I mean, it if makes the journey safely and seems to be in good running condition, $1000 is not bad for a running, semi-clean ford Tempo. Hell, it would make a great first car for someone.

JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t > V8 Rustler
08/03/2014 at 00:26

Dude, that's almost

... Nearly, kinda cool... Remove the mylar wrap, and you have a tiny camper that gets good mileage...

Zibodiz > GhostZ
08/03/2014 at 01:00

Did you seriously just call an Escort a Tempo? For shame. The Escort is an awesome car. Tempos sucked. That's like confusing a Chrysler 300 with a 300m.

Zibodiz > V8 Rustler
08/03/2014 at 01:03

As the resident oppo 'Scort evangelist, I approve of this. As a car camper who has slept 3 people comfortably in the back of his Escort with a homemade hammock, I wholeheartedly approve of this. This dude is awesome. If only he hadn't put that hideous UFO on the roof. Wouldn't be hard to fix that, though. I'm really curious where his holding tanks are.

GhostZ > Zibodiz
08/03/2014 at 01:14

Yeah, my bad, by the time I realized it, Kinja wouldn't let me edit.

That being said... the 300M was a good car, and arguably faster/better (though not as good looking) as the abysmal base model 300, but still nothing compared to a 300C.

Zibodiz > GhostZ
08/03/2014 at 01:38

I know very little about the 300m, aside from the fact that I used to own a Sebring, and I would assume the engineering would be similarly bad. The big difference I'm aware of is the fact that the 300m was a hideous looking FWD v6. The 300 is a somewhat unique looking RWD with an optional V8. Very different cars.

GhostZ > Zibodiz
08/03/2014 at 02:02

The 300m was totally unique, and shared nothing with the Sebring, it was meant as a shorter, lighter, sportier version of the Chrysler LHS/Concorde. While it was a FWD V6, it was a 260HP and weighed 3500lbs, and was loaded with technology at the time. In 1999 it came with the following, which were not on the base 300 that succeeded it:

4-wheel ABS
Ventilated rotors
4-wheel independent suspension
Climate control and adjustable heated leather seats,
Surround sound system from Infinity
Passenger and Driver airbags

All on the base standard model . It also got 18/27 MPG.

In their highest trim, the 300M had an on-board computer display and an 11-speaker sound system with remote controls.

Enter the new 300 for 2014, 15 years later, which on the same base standard trim had 292HP, but 4200lbs (700 more!) and the following:

No heated seats
No 4-wheel ABS (ABS is only on the front wheels I believe)
No ventilated rotors
No heated seats.
Base 6-speaker chrylser sound system (nothing bespoke like the Infinity one)

Fuel economy? 14/23. In 2014.

Wrap your head around that. The base 300M had the same HP as a Mustang GT, and weighed about the same (a little less). The Base Chrysler 300 had the same HP as a Mustang V6 of its time, and weighed 500-600lbs more.

So a new V6 300 is slower, heavier, with far worse braking and efficiency, and less standard equipment. You can't blame the MPG loss on the styling either, they both had a similar drag coefficient of .31.

So the 300M is basically Chrysler's version of the Taurus SHO or Nissan Maxima. It was an actual sports sedan that was as fast as most cars at the time (same HP/weight as a Mustang GT!) and came loaded with luxuries and extras that weren't on most cars. You didn't select a bunch of options or trim levels, it came as-is on it's own platform where everything was put together. They weren't pretty, but they were endlessly practical and could hold their own performance-wise.

Would I take a 300C over it? Yes. Totally. Especially a Core edition. But would I take a 2014 300 V6 over a 1999 300M? No. Not a chance.

GhostZ > Zibodiz
08/03/2014 at 02:10

Or, to put my comment another way, if you were growing up in the 90s/2000s and drove to an abandoned parking lot/empty road with your Mustang GT, you'd see a 300M among the group of cars waiting there and immediately knew what it was, because if you didn't know what it was, you were about to lose a bet. It was a shockingly good sleeper car that was nice on the insurance, had great resale value, and would make your parents proud because you made the 'responsible' decision in buying a car.

Yet, line up all those Mustangs, Camaros, Civics, Preludes, Miatas, 240SXs, etc. for a drag race against this sedan, and they will lose every time. It was a genuinely quick car for its time.

Zibodiz > GhostZ
08/03/2014 at 03:20

That's really interesting. You're the first person who's ever given me any reason for that car to have appeal. From the cover, I just see another beige pre-bailout FWD sedan. Thanks for setting me straight on that.

GhostZ > Zibodiz
08/03/2014 at 03:34

It was one of those unfortunate victims of the horsepower war. right before 2003/2002ish, 260HP was notable and quick, but just 3-5 years later, and it was blown out of the water with 350HP Challengers and Corvettes, Camaros, etc. Even the C-class went from 350HP to nearly 600HP in that time, and don't get me started on the introduction of RS model Audis and the higher-number M models.

After 9/11, Americans didn't want inoffensive 'sleek' styling and subtle performance, they wanted brash ostentatious "It looks like a rolls royce!" bodywork and enough HP for bragging rights. The new 300 delivered unto a very different group of buyers, and the old 300M faded into nothing.

EDIT: Also? The 300M was limited to 138 mph, which is scary fast compared to other sedans of that era, and 15 years later, most V6 FWD sedans are limited to a lower speed.